The National Register.
London, England, 1809-09-10 00:00:00

SEPT'.. 10.

preseniatiou of toe (Yekpas ('al ineus of .'!..uphories ; it is
certain that the ancients regarded ilieetriciii reees as the
combinations of every churl of linnuta talent in the arts :
their stage sceis the temple of poetry, where she received
ai;.istaner. ned homage of ail her other sisters. It must
be acknowledi.;ed that. in the decline of just sia:avin C:eece,
and particularly ia Itoine, the splendours of decoration,
with the sioluptuousness of dance and of music, over Is helnien
the superior beauties of peetical : the hold energies
of passim). or the awful sentiments of reason, liad no ell.ect
on those who began he re.-;aril the theatre as the plug-Gillz
of the day : who Caine there to cease to think, not to
follow a train of the most dignified thought through a
series of the most interesth:g incidents. unisic, the
dance, the pomp of procession and sacrifice, and the
licence of the scene Is ere all that remained of ilo! ancient
drama er .I;stkelas: the body without Ike coal;--nay, the
mere api:arel without son or body, for the veil' features
and figure were lost. Music wets no longer impaieioncil
it no longer uttered its wonderful I OeeS to the soul of the
auditor a delicate yin« of sebdivided Pattes it
tickled the ear, and pleased by the vacancy of idea which
it induced. The dance no longer moved-through impressive
attitudes—it no longer imparted a sense of the motiou of
rods or the march of heroes ; the terrific agitation of the
Furies, the delirium of Hereulcs,and the solemn step of the
Ghost Of Darius were forgotten, and the immodest gesture
was alt that rendered the dance expressive of any SCasli-
tiOn. The degradation of poetry is the degradation of
every other art, which is only great according to the in-
spiration it seizes from toe eneegies of the superior muse.
On the opening of the new Theatre we shall find oc-
casion to speak frequently of this union of the arts
in theatrical representation : it is our business now to
express our sentiments on certain innovations which seem
to aim at that separation which we have remarked as one
of the features or degenerated taste., The Creeks, as wet,
ax the modern French, had their bullets of action ; the
pieces of some of the first and hest authors were acted
without the word ; and sometimes the words were read
and recited aloud by an unseen person, while the actor
went through tie part in silent or modulated action. The
action of the Greek orators constituted a great portion
of their astonishing eloquence, and therefore we may sup-
pose that the modulated motions of their actors, were far
nnore impressive than any dance of which we can form an
idea. Indeed, the actions of our modern ballet (lancers,
Pre fir from being impressive at ail : in our ferandest bal-
lets d'action the motions are merely signs and mimicry ; if
we could imagine any thing that these ballets might be said
to resemble, it would be an assembly of dumb men bitten
by a tarantula. To represent one of the finest tragedies of
our Shakspeare iti the manner of a modern ballet seems
therefore the height of absurdity ; but to give it all the
expressive grace of action ss hile the words might be
emphalleallN read to the spectators, seems soinew hat less
absurd, particularly as it. k supported by the example
of such high authority. It was certainty with sentimenty
unfavourable to the purpose of Mr. Elkton, that we weet
last week to the Circus. We felt persnaded, that soch
piece r.. 41 Jlarbelh, required a ballet master more conver-
sant in the expression of action thaa any he esedd find :
we had not formed any very high Opinion of kis own
powers of attitude ; and we recollected, that even when
alloyed the use of his tongue, he sV:IS almost as prone to
the signs of the dumb as Mr. Young himself. Our expecta-
tions were therefore not a 9:a& step too high when we en-
tered his theatre. The manner in which he deliver-
ed a very excellent address, which we ,since under-
stand to have been the composition of Dr. Busby,
did not in the least increase our hopes : his emphasis was
false and his action extravagant : the poetry of Dr. Busby
owed nothing to his recitation ; it however possessed such
excellencies as spoke for themselves, and the best appear-
ance it has made hitherto before the public is 10 print rather
than at the Circus. Ou the drawing up of the cu,rtaia we

