ned down in their tranfic. He has firft fung; and then, and not till then, has the mufic been compofed. In a word, this mufic is compofed, not to the science, but to the particular powers and tafle of Braham. This of courfe is productive of mucli monotony and fameness. Almoft every fong is the fame; and nothing is fludied in the compofition but the effect of his voice. The mufic, therefore, for the most part, is affected, and feldoin natural; full of ambitious ornament, and the meretricious graces of a falfe tafte. Such is our candid opinion of the character of the mufic of this opera; in which, as may be fuppofed, Braham fhines in a manner which has hitherto never been equalled. He himself was the opera.-He fuftain ed it; and he himfelf will be its only fource of popularity. The scenery of this piece was exquifitely beautiful, rich, and varied. It had all the fidelity of local fcenery, and the extent, and apparent accuracy, of panorama painting.-The managers have indeed thewn a brave contempt of money and of trouble, and deferve, on their parts, every degree of fuccefs. King's Theatre. THE differences of the opera proprietors have been fo far accomoda ed that the house was opened on the fecond of January; when madame Catalani came forward in the favourite opera of Semiramide, the mufic of which was compofed by Portogallo, expreffly for herself. 6 Her talents were alone confidered and not her recent conduct; the was applauded therefore. as the me rited for the one, but not condemned as. fhe deserved for the other... It feems a kind of fashion to put up with the infolence of a finger, and a foreigner; and it is a difgrace to the national feelings that madame Catala ni, inftead of being prefented with a carte blanche from the opera managers, had not been faluted with a warrant from the alien office. Y The opera-houfe does more to frivolize and corrupt the national tafle than any other amufement of the age.-It makes our old men fools, and our young men dilettantes;— and, too often, fomething worfe. 1 A woman of quality gives more money in one feafon for her opera box, than the fpends in ufeful purpofes all the reft of her life. The rent of one of thefe PAINTED STYES exceeds the annual income of two fcore of Welsh curates. And amongst whom does the money go? Amongst fingers, whofe beft character in the country is that of being fpies; and to dancers, who get paid, and with the nation at the devil... 1 = 13. Mr. Ruffell made his firft appearance in Captain Abfolute, in the comedy of the Rivals; but the gentleman's character fits aukwardly upon him; and for a gentleman to fay floopid for fupid is quite unpardonable, though we do not deny that a precedent might be found for it, but the ftage should amend, not counteOf Dowton's Sir Anthony Abfolute, we can only speak in terms of the most unqualified commendation: it was clafle and natural. Mr. Bannifter and mr. Johnftone were equally excellent in Acres and Sir Lucius O'Trigger: and the fweet fimplicity of mrs. H. Siddons was admirably calculated to give effc& to the tender and interefting Julia. nance erior. . With refpect to madame Catalani we make no prefent application.She may be a good character, but fhe is intolerably infolent. • The enfuing mufical feafon is likely to be full of buffle, as Billington boldly enter the lifts in competiti on with Catalani. ."" Ligh Irish Theatricals. animated, judicious, and interefting. Sweetly did the tones of that harmonious voice correfpond with the various changes of that fafcinating face; while the charms of a graceful, yet almost too delicate, person, receive new beautics from the becoming and well-timed geftures which accompanied every fentiment and expreffion. Let the grey beards blufter as they may, we believe they have feldom feen a fuperior Eilifanias nor do we think the boards of Coventgarden or old Drury can, at this mo~ ment, produce her equal in this difficult and arduous character. The part of Margaretta was performed ON Friday, the 10th, was performed the play of Rule a Wife and have a Wife,' with the entermainment of The Tale of Myflery' this being almoft the only comedy of to early a date which is fuffered to thew its face in a modern theatre, we thall be cautious in detailing our opinion of its merits or demerits, any more than we fhail attempt to defend the propriety of its prefent coflume, or the manner in which the characters are reprefented, lefl we might incur a charge of blafphemy from thefe few who dogmatically decide on the conception and execution of by mrs. Mafon-we have feen a the old school, to the prejudice of both better Margaretta-oh, yes, we have the authors and actors of the prefent feen a better Margaretta!-But perhour-with them we shall not enter the lifts, but confine, ourselves to a brief retrofpect of what immediately comes before us on the boards of Crow-reet. 