The National Register.
London, England, 1818-10-18 00:00:00

AIX-LA-CIL4PELLE.

OCT 10 —Though a little indisposed, the Emperor
Alexander has tea been for a day prevented front
attending to business. He last night honoured Mr.
Clarkson, the zealous and inderatigable friend of the
abolition of the slave trade, with an audience of up-
wards of an hour. This honour way the more striking,
us Mr. Clarkson, we understand, appears here without
any commission from the African institution, or from
any other body of men whatever, and without any
connexion with the English Government, but merely
as an individual using his personal eiiiirts to promote a
cause' to which the best part of his valuable life has
been devoted. Being personally known to the Emperor
Alexander, and having a full confidence in his openly
expressed zeal to secure the abolition, he anticipated
some advantage to the cause, from a personal interview,
and a kind of friendly communication ; although he
had no dcebt of the disposition of . the British Monster
at Congress, to exert his best official endeavours to
promote the object which he has so much at heart. The
present state of the slave trade question is generally
known. All the Powers of Europe have already alio.
liAed it, excopt Spain and Portugal. The former has
already abolished. it north of the line, and has entered
intoa convention to abolish it south of the line in May
1810 ; the latter has abolished it north of the line, but
has as yet fixed no definitive period for its abolition
south of the line. The object of the abolitionists, and
that which Mr. Clarkson wished particularly to
press upon the Emperor Alexander, is to procure front
the latter power, a limitation of the trade in point of
time similar to that agreed upon by the firmer. In
addition to the universal prohibition of the trade, they
arc anxious that, for its more complete prevention, it
should he declared piracy. These two objects Mr.
Clarkson represented to Alexander, and we arc assured
that the result of the interview was highly gratifying
to all the friends of humanity; his Imperial Majesty
having listened to the details with the most sympa-
thising interest, having fully entered into the policy
recommended, and promised his most cordial and effica-
cious support.

The price of provisions at Aix-la-Chapelle, consider•
in; the great influx of strangers, is very reasonable.—
Beef, mutton, and veal, 61 per lb. ; fish is bud and
very dear ; butter, 22d. ; bread, )it per lb. ; chickens,
2s. 63. a couple; vegetables, excepting onions, very
cheap; cheese bad and dear; eggs, 8d per dozen ;
hares, 3s. Gd. each ; partridges, 4s. a brace; ducks, Ss.
4d. a couple ; thrushes, 3d. each : turkeys, 3s. Bd. ;
coals, 15s. a tun ; candles, 10d. per lb.
On Wednesday a Court of Directors was held at the
East India House, when the following Captains were
sworn into the command of their respective ships, viz.
Captain T. Larkins to the Marquis Camden; and
Capt. H. Scott, to the Charles Grant, for Bombay and
China; Capt. C. Graham, to the William Pitt, for St.
Helena, Bencoolen, and China.
CITY BUSINESS.—On Tus:sday the Lord Mayor held
a Court of Aldermen at Guildhall, for the general
dispatch of public business. 17,2001. Orphan Stock
was drawn off and annihilated : and the Chamberlain
was directed to give the usual notice in the public
papers, for the respective parties to attend, and be paid
the same. The customary precepts were ordered to be
issued for the ensuing Lord Mayor's day .

On Monday evening selmight, the Earl of Derby,
the Lord Lieutenant of the county of Lancaster, gave
a most splendid ball and supper to about two hundred
persons. consisting of the Nobility and Gentry of Lan.
cashire and Cheshire in the vicinity of his noble man.
sion, at Knowsley. Among the company were observ.
ea, Lord Wilton, Lord Belgrave, the Earl and Count-
ess of Sefton, Lord Molyncux, Lord Chohnondcley, &c.
&c. The festivities of the evening were kept up till
late hour, and the guests departed to their respective
homes highly delighted with the urbanity and attention
of the noble host and hostess.

In a field belonging to Wm. Helyar, Esq. of Coker.
Court, near Yeovil, Somerset, there have been lately
discovered some very fine specimens of Roman pave-
ment, with figures in alto reteva, representing two
warriors bearing a stag, suspended on a pole across their
shoulders, and a dog underneath, together with some
Roman coins of Tetricus, Crispinus, and Vespasian.—
Tessclated pavements were found in three fields, one
of which formed the floor of a room 14 feet wide, and
30 long.
The Prince Regent has generally a select party but
by no means numerous, at Carlton House when he
does not dine out, which is seldom, in consequence of
his daily visit to Kew Palace. It was the intention of
of his Royal Highness to have sojourned the greater
part of the present month at the Pavilion, Brighton,
but all his arrangements for the autumn and summer
have been deranged, in consequence of the Queen's
illness.

