Star.
London, England, 1804-08-23 00:00:00

THEATRICAL PHENOMENON.

The young Rofcius continues to draw crowds to
the Birmingham Theatre.—On Monday, his fecond
performance of Hamlet produced alai. 535.
Tuefday, he was to perform Ofmyn, in Zara ; Wed.
nefdar, Young Norval ; Thurfday, Romeo ; Friday.
Achmet, in Barbaroill, being the 1.111 night of his
engaget. and his peon , Thq trash and
men
indeed digifykilli eXCeetite this youth poffenes. readers,
his attraEtion not in the leaft degree wonderful.
Mr. Jaccsow, the Manager of the Edinburgh The-
etre, has written a very interefting pamphlet refpoEt-
ing this new theatrical conftellation, whofe wonderful
powers have been fo much the Inblee of convetfa,
lion. The name of the young Rufous is Wittrars
HENRY West BETTY ; be is • native of Shrewihury,
and made his firft appearance in the part of Floseas,
at Edinburgh. " He was received," fags the author,
" with the greaten bora% of applaufe I ever semen],
ber to have been given by an audience. Nothing that
words can exprefs can poffibly come up to tha full
extent of his furprifing endowments, which fo ftrongly
predominate through his infant frame as to authorik
truly and juftly to fay, that at his ppm
Take ME jot Olin sa,

0 I ne'a ihan look upon bis Wm mats.
" That a child of twelve yeanof ages without my
dale advantages which Gamins petalled, and with-
out any previous inßruaion, mould at once Inconte
fo eminent a performer as to play the firß rate cha-
sten, finch as Redact, Rolle. Ofrisee in Zara i Fre-
/feria in 1 .eeeers' AWN j Rows, poems ; (Navies
in The Masseakieers I lOthad the Thir4 and 1 OnCrtdo
is nifty ltonithiStg.
" It is one oithofe fingularbies of Wore, that
rieither &Pry air endwise tan faraifir, but which ie nom
beheld iy is, mut aeon can be dos,tiii the Molts t-.
of all thin, (ball, when be thinks meet, condefcece
to endue another (tripling in embryo, with a fimilar
incredible combination of Rage endowments, for the
gratification of contemporary admirers."
The aothor proceeds for Tome time in a fimilar
(train of admiration, end Rates that the excellence
of the aaing of this boy proceeds neither from in-
ftrultion nor imitation ; for he never law a play
until he hinifelf came on the Rage, ezeept Pizarro,
at &Nat ; but is the pure emanations of nature and
genius. The author espeas to live to fee him the
admiration of the britint Empires and congratulates
himfelf oa the than which be has had in bringing
him into notice. The following incident, which took
place in Edinburgh, is worth detailing :
"On the forenoon of the play-day, Lays the authth eor,
1 met Mr. Hoses, the author of Vougla4, on
North Bridge. Compliments being exchanged, I in-
formed him that his popular play was to be perform-
ed that night. He Paid he had not heard of it, and en-
quired in what manner it was to be teprefeated. I
replied, it would be to his entire fatistattion. Expla-
nations took place ; and he promifed me to be in I
the
hook by opening of the play. " But," fays he,
mutt have my (.Id place : I (ball come to your houfe.
and you (ball conduit me to it." He came accord-
ing to his word ; and I had the plealure
ad hof &ant%
him at the fide of the fii II wing, where I enjoyed
the fame honour, at that very play. forty-three years
before. And I prefume, no one ever received higher
gratification than he did from the perlormarice of the
young Pofinu that evening. 1 (peak it firm convic-
tion : I read his looks, and faw the undifguifed work-
ings of his frame. The play concluded with rein-
rated applaufe, which fearcely ceafing—the author
of Lheilai, in the plenitude of rapturous enthutiafm,
from the unexpeaed gratification he had received,
Repped forward before the curtain, and bowed re
fpeafully to the audience ; retiring amida the con-
yulfed, and tumultuous acclamations of the bottle.
" On his being veiled from the fight of the fpcc-
tators, I afked how he had been entettained. He
anfwered, " never better I Sir," (aid he, " this is
the fist time 1 ev..-r law the part of Douglas plaasyedat I
that is accordiog to my ideas of the charafter,
the time I conceived it, and as I wrote it. He
coo-.
is a
wonderful being ; his endowments great beyond
ception : and I- pronoutice him at prefint, or at leaf*,
that he loon will be one a the fbeit Raises upou the
Britith rage !"
In order to preveat all fufpicion of deceptioourten re-
lative to the boy's age, Mr. Jacesoe had rec
to the regifter of his birth, of which the following is
a copy :
* Hiss' WILT EtVIT. food WILL,*" lir 411 T
and M AarWILLIAM Born the IA of depeccaber, 179; ; data •• I 41'
tosbct the thou S
s 7 9a.
•• A nue Copy of tbe Realer of Sv. Cliwb, limy," • takes
Pdarcb tbr 4th, 1796.
Witt, cis, " 1011‘ SAILTOS, Oak:
TM4tMAII at ILLIMAIA7 Mllditcra