'Tis worth recording, that in the fifth act of the play where Eilifania feigns a fear of Michael Perez putting her to death, faying I know you'll kill me! an honeft Hibernian [clad in frize and armed with a cudgel) who had made his way to the orchestra, over which he leaned with attention and furprize, was fo wrought on by the earneitnels of the tone in which this charm haps the theatre, in its prefent ftate, can afford no better and that not. being the fault of the lady, we will rather compliment her for the facrifice which the. made, (we believe against her judgment) than condemn. her for a want of excellence which was above her reach. Under this impreffion we fhall be filent for the prefent on that fcore-when we cannot applaud with truth, we fhall not indulge in reproval. The fubordinate female characters were filled up as ufual, and if there was nothing to admire, there was nothing to difguft -we cannot fpeak in fairer terms of the minor gentlewomen. The Leon of mr. Holman had, in our opinion, vaft merit; and we will at every hazard commit ourfelves in faying, that we think it the chef d'ouvre of that gentleman's performance :-in every fcene he difplayed a perfect knowledge of his author, and embodied the character in a bold, yet corrected ftyle of colouring. ing actress expreffed her apprehenfion, that, forgetful of his fituation for the moment, From the fpecimens which we had he leaped up on the next bench, and bran- already received of the comic powers eidung his fhillelah, ftruck a violent blow of mr. Melvin, we indulged the hope on the orchestra, exclaiming with true naticual fpirit and indignation Bys be of feeing Michael Perez performed Shan't, Loney for I'll take your fart, min a very fuperior manner-we were jewal 1. however partially difappointed-ftill we reached that place of temporary fafety, and was filling his pockets with dollars from a cheft under his bed, whilft his neighbour, madame Floriville, the wife of a Paris banker, was croffing herself devoutly with one hand, and with the other making a fresh application of rouge to her faded cheeks. Was it fear, folly, or the force of habit, my dear Ambrofe, which prevented the former of thefe perfonages from reflecting that, in the event of a shipwreck, his ftore pon, by turning the point of the dart Adieu. friendhip, SIR, Thine in fincerity and To the Editor. of filver would carry him to the bot-. One man in his time plays many parts.* A FEW months ago, I prefented you with a curious play-bill, announcing the performance of the Poor Gentleman,' and Barnaby Brittle,' by four actors. I have met with another from the fame company, of the Bufy Body, &c. which is equally interefting, and which I have taken the liberty of enclofing. THEATRE HORSFIELD. At mr. Thomas Peafcod's, THE BUSY BODY; Sir Zealous Traffic Behold me now, my friend, in lodgings at the east end of a freet called Piccadilly, in the renowned city of London. London, emprefs of commerce--and grand emporium of sciences, arts, and manufactures! Let the gloomy devotee of La Trappe weep over this venerable dame, and call her a mausoleum of dead fouls. Let the fqueaking Cecibeo of Rome turn upon his red Morocco heel, and Miranda defpife her gravity and morality.- Scentwell For my part, it is my intention, as Patch, long as the pleasure of correfponding Ifabinda with thee fhall remain, to do ftriét juftice to the numerous virtues of the natives of this ifland, but at the fame time not to let their follies, equally numerous, escape without merited reproof. And in this undertaking, ftrange as it may appear, I do not detpair of being encouraged by the English themfelves; they poffefs an ingenious mode of parrying the wea mr. Johnston. mr. Deans. mr. Jones. mrs. Deans. mrs. Jones. To conclude with the farce of Gaylefs, mr. Johnston. mr. Jones. Melita, Mrs. Trippet, mis. Jones Gadabout, Kitty Pry, mors. Deans. Pit, 1s. Gal. 6d. To begin at 8 o'clock Tickets to be had at the theatre. The The Baths of the Emperor Julien. An Anecdote of the Fourth Century From the French. (Concluded from Page 103:/ SUDDENLY the form of Savinien croffed the view of Sylvanus; the centurion made a movement to retire; the old man advanced towards him with a firm and indignant ftep - Barbarian,' he cried, restore to me my daughter.' "I have not taken her Savinien. from thee.' Sylvanus. You infpire her mind with contempt for her father, and for every thing we hold facred beneath the heavens.' Savinien. C I love her, and would fave her foul from perdition.' Sylvanus. But the is mine.' Savinien. She belonged to God, before the became your daughter.' Sylvanus What, can I not difpofe of my child ?' " Savinien. No, if the Almighty communicates his grace to her. Without doubt you may take away her life, fince the laws have left thee mafter of it; but then fhall the receive from the hands of her Saviour the palm of martyrdom.' Sylvanus, Abfurd reafoner, can you receive, yourself, this pretended palm! It is with this myftic language that you divide and distract the em pire; on your account it is that we feel the heavy indignation of the gods; the invafions of barbarians, the ravages of the elements, perfidies, civil war, treasons, murders, are the confequence of your abominable docirine.' ". Savinien. I pity you, Sylvanus! How little you know of the Chriftian faith. It will lead men back to the innocence of the first age. How can there be contentions and wars among the children of the fame God? All corrupt paffions, all impure defires, all vices, fhall at length difappear before the light of the gofpel; March, 1808, need of the axe of the law; all men, magistrates shall no longer ftand_in in thort, fhall be governed by piety, moderation, brotherly love, and juftice.