stage, that we heartily wish every man, who shall hereafter personate them in the theatre, may be seized by a press-gang, and carried on board the Tender! Smith's song, "6 I'm a tough true-hearted sailor," is set too low, even for his low voice-the man is absolutely converted into a ventriloquist he and his diaphragm have all the melody to themselves. It is a very good sea-song. The duet, "Why should man," is set to the air so admirably composed in Caractacus, and so admirably danced by Miss Gayton, but somehow it failed of producing any effect. Mrs. Bland's first ballad, "The Scenes of the Desert were rugged and bare," was sweetly sung, and deservedly encored. The simplicity of that lady is by no means aided by a red sattin train. Mathews's first comic song, "In England they tell us," was encored; his second song failed of its effect, owing to a hoarseness-it was well written and well set. The introductory duett, Mr. Braham and Miss Lyon, was in justice encored. Mr. B. a second Kais, laments his love, and wears the same disguise as Mr. Brandon's hero. His throwing it off was so tame an imitation of "Am I a beef-eater now?" that the audience could contain their gravity no longer. His minstrel-air," I've seen the day," is a beautiful melody. Decamp's Rhindax, is a Circassian Coriolanus! about as like the original as Kais was to Octavian.

Some ill-natured people, by a premature hiss in the first act, disturbed the audience. But about the middle of the second, the house in general adopted their opinion. A blunder of Smith's on shaking hands, increased their displeasure, and Bannister's entrée through a window, completed the catastrophe. Mr. Bishop, the Palinurus of the band for that night only, abandoned the helm in despair, and the vessel was so near foundering, that it may be confidently predicted she will never be sea-worthy again. Among other absurdities in this opera, it deserves notice that Barak, the keeper of the seraglio, who admits that he must answer for any neglect of duty with the forfeit of his head, suffered Rachael to depart without an earnest upon her mere promise to bring him Lack some jewels. The lady afterwards makes her exits and entrées at the gate of the seraglio, with as much ease as if the whole establishment were her own! Bishop is to be pitied-but he should not have embarked his treasure in such a wretched vessel. A punning spectator would say it is not see-worthy.

Of Addison's Opera of Rosamond Sir John Hawkins observed that "the villainy of Clayton's music, preponderated against the elegance and humour of the poetry,”—With Mr. Secretary Ward, the author, and Mr. Bishop, the composer, it was just vice versa; but, notwithstanding all his inspiration, Bishop appears to be no Orpheus-Carmine dum tali Sylvas-Threicius vates ducit, his lyre cannot keep moving, even the Se

cretary of the Board! Bannister gave it out for a second representation*, in inexplicable dumb show. The house was crowded.

The Circassian Bride and the Unconscious Counterfeit, were advertised for Saturday the 25th. It being Lent, no performance took place at this theatre on the 24th. A circumstance more fortunate could not have attended its destruction, as many hundreds must have perished, had the flames spread with the same rapidity at that hour on an ordinary night. If it can be believed that this was the work of some basely interested or malicious incendiary, the time chosen appears to shew a feeling of conscience, even in such a villain; if not, we have only a further, though needless, confirmation, that as in the fall of a sparrow, so in the most awful scenes of waste "there is a Providence!"

We shall now pay our last respects to this theatre, in an account of the particulars of its destruction, with some REMARKS on the subsequent operations of the Company, and their Manager.

DESTRUCTION OF DRURY-LANE THEATRE BY FIRE. A strict investigation leaves us to believe, but not without some hesition, that this melancholy catastrophe was occasioned by accident. It appears that the stove in the upper coffee-room was of slight construction; for the mere purpose of accommodating the customers of the evening with water for tea, &c. and quite surrounded with wood-work. In this stove the workmen who had been employed during the day, had made a much larger fire than it was customary to make there, or than it was calculated to admit; the remains of which were left in it at four o'clock, and, it is reasonable to suppose, had communicated to the surrounding wood-work, and that the fire had been gaining strength from that time to the moment of its bursting forth.

