Him too, who many a promise broke, O from this desperado's art, And yet, more dire, the fawners base, Nor face, nor form, nor gen'rous mind, And, O! in those grand trumps of life, Be wary how you chuse! Let him you wed have sense and truth; Learn well the story of his youth, Then all but him refuse. Whate'er his station, dearest maid! Or lucky cards his lot; A palace or a cot; With him, the fortune-favor'd bride Like objects of her care, Still then be honest dealing yours, How hard soe'er the cards you hold, For, O, 'twill gain you heaven! STANZAS WRITTEN ON A COMMON. By the Author of the Peasant's Fate. I, WHY do I love this lonely haunt, With straggling furze and fern o'er-run, For 'tis the soil of liberty. II. What tho' fair cultivation flies From hence to seek a happier seat, Where mounds and proud enclosures rise To guard its walks from vagrant feet, No lordling here, of fortune vain, Claims undisputed right to reign.` III. Here, by the sandy, deep-worn ways, IV. My female friends, thrice welcome here, As 'neath these stunted trees we rove, I'll think you are the Muses dear; And this is an Arcadian grove. Then strike your harps, sweet maids! with glee, I-VOL. I.* MEMORANDA DRAMATICA, &c. 1807. THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE, Jan. 1. The Will.*-Enchanters, or Harlequin Sultaun.† 2. Know your own Mind.-Id. Jan. 6. * Miss Ray, of the Cheltenham theatre, made her first appearance on the London boards, on the 18th Dec. in the part of Albina Mandeville, in Reynolds's pleasing comedy of The Will. Her countenance is pretty and expressive, but her action was inelegant, probably through too great a desire to please. Her vivacity was not softened with that delicacy, nor did it produce that interesting, because natural, effect which the author intended, and of which Mrs. Jordan is the sole mistress. Miss Ray possesses a clear and articulate voice, her figure is good, and a little experience and attention to her profession, correcting with care her provincial habits, will render her no mean acquisition to this theatre. Of her singing we can say nothing favourable. Elliston's Ho ward was an excellent piece of acting. On the 23d of December Miss Ray tried the part of Amelia Wildenhaim, in Lovers' Vows. Here she was less successful, making frequently a hoyden of the gentle and artless Amelia. Mr. Ray, the father of this young lady, made his debût on the 27th Dec. in Young Marlow, in Goldsmith's comedy of She Stoops to Conquer, His figure is prepossessing, but his tones require flexibility and clearness. He had evidently studied his author; and had his delivery been more distinct, and his emphases better observed, our present task would have been more agreeable. He has much to unlearn, In noticing these appearances in December, it will be remarked that we are clearing the way to begin our Register from the 1st of January. + The pantomime entitled The Enchanters, or Harlequin Sultaun, was produced at this theatre on the 26th of December. Its name reminds us of lucus à non lucendo, for these are Enchanters that do not enchant, A harlequinade so utterly void of all the requisites of this species of entertainment has rarely appeared. The Harlequin of Mr. Hartland, the Columbine of Mrs. Sharp, and the Clown of Mr. Montgomery, from the Circus, were all very good pictures, but they wanted that which might have put them to their "right use." Harlequin Sultaun found his wand "a barren sceptre in his hand;" Columbine danced (prettily, it is true) when she should have been creating a very different interest, by the hair-breadth escapes which, with her motley lover, she encountered in Jan. 6. Douglas-Tekeli.-Enchanters, or Harlequin Sultaun. 7. Siege of Belgrade.-Id. 8. Point of Honour.-Tekeli.-Id. 9. Cabinet.-Enchanters. 10. Provok'd Husband.