.JrBs

were delighted with scone of the best scenery we ever re
member to have seen. The prrspoetive and the colouring
were exquisite, and in eyery chiane throughout the piece.
the polut of sight 11::14 ii:clitit) u sly preserved of the same
height, and in the same direction ;—a great consideration,
not sufficiently iegarded at our theatres. The music of
Locke was given with considerable truth of execution. and
the witches possessed as much of that wild and super-
natural grandi.sur as it is possible to give them on any stagc.
ittit when we lieganto f.eel the loss of the recitation, neither
the splendour oil the decorations, nor the beauty of the
scene, y, a shiErle idca to our earnest suggestions.
The inotihns of the actors were WO rqe than ineoilgruou9;
they were frequeutly ridiculous, and the jumble of the:
mu,;ie which accompanied these motions was absurd.
Poor Elliston was too superior to those who moved
with : he. laboured to be great in attitude, writ
sonic' auk ward allow or other continually thwart-
ed him ; and what rendered it extremely provoking,
was to perceive, that in some of the hest speeches,
he muttered the NV Ord I to himself, while he could
give Ike speclalors nothivg but the action. his action was
forced and generally undignified ; in his first interview
with Lad?! filacbelh, it was almost laughable, or perhaps
was rendered so by the violence of the lady, who embracc:d
him as if she would have leaped upon his shoulders. hi
some points, the scenes of Shatiesocar hot
riTid-
lv given, but II hat would hale been narrative, was ex-
hibited in incident : of this kind was the murder of Din:-
eza. The accompaniment of pantomime music, added to
the disgust which the acting of Lady illattelh created
throughout the murder-scene. We did not wish For a reader
in the manner of the Greek theatre, we wished we could
for a while forget the very words of Shakspeare that arose
in our recollection and seemed to be ridieu:ed by the
the mute-
. •
inery before us. The excellence of the scenery n some de-
rev relieved our attention : the descent of Hecate v. as ad-
mirable, and the cauldron scene was given with great
effect. ‘Ve advise • Alr. Elliston to confine his future
scenic display ti) such subjects as are more congenial
to the naltire of his theatre and the powers of his actors..
The beauties of Shakespear are too intimately connected
with character and sentimeut for such ti:tyn? i•x!iiLltions ;
and although many of his pla,:s present gre.,l vantage.*
for the admission of splendid sueetaele, yet no pass are so
truly ir;dependent of the spectacle attached to them, as those
of our immortal hard. This we felt severely at the Circus;
and wished that Mr. Kilislon had contented himself with
Clue Beard, or with Pizarro, and left Nacbuil! alone, at
least until! he quits the empar.a/ of Ike niu;c:u.

TO TU! EDl7'Ol:. Ole, —.l i'lo:i,ll4- a:;t3tIsTEIZ.

GALV Vti

:VP(' meu.c ti r
Relit lodate purfor, gnarl vireg /erre revisent.—TlOß.

Si tt-I.te l2rilish Pres. Stititr(ln se'nnight ediaititts a biter
to the Editor on :he sith:oct of the recent cl.;s.aiyeries in (:a1 tnl
ISIh, l% Ilti el, .' nen considered (-it !tor hi a (-hymnal Sf'n.q,, or A ith
a reference to iis e raordinary ett.,et, ilpea t!ie animal economy,
merits niintw! attention. And althosiga n.buit mtich luti
been done. NCI Stilt much remains (input Povilied taor ('nn zwy
thing. be more important to chemico eleCtLiC J;G:ne thlin a
candid statement of fact.. This I'a not
which
by any meaos
made in 'AI r. byelvaier's letter, to which (throng!' the
medium of yonr excellent P.:tier) 1 take this opportu-
nity of replying., I agree ivith this t'.-titer, ho asserts
that a't' live in an age when scientific inquiries have as,iittied
rational and dignified eitararter. I was, therefore, a• little
surprised at some other statements in hi paper ‘vaich app •ar t
he at variance s the facts olltiticil to by him- as. the 1-..su!rof
the labours of the French chemists. Ile tells Hsi, that "ex tal-
rience hay -ltewn that theory, independent of experimental facts
only lead to wild and Yeitlie conjecture; and t;tnt a blind zeal
for tat discovery of new farts, without any rcgart.l In the",
displays little rise than a cttildi,h coujosit...vt hid burden the
memory without giviug auy emptoytotlit to the cottet.!•tanui!g„,'.

a

" After hiving paid considerable attention to electricity in
general, it appears to the (says Mr. II.) that caloric and the dc
composed water of the galvanic trough, constitute the galvanic
This expression ij altogether unintelligible. Farther
am, he ob'erves that " water, which has but little resen;tilaime
the galvanic fluids; may be so far changed by its union with ca-
lorie, us to bear a much Wows' similarity to those ai,,ents ; for
when united to a certain portion of calorie, it becomes so dilat-
ed as to occupy about 000 times the spare it did in the character
of water." The relative volume between water as a liquid and
aquatic gas (or steam), if I may be indulged the expression
is very incorrectly stated ; and if it were otherwise, we do not
see why the galvanic energy is heater eiqlaieed by reference to
steam in the way of elucidation.

