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nion. He was now fent to Eton, where he remained two or three years. For a while he was again inftructed by mafters at home; but the remainder of his claffical education was conducted by the amiable and learned mr. Bishop, at Merchant Taylor's fchool. His boyith days were marked by a fingular facility in acquiring knowledge, by a great flow of animal fpirits, happily tempered by great amiability of difpofition; fó that his vivacity never betrayed him into mifchief, and he was never once chaftifed or reprimanded, for any irregularities of youth, or neglect of duty. He had the good fortune to obtain the esteem at ouce of his teachers and fchool-fellows. At an early period he was made to declaim from several popular pieces; in doing which, though wholly unprompted, he was remarked to introduce much point and theatrical effect.

At eighteen years of age, lie entered the counting-houfe of one of the moft reputable firms in London, where he remained nearly two years, Some time after quitting this fituation, particular circumftances induced him to relinquith all thoughts of a mercantile life, and turn his attention towards the stage. In order to afcertain what kind of hopes he ought to form of fuccefs, in this line, he performed a few times at the private theatre, in Tottenham-count-road, with very marked and diftinguithed approbati on. An engagement was foon of fered to him by mr. Aikin, the then proprietor of the Liverpool theatre, in the year 1798, where he made his fit appearance in the character of Douglas, under the feigned name of Green. The oldest performers unanimoufly declared that they never had witneffed fo excellent a firft appearance. This, together with the warm and continued approbation of the public, led him to relinquith his affumed name, and to confider the

ftage as a permanent pursuit. In the winters of this and the following year he was the young hero of the Manchefler theatre, whilst in the interimediate fummer he returned to Liverpool, where he continued to play every fummer whilft mr. Aikin held the theatre, and in the winter of 1800, 1801, and 1802, he was engaged at the Edinburgh and Glasgow theatres, conftantly leading the business in both tragedy and comedy.

In 1802 the new theatre at Liverpool was opened by meffrs. Lewis and Knight, and has by them been kept open during the winter feafon. Mr. Young now became ftationary till the autumn of 1803, In Octoher, 1802, mifs Grimani, from the Haymarket theatre, joined the Liverpool company, to whom he was married at Liverpool, on the 9th of March, 1805.

In October, 1805, mr. and mrs. Young went together to Manchefter, where he had previously purchased mr. Bellamy's fhare in the theatre. He continued here, in the joint management with mr. Ward until he came to London. In June, 1806, he met with a most afflicting lofs: a few days after he had become a father, a biliary fever unexpectedly deprived him of a most amiable wife.

Mr. Young was last seafon engaged at the Haymarket theatre, where he made his appearance in the character of Hamlet, on the 22nd of June, in 1807. Of his merits we think it fufficient, in this place, to fay that his fuccefs was complete, and that, one only excepted, there is no performer known to the public, who can challenge a comparison with him in Hamlet, the Stranger, and Sir Edward Mortimer. To that good fenfe and learning fo requifite to the conftitution of a great actor, mr. Young poffeffes all thofe good qualities to conciliate friends, and to maintain the character of a gentleman.

Singular

Singular Anecdotes of Grimaldi, the Tus on the flage, by way of exGrandfather of the prefent Gri. plaining Grimaldi's dances.-Grimalmaldi, the celebrated Clown, in the di appeared to approve of the scheme;

very popular Pantomime of Mother Goofe, at Covent Garden Theatre. PREVIOUS to the establishment of the Italian opera in France, the atres were erected at the fairs of St. Germain and St. Laurent, which, though at first of an inferior kind, were in the end productive of great improvement in dramatic humour; and the Italian and comic theatres owed fome of their beft Harlequins, comic actors and actreffes to this fchool.

