The National Register.
London, England, 1812-03-22 00:00:00

14

Should it have been NAPOLEON'S intention to send out his
Scheldt fleet with an army on beard, either to -America,
to assist in the threatened hostilities against us, or to attack
some of our colonies, or retake his own ; it is a fortunate
circumstance that the Orient squadron should, by sailing
first, have exposed his probable designs, and pat us on our
guard. By itself, it is not strong enough to effect any
very important object. It is therefore not unreasonable to
suppose, that it was intended to act in conjunction with
another fleet, which the redoubled vigilance of our sailors
will closely confine to its ports, ir their bravery capture if
it dares to meet them openly. It is possible, however, I.lrit
the Orient squadron was destined to lay in wait for tair
rich and numerous East and West. India fleets, which sailed
a day or two after. This was an end which it would have '
been fully competent to attain, had its escape remained
undiscovered. But it was fallen in with, and accompanied
for two days by one of our frigates, and afterward,- ac-
tively chased by two British men of war, so that should it
reach its destination, it could not proceed to the execution
of its orders without having to cootend with a force so su•
perior in skill, experience, and 1. 0- very, though inferior in
'lumbers, that if it escaped being taken, it could only be
through flight. As:Admiral DURHAM sailed on Thursday
from Portsmouth with four sail of •the line and a sloop, he
would then meet the enemy on their return, and lead them
safe to a British port.
The following is the only official intelligence hitherto
aeceived at the Admiralty, of the course and progress of
the French squadron, and its pur uers.
Advices have been received at the Admiralty that the enemy"
squadron, of four sad of the lir.e and two corvettes, which escaped
from Orient on the 9th hist. was seen and kept company with by his
Majesty's ship Diana, of 36 guns Capt. FERRIS, on the 9th and the
whole of the 10th. Oa the latter day she fell in with his Majesty's ship
Pempie, of 80 guns, and late in the evening she discovered two sail,
apparently of the line, standing in punt& of the French squadron. O
the morning of the 11th, the Diana, ht ing in lat. 48. 15. N. long. 5. 58. W
a firing was heard in the N. W. which Captain FERRIs calculated to he
the French and the two ships that were in pursuit of them.
" Sir RICHARD KINfl n-rtes on the 11th, in lat. 48. 18. N. long. 46. W.
Ushatl, hearing E. 1); N. N. distant '2B miles, that he had fallen in
with his Majesty's sloop Myrtle, who had communicated to him by
telegraph, that the .rint squadron were seen on the 10th twenty leagues
N.W. of Ushant, on the starboard tack, wind N. E. his Majesty's ships
Trmendcus and Poictiers being to windward of chilli.
144 Sir RICHARD KING, with the Bulwark, Northumberland, and
Colossus, was proceeding off &eft."
There can be no douht, but that on the llth, the Tre-
mendous and Poickiers had (Tel-led t)leir fire upon the
enemy, but as this was prohably at some distance, and
the night being d.:l k, there being no moon, it is very pos-
sible that they may escape.

Great activity prevails .in tOrwardiug reinforcements to
our army in Portugal. An the ct:tachments at the differ-
ent depots belonging to regiments on service in the Iknin-
sula, are under orders f:n- embarkation. A considerable
part of the reinforcrnents will consist of cavalry, which
we understand is wanted to slipply the loss sustained in
the late marche3, in which, owing to the badness of the
roads, the horses snff,!red greatly.
Admiral Sir R. Birr.FIITQN yesterday received his com-
mission as Commancicr of his Majesty's ships at Pc.n.ts-
mouth.
German papers were received on Frhlay night to the
Bth instant. They bring no corroboration of the reported
march of the French army towards Russia, neith-n- do
they contain any allusion to the recent occurrences.t. in Po-
rrerania. The depo,ed Kill?: of SWPDFN, nlw Count
conti:'nes to give signs of an alienated mind.
lrv, lat. Iv, Nv'ithont any s.ittsi:zttery cause, repudiated
wife, and in imitation of IIcoNAPARTE, obutt:-kvtd her

--

MARCH 2?.

consent to the divorce, as will be seen by the following ar•

tide
PA I r,, rrn. Is.—" In consequence of the steps t:Acen by Count COT.
Ton r to obtain his divorce, the Court tif Baden, condescending to his
wishes, sent here Baron BECICHLELM, accompanied by a Counsellor ;
and. on the 17th of this mouth, at four o'clock, the divorce was
proaoui:c ed. His August Spouse has thought it proper, although with
much grief, to accede to the will of her husband, and return hint
the ruptittl ring."
The Paris Papers received to the 12th inst. contain a
Decree, declaring all communication between Heligo.
land and the H.rnse Towns treason, establishing a per.
manent Military Commission for the trial of the off& n'.:crsa
and subjecting the guilty to the punishment of death.

