their native one to avoid the ill-ap- but who rather seem to have formed plied scandal that is attached to what their opinion from the frequent difis termed the Irish brogue, which turbances and calamitous infurrecti same Irish brogue, when not canvaf- ons to which this unfortunate counfed with the fashion of the day, is try has been fubject; those, no doubt, predictive of that liberality, frankness, would be very rational grounds for a and candour, which I trust will ever man to found his opinion on of the remain the distinguishing characterif- public political fentiments of the tics of the Irish people. Go, fir, country, but would conftitute a most from the first and most opulent man unfit standard to compare the private in Ireland, to the lowest and poorest and domeftic manners of the people of the peafantry, and you will, upon with. Many exemplifications of this a momentary interview with either, might he found in the character of discover an ingenuousness of difpofi- those infatuated personages, who detion, and a generosity of heart, which servedly suffered for their difaffection insures to a friend an affectionate and to their constitution and country; warni embrace, and to a stranger, a but though their political principles courteous and hofpitable reception; had been contaminated, poffeffed in and even when the narrow circum- domestic life the most pure and benestances of fome will not enable them volent hearts, and whose talents and to extend affistance or fuccour, yet understanding have excited both the their spmpathetic and benevolent man- envy and the admiration of their most ner will afford confolation. Yet, professed enemies. Some, fir, are fince my attival in England, I was bold enough to affert, that the Irith under the painful neceffity of hearing in general are a fierce and savage peothe lower class of people in Ireland, ple. But those who would make represented as a body of favage and illiterate ruffians, whose great delight confifted in the moit barbarous and violent outrages that could be committed, and whose chief gratification was the insulting every honeft man who did not become a member of their villainous banditti. What depravity in human nature! What deficiency of candour and generofity! What prejudices and prepoffeffions countries as well as individuals are fubject to? What selfisiness and illiberality have prompted those living in one province, to propagate such ungenerous and fuch unfounded misrepresentations of those living in the adjoining one! of those to whom as they are now civilly united, they should alfo be naturally benevolent. Sir the only way I fee to reconcile those erroneous and illiberal misrepre. fentations, is the certainty of their being made by those who never vifit ed Ireland, and therefore by those who had no fair opportunity of eftimating the manners of the people, fuch an affertion, muft either be'totally ignorant of the difpofition of an Irishman, or of the meaning of the epithets they would attach to his character. What, fir, is an Ігітац fierce because he is fpirited and des termined? Is an Irishman furce he cause he would be the first to punith a violation of honour, or of principle, when he would be the last ta commit a breach of either himfelt And, is an Irishman a favage because he would prefer bravely terminating at once his quarrel with a fword, to indulging perpetually in invective and abufe, and because he would rather thake hands and become friends, than harbour in his breast the corroding pique of private resentment? No, fir, a true Irishman is neither fierce rior favage; the heart of an Irishman, fir, to use the language of mr. Curran, is bold, and it loves; it is generous, and it gives: it is candid, and it confides; it is social, and it affords hofpitality. That Anecdotes. VANITY CHECKED. WHEN the famous doctor Great head, who had risen in the church trom a low origin, was promoted to the fee of Lincoln, feveral of his poor relations looked forward to favours and advancement; one in particular, a farmer, was importunate in his fuit, when the bishop coolly replied, 'coufin, I would willingly mend your plough if it required it, or would even give you a new one; but a farmer I found you, and for me a fariner shall you remain." Something, analogous to this was the reply of James the first, to a clown who had given him fome affiflance whilft hunting, and who requested to be made a gentleman; 'In gude troth, my friend, you mun afk fomething elfe, I could mak you a lord, but God Almighty himsell, could na mak you a gentleman.' That the lower class of people in nity and independence of her sister Ireland are more illiterate than those country. of England, fo far as having received more contracted educations, I cannot dany, and that very circumstance perhaps accounts for the blunt, the honeft manner they have of expreffing them. felves, and which most probably has induced fonte to ftigmatize the whole country with the appellation of half Çivilized barbarians Indeed I will not hesitate to fay, that the infatuation of the peafantry in Ireland, in the dreadful fcenes of riot which haye of late years infested that country, might be principally attributed to the contractedness of their education; for it is easy to conceive the influence of fair promifes and artful perinations over the infant mind without the help of reafon, and unaffified by education; and it is not unreasonable to fuppofe, that the proclamation of liberty and equality might prejudice that people, whose only knowledge is that they have a tyrant, and whose science is abject fubmiffion. But, fir, though the lowest rank of the people in the land have the misfortune to exift without education; yet, even of them, natural genius is charactenttic; the frequent use of figurative language is peculiar even