Sit down,' faid he to me, very friendly; (but from refpect, I did not immediately obey)- No, no, fit down, (repeated he with fome earneftness.) I then took a feat and placed myfelt oppofite to him at the writing defk. He took the French original in his hand - Read to me,' (faid he). I read flowly, and fometimes glanced my eye over the paper, towards hiin. At the words inciofed barriers' he laughed. With refpect to the reit, he feveral times gave a gracious nod of approbation, till I came to the laft word. was played on him. At Mofcow, the gazette was flopped, as no perfon could believe that the article was inferted with the confent of the mo. narch. The fame was done at Riga. The emperor himfelf, on the other hand, could fcarcely wait til it was printed, and tent feveral times for it before it was ready, with the utmost impatience. me a fnuff-box, fet with diamonds, Three days afterwards, he fent worth nearly 2000 rubies. Never was a verbal tranflation of twenty lines better paid for. after the emperor's death. I know not the author, but his portrait bears the ftamp of truth : 'I fhall conclude this account with Thought capable! (faid he). fome French lines, which were handNo, that is not the right word:-ed about at Petersburgh a few days charged (taxirt) would be better.' I took the liberty to inform him that this word in German had quite ano. ther meaning from that it has in French. Very well, (faid he), but the other is not the proper expreffi on. I now adventured to ask, in a low tone, whether accufed (befchuldigt) would be a proper word. On le connoit trop peu, lui ne connoit per Actif, toujours preffe, bouillant, imperieux, Il fit beaucoup d'ingrats et mourur malheureux. Right, ight (faid he), that is the British Theatre, November 27, 1801. word, repeating it three or four T Covent-garden theatre, the times: and I wrote it by his directi-A tragedy of The Gamefter was on. This He thanked me in the moft pretented, for the purpose of introfriendly manner for the trouble I had ducing to a London audience a Mr. taken, and difmiffed me, affected Browne (of provincial celebrity) in and pleated with his kind and con- the character of Beverley. defcending behaviour. Whoever has gentleman has performed with much approached his perfon will agree with applaufe on the Bath and Dublin me, that he could be extremely en- boards, and he had no reafon to be gaging, and that it was difficult, nay difpleafed with his reception in the prealmoft impoffible, to withstand him. fent inftance. His conception of the I have not thought it fuperfluous part was correct and difcriminating; to relate this tranfaction with fo ma- his detection of Stukely's guilt, and ny minute circumftances, fince the confequent apology after his liberalichallenge made fo much noife in the ty and eafinefs of mind were impofed work, when, two days afterwards, upon-his ftruggles of the paternal to the aftonishment of all Peterfburgh, it appeared in the court gazette. The prefident of the academy of fciences, to whom it was fent for infertion, could not believe his He carried it himself to count Pallen, to be certain that no trick eves. feelings against a prevailing and too prominent vice-his convulfions of mental and corporeal agony--his defpair of pardon for fuicide, and the expreflion of a faint hope of pardon by the mercy of his creator-were fenfibly felt and applauded by a very refpectable efpectable and difcerning audience. Mr. Browne feems to have formed fumfelf upon the models of the old fchool. He never once offends, and prefers the rifk of being fometimes thought tame and infipid, to the cersainty of difgufting judges of tafte by rant, affectation, and extravagance. We have no doubt that he will be found a valuable acquifition to the theatre. The public has fo often witneffed Mr. Cooke's excellence in characters of fubtlety and diffimulation, that every body anticipated in him an excellent Stukely. He did not difappoint the expectation—it was a chafte and correct performance. Thefe two characters are finely drawn for giving ftrength and effect to each other. The more unfufpected the one, the more difgufting is the deceit of the other; yet the hyprocrify of Stukely was fo plaufible, and fo well affumed, the pity for poor Beverley was increafed by the apparent impoffibility of detecting fuch a confummate knave. Jarvis and Mrs. Beverley