proves that the managers of theatrical representations have not the least idea of what constitutes a great actress. We learn to dance and sing as perfectly as possible, because these two talents have regular rules and principles, which the most ignorant may understand and practise; but I know of no rules, of no principles, which can teach people every species of knowledge, every species of acquire. ment, necessary to produce a great actress; I know of no rules which can teach us to think and to feel: nature alone can bestow those faculties, which experience, study, and opportunities, afterwards develope. The only schools from which there is a reasonable and probable expectation of advantage, are the provincial theatres. The necessity of obtaining an engagement, the emulation of excelling each other, the dread of public disapprobation, the practice which the memory obtains by a continuance of labour, the ease and familiarity acquired by a daily appearance upon the stage, the facility of thereby acquiring a good ear, and of enlarging one's ideas by seeing entire pieces performed, and by observing their effect upon the public, will achieve more in six months towards the formation of a good actress, than two years instruction in private, whatever may be the talents and ability of the master. I do not think I am actuated by any very great degree of vanity in comparing myself with the actresses of the present day: they will, I trust, pardon me for asserting, that I do not believe them better instructed, superior in ability, or more serviceable on the stage than I was. I have spared no pains in forming the talents of Mesdemoiselles Dubois and Rancourt. I appeal to all who have seen them-my charming scholars have evinced the greatest abilities: but, alas! notwithstanding all my cares, added to what they received from nature, I have never been able to make any thing more of them than mere imitators of myself. The utmost hopes were formed from their first appearance; but it was because I was behind the curtain, and the public was captivated by youth and beauty. When I ceased my lessons, their talents vanished. It is nature alone that can form splendid characters in any walk of life. Observe the state of mankind with respect to the arts, sciences, and learned acquirements; and from the small number of those who may be said to excel, you will be able to determine how impossible it is to command genius, or to impart it by instruction. When a young actress discovers spirit, an accurate judgment, sensibility, force, a good voice, memory, and a countenance happily formed for the characters she is to represent, let her not want the means to improve them; provide her with such masters as may be necessary to enable her to develope her ideas : let her not languish in a state which may repress the energy of her mind, and retard her pro ́gress; let her not feel the necessity of resorting to vice to obtain the situation she is emulous of; recommend to her to listen with attention to the advice which the public, or others of the same profession with herself, may give, as to her evincing too much or too little warmth of feeling, dignity of action, or grace of deportment : let her second the efforts of her friends to forward her improvement. Such, according to my opinion, are the only possible means by which an actress can derive advantage from instruction. Is it to be supposed that Preville can instruct others to perform Orosmane and Semiramis ? that Molè can create actors fit for all characters ? It is an absurdity, at which they themselves must laugh in their sleeves. To give themselves airs of importance, form a seraglio among the female candidates for theatrical fame, amass money, and become the terror of the whole stage, are all these gentlemen pretend to, or can perform. I shall be answered, perhaps, that the provincial theatres do not furnish good subjects. I agree that comic opera and the ballet absorb every thing else; and that, at present, performers in that line are the most essential part of the theatrical company. The talents required for such situations are in the reach of every one, whatever may be their educations; and those who have acquired them may, at any time, make sure of gaining a livelihood; their dresses are furnished by the managers, and their salaries are, generally, liberal. But the talents for the French theatre demand an education of a peculiar nature, and comprehending a variety of branches; they also imply the possession of many gifts of nature, and that the actress should be of an age competent to understand, feel, and compare what she studies; the dresses are extremely expensive, and are entirely provided by the actress herself; the salary is small at first, and is never increased to what may be termed a sufficiency, until after a lapse of several years, and then, perhaps, not without that protection which, in many instances, is not to