SIR, To the NEW SPECTATOR. THE attention of the audience at Drury-Lane Theatre, a few nights ago, being attracted by the appearance of two ladies in a side box, fans hat, cap, or any covering, save that which nature and Monf. le Frizeur had bestowed; and feveral reflections having been caft on the faid ladies in confequence thereof; I beg yourSPECTATORSHIP to acquaint the public, that the faid ladies having Balloon-hats and lappets, were obliged to renounce them in compliance with a standing order of the House, and were not infane as many people wontonly reported. Yours, &c. A DERBY GENTLEWOMAN. To the NEW SPECTATOR. Moft worthy SPEC, It must afford you no fmall pleasure to be told that your firft effort has already accomplished more than you could reasonably expect. It has not only informed the public of the nature and defign of your plan, but it has actually operated in the fervice of virtue, and to the encouragement of vice, as will appear by the Mifcellanea of your faithful deputy. SQUIRE MORGAN'S NEPHEW. I HAVE been told that this gentleman keeps a diary of his time, which is usually spent in such a manner that, I think, the faid diary may, not improperly, be called the Black-book; and as one of his intimate friends has promifed me a fight of it, I fhall take care to extract a page, or two, for your amusement, from whence, probably, you may form a better judgment of his real character, than from the caricature prints and newspapers of the day. In my last, I acquainted you with the state of this young gentleman's amour with Mrs. H—. At the fame time, I intimated to you, that nothing had tranfpired which could affect the reputation of the lady; and I am extremely happy to have it in my power now to add, that nothing is likely to occur which can diminish the luftre of her fame; for, in confequence of the reprefentations į before made, and in confequence of them only, the husband of the lady, with a sense of honour becoming a gentleman, and with the refolution becoming a virtuous man, abandoned the company of Squire Morgan's Nephew, and immediately departed, with his lady, into Yorkshire, from whence, I understand, they mean to travel to the continent; chooling rather to leave the kingdom than refide in it with external splendour, accom panied by difgrace.-But the most agreeable circumstance attending this business, is the willing obedience the lady paid to her husband's wishes. Though allured, for a moment, from domestic felicity, by the fascinating glare of tinsel frippery; though she was become the admiration of men, and the envy of women; yet no fooner was danger intimated, than the flame of nuptial love glowed with fresh ardour in her untainted bofom, and, quitting that road to perdition which thousands of her sex are eager to travel, fhe flew with her husband into that retirement, which is the feat of innocence, where fhe may ruminate, with thankfulness, on the dangers fhe has escaped; and improve, with delight, the felicity which her conduct entitles her to expect. SQUIRE Morgan's Nephew, thus unexpectedly deprived of the company he was very folicitous to keep, was at first a little difconcerted, and determined not to grace the laft masquerade with his prefence. Two jolly topers however, perfuaded him to go, and, such is the natural inconftancy of his difpofition, that he is faid to have already half-forgotten the charms of the lovely Mrs. H-in the bewitching fmiles of a Hedge-lane beauty! POETRY. THOUGH I am ignorant as to the author of the following ftanzas, I am not fo as to their merit. They contain a beautifully picturesque description, fuitable to the prefent feason, and which many a fon of Phoebus would have worked into a fashionable quarto, of no inconfiderable magnitude. The CAV E. The wind up, the field is bare ;-- Some hermit led mè to his cell, Where Contemplation, lonely fair--With bleft Content, has chose to dwell, Behold, it opens to my fight, Dark in the rock, beside the flood; Dry fern around obftructs the fight; The winds above it move the wood. Reflected in the lake, I fee The downward mountains and the skies; The flying bird, the waving tree, The goats that on the hills arife, The grey-cloak'd herd drives on the cow; The woodman lifts his ax on high; Some Some rural maid, with apron full, I fee the fmoaky columns roll, And through the chinkey hut the beam. Befide a flone, o'er-grown with mófs, Two well-met hunters talk at cafe; Three panting dogs befide repofe ; One bleeding deer is firetched on grass. A lake at diftance fpreads to fight, Skirted with fhady forefts round; Suftains a ruin once renown'd. As blows the blaft along the sky. Hangs from the boat th' infidious wood. Befide the flood, beneath the rocks, On graffy bank two lovers lean, Bend on each other amours looks, And feem to laugh and kiss between. The wind is rustling in the oak, They feem to hear the tread of feet; They ftart--they rise---look round the rock-~ Again they fimile, again they meet! But fee, the grey mift from the lake Afcends upon the fhady hills; Dark ftorms the murmuring forefts shake, To Damon's homely but I fly, I fee it fmoaking o'er the plain; When ftorms are paft, and fair the sky, I'll often feek my CAVE again! BULIA. IN recalling your attention to the affairs of Bulia, it is neceffary for me to remark that, exclufive of the king, the Etanes, the deputies of the people, and the people themfelves, there was a third power forming a kind of Senate, or af fembly of great men, fuperior to the Etanes, diftinguished by the appellation of the