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weak, puerile, difgraceful, and malignant afperfions of the French villains in power, have done us a ferious injury in the eyes of the continental monarchs! Surely there are none fo weak, fo pufillanimous, as to attach any faith to the garbled and infamous reports of French hirelings. We do not deny but that a fpirited refutation would have looked well on our part; but we do not think it was abfolutely neceffary.

One very juft ground upon which our author cenfures, is the inefficiency of our foreign ministry. "In general," he obferves, "far too little attention is paid in the choice of our miniftry to foreign courts. They are often taken raw and inexperienced from their tutors, or the universities, and fent into countries of whofe cuftoms, manners, and characters, they are totally ignorant. Thus, inttead of carrying an eafy and affable demeanour to win the affections, or arguments to perfuade thofe amongft whom they are deftined to refide, they take with them all the prejudices of Englith fathions, ideas, aud cuftoms, and fancy nothing good which dif

fers from them.". P. 10.

There appears to be no violent difpofition for or against any party in the prefent writer; the general good is all his object, and towards that he has willingly contributed his mite. The motive and the execution are equally refpectable.

ART. XLII. An Ode in Celebration of the Emancipation of the Blacks of St. Domingo, Nov. 29, By Thomas Clio RickPrinted for the Author. pp. 10. 1804.

1803.

man.

4to.

THIS ode is introduced, with fome prefatory obfervations, by Capel Loft, diftinguifhed only for that filly affectation which rendered his patronage of Bloomfield ridiculous. He very obtrusively informs his readers, that "in this

poem the freedom, fpirit, and variety of its numbers, its diction, and fentiments, he trufts, will appear to others, as they do to him, not unworthy of the fubject.”

We are forry we cannot unconditionally fubfcribe to this; for, excepting the "fentiments," it contains, in our opinion, nothing worthy either of commendation or perufal. We certainly looked for, and hoped to find, fomething that might anthorize fuch ftrong approbation. Alas! we flood greatly in need of Mr. Lofft's final criticisms! fuch as he very fagaciously appended to each of the tales and ballads of Bloomfield, fearful left his readers thould happen to poffefs no difcernment.

We think Mr. Rickman would have done well to have difpenfed with fuch idle and nugatory applaufe, and fuffered his poetry to fpeak for itself. The fentiments we repeat are good, for they are the fentiments of truth and liberty; but we are decidedly of opinion that the verfes are mere doggerel. As a fpecimen of the diction of the piece, let the reader take the following, where, fpeaking of Touffaint, our poet exclaims

"'Twas the French revolution school'd his mind,

(Which yet will bless and benefit mankind)

With love of Freedom, boundless as the wind."

«Such men for duchies, pensions, or a place,

Would willingly enflave the whole of human race."

"And children, henceforth robb'd no

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Open your ports to fhips of ev'ry land;

Defpotic measure banish from your ftate;

To all the nations round extend your hand,

Be honest and upright- you must be great!"

and a little farther on, exhorting them, by all means, not to return "blows for blows."

Nor is our poet more happy as a critic; for, invoking the fpirit of Smollett, he pronounces his Mufe to be "unequalled," and

ART. XLIII. Two New Dialogues

of the Dead. The first between Handel and Braham; the fecond between Johnfon and Bofuell. By J. B. Johnjon. 1804. pp. 32.

THERE is much wit and bumour in these two dialogues. The first contains a fpirited remonftrance from the immortal Handel against the mufical interpolations of Braham; but the former does confefs (though apparently with reluctance) the great powers of the latter. Indeed, upon the whole, we think our author is rather fevere against Mr. B.; and certainly he might have neglected the real or fuppofed alte

ration of his name.

The fecond dialogue has already

“Whose numbers all the Graces led appeared in Mr. Mudford's Critical

along."

On the whole, we do not think that Mr. Lofft will gain much celebrity for his difcernment in praifing, or Mr. Rickman be much applauded for his genius writing, the prefent poem.

Enquiry in Dr. Johnjon's Writings; which the author mentions, obferving, at the fame time," that it is prefumed no apology will be required for here introducing it afresh, and in more fuitable company.”— It is lively and characteristic.

THEATRICAL INFORMATION.

DRURY LANE.

