Star.
London, England, 1826-11-06 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Miss MITPORD96 Tragedy of F9scari was produced
on Saturday night, to a numerous and respectable
audience. The characters in the Tragedy were thus
disposed or:
Foscari (Doge of Venice) . Mr. Young,
Fraiscesca Fascari (his son) . Mr. C. KURIL;
aitni Brim Mr. WARDS,
Count Zeno Venetian Benton Mr. Hosaanow,
Dalai° Mr. 24111T0W,
Cosnso (Donato's sen) . Mr. Seam,
CWao (a follower of Count Erlsso) Mr. Frrsuoasis,
Camilla (Donato's daughter) Mrs. &Amax,
Laws . . . Mile HEIST.

- - -
The history of Foscari is too well known for a repo.
tition of it here to be requisite. He was made Doge of
Venice in the year 1423, and so remained for above 30
years afterwards. The events of his life which are
made use of in the play, are an attempt on the part of
some of the Senators to depose him, and the banishment
of his son on a charge of murder. The histoty has fur-
nished little more than a hint. The plot is the author's.
When the play commences Francesco Foscari is absent, engaged
in war against Brescia, and has sent home letters announcing his
success, which have been intercepted by .Erino, a discontented Se-
nator. Francesco is betrothed to Camilla, daughter of Donato, a
powerful Member of the Senate, and an old friend of the Doge.—
The play opens with a disclosure of the intern ions of Erizxs. He do.
elates to Cato his desire to gab the Ducal Crown, and as Donato
has just been refused a -request, which he has made to the Doge, he
contrives to excite his anger against him. In the Second Act Brits*
proposes to the Senate the removal of Fosoari, on account of his
'advanced age, and his preference of the people to the nobility.—
Foscari is engaged in this debate, when his son arrives victo-
rious, secures Erisao of unfairness, censures Donato for his con-
duct towards the Doge, and with his own hand takes the bon-
net from his father's brow. The Senators, however, re-elect him.
Frawley% after in vain entreating the pardon of Donato for his
hasty reproaches, makes an appointment through Cosno to meet
Camilla. This assignation is overheard by Eris's. On the same
evening the Doge gives a feast at the palace, but Donato and Erins
refuse to attend. Francesco andantino' meet. Their conversation
is interrupted by the sound of some one approaching, and Francesco,
by Ca/nit/it's desire, immediately departs.—Soon after be has left
' her, a cry is beard of " Murder Foscari and the scene suddenly
changes to the Ducal Palace. Here the festivities are interrupted by
news that Donato has been murdered, and Francesco is charged by
Cosa, and Eri=o with the crime, and taken into custody. The next
scene is his trial. The dead body is brought in. Eriz-a and Canto
declare that they saw Francesco jump from the balcony about the
time when the murder was committed, and his sword and cloak
are found with the dead body. Camilla is next brought forward.
and reluctantly admits that she heard the words " lurder" and
" Foseari." Francesco is found guilty, and condemned to ba-
nishment. Camilla, still believing him innocent, resolves to accom.
pany him, in spite of the dissuasion of her brother. They are going
forth together, when Cosmo arrives to prevent them. He insults
Francesco to whom Erin' gives his sword. They fight, and
Francesco falls mortally wounded. The innocence of Frontons
now becomes manifest. It turns out that Cdso, a follower of Erie'',
had been seen linking near the Donato palace, and, on his appre.
hension, jewels belonging to the deceased having been found on his
,person, he bad confessed himself the murderer. It seems that bet
bad, for a high bribe from Erizso, agreed to destroy Francesco Foos
tart, and being met by Deltilo, whilst in pursuit of his intended
victim, bad slain him instead, and possessing himself of the cloak and
sword which the young lover had left in the ball, had plunged that
sword the .lead body, and contrived the other circumstances
which led to the trial and cosidenutation of the Doge's guiltless son.
itrizzo, tallith+.e in his vengeance, admits the truth of this. Fran-
cesco dies, and the Certain falls. .

Of these materials Miss MITNORD has worked out
what may with strict justice be called a beautiful
Tragedy. The deep pathos of many of the situations
speaks for itself; and the diction is always elegant, and
occasionally vigorous. Among the more bold and pas-
sionate bursts may be enumerated the situation where
Francesco first reprehends the ungrateful Senate for
their ingratitude to his father; the trial scene, in which
he challenges the rack, and desires to have death rather
than banishment; and especially the little point (in the
same scene) where he refuses to accept assistance for his
fainting mistress from the treacherous Erizzo. The
verse of the Play is always smooth ; the poetry very full
of imagination, and constantly abounding with natural
touches both of spirit and feeling. The authotetv has sts
managed, moreover, as to give parts of considerable
length and importance to almost all the peiformets ern.
ployed. Mr. YOUNG plays the elder toreari--;whuse
interest arises chiefly, after the second act, out Of the
misfortunes of his son—very curiously. And Mr. Cr
KIMBLE looked and acted most admirably in Francesco;
nothing at all comparable to it could be found upon
the stage; and, in such a character, it is impossible to
desire that anything should be better. In addition
to these powerful helps, Mr.WARDa and Mr, SEIM; as
Erizzo and Cosnso, have both considerable opportunity
for display ; and Mrs. SLosAw acted the part of Camilla,
especially the latter and more tender scenes of it, with
a pathetic softness and temperance which deserved, u
it excited, general approbation. Considerable pains
have been bestowed upon the appointing and getting up
of the piece; the scenery is very splendid, and there is
a fancifully arranged dance introduced into the ban.
gaming scene in the third act. The first scene, a street
in Venice, is one of the best pieces of painting perhaps
that the theatre has produced. Upon the whole, the
play went off as it merited, with unusual applause ; and
Miss MITTORD is entitled to this high commendation—
that she has produced a tragedy of the legitimate drama
—not a pantomime of moonlight, and procession, and
tinsel. Mr. YOUNG announced the piece for repetition
with great applause; but, contrary to the usual ESP
torn nu epilogue was given. The following is the

