The Sun.
London, England, 1804-05-28 00:00:00

THEArRE.

Ha"market.
TUE new Comedy entitled Guilty or Not Guilty,
represented for the fir,t time on Saturday l a
this Theatre, is the acknowledged work of Mr ast t.
T.
Di ti DI N, who has brought forward many Pieces at
Covent-Garden Ttieatre that have been
well re-
ceived by the Public.

DRAMATIS PE&SONZ.
Edmund Rigid, . - - Mr. ELLISTON.
Major Corslet.
.. . - Mr. PALMER..
Lord Rigid,
Mr. ARCHER.
' -
11r. Balance,
- - .. Mr. CHAPMAN.
Charles thilallee, .. - - Mr. PALMER, jun.
Sir Harry Pointer, . .. - Mr. DE CAMP.
WiiiiiiM, - - •
. Mr. TAYLOR..
Titus Triangle, - - - Mr. M AT-I-I.IMS.
Lady Rigid,
Mrs. T. WOODYALL.
Mrs. 13alance, : Mrs. WARD,
Nancy,
- - . Mrs. Grass.
opoia Pointer, - . - Miss WOUOF A
LL.
Miss Corslet,
- - - MISS GRIMANI.
The scene of this Comedy is supposed to be at a
few miles from London, Major Corslet, who had
served in tile East means, anti Balance, a Merchant,
who ha;l known him ire that rio.rter of the world,
had retired to the county
lies, hue, y town where the scene
it', though old frietids,'llad been estranged
from each whet- some time. It appears that M;"
Crsiet had been st duced to on her
a;d father's house,
that Mr. Balance had been too strong in
his
'DPl;usition to parental anger. Hence arose toe
(I,l,tritl. They are reconciled soon after
the open-
ingio of m
the 1).1., but the same round of difference
divcs the again. The Major, however, is very
fond of his daughter, and very anxious to hear of
her, as she had been absent more than a year. She
rooains admission into her father's house dit
soon discovered thst she had not been betray and
is
was supposed, das
, , but seczetly married to a it
son. The othet main branch of
the Fablerelates to
the fatuity of Lo -d Rigid, whose s'i
having committed so man n is suspeited of
y atrociu
he is exclu ,ed ft om al intetcoutheo withs actions, that is fath.
Edmund Rigid is branded With the impuhtationer of
.co,vardtce, aid with having attempted t
tn he hono
of his other.in-law. He theretore lives in a kind ur
of infamous seclusion, at a
mit, place called the Her-
age, contiguous to the family mansion. Lord
Rigid is naturally anxious to reclaim this profligate
507,, and conceives that a matria.7e between Edmund '
anzi Miss
puOuce Poi
tend to
nty., a 'Wald of Lord Rigid, might
r a reformation. Sir
.1-larrJ Pointer
the Y
igid oung Lady's bother, on the road to Lord
R's, for the purpose
stops at the of efFeding this union,
tow public library of the
n, and while he is chartering wi neighbouring
th Titus Trz-
'"S les the Librarian, a
h lei
id of various
Cadings, his four horses, m
wothicy h mloxture been kft with
is I
P.larton at tho door, take flight, and run away
Withi his sister. Sofil,ia -Painter is rescued from im-
lov mnent dao
~er by Charles Balai;ce, who fails in
e with lie;, and woo is equal': 'en obi-E} of at_
rachtneht with the young Lady. Lord .4oci Lady
Rigid stop ,it the Library soon after this accident,
d coldly thank Charles Balance for having rescu-
ed,.
ethelr Ward, Out Sir harry, :bough a wild sprig
'a:
"'l'i9n, is grateful for the preservation of his
''''''''''
"veer , —4- ...rve4 evuurs. to. rottiOie a marriage be-
Charles Balance and .Sopkia. A dispute at tees
!Von this suojed between Lord Nigid and Sir Harry,
:n `which the latter receives a blow.
is of ev,urse the A challenge
e,nsequeuee. In tto mean time,
Major Corslet discovers t;l4.
.Ecimund /?..wi..i is late Man who ha, married his kiaug seer, under the as-
real
sutned name of Wilson. Edmund has concealed his
name even lrom his wile, as his own was so
intarnousthat it was too odious for her to have con_
to any union with ~iin in his own chaihcter.
The Major cnalienge• Edo,and, -Vho will n.:t fight,
but stands ready to receive LI, adversary's fire.
This firmness, however, is resolved into cowardic.:,
and the suspicion is confirmed by the discharge of
the pi tole which, it appears, when Laid liigid and
Sir Harry come to aaion, was not loaded. Hence
the filial re, atd which induced Edmund to stand
between his father and Sir. Harry is considered as
an additional proof of cowardly caution. At length
Edmund enters upon his vindication ; Le states, that
at College he had been witness to a fatal scene of
b.luod.sited
lin, which had de,ermined him against duel-
g, and he had borne the sto,
of the parties concerned picion of being one
from infamy arid ruin, , Hto save a fellow student
with disgrace, because, e had quitted the army
after caning his adversary,
he had retuned to hazard that life in a private quar-
rel which he thought due to his country. The pis-
tols, it appears, were only charged with powder by
the Ntijir's servant, to prevent mischief, but Ed..
Thus he
?nand had supposed they were loaded.
Clears himself from die imputation of cowardice.
The next great charge against him is, that of hav-
ing at!cmpted the honout of his mother-in-law, but
i.r is proved that Lady Rigid was formerly the ob-
3e? of Edmund's attachment, and that, on acci-
ml ar'raillY meeting
ed his lather, he
ra
her, without knowing she had
and his
father comingher, upon the spot at the very moment,
from his hand, n
vengeance, which Edmund forced
who hurried
and is supposed by the servants,
'
to the place, to have assaulted his
Either. Edmund, Proudly resenting the unmerited
obloquy thrown, upon his name, had hitherto dis.
tlained to vindicate his character against the unjust
prejudices of the world. This explanation satisfies
"
a,li
ould Parr es, Lord Rigid consents that his Ward
be in:irried to Charles Balance, the Major is
reconciled to his dau
as usual ghter's marriage, and the Piece,
''!e , concludes with general happiness.—There
, some scenes of simple courtship between Wit.
"ain, the servant of Charles Balance, and Nancy,
a cotmtry girl. There are also several whimsical
3eenes art:3.lllg from the intercourse of the motley
Libratiao and the different characters, which well
relieve the pathetic parts of this Drama,

