The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-10-16 00:00:00

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DRURY-LANE THEATRE..

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ambition, but fir the appearance of anotheiethibi:
tor, who, to shew that no time of life was exempt
from absurdity, was absurd enough to address the
sinking struggler for the honours of the stage. After
expostulating with him until he became insufferably
stupid, on the weakness of his voice, this old candi-
date for popularity was proceeding to make a speech
for himself, when he was silenced by a roar which
would. have overpowered the most inveterate self-
love; and the antique orator was at length compelled
to give up his task. The audience now grew satisfied
and disgusted. Mr. ItAystowo came forward, and
after observing that alt performances on that stage
required the previous license of the Lotto CHAMBER-
LAIN, requested to know whether the pleasure of the
house had not been sufficiently complied with. lie
was universally answered in the of rtnatire : then
approaching Mr. Beatty with a profusion of bows,
he took his arm, and with a happy mixture of argu-
ment and entreaty, forcible pustmsion and gentle
violence, led him off the stage. The audience imme-
i diately retired.

A singular occurrence twisk place at Drury-lane
Theatre on Wednesday. After the play of the Hy-
pocrite, a person rose in the Pit, demanding the at.
tention of the audience to some circumstances which
were to be, of course, signally worthy of all their
attention. The orator was at length induced to mount
the stage, from which he attempted to continue his
harangue in the midst of shouts and hisses. Mr.
RAYMOND, however, after some unsuccessful efforts
at conciliation, introduced two Bew-street officers,
who tried the more intelligible argument of force,
and the orator was borne off the stage. This adven-
turous and ardent person proved to be the son of
Dr. Bestir, an author of considerable notoriety, if
not of peculiar fame, who, having written an Ad-
dress for the opening of the Theatre, and conceiving
that its merits were unfairly dealt with, determined
on securing himself at least a hearing.
If the transaction at the Theatre on Wednesday
deserved to be called singular, we must tiud some
stronger title for its repetition last night. That
there might be no doubt either of the person or the
abject, Dr. liceor yesterday addressed a circular to
his acquaintances, informing them that he intended
an appeal to their feeliugs or their judgments last
uiht. This secceeded so far as to fill the house to
en overflow, and early in the evening every place eas
occupied. The passages were filled with spectators,
impatient to be auditors, and a glance through a box-
dour was a matter of good fortune. Daring the per-
formance, the Rivals languished in expectation of
the more interesting exhibition of Dr. BusßY ; and
SHAKESPEARE or SHERIDAN would have been forgot-
ten in the mute suspence with which the Doctor's
rising was awaited : for he rose at last, and on the
eroppieg of tho curtain, attempted an harangue
from one of the boxes of the second circle nearest the
stage. After a few moments of apology, his voice
evas lost in the shouts of the audience. lie attempt-
ed his speech again from the beginning, and gravely
informed his hearers, that though he thought respect-
fully of Lord Birees's Address, he thought he could
shew them sometteug better of his own. All he de-
manded was justice, a fair hearing, and British libe-
rality. This gatte.ing solicitation was received with
infinite sympathy, and. Dr. BtSBY prepared to detail
his grits:dances, when the commencement of the over-
ture unleckily overset his eloqaence • and, after some
expossitt,gestures, he was compelled to sit down..
The audience, however, were not prevailed open
to give up their pastime so easily ; and Mr. lione
and the other actors were mercilessly hissed off the
stage. Mr. Reemoen then came forward, and Ale- .
sired to know whether it was their pleasure that the
farce should proceed : they answered that it was, When Admit al MARTIN left the Baltic, they
and in consequence hissed off the Actors again, .atuti were wholly ignorant of the entry of the French
contrived through the remainder of the evening to ; int..) Moscow. The most unbounded order and
make a due sacrifice of all that was said on, and alt , bravery prevailed amongst the soldierys but they
that was said nif, the stage On the fall of the cur- I were most lamentably defieicent of experienced
bin, the true farce commenced with uncommon viva- ' Officers. '
city. 'rile universal cry vsas—" The Doctor—let us ! It is said that one of the firemen unfortunately
lave the Orator." The Doctor was at length pre- ! lost his life at the late fire in Ililliter-lane, and two
railed on ; and after a multitude of obeisances to all ' others were taken iu a dreadful state to St. Bartho-
parts of the tense, he begin. ile professed himself . mew's !lospital.
a friend to merit, provided it were modest merit.— I e
:ondaiafternoon, while some workmen were em-
(Grcat applause, and cries of "Prue, true, Doc-I
played in pulling down the premises belonging to the
tor!''] Ile acknowledged that the addresses already
Old Swan public-house, in Blackman-street, lea.
communicated to the public might have their value;
rough, part of them give way, when four of the la.
but he believed he might with equal truth and mode,
louvers were unfortunately buried in the ruins. In-
ty now submit to them one which vsould give some
slant relief was afforded, but one of them Was dread-
final and general idea of excellence in the art of pro..
fully bruised, and conveyed to St. Thomas's 114)5.
logue writing.—[Cries qf bravo—Lct us hear it,
pital without any hopes of recovery; the other
Dedor—Go on, Apollo.]—But at the moment the
th ; see escaped without receiving much injury.
speech was interrupted by the entrance of two per- •
