read the bible, and banish Shakspeare from the stage: for what are more hacknied?

We think that this academician (Thomson) has been very happy in his treatment of Juliet. It is the best picture we have seen from his hand for many years: perhaps the best we have ever seen. This painter studied in Italy, and seems well able to recollect and imitate the tone of an Italian moonlight. The whole work is highly poetical, and the introduction of the embracing group of Cupid and Psyche, as if adorning the garden of the Capulets, more especially so.

to be 86

No. 152. "The Harbour of Dieppe, (changement di domicile) by J. W. TURNER, R.A. has been justly said one of those magnificent works of art, which may make us proud of the age we live in, and the associations of our birth. Not even Claude in his happiest efforts, has exceeded the brilliant composition before us in transparent effect it is equal to that great master; while in the drawing and grouping of the numerous figures, it is superior."It is indeed a rich, glowing, mellow, and masterly performance. Perhaps no landscape is more poetically coloured but yet it seems more like the sea port of a southern clime, seen under the most exhilirating circumstances, as if prosperous trade and delicious weather, or rather the seaport of a poet's description, than one on the northern coast of France. Probably we ought to allow the artist credit for illuminating the Port of Dieppe allegorically, rather than topographically, under the changement di domicile.

No. 167 is "Chester," by G. JONES, R.A. Although denominated Chester, this picture presents us with but a small portion of the interior of that very picturesque and ancient city. It is floridly coloured, and as clear and brilliant in its effect, as it is picturesque in its materials. The domestic architecture of Chester, in which more wood was employed than in any other old town in England; and in which the R ws, or rustic piazzas raised above the ground-story, form a very peculiar feature, are very happily adapted to the pencil of this talented academician: but there is a view, which is apparently taken from nearly the

same spot with the present, engraved in Lysons's Britannia Depicta, after Mr. J. Varley, which shews that either the present picture or the print after Varley, must be erroneous, with regard to the situation of the Tower of Chester Cathedral, as it bears relation to the rest of the landscape.

No. 185, is one of those humourous scenes for which Mr. M. W. SHARP has become celebrated. It is called "The Barber Politician." The Barber has a patient under his hands, and in the overflowing of his zeal or his news, seems to have paid too little attention to the due heating of his hair tongs. The would-be dressed gentleman is accordingly wincing, but Quid-nunc is reckless, and per. fectly insensible to his sufferings. The vacant stare of a blockhead is made to contribute ludicrously to the Hogarthical comedy, which, however, on the whole, is somewhat overcharged-so much so, indeed, that it would have been more critical to have called it a caricature. It is a small picture, and not quite so well coloured as some of this artist's former productions.

Having thus accomplished our first circuit of the Great Room, where it is impossible satisfactorily to see the whole of its contents-or even of the superior part of its contents at a single visit, we shall defer conducting the reader into the School of Paint ing and the Gallery of Sculpture till our next publication, when we shall also re-enter the Great Room, time and space permitting.

The Antique Academy contains some excellent miniature portraits, as well as other works of merit. At the head of the latter may be mentioned a water-colour landscape by Turner.

The best miniatures are by ALFRED CHALON, R. A., A. ROBERTSON, MR. GREEN, MR. HAUGHTON, J. LENDREEL, MRS. MEE, and J. W. HIGHAM. From the pencil and furnace of the latter the visitor will find enamelled heads of our old and tried friend Munden, and of the professor Fuseli, lately deceased.

That of Munden is an excellent likeness, after a picture by G. CLINT, Associate. Fuseli is after MOSES HAUGHTON, and has a little too much of a look of assumed importance, but

is nevertheless a strong resemblance of what the late professor was some twenty years ago. It is numbered 757.

TURNER'S water colour picture, No. 465, is a landscape of much milder effulgence than his gorgeous sea-port of the upper room: but is also very poetically treated, without violating or exaggerating any of the truths of nature, or the rules of art. It represents "The Rise of the River Stour, at Stourhead."

"From his two springs in Stourton's woody glade,

Pure willing out-into the lake
He pours bis infant stream."

