Her person is extremely elegant, and her countenance, which is beautiful, indicates sensibility. She was received with the most flattering applause, and when her powers are more matured (for she is yet very young), she will prove, no doubt, an acquisition of consequence to the theatre.

11.-Macbeth -Darley, who returned lately from America, has resumed his situation at this theatre, and made his first appearance, for nine years, in the character of Hecate. He is a correct singer, and has several good tones in his voice; but it will be difficult to do away the impression of Townshend's merit, who has given up his engagement here, and means to devote the whole of his time" to the bar." Cooke and Mrs. Litchfield were greatly applauded in Mac beth and the Lady.

12.-Cabinet.-Braham and Storace made their first appearance, and seem both to be much improved since last season. Braham, especially, delighted and astonished us, more than ever, with his exquisite taste and execution. The opera went off with great eclat.

14.-Merry Wives.-Blanchard succeeds Townshend in Sir Hugh Evans, and, though not a Welchman like his predecessor, was very successful in the dialect, and played the part, look you,' with humour and effect. Cooke's Falstaff, particularly his description of the adventure in the buck-basket, is a rich specimen of comic acting.

15.-High Life below Stairs, For the first time these ten years.' We think we have seen it twice within that period; once for the benefit of Mr. Knight, and again for Mrs. Abington: and, we remember, on both occasions, with Mr. Lewis in my Lord Duke. It was very well played this evening. Farley was particularly well in His Grace, and the mock minuet with Kitty, acted in a very sprightly manner by Mrs. Mills, was irresistibly comic, Mr. Knight is an admirable Sir Harry, and Blanchard's Lovel can scarcely be improved. The Cabinet preceded the farce, but Braham was suddenly attacked by the gout, and could not sing. In this emergency a Mr. Woodham, who blows the trumpet in the band, and who had appeared once or twice at Brighton as a singer, undertook to fill the vacant character of Orlando. In person he is not unlike Mr. Braham; and, considering in whose place he stood, the attempt was very creditable to the young inan. His voice is pleasing; he is not without taste; and evidently has a good knowledge of music. A few wags tried to hoax the audience, and discomfit the performer, by an encore, but a seasonable observation from Incledon set the matter right. Mr. Woodham's exertions, we believe, have obtained for him an engagement, to commence next season.

21.-Othello.-A gentleman of the name of Braine made his debût in this most difficult of all characters. That he did not fulfil the expectations of criticism is not surprising; indeed it would have been miraculous if he had; but the attempt did not disgrace his understanding: he had carefully digested the poet's meaning, without servilely copying the style of other actors; and he displayed sensibility and spirit in many of the arduous scenes in which he was engaged. His powers, however, were insufficient to carry him through. The tones of his voice are pleasant and various, but not equal to the "whirlwind of passion ;" and his articulation is defective. His figure is neat; and though, if he have, as we hear he has, better prospects, we would not advise him to quit them for the precarious honours of the stage, so seldom obtained, and so difficult to preserve, there was, upon the whole, nothing so discouraging in his reception, as to damp his ar

dour in the pursuit, were he inclined to follow it. We think Romeo would have presented a more favourable field for his exertions. Mrs. H. Siddons was very interesting in Desdemona. Brunton, who succeeds Betterton in Cassio, was much applauded in the drunken scene. Cooke's Iago, fine as it always was, was on this evening super excellent. This gentleman, in all his popular parts, seems to gain new ground. In Richard, Sir Pertinax, Sir Archy, Shylock, Kitely, and lago, fresh beauties are discernible on every repetition. In one speech of Emilia, Mrs. Litchfield shook the theatre to its centre. This lady has certainly the credit of rescuing this character from the contempt to which it had so long been consigned by the performers. Cymon was the after-piece, in which Miss Reeve sang a bravura in a capital style.

THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE.

At one of the rehearsals of Mr. Reynolds's new comedy, Mr. Lewis suddenby fell down in a fit, to the great consternation of all the performers. Mr. Wilson, the surgeon, and Dr. Kennedy, came immediately to his assistance, and, after taking from him some blood, had the satisfaction of witnessing his recovery. Happily for the stage and the public, he is now restored to perfect health. The universal anxiety manifested upon this occasion, shews how deeply the death of so valuable a man would be regretted. As an actor his loss would be irreparable, and as a manager his gentlemanly habits have so endeared him to the profession, and his attention to the duties of that situation have been so close and indefatigable, that the appointment of his successor would be as difficult to determine, as it would prove serious and weighty to the gentleman on whom it might fall.

