small picture of Acteon, belonging to can be no difficulty in foretelling the
the late Mr. West, and ascribed to Ti-consequences a degraded theatre and
tian, sold for 2000l., while Mr. West an empty treasury.
refused 10,000l. for his own last pic- COVENT GARDEN.-The opening of
ture but one.
the winter theatres used formerly to be
It is reported that the Royal Acade-considered as an interesting epoch in
micians have liberally determined to the annals of fashion; and even now,
form a collection of the finest works of when the recess is so comparatively
the old masters, which are to be placed short, and the great lessee' has had no
in the painting-room of the Royal recess at all, the commencement of the
Academy, for the improvement of the season at this theatre was not a little
students.
gratifying to the public. The short
The Royal Irish Institution has of- period that has elapsed since the season
fered a premium of five hundred gui-closed, has been well employed;-the
neas for the best picture of the landing interior of the house has been repainted,
of his Majesty in Ireland.
and the gilding new burnished,
which gives it a chaste and harmonious
effect. The play selected for the open-

The celebrated painting of Moses touching the Rock, by Murillo, which

is placed in one of the hospitals in Se-ing was the tragedy of Hamlet; and
ville, is likely to be transferred to this the great attraction of the evening was
country; the enormous sum of four the appearance of Mr. Young, as the
thousand guineas having been offered royal Dane, after an absence of three
for it by a noble amateur, which, it is years. In the present state of the
thought, will be accepted.
stage, the loss of a gentleman of Mr.
Young's talents from the metropolis,
could not but be felt with regret; he
has now, however, returned to fill that
station which has remained void
ever since he quitted it. The charac-
ter of Hamlet is one peculiarly suited
the only person on the stage who plays
to the powers of Mr. Young, and he is
it with effect. It was in this character
that he first made his great impression
on the public, many years since, at the
Haymarket; and it was also in Hamlet
that he took leave of the London stage

M. Stefano Barezzi, of Milan, has discovered a process for transposing paintings in fresco from one wall to another without injuring them. He covers the picture with a prepared canvass, which detaches the whole of the painting from the wall. The canvass is then applied to another wall, to which the picture attaches without the least trait being lost. M. Barezzi is now engaged in removing a large picture of Marco d'Oggione, in the Church

and afforded a rich treat to a very crowded and elegant audience.

On Wednesday night, Mr. Young appeared in another of his favourite characters-Rolla, in Pizarro. This play has been one of the most successful of its kind ever produced on the stage; there were, however, many circumstances which tended to give it popularity when first produced, the most important of which were the political situations in which the countrywas placed, and which the dramatist turned to very good advantage in the sentiments which he conveyed through. the play. With the exception of John Kemble, the Peruvian hero never had a better representative than in Mr. Young, and he sustained it on Wednesday with as much effect as we ever witnessed. In his scenes with Cora and Elvira, he was particularly happy, and in the last act, the manly indignation which he felt at the perfidy of the Spanish commander, his noble efforts to save the child, and the manner in which he restored it to Cora, elicited the loudest acclamations. Mrs. Fancit as Elvira, and Miss Foote as Cora, gave much interest to their characters; and of Yates, and the Blind-inan of Blanthe Alonzo of Abbott, the Las Casas chard, were all highly respectable.

In the farce of the Irish Widow, fnot played for the last twenty years), which followed, a young lady made her first appearance, on any stage, in the

della Pace, at Rome, and it is hoped three seasons ago. His re-appearance character of the Widow Brady. This

that by this process he will be able to
rescue from the ravages of time the
on Monday night, must have been
beautiful remains of the Cana of Leo-highly gratifying to him. His entrance
nardo da Vinci.-Paris paper.

