MIRA-NO MORE. MAY 1818. Ah, Mira! thy young mantling bloom, Thy chesnut hair, whose glossy flow That kindled o'er thy heaving breast; TO THE CANDLE-SNUFFERS AT DRURY-LANE THEATRE. Dear Sirs, affairs look very, very dark, Both in your speculation and in mine; For though Committees boast of many a Spark, Unless through you, I fear we ne'er shall shine. Except indeed we see no Peter more, But, like the Empire, claim a George's care, A Coalman may our lights a bit restore, Though neither heir-at-law, nor natʼral heir. To such brain'd Woodcocks, as have rul'd us still, No Cele supplying:-yet it comes to pass Of Coal's residuum we may have our fill In Coke, for litigation and for gas. But brighten up, nor out, brief candle,' say, Burnt down and wasted, not extinguished quite; With better management we'll play and pay And dazzle, while these owls descend to night. A SUBSCRIBER. BIOGRAPHY. MARIA LOUISA ALBERTINA. Neustrelitz, March 11, 1818. The illustrious Princess Maria Louisa Albertina, widow of the Landgrave George of Hesse-Darmstadt, Lady of the Royal Prussian Order of Louisa, Grandmother of the present amiable and accomplished Duchess of Cumberland, born Countess of Leiningen-Dachsburgh and Broich, died yesterday morning, at the Grand-Ducal Palace, in the arms of her son, at present in this place, and her grandson, who resides here. Her death was occasioned by palsy and an inflamation in the lungs. She was only three days dangerously ill, and endured with the utmost patience and fortitude her severe sufferings, which terminated in a gentle slumber. She was born on the 16th of March 1729, and consequently wanted only five days of completing her 89th year; but, notwithstanding her advanced age, she died too soon for her numerous relatives, and all who had the happiness to know her, for to know and to revere her was the same thing. As a wife, a mother, and a princess, she was one of the most distinguished ornaments of her sex. Sincere piety, depth of feeling, nobleness of sentiment, firmness and strength of character; singular activity of mind, preserving to the last all the freshness of youth; true humanity, a constant delight in doing good; a strong sense of all her worldly duties, which she punctually fulfilled; reso lution in sufferings and trials, many of which she had undergone during her long life; humility of heart in prosperity; and unbounded maternal love and tenderness, by which she for ever bound to her a numerous and grateful posterity-such were the brilliant virtues with which the deceased was in an eminent degree endowed, and which so well qualified her to be the mother of the many princely descendants who mourn her loss in the families of two Emperors, four Kings, two Grand Dukes, four Dukes, and four Princes. In consequence of her union with George, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, to whom she was married on the 16th of March 1748, and who died on the 21st of June 1782, she had the singular good fortune to live to see nine children, three sons-in-law, twenty-four grandsons, twelve grandsons-in-law, fifty-six great and eleven great great grand-sons, amountgrand-sons, seven great grandsons-in-law, ing altogether to 122 individuals entitled to call her mother. She was united by blood to almost all the princely houses of Germany, so that there are very few who do not in her deplore the loss of a member of their family. But still more extensive is the sorrow of the numerous individuals who regarded her with filial affection. The 16th of March, which was her birth-day and her wedding-day, is, according to her own directions respecting her funeral, also to be the day on which her mortal remains are to find that peace and repose which_her blessed spirit has already obtained.-From the Neue Strelitzische Ånzeigen. LIFE OF NIEBUHR. (Concluded from No. 71.) Thus the plan which he had first laid down for the publication of his work was changed. He resolved to begin with the Description of Arabia. The revolution which overthrew Count Bernstorff his protector, and placed Strueensée almost upon the throne, did not stop him. He did not deign to purchase the protection of the new Government by a single step, never concealed what he thought of it, continued the composition of his work, and had the pleasure to witness the fall of Strueensée before he published it. dition into Africa. The idea was suggested to him by an ambassador of the Pacha of Tripoli, named Abder Achman Aga, who passed some time at Copenhagen. Niebuhr became acquainted with him, and received from him such interesting information respecting