The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-07-29 00:00:00

11AY.1I41RK1•.7' riIL'ATRE.

The play of last night waft ne Merchant of
Venieo—the part of Myles*, for the ii at time, by
Mr. Wsant. This new 'thin, though frequently
graced by talent of the finest quality, was not,
taken altogether, so decidedly excellent. as those
I which Mr. Wsani: had previously made. No
part of his performance mild he designated in-
correct. It was, however, very usseqind. In some
instances it did tint rise far alcove useenocrity—iti
others, it almost vied with the ahlest represents.
twos of the day. In the level, ter perhaps we
may be allowed to call them, the preparatory
acetic., in which, by a few fine touches. the
poet giver us a clue to Shylock's real character—
to his malignant haired—to his adoratits) of revenge
—there was a want of gravity and decision—of
sober calculating reflectioti—of habitual thought-
fulness—that but ill accorded with the Jew's final
and bloody resolution. There was a lightness of
manner, such as would probably befit an Israelite
less interested and less rancorous. but which
comported not with the habits, and still less
with the mind, of Skylark. But, where the
Jew's passions burst forth, Mr. IVAILDE deictih
ed his emotions, always powerfully, and some.
times most felicitously. The rage with which
Skyktek assails the intimates of Lorenzo, when he
has discovered the flight of his slaughter, was force-
fully pourtrayed, This. we think, was the finest
part of Mr. WA ROE'S petfortuance. The reiliOn-
ing by which Shy/00k, in the midst of his fury.
attempts to justify his pursuit of revenge,
by • reference to Christian example, was given
with a fiery energy, quite in unison with the
character. In the succeeding scene with Tuba!,
there were, oceasionall ..y. good points, but it was
nut, throughout, equally well acted. The trial
scene also boasted many beauties, particularly to-
wards the conclusion, where the surprise. grief. an-
ger, and Real despair of Shyloek, were strongly con-
trasted with his previous exultation. Mr. %VARUE's
performance commanded much applause. Mr,
JON ES played the part of Gratiano with his usual
liveliness. Bassani° and Astuniu were well repre.
sented by Messrs. CONNOR and FOOTE. Mr.
TORREY rather overacted /Aerate/or Gobbo—but his
extravagance was amusing. Mr. DLI SUMS and
Miss MAITTSEWS, as Lorenzo and Jessica, wing
sweetly. Mrs. GLovsa, who sustained the charac-
ter of Portia, appeared through the eveningito be
greatly indisposed—and, we are sorry to add, fann-
ed away towards the conclusion of the fourth act.
Fortunately Mr. JONES was near her at the time,
and prevented her from falling on the stage.
She was immediately carried behind the scenes,
where, for several minutes, she laboured under
strong hysterics. This excellent actress, was,
however, sufficiently recovered to appear in the
fifth act—though evidently its a very feeble state.
Site was loudly cheered when she came forward—
and, of course, all the indulgence which her situa-
tion called for, was extended to her performance.

