W

HEN we intimated, on a former occafion, our wish to see Tragedy preponderate, we meant not that Thalia fhould kick the beam. Since our laft, we have had only fcenes of woe at both theatres. Indeed, thefe reprefentations have been managed with fo much art, or rather artifice, that we have been almoft tempted to fufpect that the great Katterfelto himself affifted in the conduct of our Theatres Royal. Certain it is, that the moral and divine philofopher's method has been in part adopted: for, as he informs his audience, when they first go to fee his Wonders! wonders! and wonders! that they must come again, if they wish to behold his folar microfcope; fo they, with precifely the fame view, inform those who go to fee Mr. Kemble, that they must come again if they wish to behold his incomparable fifter, Mrs. Siddons. Surely, this is a fpecies of trick every way unworthy of the managers of a theatre-royal. Let the Dramatis Perfonæ of many performances a few years fince be examined, and it will appear, that Mr. Powell, Mr. Barry, Mr. Holland, Mr. Reddish, Mrs. Yates, and Mrs. Crawford, all frequently appear ed in the fame piece: and though the entertainment was, it is true, most exquifitely delightful, the managers thought it not too good for the public, nor were the public backward in giving fuitable encouragement to fuch exertions. There was, then, no neceffity, after the performances had once been announced as daily, for occafionally fhutting up the theatres, through the dread of drawing up the curtain to empty benches.

Ο

DRURY LANE.

N the 7th of this month, Mrs. WILSON made her first appearance on a London ftage, in the character of Phillis, in the comedy of the Confcious Lovers. Her figure is genteel, and her deportment graceful, but she poffeffes, on the whole, a very moderate portion of dramatic ability.

On the 8th inftant Mrs. SIDDONS made her first theatrical entrée this feason, and performed the part of Ifabella. The dramatic excellence of this lady is fo well known, that we think it need lefs to enter into any difcuffion on the fubject of her representation; and fhall content ourselves with obferving, that the audience feemed to feel the fame amazement and admiration with which they were ftruck the first time the appeared before them, a peculiar advantage of fuperior genius, which ever preferves the merit of novelty. Their Majefties, accompanied by the Prince of Wales, the Princefs Royal, and Princess Augufta, honoured the theatre with their prefence. His Majefty was dreffed in a plain fuit of Quakercoloured cloaths, with gold buttons; the Queen in white fattin, and her head-drefs ornamented with a great number of diamonds. The Princess Royal was dreffed in a white and blue figured filk, and the Princess Augufta in a rose.

coloured and white filk of the fame pattern with that of her fifter, both having their head-dreffes richly ornamented with diamonds. His Royal Highnefs the Prince of Wales had a fuit of darkblue Geneva velvet, richly trimmed with gold lace.

ON the 18th inft. Mr. WARD, from the Theatre Royal in Edinburgh, fon of the wellknown Mrs. Ward, and who fome years ago appeared at Covent Garden Theatre in the character of Romeo, renewed his acquaintance with a London audience in the part of Ranger, in the Sufpicious Hufband. Making proper allowances for the embarrassment infeparable from a first attempt, as well as for the difficulty of the task, no actor fince Garrick having been found compleatly equal to it, we may with great juftice affirm that his exertions deserved the plaudits with which he was received.

O

N the 3d of this month Mr. JOHNSTONE, from the Theatre Royal, Dublin, made his first appearance here in the character of Lionel, in the comic opera of Lionel and Clariffa. Mr. Johnftone has a good figure, with an excellent voice, and promifes to be a confiderable favourite. He is a native of Kilkenny, in Ireland, and has been on the Dublin ftage upwards of seven years. Mr. Johnstone has been married about tiers) who appeared at this theatre on the 17th five years to his present wife, (formerly Mifs Poi

of last month.

On the 9th inft. a new Pantomimical Ballet, called the RIVAL KNIGHTS, was exhibited at this theatre, the story of which is as follows.

Pierre de Provence, and the Princess Magulonne, daughter of the King of Naples, are the hero and heroine of the piece. The Chevalier Ferrieres rivals Pierre in her affections. The

interpofition of her father's authority caufes much embarraffment to the parties, and induces the princefs to make her efcape with Pierre. In a foreft fhe is attacked by a lion; and, whilft her lover is employed in vanquishing the beast, Ferrieres, in Pierre's abfence, seizes and carries her away. The princefs now believes that Pierre is destroyed by the lion; but, in a grand tournament, wherein it is declared that the victor fhall be rewarded with the hand of the princess, he fteps forward in difguife, at the moment that Ferrieres (who had previously vanquished his opponent) is claiming her as his promifed reward. Here a moft aftonishing combat takes place between the two rivals, which terminates in favour of the ftranger; and the king, charmed with his address and bravery, is about to prefent him with the princefs, who is prevented from killing herfelf by the unknown knight's taking off his helmet, and proving to be Pierre de Provence. Mutual interceflions procure the king's confent to their union, and the piece concludes with the 2 Q2 victor's

