The National Register.
London, England, 1818-04-26 00:00:00

A r7).lr,

THE P.W NC E EGEST%4 BIRTH-DAY.

The Prince Regent does not complete his 56th near
t-3i the :sth cf August next ; but us that month falls
too laze ier fashiotiable scason, it was thought ex-
plient to anticipate the celehratim% of the birth-day,
and St. Game's day was fixed upon, in imitation or
the forehtm practice, being what is abroad termed the
:tf his Royal Ilii;lmass. The weather was
inauspicioas, a 3 as east wind, accompanied with rain,'
prevailed daring the whole day: but the la lies ware
not to be Lterrel, even by the danger of spoiling their
otAgniiicent dresses. 'racy flocked to the Court iu ;treat
numbers, and the assemblage was altogether the most
tittratn-ous since the marriage of the latactned Princess
C'w.rlotte.

i'ark and Tower guns fired a double salute at
one delml, but the company begp.n to' arrive at the
Q.l,2?ies l'Aince so early as 1!.2, and coutinuA coming
ti.l oast five o'clock. &r or t:41.: carriages were kept
in the ranks three hours; and- thou,;it the Queen re-
iaLlied in the Jrawing-rcoat tivat till 5 tided:, yet
6 ladies, among wholn was Lady Nugent, expe-
icuA!,l the mortifying disappointment of bear wo :Ate,
Mli...;sty haring left the drawing-room IL.:ror.:
Ltlius arrived. The 11p:2:trance of the Cuart very

IL).

and the prevalotea of white ta%%;;;ICS • g's•Vt: a
re!':;:sl..hig liveliness to the r?ene.
The Viint•es,cf; acelrnpanieti the Queen into the Sc!a•

opar!-.lcnt at two o'cloaul ; the Prince of Ik:in-lir:a-
-hour,. with his usual actec4tin3, soon

•r:.~

Regent, the Duke tanil Duchess at' York, the
Enke of Clarence, the Duke and Du.:l:c..ss of Glou:scs-
ter, and the Princess Sophia of Clauce- ter, went in
into. The Foreign Aaibassiktlnrs and Ministers, with
their Ladies, the Cabinet Nlinisters, with theirs, the
Justices, the principal Officers of State, the Lord
and I Mayoress, the Sheriffs, and Law Officers of
the Crown, were in attendance. The nobility and gen-
tly were present in great numbers : hut we did not
perceive any except those who are used to attend an
finch oe=sions. Scarcely any of the Opposition fami-
lies were present, except the Marchioness of Invistock,
the. Countess of Jersey, • the Countess al Essex, Earl
Grosvenc•tr, and Lord Nugent.
In honour of the e.ay the Qecen gave a dinner to
tl.-e Prince Regent. and the lioyal Family : the Earl of
Liverpool, and most al the Cabinet Ministers enter--
ta'ned their friends: Lird Sidmouth had among his
gl:ests the Lord rjayor and Sherilik : while tha
diite-
rent persons connected with the household, foiin the
Lord Steward down to tha tradesmen, had :Liar E:a-
rtcc parties of convivial festivity.

Wednesday the Frilax Regent held aCourt at Carl-
ton-11611w- His Royal Highness afterwards held a
Privy Council, at which, as we are informed, the con-
sent, ea' Like Rogeet u Couned,i was passed to the mar-
riage of the faire of•Cambridg,e. His Royal Highness
gave :audience to tl c Earl of Harrowby, the Earl of
Liverpool and Mr. Canning.
Sovvral papers have given a statement of the ac-
quaisitauce between the Princess Elizabeth and the
Prince of Hesse Hombourg having connuenced two
years since, his Serene Hig!iness having l•era then in
Eng-haul The tict is, that he never was in England
Irdine. the present 'visit, • nor ever saw-the Ptincets till
he was introduced as her saitor.

Prince Leopold will set out on his intended visit to
the -Continent,- in • the course of a few weeks. His
Royal Highness has-offercd the occupation of Claremont,
during his absence, to the Duke and. Duchess of Cam-
bcrland. But we understand that their Royal High-
nesses arc also about to leave England for some time.
t is rumoured that the Duke of Clarence has re-
solved to persevere in his determination of marriage
with the Irincess of Saxe-Mein en, notwithstanding
the vote of the House of Commons, if' her Serene
Highness • shall continue her consent. He cent still
make her a Duchess ; and he will avail himself of the
alternative given by the Royal Marriage Act, by re-
cording hi 3 union on the books of the Privy-Council,
and therchy will take .his chance of-a vote of emu-
lation, and of dower, &c. by the new Parliament,
within the twelvenienth•—Chro4thk