TaxaTae.—We tan in some degree anticipate
the pleasure with which the lovers of the legitimate
drama will observe the annonce of Miss S. Bourn,
on our boards on Wednesday next. The taking of
this fascinating actress have, on all occasions, given
such high satisfaction to her Gloucester friends,
that, we feel persuaded, the appearance of Tludiu
herself could scarcely be hailed with more delight.
--(Gloucester Journal.)
THEATRiCALS.—The Scarborough Company of
Comedians, under the management of Mr. Fate-
nixie, came over for a week, to exhibit the per-
formances of Mrs. Davison at that theatre, who,
by acting twice on each night, went through most
of her dramatic characters much to the satiefactiou
of her audience, who, from the late election, had
some loose cash to dispose of
Amongst the number of speeches addressed to
constituents, the following, said to have been
spoken by one of the Menthers at a town in York-
shire, has the most independent simplicity in it
" Gentlemen, you have often been represented
as venal voters; but I deny it totally. This day
you hare given a proof of your disinteresteduess, by
choosing ogee of your Members from a prison, where
he was confiiied for debt • and by electing me, who
must have been confined likewise, but far the
choice you have this day made, as friends to the
liberty of the subject."
REPIIII4 IR PARLIAMENT,These words have
been found, during the late Elections, peculiarly
appropriate to the times; bat the reformation wanted
was more amongst the electors than the eleeted—for
it appeared, that let the merits of their old and
tried Member, in the different towns, have been
what they might, a third nuns was the moot desirable
after all : new money from the lICW Candidate, Lod
old money from the old out.
It may lie apprehended that many of the new
Members, before they can move any its the
new Parliament, will have Bill, brought in that
will materially damp their Parliamentary ardour,
and teach them the true meaning of au unbiassed
choice in their constituents,
TICE Tuar.—Mr. WoOLASTON's horse Merlin,
who beat Dictator, in his match at Newmarket, is
to return under the hands of his old trainer SINES,
preparatory to his starting for the St. Leger, at
Doncaster; but some of the more knowing Legs
pretend to say he has suffered by the very hard
training he underwent at Newmarket for the above
match,and that he is not the hone he was gmaerly.
WATERING rtacEs.--The charges at these
places for the keep of horses have become so great,
that numbers of visitors now heave their horses at
home. In cousequeuce a variety of small barouchea
have beets set pp at Scarborough and other places,
which supply a conveyance to those who want to
travel on the sands, or around the country, at
cheaper rate than by the use of their own Ileum
A GRICULTVILE.-18$ consequence of the great ad.
sauce oil wool and all farming stock, many persons
who had their farms deserted by their former te-
nants, have been beusfited by their laving lift
under their own munagemeikt.
GAME.—The new Act, which inflicts a penalty
on the purchaser of this article as well as the taker
or the seller of it, can surely appear no hardship, as
the proprietora of ney its the funds, who wish to
possess this delicacy (if such it may be thought),
cdti very easily hone a certain portion of their pry-
pelt), to puicliase a landed qualificatiou,

LAID IY7 LL

COURT or CH INCERY, LimesuCt

Tumult, JVLT 20.

THC ADOPTED SON; OR, TWENTY YEARS AT

RELIDINGTON,

GIBE W. Me Rein whs. put rcitAß• and ANOTRER.

Mr. HAII7. Coulee-I for the Urfenlant Pritchard,
stated, that he had to skew cause why the 'liquor.
tion which had been granted in this case by hie
Lordship should not he dissolved. The injiincenus
was granted on the filing of the Plaintiff's Isi'd
restrain the Defendant front putelishing verteet,.
letters 'which hail been written to him by the pi.i„.
tiff in confidence. lie thought the brat low I,*
could pursue would be to state the affidavits of the
Plaintiff and the Defendent Pritchard, fur us t s
the other Defendants Anderson, he was the mere
puhlikher employed by Penchant. The efildeoit
of the Plaintiff stated, that her late ku-b:ind, M
Win. Gee, had adopted the D. freedant. Pritchard,
as his son, at eleven years of age, quid bail olocat..ll
him, and during the time of his bring ul sclio.
sod college, site, the Plaintiff, WM' in the b,tl4t of
writing to him as a mother would ; that her lista
hurhand by his will, had provided moo handsomely
for him, and that she had also assisted him wires
money entice the death of her husband. He he.
' came importunate in his &mating for more. moneys
and on her refusing to advance it, lie threatened to
publish her letters which she had written to Into,
and which could only be for the purpose of hutting
her feelings. The Defendant had filed au atfliluvis
in answer, slating that he was nut the adopted sort
of the testator, hut his natural ban, and that he was
introduced into the house, of the Hairnet she
being fully informed of that Let ; that the testator
sent him to school, and that lie speut his vac: terms
at ileddisigtoe ItelL and that he was nitered at the
Univer,ity of Cambridge, as a Pellow-Cotamouers
by the testator, olio gave him every reason to sap.
pose that he woold inherit his property after kie
delete, as did also the Mimi* during the lifetime
of the testator, but almost tentuediAlele after hie
death, she enjoined the Defendant from csiliug
her mother, and after be had taken Holy Order.,
the Defeatist's conduct completely chapatti to..
wards him, sod she pretended to be oieudeel,
because be had stated that he expected to be heir
to his father's property, and that he had hasped 11
marriage with a branch of a family olio were
misled by that statement, *blob was not tows
as he had married with the cousent of the
Plaintiff; but these repents had such nu effect
upon his parishioners, who were clrelly the temente
of the Plaintiffs that it wade his situation very stn.
comfortable, owl his wish to publish the Plaintiff's
letters was only to prove, that lie fail not made any
assertions that the letters did not fully hear hint
out in, but it never was his *Retention to have pub.
lished them for profit, as lie merely meioit to
distribute thou amongst Ilia breads. Tice
Learned Counsel then observed, that the imps.
boa was, whether the Plaintiff was entitled to the
injunction, or not. In cases of • remitar
cation, via. those of Lord CiesSerfirlit's Lettere
to his Soss, and also the case of Poor's IYarfor, the
ground of application was different, fur there the
Court held that the letters were literary prisseitys
and the writers had au interest its them, wleiek they
could legally claim. Lord atilturst, however, to
deciding the case of L,ord Chesterfield. said, ha
had great douhts-..but he thought that the party
receiving the letters had no right to publish diem
without the consent of the writer, He tlirrelne.s
granted the injunctimis but he recouakunikkil it tia
the Executors of Lord Chesterfield toto allow dos
puhlication. 'There were other cases k•ided *nice
that, fur instance, of Lady Pert-oral soul hiss Pirihir.
the proprietor of Tlte News weekly paper, ono%
was decided by his Honour the lute VicesChateicel.
for. These were letters written by Ludy itelceekt,
which a person of the name of Milford handed tie
Mr. Phipps for publication, one of which he dill
publish in Tice Asses., The applicatioa en that
case was for all injunction to restrain him feru.it pules
fishing the remainder of her Ladyship's letters. ilea
Honour certainly gave a racist ittiportatet judgment
in the case, and observed, that all judgments which
preceded were given on the ground 4 that ilus let-
ters which were intended to-he published were lite.
nay property, but not ao with the case before Wm,
as he conceived the letters were to be published. not
for profit, but for the vindication of character I
therefore he left the flatting (Ludy Petceveli to
her remedy at law,
The LORD CHANCELLOR-0 That ease doe* sot
apply to Ibis, fat here the Defendant wivettitealiia
book for publication."