.51ISCELL AA IES.

The following report is given of what passed at the late interview et
the Duke of Bedford with the Prince Regent :
" His Grace stated respectfully, but firmly, that in any future discus-
skins ot. the Catholic claims, he considered himself bound to support
them ; not only from his own conviction of the expediency of the meae
sure of Catholic Emancipation, but from a sense of duty and resrrct
towards the Prince Regent personally ; his Royal Highness having, in
a letter written to his Graze while Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, held out,
as his Graee conceived,, an idea that the sentiments entertained by his
R oval lel Igiine‘s were favourable to the claims of the C•tholics. Acting
under the impressions made upon his mind by this communication, his
Grace, as Lord Lieutenant, had then given such assurances to the Catho-
lic,, as he thought were warranted by the sentiments expressed in his
Royal Highness's letter. His Grace concluded, by requesting permk-
sien to leave a copy of this letter with his Royal Highness, lest till re
should be any mi,apprehensinn oil the rot of his Royal Highness or his
friends as to its contents. Before the Duke left the room, the Prince
kindly took hint by the hatel.iand expressed an earnest wish that they
should continue good friends.
We copy the following paragraph from a morning paper, arel trust,
that if the assertion it contains is false, Mr. Braham will hasten to cot,-
tradict it, as it tends to lower him in the public estimation, by repre-
senting hint as the most interested of men
We understand that an application has been made, upon the part of
the proprietors, to engage Mr. Braham, to take the situation of the first
vocal tenor at the Pantheon, but that he hag declined the overture alto-
gether, although be was offered fiely pounds per night fur his ssrvices!
lVithout meaning to detract from the professional merit of Mr.l3i sham,
which is certainly of the first order, we must be allowed to say, that he
has earned to sing to some tune, as forty pounds is the annual sum urn
which a tiled curate, in an adjoining county, is compelled to maintain
his femily."
.Bccorditu; to the laws of France, any marriage entered into here by a
French prisoner, is null and void.
A meeting of the Livery of London is convened for Thursday next,
the eeth instant, for the purpoo! of addressing the Prince Regent on the
subject of an extended Administration.
Hermanus Vets has been expunged from the list of subscribers to
Lloyd's Coffee-house, in consequence of the Grand Jury of Mel:lL:sex
having found a true bill against him, for fabricating certain documents,
with the view of defrauding the underwriters.
The demarel for seamen is so great that the Impress Officers take
nearly fro:, all protections. The indulgence which has hitherto hero
granted by the Admiralty of discharging men on certain conditions, is
suspended, aceording to report, during the present exigency.
he important Petition of Edward Berkeley Portman, E ainst
Esq.
n
'he projected Cenal (proposed to be called the Regenee Canal, to run
through his estalet in Maryle-hone parish), was heard before a Co:e-
rn:Lee of the House of I ommons last week, when it appeared dee the
estate is of the value of eight millions sterling, the reversion of which,
will come to the Portman family on the expiration of the tenants
leases ; and that there are twenty-seven thousand inhabitants upon it who
evil: be affected by the Canal.
Spirit of tar ie strongly recommended as a certain remedy for destroy-
ing the insect termed eonericen blight in apple trees, &c. Wherever
tne insects's white efflorescence appear, t'*e spirit is to be ruht
with a hair brush, awl also in the crevices; it may be applied at aey
tin:e of the year. Spirit of on pentine used in the =ante manner, is the
next best application, but it is nearly twice as dear as the former, and
not so effectuel.
A new method of preserving pork has recently been discovered. A
piece whit Is is re-;resented as having been at sea five mouths. and as
tieing eaten by the ship's company in preference to pork salted after the
usual method, has been sent to the Commissioners for victualling the
navy, for their inspection. The pork, it is stated, is boiled fresh in large.
pieces, then put into a tight cask, and filled up with vinegar, and c losetl
quite securely, so as to prevent the admission of any air. The tiavon.r.is_
far from being so' unpleasant, or so sour, as might be expected; whr
the pork cuts out quite firm, without being at all hard, as is generwq
the case with that which r. salted.

err"

MARCH 22..

FINE ARTS.

BRITISH INSTITUTION.