---
The mystery that hangs over the charaEler o.
lidinund, Obviously gives the title to this Play, but
Clough he exculpates himself from all the charges
against him, it does not satisfaaorily appear how
he came to have so bad a reputation. The moral
'f the Piece is to shew, such are the prejudices of
td wi
.•lt world, that a man may have his charader brand-
th the imputation of.the worst vices, even for
those a
t)le lions which
hr. have their foundation in virtue.
li Fi i 3 deriye.Y. from a tranllated Novel called

The Reprobate. It is by no mean., uninteresting.
On the contrary, there are some scenes that are very
affetling.
The part of Edmund is well conceived, and might
have been furnished with a larger scope, to the ad-
vantage of morals. The rest of the chargiers have
nothing very new ur striking, Triangle is a sort of
011apod, or Dickey-Gossip. Corslet and Balance
are common charatters of the drama, but are well
managed, so far as they are engaged in the piece.
The sentiments are natural, and the language al.
together is easy, spirited, and correft. The only
objetftion on the part of the audience was direCted
against the discharging of the pistol, as it was not
known at the time, that it was unloaded.
The Aftors in general acquitted themselves very
well, 111ATTuevvs was the great comic prop, and
he displayed so much grotesque humour, that he
stood in no need of his absurd wig, which was like
nothing but what is seen in a pantomime. The part
of Sir Harry Pointer Pointer was tolerably well performed
by Dr. CAMP. By the way, this charafter is not
consistent, for when his horses take flight, he is
more anxious for them than for his sister, yet after_
wards quarrels with his Guardian, and risks his
future hopes, in order that she may be married to
Charles Balance. It is, however, a good sketch of
the careteas dashing Bloods oldie day. ELL ts-rotc
was impressive and manly in the charaCter of Ed.
mund. Miss Get IMANI give interest to the part of
Miss Corslet and Miss WOOD FALL had unafFeCled
tenderness in Sophia. The Piece was very well re-
ceived by a numerous audience, and it will probably
be of much service io th- Theatre.

PROLOGUE.
WILITTSW BY THE AUTHOR or THI. COMEDY.

sPOKXN BY MK. PALNISR.
WHT.X Spring to Surniiler ripening dwelt the day,
And bids the vegetable world be gar ;
when London windows every where disclose
The fragrant briar. and the blushing rose;
While ev'ry gate their balmy breat►r receives,
We venture to put forth our annual leaves.
A Nursery this, where flowers of ev'ry hue
Depend for future growth, and lite, on you ;
You, who the opening buds of efforts spare,
And ripen merit by your fost'ring care ;
Wnate'er may flourish here. 'tis yours alone
To claim the geu'rous harvest, all your own.

