ed of the Stranger, in others of Lovers' Vows. Much attention has been paid to the diction, but though greatly superior to most of his brother dramatists in this respect, there is much redundancy, and some puerile conceits, such as we pointed out in our review of Mr. Dimond's Petrarchal Sonnets, [vol. X, p. 92.] · He is too fond of glitter and gaude, but his faults, which we notice only that they may be avoided, are still the faults of a poet. He will discard them as he grows older, and exchange his tinsel for the more substantial ornaments of poetry.

Whatever may be the attraction of this play, the author has every right to take the credit of it to himself, for in point of scenery and decorations little or no help has been afforded it...

In the acting, Miss Smith and Charles Kemble particularly distinguished themselves. COOKE had a character in the piece, and MUNDEN, but there was little opportunity for either of them to exert their powers.

In the epilogue, written by Mr. Walsh Porter, Miss Brunton and Mrs. Mattocks successfully canvassed the house for their votes, in favour of the young candidate for a seat in the parliament of wit, who was returned dulyelected by a great majority of voices.

20. Deserts of Arabia.-If the play we have just noticed had to boast but little splendour, it was, perhaps, that this grand operatic entertainment might have the greater share of it. The machinist, the painter, and the decorateur, have bestowed all their care upon it, and we doubt if Mr. Reynolds, whose bantling the farce is, can recognize his child in the fine cloaths in which they have dressed it up.

The dialogue is marked with the eccentricity of Mr. Reynolds's Muse, J which, even in the Deserts of Arabia, is a merry one. Much pains he has : not taken with the story, but he has done all that was necessary; and we sup-› pose will be content with the profit of the undertaking, without expecting any addition to his fame from this-splendid desert.

The music, by Lanza, is scientific, but not well calculated for an English theatre. The representation of a caravan, as crossing the desert, with which the entertainment concludes, forms a most brilliant and interesting coup d'œil, and the illuminated tomb presents a very beautiful, scene, upon a principle rather new to the stage.

The dresses are of the most tasteful and superb description, and the pro sessions, &c. are admirably conducted.

"

Nov. 4. The Cabinet introduced Mr. Braham for the first time this sea son, but not Madame Storace, whose character was ably filled by Mrs. Mountain. The former lady, however, appeared a few nights after, (having settled, we presume, her terms with the manager) and was received with the customary applause.

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20. The Vindictive Man, a comedy by Mr. Holcroft, felt all the rage of a vindictive audience. The design of the author was to show in comedy, what Young has exemplified in his Revenge; how deeply the disgrace of a blow may, be felt by a sensitive mind; and how long the desire of revenge may live unimpai.ed in a breast, in every other respect the seat of the most amiable quali

ties. But a blow received by an African prince, (a child of the sun, with whom revenge is virtue,") from the hand of the enemy of his country, and his. conqueror, may be allowed to nourish in him this implacable hatred,, without exciting either surprise or detestation. A passion of this nature, felt in all its ex¬ travagance by a merchant, against a brother who in a boyish tiff had struck him, appears both improbable and abominable. Voila la difference. The principle of the comedy was therefore a bad one, but it did not fail only here; the rest of the materials were either coarse, or trite and insipid. A second Goldfinch from the Road to Ruin, made his appearance sans ceremonie. This was not to be endured, and precipitated the fate of the piece, which from the first augured but unfavourably...

Mr. Holcroft has done so much for the stage, and so well, that we lament the failure of his comedy, while we cannot but applaud the judgment of the au¬ dience which condemned it.

24. Tekeli, or the Castle of Montgatz. We have just time and room to say, that this melo drama has been received with great applause, is uncommonly interesting, and if it meets with what it merits, will be attractive in a very powerful degrée. A more particular account next month. It is the production of Mr. Theodore Hook, and is taken from the French.

ROYALTY THEATRE, WELCLOSE-SQUARE.

NEITHER the exertion of the talents of Mr. Astley, junr. to put into the most desirable action the company behind the curtain, nor his attention to the comfort of that before it, suffers any abatement. Other geniusses may, as we hear, have their wits weather-bound, but Mr. Astley's are equally on the alert, both winter and summer. The excellence of the corps, and the perpetual variety and ingenuity of the performances, are justly rewarded with the greatest public support.

OLYMPIC PAVILION, WYCH-STREET.

