The National Register.
London, England, 1808-03-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

te,dom or dever know any thing of acting, it is useless to m rite
gw d plays or good parts. We deny the necessity of giving the
first parts to the singers. An Opera might be constituted, as
many Comedies base been, of two di% isions ; for if a Comedy
m ty contain at once a serious interest and a comic story, surely an
Opera may combine t odivisions, one musical and one dramatic.
Then we might see good actors in the chief dramatic parts, with
rood singers in the chkt musical parts, and every class of the
audience would go away satisfied. An attempt of this kind wa,
made in an Opera called Peter the Great ; but the piece had no
:access, for the music was nut particularly good, and the dia-
laeue was particularly bad. However this is NO reason why
we should not sec a good play on this plait : and we must think
that nothing hut the unfair partialities of Proprietors can ha‘c
hitherto prevented the performance of some such Opera. But
these gemten:n, even in their chace of emolument, are often
turned aside by private influence; and w bile merit is overlooked
or repulsed by the literary judges of the theatre, a play is per-
petually accepted because it, Author is acquainted with some,
person high in the government. Thus misruled is the domain of
the drama ; its cultivators impart the juices of the soil to
gaudy blossoms and tall stalks that stare in all the impudence
of datuiting vulgarity; while the modest flowers that form the
proper ornament of the garden, must sprite; spontaneously or
not at all, and perhaps perish under foot before they bloom !
We h:.ve a striking example of their is ant of judgment in the
revival of Mr. Bate Dudley's Opera of The TraveMrs lit Switz-
erland. This piece abounds, not in character, for it has none, lint
certainly in characters, for it comprehends almost all the esta-
blishment of the Theatre. It has, probably, some sort of plot ;
but it is didicult to discover the affairs of the parties, till the end
of the third act, when a discerning spectator may perceive by
the relative positions of the actors, which of the ladies and gen-
tlemen entertain any matrimonial views. Perhaps the Proprie-
tor, may think that the dialogue has jokes ; but we confess that
we could perceive no joke in the play itself, and certainly there
is no joke in sitting to see it. In short, it appears to have no
merit but its music : or, in the Irish phrase, the hest part of the
venison is the currant jelly. But is it not disgraceful, that such
a genius as that of Mr. Shield should ever have been employed
upon such a piece ? Is it fit that the play should be but the ap-
pendage of the music, and that dialogue should float down the
stream only when the fiddles have strength enough to tow it
after theta ? The Proprietors who couple pieces like The Tra-
vqlers in Switzerland, and Two Faces under a Hoed, pith the
compositions of such a master as Mr. Shield, can be compared
only to the tyrant in the inteld, who procured putrescent car-
cases, and fastened them to the bodies of the living

MARCH 21.

'
works of •och an author. And we are tom that their only nio-
the For this rash art was, t11;11 \fr. Theodore Hook written
.ibasive criticisms on his theatrical friends in a Magazine, called
SaiiriNi, fir i)itllititly NJlllll:thig. Madmen ! a, if they could
have hem. injured siic!l a step or as it' Mr. Theodore Hook,
or any other young wit, had nut a perfect tight to show his
hum.iur hr hi- per•oalit , and turn to a politic account the
little gleanings that he might collect from the foolish ingenu-
ousness of private society !
NV hat there might have been in the piece thus rejected, we
now can only coLjecture. l'erhap• there was a part with songs
for Mr. Braham—perhaps some puns for Mr. Matthew s—per-
haps a dance for M. IY Lg ilk's pupils—perhaps the piece con-
•.iiced original matter (such as never was seen before)—pealiaps
.1 was all a translation from the French. Perhaps there %sit, a
tog io it—perk :p= a devil— perhap•a flour-sack for the conceal-
ment of a hero—perhap• a seri ou• ballad with very comical
poetry—perhaps there in.•y have been good grammar.— Pethaps,
in this piece, thus shamefully rejected, perhaps, as Gray's Llegy
has it :

Perhaps in this bec,lected spot is laid
—But the subject is too melancholy—we cannot continue

LAW REPORT.

COURT OF CHANCERY, LINCOLN'S INN HALL,
31 A 11C 11 22, !hit'.

About a fortnight since, Mr. Parquet petitioned the Chan-
cellor to be dischare.,ed mit of custody, at the suit of Messrs.
Kensington and Co. upon the ground that he had made a full
and fair disclosure of his effects, under a Co, mis.:ion of Bank.-
ruptcy awarded against him. lie complained of the great
length of time he had been imprisoned, and the iieflexahiEty of
his Creditors; tendering at the same time the athdav its of tuu
medical men, who stated. that. if the Petitioner was not speedi:y
removed out of prison, his life would fall a sacrifice.
Sir S. Romily supported the prayer of the Petition.
Mr. hart, on the other side, iiei.ted that Petitioner had
not made a full and fair disclosure of his effects, but if he would
find security in 2000/. for his not quitting the kiogdom, Messrs.
Kensington and Co. would consent to his liberation.
Upon this offer the ease stood over till (hi) day, and on being
called on. Mr. Parquet'!; Solicitor informed his Lord-hip, that
death had relieved his Client from his sufferings, and hoped the
Counsel employed again;t him would intercede with their Client;
to pay the expellees of his funeral.
The Chancellor enforced the propriety of this recommenda-
tion.

Mr. hart said he did not know how he could interfere per-
sonally, but he trusted :after Lordship's recononntlation,
that his C:ients would do what wio pt.iper.

Yeiterday another interlocutory motion was expected rela-
tive to the Opera diTute, and the Court was prodigioibly
crowded. The Lord Chair:olor inquired of the Conmod if they
had not all Opera motion to imike, aml on beitig informed in
the negative, Illy I.ortbhip
•joeoseh• obwrved that he bad read
in the newspapers t•ueh was to t•lke place.