The National Register.
London, England, 1809-11-05 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Palermo, on his return trout Sicily; Admiral Wilson, on his
promotion.
It w!..s understood that the Earl of Liverpool kissed his
Majesty's hand upon his being appointed Secretary of State
for the War and Colonial Departments.
About four o'clock the Delegates from the University of
Cambridge arrived, in grand procession, headed by the
Esquires and Beadles. The Address was most graciously
reeeivetl, and the Deputies had the honour to hiss his Ma-
jesty's hand.
The Delegates from the University of Oxford were also
introduced to his Majesty, and presented their Address.
His Majesty afterwards held a Privy Council, at which
Tiseuntit Palmerston was sworn in a Member, and took
his seat at the Right Honourable Board accordingly.
Mr. Ryder was sworn in Secretary of State for the qome
Department.

CITY DDI?ESS.

Wednesday the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the
Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Common Council of the City of
London, waited upon his MAJESTY at the Queen's Palace,
(being introduced by the Lord in Waiting) with the fol-
lowinr, Address, which was read by JOHN SL[XESTER, Esq.
the Recorder : • " • •

TO THE KING's MOST EXCELLE.AT MAJESTY.
The humble and dutiful Address of the tonD MAYOR, AL-
DCRISTEK, and CoMMONs of the City of London, in Common
Council assembled.
44 MOST GRACIOUS. SOVEREIGN,

" We, the Lord Mayor. Aldermen, and Commons of the
City of London, in Common Council assembled, approach your
Majesty's sacred Person, %sift]. our Mast 'lively and unfeigned
congratulations on the recent Anniversary of your Majesty's Ae-
ces•ion to the Throne of these Realms. With joy and gladness
we hailed the day on which your Majesty entered into the 50th
year of vour llajegty.,; reign, not only over the persons, but in
the lielrtq of your Majesty's sul!iects.
" l; hen it pleased the Almighty Ruler of Princes to place
the sceptre in your Majesty's hands, the brave, free, and loyal
People whom your Majesty was ordained. to govern, received
with pleasure your Majesty's first declaration to the Great
Created of the nation, that horn and educated a Briton, the
per!iliar hapi:iness of your Majesty's life wOuld ever consist in
promoting- t;;e welfare of your people ; and your Majesty's reso-
lution to maintain our most excellent Constitution, both in
Church mei State ;with with an assurance that the civil and religious
rights of t%e subject were equally dear to your Majesty with
the most val.:tAlle prerogatives of the Crown.
" We experience and acknowledge the blessings of this secu-
rity to onv religion and laws, and that great charter of our liber-
ties which, in virtue of the glorious Bevolusinsn, your Majesty's
illustrioos house was chosen to defend. Through a lapse of
nearly half a century, your Majesty has proved yourself ee
every occasion unwearied in the maintenance and practice of all
the principles so graciOusly pledged.
" It is a prdui subject fcr your Majesty's faithful citizens of
London to record;hat in the midst of all our unexampled strug-
gles, your Majesty • is enabled to say now, as at tin commence-
ment of your Majesty's reign, that your Majesty can see with
joy of heart the commerce of theSe kingdoms, that great source
of our riches and fixed object of your Majesty's neter-failing
care and protection, flourishing to an extent unknown in any
former war.

4b
Deeply impressed with gratitude to Almighty Cod, for
the innumerable blessings he has been pleased to pour down upon
this highly favoured nation, and more particularly for his won-
derful hnd great goodness, in baying continued his divine pro-
tection to your Majesty thisjoyful period : we, your Ma-
jesty's faithful Citizens of London, have implored Heaven to ac-
cept our fervent prayers, of praise and tbanksgiving,and to con-
tinue that same providential care and protection to your Ma-
jesty for many years yet to come.
" Believe, Sire. (hot it is the warmest wish andniost fervent
prayer of your Majesty's Citizeni of London, that Providence
may long continue to this nation so distinguishing a mark of di-
vine favour, and that. in the fullness of time, when your Ma-
jesty shall be called from your earthly to A celestial crown, the

709

memory and example of so beloved a Sovereign may secure to
a grateful people the imitation of your Majesty's virtues, in the
succosors ,)f your Royal Hotise, till time shall he uo more."
To which Address his 'Majesty %.% iIS pleased to return the
following most gracious answer :
" I thank you for this testimony of °your zeal 2utl affection
for me and my Government.
" It has ever been my anxious care to maintain the t ight4 and
privileges of every class of my cabjecti ; and it is a great satis-
faction to me to reflect, that in the midst of till our unemitupleit
struggles, and notwithstanding the duration of the wari, in which,
for the snfety of my people, I have been engaged, the commerce,
aPd manufactures of my City of London have been carried to as
extent unknown at any former period." •

