The time was about a quarter before one o'clock at noon. Several other perfons faw it, to whom it appeared of

different fhapes; owing probably to the different pofitions which they faw it in. (To be continued.)

C

ONSIDERING that the town is not as yet filled with the upper ranks, this month has been productive of fome novelties, and the crowded houfes on each night of representation is a circumttance that proves that the town is feldom ungrateful when managers are attentive. DRURY-LANE.

IN our last we declined giving any account of Mr. John Kemble for reafons there mentioned, we shall now, conformably to our determined impartiality, give an opinion of that gentleman. Mr. John Kemble, although he has a good perfon, is far from being a figure which conveys tage-confequence. Our readers will understand what we mean by this, when we remind them that Mr. Smith, although exceptions may be made to his perfon, is, nevertheiefs, one of the fineft stage figures. It is not his being tall which makes him fo, but his being equally proportoned. Garrick was fhort, but his perfon was fymmetry itfelf, and never took from the dignity of his character. Kemble's perfon is rather above the middle fize, but he wants that fullnefs of cheft and abdomen which gives a finished appearance, fo that in characters where we are to fuppofe him to be aged, he still has a ladlike, or youthful appearance. Hence, in Ham. let he looked beft; in Sir Giles Overreach he was ungraceful and awkward. Time, however, may change his perfon, as after his age men generally acquire a degree of embonpoint.

His face is moft expreflive. His eye conveys a fentiment long before he speaks it; indeed, this expreilion of countenance is his chief perfection. Yet he is not always fuccetstul in the management of it, for not aware that an expreffive countenance may be faid to be entirely owing to the movement of the eyes, he falls frequently into the most ridiculous grimaces, as in his chamber fene with the Queen (in Hamlet) when turning his eyes towards his uncle's picture; in many parts, alfo, of his King Richard III. this was fo obvious to the audience as to make them laugh immoderately where the play demanded the tendereft feelings. If, however, Mr. Kemble attends to theie hints, he may foon correct, a habit which deforms the finest male countenance now on the stage, and we think he cannot have a better monitrels than his inimitable fitter, Mrs. Siddons.

Next to perfon, feeling comes to be confidered. Mr. Kemble poffefies a happy art of counterfeiting the finest and tenderett feelings, but there is fo much ftage-trick in expreffing them, that we are apt to think he muft have taken wonderful pains to o'ermafter nature. Hence, the tender is not his forte. Indignation, rage, remorfe, and the more violent fenfations are moit happily exprefled by him, but when he attempts the pathetic, we hear a fweet and mellifluous voice, but the dolendum eft tibi is wanting.

Hence, in Hamlet, his beft fcenes were that with the Ghost, that in the chamber with his mother, and the foliloquy, “ O! what a rogut and peasant flave am 1," &c.

His judgement and his genius do not always keep pace. No man feems to understand his author better, but he has unhappily caught an itch for novelty, and although this often leads him to correct the errors of former actors, yet as often it leads him into greater errors, which is molt confpicuous in his performance of Richard, which throughout excited the laughter of the audience, and in his Sir Giles Overreach, which we aver was neither the Sir Giles of Maffinger, nor of any living reader whatever.

We do not dwell on Mr. Kemble's faults, becaufe he gives us no other fubject for crucifim, but because he is now in that degree of his dramatic progrefs, from whence he may begin to reform his aukward habits contracted in the country, and his mifconceptions arifing from an affectation of originality. And his perfections in most of the characters are fo many, that it is but juftice to fay we have chofen the most barren fubject, by firft writing of his faults. The general error of his manner is tiffness; he neither walks the stage, nor turns his head, or moves his limbs with eafe; his attitudes are graceful, but he is perpetually in one or other attitude. This may pleafe the groundlings, but it must ever offend a lover of natural acting. To what we have faid of his voice we may add, that he is more judicious in the management of it than any other acting living, except where he drawls and whines, as Digges used to do. Mr. Kemble will rife to the first rank on the stage, and, therefore, needs not quality himself for the ta bernacle.

He has already performed Hamlet, Richard the Third, the Black Prince, Sir Giles Overreach, and Mr. Beverley in the Gametter. Richard the Third and Sir Giles Overreach are characters by no means fuited to Mr. Kemble's powers, or his models of exerting those powers; but when he has corrected the few aukward habits mentioned above, his Hamlet and Mr. Beverly will be unexceptionable. We omit faying any thing of the Black Prince, as we never with to fee it performed again.