Dr. Garnett had observed Ia his lectures on
.Zoonomia, that
G 6 what the nature of the galvanic fluid is we are ignorant.
Same experiments had led him to suppose that it may be hydro-
gen, which, when comhined with caloric, appears in the form of
gas, but when pure, or in a different state, may be i.lpable of
passing through solid bodies in the form of electricity. Aud
Mr. Sylvester's notions are, that the galvanic fluid is electrated
hydrogen, or a chemical combination of the electric fluid with
hydrogen itself, w hich is the theory of Dr. Bostock and some
others. The experiment made with Mr. Byewater's galvanic
.trough appears to prove nothing, still less his own singular and
unsupported Itypoetesis, that " oxygen forms the base or posi•
tive galvanism, and hydrogen that of negative." Mr. Bye-
water is farther inclined to suppose that the net: rzetal.obtained
by Messrs. Gay, Lussae, and Thenard, w ithout the aid of gal-
vanism, is the oxi,lated iron of the apparatus imperfectly re-
stored by the ;dean employed, and not a (new) metal derived
• from the alcali by the action of the heated iron." . Surely he
timid. not he acquainted with the following most important ex-
periment of the same French chemists, which I shall detail in
their own language.
" Dans le cours de ces experiences ifs examinerint radian de
leurs maim: sur le, gas ammoniac, qui d'aptess one belle decor,-
-wile de Air. Berthullel, est forme' de gaz hydroge tie el de gaz
a:ote. metal ft ammoniac secombui• rent, formirent Tine
produit solide d'un aspect particulier, et en mime terns it rests
sous la clothe au se fast:it l'expceience, one quantite d'hy:drogene
peu-pres egalc aux deux (coquinas (In du gas employe.
jr p lildrogcn(; etait d'opris la
?/:curie Nreppav;e, devetit a I,nir ele donne par l'auzmoniac;'
a son azot, coml,:nt; auee le metal, strait deg dewier la substance
nouuellement ()literate; mais en veriftunt cetle consequence on le
i:rouva fousse. La nouvelle combinaison l taut expnsie ala
t..ur, se decomposait. talc rendail, a le verite mitre le metal, nn
produit acriforme ; mais ee praduit point de raznt,
rentmonitte pure el sans melange, (roman gaz elranger
kydrogene ne provettail dant! de ranannniac, »mi..; mtial ;
par consequent, celui ei tee tail pas de Culcali noins dcroxs4Tene,
ynnis de plus de rligdrogene."
Other observations may, on this subject, he found in the New
Series (passim) of BEAU MONTH.: and M o slimy Et; IS-
TER, Which by no means accord with the conclw,ions of Mr.
13)ewattl, and to which w e would beg leave to refer
Your's obedieuttc, AM TOR V LIM ATM

The Royal Family, and Lanies and Gentlemen of fachion,
use Russia Oil fur moistening the Hair as hen dressing; is so
re 4 n nourisher to the Hair us to prevent it turning grey to
Ell periods; promotes the growth ; makes the flair grow thick
and long; prevents its falling off; and iestores it on bald places
if there he the least roots. Se‘eral Gentlemen that (sere babl,
have declr.red, that after using the Russia Oil regularly for six
months, the bald places became nearly covered u ith hair; pro-
motes es e-brows, whisker,. CetAlemen ought not to omit using
it to the whiskers after shav hie, as it s ill prevent them turning
a reddish colour., or Grev, which i too generally the case, on
Recount of the wetting they retake flinty shziviocr. Ladies and
(;entlemen JR ha wear false hair as ill find the Russia Oil a valu-
able ar: iele to tt,e scben drc.sing, as it keep, the Hair soft, and
Tendert, its appeorance natural. t)hserve the label on the outside
`trapper of each bottle i; ussian gold ink, " Moch-
rlkilfsky rind Prince."— Any without that signature are cowl-
tcrfeits. Price 'h. per bottle, or one bottle, containing four
small, at one uiuea, or six guivea bottles for five pounds. Sold
wholesale and retail by the Prop! ietor, A. Prime, N 0.9, John-
Street. Oxford•in reel ; awl, by apimiumeat, by Mr. Smith, Per-
bow to hi% Makrity, New butt-street; Jlendrie and Sons,
Verfuti.rs to her Mr jestyi Ti(ehborne-street ; Rigge, No. 65,
Cheapside; nod by most principal Perfumers and Medicine
Irruder, iu Lusbutd• :icotlitud.