Among other dancers who performed with great celebrity at this fair, was the grand-father of our prefent famous Grimaldi. He was then just come from Italy, and was called for diftinction fake, Iron Legs, from his being fuppofed to be the greatest jumper in the world, which was then the prevailing tafte in France. He once jumped fo high, that he broke a chandelier: a piece of which hitting the Turkish ambafador, who was in the ftage box, he confidered this conduct as a premeditated affront, and complained to the French court of the outrage, when Grimaldi was obliged to make an apology.

The French were for a time infatuated with Grimaldi; but being imprifoned for fome act of indecorum committed on the ftage, he began to lofe ground, and was at length obliged to ftroll into Flanders. Previous to this, Grimaldi cohabited with a woman, who was remarkably like him, being a thick, fquat, ftrong figure, and almost as great a jumper as himself. When he refolved to fet out for Flanders, this woman accompanied him, along with one Flahaut, a French bookfeller, whom, having fcraped up fome money, Grimaldi perfuaded to follow his fortunes. Flahaut, having learned Latin, took it in his head, that it would be a good thing to introduce the ancient cho

but told him, as it was a kind of imabout by degrees, he had better learn provement that could only be brought to dance firft, which would make bim immediately uteful. Flahaut fet to work, and Grimaldi promised to make him a capital dancer. In short, Flahaut got together as much money as he could, left his family, and joined Grimaldi and his wife in their journey to Flanders, which produced the following fingular circumflance.

When their little troop had advanced near Bruffels, they were fuddenly attacked by banditti, who lay in wait for them, thinking they poffeffed a great deal more treafure than ftrolling actors generally carry about with them. The baggage waggon was first ranfacked, next the pockets of the poor paffengers turned infide out; when, finding them not altogether what they wanted, they favagely determined to facrifice their lives to their difappointment; they accord ngly drew their fabres to difpatch th m; when Grimaldi who loved a joke even in the danger of his life, whifpered Flahaut to speak Latin to them. Flahaut did as he was defired, and for a while the fabies were fufpended; but the captain of the banditti determined to iofe no time, and, thinking his men might be foftened by this device, cried out in a favage imperative manner, Difpatch !'-The fabres were again accordingly drawn, and the moment of their diffolution approached; when madame Grimaldi, with great prefence of mind, and fingular heroifm, in a fcream of defpair, implored the banditti to have pity on her comrades, whofe deaths could anfwer no purpose, whilft the was willing to facrifice her country, her person, and her talents to their services.

She defcribed how many ways the could be useful to thein;- She

could

could dance and fing to amufe them, she could wash for them, fhe could make and mend for them, fhe could cook for them, &c.-in fhort, in the language of Deborah Woodcock, the had no objection to any work they could put her to.'This harangue pacified the thieves; they carried off the lady by compromife, not before, however, they had ftripped the whole troop almost naked, leaving them nothing but the refuse of what they had pillaged in the baggage waggon, confifting of a few odds and ends of pantomime dreffes. Grimaldi put on an old Harlequin's jacket, poor Flahaut contented himself with the trowlers of Scaramouch, and in this plight they begged their way to Bruffels.

What became of the heroine to whom they owed their lives, anecdote is filent on; it is hoped, however, fhe met her recompenfe, as there was fomething very fingularly difintereft ed and noble in her conduct. The troop travelled on from Bruffels to Flanders, where Grimaldi formed a company; and where, by adding legerdemain and other tricks to his jumping, he foon acquired a very confiderable fortune.

The late Grimaldi in our time, was the fon of the above celebrated jumper, who was himself for many years the firft Harlequin ur ftage. Amongst his other queues, he excelled in jumping, not to an extraordinary height, but in imitation of animals. We once faw him in a pantomime, where, in the character of a favage, he had to defcend a pile of rocks in queft of a fleeping fhepherdefs; and he bounded from rock to rock in such a slofe imitation of favage nature, that it appeared more the agility of a roebuck than a man.

The prefent mr. Grimaldi, of Covent-gaiden theatre, is the fon of this man, and the grandfon of the celebrated Italian jumper; and those who have feen him in the pantomime

of Mother Goofe, must do him the juftice to fay, he has loft none of the hereditary talents of the family.