two Musselman empires hidden in the interior of that part of the world, and respecting the possibility of travelling thi ther, that after carefully committing it to writing, he conceived a violent desire to go and verify the facts himself, and reconstruct the geography of that immense peninsula, then limited to the works of Leo Africanus, and the Schérif Edrisi, and to the conjectures of the illustrious d'Anville. He however abandoned this project for a marriage, which took place in 1773, and constituted the happiness of his life. He had two children, a daughter, and the author of this memoir of his life. From this time, entirely employed in the publication of his Journey to Arabia, he produced the first volume in the following year. In the visit which he made to Leipzig on this occasion, he became acquainted with the illustrious Reiske, at that time persecuted or disregarded by his contemporaries, and whom he found better acquainted with the language and literature of Arabia, than the Arabs themselves. On this occasion too Niebuhr gave proofs of his disinterestedness; he printed at his own expense the labours of his friend Forskaal, together with his own; and he paid a considerable sum to a learned Swede, who drew up all those parts which related to natural history, and suffered new losses by this new publi cation. So many expenses, either lost, or of which the reimbursement was at least remote, discouraged him a little. It was not till six years afterwards, namely, in 1778, that he published the second volume of his Journey, which comes down to his arrival at Aleppo, and does not conclude it. Niebuhr in fact intended to publish a third and last volume of his narrative, which he would have enriched with observations on the Turkish empire, and the Musselman religion, with notices on Abyssinia, which he had collected in Yémen, and with those which Abder Achman had communicated concerning the interior of Africa. collections of his astronomical observations would have concluded this volume, which unhappily has never appcared. The It was in 1772 that the Description of Arabia appeared in the German language and in Germany, but it did not meet with the reception it deserved. The friends of M. Niebuhr gives us several reasons for Michaelis descried this important work, the non-appearance of this third volume. which, like many others, was destined to His father, tired of the military service, owe its success to time. Niebuhr hoped to and of living at Copenhagen, gave up both, be indemnified by the approbation of the and accepted the place of bailiff at Meldorff, rest of Europe; and he had prepared a the chief town of the canton of his country. French translation to obtain it, but this His establishment here, and the rural emtranslation, made at Copenhagen by a refu- ployments resulting from it, diverted his gee Clergyman, had a rival in Holland. attention from literature and science. Cut They were both bad; and that of Copen-off from all literary intercourse, sensible to hagen, for the benefit of the author, was the worst of the two. This rivalry produced no advantage to his reputation, and much loss to his purse. About this time he was on the point of being tempted to undertake another expe the indifference of his country to the first fruits of his labours, he did not think of prosecuting the continuation of them. During the American war, he imprudently speculated in Danish East-India stock, by which he lost considerable sums, which rendered him still more averse from risking any further the patrimony of his children. The air of the country did not agree with the health of his family, and his own eyes were very weak since he had fatigued them to excess in copying the inscriptions at Persepolis. Acircumstance which ought, it should seem, to have brought him back to his first plans, on the contrary served to prevent the execution of them. M. Boic was appointed Upper Bailiff of Meldorff. Niebuhr soon became intimate with his new neighbour, and by this means resumed his communication with the literary world. But M. Boic was publishing at that time his Journal called the German Museum, and Niebuhr furnishing him with various extracts from his third volume (for insertion in his Journal,) gave up more and more the idea of publishing the whole. He was also much employed in the education of his children, particularly of his son, whom he wished to be his successor in his travels. However, in 1788, the celebrated Herder sent him his Persepolis, and from that time Germany began to do him justice. But his health now became precarious; he