mation. On the 29th of April, 1801, the play of Pizarro was performed, for the benefit of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton :-Old Blind Man, Mr. Hamilton; Boy, Miss Lyddel Hamilton; Cora, Miss Sophia Hamilton; Virgins of the Sun, Miss C. Hamilton, Miss L. Hamilton; Las Casas, Mr. Hamilton, and Elvira, (Pizarro's Mistress! Miss Hamilton. Tickets to be had of Mr. Hamilton, at the Lamb. The bill printed by Myrton Hamilton.

Theatre WORKINGTON.-A speculator in socks and buskins, agreed with some of the performers, whose engagements had finished at Whitehaven, to play George Barnwell and Barnaby Brittle, in this town, for which they were to receive a specific sum. The Manager placed himself at the door, and received the money; the house filled, and, after several hours delay, one of those who should have been a performer, came forward to announce that there could be no play, as the Manager had run away with the money.

The THEATRICAL FAMILY.-You have now and then introduced into your valuable miscellany, a curious play bill; I have taken the liberty to present you with the subjoined, which was distributed, and the play represented, in a small Village (Ashton-under-line) six miles from this town,

four years ago if it be worth your attention, for the entertainment of your readers, it is at your service.

Manchester, May 13th, 1801.

T. A. SNOW. "At a large Room, in the New Street, Ashton, Friday evening, June 30th, 1797, will be presented a favorite comedy, called the SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL.

Sir Peter Teazle, Mr. Hillyard; Joseph Surface, Mr. Hillyard, Jun. Sir Benjamin Backbite, Master Hillyard; Trip, Master T. Hillyard; and Charles Miss Hillyard. Lady Teazle, Miss P. Hillyard; Lady Sneerwell, Mrs. Hillyard. End of the Play a Song by Mr. Hillyard. To which will be added a farce called

BARNABY BRITTLE;

Or, a Wife at Her Wits END.

Sir Peter Pride, Mr. Hillyard, junr. Mr. Lovemore, Master Hillyard; Clodpole, Mr. Hillyard. Mrs. Brittle, Miss P. Hillyard; Damairs, Miss Hillyard; Lady Pride, Mrs. Hillyard. To begin at eight o'clock, admittance 1s. children 6d."

Theatre Royal LIVERPOOL.-Sir,-Our theatre opened for the summer season, on Monday, 22d June, with the Grecian Daughter; and so far has been very well attended, the first week's receipts being nearly £400; the expences could not be more than 140 at the utmost. From this you will readily infer how much the manager has it in his power to act with liberality, and silence those complaints that have so often, and so justly, appeared in the Mirror, and every other publication wherein the subject has been mentioned.However, our grievances, except in one or two trifling instances, remain unre dressed, and even aggravated: no language can convey an idea of the miserable! appointments of this theatre, in every department, notwithstanding the liberal and ever munificent manner in which it is supported. The scenery would be thought disgraceful to the most wretched strolling company in Great Britain, and is daily growing more insufferably ragged and dirty. The band, for so large a H-VOL. XII.

theatre, is weak, and altogether insufficient. The bass can be scarcely heard, and there is not a tenor in the Orchestra. To convey an idea of the wretched state of the wardrobe, it is sufficient to say, that the performers, notwithstanding the lowness of the salaries, prefer buying their own dresses to the disgrace of appearing in the faded remnants of those that belong to the house. But the parsimony of the manager, in these respects, however shameful and offensive, is of trifling consequence, compared to that which is evinced in the engagement of performers. Formerly the inhabitants of this town could not be satisfied with any thing less than a London company, but at present they are obliged to be content with two or three performers of eminence, while the rest of the company is made up of heroes and heroines from every village theatre in the neighbourhood. We have all, for some time, been expressing an anxious desire to see Mrs. Siddons this season, but, though she is now in the neighbourhood, playing at Preston and Lancaster, yet we, with all our brilliant patronage, are to be satisfied with performers of secondary ability. Mrs. Powell is an actress of great merit, and she is in high favour with the town, but even she is not enabled to display her powers to advantage, for we have not one male performer capable of sustaining, along with her, the heroic parts of tragedy, except Mr. Murray, who is, of course, not fit for youthful parts. As an example, a few evenings ago, Mrs. Powell played Lady Macbeth, to the Macbeth of Mr. Young, a character for which he is by no means qualified, though, in his proper line, Mr. Young is undoubtedly an excellent actor.-In comedy we are a little better, but not much: we are without any low comedian of either sex, possessing a sufficient portion of the vis comica, to render a modern play amusing: and we are deprived of our two best performers in that line, Mr. Hollingsworth and Miss Mellon, for whom no sufhcient substi tutes have been provided. Mr. Simmons possesses great humour, but, from his want of application, or what is technically called a bad study, he seldom appears in any part of much consequence. Mr. Ryley has very respectable talents, but his range of character is necessarily limited; so that Mr. Grant is the general performer on all occasions, whether light or serious, whose merit, though confessedly great, has not sufficient opportunity of being seen, from the necessity he is under of continually studying new parts, by which his time and attention are of course engrossed. Unfortunately for Miss Duncan the injudicious zeal of her friends had raised such high expectations concerning her, that her first appearance was very cold and cheerless, and her subsequent progress in the favour of the town has hitherto been but slow; she is an actress of much spirit, a great deal of confidence, and a pleasing singer, but her thin and high-pitched voice renders her extremely unfit for broad farce, or humorous expression, in which, however, she was expected particularly to excel. As we are willing to allow the manager his due portion of praise, it must be confessed that the musical department is well filled. Mr. Hill, Mrs. Atkins, and Miss Dixon unquestionably rank very high in their profession; but even here there is room for complaint, for we are very deficient in chorus singers, having scarcely any but the principals who are capable of joining in a glee, or any other piece of music in parts. Now, Sir, if such is the conduct of the manager, when his lease expires in a year, which, of course, may be reckoned a year of probation, what are we to expect when he is again reinstated in full power, by the renewal of it, when he will,

