The National Register.
London, England, 1817-06-02 00:00:00

TIIE DRAMA.

TALMA.

The celebrated Talma arrived in town late on Tues-
day night, and, with his party, was attended by his
friend Mr Howard Payne to Covent-garden Theatre
on Wednesday evening, being his first visit to an Eng-
lish Theatre fbr 32 years. He seemed to admire the
Theatre very much; and to be highly interested by the
perfinmam..e. Taints was afterwards introduced into the
Green Rama, where great admiration was excited by
the afilibility of his manner; being presented to Miss
Stephens, Talma greatly complimented that Lady on
the skill and sweetness of her singing.
Mr. Kemble's perfiirmanee of Posiltumns, on Friday
evening, at Covent, Garden Theatre, was received
with great admiration; lachimo was finely sustained
by Young; and Miss Foote's Imogen afforded great
promise.
Talma sat in one of the side boxes near the stage, in
company with three French ladies. He paid the utmost
attention to the whole performance. He had a book of
the play in his hand, which he generally read while
the performers spoke; but when Mr. Kemble came on
the stage, he viewed him attentively with an opera
glass, and seemed to take great interest in his acting.
Between the acts, be conversed in very good English
with Mr. Paine. When the play was over he left the
box with his friends, and proceeded through one of the
private passages to the Green-room. Talma has a very
expressive and interesting countenance ; his nose is
somewhat of the Roman, his eyes abound with anima-
tion and intelligence. His fiice is rather of a brownish
colour, having none of the florid fitirness of an Euglish-
m:m, and has something of that roughness to which the
epithet weatherbeaten is generally applied. His hair,
which is quite black, does not lie flat upon his head but
is rather bushy. He appears to be about 50 years of
age, of the middle size, and has a slight stoop in his
shoulders. There is much sedateness and gravity in his
manner.

Itcs+lity evening, the Princess Charlotte and Prince
Leopold, who had arrived from Claremont in the morn-
ing, honoured the King's Theatre with their presence
to witness the representation of Don Giovanni. The
Princess appeared a little thinner than usual, but in
good health and spirits, She was particularly attentive
to the pertiirmayee, and showed a lively sense of its
beauties.

L'AoNEsK.—At the request of the Lord Chamber-
lain, the very interesting Opera of L'Agnese, which
was twice performed with the greatest applause at the
King's Theutre, has been withdrawn. The story of this
mast interesting piece was taken from Mrs. Opie's
Ftdher and Daughter.
Mr. Kemble intended to have played the part of
King Lear, in Shakespear's Tragedy of that name, at
Covent-garden Theatre, before he took his final de-
parture front the stage ; but it was intimated to the
Proprietors by the Lord Chamberlain, that it was not
the wish of Govertruent that the Play should be per-
formed at the present time.
A treaty has been on thot for some time between Mr.
Kean, of Drnry-lane Theatre, and Mr. Holman, the
Manager of an American Theatre, for Mr. Kean's
perfiwmances tier one year in the United States. The
only paint not settled is the security, Mr. Kean wish-
ing to have the stipulated AIM se:mred in a banking-
lions: in this city.
Mr. Raymond_ has purelintled a most henu'iral &lark
Tiger for seven hundred guineas, now oa its passage
from the East Indies. It will be the first ever landed
in this conuttl.. It is expected it will excite the atten-
tion of the curious as much as the wouderful torkiac-
.vicell Ton Cat did some tin talk.

178

Mr. Jones, Mrs. Gibbs, Mr. and Miss Matthews, Miss
Carew, and Nlr. Higman, form a principal part f the
corps for the opening of the Haymarket Theatre.
MOZART.—This celebrated composer, though great
part of his life was passed in German Courts, preserved
himself untinctured with that servility which, in his
time, was almost universally prevalent in them. The
Emperor Joseph 11., who admired and patronized him,
bad ordered on some occasion the representation of his
opera, called Die Entfahrung am, dem Serail—The
Escape from the Scratio. That Prince, who had re-
cently been in Italy, and had imbibed a partiality for
the musical taste of that country, after the piece was
over, said to the composer—" My dear Mozart, that is
too fine for Our ears, there are too many notes in the
accompaniment."—" I leg your Majesty's pardon,"
replied Mozart very drily, " there are just as many notes
as there should be." His independent mind could not
brook an ignorant criticism, though made by an Empe-
ror, and his master. He was not, however, blind to de-
fects in his works, hut himself pointed them out to his
friends : the result has been, that several observations,
derived from this source, have been employed by others
to his prejudice.
Mr. Home, it is said, is to superintend the musical
department of the English Opera the ensuing season,:
instead of Mr. Welsh.

