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PRINCESS SOPHIA of GLOUCESTER.-An ele- || chenille, and beads. The head-dress, plume of

gant dress of white satin embroidered with silver, and ornamented with wreaths of lilac and tassels; white satin train embroidered with silver.

lilac feathers, with profusion of diamonds.

RIGHT HON. LADY CAROLINE DOUGLAS.A lilac särsnet train and petticoat, with an ele

The DUCHESS of YORK-Was most magnifi-gant black lace drapery, fancifully ornamented

cently dressed; point lace petticoat lined with green silver tissue, and point lace looped up with diamonds; the train point lace, lined with green silver tissue, and trimmed with diamonds.

PRINCESS CASTELCICALA.-A dress of pale blue sarsnet, ornamented with white lace draperics, and bow of ribbon. Robe pale blue sarsnet trimmed like the dress.

The other dresses most admired or distinguished at Court were:

DUCHESS of RUTLAND.-This Lady was particularly noticed for her great beanty and elegance; her dress well alapted and becoming, entirely of lace, the petticoat of Honiton lace over pink sarsnet, the two draperies of point lace, intermixed with wreaths of rose and jessamine, the drapery looped up with two long chains of diamonds; pink silk train trimmed with lace; girdle and stomacher of diamonds. Head-dress, ostrich feathers, and profusion of diamonds.

DUCHESS of ATHOL.-A buff coloured crape dress, ornamented with a Venetian border and musk flowers; a buff coloured satin train trimmed with beautiful point lace. This dress was remarkable for its elegance and simplicity.

MARCHIONESS of ELY-Wore one of most suberb dresses at Court: white satin covered over with large draperies of point lace, ornamented with pearls; body and train of point lace. Headdress feathers and diamonds.

COUNTESS of LOUDON and MOIRA-Her Ladyship wore a handsome dress of primrose Batin; draperies of net, beautifully embroidered in silver stars, bordered with a wreath of matted silver lilies, festooned with rich cords and tassels. Head-dress feathers and diamonds. This dress was particularly admired, and becoming to its charming wearer.

COUNTESS of MANSFIELD.-Body of purple erape appliqued in silver, and richly trimmed with silver and point lace; petticoat of the same; draperies trimmed with silver, and fastened up

with bows of silver cord.

COUNTESS of CARDIGANA petticoat of white crape, richly embroidered in silver, drooping over a buff sarsuet; draperies edged with handsome borders, tastefully fastened up with silver cords and tassels; at the bottom a Turkish roll intermixed with silver cord, and pocketholes to correspond. Body and train of bef sarsnet trimmed with point lace and silver. Headdress, plume of white and buff' feathers with dia

monds.

COUNTESS of MACCLESFIELD. - A robe and petticoat of rich silver silk, most elegantly trimined with lilac beads, chenille and drapery of light lilac crape, most magnificently embroisered with wreaths of different shades of lilac,

with bunches of lilae and other natural flowers; the bottom of the petticoat and the train finished with embossed shaded ribbon. Head-dress, a rich plume of white feathers, bandeau of diamonds, with diamond aigrette; pearl and gold necklace, diamond ear-rings, &c.

ODE FOR HIS MAJESTY'S BIRTH-DAY,

1810.

BY H. J. PYE, ESQ. P. L.
WHEN loud the wintry tempest roars,
When dark the exhalations rise,
When dash the billows 'gainst the shores,
And sable clouds obscure the skies;
Chearful amid the dreary scène
Hope looks abroad with eye serene,
To happier hours when Spring again
Shall shew her renovated reign,
And leading on the rosy hours,

Shall strew the teeming earth with flowers;
With young delight each bosom cheer,
And wake to joy again the renovated year.
Or if it chance the influence bland

Be check'd by adverse skies a while,
By Eurus' ruder gales if fann'd,

Uncertain April cease to smile:
When Maia's genial breezes blow;
With richer dyes and warmer glow
When June appears; fleets every cloud away,
And all creation hails the animated ray.

Then from ambition's iron reign,
The embattled wall, the ensanguin'd plain,
The inmates of this favour'd isle
Look fondly with expectant smile,
To that blest hour when Britons sing
The birth auspicious of a parent King;
And as the clouds of winter fly
When June illumes the genial sky,
So may the threat'ning storm that lowers
O'er wide Europa's trembling powers,
Like wint'ry clouds dispersing fade away
Before the radiant beams that gild this happy day.

