12. At Drury-lane Theatre, a MR. Foor*, made his first appearance on the Stage in the arduous character of Ham. let. He poffeffes a good manly perfon, about the middle fize. His conception of the part was generally just; and he judiciously varied his manner with the various feelings by which the character is fucceffively animated. His enunciation alfo is correct, and free from any provincial habits. So far we are juftified in applauding the attempt; and his reception by the audience was very flattering. Two objections, however, remain to be made against Mr. Foot's perfonification of Hamlet his walk was ungraceful, and his action, particularly in the first two acts, redundant. His voice alfo is either in itself (as appeared to us to be the cafe) too weak to be effectively employed in fo large a Theatre; or he had wholly mistaken its pitch; for when he performed thofe fcenes wherein the dialogue is merely of the converfation kind (as in a part of the scene with Ofrick, &c.) his voice was fcarcely audible in the centre of attempted to exert it into exclamation, it the pit; and when, on the other hand, he was harsh and diffonant. A few leffons from the maitre de danfe will eafily polish Mr. Foot's demeanour; and, perhaps, practice may beget a due modulation of his voice; in which cafe we really think that his natural abilities will render him a very refpectable performer. -The Bills foon after announced him as intending a fecond appearance in the fame character. 13. At Covent Garden, a new Afterpiece (rather affectedly called a MeloDrame) was prefented for the first time under the title of "A TALE OF MYSTERY," the Characters being as follow: Count Romaldi Bonamto Stephano Selina Flametta Mr. H. JOHNSTON, Mr. CLAREMONT. Villagers, Soldiers, &c.-Scene, Savoy. The Scene lies at a Village in Savoy. A perfon named Francifco has been received into the houfe of Bonamo, who, knowing nothing of his ftory, is not difpofed to harbour him any longer. Francifco had been deprived of his tongue, but was able to deliver his thoughts in writing. Flametta, Bonamo's old female fervant, had found Francifco about eight years before the opening of the Piece, in an expiring ftate, mangled by ruffians; and by the affistance of Michelle, a neighbouring miller, the On the following night, when the Comedy was finished, Mr. Fawcett came forward, and faid, "Ladies and Gentlemen-The Epilogue was advertised to be fpoken this evening, only through the mistake of the printer: as it did not meet your approbation, it is withdrawn. Mrs. Mattocks therefore hopes, that you will indulgently difpenfe with her undertaking the irksome talk of again attempting to recite it." Perhaps a fimilar inftance of the theatrical damnation of an Epilogue, on the fecond night of repetition, is not on record. This gentleman, we underfand, received a good claffical education at Winchefter College, ferved an apprenticeship as a Compofitor to Mr. Deputy Nichols, and was lately in bufinets as a Printer in Crane Court, Fleet-ftreet. VOL. XLII. Nov. 1802. Сес wretched the officers of juftice purfue them and take the latter. Romaldi flies to the very spot where he and his accomplice had committed their horrid butchery on Francifco. The honeft Miller who protected Francifco affords a refuge to Romaldi, but afterwards perceiving a fear on his right hand, one of the figns by which his perfon was defcribed, fufpects him. Romaldi, however, induces the honeft Miller to protect him, rather than involve in danger one who may be inno cent. At length, Francifco and Selina arrive at the fame fpot, and the horror they discover at the fight of Romaldi induces the Miller to run for the officers of justice. In the mean time, Romaldi offers his piftol to Francifco, that he may revenge himself for all the injuries he has fuffered. Francifco, who had remained in concealment rather than impeach his brother, throws away the pistol. Romaldi then attempts to escape, but is taken by the foldiers. Bonamo and the reft of the characters affenible; and as Romaldi feems to repent of his villanies, the Piece concludes with the restoration of Stephano and Selina to each other, and the avowal of an intended application for mercy in behalf of Romaldi. wretched man was preferved. Bonamo This Piece is an alteration, by Mr. Holcroft, of a French Drama called "Seline: ou, L'Enfant Myflère," which met with great fuccefs at Paris. It is a pleafing mixture of novelty and intelei, comprising incident, dialogue, music, dancing, and pantomime, and has tince continued almoft uninterruptedly to be performed to crowded Houtes with unanimous applaufe. The music, by Dr. Busby, is admirably expreffive of the various paffing fcenes; and in the Overture, which was rapturously applauded, a fportful use has been made of extraneous fharps and flats, with the happieft effect. We have fcarcely ever feen a Piece better performed; the dumb eloquence of Farley, and the varied deportment and exprellion of H. Johnton, are equal to any thing that we have witnessed on the mimic fcene. The drefles are fuperb, the fcenery is finely picturefque; and the dancing of young Bologna, Dubois, King, and Mrs. Wybrow, with the hornpipe of the infant Byrne, gave a pleafing relief to the fombre hue of the reft of the piece. 