THE elTil I C LS. •

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

There is no complaint so general, and perhaps none so
jtest, a, that of the decline of dramatic genius, both his-
trionic and literary ; in the good old daVR of Wycheriev,
Steele, and Shakespeare, though we sometimes find a coarse-
ness of language and an indelicacy of allusion forbidden
by modern refinement; yet there was a freedom of outline
and a boldness of relief infinitely more striking than the
faint basso Vellevos of the modern dramatic chisel. In our
old comedies there is a strength and originality Of specific
character, for which, in our modern ones is too ()flea sub-
stituted the mere delineation of general manners, or a
hasty caricature fitted, perhaps, for the genii's of some
particular actor, but whose spirit evaporates in the closet;
in the old ones the derelopement of the plotis always illus-
trative of individual character, whilst the various shades of
character are all necessary both to the cf.nduct of the story,
' and to its eclaircissement. So nicely are those framed, that
no one character, no one scene could be expunged with-
out dernol-shing the fabric; not so with our modern
ephemera, where. •we are often piinled to know why *half
the characters are• introduced, except merely to Jill up the
scene. Onr modern comedies too, for want of plot, are
obliged to trust to the impression made by one striking
character, and that too often a vicious one, as goodness
alone is not susceptible of the high interest excited by dar-
ing villainy ; this, however, is of evil tendency, as we are
all naturally attached to the Nero of the piece, whose pare,
it well performed mast have a hail eWect on weak minds,
by loosening the bonds of morality. We are led- to there
observations by the representation on Saturday night of
the "School for Reform," where the author's ineentiohs
are decidedly on the side of virtue, but where the promi-
nent character is a villain ; rewarded too, without reform.
This character of Lord Avondale is a difficult oee, and was
represented by -Mr. Egerton from Bath, as a first appear-
' afice on the boards of a London Winter Theatre; but if
we mistake not, he made his debut in this metropolis about
three years ago, at the Hay-market, as the fluke in the .
oney-Moon, in which he certainly did not succeed. His
engagement at Bath must, however, have tended conside-
rably towards his improvement, and has certainly given
a greater degree of ease, and knowledge of the stage.
His entry was hailed by repeated plaudits, but as these were
evidently the manceuvres of the 'Manager's party. little can
be known from them of the impression which lie made on
the Public in general, particularly as the most interest.
ing and difficult passages were afterwards completely •
drowned. by the half price vociferations; we, however,
feel satisfied that he would havedeserved his early applause,.
bad the piece been. concluded
.without. interruption. His
age is well fitted -for this-character ;•his step is easy and
unctobarrassed, and.free• from stage affectation and par-
ticularly in the 4es:6e-where he brit discovers 'ipke, his
'1 confusion and anxiety were natural andlniciressive; but iu
the mope intesesting scones, especuttly those of renioise,
he does no& stiffi9iontly attend to the modulation of voice.
'necetiory• to eepreas that • sensation ; anger may be allow.
ed to taut ; the tunes of remorse arc " not loud but.

•
NOV. 5. ,
THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 709
_.
. _ 1.,.
. ... -
Palermo, on his return frost Sicily; Admiral Wilson, on his memory and example of so beloved a Sovereign may secure to
promotion. ' a grateful people the imitation of your Majestv's virtues, in the
It wr”s understood that the Earl of Liverpool kissed his suecosors of your Royal House, till illllO shall he no more."
Majesty's hand upon his being appointed Secretary of State To which Address his Majesty spas pleased to return the
for the War and Colonial Departments. following most gracious answer :
About four o'clock the Delegates from the University of " I thank you for this test imooy of °your zeal 2utl affection
•
Cambridge arrived, in grand procession, headed by the for me and my Government.
Esquires and Beadles. The Address was most graciously "It has ever been my anxious care to maintain the t ight4 and
privileges of every class of my qubjecti; arid it is a great sat it-
rereivet's, and the Deputies had the honour to kiss his Ma-
(action to me to reflect, that in the midst of :..II our une%amplett
jesty's hand.
struggles, nad notwithstanding the duration of the wars, in which,
The Delegates from the University of Oxford were also for the snfetv of Inv people, I have been engaged, the commerce,
introduced to his Majesty, and presented their Address. and manufactures of my City of London have been carried to as I
His Majesty afterwards held a Privy Council, at which extent unknown at any former period."
Viscount Palmerston was sworn in' a Member, and took
his seat at the Right Honourable Board accordingly.
THE elTil I C A LS.
Mr. Ryder was sworn in Secretary of State for the some
Department.
COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. !
•
_.. There is no complaint so general, and perhaps none so
CITY A D DI?ESS. just, a, that of the decline of dramatic f.,,C10111, both his-
_.....— . trionic awl literary ; in the good old days of Wycherley,
:1
' Wednesday the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, the Steele, and Shakespeare, though we sometimes find a coarse-
Aldermen, Sheriffs, and Common Council of the City of ness of lanr,tiage and an indelicacy of allusion forbidden ,1
II
London, waited upon his MAJESTY at the Queen's Palace, by modern refinement; yet there was a freedom of outline
.. _