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its spirit evaporates ; it catches cold and dies. Mr. Mellish, as a quaker, yea'd and nay'd it with considerable effect, and the spirit moved him to drink many a bumper, and to sigh over the tempt-ations of the flesh that surrounded him with genuine hypocrisy. Amongst the numerous characters present we noticed-a wretched Richard never "himself," a famous coachman who drove through his part excellently well, a woe-worn Octavian, who, if he kept his calendar right, must have notched a night of pleasure, a Caleb Quotem, the true "recitator acerbus," killing with scrap-recitations, &c. &c. &c. A more agreeable and joyous masquerade has rarely taken place in this country; but this winter has, we must confess, been remarkably distinguished for its superiority in this truly fascinating, and, when well ordered, as in the present instance, innocent

amusement.

NEW ROYAL CIRCUS.

To the numerous exhibitions of this theatre, full of ingenuity and attraction, has recently been added one of uncommon splendour and magnificence-The Cloud King. The acting in this piece is excellent, and the manner in which it is got up does great credit to the talents of Mr. Cross. The other performances we have already noticed. The tout ensemble is very much approved of by all ranks of visitors, both fashionable and unfashionable.

ASTLEY'S, WESTMINSTER BRIDGE.

Mr. Astley, junr. with his accustomed anxiety to amuse the public, whose patronage is so liberally bestowed on him, has, in consequence of the loss of Mr. Richer, substituted in his place some very surprising exertions on the slack rope and wire, by Mr. Link and Signora Rossa, with vaulting, which exhibits great strength and agility. Mr. Jeffries is considerably improved in his horsemanship, but the boy is far superior to him, and promises, with time, to excel in the art. The remainder of the entertainments still continue as before, and that no change has taken place seems very satisfactorily accounted for, by the fullness of the houses proving it entirely unnecessary.

SADLER'S WElls.

Meaner things, as well as states, have their rise and fall, their prosperity and adversity, and when they are at their worst, they, by a natural necessity, improve; gradually in general, but, in the instance of this theatre, with most unexampled rapidity. Sadler's Wells, in the memory of us all, took the lead, decidedly, amongst the various exhibitions of this description, but through inattention to the concern (no matter where) it fell into neglect; but, owing to the spirit with which its management is now conducted, and the extraordinary genius and ability of Mr. C. Dibdin, in providing entertainments of this sort, it has suddenly risen into all its former favour, if not into more than it ever possessed. The novelty of introducing into a theatre such a vast body of water, and the skill with which all the manœuvres on it are managed, continue to possess a degree of attraction not likely to be diminished by repetition. The harlequinade of the Water Kelpe, and the very ingenious and interesting melo-drame, The Invisible Ring, are of a superior description, and their merits are nightly attested by the loud applause of fashionable and crowded houses. The clown of Gri

maldi is irresistibly droll, and his qualifications to support a principal part in a ballet of action of a sort rarely coupled with the grotesque and caricatured acting of the mischievous hero of pantomime. The night on which we amused ourselves with his exertions, he suffered a severe accident in the grand combat in The Invisible Girl. The guard to his weapon, it appeared, was not sufficiently wide, and his antagonist cut his hand in a manner that prevented his concluding the performance. This will for the future, of course, be carefully provided against, since any notion of danger prevailing in the minds of the audience, very much impairs the pleasure of the exhibition.

The last season was reported to have been very lucrative, but we prophecy that the present harvest will be far more profitable, and the proprietors will owe much of it to the ingenious labours and superintending taste and judgment of Mr. C. Dibdin.

VAUXHALL.

On Monday, July 21st, the annual silver cup and cover, given by the proprietors of Vauxhall gardens, were sailed for by seven pleasure boats. The weather was favourable, and the scene delightful. The gardens were consequently crowded, the company excellent, and the hilarity and harmony that prevailed were enjoyed till broad day-light. We hear, with regret, that after the present season, these fascinating gardens will be shut against the public for ever, the ground being to be let on a building lease.

PROVINCIAL DRAMA.

Theatre Royal RICHMOND.-This commodious little theatre is this year taken by Mr. Cherry, who has collected a respectable company, and used every. exertion to give eclat and variety to the performances. Miss Cherry has distinguished herself greatly in many difficult and opposite characters. Mrs. Dibdin has performed a few nights, and at her benefit had the attraction of BRAHAM and STORACE. Notwithstanding the heavy torrents of rain, and a grand fête given by Mrs. Jordan, on her eldest daughter's coming of age, the theatre overflowed in every part. The receipt amounted to £.100. Mr. Farley, who is engaged for a short period, is getting up the FORTY THIEVES, whose operations cannot fail to be successful under so experienced a captain.

