Star.
London, England, 1823-07-29 00:00:00

RUSSIAN COMMERCE.

ST. PETERSBURGH, AMY 4.—The trade in Russian
produce is in a state of unexpected stagnation, though
this is the season when all the supplies have arrived,
(except flax, which is expected in a week, and pot-
ashes, which will be here in a fortnight), and when
the most important shipments are usually made. The
orders come in so sparingly, that many ships seeking
freight are idle, and freights to all parts, even to the
Mediterranean, are very reasonable. The prices of our
national produce are, of course, very unfavourable.
With respect to the imported articles, s e had flat-
tered ourselves with an improvement, and the more
so, as the losses sustained in the consignment made
to this market last year, and the considerable stock
remaining unsold, made us supposethat the impor-
tation would be inconsiderable; and the prices were
higher in almost all the ports of the Continent than
here. Nevertheless we have a continued importation
of all kinds of goods, even such as never afford any
profit here; and it is, therefore, no wonder if the
buyers, both those resident here and those who come
from the interior to purchase for the fair at Novogo-
rod, will not credit the general assurances of losses
sustained by the sellers, and allege the continued
importations as a proof of the contrary.
They are therefore very cautious, purchase only
at the lowest prices, and there is still in the interior
such an abundance of import goods, that they ex-
pect a bad fair, and do not venture to make any ex-
tensive purchases. Thus the two last months have
passed without the smallest demand for any one ar-
ticle. The goods last imported must therefore be
added, for the most part, to those already in the
warehouses, especially as all purchases for the fair
will close in a week. We shall be reduced to the de-
mand for this city ; and as the retailers are already
well supplied, we may expect a decline, rather than
an improvement, in the prices and demand.--lians-
burgh Paper.

ENGLISH OPSRAHOGSIL—Last night a new Drama,
of the Melo-dramatic kind, was performed for the first
time, entitled Presumption ; or, Ihe Fate of Franken-
stein. The Drama is founded on the Romance of
Frankenstein ; or, Thi Modern Prometheus, by Mn.
SHELLILY. Without pretending to enter minutely
into the plot, we shall briefly state that Frankenstein,
the Modern Prometheus, was according to the Drama,
corroborated by the Romance, a much more success-
ful operator than his renowned predecessor. He com-
municated life, passion, and reason to his subject, and
after undergoing many intermediate honors, was
finally sacrificed to the wrath of the gods, by the fall
of an avalanche, which not only executed poetical
justice upon him, but also upon the being which he
had the presumptuous ingenuity to.create. Mr. WAL-
LACK performed the part of Frankenstein with great
ability, particularly in his first sensations on' the suc-
cess of his experiment—his first meeting with the ter-
rific object of his own creation—his terror upon seeing
his infant brother in the gripe of the monster about
to destroy him—his agony on the murder of his wife
by the sane monster or demon, and his combat with
him, which was terminated by the fall of a huge mass
of snow, as already stated. Mr. T. P. Cooas sustained
the pan of this new creation, to which the Play-bilk,
at no time distinguished for peculiar modesty or hesi-
tation, have not even ventured to give a name. The
,melo-drainatic talent of this Gentleman was perhaps
never more conspicuously displayed. It was for him
to signify to the audience, by mere dumb shew, the
grad-nal waking of the faculties in a being. of full tor-
poreal strength, but in the infancy of mind, and he
'did so. It is unnecessary to say more in praise of his
The neat character in point of impost.
ante ncfewaasnneatthat of Fritz, a servant, who with a happy
knack of absurdity, and some talent at punning, con-
dnues to relieve, in a great measure, the serious cast
of the Drama.. This part was allotted to Mr. Kamm',
and, as the result proved, was entrusted to very able
bands. The singing of Mr. PHARSIAN and Miss
Poveir was excellent.
.The. Piece was itself very fa-
vourably received,

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