The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-26 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.

Yesterday morning the pupils of this new mu•
nificent and highly laudable Institution produced, at the Han.
over-square Rooms, the first public exhibition of their native
talent f'or one of the most elegant of human acquisitions, and the
Progress they have made under the tuition of some of the first
Professors in the kingdom, both as composers and performers.
This Scholastic Establishment, of which, we understand, the
Noble Chairman, Lord BIiIIGHE ism, enjoys the credit of being
the original founder, and of which his MasEsTY was, on
the first solicitation, graciously pleased to become the Special
and Perpetual Patron, commenced itslabours no longer ago than
last March ; and after the display we yesterday witnessed,
of the advances made by the juvenile students, both male and
female, in the arts of vocal and instrumental performance, we
cannot but congratulate them on the advantages with which,
generally, they appear to be endowed by nature ; and their fur-
ther good fortune in being placed under such tutors as Dr.
Crotch, Mr. Beale, Mr. F. Cramer, Mr. Bochsa, and other able
Professors, aided by the educatory taste and talents of Madame
Regnaudin. The scheme of the Concert comprised Haydn's
celebrated symphonia in G major; Marcello's psalnio, D'onde
catanto fremito ; a Duet for two piano-fortes ; an Italian Song ;
a Fantasia on the Harp (composed by Bochsa) ; a Violin Solo
(from the words of Viotti) ; an Ode for the King's Accession
(composed by Dr. Crotch); a Trio for a Piano-forte, a Harp,
and a Violoncello (composed by Bochsa) ; a Solo on the Oboe,
by the same ; a Song (from Sarti) ; a Piano-forte Duet (from
the compositions of Hummel) ; an air and chorus from Mayer ;
a Polacca on the violoncello from Paport ; and " God save
the King," with a Symphonic
3r. li,c
i an,dhlstai t.rodlulcutmio np,l a
ce o
f composed
expressly for the occasion by
per-
formance, so judiciously devised by the Committee and Tutors,
opened an ample field for the efforts of the various young aspir-
ants ; and the proofs they exhibited, both of their aptitude for
the profession they are destined to cultivate, and of the
care that has been taken of them by their several instructors,
sanction us in auguring that the greater portion of them
will hereafter shine among the musicians of their country, and
reflect no small degree of honour on the establishment, the pa-
tronage, and the masters to which they will have been in-
debted for their acquired excellence and merited reputation.—
Regarding the Royal Academy of Music as an iniatory In-
stitution, our readers would naturally expect in our report of its
first public performance little more than the general acknow-
ledgment of satisfactory and promising specimens of execu-
tion, and a distant, however certain, view of future excel-
lence ; but to our agreeable surprise we found that much
real ability has already been attained. The emulation inse-
perable from ingenious and generous minds working toge-
ther, and taught by each other to put out their whole strength
and employ their best speed, seems to have powerfully ope-
rated on this scientific and polished assemblage of students
and practitioners ; and to expect from their present success
a rich future harvest of musical beauty and accomplish-
ments, is but to anticipate the flowers promised by the already
opening buds of a well-cultivated garden. The principal evi-
dence of the wonderful progress made by this Royal Establish-
ment towards its stimulating and ultimate object, was given by
Masters Phipps and Packer in their Piano-forte Duet, their
execution of which was more neat, distinct, and expressive,
than we could in reason expect ; by Miss Porter in the Air
of Qual improvviso tremito ; by Miss Morgan, in Boclisa's
Fantasia for the Harp ; Master Cooke, on his Oboe Solo; by
Miss Watson, in Sarti's charming Song of Vedo robin° orrendo ;
and by Master Lucas, in his Polacca on the Violoncello.—
Though the vocal portion of the morning's performance was
every thing that could fairly be looked for in the first public
display at an establishment yet in its infancy; yet rigid criticism
would say, that the execution of the instrumental pieces was
decidedly superior to that of the airs. The reason of this is
obvious. After all that can be achieved in instrumental perform-
ance, it is not so perfectly unmechanical as are the refined, the de-
licate, the discriminating and impassioned intot ation of the voice,
every note of which does, or should carry with it the language of
sentim en t,and sang less to the ear than to the heart. These beauties
I neither the age nor the practice of the juvenile vocalists to whom
we listened yesterday have yet enabled them to attain ; while
the tones of Master Cooke's oboe, and of Master Lucas's vio-
loncello, in combination with their almost perfect command
of hand-finger, manifested their knowledge of the genius
and power of their instruments, and proved them to have
made a surprising near approach to that excellence that even
confimed manhood is proud of having attained. The Com-
mittee of Management, among the most active of which are,
we believe, the Noble Chairman, Lord Saltoun, Sir Gore
Ouseley, Sir John Murray, Sir George Clarke, Sir Andrew
Barnard, and Count Antonio_, and the several Gentlemen ap-
pointed as tenors, may, we think, congratulate themselves on
the extraordinary and very flattering success of their liberal and
ingenious attention ; and we hope that a tasteful and discerning
public, duly appreciating the various exertions that have been
made to establish an institution that bids fair to raise the mu-
sical reputation of our country, will afford it that subsidiary
aid on which the prosperity of every national undertaking must
principally depend, and which in the present case cannot fail to
be rewarded with those results to which the protectors of genius
and assiduity generously look.—The room was filled to an over-
flow with company of the most genteel description. The Duke
of Clarence was present ; and in the compartment reserved for
the accommodation of the Ladies Patronesses, we observed the
Duchess of Kent, the Duchess of Clarence, the Princess Au-
gusta, and the Duchess of Gloucester.

