1823.] Literary and Cr 



Maid Marian, Vir^laius, theSchoolfor 

 Scandal, and tlie Beggar's Opera, will 

 always afiford a certain dcp;iee of gra- 

 tification; but a thirst for variety, 

 variety by the means of creative inven- 

 tion, has been a feature of every age ; 

 and the caterers for public amuse- 

 ment, who fail to give to tliat great 

 requisite their constant and sedulous 

 attention, do not embrace for them- 

 selves and their concerns every possi- 

 ble advantage. 



Drury-Lane. — At Drury Lane, 

 taste, industry, and novelty, are still 

 considered as articles of the first ne- 

 cessity. In addition to all the interest 

 that could be imparted to the Road to 

 Ruin, and the Haunted Tower; Macbeth, 

 and the Revenge; and Love in a Village, 

 and Richard the Third, by the talents of 

 Elliston and Munden, Braham and 

 Mrs. Austin, and Kean and Young, 

 the failure of a first pantomime has, 

 with wondcrlul expedition, been suc- 

 ceeded by a second, of mucli merit in 



itical Proemium, 



61 



the several provinces of magical exhi- 

 bition ; and, while the Golden Axe has 

 been bringing its own metal to the 

 treasury, the boon has been augmented 

 by a new melo-drama, a new farce, 

 and a new female performer, all of 

 which have been received with more 

 than common marivs of approbation. 

 The farce (Simpson and Co.) is a very 

 pleasant after-piece in two acts ; the 

 melo-drama, (Augusta, or the Blind 

 Girl,) an ingenious and highly inter- 

 esting imitation of a French produc- 

 tion, now performing with distin- 

 guished success at Paris ; and the 

 debutante, a lady who, we l)elieve, had 

 been a favourite witii provincial audi- 

 ences, and who, we doubt not, is des- 

 tined to the honour of much future 

 fame. Thus the public entertainment 

 has been consulted with no less suc- 

 cess than assiduity; and "liis majes- 

 ty's servants," headed by the veteran 

 Elliston, are prosecuting a fair and 

 flourishing career. 



NEW BOOKS PUBLISHED IN JANUARY : 



WITH AN HISTORICAL AND CRITICAL PROEMIUM. 



Authors or Publishers, desirous of seeing an eaidij notice of their Worhs, are 



requested to transmit copies before the \Sth of the Month. 



lYTR. Thomas Moore has lately pub- 

 -'•'-*■ livlii'd a poem called Ihe Loves of the 

 Ani^eU, tor an account of wiiicli we refer 

 tlie leaJer to a pieceding able article of 

 this month. In addition to this, he has pre- 

 sented us with another number of his 

 ^'utional Melodies, which, though highly 

 beautiful, is, we think, inferior, both in the 

 nuisica! and in the poetical department, to 

 the foresroinj; parts. The merits and the 

 defects of this author in his minor produc- 

 tions are so well appi eclated, that any 

 further comment upon them would be un- 

 necessary. We shall therefore merely 

 subjoin, for the amusement of our readers, 

 the first melody in the present number, 

 which is, we think, in every respect the 

 most excellent : — 

 Come listen to my storv, wliile 



Your needles' task you ply; 

 At what I sing some inaiils nill smile. 



While some, perhaps, may sigh. 

 Tho* Love's the tlieme, anrl Wisdom blames 



•Such llorid songs as our's; 

 Yi-t TiTith soinetin)es, like Eastern dnmes, 

 Can speak her thoughts by flowers. 



Then listen, maids, come listen while 



Your needles' task you ply; 

 At what I *inL' there's some may smile, 

 Wliile some, perhaps, will sigh. 

 Young Chloe, bent on catching Loves, 



Sucli nets had Icarn'd to frame. 



That none in all our vales or groves 



R'er caught so much small game. 



While gentle .Sue, less giv'ii to roam, 



When Chloc's nets were taking 

 These flights of birds, sat still at home 

 One small neat lovc-cage making. 



Come listcii, maids, come, &c. 



Much Chloe laugh'd at Susan's task. 



But mark how things went on, 

 Thcseliyht-canght Loves, — ere you coi.Ul ask 



Their name and age, — were gone, 

 .So weak poor Chlos's nets were wove. 



That, tho' she eharm'd into them 

 New game each hour, the youngest Love 



Was able to break thro' them. 



Come listen, maids, come, Stc. 



Meanwhile young Sue, whose cage waj wrought 



Of bars too strung to sever. 

 One Love with golden pinions caught, 



And caged him there for ever; 

 Instructing thereby all cofjuets, 

 Whate'er their looks or ages. 

 That, tho' 'tis pleasant weaViug nets, 

 'Tis wiser to make cages. 



Thus, maidens, thus do I beguile 



The ta?k your fingers ply; 

 May all who hear, like .Susan smile. 

 Ah! not like (hloc sigh! 



Two additions to the Historical Library 

 have appeared within the month, in some 

 volumes of the Memoirs of Napoleon le 

 Grand, dictated b'j hinifietf, and in the Jour- 

 nal of Las Ciisus. We arc glad to see the 

 true character of this illustrious man thus 

 developed to the world, and preserved to 

 pnsteiiiy ; and we wereparticulailyjileased 

 with the observations in Las Casas' Jour- 

 nal on the exaggerated misrepresentations 

 of the British ambassador, in Ihe famous 

 interview with which Napoleon honoured 

 him. How much will thousands blush at 

 having been made the dupes of Ihe Mritish 

 ministry at that momentous crisis! The 

 folly of on(^ party, and the deliberate kna- 

 very of the other, caused all that ruin 



which 