E t The Dukc of dare- ite---c has disposed of the e;glit Line
• coach horses, with which his stables were furnished
about three weeks ago.
. A new arrangement has been made, by the royal in-
mates of the Queen's Palace, iu 'consequence of which
the Prince and Princess of Hesse Ramberg will not
leave England before the :29th of the ensuing month :
by which time it is expected, the duke of Cambridge and
his illustrious bride will have arrived, and reciprocal
cdaglatulations mss take place. In the .main time,
her Alijescy retire to the Castle nt Windsor, tier a
wea er two, accompanied by the Princess Augusta,
a:ld the -Prilice and Princess of ilerse Homberk. They
will most probably leave the Palace one of the first
days at the beginning of the week. His Serene Iligh-
ni;ss is purchasing s:y.eral fine homes both fir the car-
riage and the saddle.

Mr. Edward Orate's system for preventin; the
forgery of Bank of England notes is now under the
consideration of the Bank Directors.

.10Netwi

T:TaP. N.\ TTONAT. 11171",T;'T171

211 E DRAMA.
•-•••-
DRURY LANE.

The historical play of Deaf and Dttint was revived
on Tuesday, at this Theatre, when the part of Jsdio
was performed by Mrs. Bartley, with considerable }lndio&
• The play was succeeded be a new interlude, iTthe bur-
lesque, or liombastie species, called Amoroso, King of
illle Britain. The author of this dramatic trifle,
which in the style bean; stem: resemblance to Depe,rters
furitno, has shown much ivenuity in its cotnposition,
and has car:Alin.: avoided, in his mock representation of !
royalty, every thing that.eauld bo interpreted into of-
fence; it is written in rhyme, and is interspersed much
too thickly with songs: a serious song, from its nature,
scarcely alnits of burlesque, and, unless the words are
distinctly heard, produces no effect. We decidedly
object, too, to any burlesques on Shakespeare. If the
author wtll omit these entirely, which were the worst
executed parts of his interlude, and curtail the number .
of his saugs, the piece will prave, we think, one of th,
most successful of its kind. 1-lark,y, who played ihno-
rovo, was irreistibly ludicrous. The characters in ge-
m:: al wc.ce well dressed, in the style of the irmie heroic
drama, and were pertlirmcd with much spirit. tile
scene i:; the best. 'Tice new interlude: was an-
-19:1n,x:1 for repetition universal npprobation, from one
oi. the fuilest audiences of the season. The Duke and
Duchess of Gloucester, and the Princess Augusta, were

prent

One of the most sing-Id:wand hazardous experiments
within our theatileal recollective was male on Friday,
en 64:se hoards, in reviving, after 4 total neglect of
two centuries. the tragotly of . the Jcn of Malta.—
ChristaTher Marlow, its author, is one of the few in
the department of literature who wrote before -Shake-
speare. and was esteemed, in his age, one of the great-
est ornaments of the drama. He has left only five
plays: of all the nu:nber the Jen, qf Malta is, perhaps,
that which exhibits more of his limits and less of his
beauties than any other ; the principal character, in
common with the S kylock of ShuLespeare, was drawn
to second and to stimulate the popular hatred against
the Jews; on this character ( Barabas) the interest
almost exclusively rests. His actions, which originate
in revenge for having been made to contribute all his
wealth to the payment of the Turkish tribute, are .a
tissue of unmingled horror, a climax of atrocity and
malignity, till he becomes the victim, in the end, of
one of his own hellish devices. Nothing can more
strongly show the power and popularity of Mr. Kean,
than his having been able to illumine and render tole-
rable so dark a portrait as that of Burubcs. por-
formance is full of striking passages, though not in the
highest oriler of his talent. His best abets were his
execration; when he finds that his goods are confiscated,
and a scone where he recovers some geld and jewels
which had bee.: secreted in his house, and-which en-
abled hint to -.Taunt° his thriller splendour, and means of
mischief: Ile introduced a song in the li:oaf' act, but
though it was encored,. we cannot help thinking it a
perversion of talent. _ _

e have -112.1rIoni known a more indalvnt audience
than Oat of Friday evening : with a.I the faults
and revolting incidents of the Jer• cf'3lltha, it has
been received, and was given out for repetition, with
uaivers.d approbation.

COVENT GARDEN.

