sion a little, we found it was only the whiskers of a noble manager in the orchestra, between us and the lamps, which had betrayed us into this mistake. We were sorry to lose so fine an effect. The other characters are all common-place or out of place. On the second night the house was by no means full, and we anticipate nothing beyond a lingering existence to this version of The Gregarach.

A book of songs was sold at the Theatre; but other songs were sung!!

Scene.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

COVENT GARDEN.-Some slight alterations were made about the orchestra of this theatre, which during the recess partially receded under the stage, adding more room to the pit. Gas front-lights are also intro-11. duced. The very pleasing play of Rob Roy 12. has been the nightly attraction, till last night, and continues, as we foresaw it would, to merit an increase of public applause, as the performers mellow in their parts, and the whole works smoothly in uniThis theatre is now admirably heated 14. and ventilated on the plan of Mr. Chabanes.

son.

MINOR THEATRES.

The Summer Theatres opened as usual on Easter Monday. First, The ROYAL CIRCUS and SURREY, renewed under the brush of the painter, with a serio-comic ballet, called Florio and Rosa; a very good burletta founded on the novel and called Sir Launcelot Greaves; and a melo-drama, entitled The Three Talismans. As we intend shortly taking a review of the minor places of amusement, we shall now confine ourselves to the mere notice, and thus arrive

at,

Second, ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE, ASTLEY'S, also gaily beautified, and with a new and original proscenium contrived to be diminished and enlarged at pleasure. The horsemanship upheld its reputation both for man and beast; a grand fighting affair, The Heroines of Switzerland, formed the next course; and a pantomine, Harlequin Prince of Persiu, concluded a various and ample series of entertainments.-Third and last, SADLER'S WELLS, of which we understand Grimaldi has become either whole or a large proprietor, opened with a musical piece, Caught at last, to which a pantomime succeeded, called the Elements, the humour of which is not of the highest order, as may be gathered from the description of the scenery, which would fain be laughable.

13.

ting together," to have "a peep behind the
curtain," where "fades the glimmering
Landscape on the sight"-changing,
"Odds
bullets!" to a

Gunsmith's Shop-" To teach the young idea
how to shoot," and "scatter slaughter like a
Doctor's Shop"—" Throw physic to the dogs."

All nostrums, one excepted, evils,
Grimaldi's balsam for blue devils!
Of which he sings-and, harmony at a pinch,
Music and Snuff Shops, "join their strange
according;" as, when "the bagpipe sings
i'th' nose;" "good music to entertain the
company," in

A Street at Oxford, where" with classic
wreathes," of sausages, Grimaldi "binds
his brows;" then kick'd from learning's

post, to

Naval Pillar, proves," Britons never will be
slaves."-"Now get you to my lady's
Chamber,"-" Where the bubbling and loud
hissing uru throws up a steamy column,"

for "tea and turn out" into a
Cobbler's Stall.-

A cobbler there was and he liv'd in a stall,
Which served him for parlour and
Kitchen."-"O! the roast beef of Old Eng-
land," is sung in every
Street; but, "haste to the wedding," in the
16. Temple of the Elements, where

15.

"Ends this strange eventful history."

An aqua-drama, the Gheber, founded on

Moore's Lallah Rookh, and more peculiar
to the properties of this theatre, concluded
the amusements of the evening.

DIGEST OF POLITICS AND

NEWS.

purposes in view and look down opposition.

From the Continent we learn, that practice the representative constitution the Emperor Alexander has carried into accorded to Poland.-The King of Portugal has acceded to the Holy Alliance. The Spanish amnesty has been promulgated; and the Expedition with the Russian ships is on the eve of sailing from Cadiz for South America. It is reported, that the insurgents in Mexico have massacred 120 prisoners, including eight officers, as a retaliation

for the execution of Mina.-Another

report is abroad, that an insurrection has broken out against Christophe, the sable monarch of Hayti, who is besides represented as being in a bad state of health.-A third says, that the Dey of Algiers has died of the plague, after a rule of six months, and is succeeded by Coja de Cavalli, his Minister of the Interior.

It now seems certain that the French Police have succeeded in tracing and arresting the wretch who attempted the life of the Duke of Wellington: He is an old soldier, of the name of Cantillon. Various circumstances are related, but none of them on which we can depend.