* Sylvanus. In the mean time we groan under all kinds of calamities, which commenced when our temples, transformed into fepulchres, were profaned by the relics of your faints; of thofe fanatics who were justly punished for having fewed diffention among us. Go, pray over your fleshlefs bones, your heads preferved in fpirits of wine, and leave to us, our Gods, our repofe, and our children.'' At thefe words Sylvanus turned away from Savinien with horror.Anger, love, and religious zeal were now carried to their height in the heart of Savinien. To revenge himfelf on the old man, to marry his daughter, and to fave a foul; these three fentiments concentred in one, which inflamed and rankled in his bofom. He found frequent means to converfe with Prifcilla, who was eafily feduced by the infidious language of the Chriftian. The dread of lofing his daughter now rendered Sylvanus fevere and even cruel to wards her. She had no longer the liberty of going beyond the limits of the buildings which formed her father's habitation. They looked upon the gardens of the emperor, but a ftrong iron grating prevented her from walking in them. " One morning, at a very early hour, while Sylvanus was ftill afleep, Savinien, who had fucceeded in penetrating as far as this grate, and in apprifing his mistress of his approach, thus converfed with her in fecret.My dear Prifcilla,' faid he, if you love me, you must follow me.' Alas, I am a captive,' replied the young girl.' How?' returned SaviNOT E. this would be the infallible confequence of Lactantius (Div. Inft.) afferted that the establishment of Chriftianity, . S nien tomed hour. She glided into the corner of an obfcure paffage, which led to her father's chamber. There the ftopped, and heard Marfurius relate every particular of the converfation that had paffed between her and Savinien in the morning. 6 Sylvanus was quite furious at the difcovery. Foaming with rage, he was unable to fpeak. He could on nien, does this vaft place, yet imperfectly built, afford no aperture through which I may enter, and, fa voured by the darknefs of the night, fnatch thee from the tyrant, and eternal destruction? You might,' The replied, open a paffage, but the experiment is dangerous. Never mind the danger, only point out the way I must go to reach you. I will then take you in my arms, and ly utter a few inarticulate words. You fee this wall, at prefent unfi-Savinien! the wretch cross the nished, with arches beneath it. It is moat! ravish from me my child! the boundary of a deep inoat, intend, monfter! It will be eafy enough ed at fome future period, to be a con, to prevent him, and to punith him at duit for the waters of the Seine. The the fame time, faid Marfurius.-aiches are negligently inclofed. How? how eagerly interrupted perceive them, faid Savinien; I the old man. After having paffed will lift up one of thefe planks the arch, he will proceed to flide Heavenly powers!' exclaimed Prif down upon the fcaffolding: it is only cilla, in great terror, you will fall to remove a few boards, and the feaf down a dreadful precipice. There is fold is taken away; and, inftead of only one of the arches over which fixing his foot upon a folid bridge, as you can pafs in fafety; it is the fe- he is led to expect, he will inftantly cond. A fcaffolding is behind, by be hurried down, and dafhed to piemeans of which you may eafily crofs ces-nothing can poffibly prevent it. the moat that feparates the wall from the private gardens of my father. " I 1 Enough, faid Savinien, an hour after fun-fet you thall be under my protection,' At thefe words Prifcilla fainted away. When the returned to her fenfes, her father and Marfurius were not to be found. She tried to go into Sylvanus's garden. The doors of communication were locked. A chil ly horror crept through her veins.The fun was fet. The hour fast ap proached when her lover was to armen at work, paffed by at a little dif-ive at the appointed spot. She ran tance, while the lovers were converf over the palace, which was now to ing. Diflinguifhing the voice of his her a prifon, but he was almoft inmafter's daughter, he had ftopped to fenfible to the furrounding objects; liften, and when they parted, he re: the knew not what fhe did, nor what fumed his way without faying a fhe thould do." word.. Here they bade each other adieu, and feparated: but they had been overheard. Marfurius, overfeer of the gardeners, being up early to fet his . The only fpot which commanded a view of the garden, was a terrace planted with divers fhrubs, and fituated beneath the roof of the great hall of the public baths. From this elevated terrace, fhe could fee her fa ther's gardens, thofe of the emperor, N OT E. it is well known that the emperors had hais In the evening, juft before the fun went down, Maifurius asked to speak with Sylvanus. Prifcilla, tormented with that anxious fufpenfe which always. agitates the heart between the time of forming an important projet and the moment of its execution, hurried in violent emotion through every apartment of the palace. She faw Marfurius enter it at an unaccuf 2 |