The Drama.

young lady is a neat petite figure, with an agreeable and animated countenance. Her voice is rather too feeble for so large a house; and we suspect she would be more at home in a less bustling character. She was, however, well received, and the farce, with the aid of Farren in Kecksey; Emery in Whittle; and Connor in Sir Patrick, went off with much applause.

called forth the warmest transports of joy ; the acclamations, loud and long, continued from all parts of the house, and the pit simultaneously rose, waving hats and handkerchiefs in DRURY LANE.-The new farce of congratulations of his return. Mr. Monsieur Tonson, which is from the Young, we are happy to say, looks expen of Mr. Moncrief, having under-tremely well, and though it was scarcegone some judicious curtailments, con-ly to be expected that he should have Among the new engagements at this tinues to be played every evening improved, yet we do not think his pow-theatre, we find the name of Mr. with applause. The monotony, how-ers have suffered any diminution during Drinkwater Meadows, who is a comic ever, which reigns at this theatre, can- his absence. He displayed all that performer of considerable promise, and not last long, unless the manager pre-energy, acuteness, and discrimination, of great provincial celebrity. fers empty benches, with a triffing ex- which so peculiarly mark bis portrait penditure, to active exertions and good of Hamlet; in the soliloquies he dishouses. It was, we believe, intended played his declamatory talents to great that the Coronation should not have advantage; and in many parts, particubeen exhibited after Monday last, but larly the closet scene, he was powerfully it still continues; Mr. Elliston proba-effective. Mr. Young is a very equal bly thinking it as attractive as any performer; he does not startle bis authing he has at present to offer in its dience by sudden bursts, but wins their stead. We trust that the parsimonious system on which the management of this theatre is conducted, will not be continued much longer; if it is, there

applause by his chasteness of style and
judicious conception of his author.
There was nothing new in the other
parts of the play; it was well cast,

HAYMARKET.-The success of Mr. Kenney's new comedy of Matchbreaking (for it is decidedly successful) appears to us quite a phenomenon in the history of the drama. We stated our objections to it in our last, which have not been removed, in witnessing the comedy a second and a third time. With an improbable story, trite septiments, party feelings, and a total absence of wit, this comedy, by a sort of harmony in its incidents, keeps the in

terest of the audience on the alert to will not, he trusts, be deemed an idle
the end, although the denouement may boast, when he reminds you of the great
be foretold in the first act. The cha- and flattering success which has attended
racter of Solomon, so admirably sus-
every novelty, without exception, that has
tained by Jones, has now devolved on
been brought forward for your entertain-
ment. Our exertions, Ladies and Gentle
Oxberry. Any performer succeeding men, will be redoubled to ensure a con-
to the character after so able a repre- tinuance of your favour when we are per-
sentative as it at first boasted, must ap-mitted to meet again; and, in the mean
pear to disadvantage; but, although time, in the name of the proprietor, and
Oxberry was rather an unpolished of all the performers, and in my own, I
courtier, yet he played with great spi- respectfully thank and bid you farewell.'
rit, and was much applauded.

The comedy was, on Wednesday night, preceded by Tom Thumb, in which J. Russell played the character of King Arthur, admirably; indeed, we have seldom seen this actor to more advantage. We cannot say much in praise of Taylenre's Lord Grizzle; there was too much buffoonery in it.

Literature and Science.

The alabaster sarcophagus, found in the newly discovered tomb, at Thebes, was deposited in the British Museum on Wednesday last, by order of Mr. Salt, his Majesty's Consul-General in Egypt.

contained the two countries of CyrenaiTM ca and Marmorica. The former was called Pentapolis, from the five great cities which it contained; one of which was Berenice, or Hesperis, now Bernic, the spot where the celebrated gar dens of the Hesperides are generally supposed to have existed. Not far distant was Barce or Baca, and Ptolemais, now Tolometa. To the east of the extreme northern point of the coast, called Thycus Promontorium, now Cape Rasat, was Apollania, now Marza Susa, or Sosush, formerly the port of Cyrene, that city being situated on a little island; it was founded by Battus, who led thither a Lacedæmonian colony from Thera, one of the Cyclades; and the kingdom was afterwards bequeathed to the Roinans by the last of the Ptolomies, surnamed Apton, and was forined by that nation into a province with Crete. The expedition will explore the vestiges of it, which are supposed still to remain under the name of Curin; to the east of this stood the fifth city of ancient Cyrenaica, called Darnie, now Derne.