Why flow those tears? (the lovely phantom cries;)
Why break foft foothing reft with endless fighs?
Complaint is vain-thy hopeless with confine;
The much-lov'd ** never must be thine!-
Ah, stay, sweet shade!-I wake, and fondly cry--
Once more regale my fight before I die :
Thy prefence only can my grief difpel,
Or fnatch my spirit from it's mortal cell!-
It comes no more. But now I wake to grieve;
Fresh flow my tears, and fighs my bofom heave.

Ye violet banks, that oft my limbs have borne; Ye winding ftreams, that learnt of me to mourn; Ye cooing doves, that tune your plaintive lay; Ye leafy shades, where love has made me stray: For her bloom fair; melodious be your strains; Whilft I'm condemn'd to never-ceafing pains!

Let guardian angels all their sweetness fhed, And shower their influence o'er her favour'd head: May they protect her with peculiar care; She all that's lovely, innocent, and fair!

Now, plaintive Mufe, go tell the mournful tale; Alone to her thy mafter's name reveal; Her tender heart will liften to thy ftrains, Nor laugh at love, nor mock the lover's pains: But when the nymph these artless lines fhall fee, She'll fpare one figh, one tear, to love and me. If at thy tale the tear of pity flows, Or tender fighs a chearing ray difclofe; If groundless fears have robb'd my foul of reft, And needlefs fadnefs fill'd my fimple breast; With eager hafte my present woes destroy, Difpel my fears with radiant ftreams of joy.

SENSIBILITY.

AN IRREGULAR ODE.

B

NON TU CORPUS ERAS SINE PECTORE.

OFF

FFSPRING of the manly mind,
And female tenderness combin'd;
If e'er I bow'd beneath thy fway,
Or felt thy animating ray,
Still thy true votary let me be,
Angelic Senfibility!

Thee, with weeping willows crown'd,
Pity, and her train, surround;
The Graces and the Loves are thine;
The Mufe, and Mufic's power divine:
At thy birth all nature fmil'd,
For thou art Nature's favourite child.
The fullen Paffions yield to thee,
Envy-Pride-Mifanthropy:
In fofteft fetters thou doft bind
Rage, the tempeft of the wind.
Satan himself, in Eden's bower,
Felt remorfe, and own'd thy power;
View'd our First Parents with delight,
Melted with pity at the fight;
Tafted awhile the joys above,

And almoft wept with tenderness and love.

Thou ample room didft find
In Yorick's liberal mind;
That mind, most exquifitively fraught
With nature, fancy, wit, and thought:
Alas! he charms no more,

• Who fet the table in a roar!"
No more Maria's tale fhall move
His tender heart with generous love;
No more Le Fevre's pangs be felt
By him, who taught our kindred souls to melt.

But, ah! what fairy scenes I view! My ravifh'd foul what mighty magic charms! To think the fweet delufion true, My fond imagination warms.

"Tis Miellerie I fee!

St. Preuxt, and Julia, wandering flow,
Seem to tell their tale of woe.
Ah! hapless, hapless pair!
Thy victims, Senfibility,
Too exquifite to bear.

Thou, in the ufurer's cell,
Didft ever fcorn to dwell;

Where orphan's tears, and widow's fighs,
For ever flow, for ever rise,

But flow and rife in vain;
With adamantine dulness arm'd,
By Confcience, nor by thee, alarm'd,
His every thought is—gain.

Oft have I woo'd thee, gentle power,
Many a folitary hour;

For who, among the tuneful train,
But has indulg'd the pleafing pain,
With energy refin'd;
Unknown to camps, to courts,
and kings,
Beneath the poet's roof fhe fings,
And loves the humble mind.

In calm fequefter'd scenes like these,
Where Contemplation fits at ease,
She rears her modeft head;
With Gray, at evening's stillest hour,
Near yonder ivy-mantled tower,'
Oft glides with filent tread.
But far from gilded pomp fhe flies,
Nor e'er in princely chamber lies:
Their bofoms, arm'd with triple steel,
The woes of others cannot feel;
Abforb'd alone in public care,
No private thought can enter there!

Save, when, with infant-blood imbru'd,
The tyrant Richard‡ trembling stood,
And heard each dying groan;
Pale Confcience then her femblance took,
His fecret foul with horror fhook,

And mark'd him for her own.'