A new Tragedy was produced at this Thcatre, on
Wednesday, entitled, &Zhu/2;ra ; or aw l <disci' Tunis.
It is attributed to Mr. tilsi•:l, the author of the Apos-
tate. The fcnlowing is an outline of the plot:—

The scene is laid in at the pctit.ctof it:: capture :,y the En.
Perm., Charles V. ' rk.01111g.) Ve Noweinan, is
persecuted by a factien. at i!.2 :wad of whi,:li is Lis own lize.tier,
Sdi...rdo, arid is -,ohircl!erl to fioin I.aving his a if. and
child, az he ..upr,eses, deftrayed hy an infuriated populace. Ile ab.
jttres his religion, enters into the scnice of 01.! Poi .of Tunis, awl
L:comes (lover-nor of the City. The play opens with the exultadon
eN.pressed by C. ltt tit 41 fa nil od; Keatibie.4 and outer Christian
sit at Cue proepect of linere.tioa in the. enterprileaf Charles.. In
a scene a some len4,'.li, avows himself to ..114.P.7'redi,r.11s
the stcry of his wrongs, and voinis,4 the slaves his assistance.
conference is interrupted by the arrival. of fresh .vic:inis, among
ev....c10 are .5.r.1e.in0, (I'e:try.; and .8.-fieuire, (Miss O'Neill,) the wife
of 3/,:,1, ,i;, with her chill. ffiderno haS hitherto passed for her
fatter, now, in a state of exhaustion and decay, del.ktres to het.
that h.; is not, and then faints, without eleclarim; her father's name.
Her child is sr.:etc:led :rein her, and while she is seeking it, she meets
ar.d recoutzes r hustand, .Itagf, Montalto partakes of their
joy at-met:nig, but is equally distressed witlL itaty'r. diet theelsngers
which surround her --in Tuna. It is then arsonged that she shall
return to Italy in a vessel shin bas brought ransom for sonic slaves ;
buritti,!fral remembers that lie has sworn not to leave hie fellow
captives in slavery; and .Ifoureito,intiuenced by remorse and com-
passion. is to favour their insurrection at the critical moment. In
the mean time, Antarat, (.11aervady,) another renciade arrives front
the Bey's camp. .without the (lily, with the tyrant s orilers to biros
sess M0.1t..i/to, and assume the governinent of the town himself. Au
agonizing scene takes place between .sfatit'redi and Relttyni;re, at tie
hour appointed for her departure-If.myeedi pleading tle.t , Ito.
unur is aledged to remcitt wren tile slaves till the eppwatinity•of
,•! ser'...e.all4l Bet t Ur i.;ing him bi every tie Of
141..', )1. i) The str.ygle, however. is ended be the
c. enters to he borne.ort and dmgs
Ii 37:!111`. 14+4 yr..., we
~,. . forn,rly, when in Itaiv, been Use rejected
admirer of firgam;.-.1, and a hen disappointed. had seized and ear.
tied her otf—that Mott' dt had resceed her and brought the viLain
to 'medic punislittic.a. This resat: wduud hull to become u renegade.
and milkle,el to Lis breast until this moraent, when having Bellantira
in his power, hr determines to satiate his revenge. In a struggle.
Brilantira snatches a dagger flora his vest, and aeries him. until he
orci.:rs her husband to he brought forth. Meantime, Sslone obtains
an interview with Ar.;:taltn, notes himself' as his guilty, but 1,, ui
tent brother, awl declares .Bellamire to It 4tloatalto's dittigatu,

..~s~i.~

133

whom he has jtut seen in the power of At nurat. Ilfo:zralto hastensal
the Hamm, in t,:e heigil of Agony, and crriecs b the midst of the
scent' b;:t,:cen and Lis lure. After a short
contest. A:a:.),,t find the rcst arc etrowytd 'll,e
Act pros-nts to w:th n dunge,in vilizre. the Christians k eon
11 hill itai.e.",-) are disputing fur the. paint of
wretehednes4 inted*ence is broa.,lit of the suocess of Charles, an 4
that the ercered their immedi:ate txecution. Monte,- a:ere
is left. &Ilan::: .: haring eseaped from A in:lret. enters M sea:„-h of
her hushoutl. lint is f.-d:owed by A who stabs and
then is summoned to the fight without. if chitiras wounded.
and exa,pczittd with hlry er.deavours to mutter
f..oin which he is only prevented by Cie dying .Ifo .la/to, 141'.0 crawls
towards Itini,st ibs him with a da:;gcr. end then exvirev. .4f.triftedi
having been rel,.:Lizd, rtolies in 1; :,,r;ois, mid curtain falls.