Mr. HART—" Yes, my Lord, but not for sale."
The Loon CHANCE 1.1.011-.•6 Why then wag it
advertised? What did the Defendant mean by that ?
It certainly appears to me very amaze, if he hat!
not profit in his contemplation,"
Mr. HAUT--.." Sea the provocation he has Lod,
my Lord. He was turned out of door* after his
father's death, and your Lordship roust µtwelve.
that the Plaintiff, in her affidavit, dors not Allow
him the title of eon, except by odopikou suit this
may mode he had of vindicating his conduct, wan
by the intended publication, which ha salty meant
fur the perusal of his friends. I will not troublii
your Lordship now with any further utiservatious, a 4
shall have au opportunity of replying to the argg.
tuvids of my Learned Friends as the Wl* side,"
Mr. WaTHERI4I., on the same side, states;, dint
this was certainly a rave of great impart:pm*. hi it
involved a general guesitioti, whether letter& atilt*,
in privacy and friendship. ought or ought oat to
published after that friendship had ceased. It won
not alleged that the Defetidaiu was bound to reign&
the letters. it was imposaiblo to niche the woo,.
Lion of them a breach of trust. lii Hitttion's 'Skews.
life of the POW" of 01 Ss. C ligssibipr. be. tha
Learned Counsel, Rudd not that 1:1.11 Curt
ever exercised app power over letters. or 441110;t/4o
interfered except in eases of libel.
The Lola, Oitescst.l,os—tt It is ount:ortstryi
Mr. ‘Yetherell, fur you to enter into the history at
the Star Chamber, for its proceedings cannot spplt
to this Court. Libel certainly it • crime bee
do nut sit here to decide on crinunel cases. j c 44„.
nut prevent persons committing crimes, it Inr~
think proper. 1 have oo ithisdictscui to criatio4
cows, except there is criminal Consliscl Inward/ the
.44,1aut ovrthatll4llcOltis The 414utittliiiftWiC Nf