In hopes removal may not cause a blight,
A trembling scion we transplant ti?-night
From Covent Carden, on that spot just placed.
And by the sunshine of your favour grae'd
If from its stem no evergreens appear,
Yet has it hlossom'd more than once a year ;
Nor will it suffer for the change of air,
Your liberality- is—every where.
Rear'd by the genial warmth your plaudits give,
Still by their aid the Poet fain wou'd live.
Then ii luxuriant shoots he chance to bear,
Or barren spots oti:md you here and there,
Let not, untimely nipt by critic frost,
For some poor branches all the tree be lost :
As skilful Carel'ners, while there's hope of life,
Before the axe, apply the pruning knife.
This were superfluous, did not custom ask
Tue Prologue, ere we venture on our task.
Proceed we then to trial—that permitted,
With justice here we fall or sand acquitted.

EPILOGUE.

WRITTEN BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

SPOKEN aY MR. ELLISTOrI, AS A cOUNELLOR.
TOY Latile.i, I yds, and Ge'mmen of the jury,
This cause yet finisri'd, I assure ye:
Counsellor Critical, who thmks with
Moves ro shew cans.: against the .kutr.or's plea ;
For we can prove, and that, with ease, infore ye,
These seet.es are stolen rroiii a weri-known story;
rind all the sorrows you heard me relate,
In ev'ry inaik the ReprGbate,
Who for low characters has search'd each hovel,
And taken this here Play from that there Novel,
If every Scribbler thu, his subject onus's,
They'll act next in the Temple of the Muses :
While the Minerva Press, with count gain,
At Leatienhall, will rival Drury Lane.
Besides--this Musa. you tnn,t to prison send her;
I've euidoiroe that sn..'s an olu (Sender.
And first I call, ier wickeu p-raipks to shew,
A very worthy low— t hecinego !
Conte into Court. " el, vat lOU vant wit me ?
" I'll shwear de truth, • . ..rver it may be."
" You know this Poet ?" " know !pin ! I'll engage
" He's a great roi,ue—lie ort•n4. t me on de Stage
" Against ma vill, along mit an old d Ftor,
" And a young shfemale, ip a bed-room lockt her
" Alone wit me—l, mat have got a vife,
" And never did such things in all mein life.
" I told 'em plain enough, ven all vas done,
" I'd take de law a.t,p of every von ;
" I'll have such damages I—But shtop a bit—
" Vere viii it come from, all vat I shall get ?
" Poor poets pockets are so long in filling,
lley hardly know a guinea from a shilling."
" Where's Matthew Motto ?"—" Here Sir, ear.= nobis.'
" You keep an inn?"—" I do —sic non vubis."
" Well, Sir, your evidence; but take good heed,
" We can't accept the Will here for Me Deed.
" Your inn 's at Oxford ?"--" No, I beg your pardon,
" I am, earl bone, Sir, at Covent Garden.
" Noll prosequi---1 am come to sue
" The prisoner."—" How did lie injure you ?"
" How ? Suaviter in mode, Sir, he came
" Last sine die, with sticks, staves, and flame :
" My friends insulted ?,--and, Sir, I'm no joker,
" Burnt all their boxes with a red-hot poker.
" In short, in spite of all he may advance,
" Behaved quite Hon/ suit qui maly pease."
" Call Peter Pullhaul !"—" Vast, my lads, belay
" I know the lubber that has launch'd this Play ;
" And he'd palaver you, that lie made me
" Sail in a Cabinet to Italy.
" To serve a foreign Court, as if to be
" As how that you'd believe a British Tar
" Would fly his Colours, while his Icing's at war !
" No! while Old England calls us to our guns,
" On sea or shore, ye, John Bulls, never runs.
" And as for Frenchified grave Lords, d'ye see,
Ve does'nt wally Emperors, not ve."
I cou'd, with many more my cause support,
Of Characters well known to all the Court :
But Ge'mmen, I contend, unless some flaw
Appear in the Indictment, law is—law.
And evidence is strong, and fadl is fact,
And you, I needn't tell you how to act.
To prove him guilty, I have done my part,
If, trying to amuse you with his art ;
And beg most earnestly—l hope I'm right,
He may appear again next Monday night.

