Gartan: a Glee for Three Voices; the Words selected from Southey's Madoc; composed and inscribed to Mr. Bartleman, by Dr. Callcott Birchall. Price 2s. 6d.

The struc

Dr. Callcott holds a deservedly high reputation as a glee-writer His compositions possess much originality, learning, and con-. trivance, and contain abundant proofs of the genius and the study of their author; but Dr. Callcott seems to have aimed rather more at quantity than quality in his glees; he has written some very superior ones, many good ones, but he has also not only written but published some which certainly are not worthy of him. It vexes, it mortifies us, when a man, who, we know, from experience, can produce compositions calculated to delight, to animate, even to enchant us, descends to publish any thing second-rate, any thing inferior to what we know he is capable of. From an ordinary composer we expect nothing but what is common-place, but we always see with concern a Calicott descend near mediocrity. It will be said that even Handel was not always great:-True:-But it was perfectly right, it was necessary that he should not be so. ture of an oratorio requires a due degree of light and shade: the dazzling effulgence, the splendid coruscations of Handel's mind, had they been poured on the senses of his auditors in one undimi nished stream, would, he knew, have lost their effect; but a glee, being an unconnected composition, must stand entirely on its own individual merits; and, for this reason, a composer who has proved and established his powers, cannot be too cautious how he detracts from the reputation he has raised. The present glee, had it been the production of any common writer, we should most probably have praised rather highly, but we know Dr. Callcott to be capable of so much better things, that we cannot give him a like degree of ap. probation. We repeat, that from his pen we expect a glee which not only should be faultless in point of composition, but masterly in its conception, skilful in its arrangement, in short, calculated not merely to catch an ephemeral and transient breeze of popularity, and sink into oblivion at the end of a year, but to transmit the name and confirm the reputation of its author among future ages. We shall embrace the present opportunity in order to offer our opinion on the words which Dr. Callcott, and some others of our modern glee-writers, have selected. We have always thought that the sen timent contained in the words of a glee cannot be too obvious or ap parent, since these compositions are frequently, if not generally, sung to auditors who have not copies of the words: they should therefore be such as are easily and quickly understood; but the words of the glee before us, selected from one of the obscurest parts of Southey's obscure poem of Madoc, must be wholly nuintelligible to nine tenths of its auditors. Such must have been the case with many of the glees which are adapted to those bombastic and obscure effusions of Macpherson, known by the name of the Poems of Ossian. Having extended this article to so very unusual a length we shall refrain from adding more on the subject, but we conceive it to be our duty to offer our opinions, such as they are, clearly and openly, but, at the same time, we hope, candidly and fairly, without any servile reverence or blind regard to popular opinion or applause.

(Notices of Musical Publications will be thankfully received, and inserted in this department of our work.)

THE DRAMA.

ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE.- -Shakspeare.

THE FOREIGN THEATRES.

AMERICA.

From Jansen's Stranger in America.

[Resumed from Page 273.]

THE next season, the old company being called for in New York, and, it is said, willing to decline a farther contest, left the field to their opponents. This circumstance by no means abated the zeal of Wignal. He brought forward new pieces and fresh performers. Among the latter was Mr. Cooper, whose abilities are known in London, and who far eclipsed all competitors of the buskin; but, as a general actor, Mr. Hodgkinson was the best performer I have seen in America. His death, which shall hereafter be particularly noticed, was a great loss to theatrical amateurs. Mr. Cooper had a high opinion of his own merit. He would not enter into a regular engagement with any of the American managers; and thus he lays them all under contribution, migrating, as it were, in a short space of time, from North to South, and dividing the profits of the theatre in which he may condescend to perform. As a proof of this gentleman's industry, after acting his limited number of nights last season at Philadelphia, he set off in his phaton on a Saturday morning, and arrived at Balti more on Monday, where he performed on that stage the same evening. He now contemplated He now contemplated a journey to Charleston, where Placide, formerly a rope-dancer at Sadler's Wells, has an elegant theatre. Having performed three nights at Baltimore for the trifling consi deration of a free benefit, he proceeded on his route to Richmond in Virginia, where he performed the same number of nights, and on the same terms. He arrived in Charleston in ten days, a distance of between five and six hundred miles; and, after skimming the theatrical cream there, he returned with equal expedition to the

North, ready for the opening of the Boston theatre. The greatest part of this rapid travelling he performs with his own horses, and drives himself. His horses fell sick at Baltimore-he sent them to pasture, and pur chased a fresh set. At Charleston he sold his new purchase at an advanced price, bought others, and on his arrival again in Baltimore, he took the former, being favourites and now refreshed, and disposed of those he had last driven. Thus is this theatrical hero amassing a fortune.