Tuesday being the birth-day of the Duke of
CAMBRIDGE, who has entered his 51st year, the
tradespeople of his Royal Highness illuminated
their houses on the occasion.

Salisbury House is at last finished. For many
months this singularly fineedifice has been under
a course of repair, having been untouched by the
painter's brush for 25 years. The improvements
are matchless.

P 0 E 'l' It Y.

SIGNS OF RAIN;

An Excuse for, not accepting the Invitation of a Friend to make

• an excursion with him.
An ORIGINAL. PoEm, by the late Dr. JENNER.
( From the Bury Gazette.)
1. The hollow winds begin to blow,
2. The clouds look black, the glass is low ;
3. The soot falls down, the spaniels sleep,
4. And spiders from their cobwebs peep.
5. Last night the sun went pale to bed,
6. The moon in halos hid her head ;
7. The boding shepherd heaves a sigh,
8. For, see, a rainbow spans the sky.
9. The walls are damp, the ditches smell,
10. Clos'd is the pink-ey'd pimpernell.
11. Hark ! how the chairs and tables crack,
12. Old Betty's joints are on the rack ;
13. Loud quack the ducks, the peacocks cry ;
14. The distant hills are looking nigh.
15. How restless are the snorting swine,
16. The busy flies disturb the kine ;
17. Low o'er the grass the swallow wings ;
18. The cricket, too, how sharp he sings ;
19. Puss on the hearth, with velvet paws,
20. Sits, wiping o'er her whisker'd jaws.
21. Through the clear stream the fishes rise,
22. And nimbly catch th' incautious flies ;
23. The glow-worms, numerous and bright,
24. Illum'd the dewy dell last night.
25. At dust the squalid toad was seen,
26. Hopping and crawling o'er the green
27. The whirling wind the dust obeys,
28. And in the rapid eddy plays ;
22. The fog has changed his yellow vest,
30. And in a russet coat is drest.
31. Though June, the air is cold and still ;
32. The mellow blackbird's voice is shrill.
33. My dog, so alter'd in his taste,
34. Quits mutton-bones, on grass to feast ;
35. And see yon rooks how odd their flight,
36. They imitate the gliding kite,
37. And seem precipitate to fall-
-38. As'if they felt the piercing ball.
39. Twill surely rain, I see, with sorrow;
40. Our jaunt must be put off to-morrow.

CAPT. PARRY'S MATCH FOR 100 SOVEREIGNS.
Not the celebrated navigator, but a real light horseman,
undertook his match to ride and drive thirty-six miles in two
hours. 11? first rode and did twenty-one miles in eleven mi-
nutes within the first hour. This part of the condition having
been performed in less time than he thought of, he com-
menced charioteering, with betting six to four in his favour.
The ground was a bye-road from Hare Hatch to Hemming
Wood, on the other side Maidenhead. The driving part was
skilfully performed in a light vehicle, weight 120 lb. The
first horse in the gig was too fast for his work. There was
very little trot about him ; it was necessary to take an after
chance, which by way of accident had been prepared to do any
fast work required. This second cob was a new Manchester
mare, or at least new to the sporting world, said to belong to a
Mr. Nelson, from Westmorland.She ditl her work at the
rate
of sixte Westmorland.en miles an hour, with gteat ease, and the match
was won with great difficulty in three minutes and a few se-
conds within the given time.