were very ably fupported by Mr. Murray, and Mrs. Litchfield; and the tamely drawn character of Charlotte was made the most of by Mrs. H. John fion, who played it with great feeling and animation. Dec. 4.] Dr. Young's tragedy of The Revenge was revived at Drurylane theatre. The part of Zanga we have always ranked among the best performances of Mr. Kemble; and we fcarcely ever witneffed a more powerful impreffion than ivas made on the audience in the prefent inftance. His whole foul feemed abforbed in the one paffion of revenge: and the means he used to execute his purpofes feemed to rife fpontaneously is his mind, anl conftantly to be the refult of mental impulfe. In the laft fcene, when, to fatiate his appetite, he informed Alonzo that his dying wife and murdered friend were both innocent of the crime laid to their charge, his favage triumph was truly impaffioned, and excited in every breaft at once horror for his crimes, and a degree of admiration for his mife taken magnanimity. Mrs. Powell in Leonora, and Mr.“ Barrymore in Alonzo, received also much and deferved applaufe. About the middle of the fourth act there was a great tumult in the gallery, which for fome time very much difturbed the houfe. Mr. Kemble at last stopped in the middle of a speech, and said, very coolly, 'Ladies and Gentlemen, 'We cannot exprefs how much we feel obliged to you for the honour of your attendance; but at this rate the object of your vifit must be completely fruftrated. We must therefore entreat you to condefcend to favour us with a little more of your attention.' This addrefs was extremely well received, and had the effect to reftore tranquillity. 9. At Covent-garden, a new opera, written by Mr. Prince Hoare, and called Chains of the Heart; or, The Slave by Choice,' was prefented for the firft time; the principal characters as follow: MOORS, Alla, Benfalla, King of Ceuta, Mr. Braham; Azam, Grand Slave Mafter, Mr. Munden; Zulema, the favourite of Azam, Sig. Storace. EUROPEANS. Villaflor, a noble Portuguese, Mr. Cory; Prince Henry of Portugal, Mr. Brunton; Menefis, Count of Alveira, Mr. Wilkinson; Don Manuel, his fon, Mr. Hill; Riccardo, fon to Villaflor, under the name of Ofmin, Mr. H. Johnston; Cotillon, formerly a Dancing Mafter, and now a Soldier. Mr. Fawcett ;O'Phelim, Cook to a Regiment, Mr. Johnstone; Juan, a bow of feven years old, Mafter Stauden; Gul nare, nare, Mifs Murray; Silvia, Mifs grand flave mafter, Cotillon, a com Waters. The plot of this opera is founded on the expedition of the Portuguese againft Ceuta in the fifteenth century, in which Prince Henry, afterwards the famous encourager of navigation, and patron of its promoters, firft diftinguished himfelf. The Moors of Africa had fome years before made an irruption into the borders of Spain and Portugal, and carried off many prifoners to Ceuta. Villaflor, a Portuguese nobleman, with his fon Riccardo, and Gulnare, a temale orphan of Portugal, were taken by the Moors. Villaflor had long been confined in prifon at Ceuta, and his fon, under the title of Ofmin, as well as Gulnare remained with him to foften his captivity. At length, to give Villaflor an opportunity of returning to his own country, in order to join the ftandard of his fovereign, Gulnare refolves to fell herfelt, and pay the price of her liberty as a ranfor for Villaflor. Gulnare hearing of the generofity of Benfalia, king of Ceuta, is in hopes the fhall be able to intereft the feelings of that monarch, and difpofe him to reftore her and her lover Riccardo to freedom. Wild as this fcheme is, the noble character of Benfalla renders it not hopeless. 遍 At this time Prince Henry of Portugal lays fiege to Ceuta, and one of his chief of jects is to rescue from flavery the noble Villafior. In the end Prince Henry fucceeds in conquering the king of Ceuta, but not before the latter, having fruggled with his paffion for Gulnare, had given orders for her to be conveyed, with Villaflor and Ofmin, in fafety to Portugal. The generous character of the king of Ceuta operates fo frongly on the Portuguefe chief, that he leaves the monarch in poffeffion of his throne. This is a general sketch of the ferious part of the opera. The comic part clates to Azam, pound of dancing mafter and foldier, O'Phelim, an Irifh cook to a regiment, and Zulema, the favourite flave of Azam. Zulema conceives a parliality for