1 run down one another, with fo much fame, with fo much cost, where and when was there any chance of a refiduum to pay the people for the projection? Party fpirit is bad in itself, and it feems, by a dire fatality, ever haftening to what is worfe; it fpeeds purfuit, for fport too laborious, and for labour too certainly in vain. It maims bufinéfs; it taints pleafure; it introduces a falfe eftimate in politics; a criterion, not from measures, but from men. Party ftruggles are notoriously a barren wafte of temper and of time. And yet what printed paper, however impotent, might not, but for the humanity of the laws as to wrecks, be branded among their criminal abettors? Such mean compliances, the extremities of hopelefs ignorance, and of venal art, are not to be apprehended in a publi ted exiftences are the means; the amelioration of all should be the end. Accordingly, fuch a paper fhould be diftinguifhed by powers commenfurate with its privileges ; by a character well fitted for its ufe. It should aspire to the profitable confequence of history; it fhould never fwerve, nor bend a jot, from the immutable dignity of truth; there fhould be a most wide-fpread intelligence of facts, with never-failing aptitude of deduction from them. By acquaintance with the paft, it fhould distribute preparation for the future; it fhould be large in its furveys, its wishes fhould be larger; the zeal in it should be much, the benevolence more; it fhould teach life, but teach fo as to amend it. Such a daily newspaper should beit remains to be feen what this paper will be." cation like this, for it is lefloned, EXPENCES OF thinks the indifcriminate claims of party worth no notice, but that of vigilance and candour; of vigilance, to guard against mischief; and of candour, not to over-state it. This publication formerly dis claims all parties; it is devoted folely to the public; like the wellknown example, otherwife, alas! not exemplary, who, tired of fuper-ferviceable dedication to fuppofitious faints, infcribed his temple to God. "A paper qualified for its office, fhould enter on its functions with the highest tone; it need not, but by defective execution, rank under any effort which is to minifter to the progreffive purposes of man; it is unconfined, except by the limits of art and nature. All crea A WIFE TO BE REGULATED BY THE IN COME OF HER HUSBAND. This fubject, fo intimately con. nected with the interefts of a thoufand families, and fo important to domestic peace, after being ably difcuffed by Hale, the falutary doctrines of that venerable judge have been confirmed, by the recent and refpectable opinion of Lord Kenyon. Indeed, fome declaratory recital of the law on this fubject, was become highly necesfary, to check the feducing and too often irrefiftible attacks of the filk mercer, on our pockets, through the medium of our affections. Tradefmen of this clafs confidering husbands only as crea tures who are to pay for every thing; as paffive animals, liable to every debt incurred by their wives, without regard either to fortune or fituation, thought it fairly confiftent with the fpirit of traffic, to tempt their fair, but thoughtless customers, to purchase every thing they liked, and at any price. But it has been clearly proved, that fuch conduct is not only morally culpable, but contrary both to the law of England and the decifions of common fenfe. It is cheering to a mind fore with repining, perhaps irrationally repining, at the imperfection of human inftitutions, that the decifions of our courts of law, in the prefent inftance, fympathize with, and are confonant to, the general feelings of mankind. The wife of a refpectable Leicestershire divine, whofe name, for the fake of her family, I fupprefs, was enticed by vanity, or the impreffion of bad example, to join the train, and beat the rounds of diffipation, in its most fashionable abode. A morning vifit was made to one of thofe fplendid exhibitions of female decoration, where trade and manufactures flourifh, by tempting the luxurious and the wealthy to robe themfelves in the trappings of fuperfluity, which are ornamental to, and proper badges of, abundant wealth, but by which moderate fortunes are exhausted, and husbands too often undone. Bewitched by the equipages, and dazzled by the coronets of fome of her fair affociates, the wife of a country clergyman, of moderate income, fo far forgot herself, as in a few months to incur a debt, amounting to more than one-third of a living, VOL. I. which was the fupport of her family in the country. 