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In tender foul-enchanting fong

Still may her bards thy theme prolong, Refponfive to the notes of yonder woodland choir.

With Poefy, by Esca's stream*,

As thought renews my childhood's dream,
May I the hours beguile;

Or as in Cameron's+ earliest ftrain
I trace my infant joys again,

Oh! think that once fond Edwin liv'd, And died for love of thee.

NORWICH.

AMINTOR.

THE COMMISSIONERI.

A POEM IN THE SCOTCH DIALECT.

A day;

Now may I confcious figh, and now unweeting
fmile.

And while fuch hallow'd blifs is mine,
Remote from fame I'll ne'er repine

To país th' inglorious day;

Yet tune again thy favourite's ftring,

Anon may penfive Cameron fing,

Aflift to fing the long-expected day,

On which mock monarchs deign to grace our street,
And tread the caufeway with their royal feet.
But, hark! the half-brac'd rattling drum I hear,
Announces all the Duncans to draw near.
The ferjeant cries-March out by twa and twa,
An gang up to the New Kirk in a ra:

And future ages twine for him th' unfading bay. Now diets your ranks, and had out baith your taes,

EDINBURGH.

D

R

EDWIN'S FAREWEL EPISTLE TO DELIA.

FOUNDED ON FACT.

ADIEU, ye fields, where fragrant sweets

Afcend on every

Adieu, ye hills, whofe towering heads
O'erlock the lowly vale!

No, more by active fancy led,
I fnatch a blifs from you;
For when my charming Delia fled,
Contentment left me too!

Oft with the swains, in rural sports,
I join'd with focial glee;
But now my Delia proves unkind
What's all the world to me?

Bereft of every joy on earth,

For ever ftream these eyes;
One pitying smile is all I ask,
And that my love denies.

Yet tell me, Delia, whence the caufe
Thou canst fo cruel prove?

And let me live one hour at ease,

Tho' tortur'd now with love.

But hark! defpair, soft whispering, fays-
No peace on earth for thee;
"Tis death can eafe the lover's pain,
And fet the captive free.-
Adieu, then, Delia; hence adieu!
Remember me, thy flave,

Who falls, ere this can reach thy hand,
A victim to the grave!

Yet long may'ft thou unrivall'd fhine,
The pride of many a fwain;
Whilft I enjoy the filent tomb,
Exempt from every pain.

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And tak gude notice what the captain fays!But now a different found affails my ear, And quickly the South Fencibles appear; With drums and mufic they do march along, And line the street for to keep off the throng: The windows fill with ladies, young and old; With black and fair, with meek, and brisk, and bold. The crowd increafes, fome ftand on a fair; Somefight,some bawl, and most do noughtbutstare. Some ftand on coaches, others fit in carts, And orink bad whisky, or eat penny-tarts. Some fit on lamps, still more upon the well; Whilst others throw a fquib at her nainfell. But how fhali I relate the perplex'd state Of those poor curs, who are defign'd by fate To get betwixt the ranks, and there to run, Affording to the mob amazing fun? Firft to this fide, and next to that, they fly, In vain; each fide a paffage does deny: Tho' clapp'd and hifs'd, on every hand hemm❜din, At last their way they force, to fave their skin.. The bell begins the crowd, impatie t, turn, And with defire to fee Dalhousie burn.

At length he comes, array'd in p mp and state, With look and ftep majestically great! Long live great George ourKing!' the mufic plays;. The lower'd standard due obeifance pays. The officers falute with martial air; Two macers march before with caputs bare. On either fide a noble duke doth walk, Twa pages next, with face important, stalk, Some noblemen and gentlemen come next, Uncover'd, and promiscuously mix'd. His lordship's fervants last in order walk, And to each other in loud whifpers talk. The city guard file in upon the rear, And thus does th' annual cavalcade appear, Next, round King Charles || all the foldiers And there wait the returning of the show. go The windows fhut, the mob difperfe away, Laughing at the adventures of the day; And leave the minifters to make a clatter About electing a new moderator.

