Monthly Review of Littrtilnrc, 



[JAN. 



And the prince })robably remembered 

 his folly upon more than one ocasion 

 and especially when, at a private con- 

 cert of his own, after treating Rossini 

 with the highest distinctions, he pressed 

 for another piece by way of finale to the 

 evening's entertainment, Rossini made 

 his bow with" I think we have had 

 enough for one night." And this to the 

 man who paid for his fiddling. 



Parke " lets the cat out of the bag" on 

 the subject of encores. We have only 

 room for the forcers. 



The Kind's Theatre commenced for the season 

 on the 18th of December with Mozart's comic 

 opera, " Le Nozze di Figaro," in which Madame 

 Bellochi sang admirably. The house that night 

 was remarkably thin '; indeed the most numerous 

 part of the audience were the forcers, viz those 

 dependants of the principal singers who are ad- 

 mitted with orders to set the applause and the 

 encores going. These people, however, are some- 

 times necessary, as the following fact will show : 

 At Covent Garden Theatre, some few years back, 

 John Kemble, then stage-manager, had got up 

 one of the Roman plays of Shakspeare, the first 

 representation of which he came into the orchestra 

 to witness, and sat next to me. Although the 

 language was beautiful, and admirably delivered, 

 yet the apathy of the audience was such, that the 

 actors could not obtain a sign of approbation. 

 This, he observed, was intolerable; therefore to 

 a succeeding speech he gently tapped his stick on 

 the floor, which was followed by the hands of a 

 tew of the audience. This he repeated occasion- 

 ally, increasing the force each time, till the au- 

 dience at length gave the actors loud and general 

 applause. "There, Mr. Parke," said he to me, 

 " you seethe use of a forcer." 



In 17^3, Dr. Arne had sixty guineas 

 for his Artaxerxes ; in 1781, Shield 

 had forty for Rosina; in 1791, Storace 

 1000. for The Siege of Belgrade; and, 

 in 1804, Braham as many guineas for 

 "The English Fleet." These matters 

 are returning apparently to old prices 

 not so, however, those of foreign singers 

 they have increased, are increasing, 

 and ought to be diminished, as Dunning 

 said of the influence of the crown. Be- 

 fore the close of the Opera in 1738, Nico- 

 lini had 800 guineas for a season ; Sene- 

 sini, 1,500 ; and Farenilli built a temple 

 on his return to Italy, dedicated to Eng- 

 lish follv. In Parke's time, Pacchie- 

 rotti retired with ,20,000. ; Marchesi, 

 in three seasons, with 10,000 ; Mara, 

 Banti, Billington (more than half an 

 Italian), each out-salaried the other; 

 Catalani, in 1814, had 3,000. and two 

 benefits ; and Pasta, 4,500., with a be- 

 nefit insured at 1000. Parke has no 

 doubt native talent now quite equals 

 foreign he has heard foreigners to 

 justify Benedict's "If I had a dog 

 howled so, I'd hang him." 



Alluding to Braham's money. making 

 spirit, he tells a story of a child of his 

 to shew how the passion of grasping is 



burnt into the race of singers from their 

 birth 



A gentleman, who was in the habit of visiting 

 at the house of that iidmired singer, informed me 

 (as an admirable trait in a child then only five 

 years old) that he one day asked Brabam's little 

 boy to sing him a song, which the infant said he 

 would do if he would pay him for it. "Well, 

 my little dear," said the gentleman, " how much 

 do you ask for one?" " Sixpence," replied the 

 child. " Oh," said the other, " can't you sing 

 me one for less?''- "No," said the urchin, " I can't 

 take less for one ; but I'll sing you three for a 

 shilling." 



The Arrow and the Rose, with other 

 Poems, by William Kennedy. Here is 

 some manly versification, with a spice of 

 humour and satire, though the tale upon 

 which much of it is spent is of the ro- 

 mantic caste. Charles IX- of France, 

 with his precious mother, Catherine de 

 Medicis, on their way to Bayonne stop- 

 ped at Nerac, to pay a visit 



To the good lady of Navarre, 

 Whose son was then arising star ; 

 Ere to Bayonne they pass'd, to gain 

 Through gloomy Alva fresh from Spain, 

 The newest scourge to lash mankind, 

 For not submitting to seem blind. 

 Catherine, a true devotee 

 Of pious house of Medici, 

 Joined in the frolics of the court, 

 Like sanctity bewitched by sport; 

 Her maids of honour played sad tricks 

 On handsome Gascon heretics. 



Among the festivities was an archery- 

 match, at which young Henry, then a 

 lad of sixteen, distinguished himself as a 

 shot. Charles, as became a king, made 

 but bungling work; but the Duke of 

 Guise contested the prize with Henry. 

 They had each of them cleft an orange. 



Harry liked little to divide 

 The garland with Parisian pride, 

 And failing at the time to find 

 An orange suited to his mind, 

 Begged from a blushing country maid 

 A red rose in her bosom laid. 

 Poor girl! it was not in her power 

 From such a youth to save the flower! 

 The prize was his triumphantly 

 He fixed it on a neighbouring tree 

 His bonnet doff 'd, and cleared his brow, 

 While beauty whispered note him now ! 

 A moment, and the sweet rose shivered 

 Beneath the shaft that in it quivered. 

 He bore the arrow and its crest, 



The wounded flower to the fair, 

 The pressure of whose virgin breast 



It late seemed proud to bear 

 Shrinking, she wished herself away, 

 As the young prince, with bearing gay 

 And gallant speech, before her bent, 

 Like victor at a tournament 

 " Damsel! accept again" he said 

 ' With this steel stalk, thy favourite, dead ! 

 Unwept it perished for there glows 

 On thy soft cheek a lovelier rose." 