No. 21. the Welch Harper. By L. Cosse.--11 has been judicionsly
remarked that all objects in nature' participated snore or kis, the acci-
dental tinge of the clouds or mists, through which the Father of light
darts his enlivening rays; and that from hence proceeds that delightful
harmony, the effect of which is pleasing to the eyes of all sensible ob-
-rvcrs, and even of those who cannot easily guess at the natural cause.
It is jest so with literature,and the liberal arts. If a poet strike the lyre
in a certain mood and prove. successful in his atttntpt, soon the whole
brotherhood of poetasters croak their aspiring lays in the same measure.
The whole parnassils ran mad with blank verse and would-be epic
licerns, as soon as the Paradise Lost *all properly known. The Spectator
of Addison begat several works of the same kind; and the vogue rules irn-
reriously even at this moment in all sorts of productions, from the high-
est style of poetry and painting down to the Scotch plaid and the mock-
India-shawl. But it is no where so furiously raging as in the Chro-
matic muse. No sooner had the late ingenious Mr. Girtin tried the
boldness of his hand on the uneven and sinking surface of Cartridge-
paper, than every draughtsman caught the infection and daubed all sorts
of subjects in the same *ay without mercy, and with little success.
The manner of Mr. Turner was also imitated by several artists ;
I" : very few, although they were sporting in the same groves, had the
good fortune to cull wreaths of glory out of the same laurels. This
imitation may be of use for amateurs or those whose minds may be
confined to copy, and lack that boldness of spirit which soars to the
!rights of invention ; but it implies a sort of unmanly Servility which ge-
nius should spurn with merited contempt. 0 imitatores servant peens !
IA us break our ',elf-imposed fetters. We have recovered life ; we only
eoint, like the reviving Lazarus, a friendly hand to remove our bonds.
'1 he originality of an liogarth or a Callot will atone for a thousand
defects, while the tameness .of imitation cannot be expiated by the highli-
pr 'iced merit of patience-wrought similitude.
These general reflecsions, which are grounded upon the double basis
or experience and truth, have been suggested to us by the periormance
a'eAte nii,etioneil. The attitude of the old man striking the responsive
UhreF. of the harmonious instrument is good—the expression which is
ci;picted on the countenance of the hearers is good--.the executive put t
and finishing are also very good—but yet, although it is not a copy,
althout,h no part of it crimes back to our recollection as having been
borrowed, yet, when we look at this picture, the 14 Blind Fiddler" plays
a tune to our memory and we forget the Harp and the Harp;r—and
wlly? because the first is original, and the other a sort of hilitatimi.
Nos. 77. and Fn. Landscapes painted in Vie British Gallery/. By C.
Ilori.axU. Thezrs two performances would he enough to give an id. .a
of :that i.. generally called a composition, in which several parts of na-
ture are iediciously s,.lected and tastefully arranged to constitute a
pitasing scene. The manner of Mr. Hon./w. h: san agreeable turn,
and he seems to have received from Providence, a mind well-formed to
conceive original ideas, and to imitate the beauties of nature.

NO. 118. 774 e race of Hippomene and Atalanta. By G. GItATTAN.—
W: do not wiAt to sitle with those who are incessantly groaning, and
err*.kinT, and sa,7ing that we are much worse than our ancestors. We
have our good share of corruption : nobody either doubts or denies it;
all the fables about the immaculate Greeks and Romans may b.! be-
lieved, and for all their nonsense, do some good on the benches of a
school; but we know, and lament to know, that as to faithfulness, dis-
interestedness, purity of morals, and other points conducive to happi-
ness and social order, they were not better than we are. Love, for ir.-
stance, was, at their time, as great a slave to Plutus, and the fair as
dazzled by the bright lustre of gold, as they ate in ours. The
„tble of Hippom,..ne and Atalanta is a plain allegory of this meta:who'',
fact, and shows clearly, that in those heroic times the bo;ont of beauty
W. not pr6of againit pecuniary temptation. A young princes:, the
Lieghter of a king, running a race in the presence of an immense con-
clurse of people, with a young man whose future happiness depends up-
r:^ the swifret agility of his legs, is the subject which Mr. GRATTAx
has chosen to exercise lth-talents. It is with heartfelt satisfaction that
7:e see a young artist attempting such a theme; for were he to fail and
Le disappointed!, yet the very.attempt does hint honour, Est teatasse
21-leC.ut However, the painter of this picture, although be has not yet
Tved at that .degree of perfection to which b 4. RCM', earnestly to as-
evinces a considerable knowledge of all 47! ss is requisie Co•coma-''

. -

183

tote an historical composition. The anatomy of the two etttagonisti is,
we doubt not, very correct, but they exhibit too leech Of tisti myology
of the human frame—his architecture is noble, and tastes of Ponessw
and Ls Baur', but the colouring of the whole is too pimple, and; though
not unharmonious, does not please the eye. Let not, however. our 0b...
servations discourage him; he is himself, like many others, in the
Stadium, running a noble race with tho Muse of painting; let him 'thins
with all his might to overtake her, sad if, by chance, Liberality drops
a few golden Lpples in his way, let them not retard his flight, but, on.the
contrary, let the present assurance of merited reward accelerate his
pace.