LAK.

*The River Efk runs close by Dalkeith. On it's banks is pleasantly situated the feat of the Duke of Buccleugh, where his grace and family commonly refide during the summer season.

Author of a volume of poems; diftinguished by the delicate graces of Simplicity and Tenderness. The King's High Commiffioner for the Church of Scotland.

A common name for the City Guard of Edinburgh.

Charles the First's ftatue in the Parliament Square.

Bin

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.

OTH the Winter theatres having opened in the courie of this month, we find the golden dream of dramatic refpectability, formed rather by our wishes than our expectations, literally

The bafelefs fabric of a vifion." It is true we fee, in every daily paper, acknowledg ments of the Spirit and liberality of Managers, (it is to be remembered, that editors of newjpapers are FREE of the theatres) for their great attention to the entertainment of the public, in engaging fuch vast numbers of new performers, at fo prodigious an expence-but, as we chufe to judge for ourselves, and are not afraid to speak out, we fhall make no fcruple to affert, that the Managers are, in cur opinion, very far from being fo liberal as is pretended.

True dramatic genius was formerly confidered as the certain fecurity of a refpectable establishment during life: and this comfortable confideration prompted those genuine exertions, the want of which is at prefent fo much lamented. Will men and women of real good fenfe, and fine genius, turn their attention to a profeffion fo precarious as that of the dramatic performer of the prefent day?

On the altar of novelty fome of the best performers who ever trod the British ftage are facrificed; and others, or we are m finformed, on thofe of avarice and illiberality.

Let the unprejudiced man of fenfe decide, if the new performers which have lately been added to the stage will compenfate for driving from itMrs. Yates, Mr. Yates,

Mrs. Abington, Mr. King! With many others; inferior to thefe, it is true, but in general far fuperior to those who are deftined to fupply their places till cheaper labourers in the dramatic vineyard fhall appear.

As this is certainly a melancholy fituation for perfons of real genius ; muft afford fome fatiffaction to every feeling mind, to reflect that there are fo very few who come under this defcription at prefent on the stage!

If the warmth of our feelings has led us into ftrictures of more feverity than might be wifhed, we beg it may be fully understood that they originate in our feelings alone.

We know nothing of Managers, and but little of Performers, more than in their public capacities: when they do their duty, we refpect them as fellow-citizens, and worthy members of fociety; when they do not, we think it our duty to fay fo.

As men, from every thing we have heard, the managers of our theatres are worthy and refpectable but as fuperintendants of what ought to be the most rational of all public amusements, we are unable to conceal that we think them fhamefully deficient.

There cannot be a doubt, that dramatic affairs should be conducted by liberal, intelligent, and ingenious men; men who themselves poffefs true genius, and who can therefore form fome

idea of the refpect to which it is entitled: if the ftage is in fuch hands, we may yet hope to fee it flourish; if it is not, ftill lower, if poffible, is it likely to fink in the estimation of every judicious perfon.

Mr. Garrick, whatever might be his faults, (and we believe he had as few, to the full, as thofe who do not poffefs a single ray of his unrivalled merit to throw into the oppofite fcale) certainly carried the refpectability of the ftage to a higher pitch than it had ever known: he was the Chatham of the dramatic ftate; and, like that great minister, with whom he was worthily in the habits of friendship, he furvived but a short time the first appearances of it's evidently declining fplendor!

Ο

DRURY LANE.

N the 16th inftant this Theatre opened with the Bufy Body, and the Quaker; in the former of which Mr. Lee Lewes, from Covent Garden theatre, made his firft appearance on this ftage, as Marplot, and was received with very great applaufe.