Its falling waters are adorned with architecture, swans, and a party of elegant figures, and embellished by English sunshine, and a luxuriant foreground; and the harmony of its chiaroscuro is delightful !

KING'S THEATRE. On the 16th instant, Madame Pasta, who, it is reported, has had some difficulty in detaching herself from the Parisian Opera, made her first appearance this season as Desdemona, in Rossini's opera of Otello. To an Englishman, and more particularly to a reader of Shakspeare, there appears something not only exceedingly ridiculous, but almost amounting to profanation, in these parodies (for we can give them no better name,) of some of the finest productions of our immortal countryman; and more than an ordinary degree of talent in the poet, the composer, and the actor, is required, to bespeak his favour, and reconcile him, even in a remote degree, to the unnatural and uncalled for change. In the piece before us, the translator, or adapter, or parodist, or whatever title he may be called by, has taken infinite pains to destroy every particle of interest of which the story is capable; and had the actors treated his production as he has his great original, the effect must have answered his most sanguine expectations. As it is, however, the impassioned energy of Garcia and Madame Pasta, who are really very able_representatives of the Moor and Desdemona, threw occasionally some spirit into the scenes, and assisted in relieving, as far as their exertions would admit, its length and insipidity. The former was honoured with loud and frequent notice, both for his acting and his singing; and the latter was not only greeted at first most kindly and most cordially, but reE. M. May, 1825.

ceived, throughout the evening, the most enthusiastic marks of favour and applause-a tribute which, for her talents, natural and acquired, the most envious must allow she was fully entitled to receive. Caradori was the Emilia, and, as usual, was unobtrusive and charming. Of Curioni's Iago little need be said-the part itself is quite insignificant. At the fall of the curtain some emptyheaded persons insisted upon seeing their favourite once more; and Desdemona, with her hair dishevelled-a strip of scarlet riband to represent the life-blood issuing from her wound -and arm-in-arm with her sable murderer, revisited the glimpses of the lamps.

On the 17th instant Semiramide was to have been performed at this Theatre, but for some reason not very satisfactorily explained, Otello was substituted in its stead. The house was crowded in every part; but the change was so little approved of, that upon the rising of the curtain the performers were driven from the stage, and the manager called for in no very gentle terms. After considerable delay, a gentleman came forward and informed the audience that Mr. Ebers should be sent for forthwith; then another delay, and Signor Garcia made a speech in French; then a little more waiting, and the gentleman again appeared, to announce that Mr. Ebers was non est inventus. By this time it was nine o'clock, and the malcontents being completely tired out, suffered Otello to be acted. The cause of all this confusion is stated to have arisen

30

from some of the principal performers having preferred singing at certain concerts, to the duty of attending their theatrical rehearsals. This, of course, must be expected; poor creatures, they are so badly paid: the highest salary upon the establishment is only 150 guineas a night!

COVENT GARDEN Ben Jonson's comedy of Every Man in his Humour, which of late has been but seldom acted, was revived at this theatre on the 21st inst. The fate of this author's productions has been somewhat singular: for many years they held almost exclusive possession of the stage: so great a favourite, indeed, was rare Ben Jonson" with the public, that even Shakspeare himself was comparatively neglected, and writers of more humble attainments were content to

"Walk under his huge legs, and peep about

To find themselves dishonourable graves." If, however, we are disposed to condemn the taste of our ancestors in thus preferring art to nature, we must allow that their posterity are equally unjust when they exclude him altogether from the stage, as many of his plays are not only curi ous, so far as they display a faithful picture of the " olden time," but are, as dramas, specimens of the most correct and elaborate composition that any age or country has produced. In the comedy before us, Kitely, which was one of Garrick's most celebrated parts, and which was also successfully sustained by Cooke and Wroughton, is now assigned to Mr. Young; but we doubt much if his assumption of it will make any great addition to his dramatic reputation.

