The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-19 00:00:00

EAST INDIA AFFAIRS.

Wednesday a Court of Directors was held at the India House,
when ('apt. Tremenheere was sworn inn the command of the
Asia.—The Court adjourned at six o'clock till SYeduesday
nex t.

The Royal Family, and Ladies and Gentlemen of Distinction
and fashion, use the Original Russia Oil, for moistening the
flair when dressing. which is so great a nourisher to the Hair,
as to prevent it turning grey to all periods of life; promotes the
growth; prevents its falling oil'; and restores it on bald places,
if the least roots remain. Several Geetlemen that were bald
have declared, after usiu' the Russia Oil regularly for three
months, the bald places became nearly covered with hair. Cat:-
tion.—As nu* ions counterfeits are selling in petty shops. and,
t ► deceive, have imitated the Russian Eagle on the sbew bills
and covers, purchasers will therefore be particular in observing,
taat each bottle of the Original Russian Oil h is a label on the
ontsitle wrapper, signed in Russian gold ink, " Mochrikufsky
and Prince ;" any without that signature are counterfeits.
(Attics and Gentlemen going to Watering-places ought not to
neglect, after bathing, to use the Russian Oil, as it prevents the
gencr..l case of the water occasioning the hair to fall otf and be-
come ,hided. Also Gentlemen should not omit applyirg it to
the whi,kers to prevent them Writing grey. w hick is too gene-
rally experienced on the accoant of the constant wetting they
receive from shaving : this case is clearly proved, as the whis-
kers, eye-'arows, &c. at 7s. per bottle, or a bottle containing
four small, at One Guinea. Sold vtlioL.sale and retail by the
Proprietor, A. Prince, No. 9, John-street, Oxford-street ; and,
by appaintment, by Mr. Smith, perfumer to his Majesty, New
Bond-street; Hendrie and Sons, perfumers to her Mij 'sty,
fitchltorne-street, Golden-square; tktyley and Blew, per-.
floaters to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and Duke and Du-
chess of York. 5, Cocks/stir-street; and most principal per-
rusners or Metlicitm Venders in Luzland, Ireland, and Scutl..nd..

398

THE THEATRES.

—....5w....
HAERAIINET.

On Wednesday evening the Haymarket Theatre opened with
the drama of the Castle Spect;e, the work of Mr. M. (. Lewis.
It is fortunate for the fame of this poet, that the Castle Spectcr
is not the only literary production by which he is known to tSe
public ; for u more wild, incoherent, bombastic piece of con
♦ersation, Is not to be found among the most eccentric fancies of
the allegorical dramatists who entertained the wits in the time
of Henry the Eighth, or among the rhyming play-wrights who
blustered in the reign of Charles the second. The plot is the
plot of a ballet pantomime: the dialogue is the dialogue of
Bedlam : the characters arc the characters of every bad novel :
a broad series of black and white splashes. all very detestable,
or very penitent, or very interesting. What can be said in
praise of such a play ?
The character of Osmond was performed by Mr. Young.
That this gentleman's tragic powers are entitled to considerable
respect, it would be unjust in us to deny ; but whatever we nut:
think of his general ability. we cannot speak in very high praise
of this individual performance. If, indeed, it he the business
of an actor to seize so completely the spirit of hi, author as to
make a play extravagantly written appear more extravagant by
being extravagantly acted, then the style in which Mr. Yowls
played the great scene in the Castle Spectre on Wednesday night,
is certainly entitled to the loftiest commendati►m. But, if it he
the business of an actor to soften his author's failings, and im-
pine the beauties of the text, we fear Mr. Young cannot be
considered as deserving the highest approbation.
The'scene in the character of Os►nond, which is usually called
the great scene, is that in which he relates his dream to the two
black slaves. He enters, having started in all the convulsions
of terror from his couch, and at the moment when he rushes into
the arms of the slaves, has scarcely convinced himself that his
visions have been but fallacious. He his completely exhausted
by the violent operation of his fears: with difficulty he sustains
himself as he relates the story to the slaves ; and now and then
so totally does he feel his force desert him, that he is compelled
to lean upon one of these attendants for assistance.
All this Mr. Young recited in a noisy declamatory style, more
suitable to the rage of Bajazet, than the terror of Osmond.
One or two bursts of horror may be fairly permitted in such a
situation as this, in order to give the advantage of contrast to
the effects of feeble terror, which constitute the general charac-
ter of the scene; but these bursts should be only momentary,
and ought to be succeeded by a still increasing degree of debi-
lity, arising front exhausted stimulus. No part of this series of
emot;sms did Mr. Young pourtray in such a manner as by ans
chance to remind us of nature. Mr. Young is considered to be
nn actor of infinite art : it may be so, and we are among the
foremost to inculcate the necess►ty of art in acting, as well as in
every other science : but the business of art is to assist, not to
violate nature. Mr. Young does not stem to put himself in the
situation of the person of whom he represents, and say : " How
" should I. feel if this were my case ?" And yet there are two
or three parts in which Mr. I oung displays excellences of a
very superior description, so that he must needs possess this
faculty of imagining nature : and we have only to regret that
possessing such a faculty, he does not oftener exercise it.
Mrs. Bellamy, late of the Belfast Theatre, played Angela.
This lady was Miss Grist, several years an actress of considera-
tion in the Covent-garden company ; she has since married Mr.
Bellamy of Covent garden, who was lately Manager of the Bel-
fast Theatre. It would be dangerous for us to speak with any
certainty upon the merits of an actre,s whom we have seen only
in this part ; for there is scarcely a character of importance in
the whole circle of the drama, which is important with so little
character as Angela. It is impossible to say what Angela pro-
perly is. She is sometimes a coward and sometimes a bully :
she is sometimes all sweetness and gentle timidity ; then she
scolds the nurse, blusters at Osmond, and elopes tteder care of '
the friar. All that we can venture to declare positively is, that
Mrs. Bellamy seems to have the externals of a goad actress:
the power of expressing different appearances of emotion, and
the art of moving with grace. But as the emotions that are to
be expressed in the part of Angela are so contradictory as to af-
ford little probability that an actress, Or any human being ever
felt them, we do not expect an actress to do more than frown,
and smile, and weep. and shout; all of which operations Mrs.
Bellamy has evidently stage knowledge enough to perform with
judgment. But the great criterions of fine acting are, nice dis-
criadeatious of character) arses delicate but forcible touches of