experienced infirmities from which he was not wholly free till the age of seventy. Lastly, in 1795, the conflagration which consumed the inagnificent palace of the king, and part of the city of Copenhagen, destroyed the engraved plates of his work, both published and unpublished, and this made it impossible for him to think of completing the publication himself. Niebuhr had retired to Meldorff in 1778: he never left this retreat, where he died on the 26th of April 1815, at the age of eighty-two. Though these thirty-seven years were not employed in drawing up the rest of his travels, they were not passed in idleness: he filled them on the contrary with useful and important labours. In his office he displayed unalterable mildness of disposition, boundless zeal, and perfect disinterestedness; he made and collected highly important observations on the agriculture peculiar to the marshy countries which he inhabited, and on the successive progress of vegetation, in the alluvial lands of the Elbe; and notwithstanding the weakness of his sight, prosecuted with indefatigable ardour, at the age of seventy; two, the operations of a new survey ordered by his government. During this time too he sent to M. Zach his astronomical observations, which were inserted with the greatest eulogiums in the Correspondence of that learned astronomer, after having been again calculated and verified by M. Burg by means of the lunar tables. The happiness which Niebuhr enjoyed in the bosom his family was heightened in the latter years of his life, by seeing his merit recognized by all Europe. He corresponded with the most illustrious men of letters, such as Doctor Russell, and Major Rennl in England; M. de Lacy, and M, Babie du Bocage, at Paris. He communie: ted to the two former and to the last interesting notes concerning Asia Minor. an actor of Mr. Kean's abilities so grievously mistaken or misused. In not one of In 1802 he was elected Foreign Associate the parts enumerated has he overstepped of the Institute, and felt a degree of joy mediocrity, and in some of them he has which his son has not failed to record. been absolutely below criticism. His perNiebuhr's extreme partiality to the Eng-sonation of King John was almost burlish, never led him to neglect his duties to lesque in costume and in acting; his AlexDenmark, which had adopted him, or to ander outheroded Herod; his imitations Germany his first country. He twice re- were inferior to Sadler's Wells; his singing fused very advantageous proposals from on a level with Vauxhall; and his hornEngland to publish his third volume in Eng-pipes such as no Committee of scientific lish. His son proposed to add to his fa- Noblemen at the Thatched House could ther's work all that had not been already possibly applaud. Non omnia possumus published of the materials collected by omnes. Mr. Kean is a clever person, but Forskaal, besides a general map of Arabia, he positively must suffer other performers with the translation of an Arabic MS. depo- to do something, were it only for the sake sited by our traveller in the Royal Library of variety, and not constitute himself the at Copenhagen; he calls this MS. The His- be all, and, as matters look, the end all tory of Zebid: it contains a very important here, at Drury. part of the history of Yémen during the middle ages. M. Niebuhr did not give his consent to this plan, till it was too late to execute it, and his son does not say whether he intends to resume it. Kean is going abroad, after his country engagements; to Italy, and Greece, it is said. Wallack is engaged for America, and, we believe, Mrs. Davison also. DRURY LANE PROPRIETORS.-Another The Danish government shewed itself on several occasions sensible of the attach- Theatre took place on Monday, when a meeting of the Proprietors of Drury Lane ment of Niebuhr to his country. In 1802, statement of some of their affairs was laid when provisions became uncommonly dear, before them by the committee previously it made an addition to his salary. In 18.0, appointed. As far as it went, it developed when he wholly lost his sight, it would not the desperate situation of the concern; accept his resignation of his office, but upon which the assembly resolved, That it gave him for his assistant an intimate would be expedient to reduce the corps of friend, who already aided him in his functions, so that with his help and that of his performers, and diminish the salaries of daughter, he was able to retain his employ-soon as possible, and not to open again ment to the last day of his life. Such is the succinct outline of the life and labour of this celebrated man. In his latter years he retained a great memory, all the powers of his mind, and more bodily strength than is usual at so advanced an age in short, he passed his old age hapand his recollections, the just reward of a pily, surrounded by his family, his friends, life so well employed, so rich in labour, and so adorned by virtues. THE DRAMA. DRURY LANE.