Mr. Smith is the author of one or two Prologues of no great merit. He appears, indeed, not to have fet much value on his literary acquifitions, though they are faid not to be contemptible. Perhaps few perfons have contributed more to bring the profeffion of an actor into repute, or to eradicate the prejudices against it, than he has done. Poffeffed of the manners and deportment of a gentleman, he has always preferved a spirit of independence even in the best company. He has alfo had the merit of avoiding the unmanly practice of tourting applaufe from diurnal writers. -The approbation he has experienced may be faid to have been fairly obtained by his own exert ions, and he retires from the public notice with a character undebased with meanness or fervility.

12. A Mrs. or Mifs Plomer appeared for the first time on any stage at the Haymarket, in one of the Bacchants, and Euphrofyne, in Comus. Her perfon is fmall, but not inelegant, and her face is rather expreffive than beautiful; but her voice is fweet as well as powerful, and the fings with fkill as well as taste and spirit. Her action was rather exuberant, though the evidently laboured under the apprehenfions incident to a first performance.

RICHMOND HOUSE.
The 31st of May laft was acted for the
Arft time, a new Comedy, called, False Ap-

PO

NOON.

E

NOW Phoebus lafhing on his steeds,

To his utmost zenith speeds;

The meek-ey'd Hours that led the prime,
Are left behind i' th' eastern clime.
High through the void the God of day
Rolls his flaming car away;
Till the languid herds and fheep
Into the woodland covert creep;
And the fhepherd feeks fome glade
Enbower'd deep in filent shade;
Or, when Phoebus rules the sky,
Perchance by rushy fount doth lie,
Repeating foft his "love-lorn" tale
To parched hill and shadowy dale;
Whilft, reckless of the noon-tide ray,
Echoes the jocund village lay
Of many a fwain and buxom lafs
Tedding flow the new-mown grass;
Till rifing on the shaven green,
In ruffet clad, the haycock's feen.
Then to Céres' fultry reign,
Hies him on the fun burnt fwain;
Black-ey'd Phillis by his fide
Binds the heaves till even-tide.
Then, when Phobus' fwelter'd team
Plunges in the Ocean stream,

return.

Captain Howarth,
Lord Henry Fitzgerald,

Mrs. Damer,

Mifs Hamilton,

Mrs. Bruce,

Mifs Campbell.

The story is briefly this:-The Baron, man of Ton, is about to marry Celia, whom by her manner he takes to be a fool. The Marquis, who meets her at a Convent, is really enamoured of her, and the of him in He meets her, to his aftonifhment, him his paffion for a lady, and is advised by at the Baron's houfe, and communicates to him to purfue and win her;-little thinking, while he gives this advice, that it is his own intended bride. The whimsicality of this thought, and the fituations which attend it, form the intereft of the piece. A thoughtless Counters, and Celia's father eternally looking after a government, which he wants, fill up the rest of the play.

The Prologue was fpoken by Lord Derby ; the Epilogue by Mrs. Damer.

TR

Underneath the fav'rite tree,
Welcome ruftic jollity.

Y.

Lo! the ruddy Hours, that rum
By the parch'd meridian fun,
Are all in golden liv'ries dight,
Too gloomy far for human fight;

Like orient gems, their flush'd cheeks shine,
Their faffron locks the rofe entwine;
And tipp'd in the tints of Iris' bow,
Graceful behind their loose robes flow.
Sublime, the great Sun "rides on high,
And flings his rays along the sky;
He tips with gold the mountain's head,
And roufes Nature from her bed ;
Bids proftrate earth receive his fires,
And take the bliss his beam inspires.
O! radiant beam, creative fire!
Pleafure's fource, and Beauty's fire!
Thine is each tint that Summer fees,
Or yellow Autumn's bending trees;
Thine earlier Spring's enamell'd bow'rs,
Her verdant glades, her rifing flow'rs.
Each breeze that fans the meads at morn,
Or bends at noon the fhadowy corn;
Or wafts at dewy eve the note
From plaintive Philomela's throat;

Mmm 2

Confe

Thy fragrant breast, like Alpine fnows fo Young MODESTIES shall spring, a numerous

ODE, DRESSES, BALL, &c. on the KING's BIRTH-DAY.

From frozen waftes, and caverns
wild,

To genial England's fcenes beguil❜d;
And in his clamorous van exulting came
The demons foul of Famine and of Flame:
Witness the fheep-clad fummits, roughly
crown'd

And ftill, unchang'd and uncon

trol'd,

Its refcued rights fhall the dread empire
hold:

For lo, revering Britain's caufe,
A King new luftre lends to native laws!
The facred fovereign of this festal day

With many a frowning fofs, and airy On Albion's old renown reflects a kindred

mound,

Which yet his defultory march pro

claim!

Nor ceas'd the tide of gore to flow, Till Alfred's laws allur'd th' inteftine foe; And Harold calm'd his headlong rage

ray!

DRAWING-ROOM.

Befides their Majesties, the Prince of Wales, Princeffes Royal, Augufta, and Elizabeth; Dukes of York, Gloucester, and Cumberland; a great number of Nobility and Gentry were prefent, together with

To brave atchievement, and to counfel the Duke of Orleans, Baron Buttenhoffe,

fage;

For oft in favage breasts the buried feeds Of brooding virtue live, and freedom's fairest deeds!

IV.

But fee, triumphant o'er the Southern

wave

The Norman fweeps!-Though firft
hc gave

New grace to Britain's naked plain,

With Arts and Manners in his train And many a fane he rear'd, that ftill, fublime

In maffy pomp, has mock'd the ftealth of time;

And castle fair, that, ftript of half its towers,

From fome broad steep in shatter'd glory lowers;

Yet brought he Slavery from a fofter clime:

Each eve, the curfew's note fevere, (That now but foothes the niufing poet's ear)

At the new tyrant's stern command, Warn'd to unwelcome reit a wakeful

land;
While proud Oppreffion o'er the ravifh'd
field

High rais'd his armed hand, and shook the
feudal shield.
V.

Monf. Calonne, with other distinguished foreigners, and all the Ambaffadors and Envoys.

DREESSES.

The Drawing-room was very fplendid, and the rich dreffes were equal to the difplay of any former year on the occafion; thofe of the Queen and Princeffes were in fome refpects furprisingly brilliant.

The King was habited in dark brown, with the plainnefs which is customary on his own birth-day.

The Prince of Wales was dreffed with his ufual tafte; his waistcoat and breeches of light-coloured filk and filver; his coat was of a pale peach-coloured filk, with a stripe of a darker fhade, richly embroidered with filver down the feams, and fpangled,-His Highness's garter was fastened over the shoulder with a diamond epaulet, a ftar formed of diamonds, of uncommon beauty; which, with a brilliant George, and hat and feather, with diamond button and loop, gave every advantage to his Highness's handfome perfon.

The Duke of York was in brown richly embroidered; and wore along with the en-' figns of the Order of the Garter, those of the Bath. Each of the devices were fet with diamonds. The far of the Capadocian order was highly superb.

The Queen's drefs was blue and filver in Stoop'd then that Freedom to defpotic the body and train; the fringe very rich.

The petticoat highly fuperb, being covered. with lace, and real diamonds; in the front were four large stripes of blue ribbands, edged with diamonds, and four large taffels of diamonds added ftill more to the brilliant appearance. The petticoat was drawn back, and fastened on each fide, by three branches compofed of grafs and green leaves, intermixed with diamonds formed in fnow-drops and lilies of the valley, and trembling to the eye with the most astonishing effect. Indeed we never, on any former occafion, wit nessed her Majesty in such costly apparel.

The