Miss Kelly's benefit will take place on Wedne-day, the 8th of June. We sincerely hope that the public will evince the estimation in which they hold her dramatic talents, and that a crowded house will prove, that those who have cramped her genius, and kept her in the back ground, have been guided either by prejudice or a perverted taste of dramatic excellence. Had Miss Kelly been afforded the same facilities, and brought forward as frequently as but we must not mention names, we are confident that she would rival the most popular

performers of the day; and when we say rival, we must confess that if we were to express our opinions candidly, instead of rival we should confidently say equal. We have been always of this opinion, and we think the public judge as we do; but neither we nor the public have any direct power of interfering with, or controling the judgment, (if we may not call it by any name that is allied to prejudice,) of the managers. We are determined, however, so far as lies in our power, to bring these sapient managers to a sense of their duty; or, if we should prove unsuccessful, to expose, at least, the narrow prejudices that have opposed the career of her dramatic genius.

DRURY LANE.

Where is the man who, from his earliest youth, from the time when he could first distinguish "sweet from bitter" and "good from evil," has not heard of the renowned Faustus, and his connection with the Devil? Two centuries and a half ago, our countryman, Marlowe, wrote a drama upon the subject, which is still read, and by many persons much admired. At a more recent period, a German author of great celebrity has had reccurse to the same story, and produced a dramatic poem, which has made a great noise in that land of horrors; and, on the 16th instant the manager of this theatre, who appears to have been seized upon the sudden with an active and enterprising spirit, favoured the public with a grand romance, made up from the same materials. -That such pieces are congenial to good taste, or, in our opinion, at all likely to promote a relish for theatrical entertainments, in those who frequent a play-house for amusement or instruction, we never can admit; but we must at the same time fairly say, that upon no former occasion, in no theatre whatever, have we ever seen a piece so well cast, so splendidly got up, so richly embellished with all the beauties of dress, of scenery, and music, or one in which the machinery was more ingeniously contrived, or more carefully and correctly worked. Stanfield, who, as a scene painter, has left all his competitors at an immeasurable distance, has contributed no less than seven complete scenes upon this occasion. To

distinguish any one in particular, as superior to the rest, is quite impossisible; they are all true to nature, have all the same harmony of colours, and all equally sustain the same character of excellence for beauty of design. We only wonder how this artist can find sufficient time to cover so elaborately so many yards of canvas. The music, also, which, is the joint production of Bishop, Cooke, and Horn, is entitled to great commendation. The opening glee, and chorus, an air by Miss Stephens in the second act, and a plaintive ditty by the same lady in the third act, were greatly admired, and will, we have no doubt, become universal favourites. Our native compositions indeed appeared to great advantage, after Weber's dull Overture to Euryanthe, which preceded the performance. The performers likewise exerted themselves most strenuously, and contributed their full share to the general success. Wallack and Terry conceive their parts happily, dress them admirably, and act them with the greatest zeal and spirit. Harley is as he always is, though no great actor, most entertaining as a cowardly collegian. Miss Stephens is as fascínating as ever in appearance, as bewitching in voice, sings with (if possible) more than her accustomed taste, and throws more than ordinary force into her acting; whilst Mr. and Mrs. Noble, and the Corps de Ballet, exhibit their best graces in a pretty Venetian Dance. Here, however, we must close our panegyric,

"The rest is nought but leather and prunella."

The author, whoever he may be, (for we have heard the piece attri

buted to so many, that we forbear to mention any,) has literally done nothing. He has thrown Faustus into a greater variety of situations than either Marlowe or Goethe has done; but the incidents has not the slightest novelty to recommend them, nor does the dialogue display the least pretensions to sentiment or wit. The Devil is an exceedingly dull fellow, who is for ever striving to be funny, but never attains his object; and the catastrophe is strikingly faulty, inasmuch as not only Faustus himself is conveyed to the abode of his satanic majesty, but the whole party, the lord chamberlain, the courtiers, the maids of honour, the poor mad victim whom he had seduced, and in fact every person who is present at the expiration of the hour, are sent to the Devil without the slightest exception. For this, and many other deficiencies, we may possibly, after all, be wrong to blame the author. In such pieces as these, we believe that he is the last person attended to: what the manager and the carpenter lay their heads together to propose to that he must submit. The whole, except in one or two slight instances, went off with the greatest eclat.