-Mr. Kean seems to be trying a series of experiments upon the public at this theatre, not calculated, we fear, to augment his reputation. Since our last, he has played King John, Alexander the Great, Silvester Daggerwood, Paul, Hamlet, and was advertised for Young Norval: that is, he has ranted, chaunted, mimicked, danced, beheroed, and befarcified it, till, in truth, we forgot that he was the great tragic performer, the prop of Drury Lane, and began to view him as one of those common drudges who are forced into all sorts of characters however unsuited to their talents (if they have any,) to the no small injury of their popular estimation, and disadvantage of the pieces in which they thus figure. It is really a pity to see those retained; to shut the theatre as ditors; to borrow 60007. for this purpose, without a perfect arrangement with the creand to entrust the management to one perpublic need not be reminded, son properly qualified. We suppose the Thus bad begins, but worse remains behind. It has been mentioned to us, that in taking the particulars of a former meeting from the daily papers, we did injustice to Mr. Dowton. It was Mr. Kean who made the bravado offer of 5007. to the Committee, and not the admirable Comedian, of whose talents we think too highly not to be sorry if we did him wrong in public opinion. Neither does Mr. Kean's speech deserve censure; it was a hasty and rather absurd effusion, but the motive was most com mendable. performers have taken benefits during the week, including Mr. Liston, Mrs. Gibbs, and Mr. Emery. We hope the receipts have been equal to the merits of three actors unrivalled in their various lines; but the previous benefits, with a few exceptions, have not been what the lovers of the drama could wish. It is singular that the public do not more countenance those who exert themselves so much to gratify them during the season, when their nights come: but it is a fact, that the words "it is a benefit," instead of inciting parties to go to the For Thursday; but the theatre shut up on theatre, very generally induce them to that night, as is given out, till Monday;-in stay away. This either arises from the fear fact, altogether, in as far as the proprietors are of very mixed audiences, or very crowded concerned: if it opens after Monday, it will only houses; and we can only regret that the be for private benefits, but even this is doubtful. | latter is not always so valid a reason as the former. But whatever is the cause, the result is unfortunate, and without a very strong personal connection, the ornaments of the stage often play to a loss instead of a benefit. It should not be so. DIGEST OF POLITICS AND NEWS. The murderers of M. Fualdes insist on being confessed by a Bishop. Their consciences they say are as much entangled as their affair; and as there has been so much eclat in the trial, an Abbe is by no means sufficient! rals, as well as the ancient Etruscan, originate in the nails which the above-mentioned nations, in the earliest period of their history, caused to have fixed annually by their magistrates, not for chronological purposes, the first in the Temple of Jupiter, SIR,-I'm an auld Highlandman, but I the last at Vulsinium (Bolsena) in the Temcannot help that returning from a long re-ple of Nurtia, their Goddess of Fortune. On Wednesday, Parliament was dis-sidence abroad, I find that most of my countrymen have disguised their names, as solved immediately after the Prince Regent had closed the Session in person. The Grand Duke Michel, of Russia, who has arrived in England; the Duchess of Cambridge, and her father; and the Foreign ambassadors, with many distinguished persons belonging to their courts, were present at this grand and important ceremony. The new writs are returnable on the 4th of August, and the spirit of a general election is now abroad agitating the land-we hope for its good The celebrated and excellent commander General Barclay de Tolly is dead. Bastide, Jaussion, and Colard, three of the horrid murderers of M. Fualdes, have been executed. The widow Bancal is respited in order to be reexamined respecting some new prisoners arrested on suspicion of being participators