The National Register.
London, England, 1811-05-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONACREGISTF,R.

• DRAMATIC REGISTER.

ti AY MARKET- THEATRE.

In CISBER'S time, it was very fashionable for favourite actors
to take great liberties with the town, and the introduction of
their own names into the prologues, e.t.c. which they had to
speak, was sure to phase the multitude. It was thought very
pretty for Pi K ETUNI A N and BULLOCK to come foiward in their
own characters and play tricks with each other. The audiences
of those days were delighted to see them Wrestling to.gethee, and
When PIN K lINIA v;ho was a little man, knkkett the .Bullock
down and stood over him, the line
" And little PINKY strikes the-vanquish'd Bullock;"
wss thought divine, and filled the floto;e v..iih r.ll)ture. On
a.lother occasion, in delivering a prologue, from the ascendancy
he had gained over the town, I:I N K ETILIk A N had- confidence
enough to call for silence in an authoritative tonel-i-
-. " Silence, to show how. PINKY here commands."
All was slence, anti the actor, to Wove his pswer still more,
neat gave this word
Now rattle all your sticks, and clap Toni. hands."
This order was instantly coMplied with like the former, and the
audience thought the whole an crellent joke. From that time
to the present, addresses from celebrated actors have been fre-
'writ. The additss spoken by FOOTE, after his trial for Lbeling
a L.:okieller, under the name of Peter PizragraPh, could not fail
et delighting those, who had warmly espoused his part, and
consequently seas not resented as impertinent. The prologue to
" Much ado about I.rt which was Spoken by GAR RICK,
when that play w.ts performed by command of his Majesty, and
he, at an advanced age called upon to perform .13;Tnedkle, was much
admired. This inay be well accounted for, though .such an ad-
dress was perhaps not quite necessary. GARLICK, though as
vain as Eet.isToN, and though, like ELLisrox, a Manager, knew
how to affect humility, • ' •
" And feign a virtue if he had it not." •
He did not detail his adventures, but expessvd his fears. He
bad then been many years on the stage, and feelingilre Was not
what he was, he castie lanyard to disarm eriticism,and to solicit

indulgence.
" Worn in your -service, you my faults will spare,
.And make Sdlowance for the weir and tear."
In addition to s appaieurditEdence, (always so becoming in
an actor) there wo.s another reason for being pleased with ,this
addret.s—it boas-ed some poetical merit. The following
lines with which it cOneluded will prove dill, as I think it trust
be admitted that tht.i are not only strilcipg in themselves, but
admirably adapted to the occasion.

" The ChAsezt Pensioner who rich in scars
Fi;.;hts o'er in prattle all his former v.-ars, '
Tho' past the service may the young ones teach
To march—present—to fire--,and mount' the h!•eack.
Should the drum beat to arms, at fait hell gi ieve
For wo)den leg, lost eye—and armless sleeve
Then cock his hat, look fierce, and swell his chest,
'Tis fur my King, and ..r.ounds .Illda my best?' .
The addresses of later days have been very numerous. Some
of them have been good, and many exceedingly dull, but of
all the treats of this kind with which an Engliih audience have
been entertained, I question if ever there has hcen any thing to
equal (in its way) the following occasional address, en on the
operin7 of the Haymrsket Theatre, on Wednesday, by Mr.
ELUSION. -

Sit times the Sum:ll(T o'er my h s fleeted,
*lime, ert thl% spot, my generous friend= I gr. etc d :
Yrithee, den: l'atrons, to not therefore grumble;
Into some'l hratre I'm sure to tumbl,!,
Where, iriiving still to please, you find your hhu:'.iblc
In various scenic battles, staunch and strut,
Attar old Urury was, like Troy, biant cat,