The Odeon Theatre in Paris, the finest piece of theatrical architecture in THERE is some variety and interest that city, was burnt down on the 20th. in the news of the week. From India Earthquakes, and other awful phenoin particular, the accounts are more im-mena of nature, have been lately more portant than they have been for some common in many parts of Europe than time past. The great plan for organizing we remember. In Switzerland, Italy, the Peninsula on a stable and peaceful Germany, and the North, meteors, subsystem, unbroken by predatory wars, terraneous noises, avalanches, &c. &c. and unvexed by oppressive extortions, shew the wonderful workings of natuis carrying rapidly into effect. The dis- ral causes in a state of diffused activity, patches from Bombay are of the 24th which well merits the observation of November; on the 5th and 17th of the philosopher. which month the Peishwa had been de

At home we have little of stir. The

marriage of our amiable and accomplished Princess Elizabeth with the Prince of Hesse Homberg, is fixed for the 7th April, at the Queen's Palace. Her Royal Highness comes to town on Monday.

feated, and Poonah, his capital, entered
in triumph by the British. The forces
on this occasion were disproportioned
in numbers, our army being only four
thousand while the enemy was 40,000
strong. Discipline, however, prevailed;
and the Peishwa, whose hostility has A very strange affair has occupied
long been known, fled to one of the the Court of Chancery. We cannot
stoutest forts which previous arrange-enter into details, but the impression is,
ments had left him. Lord Hastings that to authorize a claim for 15,000l.
has concluded a treaty with Scindiah, raised on the part of the Princess of
the main object of which is the subju-Wales against the assets of the late
gation of the lawless Pindarees. Hol- Duke of Brunswick, some unprincipled
kar is also represented as amicable, or persons have forged a document pur-
at least submissive. Indeed, what we porting to be executed by that brave
stated some months ago, is developed :- Prince.
We have brought a force into the field
quite adequate to effect all the good

There was a Reform Meeting in Palace-Yard on Monday, at which Sir

An Expedition has sailed from New York to proceed round Cape Horn, and found an American Colony, (as it is said) on the shores of the Pacific, between the north of the Spanish, and south of the Russian settlements.

The comet of Marseilles has been observed at Augsburgh; it is much increased in size and brilliancy since the middle of February.

An experiment has lately been made at the theatre Feydeau, of a new method of managing the light on the stage. It proved completely successful. The transition from day to night, in the second act of Joconde, produced the most perfect illusion

When we heard of Incledon's death in an American paper, we offered to wager that it was the prologue to his reappearance in England. That we were right in our guess, the following from the Morning Post of Thursday sheweth:

Mr. Incledon.-Letters were yesterday reccived in town, which happily remove the anxious fears entertained by the friends of our national singer, who was reported to have died at New York from rupturing a blood-vessel. It is difficult to account for the motives which could have induced any one to invent such a cruel report. Let it suffice, however, to know that he never enjoyed better health, and that his success continued to a degree unprecedented.

The Cardinal de Retz was the mortal enemy of Cardinal Mazarin. In order to mortify the latter with a twit at his obscure origin, he procured to be inserted in the Gazette of Rome the following paragraph We learn by letters from Paris that Pierre Mazarin is dead at Rome. This was the Cardinal's father.

ANECDOTE. A Frenchman, who had a

Barometer from 29, 83 to 30, 10. Wind N. W. 1-Morning overcast: the rest of the day generally clear.

Rain fallen, 025 of an inch.

Saturday, 21-Thermometer from 30 to 51.

should not fulfil what he had undertaken. | Friday, 20-Thermometer from 36 to 51.
After they had agreed to this, he and a
young elephant were confined in a tower,
and supplied with abundance of provisions.
After a little time, he was visited by some of
his countrymen, who testified their asto-
Barometer from 30, 12 to 30, 03.
nishment at his mad promise. You bring
destruction on yourself by it, said one of frost: the rime remained on the rails till nine
Wind S. W. 2-Morning clear: sharp white
them: Don't fear, gentlemen, said the pri- o'clock, so keen was the wind: ditches and
soner, ten years is a great period of human puddles frozen over: the latter part of the day
life; I assure you, that before these are ex-overcast, with showers of rain in the afternoon."
pired, one of us, either the Emperor, the
elephant, or I, shall be dead.