course, be more indifferent as to the opinion of the public? However, we hope the proprietors, whoever may be the future patentee, will take care to make such regulations as will secure the town against a repetition of such abuses.

NEW ROYAL CIRCUS.

CLODIO.

THE grand spectacle of the Fire King, or Albert and Rosalie, continues to attract crowded houses. The machinery is so splendid, and managed with such dexterity and correctness, that we do not wonder at its success. The story is highly interesting, and the catastrophe produces an admirable effect. Cross has. in preparation a comic pantomime, in which the younger Bologna is to assume a nouvelle character.

ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE.

THE rapid changes in the performances at this charming theatre, produce an equal succession of variety in the audience, who testify their approbation of our young manager's spirit and liberality.

Fair Rosamond, or Woodstock Bower, is a happy instance of invention.--Fiction has most successfully aided historical record, and the combination deserves our warmest praise,

SADLER'S WELLS

Continues, under the magical wand of Mr. C. Dibdin, to be well attended, and the variety of new performances deserve the success they experience.

VAUXHALL.

THE mild season has done wonders for this rural scene. On the gala night commanded by her grace of Devonshire, the evening was a little unfavourable; nevertheless the company was fashionable and numerous. The bonny Duchess, however, was more fortunate; not less than nine thousand persons were admitted when the command was issued by the Caledonian matron. Dignum's songs are this year admirably suited to his peculiarly sweet voice, and Townsend has one or two comic ballads, which he sings with uncommon humour. Miss Daniels, ci-devant Mrs. Cooke, is much improved in science since last year, and bids fair to rival our greatest favourites.

FOREIGN THEATRICALS.

PARIS. THEATRE DU VAUDEVILLE.-The Miser and his Friend.-A miser, who was in the habit of burying his money, has had the misfortune to be robbed of 40,000 crowns, which he had concealed under-ground. Some time afterwards, the thief, whose conscience pricks him for the robbery, carries the money to Sainville, a friend of the miser, who, convinced of the little benefit Dormel would derive from the restitution of his cash, since he would not fail to bury it again, resolves to employ this capital in his own business. The interest and product of the money he lays out for the advantage of Dormel, who, while he is enjoying the comforts of life, thinks he is indebted for them entirely to his friend. With part of the sum, he purcheses, in Dormel's name, a pleasant estate,

and, on the anniversary of the day of the robbery, makes known to Dormel the manner in which the 40,000 crowns had been restored, and the use to which he had applied them. He thus convinces the miser, beyond all dispute, how much more profitable it is to employ one's money in commerce, than to bury it in the earth, and desires only, as some acknowledgment for the service he has rendered him, that he will consent to his son's union with his daughter.

This ingenious and moral fable in Nivernois, has furnished the subject of the present piece, which is ingeniously managed, and has been well received. Messrs. Radet and Robateau are the authors.

