The National Register.
London, England, 1808-12-11 00:00:00

7g3

THE NATIONAL REGISTER•

Mr. Gardner has nothing of the stentorian stamina. His
voice is rather pleasing than powerful, rather easy than
energetic, rather molifinous than masculine. Generally,,
therefore, his tones seem judiciously regulated by the na- '
tire of his voice ; and perhaps, after all, it is this circum-
stance that casually attaches to hisdelivery the appearance
of its being premeditated.
His languak; is excellent, his deportment exemplary ;
and, what cannot too frequently be pointed out for imita-
tion, his delivery of the Lord's Prayer is deserving of
particalar eminneialation. I am far from wishing to see
preachers b..come performers; bat I do desire to Impress
upon their minds the necessity of attending to those pro-
prieies whielp ar. peraliar to their situation ; and the
nvglect of which. oil their part, is often seriously injun-
ons to the hz.st interests of the religion they are ordained
to pronto'''
1 wish now to ohtain a''ention to one or two remarks
immediately connected with sYLUM CHAPEL. What
l have to nilvance should excite proper regard,
pro e beneficial to this place of religions worship. I al-
lude to the professional conduct of the organist of the Cha-
pel, who, in tile direction of the Organ, betrays the most
culpable inattenlion to the melody of dovotion. M. seems
to run a race against the voices of the children ; and he
playsso loud, that, being fe:a.);:•s, he frequent!) overpowers
their s altogether. his " hallelujah chorus' is ab-
solutely the rumble and jumble of sounds, the Very disco
of concord ! Dr. Calcot, who, if memory does not
lead me, was the predecessor of the present Asylum C..-
ganist, might give him some lessons for his advantage.
It is the business of the Organ, in churches, to direct and
o.,:sist the Singing, but not to govern and subdue it. Or-
gans, owing to popular misconceptions as to els point,
have, in many places, nearly superseded Psalmody.—
Surely, however, it is not the organ, but the people, that
is f.lo.orted to "sing to the praise and glory of God !" Let
this error be rectified,
December 6,180 S.

ONESIEUS.

THE THEATRE;

---1100,--.
MAY MARKET.

On Monday night a new Farce, intitled, The School for
authors, was acted at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket,
where the Covent-Garden Company have at last cooped up
their overf!owin,;: ntn7,locr4.

Tc trace eliwk to first causes, has always been
cle:el;vt: the phiksophers, and politicians, but
SIM t: id t not also become that of the critic ? We may
be that K e start out of our proper sphere, but un-
daunted by such misrepresentations we will for once follow
the footsteps of the above -nentioned Gentlemen through
their usual maze of arguments, only applying them to a
diniment purpose.

Who would imagine that the late revolution in Spain, is
the probable cause of the compositi.m (partly translation)
and production of The :ehool pr Authors ! Yet that such
is the case, no one, we hope, will flare to doubt, after we,
pry frssed Crilies have asserted the fact, and supported it
by an unbroken chain of reasonings. The struggles for
liberty with which Iberia's mountains are shaken, have like
the convulsion. of bursting Volcanoes, spread devastation
at their foot, and caused earthquakes in other lands more
or less violeut, according to their distance from the scene
of ruin. None has felt the shock more powerfully than
our little island; it has passed with the rapidity of electri-
city tErough every rank of the social world, and kindled
in 'everty soul a spirit of independence, which unhappily for
us, prof:used Critics, has at last ir.rited authors to take up
arms a:.7a,iaist us, and attempt to shake off the yoke of our
tyranny. T 4, this sudden impulse, this unexpected con-
sciousness of 'Keiser, we afe persuaded this piece owes its
• origin, Rot :set we have some good reasons to believe it is
Lu1t.!.4,1 far senw of As features bear so much re-

DEC. ii.

semblance to Poole's Perin, and-others to a trench l •
verbe, intitled, L'lmatenr, that we Cannot vouch toi tk
-
validity of its claim to originality.
The Plot of The School for Authors is simple. A ricii
;:itizen has forsaken his counter to turn Poet. A
the fruit of his nightly inspirations has been accepted; and
the evening of its performance is arrived. Doubtful as to
its fate, he engages a young man his proteg;:f, to pass fnr
the author of it, and promises to further his suit with hi,
niece, provided he can give some proof of genitv.
Wormwood, a professed Critic, and one of the voting lady',
admirers, is then introduced. He, as it is friiquentiv the
case, and as Cleveland expresses it, condemns the lace,.
bifore trial, and dissects it before itsexecittion," and than.
informed that his rival is the author of it, forms a part;
with a reviewing footman and some livery servants to damil
it. The awful hour approaches, the Citizen remains at
home in trembling expectation, when his foreman suddenly
bursts into his presence and informs him that all is losE,
that his uninsured warehouse, in the Minorics, is on tire,
and that the engines cannot play. upon it. flow he
frightened me," exclaims the rejoicing Author, what do
1 care for such trifles now ?"—ln a few moments Cleveland
returns loaded with the still more melancholy intelligence,
I;mat the tragedy is completely damned. Mr. Worn:4lw
then rushes in triumphant, whilst Cleveland retires, and
congratulates the Citizen upon the condemnation of a
piece, which he himself had represented as ridiculous. fin
then reveals the share he had in hurrying its doom, and
adds, that without his exertions and those of his friends, it
would most probably have continued to disgrace the ;tags
for a month or two. Cleveland re-enters, and astonishr4
his rival, by replying to his taunt:ng condaince, that
his piece is not yet condemned. The Citizen's niece
then appears and informs them, that Cleveland's corned% ,
that was acted at the other house, has been crowned with
Lomplete success. She is united with her b—nr, Mr.
Wormwood is turned out of the house, and a severe leso n
ie malevolent Critics, rather than to uthors, proves tt:r
morality of the piece.
This afterpiece, though partly taken, as we have already
remarked, from the French. and from one of foote'i
farces, is not quite devoid of novelty. It is written with
spirit and ease; the language is chaste and good ; the wit
which now and then flashes in the dialogeo, is natural and
pore t the situations well imagined ; the uiot well cayanct-
ed; the incidents probable and well linked together, and
the characters, though painted with the high colouring
which a farce requires, still evidently appear faithful copies
from nature; as the rouge actors %year on the stage
only serves to heighten the expression without disguising
the shape of their features.
To particularize the merits of one performer would hr
an invidious task where all displayed eval ahilitics. The
names of Miss Norton, Mrs. Gibbs, Mundell, Farley, Brun-
ton, and Beverley, will in the minds of those who have seen
this piece, start no other idea than that of eseilltaice;
though the judgment of the public he always formed from
.lave
that of a few should our evidence be discredited, we
only to refer the millions of unbelievers to the tiunicroo
n,
spectators, who have bestowed as much applause, !i-
-, mixed with a single hiss, upon The Schooljer Authors, as it
really deserved.

The author of Fenotei has quieted our fears--t'ie'd
to the representations of newspaper critics, who, fyr
in their hves, perhaps, have not ditfered in 0
community, he has wisely suspended the rcpresciitat inn of
pinion from i,e
his play, till to-morrow, in order to compose a third nc:o
act, the chief part in hich his piece was defective. Vol
would point out also the first 'lrene of the first act. :lc c).e-
serving of alteration. In its present !,,inte it is tcaioi;,:l
long and uninterestingly cold. if it he neccsiar for
elucidation of the plot, it inay be made more tolerible hp
the introduction of wit in the dialogue, is reiwuk
ably poor.