"In less than a quarter of an hour the fire spread in one unbroken flame over the whole of the immense pile, extending from Brydgesstreet to Drury-lane; so that the pillar of fire was not less than 450 feet in breadth. In a very few minutes all that part of the theatre, together with the front row of boxes, was on fire, and the rapidity of the flames was such, that before twelve o'clock the whole of the interior of the theatre was one blaze. The theatre was at this time left to its fate, and the appearance was awfully and tremendously grand. Never before did we behold so immeuse a body of flame, and the occasional explosions that took place, were awful in appearance beyond description. The interior was most completely destroyed by one o'clock. Some of the houses partially caught fire in Russel-street, but the engines, with a plentiful supply of water, continued to play on the houses contiguous to the theatre. The advantage of having a great public 索 It will be seen, that an executive conflagration stept in, and saved the judicial damnation of the public from being reversed.

structure of this kind in an insulated situation, was apparent upon this awful and melancholy occasion. Although the engines could not arrest the progress of the flames in the theatre, they were able to play upon the surrounding buildings, and thus saved the neighbourhood from destruction. Neither the burning of Covent-Garden Theatre, nor the late fire at St. James's Palace, can be compared in terrific grandeur with this conflagration. The Thames appeared like a sheet of fire.

At three o'clock the flames had nearly subsided: that once magnificent structure presented to our view nothing but an immense heap of ruins; and at five o'clock the flames were completely subdued.

"The building of this theatre cost 200,000l. Of the immense property of all sorts, in scenery, machinery, dresses, decorations, music, instruments, plays, &c. of which nothing was saved, we can form no estimate. If the theatre cost 200,000l. in building, fifteen years ago, it cannot now be rebuilt for 300,000l. It was not insured, we understand, as some papers state, for something more than 40,0001. but for the exact following sums :

Imperial
Hope

Eagle
British

L. 13,500

10,000

6,500

5,000

£.35,000

The whole of this insurance has been attached in the different offices by his Grace the Duke of Bedford, the ground landlord, &c. The Treasury, having a party wall, still stands unhurt, and but for the injudicious zeal of some of the assistants, in opposition to the better judg ment of Mr. Peake, none of the books or papers would have been lost—-the loss, however, is not very great, since all the accounts are now closed. The whole of the property of Mrs. Jordan, and some belonging to Messrs. Mathews and Decamp, were the only things saved. the splendid furniture that formerly ornamented the dwelling of Mr. Sheridan, when Treasurer of the Navy, the fruits of office, were destroyed. Mr. PHILLIPS, who resides in Cross-court, Russel-court, gave the first alarm at the stage door. Not a single life was lost.

PLAN OF THE LATE THEATRE.

All

The plan of the late theatre included an area of upwards of 320 feet in length, by 155 in breadth, and the height of the building, measuring from the substratum to the roof, was 118 feet. On the 5th of March, 1794, Mr. Fox brought up a petition in the House of Commons from Mr. Sheridan, in behalf of himself and the other proprietors, praying certain powers to clear the avenues of the theatre for the accommoda

tion of the public. The petition was referred to a Committee, and the intended improvements were incomplete when the edifice sunk in flames. The front in Bridges-street was to have been ornamented by buildings, containing a coffee-house, tavern, library, shops of various sorts, and residences for the performers. According to the plan, it would have been one of the most complete theatres in Europe, and worthy the Bri tish capital; but it fell before it reached perfection. The decorations had a rich effect, and at the same time a simplicity which gratified the eye, without reducing the effect of the stage decorations. The drop scene was considered by the artists a rare production of architectural design. The perspective was preserved with exactitude, the effect of light and shade was never displayed to more advantage, and the whole composition was entitled to high encomium. The loss of that scene alone fell heavy on the proprietors; every amateur of scenic painting will regret its destruction.

SUBSEQUENT OPERATIONS.

