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the catastrophe though the effect of much art, seems the unavoidable result of the circumstances which preceded it. Minuteness of criticism would now be useless, for until the work is read the remarks cannot well be appreciated; we understand it is soon to be republished in Boston, when the public will have an opportunity more effectually todecide upon its merits.

sanctity of the presumed Friar, | splendour of versification; but ofwhen Florence, yet disguised, devel-ten have been displeased with the =opes the intended plot against the most unblushing plaigarism. The castle. But though Matilda dis-fifth act has not sufficient interest ; covers Fitzharding to be captain of but the complexities of the plot are the Robbers, she is restrained from in general happily incorporated, and making it known, as he threatens her son's death, if the enterprize should be exposed. Remaining as yet unknown by the Baron he persuades him to retire into the recess of the chapel to expiate in private his manifold offences; here he is on the point of murdering him, when Matilda, who had watched his movements, suddenly appears between them, in her original form. This supposed apparition frightens Fitzharding from his design and on a signal from Matilda the vassals of the Baron appear and seize on the Robber. The castle is then saved; Bertrand and Florence are united, de Tracy and Matilda made happy, Robert reformed, and the Robbers imprisoned for future pun

ishment.

In our perusal of this play we have been pleased with unexpected

|| When Matilda appears, Fitzharding exclaims (starting back)

"What art thou? speak.
The real existence of a living woman,
Or, but the mind's creation of a form,
That night and this occasion conjure up,
To fright my steady resolution ?
It has no human faculty of speech,
And cannot from that attitude relax,
To which 'tis spell-bound.

Bar. My flesh creeps still and my un-
turdling blood

Slowly and fearfully resumes its functions.
Whate'er thou art; Mortal, or blessed
spirit,
[first;
Thy voice familiar, doth proclaim the
But the strange apparition of that form,
Almost persuades the other. Who within
The sanctuary of that hallowed spot
tomb'd thee,

FOR THE EMERALD.

THE ORDEAL.....No. 25.

ON THEATRICAL TASTE.

THE difficulty of forming a true judg ment of acting, or the representations of human passions and events upon the stage, arises principally from an idleness of observation on the standard of nature.

Taste and criticism interpose their au thority; and point out for our disapprobation, the low, vulgar and preposterous, and for our applause,the elevated, beautiful and consistent. It is not probable the generality of mankind ever did, or ever will attain that point of knowledge and judgment which marks a true taste; though there can be no doubt the world has been more refined and acute at some periods than at others. The Athenians for example were so remarkable for accurate perception of true and false eloquence, that a harsh or grating period from the mouth of an orator was receiv ed with evident signs of displeasure by that people, who from long experience

and habit of attention had learned to. relish only the ore rotundo of Demostin-henes; and even in modern Rome it is

That at the very crisis of my fate,
Thou should burst forth in terrible array
To stagger resolute murder and make reel
Destruction back upon itself?"

said, the most illiterate trader is a better judge of the fine arts, than persons in this country, of the most refined education. Taste in the drama, is in a remarkable degree progressive; act,

ing, which once delighted us, as knowledge becomes enlarged, judgment matured, and performances familiar, is viewed with indifference or displeasure. In morals, virtue and vice, and every thing which is connected with them, have an indelible mark which cannot be mistaken; but in taste the distinguishing shades are so delicate, so blended, and depend so much upon long contin ued observation, to be perceived and appreciated, that it will naturally be changing, as concurring events are more or less favourable to its cultiva tion. Though the difficulties attend. ing the attainment of an accurate taste are neither few nor trifling, yet when attained, its advantages will repay the labour of acquirement. True taste teaches us to judge with clearness, to refine our minds, to humanize our natures, and to render social intercourse more elevated and delightful. But in America, whether it be, that we want experience, are unwilling to study nature, or are wholly governed by caprice and fashion, our taste is doubtless deplorably perverted from truth of judgment and accuracy of discrimination. The influence of fashion indeed seems to be uncontrollable; and our fashion is mostly derived from that of the English. But fashion in England has

tion, and true emphasis, to those who
have more leisure to be wise-As,
"Some by numbers judge a poet's song,
And smooth or rough with them is right

or wrong;

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so others in their estimate of an actor's qualifications are equally mistaken. A graceful carriage, a beautiful person and a strong and harmonious voice, with just so much understanding as to rise above the level of the capacity of the fashionable vulgar, will place an actor on our boards in a most favourable point of light. The ladies will be enchained with admiration of his appearance, his action is so elegant, his voice 50 sweet, his look so enchanting, that they are satisfied he is an admirable performer. The men too, though they will not be wholly swayed by such considerations, allow them to have weight, they consider his emphasis to be accurate, for his sweet voice confounds their judgment. The meaning of the author to be enforced in the best manner, because they do not endeavour to understand how it should be given; the character to be properly preserved, because they will not reason on its incon. sistency, and, on the whole, they consider him a man of wonderful powers. But it is time we should know that a strut across the Stage, with a sudden swell of utterance, does not always constitute and imperfections. In the reign of good acting; there is judgment requir Charles II. it approved of the licentious-ed to mature a character, and taste to ness of Mrs. Behn, D'Urfey, and Far. quar. Fashion is the thermometer of taste, the index of public opinion; but the exercise of a little judgment may sometimes lead that taste and opinion into a new path. It is much to be regretted, that our taste is so imperfect, has so little foundation in truth and nature, as its present fashion seems to indicate.

often authorised countless absurdities

perform it with eff ect. Mind, however, is the primary qualification for a perfor mer, without which, person, voice, beauty are of no avail; the acting through it may please cannot be great, though it may gratify the eye and ear, can never satisfy the understanding. The great actor, must read his charac ter with such attention, that every pause, emphasis, start, tone, must pervade his very soul; he must write them down, practice them again and again, and never vary from acknowledged excellence, for unattempted and uncertain flights of imagination.

