The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-03 00:00:00

ROVA L ACADEMY.

This Exhibition opens to-day. There are about 200
fewer pieces than usual, and the upper parts of the meat
room arc hung with a heavy drapery, instcad of being
laden with pictures to the ceiling. Amongst the most
striking pictures are the following:—
Venus and Cupid.—T. STOT HARD. R.A.
Edward 111. Queen Isabella and Mortimer.—lL P. BRIGGS.
The Cherry-seller, and four other pictures.—W.Coxtmis.
A Mouse.—Mite Srtwaru a.
Portrait of Lord Surrey.-0. liwirrEst, who has also Lady Ann
Coke and t'hild, and other whole-lengths.
Abbeville, &c.—G. JONES, R. A. elect.
Lord Stowell.—Sir T. LAWNS VCR, P.R.A.—This is a speak.
Mg likeness. Another, of Sir W. Curtis, is equally striking, and
more superb in colouring. airs. Haltord is a beautiful female
head; and there are two Children ( No. 29) painted with every
'trace and high quality which can belong to art. The Duchess of
(Armee/11er, and Earl Fitzwilliam, are charming whole-lengths.
(leneral Phipps.—J. Jacksox. R.A.
lard Acneson, &c.—T. PH I LI.I vs, R.A.
Sir G. Cockburn.—Sir W. BEECIILY, R.A.
Sir A. A. SHER, R.A.
Sancho Panes in the apartment of the Duchess—C. R. Lea.
LIE, A.
Portrait of a Lady in Florentine Costume.—H. [lowans, R.A.
Christ appearing to Mary Magdalene—R. WRSTAI. L, R.A.
Smugglers, and a Cottage Totletta—D. WILxiE, H.A.
The Widow.—W. Mu►.ILADY, and a chel.eressvre.
Oriental Love-letter—lL W. PICIERSGILL, A., who has also
several of the best portraits in the Exhibition.
Colonel Sir J. Leicester, at the bead of the Cheshire Yeomanry.
J. WARD, I(.A.
A Mabratta View.—W. WEaTALL, A.
Othello, &a—FnADELLE.
Rochester. front the Bridge.—A. NV. CAL LCOTT, ILA.
Atuorett (Fairy Quern).-11. Firstr.r, R.A.
Among the sculpture, Flaxman, Westmacutt, Chantey, and
Kendrick, base subjects of great beauty, also busts; and to their
names in this branch we must add those of Bailey, Turocrelli,
Behnes, laterite, &c.

ROYAL ACADEMY.—On Saturday the Members of the
Royal Academy gave their Anniversary Dinner at their
apartments in Somerset House, which was rate:l4l(d by •
numerous assemblage of guests of the first rank and talent;
among whom were—
His Royal Highness the Duke of York --French, American,
Danish, Hanoverian, Prussian, Bavarian and Sicilian Ambassa-
dors i—the Lord Chancellor ;—Archbishop of York ;—Dukes of
Norfolk and Wellington t—Alarquisses Camden, Lansdown, Hen-
ford, Cnandos, and Allesbury ;—Earla Bathurst, Ilarrowby,
Westmorland, Essex, Spencer, Aberdeen, Darnley, Gower, and
Cowper;—Viscounts Melville, Sidmouth, and Exmouth ; Lords :
Chief Justice of the King's Bench Chief Elam Gifford, Holland,
Rolle, Colchester, Bexley, Morpeth, G. W. Russell, and Stowell ;
—Bishops, London, Oxford, Salisbury, and Chester;—Right Ho-
nourables : the Speaker, Chancellor of the Exchequer, G. Can-
ning, R. Peel. President of the Board of Control, the Vice Chan-
cellor, Sit C. Long, W. liuskisson, C. Arbuthnot, the Lord Mayor,
and G. Tierney.--Honourables :—Lieutenant-Oeneral E. Phipps,
and Agar Ellis—Sirs : .1. Hume, J. Swinburne, 31. W. Ridley,
Willoughby Gordon, 11. Davy, I'. F. Hestbcote, I'. Bating.
Beaumont. J. APlntosh, and A. Carlisle.—Mesiirs. : 11. Ilankes,
G. Lambkin, T. L. Parker, T. Hope, .1. Watts Russell, R. Hart
Davis, Phillips, S. It. Lushington, S. Rogers, Watson Taylor,
It. N. Colborne, W. Chamberlayne, A. Baring, J. Jekyll, T. M-
iner, W. Leek. E. Swinburne, .1. Planta, S. APGillivray, H.
Hallam, W. AI itford, and Prince Hoare.—The Attimicy, Solicitor,
and Surveyor General—Governor of the Bank, Chairman of the
India Company, and Chairman of the Board of Cuswima.—Alaicer
and Warden of Dalwkh Cull Presidents of the Royal College
of Physicians and Surgeons.—Rev. H. Can, Dr. W. St ollaston.—
Chamberlain of London—Field Officer in Waiting, &c. Ile.
. .

