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HIBERNIAN MAGAZINE:

OR,

Compendium of Entertaining Knowledge.

FOR FEBRUARY, 1808.

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[In allufion to our prefent political Situation, it is hoped the emblematic Engraving given this Month, and reprefenting BRITANNIA, defended by WISDOM and VALÓR, from the faults of her COMBINED ENEMIES,' will prove acceptable to the Admirers of this Publication.].

MISS HOLMAN.

T is at prefent out of our reach to give a circumftantial or correct biographical sketch of this young lady; the is however, generally understood to be a daughter of Mr. Holman's, well known to all our readers for his great profeffional abilities and as one of the acting managers of the theatre of this metropolis, the chief ftage monarch, having become a fashionable abfentee. The fair debutante, we are informed, in point of education, manners, and accomplishments, ftands high in the opinion of her friends, and has been for fome time back under the theat cal tutelage of her father and mrs. Edwin. How far the has benefited by their joint efforts, the public will Speedily be enabled to judge, as we learn the is fhortly to appear in fome ether characters. Mifs Holman, on her first entre for her father's benefit, on Monday, February 22, did not feem to exhibit over much of that diffidence experienced by perfons fimilarly fituated, and went through the part of Adeline in Fontainville Foreft, with the applaufe generally bestowed by an indulgent audience, upon any young candidate for ftage honours.

Mis Holman appears to be about 18, poffeffes a neat figure-and certainly did on her first and fecond night attract crouded houfes-public expectation and curiofity having been raifed on this occafion to the higheft February, 1808.

pitch-how far anfwered those who were present, can best describe.

The portrait annexed, was taken at the theatre, for that purpose. by an eminent artift, who attended

The Dublin Theatre.

IT might have been naturally expected, that during the time of mr. Young's engagement, (who has been the only object that has drawn any thing like an audience to the theatre) our deputy manager would have prepared fome novelties to attract the town, when that actor left the company.-But no-we were prefented on Monday, Feb. 15, with the Honey-moon-on Tuesday with the Chances-and the only performance during the whole week that can lay the leaf claim to novely was the Dramatiti, in which Melvin performed Vapid. Hence the benches became empty-the treafury exhausted-and the public and the performers alike diffatisfied.

This is generally the cafe, when the management of any concern is entrufted to others, the proprietor himfelt becoming an abfentee. Mr. F. Jones, or Fee Faw Fum, efq.-or by whatever appellation we are to diftinguith this our Crow-ftreet monarch-certainly does not evince any overflowing of gratitude to the Irish public. Their bounty has repaired his ruined fortunes, by the encourage

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ment given to his theatre-flies over to England and there fpends the haft guinea which he can fqueeze from the treasurer on this file the water! Can we wonder if the indignant fpitit of the Inf, refeat this treat ment? Can we wonder if they defert his theatre -Is it at all furpriz ing that the Irish public thould refent the inful and make him feel (where he is most affected) in his puife, the punishment due to him, who draws money from the generofity of one country, and lavishes it in another. Feeling the dreadful effects arifing from the almoft deferted state of the theatre, during the first part of the feafon-and thoroughly mortified at the unprecedented fuccefs of the Pe. ter-street company, mr. Jones has bad recourse to almoft every expedient but the right to recruit the finances of his theatre, In the middle of the feafon he has produced (what is termed in the green-room phrafeology) a fiar.' Mr. Young has drawn him a few good, and fome tolerable houfes. But we had much rather fee the regular firength of our company renewed, than thefe fudden de bilitating ftimulants applied. To change the metaphor- Birds of paffage, fays the author of the Epiftles,

are generally birds of prey.'-Be it remembered that mrs. Siddons took with her 3000l. out of the ifland in one feafon.

But what is the regular ftrength (we had, nearly faid the weakness) of the company y? If Falftaff was accufed of unlading the gibbets, and preffing the dead bodies,' may we not fay that Frederick has emptied the barns and half depopulated the fpouting clubs-Such a band of mountain feare-ciows !!!'-But we forbear-nor fhall we particularize, Here they are-and dicy muft eat!

Of the whole week's performance Melvin's was the most entitled to commendation. The houfes (particularly on Friday evening) have been

fo dreadfully thin, that the cold rendered it almoft impoffible to fit out the performance.

