Star.
London, England, 1831-05-19 00:00:00

LAPORTR AND PAOININL

PAGANINI i, attn )))))) ced C,r SattirdaY evettin;. at one
guinea to the pit, hot it i:t no secret that John B:dt demurs;
and deviation from usage has given such general offence as
will defeat the object. It mend indeed he scarcely decorous
to give a guinea for such a purpose, when we have so many
starring men of talent, and so in:telt pu! lic diet:est; claiming
our si;are means. We unite our protest against the attempt,
as unwarranted. The pat tics ottaht to be content with f:,l 0(i0
for two or three hours fiddling, however exquisite ; but to
seek more than double that sum is n trial of public patience,
on this subject the Tunes, very prverly, speaks thus :

Laporte's presumption in doubling the prices of admission to the
King's 'Theatre, on the first night or Pa,:antai's pule:nuance, as on: of
there extravagancies which could only have emend the bead of a fo-
reigner, who beforehand had arrived at the happy ettadetion, moreover,
of the infinite gullibility of the Bugliah nation To understand this
the more claudy, it is necessary to bear in ntirel. that the whole theatre
is on this occasion se: span, rot fur a drananc pert:insane, but for a
concert merely, and that it will hold, if filled, at the ordinary prices, at
leaat 1,600 L in money. The expense to be sustained is considerably
less than on ar. ordinary night. There is no chorus. no corps dra-
matiyur, nor corps de ballet. to be engaged. Nothing is wanted but
an orchestra, the whole attraction centering ia feet in the single talent
of Paganini, width without doubt, having the concur ent testimony of
all Europe, Is of no contn:on kind. But is be justified. or Laporte foe
him, in levying this et onnous tax on those who may desire to form
their own opinion of Isim by hearing his performance on the violin? We
have had invances enough its olds country of extravagant pretension on the
:are of opera singers, dancers and odic ra ; yet none of then: in the full
zenith of their perularity, and •ith far stronger rtssons Ott
their side, ever ventured on such an outrageous proo•eding
as this. What Paganiti's audiences have submitted to in Frankfort,
Berlin, Hamturgli, Paris, and other places, has nothing to do wi.h this
question. The public there are little in the habit of extretsitsg their
right over the mode of admission to public places, and the prices at the
King's Theatre are already higher than any others in Europe. They se-
cure. as they are, the most brilliant recompense that can possibly await
individual talent. We may allow, perhaps, to very rare emirrece in a
public performer, that he shall occasionally count his handrut's for a
single night; but this scheme, should the public swallow the bait, may
possibly secure his thousands to Paganiri : he may appropriate as
much in that one night as former managers have assigned to our Bil-
lingtons and Catalanis for a whole season. There can be nothing in
his art, a mere instrumental performance, so great a prodigy, as to de-
serve such a price. Ihe frequenter's of the Ktng's Theatre are file°.
bus enough, perhaps, many of them, to take their estimate of Page-
nini's concert by the rate of admission which is demanded to it, but the
common sense of the great majority of them will, we are persuaded,
furnish the best remedy for such extortion, by causing them to absent
themselves till Laporte and his foreign idol are brought to their
senses.

Madame Vestries has been playing with great success at
Bristol, from whence she proceeded to Bleier, where the houses over.
flowed every evening ; and her success was so signal, that she was
applied to by all the West Country Managers. She, however, im-
mediately returns to Lordon for a few days, prior to her going to
Dublin, where she is engaged on very high terms, to produce all her
successful Dramas of the Olympic.