in this bloody tragedy: the punishn ent of Bax is commuted for twenty years con finement in irons. VARIETIES. On the 7th of last month the King of Naples and his brother, Charles IV. ex-king of Spain, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Salerno, visited the ancient city of Pompeia, through which they were conducted in a carriage by the Chevalier Arditi. They breakfasted on the spot, and particularly examined the three rooms recently discovered and excavated, in which several admirable specimens of antiquity have been found in terra cotta, marble, and bronze. The visitors and the place combined might suggest many reflections on human life. M. David has painted a great picture of the farewell of Eucharis and Telemachus. A Paris publication called the Ephemerides Militaires, a fortnight ago detailed the battle of Toulouse among the glorious victories achieved bythe French arms: 20,000 French beat 100,000 English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and killed almost as many men as their own number amounted to!!! A lake has recently been formed in the valley of Bagnes en Vallais, in Switzerland: It has been made by the fall of ice from the Glacier of Chedroz into the bed of the river Drance, which, thus blocked by mountains of ice and snow dissolving into water, has converted the lower part of the valley into a lake 7200 feet in length, 630 feet broad, and 180 feet deep at the greatest depth on the 14th of May. if they were ashamed of them; maybe they Your friend and Servant, M. Charles Malo has announced a French translation of Horace Walpole's Letters to G. Montagu, lately published. Rob Roy has been translated, and is read with great avidity in Paris. METEOROLOGICAL JOURNAL. JUNE. Thursday, 4-Thermometer from 43 to 79. Barometer from 30, 50, stationary. Barometer from 30, 50 to 30, 47. Monday, 8-Thermometer from 51 to 72. Barometer from 30, 47 to 30, 43. halo (particularly towards the zenith) was formed Barometer from 30, 44 to 30, 41. Lime-street, 2d June. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. We are desired to state, that the Second John Duke of Marlborough, with his Ori- ROMAN NUMERALS. Rome, May 6th. An Essay which Dr. Jos.de Matthæis read in the Archaelogical Society at Rome on the 29th of February 1818, has now been published by Bourlié under the title of Sull origine de numeri Romani, (On the Origin of the Roman Numerals) 36 pages in 4to. and a lithographic print. The author attempts to prove that the Roman Nume Barometer from 30, 42 to 30, 35. Wind E. TO CORRESPONDENTS. The Editor of the Literary Gazette will be ready to treat on the subject of the Original Papers.”—Should they not suit his purpose, he may perhaps be able to serve the author in another way, as an acknowledgment for the favour of his past communications. Bertrand must have unluckily deposited all his humour upon that small space of his letter sheet which goes under the seal: this there was no wit was the only part we could not read, and where else. any a pleasure to lose such readers as he deBal's complaint is not well founded: it is scribes. They are weak and peremptory liberty of opinion to others which they so persons indeed, who will not allow that noisily claim for themselves. Our strict impartiality in literary, and thorough independence in party matters (with which we meddle as seldom as possible, and only when united with literature) are too distinct to need assertion. veral letters from Correspondents relative * Mr. Valpy, having received sethat he has not, nor ever had, any interest to articles in our Gazette, begs us to state, in the publication. He was the Printer only of our first year's Numbers. BENSLEY and SONS, Bolt Court, Fleet Street, AND Journal of Belles Lettres, Arts, Politics, etc. No. 74. REVIEW OF NEW BOOKS. SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 1818. Letters of a Prussian Traveller, descriptive of a Tour through Sweden, Prussia, Austria, Hungary, Istria, the Ionian Islands, Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, Rhodes, the Morea, Greece, Calabria, Italy, the Tyrol, &c. &c. By John Bramsen. 