that the choice of majesty has not fettled on a miniftry poleffed of thefe qualifications? Therefore a declaration of their lordships to this purpose was in direct contradiction to one of the other houfe, and that to one of a refolution paffed unanimoufly. Could it be denied that this was the conftruction of the refolution of Monday laft? It was not in the affirmative indeed, but its evident import was, that the prefent was not a firm, was not an efficient, was not an extended, was not an united administration. It was not an adminiftration which poffeffed the confidence of that houfe, or which was calculated in their opirion to put an end to the divifions and diftractions of the country. The houfe were called upon to come to a refolution which should fpeak a contrary language, and that without having had any conference with the other houfe; without having learnt what were their reafons and views; nay, without having had notice of fuch a motion being to be made. Their lordships were fummoned indeed, but not on this motion; for it was the general underftanding of noble lord, that the business to be brought on that day, was a motion for the relief of infolvent debtors; and a motion for the relief of infolvent debtors turned out to be a motion for the fupport of the prefent minif ters. The Earl of Effingham faid, that fo far from their having had no intimation of the proceeding which he had agitated, they had had an advertisement of a full fortnight, for he had mentioned that he thould bring on the question. The Duke of Richmond faid, that the refolations of the houfe of commons by no means proved, that the authors of these refolutions were likely to poffefs enough of the confidence of that houfe to form an efficient miniftry, when their majority was but eight. Lord Loughborough asked his grace what MR THEATRICAL JANUARY 31. Covent Garden. RS. Crawford appeared in the character of Alicia, and in her management of its paffion the afforded one of the grandeft fpectacles that the theatre can exhibit. In the laft fcene of the fourth act, particularly in the paroxyfm with which it concludes, and in the mad fcene of the fifth act, the rofe to an excellence which no painting can describe. It was not the ftudy of the clofet-not the meafured production of the fchool-not an artful repetition of a leffon acquired by rote, and delivered by rules-but the expofure of the foul in its genuine and untutored ftate, where the affections of jealoufy and guilt burst into the mot impetuous utterance, and the whole then must be the quality of that administration which had the unanimous voice of the house of commons against them. The houfe then divided on the first motion. Non Contents Proxies Majority 100 79 21 44 9 53 47 The Earl of Effingham then moved his fecond propofition, which was carried without a divifion. The Earl then moved for an addrefs to the throne founded on this refolution, and this motion being alfo carried, a committee was appointed to prepare the addrefs, which they reported, and the fame being read, it was adopted and was as follows: "To the KING. "We acknowledge with great fatisfaction, the wifdom of our happy conftitution which places in your Majefty's hands the undoubted authority of appointing to all the great offices of executive government. We have the firmest reliance in your Majefty's known wifdom and paternal goodness, that you will be anxious to call into and continue in your fervice, men the most deferving of the confidence of the parliament and the public in general. "In this confidence, we beg leave to approach your Majesty with our most earnest affurances that we will upon all occafions fupport your Majefty in the juft exercise of those prerogatives which the wifiom of the law has entrusted to your Majesty, for the prefervation of our lives and properties, and upon the due and uninterrupted exercife of which muft depend the bieflings which the people derive from the best of all forms of government." JOURNAL. frame was convulfed by the raging of the brain. Her tones had the most agonizing influence on the breaft-they awakened the fympathetic feeling which they fo wildly and yet fo mufically expreffed. We know not any thing, even in her own compafs, which rivals the catastrophe of Alicia, and if not in her own, it is not to be rivalled on the stage. Mifs Younge's Jane Shore had more beauty and nature than this actress generally pofleffes. There was a fervor which added to the illufion, and in her dying scene