No. 114. 4 Study from Nature. By A. W. CALCOTT, R. A.—llia
Academician has made astonishing proficiency in his ark and his veracity
in personating nature is really admirable; a few trees,' a cottage, the
grey fumes of a brick-kiln, two or three broken stones, or a stump lying
by the road side, these simple objects, treated by him become a pleasing
scene, and offer so much truth to the eye of the beholder, that he fancies
himself sauntering in the romantic glade, or mUsing on the sedgy bank.
of the winding brook. His " Travelling Tinkers," (No. 95.) ' and the
" Study from Nature," (No. 193.) are fully entitled to the same
praise.

THE COURT AND WORLD OF FASHION.

PRINCE REGENT'S COURT.

On Friday, soon after one o'clock, his Royal Highness
the PRINCE REGENT held a Court at Oarlton House, which
was attended by the Loan PRESIDENT of the CouNcn, the
LORD CHANCELLOR, the PRIVY SEAL, the MASTFRaCrENE••
RA L of the ORDNANCE, and the three SECRETARIES of
STATE, when the Marquis of WINCHESTER, as Groom of the
Stole, the Earl of YARMOUTH, as Vice-Chamberlain, and
Jorix M'MAIION, Esq. as Keeper of the Privy Purse and
Private Secretary, were introduced to the Privy Council,
and sworn in of his MAJESTY'S Most Hon. Privy Council,
and took their places at the Board accordingly.
His ROYAL HIGHNESS gave audiences to Earl CArdnet,
the LORD CHANCELLOR, and the Earl of LIVERPOOL.
The Lord and_ Groom in Waiting in attendance upon
the PiiixcE REGENT were, Lord BOSTON, and the Hon.
Mr. HERBERT.

MRS. TILNEY LONG POLE WELLESLEY.

The ceremonial of the Wellesley marriage was as private as possible
Marquis 'Wellesley acted as Master of the Ceremonies, and conducted
the Bride through Dr. Andrews's house to the altar. Miss Diana and
. Miss I".mma Long followed as Bride maids. During the service, tears
were plentifully shed by Lidy Catherine, who wa,, present, and all the
d.:trakters; it is t., be hoped that they may prove the last on this trying
occasion ! The ceremony over, a new equipage was at the eaurch-door
•. in Jermyn-street to receive the happy pair; it was a singu;arty chant
chariot, painted a bright yellow, and highly emblazo• drutvii fit
f.ntr beautiail Arabian grey horses, attend. d by two instiliors :a brows
jackets, with superbly ernhroider• d badges in itold, c;nbleal,:tic f the
u-ited arms the Wellesley and T"lney tantilien. Tile new inatriedl
drive oil with great speed for Blackheath, intenclit:e to pass the
ii;:dir. at tthat.tztstoftil chateau, heloni,;ing to the bridegroom's father, ;nd
„ therc-2 proceed to W.,..iistead House, in, Essex, on the fqllowing,day,
to pats ifeJ hon-y moon.
I'he dress of the Bride consisted of real Brussels point lai;e ; the de-
Vic simpte ;prig ;it was placed over white satin.. ';'he - head was
ornaaien:el with a cottage bonnet, of the tame meterial, viz. Brussels
lace, with t"o ostrich feathers. She likewise wore a :►r p lace veil,
inhl a w!:ire satin pelisc,e, trimmed with swinalsdowa. 1;11. cr.ss cost
7(A)
Eii:ht hundred wedding favours were distributed. worth a I.uitrea ant
a half each, besides iitiniCrOus others of inferior quality and price. Every
domestic in toe family of Lady Catharine Long 1).:s beet) liberally pt.).
yided for : they all have annuities settled :loon them f r tile :
Tylney Pole Wellesley's ov n wattirg-vvornan, %vim veLs •-.7.1-:e to
her in r infancy, has been- consi.ler,:d. to 1•; •r• -,.7r..tin-
ing to '."s. Tylney Long Pole Wellesley, Cc.7lsfi ,ta.
Me slims Given as an additional portion to ea. 1) of th • ' , .; • g, and
an, annuity to Lady Catharine Long) is eight', . rinn.
-A singular circumstance is said to have et ••1.1 .• ••• • .t• e
arrival of the happy rat.. at: the 1-iyi,,en, , 1. •.•
applied to by Or. ••4:::.se for the ring ; , • , •.in
this necessiry te-timoitial. A nt• ss l.,
to Mr: Ilrbsitn, a jeweller, in Pic. •.,
A

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