THEATRE NATIONAL DES ARTS.-Astyanax.-The Trojans of Euripides, and the Troiad of Seneca, have supplied the author of this piece with his subject. Every one knows how strong an interest is excited in the breast by the efforts of maternal affection; how much must that interest be increased, when the mother who trembles for the safety of her child, is the widow of Hector. Father Brumoy does not scruple to declare, that the situation of Andromache, when, after concealing her son in the tomb of her husband, she is forced to deliver him up, to save him from a more imminent peril, is one of the finest and deeply tragic situations which the stage can possibly present. We are inclined to think that, if Racine had treated the subject of Andromache at a more advanced period of his dramatic career, he would not have neglected to make use of this incident. Voltaire has slightly handled it in his Orphan of China. The author of Astyanax has therefore acted wisely in adopting it, and we think he has shewn some skill in the management. The first act does not perhaps sufficiently maintain the unity of action, and the author has departed a little from the true character of Andromache, who should discover, as she does in Homer and Racine, all the energies of motherly love, but not the fury of a Bacchante or an Amazon. Notwithstanding these faults, and some few inconsistencies, the play is interesting; and the spectacle of a conflagration, and that of the sailing of a fleet, have contributed to the success of the piece, and rendered the audience less sensible of the excessive poverty of the style.

With respect to the music, it has revived, and we think very properly, the old dispute between the melodists and the harmonists. It is maintained on one side, that pure tragedy ought never to resort to music, as if Gluck, Sacchini, Mehul, and Fontenelle, had not proved to the contrary; and as if the represen◄ tation of strong emotions had no analogy with the art of expressing them by sounds and concords. It appears to us, that if it were to be debated whether tragedy spoken is more interesting than tragedy sung, the decision of the question would be short and easy; and the Iphigenia in Aulis of Racine, well played, can bear no comparison with the Iphigenia in Aulis of Gluck, well sung; but he who denies that music has not perfectly. expressed the solemnity of the subject, the sor row of Agamemnon, the sensibility of Clytemnestra, and the amiable and affecting resignation of Iphigenia, must possess a very inharmonious and antimusical ear.

It is true that Kreutzer has not increased, in our opinion, the number of proofs in favour of tragedy sung. Noise, and scientific modulations, do not suffice to produce the requisite effects; they may astonish the ear, they do not touch the heart. Emotions are not to be excited by sweet sounds only, still less with dis

cords, when they do not strike the chords of the heart; when the soul does not acknowledge the truth of the tones that are sent forth; when the combined effects do not give to the characters that harmony which properly suits them; and this is the great secret which our musical geniuses have yet to learn; but we know not that it is to be acquired. It is in this art, as in all others, the gift and inspiration of nature. Perhaps music has a disadvantage which other arts do not possess in the same degree. There is not only a very small number of professors who are acquainted with its language, but there are still fewer persons who are capable of understanding and appreciating it.

The words are written by the late M. Dejaure, the respectable author of several performances which have succeeded on the stage.

THEATRE LOUVOIS.-Le premier Venu, ou Six Lieues de chemin,-This piece has proved uncommonly attractive, and has excited the most enthusiastic applause. Emily, the daughter of Dorimond, a whimsical character, who resides at the distance of six leagues from Lyons, is beloved by two young officers of the same regiment. Dorval and Berville, notwithstanding they are rivals, still continue to be friends. The father, who cannot determine to which of the two he shall give his daughter's hand, writes to each of them, that he who arrives first at his chateau shall be his son-in-law. The gallants communicate to one another this letter of Dormond's, and amicably agree not to set off till six o'clock, and to adopt no other conveyance than a post-chaise. Berville has for some time had an English servant whom he does not think sufficiently smart, and whom he resolves to discharge, because he wishes to procure one who does not carry more than a certain weight. He offers, nevertheless, to retain him in his service, at any price,, provided he will find means to retard his rival's journey. For this purpose he gives him a purse. The valet accepts it, and promises to do his best. Dorval has recourse to the same means; he makes a similar offer to the English jockey, which is also accepted. He is thus engaged to both the parties, and, that he may be honestly entitled to his double wages, he employs a crowd of creditors to impede the progress of Berville, and intends himself to become the driver of Dorval's chaise, and overturn it on the road. Upon the contrivance of this servant the whole plot turns. After a variety of disconcerted projects, mistakes, tricks, and unforeseen accidents, Dorval is the first who arrives at Dorimond's house but his triumph is not of long continuance; for the old man produces a letter in which he is apprized that an impostor would shortly make his appearance in the assumed character of the person who was entitled to the hand of Emily. This letter, which Dorval himself had written to turn the hopes of Berville, operates against his own interest. He is considered as a rogue, and confined in an apartment of the chateau. Berville now arrives, and is well received. He is just about to sign the contract, when, seeing his friend enter, who has been released by the English valet, he calls him by his name, and thus convinces Dorimond of his error. Dorval, therefore, as the first-come, receives the hand of Emily.

This performance sparkles with frequent coruscations of wit. The dialogue is exceedingly smart, but the situations are more comic than natural; and many of the incidents are highly improbable. The author, however, M. Vial, has proved that he possesses talents for extravagant comedy of the very first order.

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. A very elegant theatre has been built at the Cape, at the expence of £6000. Nine performers of different descriptions are about to