A person might make a very excellent book of that of which you know nothing, said a would-be wit, to one with whom he was arguing. A person might make a very bad book of that which you know, was the reply.

A hasty passionate fellow was supping with a friend who never contradicted him, not wishing to provoke his wrath. Unable to endure this acquiescence, he at last burst out, "D-n it, deny something, that I may know there are two of us."

LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.

CONTENTS OF JOURNAL DES SAVANS
for March 1818.

Annuaire & Connoissance des Temps,
reviewed by M. Biot.-M. Gail's edition
and translation of Xenophon, by Raoul-
Rochette.-M. Girlach's Fundamental Phi-
losophy, by Cousin.-M. Lemercier Cours
de Litterature (3d art.), by Raynouard.
M. Elphinstone's Kingdom of Caubul, by
Silvestre de Sacy.-M. Sismondi's History
of the Italian Republics, by Daunou.-
M. Darcet's Fumigating Apparatus, by
Tessier.

M. Simonde de Sismondi's work, entitled, a History of the Italian Republies of the Middle Age, and that of Charles Villers on the Philosophy of Kant, or Fundamental Principles of the Transcendent Philosophy, bave been put on the index by a decree of the congregation of Rome, dated the 22d of December last, and published in the Diario on the 18th of February.

Among the recent French works pre-
sented by the authors, according to their
Russian War, by the Viscount de Pui-
custom, to the King, are, Letters on the
busque; a Translation of the Odes of Ho-
race, by M. Le Texier; and a Translation
of the Jerusalem Delivered, by M. de la
Monnaye.

Works is announced, from the press of M.
A complete edition of Marmontel's

Firmin Didot.

Mr. Charles Maio's absurd work on

dispute with a Turk in Constantinople, and
had stabbed him, was condemned to death.
The criminal thought on means to save him-
self; and as he knew that the Emperor was
a great lover of elephants, he proposed to
him, to spare his life, and he would in re-
turn teach one of these animals to speak.
The Emperor, who knew the sense of the
elephant, thought it possible, that by pains
and art they might be taught to do so; he England has reached a 2d edit. at Paris.
therefore accepted the proposal of the pri-
soner, and besides, promised a handsome
reward if he fulfilled his promise in a cer-
tain time. The Frenchman said, that ten
years would be wanted to instruct such a
very large animal, if he was to teach it to
speak the Turkish quite perfectly; but he
would be content to suffer the most cruel
death at the expiration of that time, if he

METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL.

MARCII.

Thursday, 19-Thermometer from 48 to 52.
Barometer from 30, 16 to 30, 01.
Wind S. W. 2.-Generally cloudy, with a little
rain about 10 in the morning. The warmest
night since the 1st of December.

Rain fallen, 1 of an inch.

Sunday, 22-Thermometer from 37 to 51.

Barometer from 29, 80 to 29, 87. Wind W. by N. and S. W. 2-Raining almost all the day.---Rain fallen, 175 of an inch. Monday, 23-Thermometer from 39 to 48.

Barometer from 29, 46 to 29, 74. Wind W. and S. W. 4.-A tempestuous night; I think the velocity of the wind, at times, was nearly equal to that on the 4th inst. Raining till cleven: the afternoon and evening clear: strong flashes of lightning in the N. E. in the evening. Waters much out.-Rain fallen, 35 of an inch. Tuesday, 24-Thermometer from 35 to 48.

Barometer from 29, 86 to 29, 95. Wind S. by W. 4.-Morning overcast. the rest of the day clear, with two smart hail-storms about two. Wednesday, 25-Thermometer from 34 to 47. Barometer from 29, 73 to 29, 97. Wind S. W. and W. by N. 1.-Morning overcast: the rest of the day generally clear.

Rain fallen, 35 of an inch. Frogs spawn the 19th. The buds of the larch, the Siberian crab, and the horsechesnut, burst

on the 19th. Dust flew a little on the 21st.

As yet the trembling year is unconfirm❜d,
And Winter oft at eve resumes the breeze,
Chills the pale moon, and bids the driving sleets
Deform the day delightless.—Thomson.