8vo. 2 vols. Mr. Bramsen accompanied the eldest son of Sir John Maxwell in a tour comprehending all the countries above enumerated, and some others, and occupying above two years, from July 1813 to Sept. 1815. In a preface, the author claims indulgence for many errors in style, as the work is written in a language not his own: but surely a greater degree of pains might have been taken, even by the printers and correctors of the press, to weed it of the multitude of vulgarisms and grammatical inaccuracies which deform its pages. PRICE 1s. 1814, at which time the French garrison and instead of a knife and fork we were written, that any description is unnecesSix fried pigeons underwent the same sary. The French consul, Monsieur mangling mode of division, and the inThe early part of the publication reDrouetti, had discovered a most beauti-ferior officers who stood behind helped quires very little of our notice. The tra- ful statue of black granite nearly buried themselves as the slaves were carrying vellers sailed from Leith, and arrived at in a yard belonging to an Arab from the dishes away. Pillaw, fowls, and a Gottenburgh; whence they proceeded whom he purchased it. It is in perfect sort of pudding, finished the banquet, through Sweden and the north of Gerpreservation, between four and five feet in and the latter dishes would have been many, by a route too well known to height, and a Greek inscription states it to excellent but for the profusion of oil furnish novelty. Indeed this portion of be from the Lycian people to Ptolemy, an used in cooking them. Pipes, coffee, and the narrative is litttle more than an use-officer and favourite of one of the kings sherbet, filled up the time till 10 o'clock, ful itinerary. At Potsdam, a few anec- of the same name. From Alexandria when they retired to rest. Next morndotes of Frederick the Great are culled. the travellers set out for Cairo, with an ing they saw about a hundred and He had forbidden any officer to attend a escort of two Arabs, camels to carry twenty fine Arabian chargers at manege masked-ball at Berlin, but recognised in their baggage, &c. They were joined by in the court-yard. The town of Daa Mr. Buckingham. At Damanhur they manhur is a miserable place. The Arawere hospitably received by Ali Bey, tobian women wear nothing but a short whom they had letters. He laughed blue cotton gown; their feet and hands very heartily when they told him of Buo- are bare, and their nails, eyebrows, and naparte's being sent to Elba, observing, chins, dyed with indigo. Iron ear-rings, that the bird was at last caught in a bracelets, and in some cases nose-rings, cage. After the ceremonies of the in- also painted blue, are proudly worn. troduction, The Bey had twenty-six wives and concubines, besides favourite slaves: he had The Bey observed, that we must need re-fifty horses for his own use, and about freshment, and begged us to retire without ceremony. We readily obeyed, and were conducted to a middle-sized apartment, with two windows looking into the yard: there was a small mat on the floor, and six large baskets filled with grapes and watermelous; the Bey had ordered these fruits to be placed here, that we might partake of them whenever we felt inclined. The treasurer, and several other officers of the Bey's guard, directed the slaves to place a small round thing for extract; and, advancing to iron plate upon a low table, around which more interesting regions, we shall abwe seated ourselves upon the mats. They stain from lingering in Hungary, but gave us each a small round loaf, which was sail at once from Pola, and land our rea- very thin and badly baked, but served us as ders safely at Corfu, on the 19th of June | a plate; there was no table-cloth or napkin, VOL. II, the room Baron L-, Captain of his own guard. The King accosted him, "Captain, you are here contrary to the King's orders." That's very true, Sir; but on the honour of a gentleman, say not one word of it. The next day at the parade his Majesty called this officer aside, and thus addressed him, "Captain, you are a Major; but on the honour of a gentleman, say not one word of it." On another occasion, passing some regiments in review, he observed a soldier with the scar of a sabre wound on his face; finding he was a Frenchman, the King said, "In what alehouse were you wounded?" To which the soldier smartly replied, in allusion to one of the battles lost by Frederick, In that where your Majesty paid the shot!' From Berlin to Vienna we find no 450 for his troops. Being sumptuously entertained, and kindly dismissed, the travellers proceeded up the Nile to Shebrachit, where they embarked for Cairo. The lands here are irrigated and well cultivated. A fine Arabian mare and colt cost from 10 to 15. At Cairo, the party lodged at the convent, and had their dinners prepared by an Italian, who keeps a sort of inn. Of course, the Pyramids, Sphinx, &c. were visited; and Damietta and Jaffa were the next stages at which any stop was made. In their way to the latter they heard the |