she displayed fenfibilities the most quick and impaffioned, with lefs appearance of management, than we generally meet with in that very poctical paffage. mafks in the Theatre, and many of these were perfons of the first quality. The characters were few, for the ladies were dreffed for appearance, and the men for eafe. Gallantry and lounging divided the entertainment, with here and there a fally of wit, and a general display of fprightlinefs and good humour. The moft fpirited character was a Highland Randy, by Mr. T-ll, who abounded in points of lively fatire, and was the foul of every party with which he blended. He was affociated by a Highlander, who came up, he faid, in thefe troublefome times, to fight his way to preferment in the house of Commons. He had his fhare in the merriment of the night.-A Dutchman, by the hon. Col. O-w, was fo pestered by the other masks, and bore it fo ill, that he retired from a fcene where he had no apparent pleasure. A figure, reprefenting Secret Influence, was well dreiled, and feasonable in its point. He wore a black cloak, tied round with a girdle, labelled "Secret Influence," double face, and a wooden temple, on the top of his head. A ladder was painted down his back, entitled The Back Stairs." He had a dark lantern in his hand, but with all these accoutrements he was very dull; he hardly opened his mouth, and, when he did, he muttered fome jargon in a whifper unintelligible to common ears; but perhaps he was in character to fpeak in whipers, and his inefficacy was defign. He was followed by Public Ruin, which alfo was well equipped, and very pitiable. A Razor Grinder was full of wit; he delivered an humble petition to the charitable and humane public, which intimated a fharp look-out for the favour of the great. A Mad Tom, by Captain My, was very characteristic in his drefs; but he was only mad north and northweft.--A worn-out traveller, by a refpectable barrifter, was an admirable character, and faid a number of good things. A Country Booby, by Mr. Dt, was alío very good. A pert and pretty Ballad-finger, an old female Fortuneteller, and a Jew Pedlar, alfo did their endeayours to entertain the company. The following Song-Tranfmigrations-and Card, were delivered by the last three Charac ters. SONG. By PEG MERLIN. Ladies and gentlemen, My memory will carry me no farther back than the reign of good queen Anne; about the middle of which period I flourished as an anticourtier, and became a zealous advocate for the famous fanatic, Dr. Sacheverell, wearing his picture upon my bofom, my wrifts, my fan, nay even upon my finger. Frequent political difputes (for that ara, like the prefent, was diftinguifhed by internal tumults) and a too fatal attachment to the pernicious ufe of cofmetics, foon put an end to my existence; (and liften, oh ye blooming rofes, whether natural or artificial, of this illuftrious affembly) I fell a martyr to my endeavours to preferve that beauty which is woman's moít trifling accomplishment. My foul then informed the fragile body of a gandy butterfly, horrid, but natural transition!" The contemplation of my fputted wings gave a momentary delight, which the chill blafts of a cheerlefs evening terminated; and I found myfelf, by the rifing of the fecond morn, in a wretched garret, with no fociety but that of a meagre cat, and her half-ftarved prey; no mufic but the whistling winds through a broken cafement; and no profpect, but to change my dreary habitation for a loathfome pr.fon.What a fituation for an Author! Compelled, from want, to flatter thofe whofe principles I detefted, and neceffitated to fabricate the lye, I was athamed to father. My lucubrations were rejected by the bookiclers, because they were not stamped with the feal of popularity, and, after repeated difappointments, I did an action, which, upon recollection, calls the blush of indignation into my aged cheek. As a proper punishment for my crime, I then did penance in the body of a turnfpit, and got my death at an election, by an unremitted ap SINCE you force me to fing I fhall quickly plication to the labours of the kitchen. difpitch, Tittupping ambling Ball, A few fimple lines-Lord! you're all on the catch, For my wrangling - jangling - characters mangling, Quibbling-nibbling-punning-and fun Eafy was my transition from the meaneft of the creation, to the moft trifting; a fop! and foon the mortal blow was given by a fplendid birth-day fuit, fuperior to that I wore; and, (oh, digraceful!) my extinction