The National Register.
London, England, 1816-06-17 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL IiP,GISTER.

To that samit stage which here Dor steps would press,
rutinClay ail Actor owes his fir t success;
Your cherisled favorites MOW WI wider stages,
Here grew beneath your smiles—their noblest wages !
Exteml those s:niles, which rear such valued fruits,
o cheer the labours 4.f our new Recruit!
Support the timid, who erom dread 014% waver,
And reuse their talents, by your generous favour.
So may their real repay the boon we crave,
And learn to merit what your kindness gave.
Ve Gods! who reign above in distant wonder—
For Gods we know yOll, by yonr dreadful Thunder!
Not alo art dreadful loud—because
Here I firstfirsthld4 your thutob-rs .tpiPunxe !
Ye It ties! say, ate you well crannied, (to the and you ?
Pray sir, sit close—there's room enough fur two!
" rile man who has not Music in himself,
"la fit for"--nothing stood, a peevish elf!
So Shakespear says—and adds, pray Critieks note him,
(We roust not net him here, but we may iisote him.)
"Let no such 111411 he trusted'—such we fear--
So those that don't lose Music—don't come here.
Is there a spot through all the varied earth,
Where Nature triumphs iu a hamar' birth,
But yields to Musick undid mated sway,
And owns the magic of her 'leaven-Mom lay!
Thine! Musiethine! to strike with powerful art
Rest lye chords on VI,Ply feeling Heart!
To lift the Will 1/11 meek Oevoti (((( 's prayer,
To solace sorrow and to soothe despair !
From lisping Infancy to life's decline,
In every age, or stale, the art divine
Still claims o'er Man, its soft yet silting controul,
And assays, at will, each passion of the soul!
Who has not mark'd the Infant's playful smile,
While some fond Mother's Song its Pains beguile?
Its eye! which struggles still to wake, sold hear
The sounds which hill its pangs and charm it. ear?
Who has not mark'd that still reluctant 6.e,
Clos'd by the Mother's plaintive ?
The rudest savage of the rudest clime,
In Mane wild measure, and disco. dant rhyme,
Provokes the madliing dance ; or warrior throng;
And rules man's passions by the charm or Song.
The lowliest peasant who prepares the soil,
% its cheerful ditty, half beguiles laid toil !
And labour done, around his evening blaze,
Recounts, in Song, the deeds of former days.—
So on the deck, the sturdy seaman takes
His patient watch, and spite of natm e, wakes,
And as the darkling waves around him swell,
The Helmsman chinints the cheering sound," All's Well
But now a nobler subject we disclose—
Behold what Misery to Music owes!
This Isle, so finfil where'er our Warriors roam.
Is scarce less faMil for Charities at home,
Of all its noblest mansions—those the chief,
Where Age, and Want, and Sick find relief.
Where youth is snatched from crime —the I Dry fed,
And Vice itself, is back to \'a to
Of th?,e—the proudest acts, by man iiisplay'd,
How few, hot thaws their funds from Mssick's aid ? •
Thus Music, " Heavenly Maid !" alike bestows
Joy in our Gladness—Comfort in our Woes!
'l'o her, then, is this modest Temple due :
Worthy of Her—lt' but approved by ion!
COVENT'-GARDEN.

One of the events calculated to form an epoch in
Dramatic History occurred at this Theatre on Monday
evening. The great Master of the Tragic Art, Mr.
KEMBLE, appeared, for the last time, in one of his prin-
cipal characters. This, we understand, is the beginning of
a series of performances of each of tle several part., which
stand identitied in our recollections with the name of
this admirable actor, before he quits the stage for ever.
It is not an agreeable task to notice those events which
tell us that we must shortly depend upon our recollections
alone for those enjoyments which we have been in the
habit of receiving.
Mr. Krstuce has appeared in Hamlet so often, that it
would be superfluous to enter into a minute examination
of his performance of that night. Our Readers will have
a tolerably correct idea of it when we tell them, that the
acting, like the man, was the same, grown Uhler; the
point, and strength, and elasticity of youth, moderated
and sulxlued by the weight of years, though still bearing
up against physical decay, with the energy.ofeuperior
intellect.

The house was filled ; and the fall of the curtain was
attended with repeated plaudits.
Thursday the King's Theatre, for the performance of
Italian Operas, held under a lease for many years to come,
at a rent of 13601. per annum, with all the scenes, de-
corations, dresses, music, &c. was sold by the Master in
Chancery to Mr Waters for 41,0001. It is now, there-
fore, to be hoped, that as all legal contention will cease,
this Theatre, which from the n other of subscription boxes,
its extent and beauty, as from having the exclusive licence
to perform Italian Operas, may be made the most splen-
did in Europe, will assume a character worthy the metro-
' polis of the British Empire. Considering the number of
boxes (198), and the immense sum which the building
cost, it was thought that it would have sold for 100,0001.
at least.

DUEL—Nesterday morning an hostile meetirg took
place between Cie Marquis of Buckingham and Sir Tho-
mas Hardy at Kilburn Wells. After discharging a
brace of pistols each, without cflivt, the Seconds inter-
fered, and an amicable adjustment of differences took
place. The quarrel, we understand, originated from
some misinfornu.tion, received by ouc of the parties, re.
spccting an infamous anonymous letter, which some base
itsassin has contrived to circulate ; but of which, we are
happy to state, it is now satisfactorily ascertained, the
party suspected had not even the remotest knowledge.