be obtained without concessions, far from being congenial to the feelings and dispositions of every one. Those who make the stage their profession are for the most part in necessitous circumstances, and of indigent families. It is a natural choice for persons so situated, inasmuch as it is one which, of all others, presents itself as affording the fairest encouragement for talent, and the surest prospect of immediate emolument. САТО. THERE has been much difference of opinion respecting the pronunciation of this word; whether we should use the a slender, as in case, which, as Dr. Johnson says, is the proper. English a, or the open a, as in father. The advocates for the latter tell us, that it is the old Roman pronunciation, and therefore the proper one. We believe the manner in which the Latin language was pronounced by the Romans has never been precisely ascertained. The great public schools of England have agreed, (not without good reason and due deliberation, it is to be presumed,) to adopt the a slender. And one of the universities, certainly, and we believe both, observe the same rule. Upon a point like this, we think they are entitled to attention; and their practice ought assuredly to govern that of the stage in the metropolis of England, whatever may be the case in Edinburgh or Dublin. But admitting that the old Romans used the open a; Cato, in an English poem, is to be considered as an English appellation. We have plays from the Spanish, Italian, German, &c. but what a barbarous collection of sounds would issue from the mouths of our actors, if we gave to the names of the several characters their precise original pronunciation. We have consented, on these occasions, to sacrifice propriety to convenience, and the character of our language. The French go much farther than we do, for they alter even the spelling of Greek and Latin names, and give them French terminations. We must not say that it is absurd not to pronounce Cato as the Romans pronounced it, for the argument will then go too far. It is absurd to hear the Roman Cato recite the harmonious lines of the English Addison. If, however, the actors will have it Caato, in defiance of Westminster and Eton, let them be consistent. Let it henceforth be Coriolaanus, Horaatius, Acaasto, Castaalio; and let all the Dram. Pers, which we have borrowed from old Rome or modern Italy, be given, in future, with the genuine os rotundum, and then John Bull, whatever knowledge he may have of the languages, may perhaps fall in love with the sound. A WESTMINSTER. ORIGINAL POETRY. SONNET. On receiving, as a posthumous memorial, a pair of green-glass spectacles, which had belonged to the author of "The Task." NOT that there needed, venerable bard! Aught more impressive than the gifted page Or leave thy lov'd idea unimpair'd. Thy living temples from excess of light,' To light earth's pilgrim on his heaven-ward way. T. PARK. The gifted page alludes to a copy of Mr. Cowper's poems, received from the author. AN ECLOGUE. IN THE YORKSHIRE DIALECT. WHOI Deick's that thee? prethea whear arta baen Eit's varry deark, an ne'er a stear eiz ait, And Will-wit-wisp eiz flicken(a) fest abait. Ause baen, says Dick, to fin aer yung polled kea, (b) Shu hez bien meissin e'er sin yesterdea, An maister nae hez sent me to tha meill, He heaard that shu wor thear, an eiz thear steill. And arta nut affeard to goa eit deark, A'um seur the thout on't maks moi heaart to weark ; (c) Eif tha a ghoast or boggerd (d) blick sud meet, Nae wodunt ta, Deick, then be sedly freet? (e) (a) flying. (b) an heifer. (c) ache. (d) Boggerd is supposed to be a supernatural appearance, which goes about at night in the shape of an ass, with large eyes, and a long chain round it. (e) frighted. Whoi hey, eif au a ghoast sud chonce to see, Or boggerd, then 'twod sedly freetun me; Nae goa wi'une, thee knaws eits nut a moile, Aul tell thee tealls fort all the whoile; Aul tell thee a teall o' summot (f) thet au saw, 'Tull pleaase thea weel, au tell thee 'tweill, au knaw. Tha knaws lest statis, (g) au sett off to hoire, An for a soudger went, aull we cud due. Poor Saumon croied, au thout heiz heaart wod brust noa, "For we mun goa thru't Church yeard or Braemmoor, "Tha knau aum freet'und when au goa thet weay, "Twor thear au summot saw eit oppun deaye." Au hed'unt speick'd (i) fore Jeck cam ein soa foin, An ein heiz hend a greet broaad swurd deid shoine. He sed to Robin, eif we boath wod stea, Thet nauthur on us sud a fearthein peay. Au saw the soudgers weink, but au sed " "For whether Robin wod or nut a'ud goa, "Be seur, au did'ont loike to goa maisell, "But au'd due thet affoor moi loif au'd sell." He wod'unt stur, for aull thet au cud seay, Soa au sed" Robin, tha mun tak thoi weay." Weel, off au set, boot wor soa pleagy scear'd, (k) For ev'ry stoop (1) au saw mead me affeard; (f) something. (g) s'atute fair. (i) spoken. (*) frighted. (h) reckoning. (4) post. |