'The tradefman, to whofe conduct I have not the moft diftant with of attaching ill-defign, applied for payment, which was refused, and the matter, after the cuftomary legal proceffes, was folemnly argued in the Court of King's Bench; the lady's friends. having previoufly paid forty pounds into court, a fum which was confidered as more than a reasonable and adequate expenditure, for a perfon of her condition, during a few months. The richness of fattin, the delicacy of lace, and the dexterity of a man-milliner, had no weight with the judges, and the Chief Juftice thus delivered his opinion. "This is a caufe of great im- portance to the public, and from the general influence its decifion may produce, deferves particular confideration with the jury. If the plaintiff in the prefent action is permitted to recover the full extent of his deinand, I will venture to fay, there is no perfon in the kingdom, however low his ftation, who may not be called on to answer for contracts which would ruin him. It is the law of England, that the husband fhall fupport his wife in a decent, be-. coming, proper, and, if you please, in a liberal manner; but, from certain mistakes and abuses of this law, it is become abiolutely neces→ fary, that this question fhould be clearly underftood, as it cannot poffibly be fuppofed a licence for extravagance, and a promoter of domeftic profufion. This doctrine, I hope, will have fome influence on tradefmen in general, who in the eagerness of bufinefs, and the fpirit of traffic, invite an unlimited and indifcriminate credit, without regard to the circumftance or fituation of their customers, and too often fuffer bankruptcy and ruin, from the tardiness or non-payment of bills, which with a confiderate man would never have been incurred. I am very forry a refpectable tradefman fhould be a lofer, but when he carries his goods to market, he should carry prudence with them; if you are of the fame opinion, gentlemen, you will find a verdict for the defendant; but if I have unfortunately mistaken the morality or convenience of the cafe, you will find for the plaintiff, and give the difference between the bill and the money paid into court." The jury agreed with the judge in favour of the defendant. "I admire," faid a lively woman whose swimming eyes form a fine contrast with the beauties of her neck, whose eyes were caught by the title of this article in manufcript, "I admire the assurance of thefe ridiculous greybeards, for interfering with fubjects, on which they have neither authority or qualification to decide. If I was Lady Kenyon, the old judge, with his grave face, fhould hear of it Ridiculous! a proper time. Thirty guineas too much for a cloak; what can a man know of 'the matter, or whether a guinea a yard is too dear for lace. If the creature in the country could not afford it, he should drink less of his nafty port wine, and he might wear his gown and caffock three or four years longer.-Well, fay at what you please, Mr. CommonPlace Book, you fhall never perfuade me he loved his wife." "Indeed, Madame Beaux-yeux, you are wrong in both your furmifes; he loves his wife with fincere but rational affection, and drinks very moderately of that nafty port wine, of which, though you make fuch wry faces, you enjoy a few glaffes as well as most people. But feriously, nay, no fhrinking, for you fhall not efcape from my encircling arms, or prevent my reading in your tell-tale eyes, the language of your heart; are you feriously of opinion, that a harmless and falutary gratification must be abridged, and that a clergyman should addrefs his God in ragged canonicals, for the fake of fattin cloaks, point lace, ear-rings, fauxmontres, watch-chains, and all the fuperfluous trash fufpended to a fashionable pagoda." Defeated in argument, but not in purpose, the fair reafoner replied-" I will not hear of reason, if it is to set narrow, felfifh bounds to love and affection. I proteft I would not have lived an hour under the fame roof with a man who would have refifted fuch a claim, and have fuffered the name of his wife to be fo cruelly bandied about by barrifters, jurymen, and attornies." (A paufe.) "While I take a turn in Bond-street, there is Marmontel on the table, read his Wife of Ten Thoufand, and his Good Father, and then you will recover yourself." (Takes the book.) "I have no objection to reading Marmontel, or any body else's tale, but I would abfolutely have fled." "For once I muft" (in rather an elevated tone the word must) "I must have the he was otherwife engaged, and could not poffibly attend. His Grace, never fo happy as when he could contribute to the pleafure or gratification of his guests, was feverely mortified, and apologized to his friends for their difappointment. The Duke of Modena, to whom Farinelli was a fubject, being, at that time, on his tour to England, and one of the company, begged pardon for interrupting Lord Northumberland, and dispatched a fervant to the FARINELLI, an Italian finger, finger, with orders for his imme honoured by the pencil of Hogarth, adored by our nobility of both fexes, and rendered infolent, by the incenfe of an infatuated nation, who overflowed the theatre, and made intereft, devotion, honor, and pleasure, give way to the idol they had