When the proud Persian vainly tried
In impotence of rage to chain the tide,
Old Ocean mock'd the impious boast,
And Grecia triumph'd o'er his naval host.
Such Gallia's vaunt, and such the fate
That on such empty vaunt shall wait.
For while she threats in angry mood
From every shore our commerce to exclude,
Britannia's arms beyond the Atlantic main
Explore new regions of her golden reign.
And while cach Isle that studs the wester

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MONTHLY MISCELLANY.

INCLUDING

VARIETIES, CRITICAL, LITERARY, AND HISTORICAL.

-

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS.
A new
COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.
Comedy was performed on Friday night, June
Sth, at this Theatre, called The Widow's only
Son, by Mr. Cumberland.

The widow Montalbert, who had recently
lost her husband, is left in a state of pecuni-
ary distress; her son, Frederick arrives from
the University of Cambridge, and is induced,
from prudential considerations, and in the
pro-
hope to relieve his mother, to listen to
posal from Lord Fungus, which is communi-
cated by Heartly, to become his literary com-
panion and white-wash his intellects.

in some remarks which we shall make on the peculiar talents of Mr. Cumberland.

The present Piece has the name of Comedy, without any of its constituent qualities; it has a fable too flimsy for a modern novel, and incidents too trite for the narrative of a tea table. It has characters so ungracefully out of nature,so ingeniously dull, and so laboriously mawkisk, that it is no ordinary praise of invention in Mr. Cumberland, that he has given to the artificial beings of the drama so perfect a non-entity, so absolute an uncreated nothingness.

Caroline, the heroine of this Comedy, exhausted her own lungs, and the patience of the audience, by a sentimental loquacity, in which much meandering language was employed without the burthen of one idea of novelty. She is meant, we suppose, as a pattern of female elegance according to the standard in the mind of the author; but certainly we never encountered on the modern stage, with a more forward and disagreeable young chit. She seemed to carry her virtue as loose

Sir Marmaduke, his uncle, who is upon ill terms with his nephew, although the cause of his antipathy is not duly made out, hath a personal interview with Lord Fungus, and pro- || poses a union between Frederick and Caroline,|| which is rejected by her father, upon the score of inferiority; which is an event that rouses the family pride of Sir Marmaduke, and they part with sentiments of mutual disrespect. An equivoque is engendered by this circumstance, from the fear that Lord Fungusly as her tongue, and her affected candour was entertains that the Knight will challenge him.

In this state of events, Frederick is aunounced to Lady Fungus and Caroline, and has the good fortune to render himself agreeable to both. Lord Spangle, who is the destined husband of Caroline, arrives during this interby his conview, and affronts Caroline temptuous demeanor, and Frederick by his

direct insolence.

||

a kind of meritricious gilding which destroyed all the effect of a chaste delineation.

Frederick, the hero, was a pedantic insipid prig, full of formal compliment and pedantic manners. The other beings of the piece were only distinguished as they rose ar fell, more or less, in this frigorific barometer. They were all infinitely below the freezing point, and touched the very Nadir of dullness.

This Comedy, however, by means of a certain portion of inoffensiveness, by a kind of bleating innocence, and an exemption from some of the grosser artifices of disgust, got safely into port, and was securely anchored under a plentiful discharge of common-place clap traps from a fortress of loyalty.

Mr. Cumberland has been so long distin

A scene occurs between Sir Marmaduke and Isaac, his steward, in which the latter pleads with great zeal in behalf of Frederick, and at length succeeds in restoring him to the protection of Sir Marmaduke. After a succession of incidents, which are not fraught with too much novelty or force, a matrimonial alliance is effected between Caroline and Frederick, on the declaration by his uncle, that he will im-guished as a stage-writer, that we shall venmediately put him in possession of his castle and domain. Lord Spangle is cashiered by the young Lady, as a contemptible suitor, and what is somewhat extraordinary, gives the only proof that he is susceptible of either good sense or good manners, when he is retiring under the heavy affliction of being despised by his mistress for his utter want of both.