Theatre Royal GLASGOW.-MR. EDITOR,-Since my last our theatrical corps has been dreadfully annoyed by the horrific and unexpected appearance of a Ghost! "Touching this vision," the performers have exhibited symptoms of dismay equally strong as did Æneas when he beheld the grizzly apparition of the great Hector. Yet, after all the hubbub and confusion the Ghost has created, it is only a pamphlet bearing that hideous name! There is no doubt, however, but that it has furnished the world with many "damning truths" respecting our theatrical concerns. The animadversions it contains are in general just, though not without exception. The eulogium on Mrs. Orger is certainly too highly

coloured; the passage on Miss Jones is in the same predicament. In most other matters" It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you." An attack, however, has been made on its criticisms in sorry poetry; of the author of which I may ask :

"Could it be worth thy wond'rous waste of pains,

"To publish to the world thy lack of brains?"

Mr. Cooke has played here ten nights. Miss Smith, of Covent-Garden theatre, succeeded him, and performed eight. This lady evinces a strong penchant for wearing breeches! not contented with appearing in Edgar in male attire, she has attempted the part of Young Norval-but has added nothing to her fame by the transformation of sex. She has proved greatly inferior in attraction to Cooke. For these ten days Mr. Byrne, Master Byrne, and Miss Searle, have been also exerting themselves for our amusement, but unfortunately the united talents of both their head and heels have not collected even one nuinerous audience. Mrs. and Miss Jones have absented themselves from the theatre in consequence of what they judged unjust and illiberal treatment, on the part of managers. Mr. Jones (of the orchestra) is gone along with them, so that we have now only two fiddlers! That, however, signifies nothing under the present management !!

In addition to the list of benefits detailed in my last, I now add the following, viz.

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Last night the house closed for the season. The company goes to Edinburgh, from whence it is said they will return here about the middle of August, and be joined by Mr. Hill and Mrs. Atkins. Mr. Rock has fallen infinitely short of my expectation in the capacity of manager. His former energies seem benumbed since he came into contact with the leaden sceptre of our old chief.-In the selection of a new company I hope he will at least be more successful than Jackson has been with this one. Independent of its intellectual incapacity, volumes might be filled in pointing out the personal defects of individuals. It is not more impotent in intellect than corporeally lame. We have actors with arms too short; though perhaps they may plead the same apology as did a poet, who, when one of his lines was pointed out to him as being a syllable too short, observed to the reader, that he would soon find another a syllable too long. In some of his agonizing scenes, Mr. Toms displays a pair of arms "immeasurably spread." We have also a squinting eye-a pair of blubber lips-three or four performers literally near-sighted, who, with "spectacles on nose," cut a dash at rehearsal. Though these defects be much more hurtful to the possessors than to the public, yet they must ever prove strong bars to professional excellence on the stage. In short, our company stands alone; "none but itself can be its pa rallel." With the exception of six, the male department is characteristically described by Massinger

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"Created only to make legs and cringe,

"To carry in a dish and shift a trencher."

Our wardrobe stands miserably in need of repair. At a late representation of Venice Preserved, the reverend senators, from their poverty of dress, excited the most sarcastic sneers of ineffable contempt which I ever heard within the walls of a theatre! And truly it was not to be wondered at. Every one of the audience must have taken them for paupers, had the play-bills not informed them that these gentlemen represented Venetian senators! The old dirty reddishcoloured shalloon gowns in which they sat enveloped, were

"Doublets, that bangmen would

"Bury with those that wore them."

Glasgow, 18th July, 1806.

ARGUS.

Theatre INVERNESS.Our season has commenced in our new theatre, which is respectably attended. Amongst other novelties brought out by our attentive manager, Mr. Beaumont, the Shylock of Mr. Wrighten is not the least attractive. This young actor, who made his debût last season at Edinburgh, possesses good requisites both natural and acquired. He has been also well received in the Stranger, Hotspur, Macbeth, Duke of Aranza, Rolla, Osmond, &c. We have a good actress in Mrs. Beaumont, who has succeeded in many principal characters, serious as well as comic. She is considered as the Jordan of the Highlands. To these I may add Mr. Beaumont, the manager, Mr. Leonard in the buffo or low comedy, and Mr, Wallace in the genteeler walks, who are all entitled to commendatory notice.