In Tragedy we seem only to approbate a clear, strong, melodious voice, a beautiful person and face, and when these essentials are in full exertion; the voice strained to the top of its compass, or in abrupt transitions, ranging from The judgment of this country results the lowest extreme to the highest; and from the present bad taste of the Eng. the figure moving in all the exuberance lish; now, comedy degenerates into of grace, and majesty of bombast, we farce, and tragedy into swelling decla are ready to applaud to the very e-mation. Cooke and Kemble, to be sure cho, that shall applaud again." Give us are saidto retain much native excellence, enough of beauty, and noise, grace and but the acting of the Garrick school has rant and we are willing to leave char- no longer a being. The Fawcetts and acteristic propriety, passionate delinea the Mundens, turn from the chaste

acting of King and Woodward, to the low tricks of Shuter and Edwin; and Master Betty leads the public from a judicious attention and appreciation of the vigorous conception, embodied passion, and all pervading mind of Cooke and Kemble to extol his unfledged attempts at declamatory vehemence, and his youthful confidence of self-superiority.

The present fashion is therefore ab. surd and preposterous; and requires a reform. The interposition of a genius like Garrick's might now effect as complete a revolution as he did. When the management of Drury-lane Theatre was first undertaken by him, the taste of the town, aimed at nothing higher than to judge between the splendour of a shew and the agility of Harlequin; it devoted no part of its attention to the observation of the various modes of life, propriety of passion, or accuracy of utterance. The managers instead of endeavouring to correct, had satiated with indulgence the vitiated appetites of their audience; they had fed them with whatever they longed for, and

monstrous indeed were the dramatical

as their senses; the managers would then be peculiarly careful in the se. lection of their plays, the actors more attentive to nature in their performances, and the stage become more wor thy of patronage, because more conducive to virtue and morality.

For the Emerald.

DESULTORY SELECTIONS,

AND ORIGINAL REMARKS.

=

The arrival of the regular European packets produces a variety of articles for this department of our paper. The confusion and distress of war appear to have very little ef fect upon the literature or the pleasures of Englishmen. We find the same variety in the one and as much zeal for the other; literary publications are multiplied with success, and articles of taste are in equal de

productions of that debased age. Garrick however resolved on a total refor-mand as in the calmest era of peace. mation he thought it an indelible disgrace to leave

"Shakespeare, Fonson, and laborious Ben, For show, and Scaramouch Harlequin." He opened his theatre, and induced the public

"To bid the reign commence Of rescued nature and reviving sense.'

and

From that period the Stage was in truth the school of taste. Tragedy represented human passions, in human Janguage and in a natural manner; Comedy, ridiculed the follies and vices of the day with much pungency of satire and playfulness of wit; low farces was not then admitted into true Comedy; buffoonery was denounced, and the Garrick school of acting surmounted every prejudice and overthrew every obstruction.

There are as many sacrifices to fashion, and as much devotion to science; whatever is new will be certain to command attention, and whatever is worthy will receive sup

port.

Among the new periodical publications which deserve our notice THE ATHENEUM conducted by J. Aikin deserves first attention. It is designed, says the Prospectus to be one of these popular miscellanies long known and approved in this country under the name of a Magazine, but it is meant to assume a higher literary character than they commonly support.

The ground which this publication would take, is already occupied by the Monthly Magazine, a work deservedly of the highest reputation, and it will require much ex

Though such important effects are hardly to be expected, at this time in America, yet if the public would determine on beauties of dramatic personation according to the standardof nature, if they would require that their un-ertion and industry as well as sciderstanding should be satisfied as well! ence, and a large circle of literary

correspondents to be known in any months; and probably finding the meway as its rival.

MISERIES OF HUMAN LIFE. This humorous work from which before its republication here, we were liberal in our extracts, was received by the English reviewers with much praise, and as usual, with successful performances, drew after it several Imitations. The subjoined remarks on them are from the Monthly Review for January.

ridian of London not suited to his free way of living, had adopted this simple method of renewing them at the expense (and for the good) of his country.