William Tell is gaining ground nightly in the estimation of the public; there is too much declamation in it, but it is still a very clever play. Macready, in the hero," outdoes all his former outdoings." He is tremendously in earnest in every part of his performance. The character will prove to him of the same value as Virginius, confirm the high opinion his admirers have always entertained of his abilities, and convince those who have hitherto shut their eyes to them.

SIR FRANCIS BURDETT'S bill for the relief of the Roman Catholics passed the House of Commons; but, as might have been anticipated by all reasoning persons, it was thrown out, upon the motion for its second reading in the House of Lords, by a decisive

majority. We traced this Bill in our last to its second reading in the lower house, on the 21st of April. In consequence of the alleged indisposition of Sir Francis Burdett-alleged, we say, for in certain quarters its reality was suspected-Mr. Brougham under

took, on the 6th of May, to move for passing the Bill into a committee, which was agreed to, with little or no discussion. The Bill was recommitted for the 9th; and, on the 10th, Mr. Curwen moved its third reading. To that motion the Solicitor-General moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. On a division there appeared, for the amendment, 227-for the third, 248-majority in favour of the Bill, 21. The Bill was accordingly sead a third time, and passed.

The

fa

On the 11th of May, on the motion of the Earl of Donoughmore, it was read a first time in the upper house, and ordered for a second reading on the 17th, when the Lords were summoned. On that eventful day, the motion for the second reading having been made, Lord Colchester, conceiving that further concessions to the Roman Catholics would be dangerous, moved, as an amendment, that the Bill be read a second time that day six months. The Marquis of Anglesea, convinced that ascendancy, and not emancipation, was the object of the Catholics, opposed all further concession, and supported the amendment. Marquis of Camden, and the Earl of Darnley, spoke in vour of the original motion; the latter contending, that whilst we had a Protestant King, a Protestant Commander-in-chief, and a Protestant General, like the noble Duke (Wellington), with a Protestant army under his command, it was absurd to argue that any thing was to be feared from the measure.-The Earl of Longford considered that it had been passed through the Commons by a hesitating majority of not one twentieth part of the number of that great council of the nation;—that justice did not exact the measure, necessity did not demand it, nor did expediency require it.-The Bishop of Llandaff opposed the Bill; which was supported by the Bishop of Norwich, who regretted that the guilt and folly of 1525 should be renewed in 1825. There was nothing incompatible with the safety of the Established Church in the concessions now proposed.-Lord Carberry also supported the measure, which, he was convinced, would continue to advance till it

should be finally carried.-The Bishop of Chester, believing the Catholic Hierarchy to be determined as to the distinction of the Protestant Establishment, and knowing what doctrines were afloat on the subject of church property, could not but expect, should the question be carried, that daring attempts would be made on the Protestant Church when thirty or forty members should be seated in the lower house, whose duty it would be, consistently with their opinions, to make those attempts. Considering that the proposed measure would not conciliate the Catholics, or tend to the tranquillity of Ireland, he implored their Lordships not to pass the Bill. After the Earl of Limerick and the Marquis of Lansdowne had respectively delivered their sentiments in favour of the measure, the latter in particular, considering that it had become an act of justice no longer to exclude six millions of people from the enjoyment of their civil rights-the Earl of Liverpool rose to meet it with his decided opposition. His Lordship, adverting to the new and extraordinrry situation in which they had been placed at the commencement of the session, when they were called upon to pass an Act for putting down an illegal association; and when committees of both houses were appointed to take into consideration the state of Irelandcould not but express bis opinion that it would have been much more satisfactory had they been enabled to legislate upon a full view of the subject. The House of Commons had, by its proceedings, brought their Lordships into a most extraoïdinary and awkward dilemma. Not content with sending up a Bill, the ostensible object of which was the removal of the Roman Catholic disabilities, they had accompanied it by two other measures, which had no connexion with the original question; and having, by means of those two collateral measures, secured a majority in its favour in their own House, they expected, upon that account, to secure a majority with their Lordships. It was a most disgraceful proceeding, and it would fail of its effect. The question rested in reality upon one plain and simple plea of expediency.