THE LATE MR. Quito.—The will and codicils of the
late John Quick, Req. formerly of the Theatres-Royal Covent-Garden
and Drury. Lane, have been proved in the Prerative Court of the
Archbishop of Canterbury, by the oath of Mr. William Quick, the son
of the deceased, and one of the executors. The personal estate has
been sworn under 10001. the whole of which sum (with the exception
of a legacy of 101. to the late servant of Mr. Quiek,and another bequest
of a trilling amount to a Mend) is bequeathed to Mr. William Quick,
and to the only daughter of the testator, Mn. Mary Anne Davenport.
The forma Is also appointed residuary legatee. 'The will is in a very
dilapidated condition, occasioned. as it appears by an affidavit of the
deceased's servant, by his constantly carrying it, until within a abort
period of his death, in a side-pocket of his coat. Thlt codicils are in
Mr. Quick's own hand-writing.
Lacy, the adapter of the Covent Garden version of Napo-
leon Rtsonapstle, like his great Pal; in The Critic, who,
to " preserve, uas he says, l the little traits of character." makes
one of his characters, Sir Christopher Hellen, turn out his toes, be-
cause be was celebrated for dandng—gives, very minutely, the follow.
ing little incident, by which, it is said, the late Marshal Junot obtained
notice, and, subsequently, the high rank which be attained. "It was
during the siege ofToulon that Napoleon, while constructing a battery
under the enemy's fire, had occasion to prepare a despatch, and called
out for some one who could use a pen. A young /askant, named
Juno; leapt out, and. leaning on the breasuwork, wrote as Napoleon
dictated. As he finished, a shot struck the ground by his side, and
scattered dust ha abundance over him, and every thing near him.—
' Good,' said the soldier laughift, ' this time we shall do without sand.'
The cool gaiety of this pleased &onaparte ; be kept his eye on the
man, and Junot came in the sequel to be a Marshal of Prance. and
Duke of Abeantes."

COINCIDENCE OF Numazus.—The historian Sok
Aljousi, in the book celled the " Mirror of the Werld," relates that
the Khalif Almotasem was born in the year 180, in the 11111 month et it.
and died on the 18th night, being the latter pan of doe mouth of Rena-
Lan ; and be was Bth of the Khalifs, el the soot of Abbas. Ales, he
gained 8 vidoeies, made 8 Kings stand before his pie, slew 80
enemies, and his lih was 48 years, and his reign I yaws lied 11 months,
and 8 days ; and he left 8 sons and 8 daughters, and SO slain altars,
and 800 million &helms, and 80,000 horses, ma ausab sod
moles and beasts of labour, and 80,000 wow, and 88,889 male sad
80,000 female slaves; be built 8 palace*, and die antrum en his seal
was Alm'aidll'h (praise be to Goa), 8 letters. and his samber hoes
his horoscope was 8 in every thhsg.—Asione Jesineal.

THIL DUCHESS IDA OF SAKE WEI MA R —This illus.
trious lady, who arrived from Rotterdam yesterday after-
noon, on a visit to their Majesties, is the younger sister of
the Queen, and was united to Duke Bernard Charles, of
Saxe Weimar Eisenach, in 1816. at the age of 24. The
reigning Duke of Saxe Meiningen is the only brother of
her Majesty and the Duchess Ida, and succeeded to the
family territory in 1803, at which period he was only three
years of age. His mother, the Duchess Dowager, adminis-
tered the government till December, 1821, when the Di.ke
completed his 21st year. The extent of the tetri.o y of
Saxe Meiningen is about equal to 680 square En fish
miles, and the population is estimated at 140,000. rThe
principal town, Meiningen, contains nearly 5000 inhabit. nts.
The Honourable Charlotte Arbuthnot Wellesley, whose
nuptials with the Right Honourable Robert Grosvenor we
announced yesterday, is the only daughter of the Mar-
chioness of Anglesey by her first marriage with Lord
Cowley, which, it will be recollected, was diesolved in the
year 1810. Lord Cowley re-married, iu 1816, with Lady
*Georgians Charlotte Cecil, sister to the Marquis of Salis-
bury and the Marchioness of Westmeath, by which Noble
Lady he has one daughter. The fair and accomplished
bride is in her 24th year; Mr. Grusvent.r is its his 31st.
The venerable Countess of hlornington, the grsndmot er
of the bride, who was present at the ceremony, is now is
her 88th year.
Arrangements are making at Sidmooth for the reception
of the Grand Duke Michael and retinue from the continent,
the Duke baying sent his agent to take hou es, &c. for tl.at
purpose. The Grand Duke passed through this delightful
watering placteseven years since, and float the pleasure be
then experienced he has been induced to make choice of it
for the residence of himself and family during the approach-
ing summer. A very full season is expected, as many of
the cottages and villas with which this enchanting place
abounds, are already taken. —Exeter paper.
A PA L.PA SLR FROST. —One who uad slept through the
inciemeacy of the nivbt of titeftith c,f May last. (one of the
coldest nights perhaps ever rem •:nbered at this season,) being
called is the morning--asked whet was the whether
peeling a seosonabk reply, as sunshine or rain. Instead of
which, voice, cold, solieen, end On-Niel, re turned for se.
awl—Frost ! frost ! frost ! a palpable frost 1 and the
*pow, when he arose sad b•olted out of the winert, map
tbet it was so.—Peckham Rye, May B.—F. R.