British Theatrical Journal.

COVENT-GARDEN.

ON Tuesday, November the 17th, was produced at this theatre for the firft time, a new opera, from the pen of mr. Dibdin, entitled Two Faces under a Hood.

a

The plot of this piece is nothing worth mentioning. It is a female difguife, which commences with ftraw bonnet and a stuff gown, and is fet to rights again by the affumption of a filk and muflin one. This is fcarcely an incident, much lefs a plot; but this is all the plot which is thewn in the action.

There was no character, properly fo called, in which a general humour was exhibited in action. Lifton, was, as ufual, a fimpleton; Fawcett a droll; and Simmons a foolith town clerk.

The great excellence of this opera is its mufic, which is principally the compofition of Shield. His part of it is at once fcientific and fimple, tender without weaknefs, and fimple without monotony.

However, in other points of confideration, this opera is of a very ref pectable kind. For fuch well compofed, and equally well executed sestets, choruffes, trios, and duets, are not generally to be met with in Englifh operas; and almoft every fong, from thofe in the bravura fyle, to the pretty ones in the style of a Vauxhall fong, with the row dow dow, is good in all its kind. Mrs. Dickons fhews in this piece that the is not only a very refpectable finger, but alfo a very elegant and judicious actrefs; but if the could hear the effect of her good and powerful voice at a distance, fhe would find that he has no occafion to aim at loudness, which fome- " times takes away the higher finish of a paffage,

a paffage, or overstrains a note- both,-an outcaft both of poetry and with the most natural flow of her profe,-a wanderer on the wide voice the has power enough. waftes of folly,-not indeed without a home,-for he found one at that welcome hofpital of fools,-that long eftablished eleemofynary board of dullness,-'yclept Drury-lane.

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Mr. Incledon has not fo many opportunities of fhewing his abilities to advantage in this opera as mrs. Dickons, but in the fong, The blast of war may loudly blow,' with the finale after it, and in other difficult pieces, he maintains his ufual refpectability. Mr. Bellamy has a beautiful ballad which he fung delightfully, and was rewarded with an encore and great applaufe. The good effects however, of this fong and feveral others, would have been much encreafed if the band had been lefs fierce in their accompaniments. We were difappointed that mr. Shield had not made more ufe of this performer's powers, as he poffeffes an extenfive and melodious voice, with a full even tone, which enables him to give a new character to our bass fongs, by adding to the ftrength and expreffion of the English fchool, the tafte and elegance of the Italian.

Mrs. C. Kemble performed as well as her part would admit; and mifs Bolton fung with sweetness and taste.

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DRURY-LANE.

A new tragedy entitled Faulkener, was brought forward at this theatre on Wednesday, December 16th. The following are the principal

DRAMATIS PERSONE.

Faulkener, mr. Ellifton; Count Orfini, mr. Powell; Stanley, mr. H. Siddons; Benedetto, mr. Palmer; Countess Orfini, mrs. Powell; Laurétta, mrs. H. Siddons.

This play is afcribed to mr. Godwin; but, we are perfuaded, without reafon. Mr. Godwin is a gentleman of an eccentric but vigorous mind; a writer perhaps not very converfant with the mute of tragedy, but who has never been fufpected of failing in his intimacy with common fenfe. If mr. Godwin, however, be the author of the prefent piece, he must be an alien to the fociety of

In the name of wonder, what do the managers mean by this rank fraud Have they no upon the public?

name in their liveried tribe of fools,no worn out ftump of authorship,—— no tacker of terce pantomimic profe,

no miferable compiler of old rhimes for old mufic, a larcener without the merit of that brave theft which compenfates for its difgrace in its dexterity; have they none of thefe (or have their flaves rebelled against them) that they should attempt to fink down a popular and fplendid name, by fo heavy a charge as making him the author of this tragedy. We have no patience with this trick.

