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marked; never the feigned friendship and simulated good temper sø admirably hit off as when he says,

Why, look you, how you storm;

I would be friends with you, and have your love!

and, above all, we think that the exclamation of

O father Abraham! what these christians are,
Whose own hard dealings teaches them suspect
The thoughts of others,-

never was uttered any thing approaching to equal felicity, by
MACKLIN, HENDERSON, Mossop, or even SHERIDAN, who, in this
act of Shylock, greatly surpassed the other three.
In the soliloquy which Shylock speaks apart,

"How like a fawning publican he looks!" &c.

Macklin took the lead of all men that ever lived: there was an expression of implacable heart-seated vindictiveness, a savage, brutal, gloomy ferocity marked in the saturnine countenance and sepulchral voice of Macklin, which rendered his utterance of the two lines,

If I can catch him once upon the hip,

I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him,—

more hateful, and terrible than those who have not seen the man and heard him utter them, can possibly imagine.

(To be continued.)

THE KNIGHT OF SNOWDOWN.

A New Musical Drama.

UPON a story in Scott's beautiful poem, THE LADY OF THE LAKE, a musical play has been constructed called the Knight of Snowdown, which was performed in London, for the first time in the beginning of last February. To every one who had perused that beautiful poem (and what person of taste had not?) the title of the play was a sufficient intimation of its origin. The advertisement of it no sooner appeared therefore, than the most lively curiosity pervaded London, and the house was filled with people anxiously expecting to see one of the most interesting stories of the Lady of the Lake presented to the eye and the ear as well as the understanding with every charm

which a dramatic form could lend it. Nor were they disappointed; since, if we may credit the reports of the London publications, no play that has for a long time appeared, received or merited more applause. One critic speaks of it to this effect:

No story in poetical romance, even without excepting any of the former productions of this distinguished writer, is more formed to win and rivet the attention, none more suitable to the wildness and irregularity of the modern drama. We find in his pages as perfect a description of all the striking peculiarities of feudal manners, and of the lofty and imposing pride of chivalry, as it is possible to furnish, unimbodied, to the eye of the inquirer, and it was natural to suppose, that when cast into a dramatic form, and aided by the preparation and embellishments of a theatre, it must afford a living picture, admirable for its precision, and interesting for its general character.

Such is the musical farce before us, the success of which was proportioned to its merits. There are of course some deviations from the original, but they are fewer than might have been expected and were rendered absolutely necessary, by the narrowness of the limits allowed to the drama: with these exceptions, the author has scrupulously adhered to the great original.

Nothing, it is said, could surpass the charming effect produced in representation, by the sudden and unexpected appearance of Roderick Dhu's host, when, on sounding his bugle, the whole martial clan obedient to their chieftain's call, started into sight from the concealment in which they lay in the obscurity of the forest. Never did theatrical contrivance, elicit a more loud or lasting burst of admiration.

Of the musical part it is impossible to say too much in praise. The composer has done every thing for it, that taste, genius and science could achieve. The overture inspired the house with a delight which continued, rather with increase than diminution, to the end of the piece. The old Scottish airs so universally admired for their sweetness and vivacity are imitated with unusual felicity-and altogether there has seldom if ever been a stronger instance of the fascination of the mind by the delightful illusions of the senses.

To complete the whole, the scenery is said to have been beyond all former example exquisitely beautiful, and to reflect no less credit on the painter, than does the music on the composer.

263

THE FINE ARTS.

It is pleasing to remark, as it affords, perhaps, the least dubious proof of our progress in refinement, that of late a very eager attention has been directed in certain sections of the United States to the cultivation and improvement of the liberal arts.