Reppu, and confifting of men born to honours and extensive property, and effeemed as the chief men of the realm. Their number amounted to about half that of the Efanes, whofe laws and regulations were of no force until ratified by the Reppu. The Reppu had therefore a building distinct from that of the Etanes, appropriated for their deliberations. Such, however, was the legislative wif dom of the Etanes, that the Reppu feldom found it neceffary to controvert, or to invalidate their ftatutes, and, therefore, ufually joined in recom mending them to the concurrence of the king; and had they not, juft at the time we arrived. in Bulia, rendered themfelves particularly popu lar amongst the people, I fhould fcarcely have noticed them, of fo little importance were they except on fuch peculiar emergencies as feldom. occur in the government of Niatirb. HAVING mentioned the popularity of the Reppu, I cannot refrain giving you a Hafty Sketch of the day's bufinefs, by which it was acquired, though I must previously confult the hafty fketches which have already been given, left my memory fail me in fo arduous an undertaking, and left I omit circumftances effentially neceffary to be adverted to in all hafty fketches of fuch important affairs: Take notice, however, that this is my own hafty fketch, and not that of my Balloon friend, who, notwithstanding his acquaintance with the Bulian language, has not the facility for which I am remarkable in reporting legiflative proceedings. I HAVE already informed you, that it was Reynardam's delight to obftruct the will of the King. This man was not only extremely ambitious, but his ambition was of a very dangerous complexion, and, had his power been fubfervient to his wishes, was fuch as all good men had reafon to fear. By the operation of causes, to the influence of which limited monarchies are always fubject, Reynardam became the Retfinim, or chief fervant of Rexman the king, and confequently had the management of the most important affairs. This gave him wonderful influence amongst the Etanes, who, though not one of them, the day before, would have lent him the loan of an airballoon, but on condition of his never returning into the kingdom, now courted and paid more attention to him than to the king himself. In order to augment his influence, and to feed his ambition, Reynardam knew it was neceffary to poffefs wealth; and he knew it was no uncommon thing to appropriate the riches of the public to private ufes; a maxim religiously observed by all who had the honour to act as Retfinim, or chief fervant of the king. Unluckily for Reynardam, he became Retfinim at a time when there were nó public riches to appropriate. Something, however, was to be done; the interested wretches who, against the voice of the people, and in pure hatred to the king, had raised Reynardam to power, were anxiously waiting for the reward of their fervices, and Reynardam at length dif covered means to put them out of suspense. CERTAIN of the inhabitants of Bulia had the exclufive privilege of making and exporting airballoons balloons,and other Bulian merchandise to foreign planets. They were an associated body, and had acquired great riches in the Bulian coin, befides an immenfe quantity of air-balloons, which were continually paffing and repaffing to and from other planets, particularly Eastward of Niatirb, to a world called Aidni, abounding in jewels and precious ftones. HAVING power in his hands adequate to his defigns, Reynardam immediately determined, by a fudden stretch of that power, to establish it, and to enrich himself. He, therefore, prepares a statute enabling a certain number of his friends, under various pretences, to seise the property of the Balloon-mongers, and to apply it for the mutual benefit of the right owners, and of the public, that is of himself, for I have already ob ferved that the Retfinin always uses the public money as if it were his own private property; a custom which Reynardam, in this inftance. would not have renounced for the whole folar, fyftem; fuch was his delight in following those ftate maxims which had received the fanction of innumerable precedents! REYNARDAM having declared his intention, and produced his ftatute, all Bulia was in confusion; every man expected to be deprived of his property by a ftatute, which exprefsly ordained the Balloon-mongers to refign their riches into the hands of thofe Reynardam had appointed to receive them. This ftatute gave infinite pleafure to the most mercenary, that is, to the greatest part of the Etanes, who began to entertain fome hopes of reaping advantages for affifting Reynardam in his infamous defigns; and, to obtain them, gave their voices for confirming the ftatute. IN this, however, they were providentially mistaken. The king, who as fincerely loved his people, as he hated the infidious Reynardam, and whofe humanity and regard to justice were as confpicuous as the public and private baseness of his chief fervant, privately fent for Elpmet, one of the Reppu, a man respected for his public abilities and amiable for his private character. To him Rexman communicated his ideas of Reynardam's ftatute, and requested to know the fentiments of Elpmet, on the fame fubject. Finding them fimilar to his own, he conjured him, by the love he bore his country, to oppofe Reynardam's ftatute in the Reppu, as the only means of preferving even the appearance of justice, and the fafety of the ftate. Elpmet accordingly oppofed it, and intimating to others of the Reppu, that it was the will of the