Edmonton, Middlesex.

Latitude 51. 37.32. N.
Longitude 3.51. W.
JOHN ADAMS.

TO CORRESPONDENTS. A pressure of matter compels us, reluc tantly, to postpone several articles (original and contributed) which are ready for publication. Among these we may announce Considerations on the Copyright ActsMr. A. Robertson on the State of the Arts in Scotland--Essay and Statement on Pasigraphy, or an universal Language-two interesting articles on the Mode of instructPeleus; and The Hill of Caves, poetrying the Blind-The Marriage of Thetis and Professor Millington's 5th and last Lecture on Magnetism-Remarks on Mr. Ogilvie's Lectures, &c. &c. &c.

A Lover of Justice is under consideration. Gentleman, whose Annals of Banks for We were mistaken in supposing that the Saving was reviewed in No. 60 of the Literary Gazette, co-operated with Mr. Rose as a senator, in the formation of these benevolent institutions. Though an able and experienced coadjutor, he was not a Member of Parliament.

The Editor will refer to the botanical work mentioned by A Constant Reader, Yoxford." He had no previous knowledge of it.

BENSLEY and SONS, Bolt Court, Fleet Street.

AND

Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Politics, etc.

No. 63.

PASIGRAPHY,

OR SYSTEM OF UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE.

SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 1818.

blance to the notes in music. They
are very limited in number, so limited,
that two types or a telegraph would
express them all. They change their
signification by relative position.

The knowledge of this character,
that is, the power of reading what is
written in it, critically, may with the
greatest ease be acquired in ten minutes
by persons of common capacity.

A, with ten minutes instruction,

From one to three signs, and very rarely a fourth, express any idea, in all

LIKE the discovery of the longitude,
squaring the circle, the transmutation
of metals, and one or two other grand
problems, the notion of an universal
language has ever been a cherished
theory with the learned of all nations.
In England we have at least one folio
volume on the subject (Wilkins' Essay,
1668) and recently it has attracted so
much attention, that a society of the lite-shall audibly read,-give voice to these
rati has been formed in Germany for the signs, so that B, previously acquainted
with the language, shall completely
purpose of pursuing the enquiry into understand the import given to each by
the practicability of a system so replete the first writer C,-with the utmost
with consequences to the civilized world.
The world itself seems to be politically
grammatical minuteness.
prepared for a discovery of this nature.
All the sovereigns of Europe weet and
are meeting together to settle the
The grammar of this character may
bases of the social frame. The entire be acquired in two hours, that is to
Globe may be said to be represented
or interested in these august assem-
say, it is firmly believed, from analogy
of the European languages known
blages; and the topics discussed are
of universal importance. Such is the to the inventor, that every foreigner
era when we venture, with little of could within that time, place his finger
uncertainty on our minds, to solicit then every part of speech used in his
attention of the statesmen and philo-
sophers of Great Britain (in the first
instance) to the following summary.
What we here state, we know are the
properties of the invention alluded to:
but it possesses many others of eminent
utility, though comparatively of less

value. What more are wanted to fill

up the desideratum of An Universal Language we cannot tell, and it is for this reason that, before going more at large into the hypothesis, we invite the communications and objections of all

its various moods and forms.

PRICE 1s.

general literature, politics, and religion, came all deeply into question during the reign of Elizabeth. Her court was romantic and tragical. Adventures unlike reality in all but in their fatal terminations, were almost of daily occurence. The age of chivalry was at its height, the spirit of inquiry was never more active, and expeditions abroad to discover foreign lands, and investigations at home to develop the hidden mysteries of science, divide the attention of those who would contemplate this remarkable epoch, with royal amours, plots, favouritism, domestic feuds, and foreign levies.