The fucceeding week produced us the novelty of the Blind Boy* and the revival of Fontainville Foreft; but it was for the benefit of the act. ing manager. It introduced his daugh ter to the public, who with her father's interest, and the instruction of mrs. Edwin, may one day become a powerful rival to mifs Sheridan. The play was repeated the fame -week; but it is a moft finful admixture of the terrific, the fplendid, and the pompous! And yet this is the trail for which Shakespeare and Farquhar are neglected?-Has mr. Jones left no one behind him to control mr. Holman's propensity for thofe marvellous vile dramas ?— It has been whispered that there was one Swy appointed to the office; if fo, may we not be permitted to afk, if this fame mr. Sweny is a meie man of ftraw?-Does the man underftand any thing about plays?-If he knows the difference between Scrub and Coriolanus, he furely would not permit his brother manager to go on at this rate,

On Duelling.

ALL men of principle understand what are their respective privileges in fociety, and until one and the fame motion can be given to the various parts of an immenfe body, reciprocal rights will be violated, focial broils will enfue, and the practice of duelling will exift. Notwithstanding the cenfures which have been fubmitted against its exiftence, and the very bold affertions which have been made ufe of to explode it, I contend with confidence, that it raifes and refines every individual faculty of man; it renders him independent, and independence leads to virtue: in fociety

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been repeated again and again, without having any wonderful influence on the conduct of mankind. I am well aware that the confequence of a duel is always mifery to individuals; for even the worst of thofe, who are fo unfortunate to be brought to a premature death by their own indifcretion, are refpected by fome who la ment their lofs; but thefe terrible ca taftrophes do not militate against the juftice of the punishment. They ought to remind the prefumptuous and the ignorant, that man will not permit his exclufive privileges to be trampled on with impunity.

infinite advantages refult from its exiftence; it establishes fincerity, concord, and good manners: it checks a thultitude of evils, and confequently promotes the intereft of morality, Let those who cenfure it, as the cuftoin of barbarians, as the relic of an age of fenfeless fanatifcifm, and deplorable fuperftition, read the biftory of thofe nations which antiquity boafts of as being moft polifhed, and then reflect on their argument; let them examine the modern world, and particularly Europe, where the sphere of ideas is enlarged on every fide, the fight of knowledge is more extensive ly diffeminated, and where man is. With regard to a reference by law, beft acquainted with his place in the no injury can be repaired but by the fyftem of nature, and with his focial conferring a proportionat benefit upduties, and they will fee that with the on the injured: and there are injuflow lapfe of time, civilization has ries a fentence of the law will not advanced, and with its advancement recompenfe. Pecuniary reparation this cuftom has become more general, is the chief mode of punishment: I both in its influence and operation.aik, is that adequate to the lofs of reIf ignorance really has milled us in putation? Wil it punish the wretch, this particular, the force of experi- who having leduced one of the fairence would long before this have en- eft part of the creation, turns her into Lightened us. The man who refufes the world, impure, polluted, and con y to fight a duel, is not confidered by taminated? It will neither reftore } the world as acting with reafon, but reputation nor punish feduction! as fanctioning a vice; he is held up as obnoxious to mankind, and like the detefted Faria, is viewed as an object of all conceivable depravity, and a degradation to his fpecies.

then I contend, that the laws which prefcribe the recompenfe, fail with regard to juftice, nay more, that a punishment fo impotent, tends to the corruption of morality, as it embolWe are frequently told, that difor- dens men to commit every fpecies of der has been generated through every crime, in the hope of an expiation. clafs of fociety by the prevalence of which they regard only as a trifling this cuftom, that there are laws to tax on their pleatures. Beides, when punish those who injure us, and that all the fprings of the heart are in actiby not referring to thofe laws, we on, the man of fenfibility afks not arrogate to ourfelves the privilege of who is to lay before him the law of judging in a caufe, which, from be- equity and the privileges of nature; ing interefted, we cannot confider he enquires not into the principles on impartiallyIt is unneceffary to in-. which the expounders of the law adform you, that thefe leffons, with a minifter juftice and maintain order; few others equally. inftructive, have when labouring under indignities, he - would fpurn at the man who prefum

N 0 TE.

The Paria are a class of men in the ed to inftruct him how to act. Eaft Indies, whofe fate is peculiarly wretch

ed; they are not only denied every com-all arbitration he rejects; Dunion with their fellow-creatures, but Within his bolom reigns the highest law, prohibited, on pain of death, from even vi-, Honour, fole judge and umpire of itself. fiting the haunts of man.

A chal.

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