was owing to the blunder of a taylor! This reftlefs foul then occupied the body of what-the epitome of a beau-a monkey! and from his difagreeable form I ftruggled,yes, ladies and gentlemen, struggled into the tenement of a statesman; when, after oppofing every scheme for the good of my countr under the fanction of patriotism; after being the Covent-Garden.] A tragedy was exhibited for the first time, entitled "The Shipwreck," an alteration from the play of "The Fatal Curiofity." The original piece has always been confidered as one of the beft of Lillo's Mr. Wroughton was very well in his depart ment. He had a stage difguife-the unbuttoning of a coat at times ferves to discover a concealment. He is concealed from the eyes of his miftrefs and parents by wearing a cap. We have heard of the Cap of Knowledge-this is the Cap of Concealment, for the moment he puts it on his head he is not to be recognized. This is a fault which deftroys the illufion, and to which therefore the critic will object; but how, fays the author, will you avoid it? There are fome inconfiftencies in the drama, which men must permit, because they are convenient; but furely thefe expedients ought to be ufed with a fparing and a delicate hand. FEBRUARY 14. Drury-lane.] A new Comedy, called Reparation, was performed. CHARACTERS. Sir Gregory Glovetop, Lady Betty Wormwood, Anna Harriet domestic stories; but in addition to the impro- PLOT. Lovelefs, a man of family and fortune, i the earlier part of his life, becomes enamoured of Julia, the daughter of Captain Hardy, a reduced officer, but finding it impoffible to fucceed in his wifhes, deceives her by a pretended marriage. During the progrefs of this, the father of Lovelefs infifts on his fon's marrying a lady of large fortune he had chofen, threatening him with difinheritance in cafe of a refusal. After fome conflict he difclofes to Julia the deception he had practifed on her, who, fhocked at the recital, flies from him with her infant child. The death of his wife leaves him in the wish and power to make reparation to Julia, but unable to find out the place of her retreat, and fuppofing the is actually dead, he refolves to leave England-At this moment the piece commences; and we find him difclofing his refolution to Belcour, a friend of his, whom he has come down to fee at the feat of Lord Hectic, a vain man of fashion, who fancies himself a man of prowess in fpite of an infirm conftitution, and who, by the affiftance of an Irish coufin, Captain O'Swagger, has made fome advances to Louifa, a young widow in the neighbourhood-Belcour endeavours to dif fuade him from his refolution, at the fame time disclosing a dishonourable paffion he had himfelf conceived for Harriet, daughter to a Sir Gregory Glovetop, formerly a gentleman usher to the Old Court, but which he declares he wilk 3 defift defift from on hearing his friend's ftory. Lord Hectic continues to purfue his plans upon the widow by the help of Janus, a pettifogging attorney, while Lady Betty Wormwood, fifter to Lord Hectic, endeavours to prevent them, from a fear her brother fhould be feduced into a marriage, and herself deprived of his inheritance. While Mifs Penelope Zodiac, a friend of her's, affifts her wishes from a general diẞlike to ladies who think they have beauty, as well as from an apprehenfion he has engaged the heart of Colonel Quorum, a magiftrate in the eighbourhood, whom he has withed to attach to Berfelf. Various ftratagems are practiled upon the widow, who has been driven from the houfe of Sir Gregory Glovetop, where the had refided with her friend Harriet, from the liberfine importunities of his lordship, and the mis reprefentations of his lifter. Lovelefs and Belcour, on being confuited by Lord Hectic, begin to feel an intereft in Louifa's ftory, and would afit her, did not his lordship affure them the was partial to his wifhes, and would comply of courfe. During the conflict of thefe different interefts, in which Louifa is driven to every fpecies of ciftrefs, Lovelefs receives a letter from Captain Hardy, the father of his Julia, to whom he had now difclofed the flory of deceiving his daughter, and who infifts upon immediate fatisfaction. Unable to lift his arm against the father of his injured love, he comes to lord Hectic to confult him, and entering abruptly into his apartment, he discovers the widow my ird had mentioned, and who had come there on a bufinefs of diftrefs, to be his own lot Julia; an eclairciflement enfues, and