The National Register.
London, England, 1808-06-27 00:00:00

JUNE 27.

ipg her himself, and the most striking process of producing, his
egects, than he can by studying nature without the advantage of
a copy. 'the earliest artists in every sphere of genius, were
obliged to study from nature alone, and find out the best moth-
of copying :mi.:Wonting her ; but in these times we have the ad-
vantage of models in art, and we should be foolish indeed not to
employ them. Th.:. u-c of a model then to-a young artist, is not
to serve him as an oriditud from ss hick he may make tinfoils--
copy, but to skew him the manner in which the greatest artists
before him have been in the habit of studying nature for practi •
cal purposes.
lint whatever be the best mode of acquiring a knowledge of
the dramatic art, of this at least, every actor and every actress
may perfectly assure themselves, that, without acquiring that
knowledge by some process or other, they can sever attain n
high rank in their profession.

C.Or F:NT-l; ARDE

To-morrow evening Coven-Gorden %sill close the longest sea-
son during which it has been kept open within our recollection.
*lt has been a season particularly unfruitful in literary eveellence.
Indeed, the truth i., that as long as the present system of manage-
ment continues to be carried on, the town cannot expert air
thing like good plays. Mr. Harris gives no encouragement to the
new authors, and we know pretty well what sort of beings
arc the old ones whom he does encourage. The whim of Mr.
Reynolds amuses once a year, and once in two or three years.
either Mr. Coleman or Mr. Morton brings out a play: but except
these three, who is there that Inui any pretensions to be consult r
cd as an author of great merit and these three, who, altogether,
do nut probably upon an average furnish two, pieces in a yea,-
to the theatre, are all the d.Teudenee of that Pmt and wealth
hou e ! In some future nu:nber, we shall probably submit to
eo.r readers a plan far the better conducting of the theatres in
respect to the production of new 'Ames. At present the boom-.
of the crown in granting the patent is exercised to 'Acme Mr.
Harris, not to imirect and amuse the people; and this, we
cOn'•-tai, is a (testi-It:flint of that haunt y, w Melt neither is jusi
to country, nor was designed by the king. We do not sn‘
t';is from any petsou:A spite to Mr. Harris; it is a matter of
little importance 1..• us, m heilivr Mr. Harris, or. Mr. Anybod,
ma wanton !0 the public loss; hut we think that it is high
Coo: the stem were ended. Mr. Harris, it is true, might get
rime inane), by bringing- out good 'Accept, than by acting the
Ogre aid Little Thun:3, or Boni facia and Bridgelina, or Two
Fuer; under a Hood; but mere money does not seem to he Mr.
il:trris's object; he likes to exereiw his own humour. Now w
ha vo no great desire to curtail Mr. Harris's enjoyment of his ow
humour : ne object only to see him enjoying it at the eypence
of the public. If lie is a man of very strong prejudices, or very
bad taste, or both, his friends may be sorry for that, but there
vai! be no reason why .the public Should pay for it.
As long ther..,..ire as Mr. Ilarris continue` !o thrust upon the
town that collet ion of wretch( a stud* which tar so long a time
pat has excluded merit, and served only
'6 To cloud y icing genius, bright'iling into day,"
We shell not conceive out-a-Ives blameable in occupyin,T,
part of our paper with the censure of his mismanagement. Nor
do we iatend to coatilie ourselves so the statements of his misma-
nagement alone the injustice of theatrical tyranny in /Mag.-
'na iIS It di as in Covent-f.;:l Men, N 1 ill tilt find our ceu'ures very
easily stilled: for we have little pe:sonal knowledge of any of
the peopralors, and what we wt-; is therefore written by no
nn-;ins with a vie o of gratifying .:ay private pique against any
raticular individual, but with the -,-eueral view, and we believe
we may venture to say, the lumetit view, of Opening to the pub-
lic that public road which party and prejudice appear to have
chised—,,t obtaining fair chances and • opportunities for every
competitor in the writing or the octiog of plays, and of estab-
lishiog, as far as the ettort of an individual work Can establish,
Heat kind of equality in the republic of lettersy which is as de-
sirable there as in the political world,- although perhaps am-
bit/toms and intriguing members contrive to raise uu aristo-
ertcy much oftener iii literature than in politics. There are
some kind, of of ences aaainst society which the law cantint
,•
reach. Public censure, the ill report of the world, are the onl,
punishments of such delimpencies. As.long as we continue .tic
hold ono twig of that public. rel, we will not forget its pow ems.
or its uses ; those whom we cannot influence by argument in'the
tirst instance, nor puo,sh by law, in the second,. we-will Yet hold
up to the animadvern of the public—for their public offence..
M e repeat once more th:A these observations are persotmll v" -
reil9l against no ore iNdividu.d ; it is general Itijustle, we wiCi
ro expose, and we fear our particular ipttaricaa of delinuency

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