Star.
London, England, 1809-12-21 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

The Tragedy of Hamlet was last night perf,rmed
with the greatest eclat to a numerous and fashicnahle
audience. Not the shadow of a murmur could b,!
heard throughout the Play and Farce. Never was
Mr. KEMiu.E, even in the most popular period of his
career, honoured with more applause. His Hamkt,
always a chef d' ea re of acting, was last night supe.
riot to HAMLET himself.

The last lines of the first act of Hamlet, coming
from the mouth of Mr. KEMBLE, last night, excited,
as they did on Monday night, a loud laugh.
" The dines are out of joint—Oh, cursed spite !
" That ever I was born to set Ara r;ght !"
Mr. DAISY was to have played the part of the First
Grave-digger, but in consequence of his losing his eldest
son, who died yesterday, that character was sustained
by Mr. BLANCHARD.
The Farce of Is he a Prisms P followed, and was
received with unqualified approbation.
The pit and boxes were crowded with an assem.
blage of the most respectable and beautiful women
and never, in the best times of the Theatre, have we
seen se ele.mnt an auditory collected together.
Before hilf.price there was not standing-mom in
the pit, and it was with the greatest difficulty a seat
'could be procured in any part of the %wet
We are happy to observe that a sentiment of kind-
ness -and sympathy for Mr. BRANDON still pervade;
the audience • and we hope that he will speedily be
restored to public favour, and ultimately retasta,e4
his office, the duties of which be has so long and sc
faithfully discharged.
The proprietors having pledged themselve thrt the
obnoxious Private Boxes shall be removed befc ,-e the
commencement of the next season, they are now
called the condemned reiri

Yesterday a Quarterly General Court was held a
dr. East India House, when, after the usual fi,rms,
the Chairman sularnitted a rellOittioll of the Qaurt
Directors, recommending the divid •nd from Midsum-
mer last to Christmas next to to 5-1 per cent. wh:c'l
resolution passed unanimously in the affirmative.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at t!:e
East India House, when Captain MACDOt'CALL was
sworn into the command of the ship 'floats, destiai
to Madras and Bengal.
Friday the under-mentioned Captains were swoni
into the command of their respective ships, viz.
Capt. 1. HILT, Sir Stephen Lushington Bombay direct.
Capt. NESBITT, Hut Wart
Capt. FRANCLUN, Northumberland Madras and 13L
Capt. P. HERStILT, Euphrates
—The Court adjourned at eight o'clock till Tue,..by
next.

Accounts have been received from the outward-
bound East India ships, which separated from the last
fleet at Madeira, viz. Sarah Christiana, William Pitt,
Lady Lushington, and Sir William Pulteney. These
letters are dated 17th of August, in lat. 1. SS. N. long.
19. W. the fleet was expected to pass tht line the
next du.
Of the three missing East India ships, the F.srn-
ment, Glory, and Lord Nelson, are consi:Jered :
the Glory, Captain H. Ilif.F.von, is supposed to have
gone to the bottom. On the 22d November, 18V),
she was last seen by the Phoenix Indiaman, in a t-e-
-mendous gale in the Indian Ocean. In the afmnon
of the above day, between four and five o'clock, :he
Phoenix being then at no great distance froni the Glory,
observed that she was settling fast in the wester; and
while the Phoenix's crew were below deck at the
pumps, in half an hour the Glory disappeared.
The birth-day f!of tke daughter of Louis; XVI.
Duchess d'AncoucEsie, who entered her 32d year,
was celebrsted on Tuesday, by the Comte and Cora-
esse de Luxe, at Hartwell House. MoNstEtia, and
all the rest of the Members of the House of BOCK-
/10Y, together with the Due de SERRENT, and all the
other French Nobility now in England, paid their re•
spects upon the occasion,
Tuesday night, as some militiamen were drinking
in company with some sailors. at the Trafalgar inn,
North-corner-street, Plymouth-Dock, a dispu:e aro:
relative to the late expedition to the Scheldt : w!:,..!
one of the soldiers drew his bayonet, aad stabbc,,
sailor in the body. The culprit was immediately
taken into custody. The sailor is not expected tJ
survive.

Another dead body has been washed on shore under
Queen Anne's Battery, Plymouth, supposed to have
been one of two men, who were upset on Satur,W
last in a boat belonging to a merchant vessel.