JUNE ID.

•
: there is no opportunity for these in Angela: and there-
fore we cannot decide whether Mrs. Bellamy's powers be really
of a very superior order. As far as we are able to judge, we are
dined to judge favourably. We shall probably be in a condition
to form a better estimate of her.merits when we have seen her
play Mrs. Haber in The Stranger, which is advertised fur to-
morrow night.
DRURV-LONE.

On Friday evening Drury-lane theatre closed for the season,
with the comedy of The Belle's Stratagem, and the farce of
Vo Song no Supper. Between the play and the entertainment
Mr. Wroughton delivered an address, which was in substarce
;wady as follows :--
" I am deputed, Ladies and Gentlemen, by the Proprietors
" of this theatre, to express to you their humble and hcartfrlt
" thanks for the liberal encouragement which you have afford_
" ed to them through the season that has now elapsed : and at
" the same time to assure you, in the strongest manlier, that they
" are determined, by the most nnintermitting attention, to prov!
" themselves worthy of the patronage they have received. t•:;.
" der these impres!-ions, they will employ the ensuing sumuier
" in the preparation of such dramatic pieces in every depart-
" ment, as they may consider most likely to afford you gr.itifi-
" cation. We, the Performers, one and all, beg leave to otter
" to you our deepest acknowledgments for the indulgence which
" you have constantly granted us : an indulgence, to merit the
" continuance of w hid% is our highest ambition and our best re.
" ward. We now take our leaves of you till next September."
This address was received with great applause; for the pro_ ple know so little of theatres, that they actually believe the
• Proprietors mean what they say, or cause to he said. The Pro-
pr ors hold a patent from the Crown for the good of the people;
and they tell the people that they mean to 4,e it for the people's
good : but they really mean, if we may judge of the future hy
the past, to use it only for their own good. This reproach is not
peculiar to Drury-lane : of the two theatres we believe Drury-
Lane, to be directed in the more public-spirited and gemerous
manner; but the power is too great to he trusted to chance,
or to one chance-chosen individual. For it is well known that
Mr. Wroughton and 1l r. Keimble, and all the committees,
and part proprietorF., and hoards of management, and other per-
sons interested in the theatres, have in fact no full controul
that full cmitroul, in both theatres, rest. on an equally damter-
ous basis. In Drury-lane, it rests in total uncerlaiotg, for of).-
(iody knows who is efficient proprietor. In Covent-garden, the
•full controul reAs upon a still more alarming cerlaintd, fur rve,F
4ody feels who is efficient proprietor.

TINE ARTS.

EXHIBITION AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

1. The offer of the Crown to Lady Jane Gray, by the Dukcs of
orihumtP•rland and Safrolk, and other Lords, Di putii sof
the Privy Council. J. S. CopLer, R. A.
" Northumberland found that farther dissimulation was fruit-
" less : he went to Sion [louse, accompanied by the Duke of
" Suffolk, the Earl of Pembroke, and others of the nobilit%
"and he approached the Lady Jane, who resided there,with :dt
" the respect usually paid to the Sovereign. :MP in a
" great measure ignorant of all their transactions; and it M
" with equal grief and surprise that she received intelligence I,f
" them. Her heart, full of a passion for literature, and tlw elegant
" arts, and of tenderness towards her husband, who was dowry-
" ing of her affection, had never opened itself to the 11:tt in-Mg al-
" lurements of ambition; and the information of her advancement
"to the throne was by no means agreeable to her. Sh.• even
" refused to accept of the present : pleaded the preferable right
" of the two princesses : expressed her dread of the come-
" quences attending an enterprize so dangerous, not to say.
" criminal : and desired to remain in that private statioa. in
" which she was born. Overcome at last with the nal-calm,
" rather than reasons, of her father and father-in-law, and
"above all, of her husband, she submitted to tlvir will, and
" was prevailed on to reliquish her own judgment.
Instory of England, Fol. Iv. chap. Se.
From so long a text as that which Mr. Copley has here se-
lected, we expected a composition of no wdinary merits. put
we cannot pretend to have received any very exal: I dell,l;ht
from the picture : and on seeing so much written about a matter
which we could not help considering so little worth, we tom:
the trouble of investigating the prolix motto with great atten-