17. A New Mufical Farce, called "A HOUSE TO BE SOLD," was pre fented Charles Kelfon, a young officer in the navy, and his friend Belfield, a compofer for the Italian Opera, are travelling to Plymouth when within a few miles of their journey's end, they find their money run fhort. They walk a part of the way, but at length, overcome with fatigue and hunger, they feat themfelves on a bench, near the door of Mrs. Dor. ville's houfe, which is fituated in a village about fifteen miles from Plymouth. Mrs. Dorville's houfe, and the grounds adjoining, are to be fold; and the travellers feeing a bill to that effect polted on the houte, Charles Kelion re folves to gain a dinner, and perhaps a night's lodging, by pretending to be a purchafer. The fcheme fucceeds, and Mrs. Dorville, delighted in the expect ation of felling her houfe, and miltaking Charles Kellon for his uncle Captain Kelion, of Plymouth, invites the young adventurers to tay till the next day. They are recognited by Matthew, a fottish fervant of Mrs. Dorville's, who had feen them walking on the road; he is, however, bribed to filence. Charles Kellon accedes to the terms propofed by the old Lady for the purchate of the houfe, and the produces a written agreement, which he figns. It now appears that Charlotte, the mece of Mrs. Durville, is attached to Belfield. The two travellers are again nearly discovered by Charlotte's furprife in meeting her lover fo unexpectedly; Charles Kellon's addreis relieves them from this embarraff. ment; but a more ferious event threatens him in the arrival of Captain Kellon, who intends to bid for the house himfelf. Charles too begins to feel that he is involved in an alarming difficulty, by binding himself to purchate a houfe for five thousand pounds, without a filling in his pocket. Chance, however, extricates him from this critical fituation. Melchifedec, a Jew, who has made a fortune by telling flops to tailors, has long wanted to purchase Mrs. Dorville's houfe at a low price. Finding that it is now fold, he offers Charles an advance on his purchate. The young failor, finding his anxiety to buy, talks to him of planting trees and building a wall to obftruct the view from Melchifedec's houfe, and at length fo far works on the Jew, that he agrees to give him an advance of three thoufand pounds for his purchase. This fum of three thoufand pounds Charles deftines as a wedding gift to Belfield and his contant Charlotte; and the generofity of the young failor is rewarded by his uncle, Captain Kelfon, who reftores him to favour, and declares him heir to his fortune. This entertainment is an alteration by Mr. Cobb from a French Farce called "La Maison à Vendre ;" but the characters, as well as the manners, have been naturalized to our own country. Taken as a whole, we think it equal in merit to most of the musical farces that we have seen brought forward for three or four years pait; at least it is untainted by any of the extravagant caricature on which farce too often relies for fuccefs. Charles Kelfon is drawn with confiftency and preciñon, and was admirably fupported by Bannifter. The Jew, by Wewitzer, must be noticed as a chatte, natural, and truly comic per. formance. Charlotte is the character Lext in interett and importance. She is a lively mad-cap, whole head is full of dancing and finging, and who fighs for the enjoyment of these and other pleafures which the town affords. In perfonating this character, Mifs De Camp gave tome imitations of figure-dancing and Italian finging, in the caricature tyle, which excited much laughter and applaute. The icenery is rural and picturefque ; but the mufic, which is chiefly the compofition of Mr. Kelly, is its great ornament. The overture abounds in fweet and pleafing movements, judiciously varied and contraffed, not training at diffi. culties, and attempting to furprife by execution, but flowing in an eaty courie, and peaking to the heart. The fame character prevails through the airs and duets. The Farce received much applaufe, has fince had a very fuccefstul run, and we doubt not will become a stock-piece. 