It is said that some of our countrymen who were in-
veigled into the service of the republic of Venezuela, as
()dicers, with splendid promises of military rank and
honours, arc actually working their passag hone as
common sailors on board merchant ships.

OCT 13

THE

DRURY LANE THE.ATRE.

Novelty seems to be the order of the day—and if we
arc not gratified by old faces, the present Management
seems determined to supply their delicieney by w succes-
sion of variety. On Monday, The Proroked Ilusbaad,
one of the best comedies in the old range of the drama,
was produced for the purpose of introducing Ai r.
Fisher in the character of Lord l'ownhy, and Mrs.
West in that of My Lady. The comic humour is
ctiquisite ; the characters true to nattlre , and the
pathetic scenes touching and affecting. I'hc dandies
of the pr.:sent day have almost superseded the polished
air and deportment of well-bred gentlemen—though
we may still boast of many in the higher circles who
preserve the chareetecistic of true dignity. Few actors,
fudged, can succeed in giving due effect to I.nrd Tarn-
lca--therefore, in stating our opinion that Mr. Fisher
was not eminently successful, may, perhaps, not derogate
much from his general merits. The comedy itself
is not so attractive as it deserves Of Mrs. West,
we are gratified to say she acquitted herself with con-
siderable ability—her comic scenes were marked by ease
and polished gaiety—and although allured by the plea-
sures of fashionable life, she gave hopes of future
reformation; and in the reconciliation scene, she oom-
pietely took possession of the feelings of the audience.
On the whole, she displayed much versatility of talent,
and was frequently interrupted by testimonies of ap-
probation. Mrs. Orger, in Lady Grace, looked cap-
tivating ; and Mrs. Alsop rendered the part of Jenny
very amusing.
trednesday.—Cumberland's comedy of' 77:e Fashion-
able Gorer was revived this evenin4. It is one of those
pieces which may produce some interest in the closet on
account of the banevolent sentiments and sensible ob-
servations upon life and character which occasion-
ally occur : but there are very few revivals that re-
plenish the treasury ;—and, in this instance, it requires
talents of the highest order to render it even tolerable.
We do not wish to discourage the Manager in his
selection, but certainly the comedy " went off" very
lan7trid. Mr. H. Johnstone spoke the Scotch dialect
with great fluency in Colin M'Leod. Mrs. West, in
Augusta Aubrey, was interesting; and Mrs. Orger
exerted herself to overcome the odious and repulsive
aspect of Miss Bridgemore. Dibtl in's farce of My Spouse
and I followed; in which a Mr. Yarnoid made his
first bow to a London audience in the character of Ned.
We regret he had not a fuller hotel: to witness his debut,
as lie certainly possesses talent, which, though not of
the first order, may, by practice in a metropolitan
theatre, produce ‘• good fruit." He met with a fa-
vourable reception, and was deservedly encored in one
of the songs.
The tragedy of Macbeth was performed on Thursday
night. Mr. Kean was, of course, the hero of the scene,
bat there was a new heroine. Mrs. West, who had
already acquired no small degree of reputation in
characters of a very different cast, appeared for the first
time as Lady Macbeth. l'he consequence was such as
might 'hive been easily anticipated An actress, whose
chief distinction was feminine tenderness, afforded a
very imperfect sketch of the aspiring worm whom
ambition had unsexed. We do nut, however, insinuate
that the attempt was altogether a failure. It contained
some goad points, and displayed', upon the whole, so
much intellect, that it may be said to have lost the
necessary impression rather from physical than mental
disability. It is to be considered in extenuation of any
deficiency with which it might be fairly charged, that
among the host of aspirants to the same part since the
time of Mrs. Siddons, not one can be said to have suc-
ceeded. It will be collected from what we have th-
ready stated, that in working up her husband's mind
to murder—in reproaching him for his visitations of
conscience—and in wresting the daggers from him with
indignation, to visit the scene of death herself—the
recollection of that awful energy of which the stage is
now deprived, prevented her from taking a strong hold
of the feelings; her best scenes were, probably, that of
the banquet, and that in which he displayed the
horrors of a guilty sleep. Mr. H. Kemble was the
Macduji, and acquitted himself respectably.