BEING Bell's COURT AND FASHIONABLE MAGAZINE, FOR MAY, 1812. A New and Improved Series. EMBELLISHMENTS. 1. An ORIGINAL PORTRAIT of MRS. EDWIN, Eugraven by Mr. CARDON, after an Orignal Miniature. 1. A very beautiful WHOLE-LENGTH PORTRAIT FIGURE, in the Fashionable MORNING DISHABILLE DRESS of the month, drawn from as Orginal Dress made within the month. 3. A WHOLE LENGTH PORTRAIT FIGURE, in an EQUESTRIAN COSTUME. 4. An OUTLINE SKETCH of a PORTRAIT. by VAN DYK. 5. An OUTLINE SKETCH of ALEXANDER SCAGLIA; by VAN DYK 6. "THE HERMIT," an Original SONG, written and set to Music, for the Harp and Piano forte, exclusively for this Work, by Dr KITCHINER 7. An Original PATTERN for NEEDLE or TAMBOUR-WORK. THE_Theatrical Character of Mrs. SIDDONS, and the PROVINCIAL OCCURRENCES, have been necessarily deferred to the next month, for a purpose which, we think, will be grateful to our Readers, that of giving amplé particulars of the late melancholy catastrophe of Mr. PERCEVAL's OUR SUBSCRIBERS and the Public, are referred to the EMBELLISHMENTS in the four preceding and present Numbers, as Specimens of the taste, and finish in which they may expect the ornamental part of this Work to be executed in future. The PORTRAITS will formsa » new and interesting Series of Cabinet Prints, which are properly adapted for being framed and glazed, or for preservation in Portfolios, as they may be always admired as a Biographical and Portrait representa- sion of distinguished Female characters of the present times. The COSTUMES of every Month will form a practical and highly interesting Collection of the FASHIONS of these days; the continued variations as they arise will ascertain the fluctuating state of the Fashionable World. *In deference and respect to the numerous requests which the Publisher has received from his present Subscribers, in consequence of the very interesting and highly finished Farewell Portrait Print of Mrs SIDDONS, given in the 29th Number of this Work, he will present the Public, in the succeeding `Numbers, with a short series of POrtraits of fEMALE PERFORMERS of the greatest Celebrity of the present times; accompanied with characteristic Memoirs and Criticisms on their pro- in a style of excellence not inferior to the highly admired Print of Mrs. Siddons above referred to. The Dramatic Portraits in succession are, April 1.-MISS SMITH, engraven by CARDON, after an original Miniature. May 1.-MRS. BILLINGTON, in the character of ST. CECILIA, after the celebrated Picture › by Sir JOSHUA REYNOLDS, engraven by CARDON, in a most beautiful manner. June 1.-MRS. EDWIN, engraven by CARDON from an original Miniature. July 1.—MRS. DICKONS, from an admirable likeness in Crayons. Aug. 1.—MRS. JORDAN, as a Farewell Print, in the character of THALIA, engraven by Mr. CARDON, after the much admired Picture painted by the late Mr. HOPNER, in the LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE; For MAY, 1812. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND The Thirty-second Number. MRS. EDWIN. the Dublin Theatre principally, where their dramatic abilities procured them that share of public estimation, which their private characters secured to them. We may allow (nay we must allow, for || parents also of the histrionic profession, on it is an inherent quality in human nature) the aged chroniclers of past times to lament their Garricks, their Abingdons, Pritchards, and Popes, and to exclaim that the day of dramatic genius is gone by; as we ourselves shall do, a few years hence, when the names of Kemble Jordan, and Siddons are no longer upon the theatric list. But who will say, even should the frigorific hand of winter chill the genial current of wit and genius, who will say that another spring shall not put forth its vernal blossoms, or who will venture to say that the summer sun of public favour will not ripen their fruits to maturity? For us, or at least for those of the present, generation who are now young, to indulge in those carping criticisms when time shall have silvered their hoary heads, would be to contradict every lesson of present experience, when we now see a Smith, a Duncan, and au Edwin stand forth as rivals of the dramatie phenomena of the last century, and that perhaps with equal claims. We have seen many instauces of youth, forced upon public notice, where it was not accompanied by genius: this was not, however, the case with Miss Richards, although at the early age of six years she. made her theatrical debut in the character of the Romp, for her mother's benefit. This whim of securing a full house by novelty, had the good luck, however, of procuring further emolument; for the Managers of Crow-street (Ryder and Crawford) not only gave her an engagement, in which she performed Prince Arthur, The Virgin Unmasked, and the Fine Lady, in Lethe, but induced the facetious O'Keefe was actually to write a farce, The Female Club, for the of introducing a character in purpose which she might perform. Throughout the whole of this engage. ment she displayed an infantine ability that bespoke future approbation; but it was, perhaps, fortunate for her that the respectable situation of her parents did not render it a matter of absolute necessity for them to. Her maiden name was Richards, her continue her appearance, as novelty would Of the last mentioned actress, it is now our province to speak, and to attempt a slight delineation of her professional life and merits. |