PROLOGUE.
For riches famed of yore, and once as free
As her own element, the bounding sea,
Fair Venice, now fare from her " palmy sate,'
Broods o'er hes palace-city desolate;
Bach mart deserted, each Palladian haU,
Vacant and ruinous, proclaims her fall.
Yet still one triumph of her ancient fame
Odds her decay, and lingers round her name s
'Tie, that beneath the proud Venetian dome
T►e Tragic Musoltath Sz'd her favourite hem; ;
'Tie, that her very name makes young hearts glow
With deep remembrance of some glorious woe.
Them Shylock whetted his relentless knife;
There poor Othello won his murdered wife ;
There Pierre, stout traitor, the awed State defied;
There Jaffee loil, and Belvidere died.
And there the Immortal Bard, who all too soon
Fell in the blaze of Fame's effulgent noon,
Lamented Byron ! twice a tale bath told
Of princely anguish in the days of old s
How 'salon the Senate Felled, fired
With vengeful hate, by their stem doom aspired !
And his severer fate condemned to try
His guilds." son, the good Doge Fame&
That tale of woe, but with a lower Sight
And weaker siring, our Authoress of to night
Bath brought before ye. Deem not of it wont!
That 'de a theme made famous by his vase.
Ere his bold Tragedy burst into day,
Her trembling hand had closed this woman's play.
A different track she followed—Oh ! forgive
Her errors ye, who bid the Drama live !
To your indulgence she commends her cause,
And hopes, yet dares not ask, your kind applause!

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 4.

!ROM THE HAMPSHIRE TELEGRAPH.

We 'lave received letters from Port Royal, Jamaica,
dated the sth of September, 1826, which state that the
Island. squadron, and troops, were never known to be
more heilthy ; there were only thirteen medical cases
in the hospital at Port Royal. The Tweed, 28, Capt.
Fred. Hann, had returned from a visit to St. Domino,
during which she captured off Cuba, in company with
the Aurora and Harlequin, a fine slave schooner, having
276 slaves on board. The following extract from a
private letter will not be deemed uninteresting :

" Pose ROYAL, itzrr. S.
"The Tweed has just returned from a long stay
at, and about, Port-au-Prince. She took the Consul-
General on board (who was in bad health) and went
to Cape Nicholas Mole, Seagane, and other places.—
On her visit to the bay of Gonaives, Captain Nunn
invited all the principal people, civil and military, to
a two o'clock breakfast; fourteen Generals, Colonels,
Treasurers, Secretaries, &c. with about 24. Ladies,
formed the party. The entertainment was kept up in
such good spirit, that the hospitalities had not concluded
when the evening shades closed, which excited very
evident uneasiness amongst them. Some of them at
length stole out of the cabin; five of the principals,'
namely—General Desettre, three Colonels, and a Trea-
surer of the Province, got into a boat alongside, and
stowed themselves away. The circumstance being
communicated to one of the Officers, by the boatkeeper,
they were immediately requested to come oo board,
bat they actually refused to do so, assigning as a reason
4 Because we are afraid you would sail away with us
to Jamaica, and sell us as slaves. These enlightened
and amiable Islanders (as they are often called to Eng-
land) took the Captain of a British man of war for al
dealer in slaves!—and, in female slaves!! There is
much delusion existing in our country, with respect
to the character of the unfrequented parts of this
Island (St. Domingo). Be assured the inhabitants in-
dulge in all their primitive barbarism and brutality.—
It is not eighteen months since they were detected in the
act of offering human sacrifices to their monsters of
Deities, at Port Paix, on the north side of the Island.
L'Abbe Bisson, now residing at St. Thomas's, who was
travelling from Cape Prawns, came upon them during
the ritual, and before some of their victims had been
finally dispatched. There is no doubt of this fact;
indeed the Government do not deny the practice, but
say they cannot prevent it. I regret to say, they exhibit
no pro Is whatever either of morals, religion, or industry,
and, therefore, do not themselves feel their condition to
be that of an 4 oppressed race of beings.' From the
Piesident (Boyer) to the most degraded slave, marriage
is still unknown among them as a religious contract ;
but the intercourse between the sexes is of -the most
promiscuous description, not excepting indeed among
the heads of society, the abhorrent crime of incest."