Cotillon, and their efforts to efcape with the wealth of Azam, and the perplexities into which the later is brought, conftitute the humour of the piece. This opera is evidently a hafty production, to introduce in new characters Mr. Braham and fignora Storace, whofe refpective talents were a few years fince found fo attractive at Drury-lane theatre. Braham is certainly one of the firft tenor fingers of t day, not excepting the performers of the Italian opera. His voice is full, clear, and extenfive. His ear is perfectly correct; and his manner of running divifions upon femitones is aftonishing, even though Mrs. Billington's excellence is fo well known, and fo defervedly admired. He is alfo improved in his action and general manner. Storace's merits are fo fresh in the public mind, that it is only neceffary to obferve, that the is equal to what the moft fanguine admirers of her mufical taste and comic humour could defire. All her airs were delightfully executed; but in a duet with Braham, which is a masterly compofition, the was particularly fuccefsful. In the ftructure and dialogue of the piece, however, there is lefs novelty, intereft, and point, than might have been expected from the known talents of the author: in fact, to defcribe it briefly, we muft refort to a hackneyed term, and call it a Vehicle for Mufic. The latter, by Mazzinghi and Reeve, and abounds in rapid flights of notes, well calculated, indeed, to difplay the amazing powers of execution poffeffed by the principal fingers, but certainly, to the general ear, it rather excites furprife, than in parts pleafure. English ears will always prefer the fimpler melodies of Shield, Linley, Linley, Arne, &c. to the capricious difputes, generally carried his point. Sometimes he permitted a few light entremets to escape his feverity; but to others he was inexorable, particularly when his noftrils were affailed by the odour of fpices. ricacies of modern fkill and refinement derived from the Italian fchool. The liberality and taste of the manager are very confpicuous in the fcenery, proceffions, dreffes, and decorations, which are picturefque and magnificent in the extreme. The expence of getting it up is ftated at 2,500l. The performers exerted their beft abilities, and the piece was given out for repetition with a flight oppofition. It has been fince fomewhat improved, and several times repeated. 14] Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth was revived at Drury-lane, the part of the King by Mr. Kemble, and was received with great applause. The attentive doctor allowed the different courfes to fuccced without the least demand for himself; nor even did he how the leaft longing for the breaft of a pullet, or any other tit-bit. He was none of your phyficians who preach temperance over turtle and venifon. But as foon as the defert entered up he rofe, leaped on the table-cloth, wagged his tail, ran backwards and forwards, paying his court to the ladies till he got a few macaroons, or fome fuch thing, to appease his hunger. He allowed his Ninon l'Enclos' Lap-Dog. [From a lady to eat as nh fruit as the pleafFrench Fournal.] A LL the world has heard of Ninon l'Enclos, who preferved her beauty for near a century. Ninon Enclos' lap-dog was a neat, fleek, dever little cur, and his name was Raon. This celebrated beauty, fo much admired, as well for the chatms of her wit as the graces of her per fon, never went abroad but Raton was her conftant companion. Attabe the used to place him in a basket beide her plate. He was, as hiftory relates, her phyfician. He took care that his miftrefs fhould obferve the fricteft regimen, which preferyed her beauty, her health, and her good humour, till fhe was a hundred years of age, and this because The abtained from coffee, ragouts and liqueurs. Raton permitted in filence plain foup, a fimple roaft or boiled joint of beef to pafs; but whenever his miftreis attempted to touch ragouts he owled, looked ftern, and abfoluteprohibited all feafoned difles. Their arguments on thefe occafions formed moft animated fentimental dialogue, and the doctor, after fome pretty hard ed, and to ufe sugar if the liked it; but as to coffee he was inexorable.As foon as the cordials were produced, Raton preffed clofe to his mistress, fnatched up the glafs, and hid it in the corner of his batket. If Ninon attempted to put her lips to the nectar, our four-footed Sangrado growled furioully. If the perfevered, he was as ready to bite as how his teeth. He would bark, grin, and fnap, and every body wondered to fee fuch Hippocratical zeal lodged in fo small a body ! 