Eminently conspicuous by the variety and splendour of her public institutions, the city of Philadelphia, as was to be anticipated, has taken the lead in this new and glorious career of distinction. By the contributions of private individuals, we have now erected an academy of the fine arts, which if sustained by the same generous and enlightened spirit that founded it, may, at no distant period, challenge a comparison with some of the similar institutions of Europe.* As a school of the arts, this establishment promises to be productive of the most important results. Containing some of the finest models in painting and statuary, it cannot fail indeed to correct the taste, and to discipline the rising genius of the country. But in another view, its utility has already been very distinctly evinced. By holding out to professional artists an appropriate apartment for the display of their productions, it has served to kindle that species of honourable competition which excites to the highest exertion of the powers, and it furnishes, what to them is a not less interesting consideration, the means of effecting a prompt and advantageous sale for their works.

We have recently surveyed with sensations of unmixed delight, the first annual exhibition of the academy. To one less conversant than ourselves with the just pretensions of many of the American artists, the collection of admirable paintings and engravings presented on this occasion, would indeed be matter of surprise.

Through the courtesy of a friend we hope soon to be able to enrich the pages of our journal with a detailed and critical account of this exhibition, so creditable to the talents of the artist, and the munificence of the patron.

* We understand that the suggestion of founding this academy came originally from Mr. HOPKINSON, and that our city is indebted, in an eminent degree, for this monument of her taste and liberality, to the ardent and persevering exertions of that gentleman. Whoever wishes to learn more of the history of this establishment, or delights in an eloquence pure and animated, should peruse the discourse lately delivered before the academy by Mr. Hopkinson.

But we cannot delay a moment in calling the attention of the public to the productions of a very extraordinary youth who has arisen among us. The portrait of Mr. Cooke in the character of Richard which is here prefixed, is one of several of that celebrated actor, in different characters, drawn by Master CHARLES LESLIE, of this city, who has scarcely yet entered his sixteenth year!!

It is our intention to have the whole of this valuable series engraved in the best manner by Mr. EDWIN, and to present them to our subscribers in the ensuing numbers of the Mirror.

Of these spirited and accurate delineations little need be said in praise by us. They are living pictures, and will speak for themselves. By the united voice of all who have seen them, they are pronounced to be among the happiest efforts of the pencil in this rare and difficult department of the art. What, however, adds much to the merit of the execution, is, that they were done from recollection, without the benefit of a sitting; a circumstance which alike illustrates the singular aptitude of the artist, and the wonderfully impressive and characteristic style of Mr. Cooke's playing.

Nor should it be concealed that the habitual pursuits of Master LESLIE have been altogether alien from the path to which nature seems to have destined him, and that his excellence as a painter is wholly due to the energetic impulses of a GENIUS, HITHERTO UNFOSTERED, UNSUSTAINED, UNINVIGORATED, and UNTUTORED.

Besides the portrait of Mr. Cooke, in the character of Richard, from the pencil of that wonderful boy, young LESLIE, we present our readers with a fine likeness of Mr. Cooke in his own proper person. The picture from which this engraving is taken holds a distinguished rank among those productions of Mr. Sully which enrich our exhibition, and reflect so much credit on that admirable artist. To Mr. Benjamin Wilcox, whose property the picture is, we are indebted for the privilege of having it engraved: and to Mr. Edwin for what we consider as one of the finest specimens of his skill.

Thus we have discharged our due to our subscribers. We owed them a print for the number of last December, and we have paid it with an admirable likeness of the greatest of actors.

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We are now entering upon the most splendid and delightful part of the history of the French stage, which but opened upon our view in the last number. Of the multitude of satellites who accompanied the great luminary of dramatic poetry in France, CORNEILLE, in his rising, we have said as much as they deserve on their own account, and should therefore dismiss them, if occasional circumstances in the history of some of them, were not too intimately blended with incidents in the life of Corneille to be left unnoticed. The names of those persons, therefore, wherever they occur, hereafter, are to be considered merely as appendages to the more important subject, introduced for the purpose of illustrating it.

The lives of poets are seldom checkered with particular incidents. While the busy world is running its daily round, they get out of the circle; and, while from a distance they view its career, survey the "mighty maze, and expatiate freely o'er this scene of man," rarely become actors in it, take a personal share in its vicișsitudes, or stand a chance of encountering those singular adventures VOL. III.

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