swan

character of Floretta with admirable vivacity and humour. Being
willing to take leave of her friends in character, and make a
like end." she sung the following Address, written for the occasion
by Mr. Colmau :

Think, think not this a vain obtrusion,
And, oh! accept my heart's effusion:
We meet no more, dear friends, adieu!
Retirement's calm I owe to you.
My breast with gratitude is swelling-
Where'er I raise my rural dwelling-
I'll cry-" your bounty bade me rear it,"
And train the peaceful woodbine near it.
From Belgrade's Siege since I'm retiring,
New Lillas will keep up the firing;
Adela cedes to other powers,

Old Drury's nightly Haunted Towers;
Floretta-no one's zeal was stronger,
Is of this Cabinet no longer;

Henceforth no Songs, while Supper's bringing,
Of your first Margaretta's singing.

Much honoured friends, who deign to listen,
No studied tear I've taught to glisten,

Oh no, this moment's fond distress,

Is more than music can express;

My voice would not these chimes be ringing,
But that it faulters less in singing.

Lov'd patrons, on this night we sever,
Farewell!-and bless you all for ever!

Madame Storace made her first appearance on the English stage in Adela, in the Haunted Tower, on the first night of that Opera, and was the principal support of all the operas composed by her brother, the late eminent composer. She retires in full possession of her powers, and we are happy to add, in that state of honourable independence, with which great professional talents ought always to be rewarded. As a singer she had vast power, execution and science; as an actress, she had no equal in her line. Her manner was peculiar to herself, possessing ease, archness, naiveté and inexhaustible spirit. In all her parts she was unrivalled, and we have no hope of meeting with an adequate successor to her in such characters as Adela, Lilla, Marguretta, Floretta, Caroline, &c. her loss is much to be regretted.

June 1. The MYSTERIOUS BRIDE, is the production of Mr. Skeffington, and, if it cannot boast of any high degree of poetical merit, the story is not without interest, and the dramatic effect is at times powerful. The scene is laid in Transylvania, in the fourteenth century, and the following is a slight sketch of the fable:

Elisena, (Mrs. H. Siddons) daughter of the Bohemia king, has been sent under the conduct of an officer called Armanski, (Mr. Siddons) to beuited in marriage with Almaric, (Mr. Putnam) Prince of Transylvania.

Previous to her departure, the Bohemian Monarch had given a medallion to Armanski, with the name of Elisena marked in diamonds.-Elisena is ignorant of this circumstance, as the present was

intended as an agreeable surprise to the Prince on the day of marriage.

Oswald, (Mr. Raymond) an ambitious favourite of the Prince, had conceived a daring design of imposing his sister Olfrida, (Mrs. Harlowe) on his master for the long expected Princess. Enamoured by the portrait artfully presented by the brother, the Prince hails Olfrida as his long expected bride.

In the mean time, the ruffians of Oswald attack Armanski and his train in the forest of Moldavia, rob him of the medallion, and every other proof-they seize the Princess, and plunge Armanski in a river. When Elisena arrives, two ruffians are about to murder her-touched with pity, they save her life, and disguise her as a peasant. She is hired as a servant at an inn, by Bollman, (Mr. Palmer) and his waiter Miesco, (Mr. De Camp) a generous rustic. She here meets the Prince, and captivates him, at a fete-yet dare not disclose herself, dreading the vengeance of Oswald and Olfrida. Miesco is shortly enamoured of Elisena, but when she discloses her real situation, he nobly renounces his passion, and devotes himself with zeal to her welfare. As the Prince and Olfrida are about to be united, Armanski, who had been been saved by the care of some peasants, arrives at the moment-he accuses Oswald and Olfrida, who retort the charge of imposture. Armanski asks the Prince for the medallion, in which the portrait of Elisena is concealed by a secret spring He then urges the false Elisena to prove herself the daughter of his master, by shewing the diamond which opens the medallion, she falters-Elisena points to the letter E, the Prince opens the medallion, and the title of Elisena is confirmed. The piece ends with the defeat of the impostors, and the union of Almaric and Elisena.

MAY.

COVENT GARDEN,

28. [Mr. INCLEDON's Night.] Duenna. Carlos, Mr. Incledon; Antonio, Mr. Bellamy; Ferdinand, Mr. Taylor. Clara, Mrs. Dickons; Louisa, Miss Bolton. Love à la Mode.

30. King Lear-Harlequin and Mother Goose.

31. Blind Bargain-Review. Loone Mactwolter, Mr. Webb. JUNE 1. [Mr. FARLEY'S Night.] Alexander the Great. Alexander, Mr. Č. Kemble; Clytus, Mr. Cooke; Lysimachus, Mr. Brunton; Hephestion, Mr. Claremont; Cassander, Mr. Chapman. Roxana, Miss Smith; Statira, Mrs. H. Johnston; Parisatis, Miss Bristow Vauxhall Gala-Oscar and Malvina. Malvina, Miss Adams. 2. [Mr. BLANCHARD's Night.] Inkle and Yarico. Inkle, Mr. Bellamy; Trudge, Mr. Blanchard; Sir Christopher Curry, Mr. COOKE. Yarico, Mrs. Diekons-Raymond and Agnes.