-Id. 12. False Alarms, or my Cousin.t-The Deaf Lover. Jan. 13. in flying from pursuit; and the clown, with evidently the power of exciting all the droll effect natural to his part, practised several tricks, and exhibited a few antics, which seemed quite foreign to the grave, and therefore ill-contrived, character of the spectacle. This stage is not the land of pantomime :-its vast dimensions preclude the possibility of giving that apparently magic quickness and variety peculiar to the excellence of these performances. The elephant cannot mimic the mon key; but he has the wisdom never to try :---here the simile fails. It has been reported that the piece was got up in three weeks, and this is proposed to the public as an excuse we know a better name for it. * Elliston performed the part of Norval, for the first time, with indifferent success. This gentleman's talents are so various, and his me rits so considerable, in the vast range and variety of characters, which he represents, that it would be fastidious were we critically to observe on his performance of this evening, in which we are persuaded his better judgment must convince him that he did not eminently succeed.Charles Kemble is by far the best Douglas now on the stage. + With the following fable, Mr. Kenny has constructed a new comic opera, entitled False Alarms; or my Cousin, which was on this night performed for the first time. Sir Damon Gayland (a), who has recently taken Lady Gayland (b) for his second wife, and for whom he really has more regard than he is aware of, is infatuated with the silly pride of exciting his wife's jealousy, and acquiring the character of a man of gallantry. It appears that he has been in habits of correspondence with an incognita, with whom he became acquainted at a private masquerade, but to whose person he has been kept a stranger. The jealous apprehensions of Lady Gayland are relieved by the unexpected arrival of Caroline Sedley, (c) an old friend, and school-fellow. Caroline declares herself to be the cause of Sir Damon's alienation; relates their meeting at the masquerade, and that, accidentally discovering, in the person of her gallant, the husband of her friend, she had been induced to humour the intrigue, in the hope of avenging the wrongs of Lady Gayland and effecting Sir Damon's reformation. To promote this design, she has obtained a letter of introduction to Sir Damon, under the assumed disguise and character of Captain (a) Mr. Wroughton. (b) Mrs. Mountain. (c) Miss Duncan, Jan. 13. False Alarms, or my Cousin.-Spoil'd Child. 14. Id.-Tekeli. 15. Id.-Enchanters. 16. Id.-Tekeli. 17. Id.-The Anatomist. 19. Id.-Tekeli. 20. Id. Children in the Wood. 21. Id.-Tekeli. 22. Id.-Who's the Dupe. 23. Id.-Tekeli. 24. Id.-Children in the Wood. ** A comedy is about to be produced, written by Mrs. Lee. Captain Bronze; and in this character she affects such an easy impudent freedom with Sir Damon's house, his servants, and above all his wife, that the man of gallantry is confounded: his indignation is roused; his jealousy is alarmed; and, under pretence of sudden indisposition, he determines immediately to hurry away his wife from so dangerous an intruder. This is the signal for Lady Gayland. She refuses to accompany him; accuses Sir Damon of infidelity'; abashes him, by producing the correspondence with his incognita; and peremptorily insists upon a separation. To increase Sir Damon's confusion, a billet arrives from the fictitious Rosalinda, stating that she is at hand, and can no longer endure the suspense of their mutual passion. The false captain, to whom Lady Gayland appeals, affects to recognise the hand-writing of the fair Rosalinda to be that of his cousin, and demands instant satisfaction from Sir Damon, for the indignity offered to his family. Sir Damon is overpowered with shame and penitence, and pleads for forgiveness. In the mean time Edgar (d), son of Sir Damon, has arrived in, pursuit of Emily (e), the ward of Old Plod (f), to whom he is attached, contrary to the views of his father. After some of the usual difficulties in these cases, in which his jealousy has been needlessly alarmed, he succeeds in eloping with the object of his wishes, and Sir Damon's consent is extorted by Lady Gayland, as a condition of their reconciliation. A further interest arises out of the characters of Tom Surfeit (g) and Lieut, M'Lary (h), who are rival candidates for the hand of Caroline. The former, as an apology for doing nothing, has assumed the character of a Temple student; but, despising the slow return of halfguinea motions, as inadequate to his fashionable pursuits, he conceives designs upon the superior fortune of Plod's ward. His attempts, however, are frustrated, and his vanity exposed in all quarters; whilst the mirthful (d) Mr. Braham. ) Mr. Bannister. (e) Mrs. Bland. (f) Mr. Mathews. |