! 101 here she had the affliction of losing her heroines of tragedy. husband, who fell a victim to a rapid de. Bbz LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE; For NOVEMBER, 1818. A New and Improved Series. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS. Number One Hundred and Sixteen. MRS. YATES. It was with real gratification that we || cline; and, as the inimitable Mrs. Siddonà found the original of the Portrait we this month present to our readers engaged at Covent-Garden Theatre. A lady competent to fill those characters that Mrs. Yates has already enacted, and in which she must be allowed, by the nicest critic, to possess infinite merit, was much wanted at the above Theatre. In those of Lady Macbeth, and in the heroic and cruelly disappointed Elvira, in Pizarro, Mrs. Yates is admirable; and we are happy to say, that she has obtained in each that applause from a discriminating audience so justly due to her histrionic powers. Mrs. Yates was born near Leicester, of respectable parents, of the name of Croshaw. Early in life she married Mr. Yates, at Garstang, in Lancashire. Mr. Yates was a comedian, whose line was in broad farce, or as it is generally termed, low comedy. Mrs. Yates, since her marriage, performed in the west of England, where she was a decided favourite; and Mr. Pope, convinced of her theatrical abilities, procured her an engagement in Dublin, where, for two years, she drew universal admiration, both for her talents on the stage and her amiable deportment in private life. But here she had the affliction of losing her husband, who fell a victim to a rapid de once declared, she had three motives for continuing her theatric occupation, so Mrs. Yates has five-all infantine objects, looking up to her alone for protection and support! She knew then how much it behoved her to employ every exertion, and arouse all her energies for those dear ties of maternal affection. Mr. Young, that truly classical and gentleman-like actor, knew how to estimate the merits of Mrs. Yates; he was particularly struck with her performance of Imogen, in Bertram, and of The Queen, in Richard III.; a character too often not sufficiently attended to; but in the hands of Mrs. Yates, it has that true force and feeling which our great dramatic author meant it to possess. Mr. Young introduced the subject of our present biography to Mr. Harris, who, we are happy to say, has given her a very liberal engagement for three years. The beauty of the head, which is engraven from an original painting by Miss Drummond, while it confers high honour on the young artist, will prove to our readers the fine, yet truly feminine features of Mrs. Yates, and which are so well calculated for the expression of the beautiful heroines of tragedy. Bbe ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUSIC.. MASQUES IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I. THE masque was at once a ball and opera, and found employment for a great number of professors, who appeared in the royal theatres in a splendid uniform, composed of silk mantles and scarfs of various colours, with rich caps. And, for the better de : the only use, however, made of this charter seems the affording to aliens an easy expedient of acquiring the freedom of the city. Charles I. was a proficient in playing on the Viol da Gamba. When he ascended the throne he discovered a great affection for coration of the scene, the master represent-music, and manifested a particular care and ed the character of Apollo. Whether this drama acquired its title from the actors appearing in masks à-l'antique, or from the characters being only imaginary, is yet a matter of doubt. The English are always more delighted with those dramas which consist of dialogue and songs, than with a piece which is sung throughout: of this several of Shakespeare's plays, wherein songs are introduced, are an indubitable proof. The Tempest would make a charming opera. Masques were certainly the precursors of operas in England; they belong to the chain of dramas which unite poetry and music on the stage: their resemblance to operas renders them almost the same thing. They consist of dialogue, are performed on a stage, are ornamented with machinery and decorations; have always music, vocal and instrumental. Our operas much more resemble masques than dramas; but they were always written for the amusements of courts, and most of those that were performed at court in the beginning of the seventeenth century were written by Ben Jonson, and set to music by the younger Ferrabosco or Laniere. Vocal music for social and private parties, during the reign of James I., consisted chiefly of madrigals, which had been composed in the preceding century, with airs of four and more parts; of songs for one single voice, but few were printed; these had a single accompaniment for the lute or viol, without symphony. attention to that of the church service. At his private concerts he took the most affable notice of his musical performers; gratifying them, when not in conversation with them, with the most winning smiles of approbation and kindness. - Masques still continued the favourite amusement during the tranquil part of this accomplished monarch's reign. The Queen brought with her from France a fondness for dramatic exhibitions, and frequently performed the principal character in the masque herself. Ben Jonson was Poet Laureat, and most of these masques were written by him. Iu 1630 he produced his masque entitled Love's Triumphs, which was decorated by Inigo Jones, and performed by the King and thirteen noblemen and gentlemen at court. The same year he wrote another, called Chloridia, which was performed by the Queen and ladies of the court. Shirley, a dramatist of the second class in this reign, wrote a mask entitled The Triumphs of Peace, which was acted at Whitehall; the whole expence defrayed by the gentlemen of the four inns of court. Of this masque see an account in De Burgh's Anecdotes of Music, a work reviewed in our Supplementary Number for the year 1815, wherein the above account forms an extract. Though the masques of this reign are said to have been performed by the Queen, King, and nobles of the court, yet it does not appear that these great personages took much part in the dialogue or songs, but rather appeared on the stage in the splen did ballets, as dancers, representing the James 1., by letters patent, incorporated the musicians of the city of London into a company; and they still continue to enjoy privileges in consequence of their fraternity: | allegorical characters. When the masques |