The wonders of this era are dispersed in the collections of Strype; the Bur leigh, Sidney, and Talbot papers; the

Memoirs of Birch; Camden's Annals, Nichols's Progresses, and a multitude of edited letters and chronicles of the times. These are, many of them, difficult of access, most of them very expensive, and some of them so scarce as to be altogether out of the reach of nine hundred and ninety-nine in a thousand der, number, and case, of the noun, sign to draw all the most prominent of tongue; distinguishing the gen-readers. It was therefore a good dethe degrees of comparison, of the ad- these scattered materials into one point noun agreeing with its noun, the of view, and present us, as the author same with respect to the adverb, the has done, with a systematic account of moods, tenses, number, person, and Elizabeth and her court. In executing this task we have no complaint to make voice of the verb. of the arrangement nor of the selection. The facts of these two volumes are exceedingly well put together and amusing. The style is plain and clear, and a due respect is paid to the value of the incidents in the relative space devoted to them. We doubt not but the su

The same symbol or symbols represent the same substance or the same idea in all languages. Every possible inflexion of any word follows the knowledge of the root.

telegraph.

The roots are few, the number of words, in all their inflexions, without limit, and their use attained with the utmost ease within the short time stated.

Every symbol, with all the niceties of language, can be spoken, written, persons competent to speak on a ques-printed, or expressed by a very simple tion, the magnitude and extraordinary powers of which it is impossible to exaggerate. One glance at the influence such a discovery, if adopted, must have on the political, mercantile, and in short, on all the relations of men, will suffice to shew, that even Printing itself was not calculated to bring about a more complete moral revolution. Again soliciting the opinions of men of philosophical minds, we merely subjoin a

Sketch of the

REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS.

Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth.
By Lucy Aikin. 2 vols. 8vo.
THESE are interesting memoirs of a
very important period of our national
history, when more depended upon the
personal power and character of the so-
vereign than perhaps at any other era
which could be named. The drama,

perabundance of her matter greatly em

barrassed Miss Aikin, and rendered it extremely difficult for her to reject. But there is still, as we think, a little too much of historical character in the work. If it had been possible we should have rejoiced to see every paragraph abridged which related to public affairs, and the nutely investigated and detailed. We private annals of the period more miconfess that it seems absolutely necessary to connect them, as they were connected by events of a more general nature, but the finer this connecting filament is drawn, the greater the merit of the performance. So much has been published respecting the Elizabethan era,

pen.

that any thing new was not to be ex-swayed her, and caprice and tyranny | things by names which give an idea of pected; but facts the least known are are the landmarks of her conduct. But perpetuity, and we, once for all, pronext akin to absolute novelty, and some her character is too well understood test against the appellation of School, such, we think, might have been ad-now to require illustration from our vantageously substituted for those with which every intelligent reader is acquainted. But even this deduction from the merit of the work must be taken in a very limited sense, for though it required comment, it can scarely be said to deserve censure. The entire edifice is so pleasantly constructed, and the irregular, straggling, and unwieldy parts have been, after all, composed into so agreeable a form, that we cannot withhold the meed of approbation from this ingenious and excellent publication

whether given to the watery, cockney, be-natural, or sentimental Bards of There is a short treatise on the do- these times, when rhyme is so plentiful, mestic architecture of the reign of Eli- that we suspect it will soon be a diffizabeth, by Edmund Aikin, the brother cult matter to produce even a business of the author, appended to the second letter written in plain prose. If the volume. We think so well of it that we cacocthes continue, there will shortly shall probably return to its considera-be no novelty in the rhyming cobbler tion in a future Number. of Gosport, who sent a lady's shoes home with the following billet,

to "

FOLIAGE; or Poems Original and Trans-Your humble poet, Madam, and the Muses, lated. By Leigh Hunt. pp. 246. Presents your La'ship with this pair of shoes-es. THE phrase "School of Poetry," We are free to confess that we do like the phrase "School of Painting,' not belong to that class which conIt does not seem requisite to enter into any analysis of a subject which has of late come much into vogue. siders the style of writing adopted by may almost be said to analyse itself in Every person who departs from re- the author before us, and others his the title page. From the birth of Eli-ceived canons in either art, is said, coadjutors, as admirable poetry. Mr. zabeth to her death, the chief fea-pleasantly enough, to be the founder of Hunt appears to be, in domestic matters, tures of her extraordinary and eventful a school, and all his fellow rhymesters an amiable man; he is fond of his belong to this school;" which in wife, and his children, and his friends, life are depicted; her ministers, and favourites, and rivals, of course share the the latter case is not so far amiss, since and of Hampstead, and of trees, espenotice bestowed on the principal figure. truly they more resemble young learners cially when leafy, and of rural walks, notice bestowed on the principal figure. than mature teachers; and so, to con- and of tea in his parlour. Now this is The picture is one of the most imposing fess the fact, generally do their ring-all very becoming, and very harmless; kind, and we recommend it heartily to but to persons not so fond of Mrs. the public. As we are accustomed to Hunt, nor of Johnny Hunt, aged four offer some extract from the works we review, we select from the present the years, alias letter written by the Earl of Essex to the Queen, when in disgrace for quit. ting his government in Ireland :