It may be thought that we should now draw a parallel, in order to align to Mr. Kemble his real rank on the stage. In the strictest impartiality, then, and according to an opinion tormed with the nicelt attention, we place him next below to Henderfon; but in no part where we have feen both would we prefer Kemble to Henderfon. The perion of the latter is, it is true, against him, but he has genius, judgement, and feelings, which altogether form a greater actor than we think Mr. Kemble to be at prefent. In foliloquies, for imitance, and what is called level

Speaking,

FABLE. Father Luke, an Irish prieft, has a nicce, Mifs Norah, who is courted by Fitzroy, an officer in the British army, while the has given her heart to Patrick, The Poor Soldier. The officer telling the uncle that he poffetles two thousand a year, gets his confent to marry Mifs Norah, but foon dilcovering her penchant for Patrick, he is naturally led to think of fome expedient fit to exclude his rival, till having an interview with him, he finds out that Patrick belonged to Fitzroy's own regiment, was with him in South-Carolina, and happens to be the very identical perfon who refcued him from a moit alarning danger, and faved his life. This circumitance awakes fentiments of gratitude in the breaft of Fitzroy, and determines him to furrender the cbject of his defires to the amorous and gallant Patrick.

There is, befides, an under-plot of two peafants, both in love with Mifs Kathleen, a relation, we fuppofe, acquaintance, or fervant to Father Luke. Dermott, one of the peefants, is the happy fweet-heart, the other, whofe name is Darby, is only a pretender: the latter offering firft a fheep to Father Luke, obtains a promife that he fhall have Miis Kathleen, upon which he takes occafion to cenfure his past conduct, admonithing him to repent and marry, to which he replies, that he will be ture to marry and repent. But Dermott now comes and offers two theep, which makes the priest obferve to Darby, that two 13 one he can itand no chance. We must not torget the epifode of a Monfieur Bagatelle, a French arifeur, valet de chambre of Mr. Fitzroy. Having fome words with Patrick, he tends him a challenge, which by mistake is carried to his malter, and the duel ends in a fentimental

IRISH

animadverfion on the dangerous and immoral practice of duelling.

The mufic of this little piece is a felection of Irish and Scotch airs by Mr. Shield, who ha compofed a medley overture. Of the most of fuch mufic it is neediefs to fpeak. The dig was Mr. O'Keefe's, and is beneath all cotempt. The inflated arguments of newspapers have prevailed on the audience to bear with i which may afford great encouragement to dr matic writers, who never can be unfuccefsia, except indeed (which we deem an impoflibility, they can write any thing more wretched than the dialogue of the Poor Soldier.

Nov. 13. Mrs. Crawford made her first ap pearance thefe five years on this ftage. Hr excellencies and defects are fo well known, that we need not here enter on them. It may be expected that a comparison should now be formed, but this, as things are, would appear invidios. Age has cracked her voice, and deformed her countenance. Characters of youth and tendernets ought no longer to be her's. Her Lady Randolf, the character fhe appeared in, ws excellent only in the empailioned fcenes. In the firit and fecond acts, any actrels might ha equalled her. In the latter parts, few or note. Public curiofity, however, will reward the ma nager for his liberality in engaging her, and he if the study her own reputation and intereft, vil avoid an appearance of forward rivalship, and confine herself to fuch parts as fuit the chrge which time unavoidably makes on the great powers of acting.

A comedy by Mrs. Cowley, and a very grand pantomime, are preparing at this house. Buth will be produced about Chriftmas.

It will be found that many of the abere opinions are new, and different from those given in newfpapers. But the caufe is, that we re totally unconnected with actor, author, or minager, who might have an undue influence on our pen. We are open to conviction, and will liften with pleafure, even to an enemy, but there is at prefent fuch a fpirit of prostitution ametg diurnal critics, that the public may be faid to be findied out of their eyes and ears. Pary in dramatic criticifm will have precifely the lame effect on the drama that it has had on the nation; it will in time destroy good tafie, and annihilate the ambition of writing well.

AT

Ta meeting of the Committee of Correfpondence, appointed by the delegates of forty-five volunteer corps affembled at Lifburn on the 1st of July inftant, held at Belfait the 19th of July, 1783,

Pitfent, Lieut. Col. SHARMAN In the Chair; Ordered, That the following letter, figned by the fecretary in the name of this committce,

be forwarded to His Grace the Duke of Rich mond, incloting a copy of the refolutions et th provincial meeting of volunteers of Muniter, an of the proceedings of the forty-five volunteer de legates allembled at Litburn on the 1st intana relpecting a parliamentary reform, as alio copy of the circular letter written this day t this committee to the feveral volunteer corps this province..

Belfa

Belfaft, 19th July, 1783. May it pleafe your Grace,

YOUR Grace's attachment to the rights of the people, and the general prof erity of the British empire, induce us to addrefs you on the prefent great and momentous occafion.