king, as well as of the cople, that it fhould be opposed, the chief of the Reppu rejected the ftatute; Reynardam was deprived of the office of Retfinim, and retired to his original obscurity, with the augmented deteftation of Rexman, and the execration of the people at large! Of the hatred, which he bore to Elpmet, and to the king himself; of the empty menaces with which he threatened both of them, for the mutual confidence they repofed in each other; and of the arts he used for corrupting the morals and political principles of Selaw, the king's eldest son, I may have occafion to speak hereafter. SUCH was the tranfaction, which, meeting with the hearty concurrence of the people, acquired the Reppu more popularity than they had poffeffed for many years: a transaction of which they are perpetually speaking with rapture, and on which feveral Bulian volumes have been written, but of which I have been obliged to give only a Hafty Sketch, by way of Chronicle, and that, I fear, with many imperfections. ST. CECILIA. THE departure of this divine warbler from. this kingdom, is to be lamented as an event which muft ftamp with difgrace the character of one who has been hitherto esteemed a woman of difcretion and virtue. The D of D***** feems to have a peculiar penchant for the fingers and dancers of the other sex. Baccelli long reigned, if not unrivalled, at least triumphant; but the charms of St. Cecilia have overpowered thofe of Baccelli, and the former is now in Paris, what the latter was in London-the bofom friend of D*****! From this circumstance it is but too evident, that a man poffeffed of abilities to charm fenates, and to delight theatres, may yet want power to check the progress of female vanity and female inconftancy, charm he ever fo wifely! MASQUERADE. King's-Theatre. THE Mafquerade Ball of Thursday was by no means well entitled to the appellation; the characters were very few, and many of the domino gentry walked the rooms without masks. The French ambaffador, it feems, had a rout at his houfe, at which most of the great world were prefent, for not above three or four of the nobility appeared, and not one titled dame was to be found under the roof of the King's-Theatre, though mask was the word, and gallantry the object. The company-a pretty, witlefs, inoffenfive company as ever affembled together-amounted to about four hundred. THE THE moft ftriking character which appeared in the rooms was Vice, who, in the persons of feveral impures, was to be difcovered at every turn, well arrayed, and as flippant as ufual. The Perdita, the Bird of Paradice, White Crow, and indeed none of the higher order of the infernal fifterhood, cxcept Mrs. M-and the C-n, were to be found, though I am pretty confident they were not at the French ambaffador's rout. Times we know, are hard with the Perdita; and two guineas, fometimes, an object with most of them. -Mothers Windfor, Johnfon, &c. fupplied the market with the choiceft fruits, their hothoufes could afford; whilft Mrs. Maffumed the airs and the appearance of the Queen of Impurity, and was complimented as fupporting the character, whether mafked or not, with fingular fuccefs! THE marks that claimed the most favourable notice, were a razor-grinder, a Dutch jew, a High land lad and tafs, a country clown. There was alfo a Mad Tom, who, to be sure, must have been crazy, to have attempted a character which, notwithstanding his crazinefs, he was by no means able to fuftain; his appearance was rather dif gufting than otherwife.-A tall' man, dressed in pink, with a sash, represented a child, and it was univerfally allowed that he was perfectly in character, till he got drunk, and became a fool. A figure reprefenting Secret Influence, attracted general notice, bearing the ribbon of the order of the Templers, with an infcription, Knights of Temple; he had on a black cloak, tied round with a girdle, labelled Secret Influence; a double face; a wooden Temple on his head, on his back a ladder, with the words, Back Stairs; a dark lantern in his hand, and a much darker in his head, for of all the masked figures, he was the dulleft. After receiving fome ftale news-paper repertees, probably from the original fabricators, he was courteously addreffed by a domino, who congratulated him on his public appearance, and complimented him as the faviour of his county, by exerting his power in support of his fovereign, and the rights of his fellow citizens, and abolishing the growing influence of a defperate minister. "You came, faid the domino, like the angel to Peter in prifon --and I truft fuch angels will never be wanting to fupport the dignity of the king, and the majefty of the people, against the fecret influence, and public impudence of hackneyed statesmen and profeffed fharpers!" This domino was faid to be an independent elector for Westminster. POLITICAL wit, indeed, was the only wit that could be heard at this masquerade; and it puns which confifted chiefly of thofe miferable fill the daily prints, amufing one part of mankind, and difgufting the other. ABOUT two o'clock the company fat down to an elegant cold fupper: moft of the articles, confifting of chickens, hamns, partridges, and other game, fweetmeats, &c. were excellent; but the wines, confidered as foreign, were bad; con. fidered as home-made, they were not good; and confidered as mixed, they were villainous. Scelus eft jugular Falernum, Et dare Compano toxica fæva mero! Such of the company as amused themselves with dancing, were perpetually interrupted by the furrounding spectators, and confequently could not difplay themselves to much advantage; every thing, however, was taken in good part, and it was determined to keep up the spirit of good humour, which was the only fpirit that appeared during the time I staid in the rooms. MASQUERADES have been for fome time on the decline, and the managers of this, discovered little judgment in rating their tickets fo high as two guineas. It is not poffible to give an entertainment in this houfe worth more than half the money; even if they were to appoint the opera dances to perform a ballet, by way of addition to the pleafures of a masquerade; and fomething. extraordinary should be given for an extraor dinary price. 