To the Queen,

From a mind delighted in sorrow, from spirits wasted with passion, from a heart torn in pieces with care, grief, and travel, from a man that hateth himself what service can your Majesty expect; and all things else that keep him alive, since any service past deserves no more than banishment and proscription to the cursedest of all islands? It is your rebels' pride and succession must give me leave to ransom myself out of this hateful prison, out of my loathed body; which, if it happeneth so, your Majesty shall have no cause to mislike the fashion of my death, since the course of my life could never please you. Happy could he finish forth his fate

In some unhaunted desert most obscure
From all society, from love and hate

Of worldly folk; then should he sleep secure.
Then wake again, and yield God ever praise,
Content with hips and haws and brambleberry;
In contemplation passing out his days,
And change of holy thought to make him merry.
Who when he dies, his tomb may be a bush,
Where harmless Robin dwells with gentle Thrush.

leaders;

fellows

In foolscap uniforms turned up with ink,
So very anxions, clever, fine and jealous,
One don't know what to say to them, or think,
Unless to puff then with a pair of bellows.*

As we are not disposed to any kind
of puffing, we would hint, that the
substitution of the word fashion for the
word school, in these affairs, seems de-
sirable. Schools are, or ought to be,
grave places, where wisdom is acquired;
and fripperics as you please, the last
but Fashion admits of as many follies
being invariably the best, the newest
the most enchanting. Cottage bonnets
and insipid pastorals, hussar cloaks
and martial odes, lace tippets and
sonnets, long skirts and romantic tales,
turbans and Eastern poems, costume a
la Greque and Epics, may then be
alternately and equally the rage for a
month, and no great harm ensue :-
we will allow the absurdity in verse,
and the absurdity in dress, a like dura-
the tea-tables for four long weeks, and
tion; the former to be laughed at over
the latter to remain unrivalled on the
frontispiece of any of the fashionable
magazines, till the first day of the
month ensuing that of its appearance;
but it is too much to christen such

Your Majesty's 'exiled Servant, ROBERT ESSEX. Elizabeth was a woman from first to last; and when Burleigh died, her * Beppo. We have the best reasons for beglory departed. Mere female affections, lieving that this poem is the production of Lord BYRON! What wonderful versatility of genius! intrigues, resentments, fill up the cata-The fourth Canto of Childe Harold will appcar logue of her deeds. Her passions in about a month.

little ranting Johnny,
For ever blithe and bonny,
And singing nonny, nonny, &c.
nor of Hampstead, with

A steeple issuing from a leafy rise
With farmy front

with heath and pond, Nature's own ground; woods that let mansions through!

partial to these things as Mr. Hunt, must nor of any other of the author's haunts and recreations, - -we say, that those not so find his songs and sonnets about them, though they may be tolerable enough to his private circle, very unentertaining and tiresome. For ourselves, we candidly own that we think them monstrously insipid. the Italian sonneteers, whose everlasting aim at some prettiness or other was sometimes rewarded with a hit, but like Gratiano's reasons, when the object is attained, it is not worth the fatigue of arriving at it.

Their model seems to be the meanest of

True poetry opens a nobler pursuit than sublime and the immense, the exquisite this squirrel-hunting among bushes. The race of creation is within its grasp-the touch, and the minute of nature, are indeed alike its elements; but its soul seizes them all as if by supernatural power, and does not go creeping and twining after little things, hugging poor conceits, and revelling on the luxuries of a single mean thought, when any shape of an original idea happily glances across its path. Many of our modern writers seem to imagine that poetic genius consists in the fanciful illustration of the most trite objects; that to