The houfe has been newly painted, and decorated; and feveral alterations have taken place, during the fummer, fome of them calculated to improve, and others to enlarge, the audience-part of the theatre. Instead of the former imitations

of the antique, the fronts of the boxes are enlivened by feftoons of flowers on a ground of French grey, and they are lined with crimfon paper, fpotted with dark flowers. Three new boxes have alfo been gained on each fide; and the ftage-doors, which were injudiciously removed by Mr. Sheridan, have very properly been restored. Three rows have likewife been added to the pit, and the orchestra is confiderably enlarged. The ciening, which is painted of a ftone colour, is intended to reprefent a dome furrounded by circular galleries, through an aperture at the top of which appears a beautiful fummer-fky: but the design is in a great meafure fruftrated by the ill manage ment of the perspective in painting the dome.

On the 20th inftant, Mifs M. STAGELDOIR, one of the well-known famous dancers, appeared, for the first time, in the character of Patie in the Gentle Shepherd, and displayed confiderable vocal as well as comic abilities.

On the 25th inftant, Mifs GEORGE, from the Haymarket Theatre, made her firft appearance on this stage, in the character of Rofetta, in Love in a Village. We are extremely happy to fe this young lady engaged at a Winter theatre, as fhe really poffeffes very great abilities. Mifs George has aftonishingly improved during her fummer-campaign with Mr. Colman, and is in our opinion compleatly qualified to fill the firft characters in her line of acting,

On the 30th of this month, and not before, the genuine Mr. KEMBLE, from the Theatre Royal, Dublin, made his first appearance on the

London

London stage, in the character of Hamlet. The great expectations which were formed of this gentleman drew together a moft crouded audience; and the house was compleatly filled in a few minutes after the doors opened.

conception appears juft, and fhe fpeaks articu lately and with expreffion. With refpect to her. vocal abilities, there is no firmnefs in her voice, but the upper tones of it are beft, and she may be faid to fing very agreeably.

On the 19th inftant, no less than three performers made their first appearance before a London audience; two of whom, MR. BONNOR, and Miss SCRACE, filled the first walks of Co

To affert that this gentleman poffeffes dramatic merit equal to that of his celebrated fifter, would doubtlefs be faying too much; but he certainly bids fair to become a very accomplished actor. By greatly magnifying his abilities, pre-medy on the Bath ftage, which has of late apvious to his appearance, many were led to make comparisons which muft of neceflity prove prejudicial to any young performer: this circumftancé, however, fhould rather be registered in the lift of his misfortunes, than in that of his faults.

Few characters require fo many requifites to enable a performer to rife above mediocrity as that of Hamlet: Mr. Kemble, however, was on the whole very refpectable, if not great, and gave much fatisfaction to all those who had not expected too much.

His perfon is genteel, and his figure elegant and engaging; but though there is a strong familylikeness between him and Mrs. Siddons, his face wants fymmetry, and his features are often deficient in expreffion. His voice, which is clear and diftinct, has a variety of tones, with the modulation of which he in general feems well acquainted;

but his action is rather too artificial, and we were forry to fee the character of Hamlet too often funk in ftage-tricks and laboured ornaments.

It has been obferved that the eyes of the audience gave but few tokens of Mr. Kemble's power to reach the heart: this circumftance, however, is perhaps rather to be afcribed to the part than to the performer. At any rate, it will be proper to fee him in fome character better adapt

ed to exhibit this effect, before we decide against him in fo effential a point. Indeed, as we are convinced he has real abilities, we think it would be uncandid too minutely to enumerate fuch little defects as experience will in all probability render every day lefs neceffary to be excused.

COVENT GARDEN.

Anthant, feveral alterations appeared to have
T the opening of this Theatre, on the 17th

been made in the house. The feats in the gal-
leries are commodious; the avenues to the boxes
on each fide have been enlarged, by a removal of
the ftair-cafe, which now afcends nearer the lobby,
the space which the stairs formerly occupied being
made into a recefs; the upper-boxes are confi-
derably enlarged, by throwing the paffage into
them. This laft improvement is of confiderable
benefit, as the doors, from their continual opening
and fhutting, have frequently occafioned com-
plaints. The feats in these boxes are alfo made
more commodious; and, being railed along the
back, the company are not liable to the leaft in-
convenience from those who pafs and repafs along
the interior paffage,

The performances of the night were Love in a Village, and Tristram Shandy.

