The National Register.
London, England, 1809-11-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL

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SUNDAY, N•OV

EMBER, 19, 1809.

Iblnge' theist Passions, what an appearance of puerile resttei-
iieSsttiutistisapptied enemy must the population of the first
'city in, the svitrld'have presented forthese four weeks! We
lit'i4bllect, unfortunately, a point perfectly parallel, which
preceded itnd marked the destruction of Homan greatness.
• It isloise ftststi'd in that gloomy unfortunate period, when
whole nations of barbarians, riAlting from bite forests .or
The North, invaded with fire and sword.the fittest ptoyintes
the Empire. Whilst the fairest portion olEurepe
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Aila, and Alcica, presented one horrid scene of devasta-
' Lion, rapine, and indiseriminAte murder; when the fero-
cious ravagers were thundering. at the very gates of CCIII•
fitaniißOpie, its senseless inhabitants were exclusively °ego-
• pied and split into the most violent factions, about the su-
periority of their green and blue charioteers.
.The depre-
datious of the enemy.; the general misery of inank•txd; the
-approaching ruio of the Empire; the imbecility, in:rigors,
and rapacity of the Government, were insuiSeivit to divert
the frantic zeal, or weaken the animosity of the two fac-
tions. How painful, how mortifying, to trace a similarity
between the worthless disputes which convulsed Constanti-
nople, and now agitate London ! It is to be hoped, that
posterity will not discover in the temper and character of
the times, or the terutinatiou of the present awful crisis,
a justificalinn to draw the: parallel elqAer !
We brie no hesitation, in the mean time, to reprobate
;strongly the condnct observed by the Proprietors. Their
proceedings hive, . from the beginning, boca marked with
levity and insolence. Totally dependant on the good will
.of the public, they have the umadness to brave, irritate,
and insult them. Taking. the most dispassionate view of
'every circumstance; considering the relation existing be-
tween the two parties, and perceiving the absolute neces-

sity of popular faN ur to support an establishment of mere
luxury, we cannot reconcile this rant ,T arrogance, this
in/
fustian, impotent defiance, with the prudence, modesty, sua-
sive and discreet tone, which ought to mark the behaviour
of an histrionic Manager towards the Public. if the Pro-
prietors arc guilty of the folly to incur an. enormous ex-
.pence in the reconstruction of their Theatre, they have no
right to make the public pay a tax to their 'vanity ; they
merit, on the contrary, the punishment of their impiudence
and ostentation. A tacit agreement, sanctioned by time
and usage, existed between both, that the prices of admis-
sion were to r/rnaia the same; and it was left to the good,
sense of the Proprietors to accommoc4le their expellees' toy
this arrangement. If they, fri:in a
,rash reliance on the
acquiescence of the town in their demands, have thought fit
to speculate imprudently, they are alone answerable for the
consequences, and have not the remotest right to makethe
Public a suffering party in their ill-advised speculation. the
prices were already very considerable; and an attempt toen-
hance them, betrayed an indelicate tampering with the
ality and good nature of the Public. We have not beeniold
what claim of merit, or services, the Proprietera have set
up, to justify, their exaction. They are no more than spe-
culators in a trading concern, where they incur the olual
risk, and expect the usual. profits. The Public owe thee*
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