The fpirit of freedom which pervades all ranks of people in Ireland, with the juftice and wife policy of the British nation, having removed for ever all pothble caufe of jealoufy between the filter kingdoms, and united us to Britain on the bafis of equal liberty and fimilar conftitution, it becomes the duty, as it is the intereft, of each kingdom to affilt the other in their endeavours to reftore to its ancient purity and vigour a decayed, enfeebled, and fickly conftitution. In both nations it is now generally acknowledged, that this great object can be attained by no other means but by a reform of the reprefentation in parliament. In England the meafure has for the prefent mifcarried, though fupported by fo many wife, honest, great, and independent men; we cruft, however, it has mifcarried only for a feafon, and that the next attempt will prove fuc

cefstul.

Ireland has now taken up the idea, and if we thall be fo happy as to fee fuccefs crown our efforts, we think confiderable weight will be thereby added to the endeavours of the friends of the people in England. The people of the two nations united in purfuit of the fame important object must be not only powerful, but irrehitible.

The inclofed papers, which we request your Grace may perufe, will fhew how far this country has already gone in determining to procure a more equal reprefentation, the unanimous refolutions of about fifteen thousand volunteers, already declared in a very few weeks, affure us that the refolves of the delegates of Uliter, who are to affemble at Dungannon on the 8th of September next, will be no lefs unanimous; and we well know that what the volunteers, vait numbers of whom are freeholders, thall determine on, the other freeholders and people in general, who are not volunteers, will adopt and fupport by every means in their power. The aged fathers cannot differ from their fons, re1pecting a matter on which depends every thing that they either hold dear for themselves or their potterity.

That your Grace may fee the very depraved ftate of our reprefentation it is neceflary to obderve, that out of three hundred members, of which our Houfe of Commons confiits, two hundred and twenty are returned by boroughs; those one hundred and ten boroughs are divided inte three claffes: it. Thofe where the right of election is vefted in the Proteftant inhabitants at large. zd. Thofe where the right of election is vefted in the chief magistrate, burgefles, and freemen. 3d. Thole where the right of election is confined to the chief magistrate and burgetfes, frequently not more in number than five or fix, and feldora exceeding ten or twelve. Almoit all the boroughs are either venal and corrupt, or implicitly obedient to the arbitrary will of their refpective landlords, who dictate to the electors in the mott abfolute manner. Thofe landlords claim by prefeription a kind of property in those boroughs, the patronage of which they transter

by fale like an estate, and receive from eight to nine thousand pounds for a borough. A feat for a borough is generally fold for two thousand pounds; fo that every feven or eight years a borough brings in four thousand pounds to the pa-·

tron.

Unhappily for Ireland our counties alfo are too much governed by our peers and great men, whofe influence over many of their refpective tenants is very great; and this confideration has given rife here to a doubt, in the minds of many well-meaning men, as to the propriety of adding to the number of knights of the thire; as generally now two great families endeavour to divide between them the feats for the county, the others either remain neuter or join the independent intereft, it is alledged, were there fix feats for each county, fix great families would divide them, and against such a junction the indepen. dent treeholders would not be able to make any effectual oppofition. May we now entreat your Grace, as a molt important favour conferred not only on us but on this kingdom, that you may be pleafed to favour us with your Grace's fenti ments and advice, as to the best, the most eligible and the moit practicable mode of deftroy ing, reitraining, or counteracting this hydra of corruption, borough influence, that we may be enabled to lay your Grace's opinion before the provincial affembly of delegates at Dungannon, and as our laft meeting for arranging bufinefs previous thereunto is axed to be on the 20th of Auguft, we hope your Grace will be fo obliging as to forward your reply, fo as to be with us about. that time. Many apologies are due for this long addrefs, and for the very great trouble we have requetted your Crace to take; but we are young in politics, and with for information from men of more wifdom, experience, and abilities. This, however, we may venture to affert, that if we can only be directed to the beit mode, the mafs of the inhabitants of Ireland is at this moment fo completely alive and fenfible to the neceffity of a well-digested reform, that there cannot remain a doubt that what it attempts in conjunction with the virtuous part of England will be effectual. The feveral matters on which we have requested your Grace's opinion are thrown into one view in the following queries:

In order to the purity of parliament, and to reftere that constitutional controul, which the constituent body should have over the reprefen

tauve,

Ift. Is it necefary that thofe boroughs in which the right of election is vested in a few, which in general are at the abfolute difpofal of one or two perfons, fhould be disfranchifed, and in their place the county reprefentatives en creased?

2d. The Protestant inhabitants confift of neag one million, who return three hundred members would it be wife to encrease the number of reprefentatives for the kingdom at large?

3d. A plaufible objection, mentioned above, has been railed against an encrease of county reprefentatives. Has that argument much weight? and if it has, is it remediable?

4th. Should the right of fuffrage be extended? If it thould, who are the proper objects of that extenfion?

3 N 2

5th