I

I

M

reieeelship between potties certainly w;11 not gibe
this Court any additional powers.”
Nlr. ‘VeTtlettkl.l.—'s I only alluded in the
Pi•wers of the Slur Chamber as it regarted libel ;
I -.lean eiriliter."
The Loan CHANCELLOR—I. I donut fled fault
with your statemeot ; hut can I, sitring here, say
that this is a civet property ?"
Mr. Wartiyart.t.—`• It is said that Pliny',
1.,??,,, were 'nitwit for puldiration, and that ac.
coward for their stiffocsa. Cicero's WorkA were
clot to Ise %swore,' for the same porloren.."
The LoaD CtirittCEl.l.oo--s" I am afraid my
preder.s.••r• i.rver thour'd alien they geese
tries,. 'let-monis net the apes that CAMP Woo, them,
of the varsity that Letter writers might have in nub-
their le:ters. But in the year IRIS. I sit
don eienolls to say, that tnv opinion is, that I most
submit to the ludgmeist of those who went before
toe. I never can agree that the doctrine, of this
Court e.ii be changed by every Lord Ch..neel-
lor, or ley every person presiding in diff rent
beinietee• of the Court. Tice letters in the cases
'tot have Whirled to, were decided to hr lite-
✓ary property, but they were literary properly
of w peculiar It.•erf. The (pies here es, eats
ye u imike a profit of whit b longs to yen mid
• ttttt hr., or tun you give away what is the property
of both There is another defficolty, wherli is,
how car an ittinnetio., may extend against a publics.
lion ? Suppose this Gentleman. the Defendant, was
asked how he came to bo dismissed from Beddinton
Hall, could he not, in the face of the injunction of
11411. sou L. OirtV 011 C ertters—rould not lie read them.
or narrate his story, for the world soon gets tirtd of
narrations, and this Court never thought them of
ao Ificieot cons.liselice to restrain ? Suppose the most
eimeidoo. %toff, by way or poetry. is post into a
swig. and who ti in lee 4.4ra is railed literary pro-
perly. and all injunction of this Court restrained
the piehloratirin of it, it could tint prevent you, Mr.
etherell„ from singing the tong."
Mr. %V rrurart.s.—" The Plaintiff's objection
is not to the pnblication of the letters, best she is
afraid that the unfortunate gentleman (the De-
fendant) will, by the publication, be able to she,
shy he is placed in his present situation; he only
asks to have it made known to the world. that it
isas not caused by his own misconduct. The Plain-
tiff says his only wish is to injure her feelings;
and if• the Collet grants en injunction to pre-
sent her feelings being injured, it ought to go
Go, step foirther, and direct I • to deliver up the
leiter% Your Lordship will bear in your mind,
tie et my chent was du-carded and drove from his
late Colter's house. The case of Savage is in
point ; there he was repudiated by his own tno-
ilier ; and to use Mr. Savage's own words, he was
Feist without an oar into the world to assist him;
sod would your Lordship say that he ought not to
rt but his mother's condo, t and charges by her own
letters, even if they were written ie. friendship ?"
The Lunn CiIANCZI.T.Ott—" An injunction of
this Court to re.traile the publication of a book,
would toot preve:d the author of it from leaving the
mariuscr)-5 iii a readiug-room to he read by thou-
sands ; or if a MAU read a history of which the sole
is prohibited, he may repeat the substance of ii,
without committing a contempt of Court. If nu
out t.e uranted against the publication of a
sees:oval song, any music-muter may write it
down in the !woks of the young ladies, his pupils.
Idu not meau, Mr. %Veil, r by this interruption
to Atop your argument, for it always gives inc pies-
sore to bear ton ; fur you are something like what
I saw yestrido from the Mita, the oftener you are
pot ill the furiesee the bsighter you appear after-
wards." _ .