THE attraction of this amusing spot increases nightly as the winter season advances. Our hint (probably unnecessary,) in recommendation of a harlequinade has been adopt d, and the production of The Hags of Mischief greatly improves the entertainment of the hour. Miss Taylor's Columbine is light, airy, and agreeable. The clown of Du Bois, senr. needs no culogium. -It is as effectual as ever. Mr. H. Bryson's Harlequin is heavy beyond the heaviness of any Harlequin we ever saw in any place, if we except a #asquerade. From such a body of active fellows, as we here see performing surprising exercises of agility, some one more nimble might be easily chosen.' The Blacksmith of Gretna Green is a very pretty operatical dance, in which Mrs. Parker steps into public favour, with exceeding ease and neatness. To the Redoubtable Charger, who officiates as a waiter, we may truly say, with Libanus in Plautus, “te equo magis est equus nullus sapiens.” The house is constantly full, and the success of the undertaking admits of no doubt.

PROVINCIAL DRAMA.

NORTH SHIELDS THEATRICALS.---On seeing Messrs. Anderson and Faulkner's company at North Shields, I was led to some reflections as to the intent of the remarks signed Vindex, in your Mirror for August or September. I now join the general opinion, that it proceeded from a disap pointed performer to injure, if possible, the successors of Mr. Kemble. Great changes have taken place; among others, Mr. Terry is no longer a member, but as he never exhibited (in the language of Vindex,)" any felicious irregularity of peculiar talent," we cannot regret his loss. "Only on the stage he fill'd up a place, which was better supplied when he had made it empty."

Mr. Bellamy has restored the few prominent parts Mr. Terry assumed to their original importance. To those who could for a moment imagine the strictures of Vindex unbiassed, I say in the language of Shylock, “Are ye answer'd."

Mr. Faulkner, who was so pointedly and personally attacked, has evinced his judgment as a manager as well as an actor, in assembling to his aid the most valuable performers ever seen in this part of the country---foreknowledge of this event might have levelled the shaft of envy, "Is it an

swer'd yet."

I can, Mr. Editor, readily enter into the merits of the present company, without resorting, as Vindex does, to fire-side qualifications to be warm in commendation.---Space I know is valuable to you, and brevity no less with me, Therefore to the point. Mrs. Kniveton and Miss Johnson are the heroines, each possessing every natural requisite for characters, to which their mental pretensions are well founded. Mrs. Forbes and Mrs. Darley are singers, that, in a provincial theatre, are not likely to be surpassed.---The merits of Mr. Noble have often exercised your pen, and I doubt not you would greatly partake of the pleasure his acting affords, where his powers have full scope. ---With us "i' th' north," he was ever a great favourite, and we view him now with undiminished satisfaction.---Mrs. Noble pleases by her correctness, neatness of dress, and "graceful motion to harmonious sounds." Mr. Carr evidently possesses much intelligence: he always speaks sense, and though the observation may excite a smile, "there be players I have seen play, and heard others praise," to whom it would be no trifling eulogium. Mrs. Carr is a lively, pleasant little actress in the country girls, and Mrs, Tayleure truly excellent in the old women. Mr. Tayleure displays much talent in the characters of our favourite Emery.---I say our favourite, as is native here, and to the manner born." Mr. Walcot possesses the advantages of a good face and person, and would be entitled to honourable mention, if, where the sense of his author requires it, he would assume a little more rapidity and spirit in his utterance.

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Mr. Lindoe, Mr. Darby, Mr. and Mrs. Pritchard, Mr. and Mrs. Bland, and Mrs. Pitt, form the rest of a company which, viewed individually and Collectively, augurs much in favour of the new managers, and there can be little doubt of the publicliberality keeping pace with private spirit.

Sunderland, Noy. 17, 1806.

JUSTUS.

THE NORWICH COMPANY.--A paragraph was lately inserted in the Mirror, reflecting on the conduct of Mr. Hindes, the manager of the Norwich company. It runs thus, "Mr. Tompson, a very clever performer, has left the company. Perhaps it were better the public were ignorant of the true cause of this gentleman's bidding adieu to the theatre, which, if we are rightly informed, reflects a shameful disgrace on the manager, or his advisers."

