Star.
London, England, 1815-12-15 00:00:00

• iP

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TO A 131t0 ramk IN THE ARMY.
ON lIIS DIRTII-DAY, DEC. 19, 1814.

BROTHER! when thou wert far away,
Sharing the soldier's toilsome lot,
rieem'st thou, that this, thy natal
By kindred hearts was e'er forgot d
Ak! ❑o, it still return's! to see
per thoughts, our hopes, betov'il ! with thee!

And when, brittle the glowing hearth,
We gather'd clue, as night shades tell,
Whil9 Winter brooded o'er the earth,
And wild winds raved, with mighty swell;
Still to oar hearts thy image came,
Still to our lips thy ebetisli'd name!

" Perhaps," we said, " our s:ilaier now,
By the red watch-fire's fitful blaze,
Illetwlth some dark Sierra's brow,
TI Loki of the home of happier days;
Perhaps to us, his thoughts have flownb
E'en now, while ours are all his own !

" Or, haply, en the dewy ground,
While night has hu.h'd the battle's roar,
And still'd is every martial sound,

And arms and bann‘rs gleam no more,
1-lo sleeps--while, from that combat plain,
Sweet visions wait him bona again r

Those days are past—but oh ! believe,
By all their hopes, by all their fears,
I'lw hopes that smird not to deceive,

Tune terrorsof long anxious pars,
By every peril thou bast prised,
Zti'e greet thee, Wanderer! more boicee'd

An.l oh ! 'tis well our sisals, thus warm,
Affection still to joy can sway,
For we have seen foil many a storm,

And many a cherish'd hope decay;
And were d .mestic love to fly,
‘Vhat bliss Mr us could earth supply ?

7 hose are no common ties that bind,
In tender union, bears like ours;
By 091 TOW strengthen'd and relittbd,
We prize their wonb, we know their pow'n;
And smile, while yet so sweet a ray,
With to tidy brightness, gilds our way !

DRU'RTZANE THEifl RE.

We were last night gratified by the revival of one
of the best Dramas of BEAUMONT and FLITCHER,
namely, the Beggars' Bash, which was brought out
with alterations and transpositions, under the tide of
The Merchant of Bruges ; or, The Beggars' Bush. This,
like all the Plays of those celebrated men, abounds in
plot aad business. There is the most lively and con-
tinual succession of events, which engage the atten-
Con of the audience unceasingly, and there is so much
smartness and humour in the gay part of the Play,
as well as passion and interest in the more serious
plot. as to have secured the approbation by the critics
of this drama in the closet, as one of the best con-
structed plays of the two authors. We are happy to
see it brought oat on the stage, and we trust it is only
a prelude to the drawing forth of others from do
same rich mine. True, that in the dramas of 131 ts.
MONT and }lmmo', it is necessary to correct the
pruriencies which it was the tone of that age to coon
tenance, and in whist' the gay and witty nerves'
was too apt to indulge. notwithstanding the riper
judgment of his more youthful colleague ; but all
these may be expunged without injury, to the plot, or
frittering away of the characters.. The play DOW
brought forward is an instance of this in point ; for
the Honourable DOUGLAS KINNAIRD, to whom we are
indebted for the adaptation of the play to the more
chAsie And fastidious taste of the living audience, has
Lad little to curtail. He has shewn correct jitdg-
ment in touching the original work with a delicate
hand. An ii,troductory scene, and some few passages
to connect the parts which have been transposed, to-
getlwr with new songs and chorusses, are the chief
alterations, and they 'lavt• been made with critical re.
EaTki and reverence for. the tame of the authors. It
was impossible to give the original poetry. One cnly
of the old chorusses, the " Beggars' Holiday," is
preservedethexest are re-written, and in a very happy
vein of mettical imitation. These have been set to
music, or itlapted to music, by Mr. T. CoOKE, and
Mr. WILLIAM LINDLEY. To the latter we are in-
debted for the very beautiful opening glee and chorus,
with the air sung !)y Miss L. KELLY—" In every
woodla.id dale and bowt r." These Mr: LINDLEY Las
executed in that simple and purely ancient style
which marks and recommen4c all his compositions.
The rest are contributed by Mr. T. CO::KE, and do
him high credit as a scientific musician. The perfor-
mance was tl.linirable. Mr. KEAN represented Rorer.,
the Merchant -f Bruges, who did not know himself
to be the Prince of F anders, and in the varieties of
this character be pus forth those ever Iles that seize on
the hearts of the autliener with such irresistable iarce.
Nothing could be more graceful titan the manner in
which he bore the taunts and encountered the ill-
manners of the traitor Lord. His scene with Ger-
trude (which part was sweetly represented by Mrs.
HORN ) was also an admirable portrait of the reverse
of mental oppression and of agitated love. His meet-
ing with his creditoes, and his treatment of their in-
solence when they thought him ruined, and of their
cringing courtesy when they saw his fortune tame-
red, was also most dextrous. Indeed we have net
seen him in any new character so emphatically perso-
nifying the creawre he represents, and enriching the
part with so many touches of histrionic art. He was
loudly and most justly applauded. Mr. Mumma, in
• the Burgomaster. Van Mei, Waif quite in his ele-
ment. From the very outset he gained such an inte-
rest with the spectators, that they cheered him when-
ever he appeared. Mr. aitat in Nob" the honest
Lord, who brought about the deneentwat, was perfect
in his disguise ; but we think be might have softeaed
the rough tone of the Huntsman in his interview
with his beloved Javelins, from whom he did not
wish to conceal himself. Miss Loma /Cuts sung
the simple sirs in this part, and acted with bewitching
sweetness. The Beggars were well grouped, and the
Oiorusses had an excellent effect. Perham the Ito.
liday might have concluded with a dance, and it
would have been a fit occasion to exhibit an ancient
Morrisdasses. Mr. HOLLAND gave force and dipity
to the worthy Gerard disguised as CI4USS, and bar fol-
lowers were well mimed, though it was unforic.