to that class of the people; perhaps, indeed, it is to that, ogether with the vast extent of genius they poffefs, without having an education to affift them in the management of either, that those blunders been called the Great. We allude called Irish bulls, are chiefly to be at- to Henry the fourth of France, who tributed. It certainly is (with regard not only perfonally patronized agrito the higher ranks of the people) to culturifts, but was alfo a practical the happy conjunction of all, that farmer himself, and took pride in Ireland can to this day boast of pro- making the Spanish ambaffador, a ducing the greatest characters that man of high rank, and fupercilious ever adorned the annals of either manners, tafte fome wire made in Country; I with, fir, that the were his own vineyard; saying courteoufallowed more frequent opportunities ly to him, I affure you I have not of increasing the number of those only a vineyard, but alfo fome fields, characters by which, while the would and fome cows under my own directibe adding to the honeft pride of herfelf, the would at the fame time be effecting the establishment of the dig ROYAL SIMILARITY. A well-known Pindaric wit in the present age, has been accuftonted to allow his Pegasus, whilft prancing over the common, to fling dirt at the agricultural amusements of a revered perfonage such pursuits however were the amusement and recreation of a monarch, who has emphatically on, and I have learned so much of farining that I am convinced I could make a comfortable livelihood by it British British Theatrical Journal. DRURY-LANE, MAY 2. THE Heir at Law The Minor. Mr. Bannister took his benefit this evening, and as it feems to be an allowable thing, that an actor may do what he likes at fuch a time, so mr. Bannister performed the part of Dr. Panglos. There is, certainly, nop & of human widom fo trüls beneficial as felf knowledge: as a due and fair eftimation of our own powers; but in public characters, nothing is more frequent, than to find a strong ambiti on of univerfal talent; forgetrul of their own peculiar excellence, they with to intrude upon the province of others. Such was precifely the cafe this evening. Mr. Bannister is a comedian of very ex enfive and popuLer powers; but those powers have a limit, a truth of which we were never more fenfible than on this occafion.---He feems to have an unaccountable predeliction for mr. Fawcett's characters: we remember, fome years ago, he played Caleb Quoten, on his benefit night. But he is totally unfit for either: in fact, these two charactors were drawn for the actor, and it may therefore easily be conceived why mr. Fawcett should fo peculiar ly focceed in them. Mr. Bannister has neither the volubility, the pedantsy, nor the humour of the former, But on this evening he was not alone inferior. We never faw a play more indifferently reprefented, with the single exception of mr. Johnftone, the original Kenrick, and of Mathews, who performed Lord Duberly with that uncommon excellence, which he so amply poffeffes. Mr. Ruffeli, in Dowlas, reminded us mournfully of poor Palmer; and, as ufual, he indulged the audience with a few fpecimens of novel orthoepy, as diffolout for diffolute, &c. Mr. De Camp, though a young man of very contiderable abilities and much promife, performed Zekiel Homespun, without feeling, difcrimination, or After the play fucceeled Sylveller Daggerwood, and various fongs! but we faw nothing that amufed us to much as Eraliam coming forward to fing, with an opera hat under bis arm, and half boots and pantaloons on: it was fuch an agreeable mixture of right and wrong; as could not tail to 'elev te and furprize.' 9.1 The Wife of Two HusbandsThe Hunter of the Alps This imerefting drama was performed this evening, for the benefit of mr. Bras ham. Mr. Siddons made his first ap pearance in Count Belfior, but played it much inferior to H. Johnstone, who, we remember, was the original reprefentative. The extre ne deality of this gentleman's voice tenders it a fruitless labour to liften to him, uoleis we happen to be in the stage box Mr. Braham performed Theodore, and introduced fome new fongs into the character. Palmer played Für, but in fo defpicable a marier, that he excited downright laughter in the most serious parts. Caulfield, who was the original Fitz, gave a great degree of intereft to the part; histall gaunt figure, combined with a hollow, fepulchral tone of his voice, were well calculated for fuch a cha racter; but for mr. Palmer, we thould have been leis difpleased to ke it performed by mr. Maddocks. Why has mrs. Powell been kept fo in the back ground this feafon? We hope for one reafon only: the wait of a tragic actor to fupport her; fur mr. an interesting drama, and highly deferving of a regular station on the boards of our theatres. Whether it be Shakipeare's or not, is a question distincterom its interest in reprefenta mr. Ellifton leems, at length, to be gradually coming to a sense of his real powers. She played with great feel ing and animation this evening. and we must do mr. Braham the justice to fay, that he furprized us by a very tion; and, for our own parts, we marked improveinent in his elocu tion. think the labour which mr. Kemble has bestowed upon it to render it fit for a modern audience highly judicious, and most creditable to his talte and judgment. The character of Valentine, however, affords hiin but few opportunities for the display of his powers; yet, there are occafion After the play, was given an Harmonic Meeting, in which mesfrs. Braham, Smith, Gibbon, and Joon flone, fang: the latter a fong about the virtues of the Prince! To this fucceeded the Hunter of the Alps, and the audience could not complain ally tunes where he tites to his ac of a deficiency of an ulement. 