mers, where this class of ladies, and their irresistible propensities are known, it is usual, at the end of the year, for the master or mistress of the shop to add to their bills an equal moiety of the aggregate value of lace which has been stolen that year, and which is equally divided, at a high price, amongst these fair-ones, under the unoffending title of "To etceteras so much." Vol. i. p. 203. A little further on it is said "Such is the prevalence of fashion, that it was lately all the rage with ladies of rank and ton, to attend, and that too on a week-day, the sermons, called Morning Lectures, of a preacher who, for a time, was very popular amongst them; and even a prince of the blood was found amongst the congregation on this extraordinary occasion. However, I need not add, that this holy fever only lasted for a short time amongst the gay devotees." Vol. i. p. 207. If the late Bishop of London's Lent Lectures are here alluded to, it was the preacher, and not the audience, that tired first; the Bishop declaring, that he thought his lectures were attended only for fashion's sake. The author of these volumes, as if he anticipated no good from Reviewers, has had the malice to invent the following side-hit at the fraternity. It is so unskilfully aimed, that it does nothing but bring the author himself to the ground : "On this side of the prison (the Debtors' side of Newgate) we saw two persons who were busily employed in writing. We were told by the turnkey, that one had been a clerk to a cheesemonger, and the other the attendant of a quack-doctor; that they got involved by dissipation and extravagance, but that they were now getting a comfortable maintenance in prison as reviewers, The fellow made us laugh by telling us, that at first they were so gentle and milk-and-waterish in their occupation, that the booksellers threatened to withdraw their custom, unless they seasoned their criticism higher, and without justice or mercy abused every work they received orders to treat in that way. He added, that by doing so, they had now good employ. We could scarcely believe what he said. Heaven protect the unhappy authors that come under their slaughtering knives! We observed that they had two or three volumes, extremely thumbed and dirtied, of the Encyclopædia Britannica, which we supposed to be the auxiliaries of their cri ticism." Vol. i. p. 166. If we thought that the merest child could give credit to this story, we would go to the turnkey of Newgate, and get him to contra dict it. SIR RICHARD PHILLIPS, who is mightily lauded throughout the whole of the present work, attended the author round Newgate, and hates reviewers with a most disinterested, gratuitous, and independent hate, for he has sworn that he never reads them! We say no more. The work is embellished with a few paltry scratched chalk engravings. "The frontispiece, intended to represent the appearance of Drury-lane Theatre, during the early part of its confla gration, as seen from the Patent-shot-mill," is nothing more than a bird's-eye view of the Theatre in outline, with a little smoke rising from it. The following statement is made in a note on the subject: to us it is novel. "A short time previous to its demolition, Mr. Smirke, the architect, who had inspected every part of it, declared that it was so slightly built, and the timbers so decayed, that, should it take fire, the whole would be burnt down in about two hours. This gentleman was within an hour of being accurate in his prophetic remark. If it had not been destroyed in the way it was, in all human probability it would, in a short time, have fallen to the ground, and perhaps proved the destruction of thousands." Vol. i. p. 209. The Elements of Astronomy, according to the Newtonian Principles; illustrated by Diagrams, &c. By George Reynolds. 12mo. pp. 143. 4s. 6d. Sherwood. 1809. DR. YOUNG has not better described Astronomy, than he has the, simple method here adopted by Mr. Reynolds to facilitate its study : "Divine Instructor! Thy first volume this For man's perusal; all in capitals! In moon and stars (Heav'n's golden alphabet) Emblaz'd to seize the sight; who runs, may read; Who reads, can understand." Such is, indeed, the character of this little volume, which, being "intended solely for the instruction of young ladies and gentlemen," is therefore all that it should be. To weigh it in other scales would be unjust. THE BRITISH STAGE. Τα αμφι τῳ θεατρῳ, και τοις τοίστοις χωρίοις. Marc. Antonin. lib. vi. § xlvi. Nil novum, nihi quod non semel spectâsse sufficiat. De Circensibus Plin. 1. ix. ep. 6. PRIVATE THEATRES. MR. EDITOR, Ir is very seldom that I take up my pen to write letters with view to their