The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-01 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

14

highly finished, and the other but faintly bud irregularl3
sketched.

Tlfursday last Miss Norton for the first time appeared
as .Jane Shore, and Mrs. Beaumont as Alicia. The former.
possesses ail the requisites for her part--;:;enies,
.jedgmeat,
youth, a fine voice, an expressive, and handsome counte-
nance, an impressive and judicious action. The latter als„
claiina some share of original genius, an unerring judg-
ment, a true conception of her part, and great feeling ; but
however ungallant the declaration may seem, truth fl its:
be sold ; the hand of titne has withered her bloom, sharpetio('
her voice, and somewhat impaired her powers. Her second
performance of Belvidera, and her representation of Alicia,
have enabled us to form a juster opinion of her abilities.
They arc undoubtedly great ; hut checked by those defects
Nye have so lately mentioned, and which human ingennit)
can partly conceal, but never eradicate. Her jealous scene
with Hastings was not ranting, but real passion, that de-
rives all its strength from the very weakness of the temalc
sex. Her madness did not !consist in unnatural screams
and starts, and windmill-like gesticulations; it contained a
few gleams of reason, and spread a faithful and melancholy
picture of passion, triumphant in the wreck of the mind.
Miss Norton, in all her speeches, in all her scenes, was true
to nature and to feeling. The mild dignity, rendered more
affecting by her self-contempt and humliation, when she
re4ists Lord Hastings' passion ; her spirit bursting through
all the considerations of prudence, when she defends the
cause of the infant king; her calm resignaVon when her
sentence is pronounced; and the, fervonr with which shc

addresses Heaven, whilst she acknowledges the justice • of:
her doom, were passages, in her performance, which stamp
her a worthy successor, though, as yet, far from an equal,
to the British Melpomene. In her famished scene, her
grief did not assume the wildness of ranting, though ex.
Airing despair, hut always preserved the same dignified
character of cairn resignation, in the midst of sufferings
the most acute, the pangs of rejected friendship, still severer
than those of devouring famine.
All the male parts in this tragedy are inferior to those of
Jane .‘:,'hore and and do not open a wide field to the
exertions of genius. Mr. C. Kemble, in Lord Hastings,
was as great as the part would allow. But we were not a
little surprised to see Mr. Murray, in the Duke of Gto'ster,
suddenly start to an unusual degree of excellence. He has
• always been justly ranked among the good performers,
ou whose account neitiwr fame nor censure strain their
voice : but on Tte:rs.il v he displayed faithfully and
spiritedly the treacliefous him-loess and secret ambition of
the cunning Usurper, especially in the scene in which he
tries Lordfladings' real sentiments. In the council scene
he was also really great, when with half-bursting exulta-
tion he thundered his accusations against Hastings, and
pronounced his sentence.
On Monday night the Pantomime of Robinson Crusoe,
which had not been acted for many years, was revived at
Drury Lane, with great splendour of scenery. The merit
which this afterpiece possesses over most spectacles of
this kind, consists in the interest of the story, and the no-
velty of its being. divided into two acts. The first act is of
a dum melo-dramatic nature and contains the chief occur-
rences that thole place in Crusoe's island. The second is
merely pantomimic, and although the scenery in both is
beautiful, yet it cannot, like the celebrated Mother Goose,
boast tricks whit!) it seems almost above the ingenuity of
man to perform. D'Egville in Crusle displayed as much
sober truth of action, and as much judgment, as in his
performance of Caraetacus. Mr. Laurent, in Friday, was
only a-tumbling clown, whilst he ought to have exerted
the graceful activity of a savage. Mrs. Sharp, light, airy
as usual, continued:to prove herself the best Columbine on
the stage. Theithief defect of this pantomime is its length.
It met with complete success, and by the houses which it
draws, seems likely to repay the liberality of the managers,
which has spared no expense to raider it worthy of a Brie
tish

This venerable and respected Nobleman died on Sattirday the
18th tilt. in the 80th year of his age, at his house in licreford-
treet, of a disorder in the bowels, which in a few days coma
pi.tely exhausted him. His Lordship is succeeded in his title
his eldest son, Lord Hawke bury. By his death the office
ot. Clerk of the Yells in Ireland, and Collector of the Customs
Inward of the Port of London, became vacant. The former, we
believe, was given in reversion by Lord Sidenouth, to his son,
:he Hon. Mr. Addington. The Earl of Liverpool was for many
years supposed to be high in the confidence of his Majesty, and
his thorough knowledge of the commercial interests of the
country, rendered him in a great degree distinguished as a po-
litician. Tits noble Earl has been for several ears rendered in-
capable of taking an active part in public affairs. To the last.
however, he maintained unabate,l his int-hinter in the secret
Councils of the State ; and it is not unlikely that his death may
oceasion an important result. There has been no example in
Os Majesty's reign of a rise so extraordinary, and of influence
so untemitted, 'as that of the Earl of Liverpool. He was for
many years President of the Board of Trade. In the )eaf 1782
he succeeded to the family title of a Baronet io 1786 he was
created Lord Hawkesbur' ; and in 11196 Earl of Liverpool. lie
was twice married, and has left issue, beside the present Lord
Liverpool, the Hon. Charles Jenkinson. The Noble Earl never
recovered the shock he received on the accident which happened
to the Cuuntess. When her head-dress caught fire, recollecting;
that there were always two servants in the apartment of the
Noble Lord, she burst into the room, and by the timely as-
sistance she received from the men the flames were exttnguished,
but the Noble Earl survived the alarm but a few days. This
venerable Nobleman has left to his eldest son, the present Earl,
15,000/. per anium, of which only about 3,5001. per annum is
in land. To hiS widow, the Countess of Liverpool, only 7001.
per annum for life, in additiou to her former jointure, as Lady
Cope, of 10001. per annum. But the present Earl has added
5001. more per annum to his father's bequest ; and it is under
stood that the Duchess of Donet, her daughter, adds 300 P: per
annum more. To the Hon. Cecil Jenkinson, his second son, he
has left 10001. per annum, in addition to an estate of near 30001.
per annum, of which Mr. Cecil Jenkinson is already in posses-
sion, by the death of a relation. To Lady Charlotte Grimstone,
now Lady Forrester, he has left only the 700/. per annum be-
queathed to the Countess of Liverpool, after her decease. The
landed property is entailed to all the family of the deukinsons,
in tail male, to a great extent.

