The Statesman.
London, England, 1818-10-02 00:00:00

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--I)itritifcL* 'AfflrPTitzia _
TifF...,I4ITOR OP ?HP:STATESMAN:
Sta.--L had the-impost to &Ares% you, last Wed-
nesday, on the performance of Robe° and Juliet;
but She length to which that letter was drawn out,
prevented me flats noticing the Opera of Rosina.—l
ons not oue of those Oho think it necessary to have
recourse to the second book of the first Analytic, of
;Iristotle, as an assailant, to carry on iy; attack so as
to obtain a victory for the Committee of Management
et Drury-lane Theatre; nor as a defendant, to
keep its enemies at such a distance as that it shall nes
ver be obliged to yield ; and I am Dot, therefore, at
"'fiance with the critics respecting their ceasese of
the Management, though perhaps a Itigiclio Might
be able to enter the lists its its defence; bet I do ace
knowledge myself the champion of unpretee,te4
male worth. For it is not to be supposed that •Misa
WiTliAlkt will come forward and ask the Pabeic„
" Whether she sung sweetly, and the allies err
wrong ?" This' young Lady, Sir, has miller
claims on the indulgence of the dramatic celtic.-Ber
south, her set, her first appearance, the refitted
taste of her judges, all plead in her favour; yet,
with all these claims, I will allow, that every critic
Ms a right to say of her performance what Is feir
and just ; for true criticism is a noble and a lib,.
141 art, but, like every other art, it is liable to be
abased.
The excellence sod usefulness of criticises con-
sists in an adaptation of its controlling dictate to
check a custom, but not • rensorian power of in-
stant degradation. " Site bath the privilege of re-
monstrating, and, by means of this, when used die-
creetle, of bringing what is bad into disrepute, and
so cancelling it gradually ; hot she bath no power. so
establish any thing. tier power is like lbst of sin.
quence ;she must operate on us purely by persuasion
and depend for success on the solidity, or, at least, the
speciousness of her arguments." iAt who will pi.
amine the writings of our fir4t estshlished critics,
sech as JOllllsOM, Kann, BLAIR. CAMPSEL.T., Pafrli
and Aeoisox, and he will find that all these ricotta,
ressouers, acted in all their canons of criticism be'
the observatious which I. hive k,st introduced, and
which, ,for' autburity's sake, I attribute to, Dr.
CANTRELL.
Now, if these premises be allowed, everyone who
presumes to criticise must establish himself in our
good opinion, by convincing our reason that what he
stigmatises, bath been rattly and legitimately handled,.
and tbat.by certain catfons of criticism le ought to be•
exploded or retained. It is not An me to point out
how those canons may be applied. I take it fur
granted that every workman is skilled in the use of
the tools of his art. But when I see a verdict re-
corded before I hear the Jury pronounce the accused
guilty; when I 'see men usurp an authority that cloth
not belong to them (for no men can presume to the
high office of criticism, who does not legally use the
weapons of her warfare); when I hear of a
young besetiful lady esposeil, through the wanton-
ness of illiberality and not of criticism, to the midh
of unseesensble and unmerited raillery, 1 must-ssy,
that if any thing deserves to he Mandel with the
name ungallant, it is this ostentation of judicial re-
pies* withosis a body of !Pistoling to establish its
lawfulness. I, and hundreds besides, heart! Miss
WITHAM sing in the Opera of Rosina; we heard her
songs encored; a plain proof, if there be any testi-
mony in the *eidetice of the seat.", that she gave very
general satisfaction. In fact, the applause she re-
ceived was unbounded. •
But there is a much more serious charge than•that
of reproaching her for not singing well, which I have
In bring against the critics. his the use of their
Wit— I would, I could call it so, but, alas lit cometh
not from the common fountain of the imaginative
powers, with all the ornaments of elocution, and the
oratorical figures, simile, apostrophe, atitithesis, and
metaphor ; but in the lowest limning of paronomasia
and pun. Great and signal it most be owned are
the effects of ridicule; but the subject must always
appear to the ridculer, and to those affected, by his
pleasantry, under the notion of littleness and futility,
two essential requisites in the object of contempt esti
cis Mealy.
Now, this granted, let me ask every critic who
has tried. to sport his wit at the expence of Miss
Wixom*, if he believes in his heart that this young
lady possesses the requisites jest mentioned, to make
her an object of ridicule before the Public ? if
toot, then is there an alarming boldness in those
*elm, with so powerful an eaglet as the Public Press
in their hands, triumph over .trembling, unoffending
female.
I must lake leave, Sir, toasaure the crilici,that I am
desirous they would (atoll& themselves with the tools
of their craft, like Ikolitall'i priests and taracista,
who were—
Shonitied withsoktileid Prriskor. 1-.. .o:4•1/4) a.
And maeozines or amisunnioa; , • .
With cro.sea. relics, erecter"
Bead., picture". rosaries. and piles;
l'he tools of working our salvation,
By mere mechanic operation.
When any thing oonsensicel in principle is to be
availed by ridicule, the natural ally of reason Is wit ;
•
When any estravaganie 'or impropriety in conduit,
!inmost, seldom fails to be of the confederacy ; but
what was nonsensical' in Miss Witnaw's singing,
what extravagance in her acting, whet Inspeoprieti
in her appearing as Roane? She is yet tbipapil of
nature, study, and the prictice of het' profession
will in lime distinguish her to the critic.' bye, and
ear, and taste, as much as can be *Mod; by your
•f) : 9 • •
obedient servant,
Loudon, Sept.Srpt.4B. A LOVER OF Vat DitAISIA.
t -.
thellsDmDce Aus tLteciihn ,°f fromicge 1 -A
C Dolphin,f is tri ar i nvl (al
from'fa; dtPortsmouth.he.aiT ietedil t.
rhoer 04
kg ofArl
and the West Indies, and remain In the Dosisie.tsis.
Came down from the. Rivet sad Palmy 11r1. 11M1,.,.
0:1
Eagle, Gibbs, for Lisbon.
tori:orieshwtaordwrsoig4 Ofrof.oni
the
Rusy, Clatk,'from Brhiport ; and Dispateb, Bad-
tatdMonrifvoera aseahirap ISP:leoleopa
cock, from *Lymington, both 'for LondCopes. ono—Salled
the (A) brig ?repos, Sparrolabask , for
lisaletat, OCT. 1.--Arrived that..N. tackat 1
with.' MO, kc. from fialind.

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