TUESDAY, May 29th. Corio

lanus The True Lover's Knot

and Paul and Virginia; for the Benefit of Mr. Raymond. The principal novelty of this evening was the Coriolanus of Cooke (his firft appearance in it); a character which, in our opinion, he is totally unqualified for. Indeed, he quite mifconceived the part; and substituted the boisterous, fneering bully, for the noble, ardent, and high-minded Roman. This actor feems to poffefs a moft over-weening vanity, and, because he is confeffedly great in fume characters, fancies he muft e'en be fo in all! In the scene

where he "begs the voices of the people," he frequently threw the audience into laughter; while it was

evidently the intention of Shake-
fpeare to make Coriolanus difplay
all the mingled emotions of pride,
modefty, and impatience, the for-
mer paffion, however, being always
moft confpicuous; and in the scene
Tullus Aufidius taunts
him with the degrading epithet of
boy," he did, indeed,
herod Herod."

where

66

out

The piece was far from being well got up; and Cooke, as well as other of the performers, were most fhamefully imperfect. To this actor, indeed, we may very justly apply the lines of Churchill:

"Lo, Yates!-Without the least finesse
of art;

Hegets applaufe-I wish he'd get his part!
When hot impatience is in full career,
How vilely Harke'e! harke'e!' grates
the car!

When active fancy from the brain is fent,

And ftands on tip-toe for fome wifh'd event;

I hate thofe careless blunders, which recall

Sufpended fenfe, and prove it fiction

all."

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This theatre clofed its campaign on Tuesday, June 12th, with an addrefs from Bannister, jun.

COVENT GARDEN.

Tuesday, June 5. John Bull; and No Song no Supper; for the Benefit of Mr. Emery. There was nothing which requires particular notice this evening, except the first appearance of a gentleman in the character of Dennis Brulgruddery. His performance of it was a close imitation of Johnstone's manner, without his naivete, humour, or vivacity. He met with confiderable applaufe.

Friday, June 8th. Mountaineers, and Valentine and Orfon. We were gratified this evening with the appearance of the original Octavian, a character fo peculiarly calculated for the difplay of Mr. Kemble's powers, that we think many years will elapfe before we view his equal in it. There is nothing on the ftage can furpafs his performance of it; it is at once grand, expreflive, and awful. His wild look and his fran

tic geftures his tranfitions from extreme rage to tears-his utterance of peculiar paffages-and his conception of the whole, may fafely be pronounced one of the fineft fpecimens of the hiftrionic art ever, perhaps, prefented to the English public. We could point out many individual beauties that marked this performance; but they would reVOL, I.

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The story is taken from the Reprobate, one of the best novels of that popular writer, Auguftus La Fontaine. Edmund Rigid, in the play, is placed in fimilar circumftances with the Re

probate in the novel. At the opening of the piece, he bears a character almoft univerfally abhorred. It is in the mouth of the whole country, that he had attempted to feduce his motherin-law, and had drawn his fword on bis own father: he is reprefented as place his character as low as public the object which all men fhun; and, to opinion can reduce it, he is contemned as a coward, one prevalent report refpećting him being, that he had retired from the army because he would not fight a duel. This man, however, is The chief bar to explanation on his of a noble, generous, elevated temper. part is occasioned by his generous regard to his father's peace of mind. His mother-in-law he had once loved, and 4 M

she had been betrothed to him; but,
in his abfence, on his travels, the had
been induced, by the attractions of
fuperior rank and fortune, to marry
Lord Rigid. He returns; meets his
mother-in-law; and (from peculiar cir-
cumftances) not knowing his new rela-
tion to her, and fuppofing her still faith-,
ful, clafps her in his arms. In this
fituation he is furprised by his father,
who draws upon him, and he (from re-
gard for his father, as much as in his
own defence) wrefts the fword from
Lord Rigid's hand; and, being found
in these circumftances hy fome of that
nobleman's fervants, hence arose the
grand calumny, which ferved as
foundation and authority for all the
reft. His mother-in-law did not ex-
plain, from fhame of her breach of