A QUICK RETORT OF A SOPHIST,

Pyrrhon, the head of the sect called after his name, asserted, that there was no difference between life and death. Some person, in ridicule of this absurd position, asked him why he did not die, as life and death were the same. "For "Among the curious inventions of that very reason," replied Pyrrhon, the present æra, we are now to reckon" because there is no difference bethe manufacture of amusement out of tween the two states." our miseries; and this fashion seems to take, since there is a competition in the market. Collections of miseries to be

laughed at are here arranged in a great mass-large enough, indeed, to create real distress; and, truly, in looking over these precious articles, we have had the misfortune to find but few that were exactly adapted to their purpose. In consequence, the general effect was rather sombrous than enlivening; and to vent our disappointment, we added this to the magazine of miseries:

"Reading a book with the expectation of being convulsed with laughter, and having the risible muscles preserved perfect sinecures."

MASQUERADES.

An account of this species of amusement is thus given in the Monthly Mirror for February.

A late writer on Spanish Grammar has contrived to enliven the tediousness of the duty with the following sprightly little air, which we would hardly expect to find in a work of that cast.

LOVE AND FOLLY.

Love disagreeing once with Folly,
Folly treated him unkind;
For 'tis a fact, most melancholy,

That she beat the urchin blind.
For vengeance, Venus sighed to heav'n
As she sought the courts above;
Into the chancery she was driv'n,

On her breast lay little Love.
'Behold,' she cried,'great justice-giver!
'Cupid now how blind and dark! [er,
What use henceforth shall be his quiv.
'What his hope to hit the mark?

'He no more can take a fight, 'His torch however brightly blazing, Gives to him no ray of light!'

"The first masquerade this season was at the opera house, on Thursday, Feb. 5th. We hope that this entertain-His wings in vain his body raising, ment will, if it proceeds, improve. The company, on the present occasion, was very indifferent, and the most interesting amusement of the night was pock-Silent at length, for Justice waiting, etpicking. This character, dexterously performed, abounded in an unprecedented degree, and but for, to them, the disagreeable intrusion of certain gentlemen, called Bow-street officers, they had carried off the palm, and every thing else, with a masterly hand. One very active citizen, James Mackay, was secured at the moment he was playing his part to life, on a fourth watch. It appeared, on examination, that he had returned from his travels but nine

The court concluded soon debating,
Venus hung o'er hapless Love;
And the sentence came from Jove.
It is decreed that FOLLY never

Shall in future quit his side,
But from this instant, and for ever,
Be to LOVE a constant guide !*

*This song was sung by Mr. Braha on the stage whom the writer has chosen for sake of the metre, to call Abraham

THE LIFE OF DERMODY.

That singular compound of genius and profligacy has formed the subject of much conversation. The concluding remarks of Mr. Raymond, his biographer, are certainly correct, and are themselves an illustration of the manner of his own i work.

the organs of the body, say the naturalists. It is the peculiar gift of heaven, say the divines. How to improve it, many books can teach us; how to obtain it, none. That nothing can be done without it, all agree. To study and to know our own genius well; to seek to improve, but not force it, are directions, which cannot be too much

SYMMONS' LIFE OF MILTON. Another attempt has been made to give the outline of this venerable poet, and the work is thus spoken of by a competent reviewer.

"Had his ambition kept pace with the encouragement which he re-impressed upon those who would ceived; had he studied and pursued attain to the best acting they may moral with the same ardour as po- be capable of." etical propriety; had his regard for character and decorum equalled his poverty and his love of dissipation; he might have lived to be the admiration of the great, the wonder of the learned, and the ornament of society; science might have smiled upon his labours, fame might have proclaimed his excellence, and posterity with delight would record his name."

THE FAIR EQUIVOQUE.

From a pleasant little work called the Journey of Life, is taken the following neat epigram.

As blooming Harriet moved along,
The fairest of the beauteous throng,
The beaux gazed on with admiration,
Avow'd by many an exclamation-
What form! what naiveté! what grace!

What roses deck that Grecian face!
"Nay," Dashwood cries, "that bloom's
not Harriet's,

'Twas bought at Reynold's, Moore's,
or Marriott's;

And though you vow her face untainted,
I swear, by God, your beauty's painted,"
A wager instantly was laid,

And Ranger sought the lovely maid;
The pending bet he soon reveal'd,
Nor e'en the impious oath conceal'd.
Confused-her cheek bore witness true,
By turns the roses came and flew.
"Your bet," she said, "is rudely odd
But I am painted Sir---by God.""

GENIUS.

"A happy genius is the gift of nature. It depends on the influence of the stars say the astrologers; on

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In

"OFTEN as the biographical canvas has been covered with portraits of the author of " Paradise Lost," we cannot regard this additional delineation of him as superfluous. deed, could the departed spirit of Milton himself be conscious of sublunary transactions, it would derive no inconsiderable gratification from this generous and masterly exertion in behalf of his injured fame: it would contemplate with high satisfaction a clergyman of the established Church boldly standing forward to repel the shafts of party-malice and detraction, and assiduously occupied in bestowing ample justice on his distinguished talents and vir tues: it would perceive that the cordatior atas which his prophetic soul anticipated, and prospect of which solaced him in "the evil days" of which he complained, was no visionary anticipation, but that the bright beams of his reputation were clouds which his enemies had raisdestined to dissipate those mists and ed, to sully or obscure their effulgence. Every measure, which the ingenuity of narrow-minded hostility could invent, has been employed to undermine his character; and

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