We have given the plot of this Piece, in order that we may be justified to our readers No. VI. Vol. I.-N. S,

ture, though perhaps somewhat out of place, to make a few remarks on his peculiar talents, and, in so doing, on that species of comedy of which he is the dramatic parent.

The modern drama seems to have laid aside a rule which our ancient writers justly considered as the basis of Comedy, that it should not only be considered an imitation of familiar life, but that such situations and such characters should be selected, that though still

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within the sphere of common life, the repre- * usurped upon its own originality, or, in the sentation should have no less novelty than truth. They considered it equally fundamental in this species of writing, as in others, to ob serve the point where the trite and familiar, the Latural and the gross, became confounded; ¦¦ they possessed ease without inanity, and strength without coarseness.

Mr. Cumberland, whom we have called the father of the sentimental drama, has perhaps exalted and degraded this species of Comedy more than any other author of the age. He has shewn us, in himself, the extremes of its excellencies and defects; like the Hero in Virgil, he has bound the living soul with the dead body, and in almost every play which he has written since the West Indian, he has been cankering corrupting, and wasting away the life and spirit which he first gave to this species of writing.

The plays of Mr. Cumberland, with the single exception of the West Indian, are distinguished by a sickly sentiment, a pedantic humour, virtue out of place, common situations most ungracefully placed upon stilts, and absolutely nothing of real life and man

ners.

The manners of his characters are not those of human beings either in real or imagined condition; and the language which he assigns to them wants the point and familiarity of dramatic dialogue.

In a word, we have long wished that Mr. Cumberland had left off writing for the stage; turpe senex miles-Why should he covet, like the stag, to die where he was first roused. When the vigorous progeny of his youthful pen have ceased to inhabit the Stage, let him not thus haunt us with spectres. For the genius and learning, and, above all, for the virtue of Mr. Cumberland, we have a sincere reverence; we wish him the honourable requiem of genius in the dignified tranquillity of his study; we do not desire to see him totter from the Stage, in the decay of his vigour, and the decrepitude

of his fame.

HAY-MARKET.-This Theatre opened on Monday June 11, for the summer season. The company are prodigiously strong. Bannister is at the head, supported by Mr. C. Kemble and his wife, Mathews, Mrs. Glover, &c. It gives us no common pleasure to see Bannister returned to a London audience, and recovered from the truancies of a country vagrant. As a comic actor, in his peculiar line of humour, at once farcical and pathetic, gay and solemn, Bannister has no competitor: with unmatched powers of mimickery, he has none of its debasing qualities. It has not

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promiscuous jumble of what belongs to others, obliterated all semblance of himself. In those characters of Comedy, in which the more forcible modes of humour are represented, and whim and extravagance, though pusbed to the verge of probability, are still kept within it, Bannister is truly excellent. His Jobson in The Devil to Pay, is an admirale instance of low humour, and a faithful copy of nature; and his Walter presents a rare combination of talent, a power of humour and true pathos, an energy of feeling, and a careless whim, which are seldom combined in one actor. In a word, Bannister is a true sterling actor, unspoiled even in these times, when so much has been done to corrupt the taste of the town both by writers and players. Like an old guinea, too hard to sweat or to file, he has escaped out of the hands of the Jews, without parting with one atom of his bullion.

LYCEUMA new Opera was produced at this Theatre on Monday night, June 11th, under the title of Oh! this Love, or the Masqueraders. The plot is laid in Italy, and if it had been laid in Hindostan it would have made no difference; for there is nothing in the composition of the fable, or the texture of the incidents, which renders it more suitable to one place than another. The events which occur in the progress of this fable are of the mixed kind, something between the romance and the pastoral novel, having all the extravagance of the one, and a more than usual portion of the insipidity of the other. The characters are as much out of life as the action is beyond probability.

We are not exactly certain of the name of the Author of this piece, and it is not worth while to indulge in conjecture. Miss Grigli etti, who so much distinguished herself at the Oratorios during the three last seasons, made her first appearance upon the stage in this Opera. She has not much skill as an actress, but is not without spirit; as a singer she unites melody and science with a compass of voice which amply fills the Theatre. This Opera had the good luck to escape a violent death; it was redeemed by the powerful acting of Dowton, and the singing of Miss Griglietti.