1, as fEneas, driven to the Strand,
Soon cross'd that water which was close at hand. •
Then Surrey Chieftain grown, at mighty risk,
I fought with fury—near the Obelisk.
"l'is wonderful, the triumphs which were won,
Last year, by great Field-marshal ELLisrou!
" Fight boys," I cried, " St. George, with three-times Arm i
" His brick and mortar fields, and victory."
Still, there I keep a camp 3_ pay soldiers yearn
(No period though is fix dyfor my return.
Not so the Corsican, whom Fortune laid
In dotage on her lap, and linip'ror made;
He who makes kings, like ninepins, with a crown,
At will set up, to be, at will, knock'd down;
Not s die, false Ndpukon, on the soil
Of burning 1.7.g-71)01:aye his troops to toil,
And promis.ti a revisit to the plain,
But fever did, nor meant, to come again
No; when JOHN BULL is pledg'd, we cannot doubt him.
He has no Cursico-French blood about him ;
If no time's named, why then, without more pother,
sure to bold his faith, some time or other.
Ourbrother Nap will disappoint, we've heard,
But General ELLISTON must keep his word.
Here cence we airy figures to pursue, •
And glance on solid figures, which are new.
New gi:sh and blood, which, call'd um miry a county,
Pray fin your candid and diScerning bounty.
Some favourites in our corps you've mark'd for true ones.
And pray give currency to al. the new ones.
Receive our country coin, or we are undone,
Silver from BirminTharn comes stamp'd to London.
To splendour this poor House has uo pretence;
We aim at nature, laugh, and common sense:
Deign on our Biped!: to show som • CornpAggintl,
Though Quadrupeds, of late, are all the fashion.

_

~

It is a subject of melancholy reflection that Mr. COLIYIAN.9
genius has t• 11 far declined, that wishing to produce an Address,
lie can only write such trash as this. His Address for the ripen-
ing of Covent-Gallen Theatre, was universally acknowledged
to be ridiculous, but this is ten times worse. kis nut only pear
in language, but in idea ; and if it were eves) tianst.ted into
.Eugiisii, the thoughts it contains are such miserahle backs. that
it must still be contemptible. Good verses bestowed on .ue,.k
sense (or rather on such nonsense) would be admired like $
gold laced coat on the back of a chimney-sweep.
The solemnity with which we are informed that tee period ie
fixed for Mr. E Lt.tc•roN's return to the Circus (a distance
more than a mile) is, I suppose, meant to consol, " those La-
dies and Gentlemen, who, having alrvitly made iuquiri( s as to
the period of Mr. ELLIS:Wei engagement, have been informed
Oat it extends only to a few weeks in the season," as it leaves
room to hope, that he may be prevailed on to remain
" Far distant from his wife and children dear"
some time longer. General ELLisToN must k ep his word
though because " when JOHN Bum, is pledged zee cannot doubt
him," and moreover, because " Mr.- ELUSION has nu Corsico-
French blood about him." Now, from all this, it is very dew, I
think, "mit/soul /weep thee," that Mr. dEacas General Jake
Ball ELLIS rots haying fixed no peri td for his return, is humid
to rs fe,itt his pl.lge (wlil:h he, unliki. BON 4rARTZ, has net
given) by " hoblini his faith some time or other," it.st he sitOlild
4.* disappoint," like his ratlier NAP. ,
• All this 13 so very intelligible, that I think it is impossible to
misunderstand it. To be sure those who are dispose d to be
querulous, may say," Who are they Mr. E. fears to diiappoist
by not returning ? Dues ha ne..an the Circus soldiefs, or the
Iloymai-ke: visitors ?" To this the answer is, if a man of his
conseq ence were to fail of r( turning, it Haight, perk:,; 4,
pint cli pet:i.:N, and then woubt, alas! be late kis broths
NA r, thoti?,ll rvittlithst.oidit,g their being to wear if kin, Mr.
Et:trs roN has " Corsica-French bl.n about him."
I neon it hel,) complime:ttleg Mr. Coi.saaN on the very Twit
manner iir which he tics come athwart ilotsAtoevx. i would
Aviv hill to nrik.: a presenf of this part of his addrass to the
A mi-Corsicaa giniety. Tf uar brolker 2ti,.p dues not comittit
suicide when be LAI& that it has been proclaimed to a Prides
sudienre and th.: wiaild that be ern iSe Mr. Ft.t.iliros