meeting the public eye, but from your general silence on the subject to which I now seek to draw your attention, I wish to trouble you with a few words. The subject I allude to is the private theatres. I must first premise, that I am not an absolute enemy to those places, if practised with discretion, because I think it an innocent and amusing relaxation from the toils of business, and a very pleasing medium of conveying instruction to the mind; but, it is too often the case, that the young men who take a fancy to that recreation, can very seldom muster sufficient resolution to abandon the pleasure while it has yet done them no harm, but should they meet with some small symptoms of applause, it inflames their pride and ambition to such a degree, that they instantly think they are certainly intended for great actors, and pursue the dangerous practice, with. out giving themselves time for reflection, and they arrive on the very brink of ruin ere they bethink themselves that they have committed a fault. At the particular request of a friend, I accompanied him last Monday evening to the Minor Theatre, Catharine-street, Strand, where the comedy of Folly as it Flies, was to be attempted by some of those young men. After keeping the audience waiting till near eight o'clock, the curtain drew up, but a poor author so dreadfully murdered I never before saw, and hope never to see again. Two or three books on the stage, in a scene, and the reading of the parts I can scarcely describe. You have, doubtless, heard young children saying their A, B, C, at an old woman's day-school: exactly in the same manner were those parts read to an audience much more respectable than generally visits those places.-Leonard Melmoth was passable, but "Oh! ye Gods and Goddesses!" such a Tom Tick. Pray, Mr. Editor, only conceive but really I am so much puzzled to give you any idea or conception of the attempt, and in mercy to the feelings of the young man, I shall charitably say nothing further, than that I hope he has the good sense to see through his error, and will never attempt to make himself a laughing-stock again. I take the liberty of writing this letter to you, because I believe your valuable Miscellany is most generally read by the privatetheatrical gentlemen, and by inserting it therein, or taking some other notice of the subject of it, it may catch their attention, and cause them for a moment to reflect, that they are not all born to be actors. I am, Mr. Editor, Your constant Reader, 13th Sept. 1809. THE STAGE. THE fanaticism of the Methodists is deplorable. I know that they were supposed to have 'set fire to the Birmingham Theatre. The best things may be perverted; it is so when religion is exchanged for enthusiasm. I own, I always think that every enthusiast is a fool or a rogue,--I could wish them to chuse the rank and file they please to march in, but in one of these they must be placed. The wild men of the modern day class plays with all the vile abominations of the Romans, where men were slaughtered by men or wild beasts. The stage ever partakes of the degree of refinement of a country. In Charles II,'s licentious days, it of ten recommended sin instead of virtue-It does not now. The wisest and the best have written for the stage; what they have given, cannot be sinful to act; nor can the actors be wicked for playing such characters. There is vice every where-there is vir tue every where. The inducements to profligacy may be greater in some situations than in others. They who escape contamination, have double merit. Persons in every profession have, in point of abilities and accomplishments, the three degrees, Those of either sex, who greatly excel on the stage, are sometimes pecu. liarly well-informed, and their society highly and justly prized, if the moral character is equally well supported; and in every other line of life, however elevated, if this latter is deficient, contempt will attach, whatever real robes adorn the person. ANTI-FANATICUS. ORIGINAL POETRY. HORACE IN LONDON. BOOK II.-ODE I. TO MR. KEMBLE. Motum ex Metello consule civicum, &c. IN battles provok'd by the blood-tainted Thane, When fortune deserts the poor lunatic Dane, The wreath of applause what philosopher scorns? But when it the brow of an actor adorns, Awhile to your Theatre now bid adieu! For, hark! what a discord of bugles and bells, To scuffles, rows, riots, and battles! And now from the barracks of Bow-street, good lack! A band under Townsend and Sayers, Wave high their gilt staffs, while the dull sounding thwack Falls frequent and thick on the enemies' back, Or visits their pate with a merry-ton'd crack, In aid of King John and the Players. FFVOL. VI.* |