A private letter from Studtgard informs us, that
there are prospects of a speedy settlement of all the po-
litical disputes in that kingdom. Both the old and
new Constitutionalists have expressed a disposition to
concede a little,
The ceremony of the marriage of the Archduchess
Leopoldine with the King of Portugal took place at
Vienna, by proxy, on the 14th instant.
The underwriters at Lloyd's have.reftused all insur-
ances upon vessels from Holland or the Halm Towns,
inconsequence of the Aloorish pirates that now infist
the Channel.
Something of an unpleasant nature has happened be-
tween the Portuguese Government and Lord Beresffird,
and the Marshal returns to England.
The Jury returned by the Sheriff' to try the State
Prisoners have been summoned to attend at. the Court
of King's Bench, on Monday, .the 9th of June, the
day fixed for the trial.
Some further• accounts of the rcvoluton in Per-
nambuco have reached town. It was not known on
the 28th of March, to have extended to Bahai. We
are glad to find, that the Governor and Officers of
the former place were sent off unhurt to Rio Janeiro.
BRAZIL.—We present our readers with a few fees
respecting the provinces of Brazil. Pernambuco, or
Pernambuco, is chiefly celebrated for the beauty of its
principal town, culled Olindi (signifying in Portuguese,
Oh ! beautiful !"), this having been the exclamation
of the first settlers on their landing. It abounds in
sugar, cotton, and Brazil wood. Rio Grande, which is
to the north of Pernambuco, and lies chiefly on the
coast, is so culled from a large river which. runs through
it, and waters it. In the interior is a lake abounding
with pearls. Siara, more to the northwards abounds,.
in the staple commodities of the country : its chief
town, of the sank name, is very small, and the haven
is so shallow as only to admit ships of inferior burden.
Marignan, or Maranhao, the adjacent province, derives
its name from an island in an estuary formed by various
rivers, and on which the chief town is placed. This
province yields two harvests of maize annually. Pans,
or Grand Para, stands on the great river Tocantio,
and is a rich and handsome town, containing a citadel,
fortress, two parish churches and u college. This
province produces abundance of wtton, sugar,
chocolate, and coffee, enough to load au annual
fleet to Lisbon. There are two provinces called Pa-
raiba, one in the south, close to Rio Jaserio, which of
course is not the one here alluded to ; another between
Rio Grande and Pernambuco it has a large but dan-
gerous harbour. Tamara, or Tatnaraca, is a sushi'
province adjoining, but very fertile, and canto:in,
commodious harbour.

Signor Domingo Martines, the Chief in the Brazili-
an Insurreetion, is well known in London; he was
resident here fur soine years, a Portuguese by birth,
and of a daring disposition, and is stated to be likely to
take the lead in any revolution.
It has been asked, how it was- that information .of
the Brazil Revolution has not been received by soma
of our ships of war in a direct manner? - The - fact is,
we have not a ship on the Bra:di elation; they have
all been transferred to the River Plate, and Commo-
dore aiwles only left the Litter phoe about the 10th
of March, for Rio Janeiro, to be present at the King's
coronation, which was to take place en the Ist of
April !
Extract of a letter from Burros Apr!, dated the 4th of
M 4. eh :—" Yon w.l h.,re heard th.it Chin has !men celiqui r-
ed by the Hurlers D res troops. The people of this price are
ith their ; and (Ito liorriliiiieLt
has ordered a!, the Poi tognese to be sent auto the inteiiio,
ilti ta-y ore to reinain as hostages, whence I 'appose that
a ..a.. .ton Portlia,a is evitablu."
'I lie Drys of A!giers nod Tripoli, %are la e'y 'reeked
presents of .• numlicent simif hi,Nts, set with jetaeli, teem as
Eevt N Syrcili;; n.
Mr. Southt has arrived is Paris.