having afterwards fatisfied the refentment of Captain Hardy, and appeafed his rage by the influence of his daughter's offspring, the reparation is made by marrying Louifa. Col. Quorum, the honourable admirer of Louifa, is likewife fatisfied, though with the difappointment of his addreffes, on finding her united to the man of her heart. Sir Grego.y confents to his daughter Harriet's marriage with Belcour, and the piece concludes. The comedy is of a ferious complexion, and abounds with tentiments of ftrong obfervation and moral tendency. The story is at once familiar and striking; for what is fo intimate to every eye, as the feduction and abandonment of innocence? What to productive of exquifite mifery as the fhame and degradation of an educated, delicate, and feeling lady? The character, therefore, of the heroine is imagined in the juitnels of dramatic obfervation, and awakens the most fenfible interest in every bofom. So much for the foundation of the piece. In regard to its conduct and conclufion, there are various objections to be made. It is in many places tediously long, and unneceffarily olloquial. In the progrefs of a plot, every fpens thould be acceifary to the end; every fene fhould have its bufinefs as well as its diaJogue. Here we meet with much interlocugory matter, which has no evident purpofe, and by which the piece is most unmercifully lengthened. Thefe, however, as they are excrefcences, may be eafily cut off, without rendering the fable lefs perfpicuous or dramatic. But the fault in the denouement is of more importance in our idea. Lovelefs has ruined Julia once, and the author ruins her a fecod time; for he makes her render up the delicacy and the dignity, which are the fources of our intereft in her story, at the fhrine of Hyres, without motives that can justify her. Tha breaks the unity of the character, and turm the elegant and proper pride of Julia into the infenfible facility of a compounding temper Is a woman of the exalted fentiment, and the confcious dignity of Julia, to be lowered by the acceptance of fo poor a boon? And is a flow repentant marriage to be held out as a fovereign fpecific for the healing of every iemale forrow? No. It is a paltry atonement, but not an ample reparation. It is all that a man of feeling can beftow, but it is not what a wo man of feeling would condefcend to accept. There ought to have been given fome exem plary reafon for the compliance of Julia. Either the ought to have heard, that in the agonies of his contrition his life was threatened, by which her tenderness was revived, or that her father was not only urgent for their union, bat finking on account of her refiftance. Ther might have juftified her confent to accept of his hand; but the dangers of the duel are not fufficient. She is not properly and becomingly incited to the union; and as it is, the world, and women in particular, are taught to confider marriage as of fo fo.erein a nature, that, however obtained, it not only referes them to their rank, but obliterates the fenfe of fhame, In regard to the inferior parts of the; lay, they are managed with confiderable effect. Lord Hectic is perhaps the picture of a nobleman, whofe licentioufnefs made him the subject of virtuous indignation, and whofe debaucheries brought him to a haity gra e. The ladies are copies. Mifs Zodiac is pretty highly charged; but the expreffions have the conven ence of a technical drefs, which confines their influence. The Attorney has a good vein of comedy in his character, and fo has Col. Quorum. Mr. Parfons' character is a coxcomb of the laft age. The piece had in the beginning fome very unbecoming expreffions of party politics; and in particular one in the part of Mr. Parfons, al luding to Secret Influence and the Back Stairs. This threw the houfe into general tumult. The audience were inftantly divided into parties, and all the rage and tumult of Westminiter-hall was renewed. An apology was demanded on the one fide, and refifted on the other with fuccefs. It was more than twenty minutes before the play was fufered to go of. It is rather fingular, that no experience can convince writers of the impropriety of inte ducing party politics. There is another tleie for the tumults of faction, and they the fore ought not to diiture our rational The performers did ample juftice to their parts. Mifs Farren, to be fure, is not the most accomplished reprefentative of weeping fenfibility; but her elegance of figure gives an intereft to the