Yesterday morning, about nine o'clock, the Duke of
York left town for Newmarket.

Friday night the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, and
the Princess Augusta honoured Covent-garden Theatre
with their presence.
Yesterday the Duke and Duchess of Clarence, and the
Princess Auguota, attended Divine Service at the Chapel
Royal.
Princess Augusta lionc.ired the Italian Opera with her
presence on Saturday night.
Prince Leopold and the Duchess of Kent attended
Divine Service at the Royal German Chapel, and heard a
Sermon preached by the hey. Dr. Kuper.
The Earl and Countess of Liverpool arrived in town
on Saturday night at nine o'clock, from Oxford.
Yesterday morning Divine Service was performed by
the Rev. Dr. Illombag, to the King's household, at the
Palace in Pall-mall.

Dr. Law, Bishop of Chester, is certain of his nomination
to the sucatit Sx of this Diocese.—llath Herald.

Mr. Litthrdale was, on Friday, appointed to the vacant
seat in the King's Thrlch, in the room of Lord Chief
Justice Best.

Mr. Martin's picture, The Seventh Plague, now exhibit-
ing at the Gallery of the Society of British Artists, has been
purchased by Mr. Latubton, at the price of 600 guineas.

'flie grand performance of Sacred Music. appointed to
take place en the 13th inst. at Ilrerviwich Church, its
postponed to the following day, by desire of the Princess
Sophia Matilda, the Patroness, in consequence of the
King's drawing-room being appointed for that day.
T. %V. Beaumont, E.q. M. P., has purchased the Bead
estate for 411,0001.—Leeds Paper.

lIL:NTINUDON ELLCTION.—By the death of the Mar-
quis of Lothian, father of Lord Ancram, the nominal re-
presentative of this borough, which occurred on Thursday
morning, he is called to the House of Peers, thereby occa-
sioning a vacancy in the representation of our borough.
Since writing the shove, a canvass has been commenced
by the Hinchinbrook party, who have put forward a strange
gentleman of the name of Stuart. Mr. Wells has also
offered himself u a candidate upon Mr. Swceting declining
ping to the poll at this Election, but who has pledged him-
self to offer his services at the general eleetion.—Hantin,
doe Gazette.

We understand that Mr. Haney has accepted the una-
nimous invitation of the burgesses cf Colchester, to repre-
sent that borough in Parliament, and that Sir H. Rusted
has declined.—Sandoy

. THEATRES.
ITALIAN- M-CA -HOME.

Last night this theatre was crowded to witness the pee.
formance of II Turco in Italia. We can say but little of
the plot or music of the opera, but when aided by the
power of Ronal di Begot', who never appeared to groats
advantage than on this occasion, it could not fail of tee-
ms. Ilex reception was highly fattt:ing, and, to gay the
truth, not more than her exertions del:el-veil. IVe had a
new appearance in the buffo line ; a Signor Remoriui, who
acquitted himself in such a manner as to draw down the
deserved approval of a fashionable audit nce. Remaini
has • very powerful voice, full, routd, mid articulate. lie
was becomingly sparing of ornament, and is decidedly an
acquisition to the establishment. %Pe cannot say much of
the commies of his voice, as the part of the Are gives lit-
tle opportunity for the display of the higher notes; we
shall, however, have other opportunities of noticing his
powers, and shall not fail to mention them as they may ap.
pear to us to deserve. In the course of the first act there
were two encores, which were by no rottna-deserved, aid
we would, in honesty, suggi st to Madame Monti di Begnis
not to fill the gallery or other parts of the house with or. we are convinced was last night the case, from the
number of persons who indiscriniiiiitely applauded, fcr she
has powers of acting and of singing which should prevent
'the necessity of her resorting to such equivocal means of
'obtaining approbation. In one of the encores a feeling was
displayed at which we shall only hint on this °cession, for,
whatever may be the domestic regulations of the di lkg
or other public servants, no public exhibition of them
should be allowed, much less encouraged. Sat rerbau se-
Noblet, Ferdinand, and Le taros were absent from
the divertissement, and we ask why ? Was it to leave the
field open to Albert, or was it ? All public set.
vants must depend upon their exertions fur public favour,
and, really, they should not give themselves such untie-
cessary airs. The Committee of Nl.magetnent, no dcobr,
' will pay them, but the public should not be a party to the
encouragement of that favouritism which cripples the clef-
lions of merit, on the one hand, or allows those who poetess
it, on the other, to treat the frequenters of this theatre with
no:who:dance or worse. At the conclusion of the opera the
people of fashion, as well as those with the orders, called
for Madame Ronal di Begnis, and she forthwith appeared,
though with a tremulous air, which gave her an interest
we have seldom seen equalled. 'We could mesh to see the
talent of this house put together, for, however splendid the
acquirements and powers of an individual may be, they
cannot produce that effect which wculd, and must hulk,
from the combination of united excellenee. There ate, we
know, many difficulties to be surmounted before ceudam,
and Pasta, and Itutezi di Begnis could be introduced in the
same opera, but still, we think, that stage etiquette should
not be made an obstacle to the fullness or completeness of
the public enjoyment. Signor B tiel:i would, at all events,
do well to attend to the matter. Albert was caded for at
the end of the ballet, and it being his farewell, he was re.
ceivcd with every mark of applause. The house wu
crowded, and we hope the latter season will make amends
for the inisetable attendance during the earlier period of
this delightful theatre.
DRURY-LA NE.