'Doctor,' faid Ninon, at least you will allow me to take a glass of water.' At thefe words he fmoothed his wrinkled front, and compofed his quivering jaws; and, in token of reconciliation, they drank out of the same tumbler. He then accepted and munched up his accuftomed cheefecake, fkipped and gamboled about the room, triumphing in his victory, proud of guarding the life of his faithful mittrefs. Ye fair, who eat without. fcrupla whatever is put before you, think of Nipon l'Enclos' phyfician! But fo rare a treafure never fell to the lot of any other but Ninon l'Enclos. Incomparable comparable phyfician, fo tender yet imaginary merits of the whole genera fo rigorous! Alas! poor Raton! His remains are ftill to be feen in the Museum of Natural Hiftory. There stufted with straw, is exhibited the fkin of this matchlefs guardian and preferver of beauty! Go, ye fair, and vifit his remains; and, while you melt over the memory of this paragon of animals, be guided by his prefcriptions! tion. A fteed of these fuperior qualifica tions having been fecured, inmediate ly turn your thoughts to the neceffa ry apparatus, in which be particularly careful to prefer ornament to UTILE TY. The extra neatness of you faddle being adjusted from the hand of a popular maker, a hard an fharp bridle will the beft anfwer you purpofe; for although it will occafion the horfe to move in conftant mifery Inftructions to Juvenile Sprigs, for that confideration is not to be put it Spring Riding. MR. EDITOR, AS competition with the more importan determination you have formed o cutting a figure, which you will al ways have it in your power to do, by throwing the horse fuddenly upon hi haunches, whenever you pleate, am by his prancing, in pain, as jud denly alarm the ladies wherever you go. It will be neceffary you give your fadler a pofitive order to furni you with a crupper as well as a fath ionable breaft-plate; they have eic their utility; for as one will prevent the horse's flipping through his girths, fo the other will prevent the faddle's ipping over his ears. The horie be ing thus provided, advert to the tout enfemble, and let your own appearance critically correfpond with the Rofnante you have felected; you will readily conceive it directly in pom that you affect the fportfman, though you never faw a hound in your life; your taylor, therefore, in whofe province it is, will let you perfectly right in the article of dieis, rendering inftructions from me upon that head totally unneceffary. S the feafon is faft approaching when we may expect various difplays of equeftrian ability in the Park, &c. I beg pexs iffion, through the medium of your monthly vehicle, to communicate fuch fhades of inAtruction (for obtaining diftinguifhed priority), as may not be known to thofe, who are anxiously emulative for the hour of initiation in a fport of fo much local celebrity. The commencement of the feafon is about the middle, or latter end of February; it is therefore full time you begin to provide yourself with a Bucephalus, Pegafus, or even what you pleafe; in doing which, remember, if you with him to become an object of attraction, he must have a palpable appear ance of blood; if he luckily poffeffes enough, it is totally immaterial whether he has a leg to fland on; and that he may fuffer no jocular depreciation for his infirmity, don't omit to procue his pedigree at the time of purchafe whether it be real or fictitious Previous to the time of mounting will prove a matter of no moment to your horfe, furs thould by no means you or your friends, as the pleature of be forgotten, as they are in general, to recital will be just the fanie; and if young riders, of double and treble utithe fire, grand-fire, dam or gi and dam lity. First they may, by a fudden exwere at all famous for their excellere ertion, if your horfe makes a trip or upon the imf, you enjoy the eternal happens to fumble, keep him from happinets of boring your acquaint- falling. Should he prove too volaance with the cxploits of the different tile in his temper, and run away with branches, at the time you befiride the you, they may probably affifti Hopping |