BOXERS.
Ricrgor.ns AND WITTAM.—The former has accepted the
challenge of the latter, with the following proviso :—lle says
he is under eleven stone, and will-fightdne for two hundred
a-side. I will accept his challenge, and fight half-way between
London and Manchester ; but it has been whispered to me that
Mr. Whittam weighs twelve stone ten pounds ; if that is the
case, he might have saved himself the trouble of writing, for
my friends will not allow me to fight against superior weight
and length.

Within the last week four fine roebucks have
arrived at Harwich by various packets, for his
Han-
over, and were simply addressed " To his Ma-
MAJESTY'S table ; theY are presents from
jesty the King, London.', They
were beautiful
animals, and in good preservation.
llUNTErtinx ORATIoN—ccI t is to be observed,"
said Mr. Cline, in the Ilunterian Oration delivered at the Royal
the 14th inst
College of Surgeons on Saturday,
Hunter did not begin to deliver his lectures , " that John
until he was 47
27_yxetarraso
redminpalroyy ps
it reparing the
appear,the
myeaatresrioaflsagoef, htahvei ncg been o
u r s e.
E
his professional reputation was so inconsidearable at this time,
that although he issued advertisements to give a public
course of lectures, the number of pupils who assembled at
that first course did not amount to twenty. Of that num-
ber, he who has now the honour of addressing you was
one. I had the happiness of hearing the first course of lectures
which he delivered. I had been at that time for some years
in the profession, and was tolerably well acquainted with the
opinions held by the surgeons then residing in the metropolis
who were most distinguished for their talents; but having heard
Mr. Hunter's lectures on the subject of disease, I found them
I had conceived or heard before,
comparison between the great mind of
tshoat far
tisiuerpeersieoremteodes no 'erycotlin thing
the
man
or who
modern, er etl
who
had
ever m,
and all the individuals, whether
ancient gone before him ; for although
the profession of surgery has been cultivated more than two
deli
thousand years, this single individual has probably done more
towards establishing surgery as a science, than all who pre-
ceded him. The complete revolution produced in the minds
of professional men by the discoveries which the great mind
Hunter was capable of effecting, affords one of the strong-
est proofs of his title to the character of a man of genius.
—The distinguishing characteristic of his mind was un-
doubtedly enthusiasm,—it was the enthusiasm of genius
which prompted him to apply his mind with so much ardour
to the pursuits which led to these important discoveries. In
these pursuits he was engaged early aad late, to the last day of
his life. He died at the age of 65 ; and these uninterrupted
exertions were continued, therefore, during a period of 45 years.
From an early hour in the morning until midnight, or later, he
was constantly employed either in dissecting, or writing, or
reflecting on the various subjects to which his attention was di-
rected.'—( 77ie Lancet.)
JACOBITE. RELICS.--It is yet within the recol-
lection of many, when any manifestation of affection to the me-
mory of the House of STUART was looked on by the Consti-
tuted Authorities with a jealous eye. Now, Majesty himself
deigns to express an interest in the memory of this ill-fated fa-
, mily ; and it is well known he is one of the most ardent admirers
of the traditionary lore and songs which perpetuate their
exploits and their existence. In many parts of the High-
lands there still exists a sort of romantic attachment to
their memory,—a tinge of affectionate feeling, similar to
that which a lover has, when he sighs over the recollection
of the beloved object of his early attachment, cut off in
the sunny morning of existence. These reflections have
been suggested by a circumstance which happened at the
sea-port town of Tobruiorry, on the 13th ultimo. A vessel
had arrived from the Clyde, having on board two immense
cast-iron plates, with appropriate inscriptions, designed to
ornament the monument erected at Loch Shiel, in com-
memoration of Prince Charles having there, amidst the
gathering clans, first unfurled the standard of rebellion
in 1745. The plates were of such weight and magnitude
that the shipmaster was in no small difficulty how to get
them landed in safety; but from this dilemma he was for-
tunately relieved by the enthusiasm of the town piper,
who, being present, proposed to array himself in the national
costume, and with is pipe rouse the population to assist in the
work. He did so effectually ; for, having commenced play-
ing the pibroch of the Prince's welcome, the warm-hearted
Gaels assembled in a body, and having marched through the
town, proceeded to the quay, where; animated by their na-
tional music, they, amidst loud cheering, landed in safety
the valued articles.—The late Mr. Macdonald, of Glenaladale,
the lamented Gentleman by whose order the above monument
has been erected, died in early youth, and his enthusiastic
mind found pleasure in perpetuating the memory of an at-
tempt which, however ill-planned and reprehensible, is in its
details considered so interestng by the present generation, that
perhaps no passage of British history is more eagerly perused
than that which records its commencement ; the brilliant fea-
tures of its short-lived success ; and its final doom upon the
field of Culloden.