WETIIERELL—" Suppose the letters held
0,.t prniniwis or engagements to the Defendant.
would the writer have a greater property iu them
than the perwen they were addressed to ? I apples
I roil not. Than I ask, would tl.e publication of
them be a breach of trust ? in literary productions
I am aware that it is otherwise, fir there the
writer his the whole inoperty vested in him,
liti: tint so is. the case I live mentioned. Mr.
one of his ailtuirable winks, %he
I trek, say., • If you want to give notoeitty
to a wink, don't publish it, hut give it to
your hientle to read, se d it is sure or tint°.
111 ty.' My I heist did nut wish to do this, he only
wished to give to the public a plain unvarnished
tale, anti leave it to them to judge of the good or
evil of iii. listrotiaus.”
Air. Si nrIOTIOSI followed on the seine side.
Sir S. (tout LLY, Cutlw.el for the Plaintiff, said,
he fore lie *cold make any observations, it might
lie her...malty for him to state the affidavit which his
client had made its answer to that of the Defen-
dant's, in which she sets forth that her late husband
NVon. (ire, by lore will, left the Defendant 4,0001.
which had Is. rte itaial to hem, sad also the interest
of 6,00 u/. for leis life, atilt remainder to his chil-
dren, and that the testator bequeathed to her
the interest ol 17,000/. for her life, which was
vested to trustees for her use, and also giving
her the power of leaving the 17,000/. after her
death, tuber by will or deed, to whom she
pleased ; hut its case she neglected it, that an
aienutty of 1001 per annum was to go to a
certain female, I the remainder to the Defendant
for his life, and then to his issue; and that she be.
hived the reason why the testator gave her the
(viand over the 17,000% was, that it might
he a eittcli on the conduct of the Defendant, and
that the testator or she, the Plaintiff; never inti-
stoned to the Dufetolasit that he should inherit the
whole of the propeity alter her death ; but that
alter the death of the testator, she procured I
iiseseiitat of the Itectoty of Welton-on-the-
Dill. in the comity of Surrey, of the annual value of
4001. per +salami, rod at the same time gave him
5400/. to pay Ins debts, besides other huge owns,
which, however, did nut satisfy Wu, and in Fe-
bruary lass he wrote to her, if she dill nut advance
lion more us y that he would publish her coofis
driiital Inters. This she refused, and iu May she
preferred a Is ltrr how hint, saying, that 11 she would
K re bliss sit ostler to receive the itiletest of the
17 0001. from Sir Walter Sterling, that lie would
terser irotslale tier mine—this the Plaintiff also reins.
r•) ; :tool that is, Assisi following she received moodier
Is tier from the D. ftsidatit, ockunrorlealgistm that lie
I.aai .... 'aim nit the 17,000/ apulugisiog for his
c ors, sisal Is. gging her forgiveness; beat lie
re ciosset r the letters, as he was a p. Darns We.
gem thy all 1.. ii,tt in possession of sure pentittiruts
a. 'toy euntati.ed, and it was the ou;y act of

juslite it 1.4 Tomes to perform towards her we,
to restore then' so h.r. The Learned Coneisel
stool, that hr thinight this affidavit we. a sufficient
answer to evert thing that hill been alleged on the
other sole. Ills Learned Friend, Mr. Hart 111141
footed boat with th. to • r the Plaintiff had
desetibrit the Defendant so her bill, by giving
him the opine of the adopted son of her lute
husband, its his opinion she could nut have de-
seethed bins in more delicate terms, but if lie
wished for the term of illegitimate instruct, he was
welcome to it, but, hoarser, he (NJ not assume it
in his advertisement in the newspapers."
The Lolly Cusucke.i.ou —.O Have you seen
this affidavit, WT. Hart ?"
Mr. HART—" Ye., my Lord."
Sir S licomtl.l.Y, in continuation, said, he would
take op very little of hit. Lordship's time, as he
did out soosider any one of taw cases quoted at the
other side its point, except so far as they de-ceded
that the property of the letters wasin the writer. lie
would ask what advantage the Defendant could ilea
rive room the publication, if he d id not think it would
hurt the feelings of the Plaintiff; for be said it was
not fur profit. Why, then, instead of Ins affidavit,
has he not produced his book to your Lordship,
and allow you to he the judge of his intentions?
He was aware fiat he (Ow Defenslani) swore that he
only intended to give the book to his ueighbours
and friends; but abut did his silvertisetuent scud
oat to the public ? It Its% as follows :
" In the press. sea will be speedily mtblishtd, by Andtr.
sin, Piccadilly, The Adopted Sun; or, Twenty Years at Bed.
diuresis; rostaisiseg the Memoirs of a Chrgystan, writers
by himself."
If the book was not intended for Kile or profit,
why such an edvertisemeeit ? for there was no dis.•
tioction between it sod those pu!s:..:lttoeis of
authors who professed to live by their produc-
tions. He stud Ito doubt but the letter* of the
plaintiff contained such sentiments us a mother
would write to a child ; but if such letters
were allowed to be published at every supposed
Hier'? of a party, there was an end of all lie.
which compellid pelmets to look after the
morals of their childieu. it went further, for
it would prevent the hand of charity from aiding
the helpless. it fact, it could go to destroy all
that was admirable in human life. He frit no
doubt of chat his Lordsh derision would be,
for whit h reason he would out trouble him with soy
further observations.
Mr. Rourei.t. followed on the same side.

Mr. HART I tdied.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took a most copious
review of the whole cast, sod übeerved, that lie
would not then determine whether the property was
in the writer or receiver of letters, but if the pro-
perty was ever vested in the Defendant, he had
forfeited it when he returoell the letters to the
Pia'utiff. Ile was, therefore, of the decided opi-
nitro that the irtjutiction ought to be continued.
Mutton refused.