a

faith to Edmund: he was filent for his father's fake; and Lord Rigid, though fenfible of the mistake of part of the report, was filent, from a fullen though unfounded jealousy. All the equivocal circumftances of Edmund's life are at length explained, in a manner equally to his honour; but this, which we have felected, will ferve as a fpecimen of the embarraffments and dénouement of the plot. Such is the general outline of the piece. But parts of the ftory are pleafing and affecting. The fituation of Sujette is moft interefting. Edmund is married to her under a feigned name; and fhe has to receive from him the explanation, that the man fhe has been taught to deteft, and whofe name is her terror, is her hufband. Yet this explanation, fo fraught with occafion for paffion, is crowded into the throng of explanations, and thus lofes much of that power it might have derived from being fingled out, and made to Sujette in fome happy and eventful moment. An underplot is very well thrown into this play, to relieve the ferious part of the fcene; in which the principal perfonages are, Triangle, who keeps a fchool, a circulating library, and a room for reading the newspapers; and Sir Harry Pointer, a dating baronet and jockey. Mr. Mathews was a tolerable reprefentative of Triangle. The epilogue contained much point, and was moft excellently delivered by Ellifton.

Of this play it is impoffible to fpeak in very high terms. The plot is extravagant in itfelf, and very awkwardly managed. The de

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nouement is most lame and impotent. There is nothing in it that feizes powerfully upon the affections. Edmund Rigid is not fuffici

ently introduced, either to make him hateful for his fuppofed crimes, or to make the clearing of his character an object of joy to the audience. The wit of the piece is fuch as may be found in all the plays of this author-low and farcical, and depending entirely upon the grimace of the actor for its effect.

The performers, in general, exerted themfelves to the utmoft. Ellifton had but little to do-that little, however, he did well.

Wednesday, June 20th. A new Ballet, called The Enchanted Island, was performed at this theatre for the first time. It is founded on the Tempest of Shakespeare: thofe incidents which are by him merely traced in narrative, and which have preceded the fcenes of his play, form the bafis of the ballet.

It is not poffible to conceive any thing more capable of every scenic decoration peculiar to pantomime than this; and it has been conftructed with infinite ingenuity and effect. It appears that the arrangement of the whole has devolved to Mr. Fawcett, who cer tainly has fucceeded in producing one of the grandeft fpectacles that have appeared on the English theatre for fome years. The Scenery is beautiful almost beyond defcrip. tion, and particularly the laft fcene of the first act. Confidering the fmailnefs of the theatre, other circumftances, we think the

and

appearance of this ballet does infinite credit to the liberality of Mr. Colman; and we moft fincerely hope he will be amply remunerated by a patronizing public. It was received throughout with rapturous and unbounded applaufe, which, we truft, indeed we are confident, will be the fame every evening it is performed.

Mr. G. D'Egville played the part

of Caliban extremely well; nor ought the exertions of Mr. De Camp (Profpero); Mifs B. Me

nage (Miranda); and Mafter Of car Byrne (Ariel), to pafs without commendation.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag.. Lov'd being! if 'tis granted thee to

LINES ON THE DEATH OF A MOTHER.

THOU, dear guardian of my in

fant days! How weak my verfe to fpeak thy matchlefs praife!

A Mother-fofteit friend, by nature giv'n!

Too early call'd by all-difpofing Hea

ven.

Ah! me--unhappy! early left to fray, Unknown and friendlefs, 'long a troublous way;

Where forrow, pain, and poverty attend,

And where the wretched feldom find a friend!

Condemn'd the frown of Fortune's

fons to prove, And the fad forrows of neglected love: How oft will fancy, in a tearful hour, Awaken memory's too painful power; Recall thofe happy days I once did prove

Beneath the fhelter of parental love! Then guileless childhood, pleas'd with ev'ry toy,

Or thought, or wifl'd, for more efficient

joy;

know

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A fifter's death difpell'd the fairy fcene, To the Editor of the Univerfal Mag.

And bade me view the final end of

being; Taught me thofe pleasures which the good fhall have,

Tho' laid within the confines of the

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SIR,

Concluding from your infertion of my former letter (vide Univerfal Mag. p. 403) that you approve of the plan I there hinted at, I have ventured to fend you the following moral ftrains. They were published in the beginning of last century, and are now neglected, but furely deferve to be rescued from oblivion. Pleafed to find that you coincide with me as to the availability of this method, I shall occafionally provide for your poetical department in a fimilar manner, for, though not bleffed with the powers of poetry myself, I trust I have fufficient difcernment to discover the forgotten beauties of the Muje.

I remain your's, &c. Newark, June 9, 1804.

DION.

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