THE OPERA.—The Opera of La rrg;ne del
Sole, was represented on Saturday at the King's
Theatre with undiminished circa, and before a very
splendid audience. The Duet was, as usual, en.
cored. The new Ballet of The judgment r? f Paris
was received with very great applause. The Mu_
sic is of the very first order, for sweetness of melody,
richness of harmony, charaaer, elegance, and ef.
feet. The first Aft is, as we have said, entirely
by STRIBELT, and is delightful. The second is by
WINTER, and it is the most pleasing Music he
ever composed. The third At consists of STET.
BELT'S Nielodies :nstrumentect, as the term is, by
WINTER, and both are entitled to great praise.
The Ballet altogether is a very interesting Piece,
and the story is well expanded and diversitied•
The Performers ore admirable,

EA;er REPORT.

COURT OF kliiG's BENCI-1; Mkit

W. C. iLUNKF,TT, Eso,. 4./. WM. COBBETT.

Tug Plaintiff is the son of a Clergyman, whO
has' acquired rank in the profession of the Law, and
some time since received the appointment of Soli-
citor-General; in Ireland. Prior to the dissolution
of the Irish Parliament he was Member for Charle.
wont. The Publication for which this Action
Was brought, 'appeared in The Political Register
of the Defendant, of the Jodi of December last,
and the objeet was to recover damages for Defama.
lion.
Messrs. ERMINE, OARRoW, DAMPIER. and
NowtAtio, were Counsel for the Plaintiff; Messrs.
ADAM and RICIIARDSoN, -for the Defendant. Mr.
DAMpI ER having stated the Declaration,
Mr. EasKINE addressed the Court and Jury on
behalf of the Prosecution. He explained the nature
of the jurisdielion in cases of Libel, and defended
the Government of Ireland under Lord HARDW I CK E.
He said, the principle was, what was so well re-
commended,

" Be to our virtues very kind,
" Be to our faults a little blind,
" And fix the padlock on the mind."

Mr. BuRKE had said, with respect} to America, that
we were sending out an Angel of Peace as well as an
Angel of Destruttion, and the doubt was,which would
prevail. Lord HARDW cicE had employed only the
genius of Peace. The occasion of this Libel was, the
concern the Plaintiff had in his legal capacity in the
trial of EMMETT; here was no ambiguoas votes, all
was plain and obvious ; and it nor only injured the
honour of the Plaintiff, but, in these perilous times,:posed his life to conticual hazard. The Jury cannot
" minister to a mind diseased," but it could and
would, by an hones' raid, give some reparation to
the injured, and proclaim the justice of British Law.
In this Libel, a single ball is not employed, it is a
sort of cannister or grape-shot, hurled around to do
the utmost possible mischief. If the Libel were true,
we should draw a curtain before the Plaintiff, and
hide him from the world. The questions for the jury
were simply these : Is the Defendant Proprietor of
the Paper ? And next, is the extra& on the face of
the declaration libellous, as it respets the Plaintiff ?
—A thousand poniards were unsheathed to revenge
the death of EMMRT, and this inflammatory address
was calculated to direet them to the heart of the
Plaintiff.

Mr. JAMES POLE produced an Affidavit respell.
ing the Proprietor of The Political Register, as re-
quired by the 38th Geo. 111. c. 78. and also de-
posed to the purchabe of the Paper containing this
Libel.

Mr. CRowv, from Ireland, delivered in the ap.
poroment o 1 tne Plaintiff, under the Great Seal, as
Solicitor Gen, rat, and other documents.

Mr. WICKHAM identified the inuencios, as appli_
cable to the Plaim:fr.