Several meetings of the performers took place subsequently to the fire, to determine on their future conduct, to see what reinforcement they might gain from hope,

"If none, what resolution from despair."

Nothing, however, was done until the 1st of March, when, it seems, Mr.
SHERIDAN resigned all controul over the Ladies and Gentlemen of the late
establishment, and left them, with his good wishes, to their fortune*. The
performers resolved in consequence to adhere to each other, and mak
ing common cause, to embark in the theatre best adapted to their pur
pose. Mr. TAYLOR offered them the Opera House on the vacant nights,
which they accepted pro tempore, with a view to negociate for the Ly-
ceum for the remainder of the season. A Committee of seven of the
leading performers was formed, and these resolutions entered into, (even
to the fixing on Man and Wife and the Unconscious Counterfeit, to begin
with, on Monday the 6th) when Mr. SHERIDAN, not three hours after
the above dimittimus, informed them that he had changed his mind,
that he would continue with them, and they must provide for himself
and his son Tom. It would appear, therefore, that what they thought
very magnanimous conduct on the part of Richard Brinsley, was merely
a ruse de guerre, unsuccessful in its event. He probably imagined that
they would have all thrown up their caps, and exclaimed,
Long live
King RICHARD!" and insisted on his staying with them, and sharing
their fortunes and exertions, on the liberal principle of the less a man's
desert, the greater his title. But they took him at his word, and would
willingly
and wisely have made their bricks without a particle of this

* British Press, March 2.

straw.

straw. Consequently they rejected all his overtures, and determined to erect themselves into an independent company, and act under a licence from the CHAMBERLAIN. Their resolutions were, however, frustrated in detail. They waited on the LORD CHAMBERLAIN at ten in the morning; when they found that Mr. SHERIDAN, who has throughout life constantly observed the maxim "he, that would thrive, must rise at five"-in the afternoon, had been with his Lordship at nine, and through his representations obtained a promise that no licence should be granted to them-Their hopes with respect to the Lyceum and the Opera House he also destroyed, for he prevented their getting either in their own names, and, with his, Mr. TAYLOR and Mr. LINGHAM utterly refused every connection. It certainly seems too much to expect that a dramatic body like this should be allowed to possess themselves of such a property; but in justice to them it must be said, that their error originated in Mr. SHERIDAN's dismissal of them, and their plans were honourable to them, as in their resolutions, which they exhibited to the CHAMBERLAIN, they shewed that their intention was principally to relieve the deep distress of the lower order of performers *, and to this end they had agreed to secure to every actor, acting under three pounds a week, his salary, even though a deduction in proportion were made from the receipts of the leading performers, who could certainly have provided better for themselves without entering into such a league. This projected licence, which had in view the throwing off of all the incumbrances of renters, debts, bones, &c. Mr. SHERIDAN now thinks that he himself may as well endeavour to obtain, and who has so many friends at court? We almost wish that he may be successful (and we wish it in a spirit of charity, quite independent of his upright claims, and long-tried merits), because we are apprehensive that this melancholy catastrophe may eventually drive him to drinking! Nothing, however, but another race of Lacys and Grubs, can, we should think, give him any share in the erection of a new theatre! Still there is no room for despair, since who shall set bounds to folly, and who so bold as to declare, that experience always makes fools wise! Under every circumstance, and at all events, Mr. SHERIDAN has that within, which will support him unmoved amidst the wreck of matter, theatrical or any other, -he possesses the mens conscia recti, which makes him a Philosopher! Such were his words at the Piazza Coffee-House, whilst the theatre was still blazing, and at a time when he was in that state, in which men are known proverbially to see most, and to speak the truth! It is now a trim reckoning The LORD CHANCELLOR's interference ceases to be necessary, Mr. SHERIDAN is supported by his conscious rectitude, alias philosophy, and the PROPRIETORS, RENTERS, and CREDITORS, * A Comedy, an Opera, a Farce, and a Melo-drame, had been promised them gratis. Mr. Bishop also offered to compose their music without reward.