Published by John Rell for La Belle Afsemblee N107 March 11818.

LA BELLE ASSEMBLÉE;

For FEBRUARY, 1818.

A New and Improved Series.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND

DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS.

Number One Hundred and Seven.

MISS MARIA CAROLINE CUBITT.

MISS CUBITT, the subject of our present sketch, was born at Lambeth, and is the daughter of Mr. Cubitt, many years a respectable performer at Covent Garden Theatre. When scarce beyond the period of infancy, at a very early age indeed, Miss Cubitt evinced uncommon musical talents, and played a concerto on the piano-forte which gained her unbounded applause: she also sang The Soldier tired, &c. to which scientific air she accompanied herself in a most masterly style, for the benefit of Mrs. Townsend and her infant family: Miss Cubitt was actually at that period only eight years of age. Charmed with such rare talents, several of the nobility took delight in patronizing her; amongst whom may be particularly ranked Lady Anne Hamilton and Lady Lambert; and Miss Cubitt has still the honourable grati-Deprived of her mother in a state of early fication of receiving the kindest attentions from these two illustrious ladies.

|| sician, she had yet never intended to have embraced a theatrical life, till about two years ago. She had been placed for four years with Mr. Nattan, under whose directions she made her first debut at Drury. Lane, in the character of Margaretta, in No Song no Supper, on the 14th of June, 1817.

Notwithstanding the increasing abilities of Miss Cubitt, both as a singer and a mu

Miss Cubitt possesses a fine clear voice, and her science and taste, we hope, will soon raise her to a higher station of eminence in her profession; as we have the satisfaction of saying, that she is not only a favourite with the musical amateur, but by her discrimination of character and sweetness of voice, with the most discerning part of the public. Her private conduct has insured her the esteem and affection of her friends and acquaintance.—

childhood, she regulates her conduct by the strictest rules of prudence, and her highest ambition is to preserve her character unblemished.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

NEW SYSTEM OF MYTHOLOGY.

FAMILY OF AGENOR (CONTINUED). THE prediction of the oracle respecting the family of Cadmus, proved but too true. We know already of the fate of Semele and of Ino, his two daughters. Antonoe, one of their sisters, married Aristæus, and was the mother of Acteon, changed into a stag by Diana. Agave, his fourth daughter, married Echion, and was the mother of Pentheus, who was torn to pieces by the Bacchantes. Their son Polydorus, was the father of Labdaens, to whom his son Laius succeeded.

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Laius married Jocasta, the daughter of Creon, King of Thebes. The oracle having predicted that their son should kill his father and marry his mother, Laius, to avert such enormities, ordered Edipus, his son, to be murdered as soon as he was born. Jocasta, more merciful, had him only exposed on mount Citheron. Phorbas, who tended the flocks of the King of Corinth, having found the child, saved his life, and adopted him. When he had at tained the age of manhood he wished to consult the oracle on his future destiny, and was told what had been already pre- || dicted to Laius. Edipus, who considered || Phorbas as his father, determined to leave the country in order to avoid the misfortunes that threatened him. He happened in the course of his excursions to meet Laius, whom he was far from suspecting to be what he really was: a quarrel took place between them at the entrance of a narrow lane that led to Delphos; they fought, and Laius was slain.

dipus, upon his arrival at Thebes, found the city desolated by a monster called a sphinx, which had the head and chest of a young girl, the body of a dog, the claws of a lion, the tail of a dragon, and wings like a bird. This monster carried off the inhabitants, proposed enigmas to them, and tore to pieces all who could not divine their meaning. Creon, the father of Jocasta, who governed since the death of Laius, had promised his daughter to whoever should deliver the country of the monster

by divining his enigmas, for whenever that should happen, the sphinx was to die. Edipus succeeded in the attempt, and married Jocasta, whom he never could have imagined to be his mother. From this woful marriage he had two sons, Eteocles and Polynices, and two daughters, Antigone and Ismene.

At the expiration of a few years a terrible plague made a dreadful havoc in the kingdom of Thebes. The oracle being consulted, replied, that the death of Laius must be avenged before the calamity should cease. On account of the inquiries that were made, Edipus, by the means of Phorbas, discovered all the horror of his destiny: in a paroxysm of despair he plucked out his own eyes, his sons expelled him from the city, and he became a wanderer over the world, exposed to the execration of his fellow creatures for the perpetration of crimes in which his heart had no share. His two daughters alone sympathized in his grief, and endeavoured to sooth his miseries. At last, the noble minded Theseus afforded him an asylum; and, after some years of bitter anguish, the earth opened under his feet, and he was plunged into Tartarus. Jocasta had hung herself upon the first discovery of the horrid mystery.

Eteocles and Polynices, after having expelled their unfortunate father, agreed to reign alternately for a year each; but at the expiration of the first year, Eteocles, who had reigned first as being the eldest, refused to give up the throne to his brother. Polynices, with the support of his fatherin-law, Adrastus, King of the Argeans, and the assistance of six other Greek Princes, besieged Thebes with a formidable army. The Thebans made a vigorous resistance, and all the chiefs of the confederates perished under the walls of the city, with a great part of their men. At last, to put a stop to the effusion of blood, it was agreed that the two brothers should decide their difference in single combat, in which they both perished. Creon, the brother of Jo