The National Register.
London, England, 1808-12-25 00:00:00

TTIE NATIONAL. REGISTER.:

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their public acquaintance actually conituelices. This ob-
servation may to some parsons appear trivial. 1\ othinr,o
is unworthy of being remarked, however, that in the least
tends to improve and give effect to the eloquence of the
pulpit. had it been permitted us to contemplate a Peter
un the day of Pentecmit, a Lepheii duriug his last address
to the enraged Jess, and a Pallibefore•telix, or Agrippa,
or 1 estus, we should have discovered, 1 doubt not, in each
of these gloriousi champions of our religion, the happy and
sublime union of Oratory and Christianity!
December 22, 1801: ONSsIMCS.

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THE TH EATRE.•
•
irdr-icovisr.
Oa .Friday night, a striking instance of temerity
was extribited on the boards of.this Theatre: and the
truth-of this maxim. " asidecesfortunajuvai," was never
better proved thou on this occasion. A Mrs. Beaumont
from the Glasgow Theatre made her first appearance us
ltelvidere.iu 46 Venice Preserved," a character which Mrs.
Siddous has raised by the excellence of tier performance,
bigh above the abilities of any actress of the present, anti
perhaps of future times. The rumoured secession of the:
British Melpomena from the stage, has incited a number of
candidates fur the tragic crown to start forth from the ob-
scurity, in which they had spent the greatest part of their
existence, and court the pubic gaze. To this sudden ins-
pulse we owe the introduction Of Mrs. Mudie at Drury-
lane, and that of !Cs. Beaumont at the Ilaywatket. The
latter, we must confess, possesses more claims to our iudul-
gence, if not approbation, than the former. In features
she not very unlike Mrs. Mudie, and thertfore little cal-
culated to impress us with awe. Her name must be writ-
ten on the same leaf in the catalogue of years. Sho can-
not boast the same pleasing lisp, but her voice is fully as
harmonious : she surpasses her, however, greatly in pro-
priety of action, and seems to feel and understand her
purt,. and expresses her feelings and conception of it, with
a superior degree of exactness and discrimination. In the
scene in which she gives an account of Renault's misbe-
haviour to her husband, she was really good ; but her
grief was now and then too much like ranting. Iler mad-
ness at the close of the piece was more natural than her
acting in the former scenes had led us to expect. In a
Nord, the chief requisites in which Mrs. Beaumont stands
in need, are h, and a tidier voice ; did she possess
these, her anti iechng seem such as to insure her
future excellence. As ,!se now is, she may rank among
the respectable and usci&, but never among the great per-
formers. was recei',.ed with applause, so enthusiasti-
cally bestowed, and now and then so ill-timed, that we
almost suspect. it chicsy proceeded from the blind partiality
of friends. But the plaudits of the whole house, unmixed
with a single hiss, hailed the moment of her death.
Mr. C. kemble, in Jollier, rose to the highest pitch of
.sithionian excaence. lie was truly great, not only when
compared with the secondary actors with whom he is ge-
nerally ranked, hut when put iii competition with the abi-
lities of a John tiemble, an Elliston, and a Young. He
was really the hero of the night, although acting by the
side of the celebrated Cooke. His excellence did not con-
•ist of momentary bursts, it was equal throughout, with-
out a single moment of rantsng or weak nes* Such a per-
formance we did not expect from him, and a more perfect
we do not recollect having ever witnessed.
The part of Pierre is nut calculated to bring Mr. Cooke's
into action. The dignity of heroic guilt, he sinks
low born villainy. We cannot conceive why Air.
og was not entrwited•with this character, which would
ser‘ed to• exalt his fame, whilst it now proves a
hling block in the way of Mr. Cooke's dramatic re-

CHRISTMAS

Oh, Winter! ruler of the inverted
1 croon thee. king of 'mimicdeli
Firek:side enjoynienis, home-burn

The -national rejoitings of the Jewi
the expiration of every seven years,
tival of Christmas occurs once during
had septcnniaily its Jubilee--Christ in
hristmas. What millions of hum.
loohing forward to the day on whict
mine appears! Persons of all descri
men and women and children, each ai
for months past, ant:cipated the cui
season at. which we are now arrivel
Christmas is, indeed, admirably cal,
meut of domestic comforts; tor an
cent gratifications, and the promotio
It ought to be the sip,nal for assembl
tered relationships of humanity, for
feelings and affections. With this
the reign of serene hilarity, of gooi
ness, of generous hospitality. Let the
now enliven our laud. Tap the hoar
treasured bottles; and, chief of all, si

• " The roast-beef of 01,1 E
in all its pristine grandeur, give stabi
Aundance to the greats. Not that
I.ttle masters and mistresses—the g 4
gentlemen of this charming age—st
vourite mince.pies, or two or three
mammas' hest homebrewed wine. A

" Now, stir the fire ; and dose
" Let fall the curtains ; wheel t,
Now for the frolics of the little-one!
their elders.—How many Christiw
how many more they may sec
ing the year that is fast expiring, at
Hill probably produce ; when
" NVe nest enquire, but softly and
" Like conservators of the public I
"Of epidemic throats—lf such thi
" And coughs, and rheumy, and p!
" That theme exhausted, a wide
" Filled up, at last, with interes
" Who darted with whom, and w
" And who i 3 hanged, and who 1.
" But fear to call a more impf,rtm
" Ai if 't were treason against Lug
Well ! time, notwithstanding,
Night comes. Much has been sl
feast is half eaten, the ale is half
are all exhausted. We, therefore,
rating ; and may now ask, not with,
" Is Winter hideous in a gal
What becomes of those nurnberh
possess not the " garb" by while
from seeming " hideous" to other
takes cognizance of those who car
selves. Many a noble and aftineM
something like munificent hospital
of joyous inclemency, towards flu
it, as Pope said, that
" what his ha\
" His charitable vanity
So much, for Christmas ; thou;
frankly,confess it might he as well
few following days, were well over
It has sometimes posed me, any
readers, to.discover how it came
epoch Of religious rejoicing should
time for ,balancing and settling th'
cerns of civilized intercourse. Th,
t would exult in nitely more heart

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