19. At Covent Garden, Mrs. Litchfield performed, for the first time, the character of the Widow Brady, in The Irish Widow, gave the brogue well, and tupСсс 2 ported ported the part throughout with confiderable eclat. This is certainly too good a farce to be laid afide (as it had been for several years); the parts are in general well caft; but, on a future reprefenta. tion, we should think it improved if Mr. Emery took the character of Keckfy instead of that of Whittle. In the courte of the month, Mr. Pope has appeared at Drury-lane in three of the characters that had been usually reprefented by Mr. Kemble; that of Leontes (Winter's Tale), Leon (Rule a Wife, &c.), and the Abbé de L'Epée (Deaf and Dumb); in all of which he is entitled to very honourable mention; indeed, had not Mr. K.'s performance of them been feen, that of Mr. Pope might have met with unqualified approbation. COUNT UGOLINO. POETRY. . FROM DANTE, CANTO XXXIII. there Dante, conducted by Virgil, is fuppofed to vifit the infernal regions: he fees the figure of a man gnawing a fkull with favage joy, and, ftruck with horror, inquires the causes of his dreadful fury. Thus ends the 32d Canto; the 33d opens in the following manner. Rous Frenzied ftare, OUS'D by my words-he gaz'd with [the hair, And ceas'd his horrid meal-then with Which hung in clotted maffes down the head, [wildly faid Cleaning his blood-fmear'd jaws—he Thou bidft me deeds of direft woe declare, Which, but to think of, is itself despair ; Yet if my words can fix this traitor's fhame, And blast with infamy his hated name, Tho' falding tears bedew my anguish'd face, [trace. I fhall with joy my cruel wrongs reThy features are to me unknown-the fame [feeft thefe dark The means by which, 'fore death, thou Abodes: thy fpeech a Florentine should mark [name: But, fo or not, Count Hugoline my And he whofe skull I gnaw, O ftranger, know, Was once a Prelate, and my mortal foe, Ruggiero call'd-he flopp'd and gave a groan[known, I fhall not tell, for they on earth are By what vile arts he won me to his pow'r But how he agoniz'd my dying hourHow the fell monfter lengthen'd out my fate[my hate. Hear thou-and judge if not deserv'd The difmal dungeon where immur'd we lay [yield his breath, (Where many a ftarving wretch muft And which, from me, is call'd the Cave of Death), [day, Thro' its dread bars t'admit the darken'd Had just begun-when, by my woes oppreft, I funk at last to fleep and troubled reft ; Troubled indeed! for dreaming 1 beheld Sights which my future horrid fate unveil'd. [height, Methought I ftood upon the hills, whofe At Lucca, hides the Pilan plains from fight: [franc race, There Ghaland, Sifmond, and the LanPrepar'd with him, the matter of the chace, [rude; To hunt the wolf amid these mountains A wolf and whelps they rous'd, and that tir'd quick purfued, [houting fir'd; With fiercest dogs, whofe rage their Soon they o'ertook the panting prey[no moreAnd faint from fwift purfuit could run Then with fell bite their bleeding fides they tore, [pir'd. And all beneath their cruel tooth exStarting I woke-and heard my children weep, [fleep. And call for bread in anguish as they Sure thou wilt fhed it, if thou hast a tear, Thinking on that hard fate which now my fear Forefaw-The customary hour drew near When they were wont to bring our wretched fare; [not dare Yet, by our dreams forewarn'd, we did Expect the ufual food.I heard a found, Not as of doors which on their hinges creek, But the harsh grating bolts. I look'd around On my poor children-but I did not fpeak I did I did not weep-despair my tears had dried They all were weeping-and my Anfelm cried, [tern!" Father, dear father, do not look fo Still not a tear-I felt my temples burn That day was paft, and all the dreadful night, [light In deathlike filence-'till the next day's Began to dawn again-then, when I faw Four wretches brought to life and fuch [gnaw By me-to frenzy rous'd, I 'gan to My unoffending hands,and tear my hair They, thinking it was hunger, rofe, and faid, [dead"Eat our flesh, father-we must foon be And happier we shall die, if we relieve Your pangs-eat--and the life you gave [gloom despair receive." tomb To top their cries, I fat in fullen Why did not then the gaping earth en[word And aid our fufferings? Not one more That and the next fucceeding day was (teous cry, On the fourth morn, Gaddo, with piExhausted, faid, " Help, father, or I heard. die !" Dura's Vale; or, The Bard's Complaint. Written after visiting my native Place, in the Month of July 1802. STRANGER! fhould my plaintive lyre Thy foul with fympathy infpire; And should'st thou wish to learn my tale, Go! ask old Thames, for he has heard, -But ask it not in Dura's vale ! There firft I liften'd to her tale, And mourn o'er woes I could not heal! Sing the glad tidings down the vale! Then |