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.- This New Expeditions to Africa.-His house closed for the season on Thurs- Majesty, who takes every opportunity day night. Although no manager of promoting the interests of science ever presented more novelties in the and of art, expressed his desire, a short time, every one of which were success-time since, that an expedition should ful, yet we fear the season has been far be formed to explore certain parts of from being a profitable one. The fever Africa, which border upon Egypt. in which the town was kept in the ear-The idea was suggested in consequence ly part of the season by the coronation, of the successful researches of M. Bel- South of Marmarica, (before menwas unfavourable to the drama; and zoni in the latter country; but the ob- tioned,) which our countrymen will the production of the pageant at the ject of the present expedition is of a visit, and in the midst of the sands of two great theatres, one of which has different character from the pursuits Libyan desert, was a small and beaubeen open all the time, presented a no- of that gentleman, inasmuch as it is tiful spot, refreshed by streams and velty too attractive for the chaste per- the discovery, not of the ponderous luxuriant with verdure, in which stood formances of the English Opera to cope monuments of Egyptian labour, but the temple, so celebrated in antiquity, with. We must, however, confess, that of the remains of Greek and Romanof Jupiter Ammon, said to have been the neglect of this theatre is neither edifices, which it is conjectured are founded by Bacchus, in gratitude to creditable to English taste nor to Eng-scattered in different parts of Libya, his father Jupiter, who appeared to

fish feeling. The encroachments of the larger houses were alluded to in the farewell address, which was well delivered by Mr. Bartley. It is as follows:

́ Ladies and Gentlemen,—Our short

season is this evening brought to a close. The aggressions of the larger establishments have this year reached their climax, since Drury Lane Theatre has continued open during the whole of the limited period allotted to our performances, and thereby deprived us even of the slender harvest which, on former occasions, we had been allowed to reap. How far the wisdom of government may deem it fit to allow of these gradual encroachments on the summer theatres, or may condescend to take an interest in those public amusements, is beyond our power at present to ascertain; though, under all the circumstances, we may be allowed to indulge a reasonable hope of speedy and effectual relief.

a country which those celebrated na-
tions visited, and in which they es-
tablished colonies at several different
periods, but which it is supposed no
Europeans have since explored.

The gentleman who has been chosen by government, with the approbation of his Majesty, to superintend this expedition, is Mr. Beechey, many years secretary to Mr. Salt, the English consul to Egypt, and the constant companion to M. Belzoni, in his late indefatigable researches. The lords of the Admiralty have also afforded every assistance in their power to advance the object of this expedition, by fitting out a small vessel with a complement of men, and entrusting the command to Lieutenant Hoppner, who was engaged under Captain Parry in the last northern expedition, and from whose The proprietor, Ladies and Gentle-drawings were executed the engravings men, begs leave to offer, through me, his that embellish the account of that grateful acknowledgments for the share of patronage he has received. It has been voyage. far greater than, under the oppressive difficulties he has had to contend with, he could reasonably have hoped for; and it

him, when perishing with thirst, in the form of a ram, and shewed him a fountain. Here was the Fons Solis, whose waters were cold at noon and hot at night. Here also the celebrated ancient Oracle, so difficult of access through the Libyan Deserts, and which was consulted by Alexander the Great after a memorable and dané gerous journey, the token of which, transmitted to posterity, is the ram's horn upon the head of that conqueror, on numerous medals.

The expedition will, in all probability, be engaged three or four years.