It must bu confessed that there is tev.eh complexity
in this plot, and we are tlisix,sed to think tia..• klevdop.
anent by tv) means natural. in the first it is
very improbable that so many persons eemleeted with
caeh otiwr,mbould corn; from ditferent anti be
all assembled in Tunis—which gives t...e !Jay on arti.
firiai ciaracter, aat a s!diful dramatist t.:l:auld

ways

avoid, and the ineilents themselves arc oludi
stage!! as been accustomed to fin. years. The r.atnesituaw
tioas are produced by means of tile chill (generaliy an
important actor in modern tragedies)—the wleJle
the •i.th Act' is without the least novelty, and the dia.
ra.ters are very :moll of th satiny stamp. Tharp is a
ludicrous effect-produced in the last scene, by all the
persons on the stage Lying on all four; and crawling
like so many.eaterpillars. Mr. Shia se.:.is fond of re_
negtiles, but we cannot think Min suc..essfill in the
present instanze ; ws have here two of them, but they
ir:e neither in unison, nor in opposition. Montalto itt
grandly conceived, but there is little originality about
him ; and .4avirat is on AA.lstgge Is-Ansa. Motifredi is
also a well -known hero of the tragedy corps, but'there
is much flue yet natural -I'.!elings in his composition.
Bellontira is certainly the tir.est character of the whole,
uniting delicacy, a2Lction and fortitude with great suc-
cess. have no doubt but that it was written fur
Miss O'Neill, and having said this, to praise her, is
unnec;:zsary—she is identified with the part ; she tc
Beilarsira, and prai,e can say co more. The whole
play, is, in our judgment, much indebted to the actors,
whose peculiar casts sent all to have been consulted.
There is -t to mud' occasion for rant throughont, ant
Young is not always so happy in that line. It rims
very Weil for Mr. Macready, who not unfregtientlY•put
r.s in iniLd of .that worthy member of the Nightin.
~ale Club. whom Mr. Mathews clescr.'l:et: as sim-ir,
e,
treble and bass with equal facility., -'l'he acting was,
however, generally excellent, and the.wlrcle went off
nith all img.ginable 'success, bcimt ant minced forrere.•
titiontritheut a dissonting vs:e:„ he playbills say it
was received " with tears rte. to Le rtstrained," which
we mention fur the sake of expressing Dar disgust that
a national theatre should descend to put firth srch
absurd and ridiculous announcements; it is really an in-
sult apt) common sense to suppose this farrago will
.persuade any one to add to the number of the woc.pers.
The Prologue and Epilogue (neither of any interest)
were spoken by Mr. Connor and Miss Brunton.

Ell:stork has taken a lease of the ,Noithanmton
Theatre fur three years, which hr is now puttin.4 into
a state of complete repair, and-re-painting and orna-
menting with much taste.

i)u:ing Mr. liears'a late trip to the north, he played
Sir Giles Ocerreuch itr.l Sir &beard 3krl,aer at
Dumfries. The latter perfurutance was given at 12
o'clock at •nwon.

A gentleman, who takes the leading part in the ma-
nag-mu-at of New Drury, is said to be purchasing
every share cf that Th.:litre, which is offered for sale.
by the Proprietors, at o'2 prcsc.nt atiprevscd prices.
Mathews 's surcesi at the • English -t)pera House,
it seems, has ci:ci.ed no small rie,tc!iof envy, and ie.
rfrtHi, that Lime appliLations have been tnele to a
certain gnartt:r, in the hop of preventing a maim:.
rice of roirillar,e:itcrtainment.
Poor Minden still continues on the invalid list cf
New Drury ; and though his spirits arc good, the
repotzed rc:urr4 of the gout have rendered hint es..
tremely weak.
Miss L. Kelly is now the favourite female vocalist
of the Cork amiteur performances of tlie Apollo Su.
eiety.

Miss Walstein, who has some time past retired from
the stage, has returned to the Dublin theatry, to play
fir the belteEt of the perthrmers.
Mr.. Betty is cotra;;;ed. for flur nights at the Bath
theatre ; idler whieli, it is said, l e iiiknas to try his
.fortune on the -kinetic:4n .stafz,:.

111 health has Air. 11:i,./ Ailj.ingiGn to rctile
from Lis situati,w ny L'otkr Soetv.,.v of State for the
Home lierartilient. Lie 'is to Ir.! succeeded by Mr.
llenry Clive, M.P. for Ludlow.

A ta'A.:ing lits !ken e a;L,I at Livorpnol, as well ns
at lliraiinghlm, to pi.l;f:ti:i P lian,eat th,
ca•.e with w!..ch t.tas ca I notes citit ut uresintt
be imitated. • _

Tile Bishop of London's • visitation and confirmation
throughout his diocese, is to take place this summer.
The Grand• Duke Michael, the brother of the Fm.
percr of Russia, is expected in London in about three
weeks. The large house in Stratford-place, occuvied
by his brother Nicholas, is preparing for his rt,seeptiou.