Mr. BARNFTT g 1%,e testim'•ny, that Mr. PLAIN-
KrTT assisted the Attu, ney.Gencral, Mr. O'GRA-
DY, during the trial of EMMET.
Mr. FOSTER deposed to toe Plaintiff's sirtirg,
and speaking Es Me.nber of rho Commons of Ire-
land, while he (Mr. FosTen) occupied the Chair as
s!rok.r.
Mr. LowtviNT then read the matter charged as li-
bellous, parr of which we introduced into our Law
Report on Friday, commencing " From a rate tuo-
" &sty of nature," and ending with " loyalty in-
" suited." The Writer then proceeds thus : "Of
" Lord KENYON, therefore, (Cmucluous moat
well know), it never could have been believed, that
lie himself would lead such a character forward, in.
truduce him to the favour of a deceived Sovereign,
clothe him in the robes, and ioad him with the emo-
luments of office. Lord KeNTON mast have known,
that a Noble Duke, for having toasted, at a drunken
club, in a common, tavern, to a noisy rabble, " The
Sove-re;gnt.y of the People," was struck by Hrs MA-
JFSTY's command, out of the Privy Council, and cie.
privet! of all his Offices, both civil and Militat v. .11,
therefore, any man were to be found, who, not at
a druken club, or to a brawling rabble, but in a
grave and high assembly ; not in the charafter of
an inebriated Toast-master,but in that of a sober Con.
stitutional Lawyer, had insisted on the Sovereignty
of the People as a first principle of the English Law,
and had declared, that by law an appeal lay from
the decision of the Tellers of the 1-louses of Parlia-
ment to that of the ' Tellers of tie Nation;' and
that if a particular law was disagreeable to the peo-
ple, however it might have been enaeted with all
Royal and Parliamentary solemnity, nevertheless it
was not binding, and the people, by the general law,
were exempted from obedience to such a particular
law, because the people were the supreme and
ulti-
mate judges of what was for their own benefit ;
Lord KENYON, if he had been Chancellor in any
kingdom of Europe, would have shrunk from re-
commending any such man to the favour of a Mo-
narch, while there yet remained a shadow of Mo.
narchy visible in the world."
Mr. ADAM seriously complained of the unfavour-
able impressions towards his client, which the pow-
erful eloquence of his Learned Friend was intended
to produce. He quoted again the familiar lines
employed by Mr. ERSKINE, and entreated the Jury
to apply the first two to his Client, and the last to
themselves, to prevent the inflammatory effect of
the poetic imagination of the Counsel for the Prose-
cution. He said,
" Cursed be that verse, how smooth soe'er it flow,
" That tends to make one virtuous man my foe;"

and, however unfortunate the Defendant might be,
he considered him chat virtuous man. The Plain.
tiff had continued in his honourable post, and had
suffered no injury; so that none of the fatal conse-
quences suggested had been the result of this in-
cautious Publication. He added, that Mr. CoE-
nETT was not the Author of the Paragraphs : he
had put no Justification on the Record, and the Jury
must assign some damages ; but he trusted they
would not he such as, from the poverty of the De-
fendant, would consign him for ever to the gloom
of a dungeon.
Lord Et.t.rNBOROUGH.—^" This is an Anion
for a reparation in damages for a civil injury.
The Defendant's Counsel has admitted, that the
preliminary proof has been adduced, and no justifi-
cationappears on the Record. The quality of the
i Libel s to be corlideteu,',-And the measure pf the da.

haie• tt to 1)-2- a'pp.oitiored, Yost bill ra'k or. t
consideration the antecedent trial; oii‘whi'cli the 1 4:,
fendant has been convicted ; the present, only re.
Spe6s the reputatinn of an individual. The
of the pUblic to speak of persons in situa-
tions; mUst not abridge the rights of those who oc-
cupy. such stations. You will contemplate rl'c cte_
gree of Malignity in the paper, and you will recol,
lee, that the damages are not to be reduced by the
poverty, nor to be -enhanced by the wealth of a
Defendant. The rule by which you are to be guid-
ed is, the magnitude of the injury to the Plaintiff.
You will relied what will compensate to a man for
this species of degradation, in the eyes of his fellow-
citiens, and of mankind. That it is not true, is
admitted, I take the principal gravamen to lie in
that part which commences, that viper whom my
father nourished ;' and it seems hardly possible to
depid a person in mere odious colours than are here
employed. It represents the Plaintiff as an illu,tri-
ous Poet has described the common enemy of human
being, as both the seducer and the accuser of man_
kind. That part which respeds the parliamentary
condua of the Plaintiff, -is of infinitely less malig-
nity than the keen attack on the private feelings
here so wantonly conduled. The Plaintiff is a man
in a public charkter, exercising a great public duty,
that duty invidious in its nature, and he is repre-
sented as behaving in a manner which indicates that
he has abandoned every feeling of our nature, and
' in the whole drama, Justice was confounded, Hu-
manity outraged, end . Loyalty insulted.' These,
Gentlemen, arc the circumstances of this. case. It is
for you to say what compensation tit;, Plaintiff shall
receive from the Justice of his Country. Whatever
you may determine, no dcuht, «ill be satisfaanry
to the party aggrieved ; and, with these Jew obser.
vations, I icase the decision to those to whom, by
the Constitution, it is snleiy referred."
The Jury withdrew, and after tile absence of about
half an hour, returned with a vetdid for the.. Plain.
tiff—Damages loo:.