MRS. JOHNSON, from the Theatre Royal in Dublin, appeared in Rofetta. She is little, but ker figure is neat, and her deportment lively: her

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peared to be the nursery of rifing genius. The play was Farquhar's Recruiting Officer; and it was preceded by the following

INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS,

SPOKEN BY MR. BONNOR.

WHEN rambling boys, the school's dread

empire o'er,

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Arrive at fome fair ftream, untried before;
Some, fearful, linger on it's verdant side,
And dread to approach the yet unforded tide;
Unconscious of the fands that lurk below.
While others boldly plunge, refolv'd to go,
So, midft th' adventurers of the Thespian train,
Whofe fortunes float on the dramatic main,
Are fome who, fearing open fea to take,
Others, directed by a bolder aim,
In coafting-craft their humble voyage make:

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On ocean's bofom hope to raise their fame;
And, as the critic winds, or fleep or roar,
Are whelm'd at once, or proudly reach the shore.
Of thefe, there are whofmaller ftreams have tried,
And fail'd in fafety with the partial tide;
Whom fond ambition urge to fpread the fail
O'er this dread fea, nor fear a threatening gale,
By candour welcom'd to an harbour here.
In humble hope fuccefsfully to fteer,

Should my light bark a happy paffage boast,
As thofe who ventur'd from the self-fame coaft;
Should o'er my bark no evil ftar prefide,
I'd ftill as active prove, as if the sky
Waves kindly bear, and gentle breezes guide;

Frown'd black'ning ftorms, and death were hover-
ing nigh,

*

Look back with transport on these first essays,
To reach the port of your protecting praise.
Before I go, permit me to implore
For a fair fuppliant, trembling at your door;
To plaudits yielded by a liberal train,
Who fondly feeks a fanction here to gain,
Whofe foftering fmiles, from mean diftinction free,
Have oft diffus'd their chearing beams o'er me.
With Sylvia, too, an untried Rofe appears,
Who now encounters all thofe anxious fears;

Which, in the tender female bofom glows,
Whate'er my fate, allow their fex's claim;
Too ftrong for female effort to oppofe.
And fmoothe with lenient hand their path to
Let British gallantry affift their aim,

fame!

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Mr. Bonnor's ftature is low, but he is well made, has great vivacity in his manner, free action, and a voice much refembling that of Mr. Dodd. Upon the whole, he promises to become a confiderable favourite of the town. Mifs Scrace, who appeared in Sylvia, poffèffes a good figure; and has an easy and genteel address; her voice is commanding,

commanding, but rather harsh; and her face has more of fenfibility than of beauty. In her male attire the by no means appeared to the best advantage. Mrs. Chalmers, whofe figure is neat, and her manner pleasing, played the part of Rofe with great v vacity and spirit.

On the 24th inftant, Mr.Philip Kemble, junior brother of Mrs. Siddons, made his first appear ance at this theatre, in the character of Othello; and, as this gentleman (purfuant to the prefent refpe&table method of conducting the bufinefs of the theatres-royal, by grofs puffs in newspapers, and other extraneous quackery, inftead of actual merit on the ftage) was announced by the title of Mr. Kemble, from the Theatre-Royal, Dublin,' many were induced to suppose that he was the Kemble of whom they had heard fo much, and who was then actually engaged at Drury Lane. The trick,

for in this light it must be confidered, certainly fucceeded-the house overflowing foon after the doors were opened.

But though this artifice might produce fome prefent advantage to the manager, it certainly may be confidered as prejudicial to Mr. P. Kem bie, whofe abilities feem much too moderate ever to obtain him a diftinguished fituation on the stage: the audience, or courie, were woefully difappointed; and he was received, it is true, but with very little applaufe.

