E10 
make it full? Are we to wonder at the 
frequenters of that theatre, if they prefer 
the spectacle they can see to the good 
sense which they cannot hear? In fine, 
are we to arraign the author whp humours 
a taste, which he eannet correct 
Tam not convinced that we ought to 
wish for a reformin tke public taste for 
spectacle and splendour. Every art and 
every science should lend their aid to ce- 
lebrate the achievements of our country- 
men; mavnificent funerals, monuments 
aud trophies should be awarded to the he- 
roes, who march to victory, and die in 
battle. It requires great energy to support 
a contest with the ravagers of Europe, in 
which we are likely now to stand alone, 
and we must net complain of- noise, when 
we have no right tosleep; we should not 
stop the geese from cackling, when the 
capitol is in danger, and the centinels 
have need to be on the alert. The maa 
whose livelihood depends upon the labour 
ef bis mules, must submit to hear the 
jingling of their bells. ha 
An ancient poet is reported to have 
said to a contemporary dramatist. “ Are 
you not ashamed when you hear your co- 
medies preferred to mine?’—“ No (re- 
plied the dramatist); I am not ashamed ; 
because it is not 1, but the people, that 
prefer them: I write to please the public, 
you to please yourself; you write for per- 
petuity, and I for praise.” 
Persons, who are not in the secrets of 
a theatre may be apt to suppose that the 
projectors of pantomimes and ballets in 
dumb show are not writers for the stage. 
It is a great mistake; it requires a very 
considerable display of eloquence, and 
much power of composition to teach men 
to say nothing aud express a great deal: 
{ have seen and perused a manuscript of 
this sort, that was quite as long as a three- 
act comedy, and not inferior to many 
that have had their passport. 
The splendid form of divine worship 
established in the Catholic countries af- 
fords a never-failing source Qf spectacle 
to the pedple; which may be amongst the 
reasons why their national drama has con- 
tinued to preserve 2 more grave and sim- 
ple cast of character, not greatly deviat- 
ing from thg antient rules; their churches 
being of the nature of theatres, their 
stage to acertain degree assumes the so- 
Jemnity and purity of a school and a 
church. With usofthe reformed religion 
the reverse obtains: We hear reason in 
our churches, and romances in our thea- 
tres: 
sermons, nor our preachers to ape either 
we do not want our poets to preach ~ 
» 
z P : the ie ; 
Major Mackenzie s, Collcetionsand Work - [March, 
the language of our poets, or the attitudes 
of our actors. After the business of the 
day we ask nothing of our public places 
but relaxation from thought and care; 
and whether we receive that respite from 
the agility of a dancer, the modulations 
of a singer, or the ingenuity and decora- 
tion of a scenist and a machinist, so we 
are but rested and amused, our object is 
obtained. . 
Ricuarpd CUMBERLAND. 
_To the Editor of the Monthly Magazie: 
SIR, 
F it be not incompatible with the plan 
of your valuable repository to admit 
the occasional insertion of articles. re= 
lating to oriental literature, the follow- 
ing notice of an elaborate work on the 
History and Antiquities of Mysore, (now: 
constituting an Important branch of the 
British possessions in India), preparimg 
by. an officer in the East India Com- 
pany’s service, may possibly be ac- 
ceptable to some of your numerous rea- 
ders. The gentleman alluded to, is 
Major Colin Mackenzie, of the engi- 
neers on the Madras establishment, who- 
has been employed for some years past 
in a geographical and statistical survey 
of Mysore ; and who, to these more 
immediate objects of investigation has 
been stimulated by an ardent desire 
of contributing to the general stock. 
of useful knowledge, to add the most 
indefatigable enquiries after such docu- 
ments as. were calculated to illustrate 
the civil and religious history of that 
interesting country. ‘The subsequent ac- 
count of these valuable labours is extrac- 
ted from an official report on the subjeet, 
by a gentleman every way qualified to: ap- 
preciate their merit*. ' 
“The department of history in this 
country, (observes the Reporter) is so 
deformed by fable and anachronism, 
that it may be considered as an abso- 
lute blank in Indian literature. There 
is bat one mode which appears to afford: 
the most distant hope of supplying this 
material defect. 
“ The grants, generally of a religious 
nature, inscribed on stone and copper 
plates, which are to be found in every 
part of the South of India, are docu- 
ments of a singularly curious texture. 
They almost always fix the chronologys 
and frequently untold the genealogy and 
military history of the donor and his 
ancestors, with all that is remarkable 
Wiis Wi ie PAs see | 
* Major Wilks, late acting resident in Mysor 
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