Clofe

victor's coronation by the princefs, who is faluted en militaire by all the knights.

This fpecies of performance is by no means defpicable. The principal performers have been imported from Paris, where they belonged to the company of Monfieur Audinot, who acquired a confiderable fortune with this kind of exhibitions on the Boulevards.

We wish not to prejudice ingenious men of any country, but we think a British theatre stands not in need of any foreign auxiliaries. The Opera-house is a very fufficient receptacle for fuch fingers, dancers, and other dramatic performers, as are not of our own country; and there, but there only, we are always happy to fee them reafonably encouraged.

On the 28th inft. Mr. CHARLES BANNISTER performed the part of Sanguino,in theCaftle of Andalufia; on which occafion the following new fongs, written by Mr. O'Keefe, and fet by Mr. Shields, were introduced.

AIR. SANGUINO.

At the peaceful midnight hour,
Every fenfe, and every pow'r,
Fetter'd lie in downy fleep;
Then our careful watch we keep:
While the wolf, in nightly prowl,
Bays the moon with hideous howl.
Gates are barr'd; and, vain refiftance,
Females fhriek, but no affiftance.

Silence! filence! or you meet your fate; Your keys, your jewels, cafh, and plate!Locks, bolts, and bars, foon fly asunder, Then to rifle, rob, and plunder!

AIR.SANGUINO.

On, by the fpur of valour goaded,
Piftols prim'd, and carbines loaded,

Courage ftrikes on hearts of steel:
Whilft each fpark, thro' the dark gloom of night,
Lends a clear and chearing light,

Who a fear or doubt can feel?

Like ferpents now thro' thickets creeping,
Then on our prey like lions leaping.
Calvetti, to the onfet lead us!
Let the weary traveller dread us;
Struck with terror and amaze,
While fword with lightning blaze.
Thunder to our carbines roaring,
Bursting clouds in torrents pouring,
Wafh the fanguine dagger's blade:
Ours a free, a roving trade.
To the onfet let's away,
Valour calls, and we obey!

ON the 31ft inft. Mifs YouNGE made her appearance at this theatre in the character of Olivia, in Mrs. Cowley's Bold Stroke for a Hufband. The performer, and the performance, are both too well known to need any encomium: it is fufficient to fay that both were received with the ufual eclat.

HOUSE OF LORD S. (Continued from Page 213.).

MAY 30,

ASSED the Scotch Jufticiary, Leeds Ca

tion, Birmingham Canal, and Duke of Norfolk's Eftates, bills.

The order of the day for the farther confideration of the caufe between the Bishop of London and Mr. Ffytche being then read

The Bishop of St. David's expatiated on the dependent fituation the clergy would be thrown into fhould the decree be affirmed; a fituation that, on the first allowance of patronage to lords of manors, and others of the laity, for building churches, and for other purpofes, had never been thought of, otherwife it would certainly have been provided against.

The Bifhop of Llandaff said, that with respect to the income of the clergy in general, it was needlefs to obferve, that any measure to decrease that income in the grofs would be highly injurious to the community: it was, perhaps, most inadequately divided; but that was not for their lordfhips prefent confideration. They were now to weigh, whether the revenue of the church, upon the whole, was too much, and could bear to be diminished: for his part, he would not fay it was

fufficient to fupport the minifters of the church with that credit, refpect, and independency, the preachers of the Gospel ought to hold. If, then, it could not bear a diminution, their lordships would furely oppose refignation-bonds, a practice which, of all others, if allowed, would be moft capable of fhackling it in the highest degree; for. there were needy patrons always to be found, who would be glad to make the most of their prefentations; and still more needy clerks, whofe neceff ties would oblige them to obtain a living, even at a price that would keep them in poverty for ever. The evil, however, would not end here; it would affect them in a greater point, in their moral character; for while they were thus dependent on the will perhaps of a licentious patron, they muft not only neglect their duty in explaining to him his errors, but dare not, if against his will, fully expound that doctrine they are bound to fupport; but he hoped he fhould never see that time when a minifter of the Church of England fhould not dare to tell any man breathing his er

rors.

Thus far he confidered refignation-bonds in general to be of the worst confequences; and was forry to obferve ours was the only church in which they were used.

Lord Thurlow condemned the practice of giving refignation-bonds under any circumftance whatever, and moved that the decree of the Court of Common Pleas be reversed.