FINE ARTS.

ROYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION.

No. 179. A Groupe of Portraits of the Baring Family.-T. Lawrence, R. A.-This is one of those family pictures which would have done honour to Reynolds or Vandyke. It is diss

tinguished for a peculiar taste and sentiment No. 550. Portrait of A. Yeates, Esq. by the in the composition, which at once captivates same Artist, is a vigorous well-painted head, the eye, and satisfies the reason upon a nearer possessing great clearness aud force of coexamination. In the disposition and arrange-louring, and shewing a close attention to

ment of the groupes, in the shaping of the figures, and the selection of all the minor parts, indeed all those points in which the creation of the painter and the play of fancy are most visible, there is a conspicuous taste and refinement, which are only attainable by long practice in the art, and never, at auy time, without great sensibility and genius. It has correctness without formality, and freedom without any sacrifice of truth.

The tints in this picture are very soft and delicate, and the colour, upon the whole, is harmonious and well arranged. If we have any thing to object, it is, that there is too much uniformity and sameness in the relief of the several heads in the portraits. They are thrown into an uniform light relief. This is wrong. If Mr. Lawrence had disposed some light objects in the back of one or two of the heads, for the purpose of contrasting them

with those heads which have a dark background, the effect of his picture would be much improved. He will perhaps profit by this advice when he returns to his painting

room.

There are in the present Exhibition three more portraits by Mr. Lawrence which deserve notice. The portrait of Lord Melville is a vigorous and characteristic likeness, but is somewhat stiff and harsh. The portrait of Lord Castlereagh is an excellent likeness, and there is a freedom about the head which shews a peculiar vigour and force of pencilling. But the finest portrait in the Exhibition is that of Mr. Canning, by the same artist. It has a youthful action, and a manly and decided character, joined to a peculiar harmony in the colouring, which we have never known to be excelled in Mr. Lawrence's portraits.

nature.

Mr. Londsdale has three other portraits in the Exhibition, all equally void of that affectation, which is but too apt to infect this department of art. Simplicity and truth ap pear to be his aim, which must always secure him the approbation of those who possess judgment and good taste.

SOCIETY OF ARTS, MANUFACTURES, AND

COMMERCE.

The annual distribution of the Society's rewards took place on Thursday the first of June, in their Great Room, in the Adelphi. His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, the President, entered about half past twelve, and immediately after his Grace was seated, Dr. Taylor, the Secretary, addressed the company.

The Candidates were arranged in their proper classes, as heretofore, and if that branch of the Society's business, viz. Agricultural Improvements, was ever considered entitled to precedence, it is particularly so at this time, when daily experience proves the great progress which is making in a pursuit on which so much depends, and which indeed may justly be considered of the highest national import

ance.

The Candidates in Mechanics were as many as heretofore, and the inventions which have been brought before the Society during the present session, promise, in every respect, to be of equal utility to those which they have noticed on former occasions.

The present pursuits of Lucien, the proscribed brother of Napoleon, are thus adverted to in the foreigu Journals :-A high personage, who possesses a fine villa in the vicinity of Rome, and who devotes his attention to the arts and sciences, has recently made some

No. 250. Portrait of Sir P. Francis, K. B. by J. Londsdale.-The lively characteristics of an active mind are happily delineated in this picture; and in portraiture nothing is more to be commended or more difficult of acquire-valuable discoveries. Several houses belong. ment than the power of justly and delicately expressing the various and nice distinctions of mind and disposition.

No. 413. Portrait of the Marquis of Downshire, by the same Artist, is a fine likeness and a simple unaffected good picture.

ing to the ancient Tusculum have been discovered, in which have been found, besides various pieces of furniture, seven large statues; one of them a Muse of singular beauty. The Roman antiquarians estimate this treasure at 22,000 rix-dollars.

INCIDENTS

OCCURRING IN AND NEAR LONDON, INTERESTING MARRIAGES, &c.

ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE HIS ROYAL HIGH-
NESS THE DUKE OF CUMBERLAND.