Another expedition is about to proceed to the interior of Africa, on that hitherto fatal enterprize, the discovery of the course and termination of the River Niger. It consists of Dr, Woodney, Lieut. Clapperton, of the royal navy, and Lieut. Denman, of the army. They will proceed from Tripoli to Mourzook, and thence enLibya, the country about to be ex-deavour to reach Tombuctoo or Bor plored by our adventurous country- nou. men, is that which in ancient times Discoveries in Egypt.-A young

Englishman of the name of Wadding-hallowed heart; these Christian conco-
ton, who has lately arrived in Rome, mitants composed her characteristic,
has penetrated upwards of six hundred and conciliated the esteem of her co-
leagues above the level of the second temporary acquaintances, who mean to
cataract, in following the army of the model their manners by the mould of
Pacha of Egypt. In the whole of the their meritorious monitor.-There are
way he fell in with only a few small but two instances, at least, in our pre-
Egyptian monuments, in isolated si- sent recollection, which approach near
tuations, and of no very remote date; to the above: the one is, Henry Hal-
but on his arrival at Schayni, where the lam, hatter, hosier, and haberdasher,
Pacha encamped, he discovered thirty at Holborn Bridge, Hatton Garden ;'
five pyramids, of from fifty to one hun- the other, Benjamin Bell, brown
dred and twenty feet in height, but in bread and biscuit baker, near Battersea
a very ruinons state. He also saw se- Bridge.'
ven or eight temples, of which one,
(upwards of three hundred feet in
length,) was covered with hierogly
phies. It is probably in the neigh-
bourhood of these ruins that search
should be made for Nabatha, and not
the Meroe of the ancients. This tra-
veller has copied some very curious
Greek inscriptions. He assures us
that he has seen nothing in his travels
comparable to the monuments of Nu-
bia, and that he considers that province
as the cradle of the arts in Egypt.

The Bee.

1

Dr. Donne was allowed to be one of the most witty and eloquent divines of his day. Whether, as Chaucer says, of selfish priests

'He sette his benefice to hire,

And lette his shepe acombred in the mire,
And ran unto London, unto Seint Poules,
To seken him a chanterie for soules,'

met with for many years!'- Who are these, my lord?' said the doctor, My ribs,' replied his lordship, ⚫ which I have not felt for many years until now.'

A Frenchman very gravely observed, that if Adam had had the good sense to have purchased the office of king's se cretary, we should all have been nobles.

Taxing Costs.
Clients, in days of yore, as sage men say,
Were proud an honest lawyer's bill to pay;
(But now, alas, as knaves and rogues grow
faster,

Each lawyer's bill must see the taxing master.)
In those blest times, a farmer came to town
To pay his bill of costs in specie down;

And thus, in country style, made this objec

But first he wished to have some explanation,

tion:

'I'm coom, you zee, to pay your small account,
Coom write out a receipt for the amount;
But, zur, I zee that you have charged me here
For an attendance in the Borough, where
No lands or business o' mine e'er laid,
or cash o' mine was e'er received or paid;
I, therefore, hope ye will not take't amiss, -
If I, friend Latitat, inquire as to this
How this small charge arose I'll quickly tell,"
Replied the honest man: You know full well
At Christmas time you never fail to send
A turkey or a goose, my worthy friend;

་

This six and eight-pence, therefore, is here

charged,

or not, I do not pretend to say. But
the following anecdote is not a little
singular:-The deanery of St. Paul's
becoming vacant, King James sent for
the doctor, and ordered him to attend
him the next day at dinner. When
his majesty was sat down, before he
had ate any meat, he said, Doctor
Donne, I have invited you to dinner;
and though you sit not down with me,
yet I will carve to you of a dish that I
love well; for, knowing you
love London, I do therefore make you The turkey got a finer ne'er was hatch'd."
you
Dean of St. Paul's; and, when I have
dined, do take
you your beloved dish
home to your study; say grace there
to yourself, and much good may it do

know

Immediately after the execution of Louis XVI. a Venetian democrat, on hearing that Monsieur had assumed the title of Louis XVIII waited on his majesty, and commenced his address of congratulation in the following cou-fear any one. plet:

"Thou unhappy King of no land, More wretched than the King of Poland.' The admirers of fine writing, and particularly of that new species of beauty called Alliteration, now so much used by orators, will be pleased with the following character of a young lady, from an old Newcastle Journal:

Died in the flower of her age, Miss Mary Harrison, daughter of the late Mr. Thomas Harrison, of Wheldon Bridge House.-If boundless benevolence be the basis of beatitude, and harmless humility the harbinger of a

I am your's,

UP TO SNUFF'

Maxims of George I.-Never to forsake a friend; to endeavour to do justice to every person; and not to

A whimsical couplet from the writer of it to a Welsh squire, who had promised a hare:

'Tell me, thou son of great Cadwallader!