The

The Earl of Mansfield faid, that with respect to the equity of bonds of refignation, he was exactly of the opinion of the noble and learned lord, and of the reverend prelate, but they were clearly not confiftent with law; they were an ingenious evafion, which the practice of the courts below had not touched, and therefore an act of parliament was requifite to overturn them.

The Duke of Richmond was of the fame opinion.

The queftion being then put, a divifion was demanded; when there appeared in favour of Lord Thurlow's motion that the decree be reverfed

Read a first time the Kilburn and St. Giles's Road bills.

Reported the Vagabonds bill.

Received Bayntun's Divorce bill, with amendments, from the Commons; which, after fome lit tle altercation, were agreed to, and the bill paffed. JUNE 5.

Paffed the St. Martin's Paving, Odstock and Bilfton Inclosure, and Chatteris Road, bills." Read a first time the Pay Office Reform, with feveral other bills from the Commons.

The judges gave their opinion in the cafe of Fanshaw and Cockfedge, in favour of the defendant; after which Lord Thurlow rose, and stated his reafons for differing from them; but, declining making any motion on the fubject, the queftion was put, and the decree affirmed.

Adjourned till Monday seʼnnight.
JUNE 16.

Their lordships having met, pursuant to adjournment, went through in committee, and reported, the bill for punishing Vagabonds, calling themfelves Egyptians.

Read a first time the Whitechapel Paving, Shrewsbury Small Debts, and Tax Receipt, bills. Ordered that the Lords be fummoned for the morrow, to confider of the message to be prefented from the King for the establishment of the Houfhold of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

JUNE 17.

Read a first time the Vagrant bill. A fecond time, the Receipt, Whitechapel Paving, and several other bills.

Went through, in committee, with amendments, the Pay Office Reform bill.

Reported the Paddington Road bill.
Paffed the Vagabond Egyptians bill.

The Duke of Portland faid, that as he underftood the bufinefs which had been expected to come before their lordships, and for which they had been fummoned, was poftponed, he should move for the adjournment of the House, which he did; and the Houfe adjourned accordingly.

JUNE 18.

Paffed the Pay Office Reform, Hull Gaol, and Paddington and Kilburn Road, bills.

The petition from the merchants and traders of London against the tax on receipts being then

read, Lord Fitzwilliam moved, that as petitions against taxes are never received, the faid petition be rejected.

Lord Tankerville thought it would be proper to ftate from the Woolfack, that this was the general rule of the Houfe, that the petitioners might not think themselves treated with difrelpect.

This motion being put and carried, a fimilar petition was brought up by Lord Sydney from the city and corporation of London; which Lord Fitzwilliam likewife moved fhould be rejected.

Lord Sydney faid, that being the youngest peer in the Houfe, it might appear prefumptuous in him to arraign a standing order of the Houfe; but he could fcarce believe that any fuch order exifted, as it would, in his opinion, be highly improper, as well as injurious; for in what light muft their lordships be confidered by the public, when they understood that they were not to expect redrets; nay, that the House itself had a ftanding order against all fuch complaints? It was certainly incumbent on their lordships, when applied to by fo numerous and refpectable a part of the community, to pay fome attention to their petitions, efpecially when worded with proper refpect to that Houfe; and neither to reject them on the principle of their being contrary to a standing order, or from the idea which was pretty ge nerally entertained, that their lordships were not competent to make alterations in a money-bill.

The Duke of Chandos reprobated the idea of their lordships not being competent to make alterations in any bill that might be fent up from the other Houfe, provided their lordships found. fuch alterations neceffary, and agreeable to the wishes and interests of the public at large.

Lord Walfingham thought, that if the House once received petitions against taxes, great inconveniences would enfue, as it was impoffible to levy a tax which would not be felt by fome. On this account, therefore, he thought it adviseable to reject the prefent petitions.

Lord Ferrers faid, he rofe not only to fupport the petition, but the dignity of the Houfe. How it could be fuppofed that their lordships were not empowered to make alterations in money-bills, he could not conceive; or from what principle the other House had affumed to itself the right of framing taxes to which the Lords were to give their affent, without being at liberty to judge whether they were proper or improper.

Lord Mansfield obferved, that the question be fore their lordships was, Whether the petition fhould be received or rejected? and not the merits or demerits of the tax; the proper time for which would be when the bill came under confideration.. With refpect to rejecting the petition, on the fuppofition that there was a standing order that none should be received, this was a mistake; he knew of no fuch order; but, from the inconvenience that would attend fuch petitions, it had long been the cuftom, not only of that House, but also of the other, to reject every petition that might be introduced against a tax; and this custom he thought very judicious; for if petitions once found their way into either Houfe, no feffion could be long enough to get through the fupplies.

Lord