THE .eXPEDI'IION.

SEPT. 10.

"SotiTH nVvELAND, .AUG. '26,—" I understand you are
all perfectly satisfied in England with our success. l ant glad
of it, for it is more thau we are here. In fact, I •da'not believe
there ever was any army more dissatisfied than this ; w e are
ithsAutely ashamed of ourselves, and half of us arc think it of
ways aed weans to get back unperceived, and to pass eurselveu
off as quite unconcerned in the Expedition. Forty thousand
men to take a place of about ten miles in circumference, in a
fortnight, or about that ! Alas ! i.lits! Besides, vi hen w e ar-
rived on the coast, the places were alefeuceless ; but we were
too generous to attack an unprepared enemy , and therefore we
laid formal siege to Flushing, wit one half of our army,
the other was kept on board ship, or landed here in South Beve-
land, and sent into cautoninents, to pass the time in shooting and
other amusements, until all tiece-nary preparations had been
made for the defence of Antwerp, the capture or destruction of
the fiect at this place, was the principal object, of sending tit
nut, for NValchereu was merely occupied to secure our retreat.
Far ililrerent was the conduct of the trench. After thus reco-
‘ering from their first panic, they were indefatigable- in con-
structing works and collecting reinforcements. Every day fresh
f;enerals and troops and guns arrive upon the coast. W het) at
last it aas thought fit to begin to think of proceeding, it was, I
believe, found, after immense fuss, that the thing was impossible.
The opportunity had been suffered to slip through our fingers ;
and the enemy with whom we have to deal is too active to al-
low us to regain it. The boa thin; we can now do, is, therefore,
to go hack again; at least that is said to be the prevalent
,-opinion of a Council of -war, to which all the lieutenant-generals
were surammied.. If this resolution has been formed, it would
be well to execute it without loss of time, as it is uuderstood
that the enemy are marching down an immense army to this
evast,and it may be a favourable opportunity to go somewhere
c?se. The army, besides, begins to get very sickly. The 9atit
have one huudred and sixty ill, and the others are aliected in
the same proportion. Flushing is a dreadful example of the
calamities of war. It is, in fact, nothing but a heap of ruins.--
t was a very pretty city. But not hang can equal Middleburgh,
the capital of the ibliand; it is one of the most beautiful towns I
ever saw. The country altogether is very tine; but the people
fiat and insipid in the extreme."

PRO INCI4LS.

-"-`WIEBIft--

At Chester Assizes, which ended on Thursday sennight
Thomas Newton, a labourer, was tried under the 42d. Geo 111.
commonly caNd Lord Elleaborough's Act, for giving medicine
to I;lizabeth Turner, to procure almuion ; and received the
mitigated sentence of three years imprisonment in the county
gaol, at the end of that time to pay a tine of 1001. to the King,
and to be imprisoned till the tine is paid. Dr. Thackeray, of
that city, who was examined as an evidence on the trial, clearly
stated, that medicine given to procure alaortion, could not be ad-
ministered without endangeringa he life of the female.—Thomas
Siddall, aged 56, a labourer, was convicted of indecent practices
towards several young females, and sentenced to be imprisoned
two )ears in the common gaol, and during that, bet ween the
hours of twelve and two, to be set in and upon the pillory, un a
market day, at Glover's-stone.
-SHOCKING EvENT.—llenry Baylis, about four years of age,
was on Wednesday se'onight murdered by his mother, Hannah
of nishop'. Clee%e, Gloucestershire, who, in a violent
fit of insanity, beat out his brains. She had previously at-
tempted to destroy t %I") others of her children, one by cutting
its throat, which only failed from the bluntuess of the\knife ;
and the other was happily rescued from her grasp, at the mo-
ment, when she was going to break his hack across a window
frame I It was during the confusion occasioned by this awful
scene, and before she could he secured, that she murdered the
poor ienocent first mentioned.
On titualavcvening last, as William Greenwood, a labourer its
the parish of Aldershot, Hampshire, was in the act of instruct
ing his children in the Church tBtechi3ot, on coming to the
tsords ' thou shalt.do no murder,' he immediately jumped up,
went into the garden, and %%as seen to slide. easily lugs the welt.
Assistance was immediately had, but the well being remarkably
narrow, it wAs with difficulty that he was drawn up, and when
taken out he was quite dead Nu reimauu is given fur this futdit
cuutluct.