Hast sent the hare? or hast thou swallowed

her.'

As a whimsical couplet, this can be
equalled only by the following, from
the poein of a young tradesman :',
No more will I endure love's pleasing pain,
Or round my heart's leg tie his galling chain.'

Lord North, during a severe illness,
said to his physician, Doctor, I am
obliged to you for introducing me to
some old acquaintance that I have not

(Tis customary, and should be enlarged,)
For trouble in attending to receive
What you, my friend, so liberally give.
Long time with anxious eye the coach I
watch'd

J. P.

In the times of Queen Elizabeth, when persons demanded passports with the design of travelling on the Continent, they were usually questioned respecting their object by Lord Burleigh or his secretaries. If business or health called thenr away, passports were for those reasons given them; but if it was a mere curiosity to see the world, as it is called, that moved them, a desire of becoming acquainted with the manners, customs, arts, and antiquities of our neighbours, they were strictly questioned respecting their knowledge of those things in their own country, and if found ignorant, they were told to travel first at home, there being as much to be known in Eugland as elsewhere, and it being disgraceful to the nation that persons unacquainted with their native country should expose themselves in foreign

nations.

London Published by J. Limbird, 355, Strand, two doors East of Exeter Change; where advertise me nts are received, and communications for the Editor' (post paid) are to be addressed. Sold also by Souter, 73, St. Paul's Church Yard; Simpkin and Marshall, Stationer's Court; Chapple, Pall Mall; Grapel, Liverpool; and by all Booksellers and Newsvenders-Printed by Davidson, Old Bor well Court, Carey Street.

And Weekly Review;

Forming an Analysis and General Repository of Literature, Philosophy, Science, Arts, History, the Drama, Morals, Manners, and Amusements.

This Paper is published early every Saturday Morning; and is forwarded Weekly, or iu Monthly or Quarterly Parts, throughout the British Dominions.

Review of New Books.

The Village Minstrel, and other Poems. By John Clare, the Northamptonshire Peasant. 2 Vols. 12mo. pp. 427. London, 1821. EVERY circumstance that transpires relating to the character and conduct of the Northamptonshire Peasant, tends to justify the assertion of a critic in the Quarterly Review, that he furnishes one of the most striking instances of patient and persevering talent, existing and enduring in the most forlorn and Casterton and went to Pickworth, a ham "At the latter end of the year I left seemingly hopeless condition, that lite- let, which seems by its large stretch of rature has at any time exhibited.' The old foundations and ruins to have been a two volumes before us, though pro- town of some magnitude in past times, duced under circumstances of less dif- though it is now nothing more than a half ficulty than his first production, have solitude of huts, and odd farm-houses, still been written at intervals spatched scattered about, some furlongs asunder: from the labours of husbandry, to miles further, from beginning to end. the marks of the ruins may be traced two which he is still doomed, to maintain Here, by hard working, day and night, his afflicted parents and his wife and I at last got my one pound saved, for the child. It may be asked, has the know-printing of the proposals, which I never ledge of his genius and his miseries obtained nothing for him? Yes; a few noble individuals have come to his aid, the Marquis of Exeter allows him an annuity of fifteen guineas per annum, and Earl Spencer one of ten pounds, Earl Fitzwilliam has presented him with 100l. and his publishers have added another 1001. to it. These sums, with some smaller contributions, altogether yield him forty-five pounds a-year; a sum which, though insufficient for the support of his family, must afford him considerable relief, and for which he seems truly grateful.