EXECUTION OF MR. SMITH,

FOR THE MURDER OF CAPT. BALDERSTON, OF THE ?A'

TRIAN SLOOP OF WAR.

PLYMOUTH, DEC. Vl.—This morning, soon after eight
o'clock, the yellow flag, as a signal for an execution, was hoist-
ed on board the Salvador del Al undo and the Parthian, both
lying in Hamoaze, and, about half an hour before nine, James
Smith, late Master's Mate of the Parthian, was brought from
the Salvador, in custody of the Provost Martial, on board the
Parthian, in order to undergo the sentence of the Court Martial,
for the murder of his Captain. The Chaplain of the Salvador
attended him on the deck for upwards of half an hour; but, as
he had made up his mind, prior to the commission of the crime,
‘u to the consequences attending it, he appeared totally callous
to his impending fate, and met it with the most stoic indifference.
At a quarter past nine, he ascended the scaffold, where he dip
not remain more than five minutes, before the fatal bow gun
tired, and he was launched into eternity amidst the ascending
smoke. By some accident or inattention, on the part of those
whose province it was to make fast the rope to the windlass, the
°oil was suffered to slip, and the wahappy culprit was precipi-
tated, with great velocity, to the waters' edge : he was again
drawn up, and after hanging the usual time, the lifeless body
was lowered into a boat alongside, and conveyed to the Royal
Hospital at Stonehouse, where it was put into a shell, and de-
livered to his friends for interment in the evening. He had been
formerly Master of a gun-brig, was deemed an excellentseaman;
but too fatally addicted to drinking. He was a good-looking
young man, about twenty-five years of age, and near six feet
high. His father is a British Planter, of great respectability,
residing at Santa Cruz, where young Smith was born : he
ra.:eived his education at IsiewYork. It has been reported that
tit had a wife and family, but the report is erroneous.

. .-......-. ______ _....... ........ .
• 11:iit he displayed faithfully and TRIAN SLOOP OF WAR.
IS litildilVSS and secret ambition of. PLYMOUTH, DEC. 28.—This morning, soon after eight
specially in the scene in which he o'clock, the yellow flag, as a signal for an -execution, was hoist-'
l sentiments. In the council scene ed on board the Salvador delM undo and the Parthian, both
. when with half-bursting exulta- lying in Hamoaze, and, about half an hour before nine, James
accusations against Hastings, and Smith, late Master's Mate of the Parthian, was brought from
. the Salvador, in custody of the Provost Martial, on board the
Pantomime of Robinson Crusoe, Parthian, in order to undergo the sentence of the Court Martial,
d for many years, was revived at for the murder of his Captain. The Chaplain of the Salvador
attended him on the deck for upwards of half an hour; but, as
splendour of scenery. The merit
• he had made up his mind, prior to the commission of the crime,
(messes over must spectacles ot
,u to the con.equences attending it, he appeared totally callous
interest of the story, and the no- to his impending fate, •nd met it with 7 the most stoic indifference.
I into two acts. The first act is of At aquaprter past nine, he ascended the scaffold, where he dip
iture and contains the chief occur- not remain more than five minutes, before the fatal bow gun
in Crusoe's island. The second is fired, and he was launched into eternity amidst the ascending
d although the scenery in both is smoke. By some accident or inattention, on the part of those
like the celebrated Mother Goose, whose province it was to make fast the rope to the windlass, the
!ins almost above the ingenuity of ooil was suffered to slip, and the uoliappy culprit was precipi-
vine in Crusle displayed as much tated, with great velocity, to the waters' edge : he was again
incl as much judgment, as in his drawn up, and after hanging the usual time, the lifeless body
wasH lowered into a boat alongside,. and conveyed to the Royal 1,
its. Mr. Laurent, in Friday, was ,
l_i:esrieudtatoat Stonehouse where it was put into a shell, and de-
whilst he otiolit to have exerteydbeen
his friends for' interment in the evening. He
man
a savage. Mrs. Sharp, light, air
.s4•l-'..
,
formerly Master of a gun-brig, was deemed an i
rove herself the best Columbine on but too fatally addicted to drinkinr. He was a good-looking
15
'ect of this pantomime is its lenelili. young man, about twenty-five years of age, and near six feet
ccess, and by the houses which it high. His father is a British Planter, of great respectability,
pay the liberality of the managers, J residing at Santa Cruz, where young Smith was born : he
ease to render it worthy of a Brie ra.:eived his education at IsiewYork. It has been reported that
ha had a wife and family, but the report is erroneous.
, . A,