3. [Mr. TAYLOR's Night.] Man of the World-Recruiting Sergeant-Deserter of Naples.

4. [Benefit of Messrs. Ashleys'.] The Messiah,

6. King Lear-Harlequin and Mother Goose.

7. [Mrs. MATTOCKS's last Benefit.] Wonder. Don Felix, Mr. Cooke. Violante, Miss Smith; Isabella, Mrs. H. Johnston; Flora, Mrs. Mattocks-Garrick's Ode on Shakspeare, by Mr. Cook ERaymond and Agnes.

8. [Miss NORTON's Night.] Richard III Apprentice. Dick, by a Gentleman, his first appearance on any stage-Blind Boy.

9. Benefit of the four Misses Adams.] Road to Ruin. Old Dornton, Mr. Chapman. Sophia, Miss Adams. The OAK AND THE Ivy; or the Origin of a British Tar, a new allegorical Ballet, by Mr. Byrne; in which Master OSCAR BYRNE performed Cupid, Oscar

and Malvina.

10. [Benefit of Messsr. CLAREMONT and KING.] WandererTom Thumb.

11. Speed the Plough-Blind Boy.

13. [Mr. BRANDON's Benefit.] Pizarro-Oak and the Ivy-Who Wins?

14. [Benefit of Mess. GRIMALDI and BOLOGNA, jun.] School of Reform-Day after the Wedding-Harlequin and Mother Goose. 15. [Benefit of Mrs. DIBDINand Mr. WADDY.] English Fleet Vauxhall Gala Lie of the Day.

16. [Miss BOLTON's Benefit.] Abroad and at Home-Day after the Wedding Tom Thumb.

17. Begone dull Care Highland Laddie-Who Wins?

18. Road to Ruin Sophia, Miss Norton-Of Age To-morrow. 20. [Mr. GLASSINGTON'S (Prompter) Night.] Hamlet-Who Wins?

21. [Mr. MUNDEN's Night.] Laugh when you Can. Mrs. Mor, timer, Miss Logan; Miss Gloomly, Mrs. Davenport; Emily, Miss Norton. [NEVER ACTED.] PORTRAIT OF CERVANTES, or The Plotting Lovers; characters by Mess. Munden, Jones, Brunton, Blanchard, Liston, Waddy, Atkins. Mrs. Gibbs, Miss Bristow Turnpike Gate-Sir Edward, Mr. Bellamy; Robert Maythorn, Mr. Liston. Mary, Miss Bolton.

22. [Benefit of Messrs. Chapman, Field, and Ware, Leader of the Band.] Douglas. Glenalvon, Mr. Chapman; Lady Randolph, Miss Smith-Rival Soldiers. Sinclair, Mr. PAYNE, (his 1st appearance.) Harlequin and Mother Goose.

25. Suspicious Husband. Jacintha, Miss Norton; Lucetta, Mrs. Gibbs. Poor Soldier.

24. School of Reform-Highland Laddie-Fortune's Frolick. 25. Road to Ruin-Child of Nature. Duke Murcia, Mr. Oxberry; Amanthis, Mrs. H. Johnston.

26. [Last Night.] Macbeth-Portrait of Cervantes.

June 7. Mrs. Mattocks retired from the stage on this evening. This is another actress which the public cannot yet well spare. Her talents had suffered no decay, and she leaves behind her no actress that can supply her situation. We hope it may be true, as reported, that the Queen has allowed her a pension of 2001, a year.

ISABELLA MATTOCKS was born in the year 1746. Her uncle, Mr. William Hallam, was at that time manager of the theatre in Goodman's Fields. Her father performed there, and was esteemed an excellent low comedian. Worldly embarrassments compelled him, when his daughter was only four years old, to quit England, and try his fortune in America. Her aunt Barrington, an actress of merit, with true sisterly affection, prevailed on Mrs. Hallam to leave our heroine under her protection. She did not neglect her charge: her husband and herself became parents to her, in the tenderest sense of the word, and gave her an expensive and a finished education.

At four years and a half old, Miss Hallam performed for her uncle's benefit, at Covent-Garden, the part of the " Parish Girl," in Gay's "What d'ye Call it." She was so diminutive, that a gentleman whimsically said, "he could hear her very well, but he could not see her without a glass."

At fifteen, our heroine made her regular debût at the same theatre, in the character of Juliet; and from that time till her retirement from the stage, (with the exception of one winter passed in Liverpool, when Mr. Mattocks was manager there,) she invpriably continued at Covent Garden, and has been deservedly, for a long series of years, a distinguished favourite of the town.