At DRURY-LANE are expected a comedy by Cumberland; an opera by Mr. Sheridan; the Critic, with alterations; and a grand spectacle by the author of Alfonso. At COVENT-GARDEN Mr. Dibdin's opera is in rehearsal, under the title of Family Quarrels; also the Christmas Pantomime; and an afterpiece by Mr. Holcroft, from the French, from which great expectation is formed. For the HAY-MARKET, Mr. Colman has engaged Mr. Mathews, the York favourite; Mr. Chapman, a very respectable actor now at Cheltenham; and Mrs. Atkins, late of Covent-Garden. The Sadler's Wells property, about the terms of which Messrs. Morton, Reynolds, and Fawcett could not agree with the parties, has been disposed of to Messrs. Thomas and Charles Dibdin, Mr. Reeve the Composer, and a mercantile gentleman of respectability. Mr. Hughes retains the share he before possessed.

MEMORANDA MUSICA.

Dr. Arnold died at his house in Duke Street, after a lingering illness, on the 23d Oct. A portrait of the doctor, with an authentic memoir, will shortly appear

in this work.

The late Mr. J. C. M. Bianchi, the celebrated performer on the violin, whose death we recorded in our last number, was an accomplished scholar, as well as an excellent theoretic and practical musician. He died at Neuilly, near Paris, of a deep decline. His MSS. consisting of English canzonetts, violin concertos, &c. &c. are to be published, edited by his friend J. Moorehead, who pays this tribute of respect to the memory of a valued and regretted friend.

Viotti remains retired at Hamburgh. The celebrated Jarnovick and Dussek are also there.

Haydn's last publication, "The Seasons," after the manner of his "Creation," is not yet published, complete, in this country. Mr. Clementi, who is on a tour through France and Italy, has undertaken to bring it out under his immediate inspection. At his respectable press there is a complete and superb edition of the works of Mozart in forwardness.

Dibdin's opera bids fair to have music at once rich and various; Braham sets his own songs; Davy, Incledon's; Reeve, Munden's, &c. &c. The overture, and descriptive music, is assigned to Moorehead.

Review of New Musical Publications.

"A Farewell;" the words by Mr. Rogers.

Mr. Major's exquisite skill and astonishing execution on the piano forte are universally admitted. We have seen all the works of this ingenious composer, but the one before us, in the key of E flat, seems to us (and it is saying much) to surpass, in delicacy and sweetness, any of his former compositions. Mr. Major evidently possesses genius and science capable of more elaborate performances. Handel's Messiah, abridged and adapted for the piano-forte, with a violin or Flute Accompaniment, by J. Mazzinghi. In Numbers.

THIS arrangement adds, in no small degree, to the well-established reputation of Mr. Mazzinghi. We are of opinion, also, that this work does great credit to the publishers, who have spared no pains or expence to render it complete.

A Variety of Rondos, by T. H. Butler, are well arranged for the Piano-Forte. Merch Megen, L. Arglwyddes, Sir Fon. Welch Rondos, for the P. Forte, by J. Morehead.

Facile, and varied with some skill.

Thy fairy roof, O Gaiety.".

-Ballad, sung by Mr. Incledon in his (or rather Mr. T. Dibdin's) new Entertainment called Variety; the Poetry by William Ashburnham, Esq. the Music by John Davy.

A pleasant Anacreontic.

The Music (in two movements) by Davy of Exeter. We are glad of an opportunity of saying, as we most sincerely think, that Mr. Davy's musical pro ductions in general reflect credit on his master, the celebrated Jackson, of Exeter, of literary, as well as musical fame.

Overture to Harlequin's Almanack, by Mr. Reeve.

Light, and well adapted to the subject; which, it must be admitted, is rather a dry one for a man of genius to work upon.

Buz and Mum, a Comic Vocal Duett, sung on the Islington Stage (i. e. Sadler's Wells) by Mr. Robert Dighton, of Charing Cross, and Mrs. Roffey, of Drury-Lane Theatre. The Poetry by Mr. Sharpe. The Music by J. Moorehead. This we pronounce to be a very comical duett, with an accompaniment for a harp or piano-forte.

[To be continued.]

PRIVATE THEATRICALS.

Shakespeare's Tragedy of The Merchant of Venice has been three times performed in Reading by the young gentlemen of Dr. Valpy's school, for the benefit of the Literary Fund, with omissions and transpositions suited to the occasion.