July 9th, 1806.

CANDID.

Theatre Royal GLASGOW.-Permit me to explain an expression or two in my letter of May last.

Mac Gibbon's friends complain that his name is there improperly branded with an alias, which, it seems, conveys certain unpleasant ideas south of the Tweed. The actor alluded to having certainly passed in other theatres by the name Gibbon, (at Wolverhampton if I remember right) I was certainly justifiable in applying to him both appellations. From information on which I can depend, I believe him to be of a family of the name of Mac Gibbon, who pos sessed, a century ago, certain estates in Argyleshire; I think, among others, that of Ottar, upon Lochfine. Niel Mac Gibbon, well known to the amateurs of Scotish song, was, if I recollect right, of this family.

The business in Glasgow has been bad, notwithstanding the attractions of Cooke, and latterly Miss Smith. As if the shocking deficiencies of the present company were not sufficiently apparent, the managers, in the plenitude of their wisdom, have curtailed it of Mrs. and Maria Joues. Having very modestly forfeited this young lady for declining to appear as a dumb figurante in one of Byrne's ballets, the mother very properly remonstrated, and proffered her and her daughter's resignation, should the forfeit be exacted. The resignations were accepted of, and thus an accomplished actress, with her family, are lost to the theatre!! Master Wilson has now parted from Mr. Hough, and renounces the stage. From what has reached me, I am decidedly of opinion that poor

Hough has acted most honourably, most generously, and most unexceptionably, in every respect, to this enfant perdu, who certainly promised something, but who as certainly is most decidedly inferior, in theatrical merit, to Master Betty. JUSTUS.

Theatre Royal NORWICH.-Mr. Incledon exhibited last week, at this theatre, two of his entertainments. As your London readers have no opportunity of hearing this celebrated singer except on the stage, a short account of one of his performances in the country may be amusing to them. The first entertainment he performed here was called "Hospitality, or the Harvest Home.”— The idea of such a species of entertainment originated, I believe, with Dibdin, and when we consider that he was not only the author of his recitations and songs, but that he set the latter to music, and spoke, sung, and accompanied the whole entertainment, we cannot help looking upon it as a most singular and astonishing effort of genius. Mr. Incledon's author is, fortunately for himself, unknown. Bartley, of Drury Lane, has the felicity of reciting this precious stuff. Mr. Incledon of course is the singer, and Mr. Horn the accompanist,➡➡ Fourteen of the songs of this piece are new, and one old. The best of them are Shield's, who has contributed two, one of which contains a description of a thunder storm strikingly characteristic. The other, "Dear Mary," is in his simple and truly elegant style. "The Smuggler's Grave," by Davy, is an impressive melody. All of them were sung by Incledon in his usual superior manner. Of the other new songs the less is said the better.

"The Thorn" is so

Of all the singers by the true idea of this

The second night he gave us "The Country Club," which, though certainly a far better entertainment than the former one, was "nothing to boast of." The best songs in this piece, as well as the other, are Shield's. well known that nothing more need be said in its praise. whom I have heard it performed, Incledon alone has elegant ballad; the florid noisy style of Braham sits very ill on an air, whose characteristic is simplicity, and the slides and graces of the Italian school accord but little with the true English ballad style, of which this is so good a specimen. Shield's other songs are "Lovely Jane," and "Tell her I love her," both of which are calculated to add to his deserved reputation. Mazzinghi has furnished two songs in very different styles, "The Ship on Fire,” a simple yet impressive ballad in C minor, and an Italian mock bravura, in which Incledon gives rather a highly coloured caricature of that school, for which, I suspect, he has no great relish. Sir John Stevenson's "Charter song" is spirited and animating, and Florio's "Far, far at Sea," an air of considerable sweetness and elegance. To all of these Incledon did ample justice; indeed, as a singer of English ballads, he certainly is unrivalled; he combines at once such treinendous power of voice and such sweetness of tone, joined to an almost unlimited compass, that, with the good taste and experience he possesses, he seldom fails to delight, if not to astonish his hearers. The theatre was well attended both nights, and the performance seemed much to delight the Norwich audience,→→→ Mr. Horn is a neat player, and accompanied the songs in a masterly style. A TRAVELLER.

Norwich, July 1, 1806.

I-VOL, XXII.

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