In the New York company, or, as it is still called, the Old American company, there has long been a kind of theatrical inter-regnum. On the death of Henry, the co-partner of Hallam, his place was filled by Hodgkinson, who became joint-proprietor and acting-manager, and for soms time the theatre was jointly governed by them; but Hallam growing old and inactive, Mr. Dunlap, celebrated as a dramatic writer, purchased of Hallain, and entered upon an active part in the management. He soon took the ostensibility upon himself, the funds being below par, and Hodgkinson's extravagant manner of living rendered him unable to maintain his ground as a manager. We now find the theatre under the sole controut of Dunlap, and Hodgkinson once more merely a player. With the pen Dunlap did much, but, totally unacquainted with the interior regulations of a refractory company, he soon failed in his speculation; and at length was obliged to give up the whole to his creditors and the renters, who had subscribed to the building of a large theatre in the park of New York, in which the company performed but a few seasons. These proprietors and creditors deputed Tyler and Johnson, two of the performers, acting managers, Hodgkinson having left the company, and joined that at Charleston. They recalled Harper, who had been some years manager of the theatres in Boston, Providence, and Newport in Rhode Island. Mr. Harper is a good performer, a great favourite, and in his manners and dealings a gentleman; but unequal to supply the want of Hodgkinson, Sully, Bailey, young Darley, and his wife, were drawn from other theatres. With these performers, added to the remains of the company, among whom was Mrs. Melmoth, whose name was a powerful attraction, the theatrical campaign of 1805 was opened in New York. They had not the Philadelphia company to contend with; all

opposition to them in the same city, except in respect to Mrs. Melmoth, would now have been in vain.

It appears that, notwithstanding the exertions of the newly-deputed managers, and their company, matters did not turn out to the expectation of the proprietors. Overtures were sent to Hodgkinson, who accepted the sole management, and in consequence left Charleston to prepare for the next season. He arrived, late in the summer, in New York, and entered upon his office. From that place he set off in quest of performers, and a theatre being then open in the city of Washington, and another in Fairfax county, Virginia, he arrived at the former place to make engagements. It is supposed that he had inhaled the pestiferous air of the mouth of August in New York, as, on his arrival at the former place, he was seized with the symptoms of the yellow fever, which in three days put a period to his life. At this time it raged in New York with dreadful malignity. The people a the hotel where he lodged, fled his chamber in affright. Mr. Hopkins, one of the performers at Washington, who had agreed to follow his fortune in New York, with Dr. May, his physician, alone attended him. Thus perished John Hodgkinson, a man most eminent in his profession, and highly respected by the first characters in America. His remains were wrapt in a blanket by some negroes, who were induced by a considerable reward to perform the office, thrown into a waggon, and conveyed to an obscure. burial-ground on the Baltimore road, where they were left unattended 'till a shell of a coffin was made, and a grave hastily dug, when the same negroes returned, and consigned him to the earth.

Some of the most eminent physicians in New York and Philadelphia contend that the yellow fever is uot infectious when the patient is removed from the tainted atmosphere where it is generated. A proof to the contrary of this opinion is demonstrated in Hopkins, who accompanied Hodgkinson. There was no fever, no sickness, in Washington; yet, in a few days Hopkins sickened, was attacked with the same symptoms with equal malignity, and died in nearly as short a time as the friend he had attended.

From the encouragement given to theatrical exhibitions in Philahelphia, it would be cocluded that Messrs. Wignall and Reinagle, the managers, must

have accumulated large sums of money. I cannot define the cause, but it is very certain that the contrary is the case. They were ever involved in debt, and finally availed themselves of the bankrupt laws; thus giving up the theatre to their creditors. They were, however, soon re-invested with the management, and after their "white-washing," appeared as before; a common circumstance in America. It appears that all the American managers are losers. We have already instanced those of New York and Philadelphia. At Boston, Powell, with great encouragement, made nothing. Harper could barely keep his ground, and was often much reduced. West, of the Virginia company, is greatly in debt, so as to prevent the opening of the theatre at Alexandria for several years; and Placide, at Charleston, says, that he can barely support himself by his theatre.

Charleston has proved a grave to the theatrical corps in America. The high salaries given there, from the great plenty of money, and riches of the principal inhabitants, who are great amateurs, drew thither numbers of performers on the expiration of their engagements with the northern managers. Among those of eminence, who fell a sacrifice to an unwholesome climate, we have to lament Mrs. Wrighten, then married to Mr. Pownal, a druggist in New York, and one of her daughters, who who was then following the mother in the same line of stage business. Miss Broadhurst's death was attended with melancholy circumstances. Viewing with dread the havock made among the performers, she intreated her mother to spend the sickly months with her on Sullivan's Island, a place at that time of great resort, and to permit her to decline a proffered engagement as first vocal performer in the concerts at the public gardens. The parent refused to acquiesce, and the victim prognosticated the fatal consequences. She entered upon the duties of her engagement-sung a few nights

was then taken ill, and in a few days expired. To this young and accomplished female, must be added Miss Fontenelle, who first appeared iu Moggy M'Gilpin, at Covent Garden, and whose remains are interred at Charleston. In the list of deaths in this place are also the names of Mr. Williamson, and Mr. and Mrs. Jones, from the Salisbury theatre, Mrs. Kenna, and her son, a rising young actor. Mr. Jones had risen to eminence in the