The whole was very ably supported. The Shylock of Mr Shuter was a very good piece of acting; he possesses great command of countenance, and pourtrayed the usurious hard-hearted Jew with great success. Lorenzo was classical and chaste. Mr. Whitton and Mr. Hawkes displayed considerable comic powers in Gobbo and Launcelot. Portia found a masterly representation in Mr. Wheelwright; the actor was elegant in his manners, and expressive of the character; he in no instance" o'erstepped the modesty of nature."

ran

The last scene was made peculiarly interesting by the united exertions of most of the actors. Mr. Elmes was dignified in his deportment. The insatiate cour of the Jew, his inflexibility to the exhortations of the Duke, his inhuman anxiety to exact the penalty of the bond, the calm resignation of Antonio, when his fate seemed inevitable, the generous friendship of Bassanio, the energetic pleading of the disguised Portia, and the ultimate discomfiture of the Jew, forci bly conspired to heighten the effect of the catastrophe.

The scenes and dresses were very appropriate and pretty. The unanimous and repeated plaudits of the audience, which was very numerous, and composed of all the respectable families in the town and neighbourhood, spoke the opinion they entertained of the merits of the performance.

FOREIGN THEATRICALS.

French Theatre.-Pizarro has again been brought forward on the scene of the Theatre de la Porte St. Martin. The author has kept as much aloof from Sheridan and Kotzebue as he has done from the truth of history. We shall give a sketch of the fable, in order that our readers may make a comparison for themselves. Ataliba is performing a sacrifice to the sun, when he is informed of the return of the Spaniards. Alonzo, detesting the cruelty of his countrymen, has found refuge among the Peruvians, and married the daughter of an Inca. He takes to arms, is vanquished, and his wife, child, and father-in-law, are betrayed into the hands of the Spaniards. Davila is for putting the captives to death, contrary to the will of Pizarro, and the intercession of Las Casas. Alonzo appears at the instant, challenges Davila to single combat, and is victorious. The partizans of the latter call for the death of Alonzo, but he is saved through the firmness of Pizarro. Alonzo soon returns this obligation, as his child wakens him at the moment when Pizarro is about to be assassinated by four Peruvians, and

thereby is enabled to save his preserver. This reciprocal service is the means of bringing about an alliance between the two nations. The piece is got up with great splendour, and the ballets, marches, &c. were loudly applauded.

Theatre LYONS.-During the representation of the Marriage of Figaro, on the 6th Oct. a horrible attempt was made at the theatre, but fortunately the consequences were not so serious as might have been expected. A case containing, as it was supposed, about half a pound of gunpowder, was placed on the top of the staircase leading to the side-boxes, and during the first act an explosion took place, and a small part of the wall was forced out, but fortunately nobody was hurt.— The alarm was general, and the performance did not go on. The perpetrator of this crime has not yet been discovered, but the police are taking every means to find him out.

PROVINCIAL DRAMA, &c.

Theatre STIRBITCH.-A melancholy affair happened yesterday evening at this theatre, which, I make no doubt, will reach you before long. Being in the theatre during the whole of the scene, and having resolution enough not to move with the crowd, but remain in my seat, I had an opportunity of seeing the whole, and have sent it you as follows:-Just after half price had taken place, the ladies and gentlemen in one of the front boxes were alarmed by the cry of fire from behind the boxes, but not loud enough to be heard by the house in general; they immediately arose, and seeing nothing, were inclinable to be seated again; but hearing it repeated, they began to make their way out of the theatre,. and every part of the house was immediately alarmed, and the greatest confusion took place. Many from the gallery began to throw themselve over into the pit; others ran to the stairs and choaked the passage up, while some fell headlong down the stairs, and were trod upon by others passing down. Ladies and Gentlemen from the upper boxes threw themselves into the pit, and made their way over the orchestra on to the stage. Numbers of both sexes were much bruised and hurt; few limbs were broke; but I am sorry to inform you that four lives were lost two young women, about 22 years of age, a girl about 11, and a boy about 14; those were all in the gallery, and were either trampled on or pressed to death. Two others, a boy and a girl, were supposed dead, but recovered late last night. A gang of pickpockets are suspected to have been at the fair, and it is supposed they set on foot the false alarm, as several ladies' pockets were cut off, watches and bracelets were lost, &c. The managers have offered 100 guineas reward upon the conviction of the offender or offenders.

Cambridge, Sept. 26.

Theatre SHREWSBURY.-Our theatre opened Sept. 20, being the race week, We have had the Poor Gentleman and Folly as it flies, the part of Lady Melmoth by Mrs. Huddart, who is but an indifferent actress. I think had Reynolds heard the part twanged in the Irish brogue, he would have said,

"I had as lieve the town-crier had spoken my lines."

Since the present managers have taken our theatre, pleasing has not been their study. Pizarro, Blue-beard, Three-fingered Jack, Alfonso, and Paul and Virginia, though repeatedly played at Manchester and Chester, have never been' performed here, nor any other picce that is in the least expensive in the getting

up.