1 perfeded Italian frippery; and the public have repeatedly given an earnest of their taste, by leaving Pacchierotti to fing to empty benches, Like Philomela warbling all alone! "whilft clapping theatres and fhouting crowds," have hailed the Siddons and the Crawford as the rival queens of dramatic glory! I AM well pleased with an opera well fet, for as to the language of the Italian opera it is, usually, execrable indeed! Respecting Saturday nights's I Rivali Deluft, it may be faid to poffefs fome degree of mufical merit. Franchi and Tasca met with applaufe; and Signora D'Orta certainly improves in her first song. Cramer's accompaniments are, in general, well executed; but Cramer muft play many a folo before he rivals Giardini. The house was by no means warmed with company; and I am convinced that nothing but the revival of fome favourite piece will regain that eftimation to the Italian opera which it experienced three years ago.The Dances, indeed, merit that applause which they received, and instead of a secondary, are now become the primary object of attention. Slingsby and Theodore always give more than fatisfaction. Veftris, Roffi, and Simonet are justly admired by those who have any proper conception of the Serious in dancing.-Barthelemon's mufic is, in general, pleasing, and in some paffages does him credit. Drury-Lane. THE Provoked Hufband, performed on Tuesday, gave me an opportunity of feeing Smith and Mifs Farren as Lord and Lady Townley, and I think them equally excellent in their respective characters; and fo long as Mifs Farren continues. to play with the sprightliness and cafe which diftinguished her performance of Lady Townley, I fee no manner of reason for all the weeping and wailing, the howling and crying which the daily prints pour forth when the town is deprived of the infinite delight of seeing the peacock Abington in all the gaudy plumage of a theatric wardrobe! Mils Farren always pleases the audience; and if fhe is not fo much puffed in the papers as the charming Abington, "her ftate is the more gracious."-Charming Abington!-and why not charming Katterfelto? MRS. SIDDONS, in Meafure for Measure, on Wednesday, played Ifabella with her accustomed excellence. It is remarkable of this actress, that fhe never" o'erfteps the modefty of nature." Isabella is a character by no means calculated to fhew her powers, though fhe was, when neceffary, impaffioned, and through the whole play discovered that grace and delicacy which gave her the pre-eminence over all her prefent contemporaries, except in the judgment of those who prefer rant to nature. I CANNOT omit mentioning a circumstance which reflects credit on feveral of the Kembles, who acted as spectators of this play which was very thinly attended. The circumstance I allude to is, that fuch of the family as were present, decently feated themselves in the pit, and behaved in such a manner as ought to make their profeffional friends blufh for thofe impudent and fantaftic airs by which they are ufually dif tinguished in the green boxes. ON Friday Mrs. Siddons played Jane Shore, and gave the character every advantage of excellence, in dress and performance. Smith's Haftings is a very indifferent piece of work, and his dref's one of the vileft the wardrobe can furnifh. Mifs Kemble, in Alicia, was all that is despicable, and the managers deferve the utmost reprobation for infulting the town with perry, when they are paid for champagne. Covent-Garden. MRS. COWLEY's comedy of More Ways than One, was performed on Tuesday. The public prints have already faid enough, and fomething too much, in its favour.-I fhall, therefore, only obferve, that the farcasm on paragraph-writers, of which honourable profeffion I cannot but deem myself, whilft I act as your SPECTATORSHIP'S Deputy, is a smart rap on her own knuckles. This play is well dreffed, well performed, and deferves to be, as it always is, well received. On Wednesday, the Duenna. Davies, in the absence of Reynolds, performed Antonio, and acquitted himself with credit. It is unnecessary to criticife on a mufical piece when performed at Covent-Garden Theatre. Nothing but excellence can be expected from fuch an affemblage of male and female nightingales, larks, and black-birds! THE Mourning Bride, on Thursday, was decently performed; but the part of Almeria is not calculated to exhibit the powers of Mrs. Crawford. Miss Younge in Zara, displayed those abilities which entitle her to admiration. The rest of the play was delivered" as well as could be expected." THE Pantomime of Harlequin Rambler continues to be run every night against the Harlequin Junior of the other Houfe. This is something like running a jack-ass against the best horse in the Duke of Queensberry's ftable! It is to be lamented that a manager of so much fpirit as that of Covent-Garden fhould fo frequently |