heart, and the mind fympathizes with the eye. Mr. Parfons was admirable, and Mrs. Wells gave to the little character which the performed a molt affecting fimplicity. Mr. Bre.eron was, as he always is, nervous and impreffive; alive himself to the touches of the scene, he conveyed them to the feelings of the houfe. Jack Bannifter copied the buftling manners of the Attorney with great acutenels; and Mr. Lee Lewes, both in the prologue and the play, exemplified the richness and variety of his powers. Both the prologue and epilogue had numour, The one in the character of an Old Woman, and the other, by Captain Topham, a parody on debating. FEBRUARY 19. There was a Mafquerade at the Pantheon, which was full of mirth and levity. Difencumbered from the restraints of common life, the genuine feelings of the mixed affembly burft forth, and in their feveral propenfities here it was all turbulence and debauchery there all fluttering and intrigue. The beauties of the feason were accoutred in all the elegance of tafte for the purposes of exhibition-The young men in the loofe ornament of a domino for the convenience of lounging. The politicians formed themselves into committees on the fate of the nation-the four-bottle men into parties for a debauch. The Scots fatigued themfelves with the boisterous exercise of the reel, and called it pleafure; the fofter beaux of the fouthern climate dangled under the ams of one another, fimpering to the girls in all the infipidity of enervation. Some becomingly employed themfelves in investigating the characters of life, as here mixed and contrafted; while a few, purfuing the true ufe of Mafquerade, endeavoured to exhibit the manners of men," To thew vice his own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and preffure." There were, perhaps, a thousand mafks in the rotunda, among whom we traced but few of the more elevated ranks of life. Engrofied by the fictions, or involved in the difg ifes of another Mafquerade, they have not kifure for innocent and unprofitable de cits. Of the characters a few were distinguished, if in the prefent age of vereal creations we may be alwed the term, by the fealonability of the fatire. Peter Pop, a pawnbroker, was decorated with a variety of labels, poignant in their application. The idea of this character we think was new, and the execution was admi rable. A fox-hunter gave us the following very pointed and laughable fong. TALLY HO! Ye ftatefmen draw near, who with riot and noife, Hunt for prey in St Stephen's wide field, Who flutter in fears, or who wanton in joys, And the conteft for pow'r will not yield: The North wind arifes, a Fox is in view, See he fcuds thro' the vallies below, Oppofition's flow pack his swift footsteps pursue, Hark forward! huzza! Tally Ho ! Silly argument perch'd upon Lambeth's fat pig, A grunting and galloping hies; On a large prancing horfe Independence looks big, And joins in the sportsman's loud cries; Behold Secret Influence to mount is unfit; Prerogative's bubble lies low, Ambition was thrown when it leap'd at a Pitt, Hark forward! huzza! 1ly Hu! But Reynard, bold Reynard, gets on in the chace, His art and his cunning prevail, For the bluft'ring North wind blows fo full in their face, The unfeafon'd hunters turn tail! He leaps every hedge the old farmers had made, And laughs at their vifage of woe; Old fame will record all the tricks he has play'd, Hark forward! buzza! Tally Ho! A delightful Haymaker captivated every heart with her heels. She was the most exqui fite dancer of the Highland reel we ever faw, and fo everlasting, that the triumphed over every Scot, male and female, in the place; their attempts both to recognize and fatigue her were ineffectual; the only thing which to their difcomfiture they did find out was, that fhe was born on this fide the Tweed. Ifaac Ifrael, a Jew merchant, and dealer in old cloaths, was an admirable character, and moft happy in his points. He fung and difiributed feveral fongs. His hand-bill of wares upon fale had alfo wit. A couple of Countrymen were excellent; and feveral of the female characters had great fprightlinefs and wit. There was a number of the ufual characters, Highlanders, Sailors, Jews, Harlequins, one of whom was the best in every point of view that we ever faw, and his Columbine was alfo ele gant, Mother Shipton, Merlin in a go-tart, a Mercury, a Footman, a Jockey, and all the train of warehoufe nonfenfe. The entertain ment was moft fumptuous for the expenee. POETRY |