Friday, June 1, the Coroner's Inquest as-
sembled at the Duke of Cumberland's house, in
St. James's Palace, to investigate into the vio-
lent attack made upon his Royal Highness, and
the death of Joseph Sellis, one of his valets. The
Inquest was held before Adams, Esq. the
Coroner for the Verge of the Court.
Mr. Adams addressed the Jury, and informed
them of the violent attack that had been made
upon the Duke of Cumberland; and that there
was very little doubt but it was done by the de-
eeased. He stated, the circumstances had been
fully investigated by the Privy Council on
Thursday, and that the depositions of the nume-
rous witnesses had been taken before Mr. Justice
Read, which he should read to them; after
which the witnesses would be called before them,
and the depositions would also be read, when
they would have an opportunity of altering or
enlarging, and the Jury could put any question
to them they thought proper.

him. After moving a few paces he stepped upon a sword, and, although in the dark, he was convinced it was covered with blood: it proved to be the Duke's own regimental sword. The Duke and witness then went to alarm the house, and got a light from the porter. The Duke was afraid the murderer was still in his bed-room; the Duke was obliged to lean upon him from the loss of blood, and his Royal Highness gave directions that no person should be let ont of the house. They called up the witness's wife, who is the house-keeper, and told her to call Sellis.

He then returned with the Duke to his bedroom. At that time the Duke was very faint, from the great loss of blood. Upon examining the premises, they found, in a second adjoining small room, a pair of slippers, with the name of Sellis on them, and a dark lanthorn. The key of the tloset was in the inside of the lock, and to his knowledge the key had not been in that state for ten years. He had reason to believe the wounds of the Duke had been given by a sword. Sellis took out the Duke's regimentals some time since, and put them by again, but left out the sword upon a sofa, for two or three days; it was the same sword which he trod upon, and it was in a bloody state.

The Foreman of the Jury asked the witness if he thought the deceased had any reason to be dissatisfied with the Duke. He replied, on the contrary, he thought Sellis had more reason to be satisfied than any other of the servants; his

The first affidavit that was read, was that of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, which stated, that about half-past two o'clock on Thursday morning he received two violent blows and cuts on his head; the first impression upon his mind was, that a bat had got into the room, and was beating about his head; he was soon convinced to the contrary by receiving a third blow; he jumped out of bed, when he received a number of other blows; from the glim-Royal Highness had stood godfather for one of mering light, and the motion of the instrument that inflicted the wounds, afforded from a dull lamp in the fire-place, they appeared like flashes of lightning before his eyes. He made for a door, near the bead of his bed, leading to a Within the last year the Duke and Royal small room to which the assassin followed him Family had been extremely kind to him. He and cut him across his thighs. His Royal High-had never given him an angry word, although he ness not being able to find his alarm-bell, which there is no doubt the villain had concealed, called with a loud voice for Neale, his valet in waiting, several times, who came to his assistance, and Neale, together with his Royal Highness, alarmed the House.

his children-the Princess Augusta, godmother. The Duke had shewn him very particular favour by giving him apartments for his wife and family, with coals and candles.

has often made use of bad language to him; if he did, he never answered him. The deceased was of a very malicious disposition. He would never be contradicted if he began a subject, for which reason he never wished to have any conversation with him. He frequently quarrelled with Mr. Cornelius Neale sworn-He said he was valetPaulet, one of the Duke's servants, and fought to the Duke of Cumberland, and that he was in close waiting upon his Royal Highness on Wednesday night, and slept in a bed in a room adjoining to the Duke's bed-room. A little before three o'clock, he heard the Duke calling out, "Neale, Neale, I am murdered, and the murderer is in my bed-room!" He went immediately to his Royal Highness, and found him bleeding from his wounds. The Duke told him the door the assassin had gone out at; he armed himself with a poker, and asked if he should pursue him? The Duke replied, "No; but to remain with

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with the Steward at Kew.-Lately the deceased had a bad cold, and the Duke was so very kind towards him in consequence, that he took him inside the carriage to Windsor. Sellis dressed the Duke on Wednesday night. He had no doubt but Sellis intended that he should be charged with being the murderer, to get him out of the way.

The Jury proceeded to examine the bed-room of the Royal Duke, which they found in a most distressing and horrid state. It could not be discovered what his Royal Highness's night-cap was

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