Probably, Sir, you are not aware of the situation of the manager of a provincial company, where the company is not so numerous as at either of the houses of the Metropolis; he has not the same opportunity of filling up a part, if refused, at an hour's or even at a week's notice.---The fact is, Mr. Tompson refused to perform the part of Torrent, in the play of, "Who wants a Guinea,” the part he hid filled, without any objection to it, till this time, and insisted upon playing Solomon Gundy, which he had never played, accompanying his refusal with a notice that he should leave the company in two months:---to which the manager replied, "that unless he took his share in the performances, even during the two months, he was no longer useful to the company; and, of course, persisting in his refusal, he was immediately discharged. It is suspected that one of the performers, who has been many years in the company, has been taking some pains in keeping up a party in opposition to the manager, and that Tompson has been led on, by him, to behave thus improperly. W. W.

CHARACTER OF THE LATE LORD THURLOW,

EDWARD THURLOW is said to have derived his descent from the famous secretary of that name to Oliver Cromwell. His father was an obscurè clergyman, possessed of an inconsiderable living at Ashfield, in Suffolk. It is a saying of him, upon record, that he could give his children nothing more than education, and that Ned would fight his way in the world. This fortunate son, however, discovered no very early proofs of distinguished genius, but possessed, even in infancy, the assumed manners of the man, and was haughty, presuming, churlish, and overbearing. At the usual period, he was admitted of Peterhouse, Cambridge, where the hopes entertained of his future progress in life were far from being sanguine: his general deportment was rude and boisterous, little calculated (says one of his biographers) to con ciliate the respect of the world, and apparently without any wish to obtain it. The early part of his ife was marked with "many regularities, exceeding even the bounds of the most dissipated of the day: his difficulties were of course, great, and he is remembered to have extricated himself with great address and wonderful confidence. His natural powers were always viewed with respect, to which indeed they were intitled.* Devoted to a 1 fe of plea

sure

*The following account of his lordship was transmitted by a very learned and respectable member of the church, who is intimately informed of his lordship's character, family, and early incidents of life, and one of his most zealous advocates and admirers;

sure and dissipation, report imputed to him not only a contempt of literature, but almost a total neglect of it, at least a degree of indolence in the pursuit, in consistent with the attainments of even necessary knowledge; but common fame in this instance added nothing to her reputation for veracity: his lordship was an admirable clas-ical scholar, and attained his knowledge by the only means knowledge is accessible---study and application. He differed from others only in the mode of acquiring it. He who was every where seen the picture of indolence, lolling on the noon-day bench, and considered, almost as the fixture of a coffee-house in the day, regularly retired to the most intense application at night.

"O'er books consum'd the midnight oil."

From Cambriege he removed to the Inner Temple, where the same apparent indolence of temper and disposition marked his conduct.

He attended the bar several years unnoticed and unknown. The first cause in which he is said to have distinguished himself, was that between

"His superiority of abilities (says he) was discovered very early, both at school and college; they extorted submission from his equals, and impressed his seniors with awe.-The following anecdote is told of him: Having been absent from chapel, or committed some other offence which came under the cognizance of the dean of the college, the dean, who, though a man of wit, was not remarkable for his learning, set Thurlow, as a punishment, a paper in the Spectator to translate into Greek. This he performed extremely well, and in a very little time; but, instead of carrying it up to the dean, as he ought to have done, he carried it to the tutor, who was a good scholar, and a very respectable character. At this the dean was exceedingly wroth, and complained to the fellows of the in-ult, and insisted that Mr. Thurlow should be convened before the masters and fellows, and receive a severe reprimand. They were convened accordingly, and the master of the college accused him of the insult above stated; to which Thurlow coolly replied, That what he had done proceeded not from disrespect to the dean, but merely from motives of pity, an unwillingness to puzzle him. The irritated dean ordered him immediately out of the room, and then insisted that the masters and fellows ought immediately to expel or rusticate him. This request was nearly complied with, when two of the fellows, wiser than the rest, observed, that expelli g or rusticating a young man for such an offence, would perhaps do much injury to the college, and expose it to ridicule; and, that as he would soon quit the college of his own accord to attend the Temple, it would be better to let the matter rest, than irritate him by such severe measures; which advice, was at length adopted.---One of the gentlemen who recommended lenient measures, was the present master, for whom Lord Thurlow procured the chancellorship of the diocess of Lincoln."

As a proof of the consciousness which the chancellor felt of his abilities, long before he was called to the bar, he often declared to his friends, that he would one day be chancellor of England, and that the title he would take for bis peerage would be Lord Thurlow of Thurlow.