1823.] 
opera of that title; the Pierre and 
Jaffier of Young and Kemble; and the 
Macbeth of the former of these two 
excellent actors; aided by the perform- 
ance of “the Vision of the Sun,” the 
representation of “the Lord of the 
Manor,” the “ Comedy of Errors,” 
«‘ Maid Marian,” the ‘School of Re- 
form,” the “ Way to keep Him,” the 
“‘ Point of Honour,” and a new histo- 
rical romance called “the Beacon of 
Liberty ;”-—have attracted respectable 
audiences, both as to number and qua- 
lity, and have excited no small portion 
of approbation and applause. Of “ the 
Beacon of Liberty” we have only to 
say that, though its title promises much, 
and it has been rather fortunate in its 
reception, iis east or colouring falls 
short of what the story of the renowned 
William Tell would have led us to 
expect. The hero is exhibited more as 
the husband and father, than as the 
patriot; and consequently is shown 
more as an amiable than as a great 
character; more pleasing than shining; 
and is wanting in almost all those 
striking traits by which he honoured his 
own country, and is admired by the 
lovers of liberty in every other, 
Drury-Lane.—tThe tasteful and in- 
defatigable Jessee of “New Drury” 
‘ commenced his present campaign with 
_ Spirit of Philosophical Discovery. 
343 
Sheridan’s ‘ Rivals,” and two new 
pieces, —“ Cupid aud Folly,” a ballet, 
and “Stella and Leatherlungs,” a 
sketch; in the latter of which Miss 
Clara Fisher was the Stella or Star, and 
fully availed herself of the ample op- 
portunity afforded for the display of her 
juvenile powers, by a production avow- 
edly directed to that laudable object. 
Elliston’s Don Felix, Ranger, Vapid, 
and Henry Dornton; Muuden’s Old 
Dornton; and Macready’s Virginius, 
Hamlet, and Rolla,—have formed the 
other principal attractions at this house 
since the Ist of October, and supported 
the high repute obtained for it last 
season, by that spirit and liberality in 
the manager which determined him to 
surround himself with all the talent he 
could attach to the interest of his great 
and weighty concern. Mr. Macready 
is a most valuable addition to the 
strength of the company in tragedy ; 
and, in comedy, the veteran Man- 
den has been re-engaged for his 
last season. In two performances of 
Virginius, Mr. Macready has displayed 
as great powers as ever appeared on any 
boards; and his performance is one of 
the greatest dramatic treats which has 
been afforded for many years. It is in 
every respect a master-piece. 
SPIRIT OF PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOVERY. 
—<—— 
[The great increase of Journals devoted to Science, and the consequent accumulation of 
facts, huve determined us, as a meuns of putting our readers into possession of every novelty, 
to devole from three to four pages regularly to Notices of the New Discoveries and 
interesting Facts scattered through seven or eight costly publications. We hope thereby»to 
acd to the value and utility of the Monthly Magazine, and leave ow readers nothing to desire 
in regard to what is passing in the philosophical, as well as literary world. The Belles 
Lettres departments of this Miscellany are, we believe, inferior to no work in the interest and 
taste of the articles, while, as an assemblage of useful materials, we have confessedlg no vival 
cither at home or abroad. Our only ground of lamentation is th® limitation of space, by the 
limitation of our price ; but we have resisted every overture to razse it above two shilling's,— 
it being our ambition to present the public with the best Miscellany at the lowest price. This 
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—= 
OMETS and Planets.—The inte- 
resting novelty of a comet, having 
so short a period as three years and 
three-tenths, has been fully ascertained 
by Professor Encke, of Seeberg, in Ger- 
may, in its eleventh return to its per- 
hielion, since the month of January 1786, 
in which year it was for the first time 
seen by Messrs. Mechain and Messier, 
Hut was only observed twice by them ; 
and their calculations as to its orbit, as 
well as those of various astronomers ia 
1795, together with those of M. Pons 
in 1805, and again in 1819, were all. 
made on the parabolic hypothesis, in 
which the periodic time of a revolution 
is left wholly indeterminate: these cal- 
culations of necessity failed in suggest- 
ing the identity of this comet, in its four 
observed returns past the sun, at the 
unequal 