When, about eighteen months ago, we noticed Clare's first work, we gave some account of his life; his struggles to obtain a smattering of education by the few halfpence which he earned by extra-labour as a plough-boy; when two months' labour were required to pay for one month's schooling; and three years of toil did nothing more for him than to enable him to read the Bible. We stated the rapture with which he hailed the purchase of Thomson's Seasons, the very thoughts of which produced the first effort of his muse. In the introduction to the vo

VOL. III.

Price 6d.

lumes before us, there are some further I sat beneath the shelter of a woodland
interesting particulars respecting this hedge, of my parents' distresses at home,
untutored child of the muses. It was
of my labouring so hard and so rainly to
in the summer of 1817 that Clare first get out of debt, and of my still added
thought of offering a small volume of perplexities of ill-timed love, striving to
poems to the public by subscription. burst out into an exclamation of distress,
remedy all, and all to no purpose,-I
He consulted a printer, who told him "What is life!" and instantly recollect-,
that the expense of three hundred co-ing that such a subject would be a good
pies of a prospectus would cost one one for a poem, I hastily scratted down,
pound, and he set himself resolutely the two first verses of it, as it stands, as
to work to obtain that sum. But the the beginning of the plan which I intend-
story is best told in his own simple work. But when I got to the kiln I could
ed to adopt, and continued my journey to
words:-
not work for thinking about what I had
on a lime-skuttle, and out with my pencil
so long been trying at; so I sat me down
for an address of some sort, which, good
or bad, I determined to send off that day;
and for that purpose, when it was finished,
I started to Stamford with it, about three
miles off: still, along the road, I was in a
hundred minds whether I should throw
till a fitter opportunity, to have the ad-
up all thoughts about the matter, or stay
vice of some friend or other; but, on
turning it over in my mind again, a se-
cond thought informed me that I had no
lost sight of; and having written many friend; I was turned adrift on the broad
more poems, excited by a change of ocean of life, and must either sink or
scenery, and being over head and ears in swim: so I weighed matters on both
love,-above all, having the most urgent sides, and fancied, let what bad would
propensity to scribbling, and considering come, it could but balance with the form-
former, which no doubt was the case,-I should not be a pin worse than usual; I
my latter materials much better than my er if my hopes of the poems failed, I
considered myself more qualified for the could but work then as I did already:
undertaking: so I wrote a letter from this nay, I considered that I should reap be-
place immediately to Henson, of Market nefit from the disappointment; the down-
Deeping, wishing him to begin the propo- fall of my hopes would free my mind,
sals and address the public himself, urg- and let me know that I had nothing to
ing that he could do it far better than I trust to but work. So with this favoura-
could, but his answer was that I must do ble idea I pursued my intention, drop-
but not having a fit place for doing any tered the town, to give it a second read-
it. After this, I made some attempts, ping down on a stone-heap before I en-
thing of that kind, from lodging at a pub-ing, and correct what I thought amiss."
lic-house, and being pestered with many
inconveniencies, I could not suit myself In the prospectus, a copy of which
by doing it immediately, so from time to is inserted in the introduction, Clare
time it was put off. At last I determined, proposed publishing his poems at three
good or bad, to produce something, and shillings and sixpence, if three hun-
as we had another limekiln at Ryhall, dred subscribers could be obtained;
about three miles from Pickworth, [Clare he wrote a modest address to the pub-
was at this time employed in lime-burn- lie, and inserted his sonnet to the Set-
ing, I often went there to work myself, ting Sun, printed in the former collec-
where I had leisure to study over such
things on my journeys of going and re-
turning. On these walks, morning and
night, I have dropped down, five or six
times, to plan an Address, &c. In one of
these musings, my prose thoughts lost
themselves in rhymine.' 'Taking a view, as

tiou.

All his Prospectuses were distributed, but, alas! he could only obtain the names of seven subscribers. Que of these subscribers, however, was the means of recommending Clare to better patrons, and had the honour of RR-40