HAYMARKET.

HE feafon clofed at this Theatre on the

T15th init. with the Young Quaker, and

Gretna Green; when Mr. Palmer made the manager's acknowledgments to the public in a polite addrefs to the audience.

PARLIAMENTARY HISTORY.

HOUSE OF LORDS. (Continued from Page 147.)

- MAY 13.

ASSED Bayntün's Divorce bill.

PASSED

Heard the parishioners of Lambeth against the Poor bill; when it appearing to require great amendments, the farther confideration of it was poftponed to a future day.

MAY 26.

Heard the opinion of the judges on the important ecclefiaftical question between Mr. Ffytche and the Bishop of London. Mr. Justice Heath, Mr. Juftice Buller, and Mr. Juftice Nares, were of opinion that the tranfaction was not fimoniacal. Baron Eyre differed on this point; and they feverally gave their reafons at length on the point of law referred to them. Having declined anfwering the fifth question, because it was not applicable to the caufe, and had not been argued, Lord Thurlow ftopped Sir Francis Buller, and faid, that in his opinion it was neceffary that the queftion fhould be answered. It had application to the cause, and had been put for the fake of the conclufion. If their lordships thought proper to ask for the advice and counfel of the judges on this or any cafe, he thought that they were to determine whether the question was proper or not. He by no means wifhed to be peremptory; but he defired to know whether their lordships would not, for their own dignity, maintain the power of deciding on the propriety of their questions.

The Earl of Mansfield faid, it was not ufual to enforce their queftions. He had never seen an inftance in which their lordships had determined to abide by the queftions which they put to the

if

frequently did decline to answer questions, and the Houfe conftantly acquiefced.

Lord Thurlow faid a few words in reply, and

here the matter refted.

After hearing Mr. Juftice Nares, the Houfe adjourned to Wednesday. Ver. III,

MAY 28.

Read a first time the bill for repealing the a relating to vagabonds.

Pafled the Birmingham Poor bill.

The farther confideration of the caufe of Mr. Ffytche against the Bishop of London was adjourned to Friday.

a

The Duke of Richmond intimated to the Houfe his intention of fubmitting to their lordships question on the meature of placing the fears in the hands of commiffioners. It was a practice. of which he very much difapproved, not from any objection which he had perfonally to the three commiflioners; not that he queftioned their abilities, their integrity, or their independence; but because he believed that fuch a measure was inconfiftent with an old law, on which the very conftitution of our courts of equity was built. He had other objections: thefe commilioners were not appointed in the fame manner, nor had they the independence of the judges in the courts of law. Every judge held his commiffion undar the condition of quam diu je bene gefferit, while the condition of the appointment of the commiffioners of the Great Seal was durante bene placito, a diftinction of which he profeffed he judges in equity ought furely to be as independent could not perceive the neceffity or the fenfe. The as the judges in law. Another circumftance was obfervable in this commiffion alfo, that the junior commiflioner fhould deliver his opinion firt. But he would referve the whole of the difcuffion of the fubject until it should come before them on due notice. Adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
(Continued from Page 151.)

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place againft two clerks in the Pay-Office; his learned friend, therefore, to remove all doubts on that head, had requested him to affure the Houfe, as indifpofition would not permit him to attend, that it was the joint opinion of the Attorney and Solicitor General, that fuch a profecution fhould be commenced, and they were determined to bring it on without delay. The Solicitor-General, at the fame time, pledged himself that nothing should prevent fuch a profecution from being commenced as speedily as poffible.

Mr. W. Pitt declared himself fatisfied with this declaration of the two crown-officers; but added, that he hoped the Houfe would not be prevented by it from taking into confideration the minute of the Treasury Board relative to the difmiffion of the two clerks in queftion, as it would not interfere with the profecution.

The Houfe then proceeded to hear counsel in behalf of Sir Thomas Rumboid, after which they adjourned.