11.] Honey Moon-Carattacus. It was mr. D'Egvite's beneht this evening; and we notice it merely to fay that madame Catalani made her appearance on the boards of this the atte. It will be needleis to add, that fuch an event attracted a vaft concourie of perfons, and the lobbies prefented fuch a scene as we never be cuftomed elevation; and at all times, his dignity of manner and elegance of deportment confer fuch an undefinable grace upon the character as makes us forget its unimportance.Mits Smith played Julia, but indifferently. Munden and his dog were both fo excellent, that we fcarcely knew which to prefer. than the I wo Gentiemen of Verona; Nel carchio accolto, May 6.1 The Tempest-The Re fore witnesled, not even on the first view; or, The Wags of Windfor. appearance of matter Betty. A great We contider this as an infinitely lefs number of perfons left the hoofe, interesting play, in représentation, after having paid for their admiffion; and a ftill greater number fat down quietly upon the stairs in patient expectation of feeing fomething in the course of the evening. When madame Catalani appeared the was received with rapturous applaute, and her wonderful powers excited the usual admiration. She fang, at the end of the fecond act of the play, a new grand scena, a la pompa, in re cititative and oria, and at the end of the fourth act, Hope told a flattering Tale, with variations. In the latter The was aftonitiungay great. After the play there was Le Fete Chinoise, in which most of the dan cers from the opera houte appeared. COVENT GARDEN. Friday, April 29.] Two Gentlemen of Verona-Who Wins? We are not of the number of those who confider this play as unworthy of revivai: on the contrary, we hunk it TASSO. Dryden and others, with their patch work, have infringed on the majesty of the bard of Avon, and produced a motley whole, which no' real lover of Shakipeare can con template with acquiefcence or approbation. Yet in this manner it is acted; though our judgments revolt against the infantile improbabilities of Hippolyto and Dorinda, and the rufuiciation of the former. A part, however, from the confideration of this mutation, the piece is got up in a manner that leaves in thing to win. Mr. Kemble, in Profpero, gives dignity and intereft to a part which me Lad (part the first) - Who Wins? This is the first time that this bulling and animated play Iras been performed this season. It is one that keeps the attention awake from the first to the last scenes; it has three prominent personages in it, in whose proceedings the spectator is equally intere. ed: Hotspur, Hal, and last, not least, Falstaff. Of mr. Kemble's perform ance of the first, we can fpeak only in terms of the most enthusiastic a4 bad taste of Garrick transformed to an opera character, and configned to a finger. His aitches are still a watchword for commotion; but we observed, that on this night, the approving voices predominated over the diffentient ones. That this divifion of the word into two fyllables, in the plural, was sometimes practifed hy the early poets is true; and in the line of Shakspeare where it occurs in this play, it requires fuch a divifion to render the meature correct; those miration. The fiery, the impetuous, therefore who have attempted to ridicule mr. Kemble, by fuppofing that he would say tooth ach-e, or headach-e, show only their own ignorance of the motive and reason why, in this fingle infiance, he makes it a dissylabic word. Johnfon teems to have regarded this divition of it as usual, in poetry, for the fake of the measure; though in the fecond example, which he has quoted from Swift, it is a monofyllable: the gallant Hotspur, was never more forcibly depicted; the fire of his eve bore teftimony to the eager workings of his mind, and the hurried refileif ness of his action bespoke the velhe mence of his character. His delivery of the firft fpeech, My liege, I did deny no prifoners, &c.' was ma!. terly; but it was only a prelude to the continuous excellence of the en fuing scene, in which his endeavou to recollect the name of Berkely Caltle were fo natural, so impatient, fo eager, fo vafied, that you fancied you beheld before you the very man whon the pen of Shakspeare had embodied. We confider, indeed, the Hotfpur of Kemble as one of the pertect delineations of the modern stage. We with we could say as much of mr. Cooke's Falstaff; but there is a hardnets in hes manner, a want of richnefs and hu mour, which do not belong to him, 'who was not only witty himlell, but the cause of wit in others. The range of this actor's powers is very The part of Caliban is such a wild limited: a truth he does not feem to and fantastic creation of the poet's be aware of. We object also to his brain, that scarcely can it be hoped pronouncing the word gyses with the an actor will ever be found to please hard g. A coming thower your shooting corns pre- rage. We remember also to have met, fomewhere in Hudibras, with a couplet, in which this word terminates a line as a dissyllable in the plural, and which thews that the ufage at least prevailed in his days. Butler might indeed be objected to as an authority, because of the known laxity of his Thimes; but here he is called in only as an auxillary. Wales, a reader of Shakspeare in the perMr. C. Kemble improves in his formance of it. how. performance of the Prince of Mr. Emery, however, is not, we think, by any means, by giving it more ease and playfulnes correct in his conception of it; he in the early part of the play; but wants energy and force to depict the furely it was a trip of the memory horrid workings of the favage, when he trembles and deprecates the potency of Profpero's magic. May 12.] King Henry the Fourth, that fuffered him to enunciate lute, as though it was spelled loot. Mr. Mur ray ranted less in Henry than he ufu aily |