sons into tit, box, who pinioned the Doctor, and The late of Sir Robert Hartland's farming stock,
conveyed hen ieto the lobby. 4at Wherstead attracted a vast assemblage of persons
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from all parts of the county. The horse stock
The scene of interest was now changed, and the
lobbies became in a moment scarcely p sable, from i fetched unprecedented high prices, five chesnut
a
the crowd who poured out of the bed yof the house.*
170 i• mares having, produced 6221.; a chesnut stallion,
13 other chesnut horses and mares, 2351. 10s.
Dr. BUSBY, who seemed to be under the protection ;
four-years old chesnut cart colts and fillies, 2031.
of Minerva as eel' as of Apollo, took advantage of
The whole, horse stock, sixty in number, produced
this incident with uncommon presence of mind ; and
Instantly commenced a battle, w bids lasted toughly 3)3351. 10e•
on both sides, till the combatants now swelled to : About three months ago, a horse, rising three
Years 0141, the property of Mr. Alexander Guthrie,
the amount of the whole audience. Ile was, how-
in Findowrie, near Brechin, Scotland, received a
ever, forced alone to the ereat straits, and was iu
the very crisis of fate and Bow-street, w hen he
,hurt which ultimately shut up the urinary passage.
i
made another effort fur victory, by making a bodg., C. Black, farrier, in Brechin, being called in, made
several attempts is the ordinary way, to get the
meat on the steps. The gravity which might have
stoppage removed, all of which proved ineffectual.
been prejudicial to the Poet was the most fortunate
From the certainty that the horse could not survive
thing possilde for the Pugilist; and sitting on the
steps, not all the force of all the Bow-street Offi-
long, unless immediate relief was procured, he re-
cers could shake him. So much fortitude was not solved to make an incision into the urethra; this was
to be abandoned : the spirit of the audience was ace mlingly dune, externally about three inches long,
; commencing immediately below the fundament, and
snored within them—the Officers were kicked ;gm,-
cut int.; the urethra close to the neck of the bladder.
miniously to the foot of the stairs—the Doctor borne
The operation had not been performed above two 1,
ttiompliantly through the corridors, and • reinstated
ill the boxes in all tlie pride of victory. lie there , minutes, when the animal discharged an immense
recommenced the interrupted speech, and informed quantity of urine by the artificial passage, and began
the louse, that " considering to cat, neither of which it had done for several days.
himself now the chant- !
pion of their rights, and aleo as much a freeman . The passage is perfectly o pen, and now whole on
as he was a converor, he should give them the both sides ; the animal continues to elischame its
opportunity of hearing such a monologue as they , nrine regularly, is perfectly well in every respect,
;and thriving as well as any in the country.
had seldom heard. (Cries of brauo,—The Prologue
--ire on, Doctor ! ) He acknowledged their kind ; Mr. Anthony Mandey, who kept Sebloniere's Ho-
-square, was f dead in don
Foiality with more than common gratitude, for ' tel,
in
Leicester
Tuesday morning. He honad ge oun
tod bed the previous
more than common complir eent to his Muse ; but ho'
evening in apparent good health : his wife on awak-
tu9st now mention, that if they were as sincere as lie
found hinv cold by her side.
was in their desire to hear his verses, they must hear ing
thnm from his son, who had been all this while !.!a. 1 Sunday, about 12 o'clock, a very serious alarm
took place on beard the Ganges prison-ship at Ply-
tiotied in the pit with the monologue by heart, that
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mouth wherein 750 French prisoners were confined.
they might have the power of judging for themselves. ,
One of them had actually set fire to the ship and
It was, however, necessary that they should secure !
him from being hustled oil', in the performance of: burned a great hole in her before it was discovered.
this Iris duty to the public." After this speech, The incendiary was soon detected and put in irons ;
which was almost unintelligible from hisses and he confessed his guilt, and declared it was his inten-
tion to destroy himself and companions, who were
plaudits, Mr. Busav, jilt]. prepared to mount the
tired of confinement—he was immediately taken on
stage. .At the same moment Mr. RAYMOND came
out, tied seemed proposing to address the house, board the San Ysitlro. The prisoners all assisted in
wben finding its sense determinfd, he retired, say- putting out the fire, and it waswith difficulty they
w
lag, as'we understood, that the Reciter should not were restrained from tearing the offender in pieces.
be interrupted. Mr. BUSBY then began, and if the Upwards of 2000 French prisoners have been sent
distinctness of his elocution had been equal to the from the ships within these four days.
energy of his gesture, Lord BYRON mast have hid 'The present month has been long memorable for
" his diminished head ;" but by peculiar ill-fortune, .brewing super-excellent beer, styled October. Its
with the exception of two lines, which informed us modern appellation is—bromn stout, so congenial to
something of British constitutions : yet, it is imagined, that many
" Old Drury, that till the other day, will give the preference, on Tuesday next, to a
" Lay like a nuisance in the public way." stoat purse, in consequence of the then decision of a
we were left to our bare imaginations. The audience small, yet most important Lottery_ Scheme, whose
Listened, but the reciter was still inaudible; and Prizes of LlO,OOO, and other great Capitals, will
probably their disappointment would have been not only enable them to quaff old :lingo, bat old
strongly visited on the head of this victim of RA ternal ' wine) during life.

vrtiE STATESMAN.
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