The Dartmouth frigate, Captain Henry Dundas, was
brought into 11.,ck this week, to have her bottom ex-
amined, after having the copper protected on the plan
of Sir Humphry Davy; when it was found, that the
influence produced by these protectors, in protecting the
copper, had produced a most extraordinary effect ; for
by reducing the oxidation which before took place on
the copper, which separated from it most of the sub-
stances that adhered to it, oto bottom had become ex-
tremely foul; so that within ten or twelve feet of the
protectors it was entirely covered, and in thick patches
all over of serpula, oysters, muscles, and other shell
fish, and so fitmly had they adhered to the copper,
that it was found impossible in many parts to clean it
off. The oyster and muscle were foreign, interspersed
math foreign weeds. Some of the other species of
shell fish were natives, and had no doubt, from their
size, been collected on the bottom before she left
England. The bottom had placed upon it three cast
iron protectors, about seven feet long and five or six
inches wide, one on each bow and quarter, about three
feet below the surface of the water, and one on each
side amidships on the keel. The protectors were re-
moved, and the oxide caused by the iron cleaned as
much as possible, previous to the ship being taken out
of Dock. It is now fully established that Sir Humphry
Davy's experiment for preserving the copper on ships'
bottoms has failed; that is, the cast iron preservers
doubt'ess preserve the copper, but they operate at the
'same time so much to increase the foulness of it, that the
remedy is worse than the disease. The protectors are,
therefore, ordered to be removed from all seagoing
ships, and to be continued only on such as are in a
quiescent state.

Yesterday, the Russian ships of we Molier,Capt.StarriyiteWitds•
and -rienaisin, Capt. Lithe, sailed an their vosge of discovery, oar-
',icy, and visitation, to the Russian setaements on the North-west
Coaws of America.

Tuesday, the Alacrity, 10, Caps. Geo. Johnstone Hop., sailed
from Sheerness, 'With Mew coined specie for Gibraltar and Malta.
The sew yacht Calypso, Limn. Camilleri, intended fee tie VW et
the Marquess of Hastings, at Malta, proceeded under charge of the
Alacrity.
Thursday about 40 sail of outward•bound West Indiamen,whklt
put into this pert by contrary winds, sailed with a fine wind from
.N. by E. for their respective destheations.
The George IV. stealn vessel, Capt. Black, from London for
'Lisbon and Gibraltar, with passengers, arrived this morning, having
lost an anchor and cable, and sustained other trilling damage, on
Thursday, in Margate Roads. She will probably proceed on
-Monday.
The following ships also arrived to-day :—Etbo, Thompson,
'shields, for Cakutta • Edward, Munroe, from Riga;
*Kraft, from Dantsic ; PGlestora, Burrell, from Memel; and Now-
rnahuly, King, from Genoa, With beans for Southampton.
The Pyramus frigate, Captain &natio will sail to-morrow
morning for Liverpool, having in charge the Seamen's boating
Chapel Tees, fitted for Divine Service at that port.
The oyster season on the mats within the vicinity of Jersey, in
which upwards of four hundred vessels are employed, has happily
terminated without any molestation on thepart of the French ves-
sels. The Starling and Wolf returned on Wednesday', leaving
the Calliope in St. Aubin's Bay, where seven vessels only were
then dredging.
Yesterday the Procris, 10, Captain Hon. William Waldegrave,
arrived from Chatham, with nepernumerary seamen.—The Plum-
per gun brig, Lieutenant William Hutchinson, which arrived from
Cork on Tuesday, came into Harbour,..-On Thursday the &airline,
Lieutenant R. Stuart, sailed to cruise off Weymoutb.—Remain at
Spithead—Blonde, Pyramus, Galatea, Precris. I 9 the Harbour—
Victory, Asia, Melville, Spartiate, Diamond, Dartmouth, Arachne,
Clinker, Plumper, Cracker.
The Clinker gun-brig is commissioned by Lieut. Matson, for
the Coast of Africa ; and the officers and crew of the Swinger (which
vessel is to be broken up) turned over to her.
The Challenger, 18, built on Capt. Hayes' plan, will be launched
at this Dock-yard on the 14th inst. ; the Wolf, 18, also building by
Captain Hayes, and the Columbine, 18, on the plan of Captain
Symonds, will be launched on the Ist of December. The Sapphire,
IM (of the same tonnage as the Challenger), building by Professor
Inman, is ordered to be completed forthwith for launching.

The payment of Brasil to Portugal, now in progress
in this country, and for which bills are drawn by the
Portuguese Government on the Marquis de Palma's,
is said to amount to 500,0001. sterling.
Mr. Winchester was, on Saturday, elected Alderman
of Vintry Ward, his number at the close of the poll
being 30 ; Mr. Wilde's, 27 i and Mr. Crook's, 3.