The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-31 00:00:00

PgC. Si.

publisher, so lately market! fly civic distinetiousl aud even
distinguished by the 'sunshine of Royalty, by honour§
from the. hand of ow.: Gracious sovereign, cau. even
whilst those honoui-s are as y et but pew, step 'forward like
a Herald. to proOatin a Tyrant's usurpation t Duet. he
hope to add °net, " N Arm-Ewes" honsodrable Legion, to
pollute the' pure stream of English Chivalry with the mere-
tricious and oloodstaaied trappings. of NAMLEON'S faiour
No! fijAid it heaven, iliac any Englishman could be su
base, •so forge:ful of his own, and of his Coilutry's
Honour
From whatever motive, this exhibition has taken place,
it is not the less dese:ving, undorall'the circumstances, of
Public execration. fa a work whose sale is confessedly
areat and which hitherto has deservedly held the highest
rank amoNst our Periodical publications, it is a thing' se-
tiously •to 'be lain:lite.' that King' Louie"—" Kiwg
jo;ePh"—" Empress Josephine"—" King -,Tatiehim," fee.
shill thus`bc held up to the familiar gaze ani!'adiniration
of the various classes of society, many 'of Whi•TyCa re unable
to distingiiish between the mid. radiance of legitimate roy-
alty atid.the glare of snecessful viliainy ; it is to be lament-
ed that* they slitiuld thus be lamiLarized with the Usurped
honours of one man whose insatiate ambition has filled ;the
werld with 'wide aud orphans, and of another, to fix
whom Entirely on a Throne, instead of his original attor-
ney's desk,. the cold blooded Tyrant is now marching his
lnurderons legioils to complete t4e subjugation of a devoted
country. •• • •
Had it even been given without a comment, criticism
might perhaps have been allowed • to• deep; but we cannot
he silent, when it is actually blazoned forth as a representa-
boa of •"'one of the most extraordinary events of modern
times." Extraordinary, indeed, it is, and the only modern
event which can equal it is, that it should have been pro-
duCed forthe 4dmiration of a loyal and a free people, by a
Ci-aetia4 friend of liberty. Nothing, indeed, can be more
fulsome, than the adulation which marks the accompany-
ing' fetter prows ; we bre told of " six personages, whose
times will always continue to be famous in the history of
Europe ;" we hear that, theigenius BUONAPARTE has
given" this Coroisation,•" a degree of solidity. and
conse-
quence, which renders it in an histbrieal and political
sense, the greatest event of tlieui.evelititil times," and that
" these events will live iii Cie page of history, and never
ceav to pOsse.ss.eonsiderablo i.nterest with, mankind I" .
• That there are thire in this country, with whom this is
the "'greatest" of events, we can no longer doubt, and
that with them it may possess considerable interest: is. &so
grotty evident ; we siucerely, hope, however, that the
number is but small, and that it does not extend much be-
yoad the publisher of the Monthly Magaxiite I I :"
;•. . . •

THE eirRICA LS.

COVEIVes'ciARDWg.

If there is any trtith'in that welk-knOwn adobe* of paiim:
mOrtal that the Drama " ()light to hold the. Mirror
-arta Nature"—it iievi4ent that it must be applicable to
every species of dramatietomposition., atkd of tfbeatrie
presentation ; nor can we sulipose that there is any extra-
ordinary licence, any clause in ale Oct, which shall exempt
even Pantomime from the operation of this* la*.
• As the Pindaric is in Poetry, so Winy Paniont- inte be con-
sidered•with'respect to the Scenic Art the One goes beyond
the common rules, though stillosubjett ti)" rhyme and ,iiie.i-
suce # so with the-other—ted by Fancy; it passes the limits
of Nature, retraceithe stein of ~Antiquity; holds fellimi ship
with the Deities of Heathen mythology, or with the neer.°
mantic wand of Gotpic superstilidn, embodies all the sprites
and flys of the early romance ; in short, it seeks assistance
from the Genii of Film and Folly, and is not ashamed to he
;leen arm in arm 'Yet, for all ibis, there
ought to be a ;tchs'aiit iieitiore iraprobahilities with-
out air ea, can oil etcito disgust ill witurcr