created. "One God, one King, and one Farinelli," was the enthufiaftic and impious exclamation of one of his female admirers, raised by her beauty to exalted rank and fortune. The cunning eunuch defpifed their praife, repaid refpect with infult, and pocketing their gold, retired to enjoy affluence and independence in his native country. After much intreaty, and an extravagant pecuniary confideration, he had been prevailed on to engage to fing at a public entertainment, given by the late Duke of Northumberland, who affembled on the occafion, a large company of the nobility, gentry and others. The amateurs were waiting on the tip-toe of expectation, to liften with ecftacy to his warblings, and prepare new-turned expreflions of furprize and adulation; when he rudely fent a verbal meffage, that diate attendance. The Modenese foon made his appearance, when a chair was placed for him in the room, and every perfon, except the prince, ftood up: "Does your Grace permit a public finger to fit in your prefence?" exclaimed his Highness, "have the goodness to excufe my officious interference? but we manage thefe gentry better in Italy: Farinelli, ftand in yonder corner of the room, and fing your beft fong, in your best manner, to this company, who honor you. with their notice." The fqueaking minion trembled and obeyed, and after his fong, retired with an humble bow from the room, receiving from the Duke, at the fame time, a nod of approbation. The beaux turned up their hands and eyes in filent admiration, the tender-hearted, doating fair ones, pitied the dear bewitching creature, and thought him fhockingly ill-ufed; but experience and good fenfe confirm the neceffity and propriety of the Duke of Modena's leffon to the English nation, who, in their obfequious attentions, and indifcriA a 2 minate minate admiffion of actors, prizefighters, fingers and dancers, are fo perpetually violating decorum, and confound more than a thoufand Thomas Paines, the neceffary subordinations of fociety and rank. I will not deny to Mr. Kemble, an extenfive range of dramatic reading, and much critical acumen, with a perfect conception of his parts, but a performance vicious and faulty, fometimes from affected fingularity, but oftner from what I am convinced, is a malformation of the organs of utterance. In his matchlefs predeceffor in Charles Surface, Mr. Smith, all who know him, muft have experienced much interefting anecdote, and the polished hilarity of a well-bred fportfman, retired from the toils of the field: it is only repeating the public opinion, to allow in Mr. Lewis, notwithftanding the broad caricature he diffufes over all his parts, fertile industry, and unaffuming decorum; to Holman, in fpite of unmanageable reelings, and boisterous expreffion, the manners and education of a gentleman: and, it would be injuftice to elegance and lively expreffion in the fhape of Mifs Farren, were I not to confefs, that in real life, as well as the fictitious perfonages of the drama, fhe will act up to, and confer dignity on, whatever character fhe affumes. While I feel myself unable to do juftice to the pre-eminence of Miss Wallis in filial duty, I would pay a tribute to her illuftrious patronefs, to whom we are indebted for an actress, who unites pathos and paffion, corrected by expreffion, enunciation, and gefture, chafte and pure as herself: the public voice has indeed long decided on this charming young woman's acting, which, from the delicacy of her frame, wants only ftrength and modulation to render it as faultlefs as it is interesting. But with these and other exceptions, are we in the walks of public pleasure, or private amusement, to be peftered or infulted by a motley dramatic crew of infolent proftitutes, and female Quixotes, of gamblers, pretenders, buffoons, halt wits and half-gentlemen, who, trained in the infamy of the gaming table, the oɔfcene jargon of the brothel, the technical cant of the green-room, the noify nonfenfe of an eighteen-penny ordinary, and the uninterefting abfurdity of fome obfcure coffee-houfe, reflect difgrace on a creditable profeffion, and on their infatuated patrons, who are not fatisfied 'till they have dragged by the head and fhoulders, thefe unworthy interlopers, into the company of gentlemen. Such puny whipsters, 'the creatures of fun-fhine, a smile, and a moment, finking rapidly to their original nothing, and carrying with them antidotes against their poifon, may perhaps be forgiven; but, if fancy or exaggeration fhould point out individuals, who, not fatisfied with deriving a fplendid fubfiftence from the stage, infatuated widows, other mens' wives, or their cwn, have found out the fecret of converting a manly exercife, into a lucrative and iniquitous 'traffic; if, affifted by chofen affociates and apt fpies, they fhould furround, watch for, and give a fignificant wink, to mark the carelefs moments, or intoxicated in tervals |