Shakspeares comedy of Measure
.17,r Meernre was
revived at this theatre on Saturday evening, with mach
splendor of costume, and with the full force of dramatis
ability that abounds in this establishment. Measterrfir
Measure is a good acting play, because of the variety of
characters it developes--of the strong individuality with
which they are marked—of the contrasted passions by which
they are swayed—and of the interesting situatioes is
which those passions are. called into action ; but the foun-
dation of the play, without being squeamish, in our opie
nion is extremely indelicate, and our admiration of its dra-
matic character is mitigated by disgust at the moral obli.
equity it exhibits. The principal aid real lesson incubated
is the " triumph of mercy over strict justice." Of all
sorts of justice, we fear poetical justice is the least.cont-
mendable. As manifested before us in this play, we find
in its dispensations the guilty escape with a few alarms,
and the innocent undergo a long probation of fear and
every species of anxiety. It is true this may be
conformable to the occurrences of re al life, but then it
does not conform to the wishes and feelings of the audi-
ence, or at all accord with their sympathies. OUr sae
ceptions are greatly qualified by some very fine acting.
Macready, as the Lake, played tbtougbout with admirable
propriety. The opportunities of producing strong I flirt
are few ; of these few, however, be availed bitnalf; and
was powerful and most impressive in those tine pas-
sagesof deep thoughtfulness and phficeophic reflection,
h are blended with the expression of the strong pas-
sions and impulses of nature. Such was particularly the
character of his acting in the latter scenes of the play.
There was a peculiarly fine emphatic Intelligence in lea
mode of saying,
" By mine honesty,
If she be mad (as I believe no other),
Her madness bath the oddest frame of seam;
Such a dependency t.f thing on thing
As De peer I heard in madness."
The Angelo of Terry was a well-conceived performance;
the crude style of his acting is happily suited to a character
that does not enlist the sympathy of the audience, and al-
most excites their displeasure even to hatred. Liston played
Ledo. At Covent-garden he was wont to personate the
clown Pompey. The alteration of parts can scarcely be
considered an improvement. Lucia is a petulant fel.mr,
but Liston renders him quite too farcical. This very &vet
performer somewhat overacts this as well as other parts;
but his object is attained, for the house is in a constant
giggle whilst he is on the boards ; and it is now as habitual
for an audience to laugh at whatever he says or does, as it
is for them to turn their eyes towards the stage on the
rising of die curtain. Ile may well be proud of this sr
centlancy over the public mind. Mrs. Bunn as Isattg,
played in a manner worthy the best performances of )tin
Somerville. It is almost impossible to deprive the par!, is
the delivery of some passages, of a conventicle twang;
but it was as little disfigured by that disagreeable intonation
on Saturday night, as the nature of the part itself would
permit. her performance throughout was spirited and
well sustained. The other per ormers sequined them-
selves most creditably, anti the play sea given out
for repetition amidst very general applause. 7., roaster
followed; it improves on repetition: the processions are
snore correct, and the machinery better worked and attendol
to than on the first few evenings of its representation.