The principal figurante in the tragedy is rabella, countefs of Orfini; a lady to whom England had the honour of giving birth, and Italy a hufband. It appears, by her own confeffion, that the had been guilty of fome gallantries in her youth'; that the had fome thare in the private hiftory of Charles II. a monarch who feems to have poffeffed as many

miftreffes

king Priam, and who, from his fam in fecret amo urs, has the honour of being imputed father to mol of the illuftrious families of European baftards.

The countefs, however, feems fairly entitled to have her por trait fufpended in the gallery of beauties at Hampton-court, and to rank with Polly Horton, Nell Gwynue, and the duchefs of Portsmouth. thould have been happy to fee hier any where but in this tragedy.

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It feems that this worthy patron had a fon by an English gentle man of the name of Faulkener, previous to her becoming the mitreis of Charles, and wife of count Orfini.—This for,

(from

(from whom the conceals herself as a parent) the protects in the character of a benefactress; and the piece is fet in motion by the anxiety of Faulkener to discover his mother, and the eagerness of his mother to conceal herself.

After going over the old ground of intrigue, and a courfe of much common place plotting, Faulkener is feized in his mother's bed-chamber, and taken to trial for the murder of Benedetto, a fellow who feems introduced for little purpose, but who, as being the first of them difpatched out of the way, is to be ranked as the moft pleafing character in the play. Faulkener is tried in a manner more ridiculous than folemn-in a fcene in whch the majefty of juftice is fullied by ribaldry and nonfenfe-He is acquitted of course. Now enters his mother, and difcovers herfelf, much in the fame manner in which the juice's wife, in the critic, developes the mystery of his birth to her fon Tom.

Whilft Faulkener is in an agony of filial affection, and the dullnefs and dialogue are haftening to an equal crifis, mr. Stanley walks in, in an erect pofture, and an eafy tone. This gentleman has not much to fay for himself; he mentions however, with much nonchalance, a trifling circumftance that he has cut the throat of Orfini, and that his relict may now again take to her weeds.'

One word more.-The language of this play is the flatteft profe we ever remember in a piece ityling itfelf tragedy.

The Theatre.

IT would be no eafy matter to point out a time in which, as to talent, the Dublin theatre has been more miferably deficient, than during the foregoing part of the prefent feafon. Few of our acknowledged favourites have remained with us;

the fubftitutes for those who have emigrated, have, in general, been wholly unfuccefsful; and as inactivity is commonly found to accompany those who are obliged to continue an enterprife without adequate means, fo the caterers for public amufement, in this way perfifted, during this aufpicious period, to prefent mofily thofe plays, which from frequent repetition, had palled upon the fenfe? Thofe funguous frivolities of the modern drama, have ferved indeed to fhew how much the authors may be indebted to the actor-and vice verfá, can exhibit, how LITTLE is his obligation. Sometimes indeed on nights, when the house has been expected to attract by pantomime, melo-drama, or other caufes, Shakespeare has been. fummoned; from the reprefentation. of fome of whofe characters-tra-i gic and comic, a useful leffon might be gained, that of feeing how the characters fhould NOT be played.

A knowledge of the deficiencies of any art, in the opinion of many ju. dicious critics, is one grand ftep to be able to appreciate its beauties. A paragraph from an evening paper, which for intellectual ability and im partial procedure, is an honour to the Irish nation, may ferve as a comment to the above remark :

'An admirer of that very interesting and elegant performer, mr. Hol-` man, cannot forbear acknowledging the pleasure which he received from his fpirited and judicious performance of the crook-backed tyrant yesterday evening; but in no part of the character were his inimitable powers fo confpicuous as in the tent fcene, where his bufinefs was at once natu❤ ral and novel. His ftarting from the couch, and laying about him with his faulchion in fo masterly a manner, gave the finest effect to the scene, and produced a reality which is the very foul of acting. Notwithstanding the ill-natured and malignant re-. marks of a furly fpectator, who re-.

peatedly

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