MAY 14.

The Houfe refolved itself into a committee on Lord Mahon's bill for preventing bribery and expences at elections for members to ferve in parliament. Mr. Alderman Sawbridge having taken the chair, the firft claufe was read, which enacted, that, under a penalty to be specified, no fum or fums of money fhould be given to any elector, under any colour or pretence of defraying his expences at the place of election.

Mr. Powys moved an amendment, to exempt from the penalty all perfons not interested in the fuccefs of any candidate; it being reasonable, that whenever an improper perfon fhould become a candidate, the independent freeholders, who had nothing at heart but the good of their country, should be permitted to defray the expences of fuch oters as they should find inclined to oppofe the improper candidate.

Lord Mahon faid the amendment would entirely defeat the principle of the bill; for if the Jaw fhould permit any perfon to give money to the electors, except the mere candidates, it's end would be foon evaded, and the candidates become the real corruptors. He did not want to prevent candidate from paying the expence of carrying electors to the place of election; his object was to prevent any money from finding it's way into the pockets of the voters: poft chaifes and coaches might be hired, and the money should be paid to the owners, but not given to the voters to pay it themselves.

Mr. Barrow approved of the claufe without the amendment; and thought it would be proper to fubject to a penalty all who should confine or take away voters, in electioneering language called battling the electors. This practice, he said, prevailed much at Gloucester; and he gave a remarkable inftance of it. The voters used to go to fome friend of the candidate, before the election came on, and tell him they intended to vote for his friend; but as they might be intoxicated, they were afraid they might be carried away in that ftate to vote for the other candidate. To prevent this, they defired to be accommodated with beds at his houfe. A couple of electors

having done this fome time ago, were provided with beds; but not getting as much liquor as they expected, they became diffatisfied; which circumstance reaching the ears of a friend to the oppofite candidate, he procured a ladder to be set up to the window of the room where they were, and got them out: a poft-chaife being in waiting, they were crammed into it, and carried to a gentleman's houfe about five miles diftant; but, on the door of the chaife being opened, they were both found dead, being fat men, and actually fmothered.

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Mr. Martin condemned the practice of defraying the expence of electors; they should, he thought, travel at their own charge; the elector, whofe expences are paid for, not being a freeman, but the bondman of the perfon who paid for him.

The queftion being then put on Mr. Powys's amendment, it paffed in the negative without a divifion.

Mr. Barrow then moved the amendment he had fuggefted for fubjecting to a penalty thofe who should confine or carry away electors. On this question the committee divided, when the amendment was carried, there being

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Heard counfel in behalf of Sir Thomas Rum. bold. Several witneffes were examined in favour of Sir Thomas; after which the Houfe adjourned. MAY 16.

Mr. Alderman Sawbridge made his annual motion for fhortening parliaments. Having fo often explained his intention on the subject, and fo frequently urged the arguments which occurred to him in fupport of his opinion, he said he fhould not now trouble the House with a repetition of them: all he should add, therefore, for the prefent, was, that if his motion miscarried this year, he was neverthelefs determined to perfevere in making it annually, as long as he fhould have a feat in the Houfe, or till the mea. fure should be adopted by parliament. Having gained experience by paft defeats, he intended his motion for, this year fhould be as little liable to objection as poffible, and would move only for leave to bring in a bill for shortening the duration of parliament.

Mr. Martin feconded the motion; saying, he hoped to fee it carried, if not this year, at leaft at fame future period; as conftitutional focieties were forming in every part of the kingdom, which, notwithstanding the contempt fome members affected to hold them in, would, hẹ trufted, at last give efficacy to the attempt for fhortening the duration of parliaments.

Lord Surrey supported the motion, observing that seven years was too long a period for any man to be entrusted with the exercife of the power of his conftituents.

Sir P. J. Clarke declared also for the motion; which he hoped would not be oppofed by a miniftry who would be thought friends to the conAtitution.

Mr.

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