Her father, soon after his arrival in America, became manager of the theatres in New York, Charlestown, and Philadelphia, and realized a fortune of ten thousand pounds; but his family lost the whole in the American war.

Admiral Hallam is Mrs. Mattocks's uncle, and Colonel George Hallam her cousin. She is also related to the family of Mr. Rich, the late patentee of Covent Garden theatre.

For several seasons Mrs. Mattocks was the Rosetta, Polly, &c. of the theatre, and sustained a respectable line of business in tragedy; but she has latterly devoted herself entirely to the Comic Muse, whose cause she supports with admirable spirit, and with a peculi arity of humour, which, though it may sometimes exceed the pre. cise limitations of critical propriety, is richly comic- and, as far as we can carry our theatrical recollection, perfectly original.

8. The gentleman who played Dick is a Mr. King, who was well received, and shewed some promise.

21. The Portrait of Cervantes is taken from a French piece. The plot is very ingenious, and the incidents highly laughable. It will be frequently acted next season; unless Mr. C. Kemble's farce announced at the Haymarket, from the same original, shall prove the better of the two, and make the subject stale by frequent repctition.

HAYMARKET.

Opened on Wednesday June the 15th. with the Castle Spectre, Evelina, Mrs. St. Leger, her first appearance for 6 years. Angela. Mrs. Bellamy, from Belfast. Sylvester Daggerwood. Lying Valet. 16. Hamlet, The Queen, Mrs. St. Leger. Ghost, Mr. Thompson. Fortune's Frolick.

17 Wheel of Fortune. Hunter of the Alps.

18 Heir at Law. Deborah Dowlas, Mrs. Emery (from Covent Garden.) Agreeable Surprize.

20 Stranger. Solomon, Mr Grove. Count Wintersen, Miss Logan, (from Covent Garden.) Mrs Haller, Mrs. Bellamy. Mogul Tale. 21 Mountaineers. Sadi, Mr. Farley. Lock and Key.

22 John Bull. Peregrine Mr. Putnam; Lady Caroline, Mrs. Bellamy,

23 Hamlet. The Queen, Mrs. Humphries (from Covent Garden) Catch him who Can.

24 Five Miles Off. Ways and Means. Tom Thumb.

25 Hunter of the Alps. Katharine and Petruchio. Critick. Dangle, Mr. Farley.

27 Castle Spectre. Love Laughs at Locksmiths.

The alterations in the Company are numerous, and perhaps in no instance for the better. What the Managers lose however in respectability they gain in pocket: but is there not some danger, that a cheap company will be held cheap by the public? Parsimony is sometimes worse than extravagance.

THEATRICAL INTELLIGENCE.

Mr. Jones comes into the management of Drury-lane next season ; and the theatrical establishment is expected to undergo numerous changes. Mr. Young is engaged at Covent-Garden. A new play from Mr. Colman is to be brought out immediately. It is of the mixed kind, like his Sarrender of Calais, &c. and expectation is naturally very high on the occasion.

COUNTRY THEATRES.

Theatre-Royal, EDINBURGH.-Benefits continued,

14th Night, Canongate Charity, 1557.

15, Mr. Rock's (manager), 1251,

16, Miss Walton, 961.

17, Mr. Freeman, 1457.

18, The family of Mr. Hallion, a deceased tavern-keeper and ci-devant actor, 171 12s.

19, Mr. Mansell, 50l.

20, Mr. Nichol, and Mr. Davis, 897.

21, Mr. and Mrs. Vining, (last night's performance), 1221.

So that in twenty nights, the receipts of the Edinburgh Theatre, amounted to 26671. 10s. making the average of each night's receipt one hundred and twenty-seven pounds. In truth in Edinburgh the amount of a performer's benefit is generally the criterion of his estimation. To this general rule there are exceptions! strangers are not always fortunate nor is their success uniformly commensurate with their merits or deserts. Mansell for example, who had the worst benefit, is by no means considered the worst of our performers, on the contrary notwithstanding a voice somewhat monotonous, which I apprehend proceeds from some defect in the ear; his merits in Comedy, are highly esteemed, and I am informed his conduct in private life is respectable, decorous, and honourable. I find a mistake in the Cabinet (in my last), which peremptorily requires correction, the benefit of two girls is called in the Cabinet charities benefit. Though that benefit as well as that of Hallion, the Tavern keeper's children, was no doubt the tribute of charity to people deceased; yet notwithstanding the Widow Willoughby joined it, the benefit should have been entitled that of the two Charteris's, and Mrs. Willoughby.

PER CONTRA.

The company opened in Glasgow, on the 6th of May.-Previous to the benefits, the last house was only forty-nine pounds, the benefits are as follows: