THEATRICAL JOURNAL.

The Count de Bruno, an ambitious and profligate Nobleman, in a moment of caufelefs jealousy, ftabs his wife, and, leaving her dangerously wounded, flies his country; at length he enters a convent and becomes a Monk, under the name of Schedoni, in which vocation he is appointed confeffor to the Mar. chioness di Vivaldi, whofe fon, contrary to the inclinations of his parents, being enamoured of a lovely orphan, Ellen di Rofalba, the Monk ftimulates her to make away with the girl to prevent family difgrace.

She is accordingly dragged away at night by Spalatro, a needy ruffian, and deftined to be affaffinated in a wretched folitary hovel on the fea coaft. Spalatro, having himfelf a child, dares not truft his hand to do the murder; and Schedoni, coming to know the refult, is obliged himself to undertake its performance.. He enters the chamber in which the lies Reeping, and approaching, he fees and fnatches a portrait from her breaft, which was her mother's, and is the refemblance of himself, as Count de Bruno-he difcovers her to be his daughter.

This disclosure reftores the humane part of his nature. The clofe and fubtle Monk is difcarded for the Father, and what was approaching to Fiend is recovered into Man. He then fympathizes with the love he had laboured to laft, and wishes the union he had practifed to deftroy. The young Count

1

Vivaldi being imprifoned at the Monk's
inftigation, the father and daughter
haften to Rome to deliver him.
doni's wife, tracing him through all his
plots. appears at firft in an awful way
to Vivaldi, at Paluzzi, and endeavours
to deter him from going to Rofalba's
cottage; and being himself an inquifitor,
again appears to him in his cell, and
orders him to accufe Schedoni of having
murdered his innocent wife; the youth
complies, and thus deftroys the very
who was come to fave him.
Schedoni, upon this, defperately rushes
to confefs all, and expiate his paft guilt
by death, when Anfaldo tells him that
his wife is innocent and alive, that he
was her lover, and now, when he is
worthy of the bleffing, reftores her to
his arms. Her daughter is given to the
Count, and the piece concludes happily.

Anfaldo, the former lover of Sche

man

This Play, which is of the tragicomic fpecies, is founded on Mrs. Radcliffe's Novel of the fame title; and the incidents introduced in it are very little varied from the fource whence they were taken. Mr. Boaden's merit, therefore, in the prefent performance, lies chiefly in the felection and in the language. The events follow one another in regular order, and the catastrophe is not difclofed too foon. The language is for the most part nervous and elegant. On the whole, the production does credit to Mr. Boaden's talents as a dramatist. The performers all exerted themselves with effect, and received, as they deserved, great applaufe.

16. Mrs. Atkins, from Bath, appeared the first time in London, in the character of Rofina. This lady is daughter of Mrs. Warrel, who was one feafon at Covent Garden, and is a pupil of Rauz zini. She is hand fome and elegant in her manner, and fuftained the character with modefty and effect. Her voice is harmonious and fweet, but at prelent appears to want power. It the is able to acquire that, he will certainly obtain a high rank in her proteffion. action was proper, her demeanor gentle, and the whole of her performance was crowned with great and very flattering applause.

Her

POETRY.

POETRY.

ON RETURNING THE KEY OF THE GAR
DENS AT HAM-HOUSE TO THE EARL

OF DYSART.

TAKE back the key, my Lord, you `deign'd

to lend ;

And, with the key, my kindeft thanks I fend.

To these proud groves, fure, never key convey'd

A more enchanting, unaffected maid!

Ye groves, which now are own'd by those who grace

And add a grandeur e'en to fuch a place; Which Dyfarts dignify, with well-earn'd praise

For manners, that once mark'd more fimple
days;

Plain, peer-like manners, that, in every agé,
Please every rank, and every heart engage-
Groves, claffick made by what 'the Poet +
fings;

By Beauties, Legiflators, Heroes, Kings-
Where Lauderdale's and Huntingtour's

Where Tollemache § conqueft plann'd ; while marshall'd rows

A

Of veteran tree's appear'd embattled foes
(See fuch another snatch'd from Fame, lov'd
youth'!]]

Ere conqueft well had flesh'd his lion-tooth)→→→→
Where Stuarts from their lucklefs thrones
withdrew;

Where lafting fceptres fiafh'd on Cromwell's view; ¶

Where Pope and Thomfon chid the wrangling hall,

That held their Murray ** from the Mufe's call;

Meantime, they dreamt not how their names
would shed

Hiftoric glories here, when they were dead→→
Say, claffic groves, fay, have you ever feen
A maid, more rich in virtues, tread your
green?

Bleft be the key, which let my fair one

Lionel Tollemache, Earl of Dyfart and Lord Huntingtour, married, in October 1760, one of the daughters of Sir Edward Walpole; and, in April 1791, one of the lifters of Henry Grefwold Lewis, Efq. of Malvern Hall, Warwickshire.

"And, ftooping, thence to Ham's embowering walks,
"Slow let us trace the matchlefs vale of Thames;
"Fair-winding up to where the Muses haunt

"In Twit'nam's bowers, and for their Pope implore
"The healing God."

THOMSON'S SUMMER Line 1419.

The Duchefs of Lauderdale and Lady Huntingtour, celebrated for their beauty. § General Thomas Tollemache whose mother married the Duke of Lauderdale, acquired great military reputation at the fiege of Athlone, the battle of Aughrim, the fiege of Limerick, the battle of Landen, and in the attempt upon Breft, 1694, in which he unfortunately fell.

This family wound has been too recently healed, to be torn open afresh by the rude hand of officious friendship. Suffice it,' that half a nation, for various reafons, fhed tears lately, over the fall of Lionel Tollemache at Valenciennes.

King James and Charles I. and II. often vifited Ham-Houfe; and the Duchefs of Lauderdale ufed her influence over Oliver, to bring about the restoration.

** Dining with this great man, at Caen-Wood, foon after the riots of 1780, my muchlamented friend Mr. Lind (author of the Letters on Poland) obferved, that "even his Lordfhip's loffes in Bloon fbury-fquare, by the riots, muft make him happy, fince they were caufed by his greatnefs.".”—“ Now, to which day do you think, both of you," said Lord Mansfield, "that I look back, as the happiest in my whole life ?"-Mr. Lind faid, "When he took his feat in the House of Lords."-I faid, "When he was appointed SolicitorGeneral "-"No," faid his Lordship: "Perhaps it was one day, after I was in full business, that I ftole away from attornies (poftico falle chenten,) and lounging with the tide to dine with Pope at Twit'nam, was hailed, as I floated along reading Cicero De Amicitia, by Pope and Thomson reading Milton's Comus in Ham's embowering walks."

Q 2.

Within

Like a purification on banks of the Ganges; And look fo divinely, wrapt up in their flannel,

You'd fwear they were doom'd to the fate of poor Daniel.

She now is mine; and I fhall need, no more,
This key, to open Love's expecting door.
I've double-lock'd her heart-faft bind, Says Mrs. Mac Dowlas, one day on the

For being behind hand in writing a letter ;
But as many a parfon, bemus'd in October,
Will caution his flock to beware and be
fober;

So you, by reproaching, the fame plan pursue,
And will do as I bid you, but not as I do.
Be that as it may, I'll old fcores reimburse,
And fatisfy all with this torrent of verse.
Well, what fhall I say? but you bid me to
write on

Th'important affair of my journey to Brighton.
Of the journey itself I have little to tell;
In a word, we arriv'd unmolested and well:
Like most other towns, with a church and a

Steyne,

"All the world and his wife are come here

"to be feen:

"Tis a sweet pretty place, I vow and de "clare;

"My dear Mrs. Brown! why when came "you here?

"Well, how do you do? What news in the city?

"Is bread any lower ?-ah! true, 'tis a pity "My Lord May'r is a baker-Who'll come " in his room?

"Is it Alderman Prune or Alderman Plumb? "Indeed I can't tell-why child-why Le

titia,

"There's Adjutant Crow of the City Militia ; "Run after and stop him; I'll take an oc"cafion

"To afk his opinion about the invasion." Away they march'd off; 1 continu'd my

walk

Till I heard a gay Colonel's nonfenfical talk: "And have I then found you, my angel"divine?

"Oh! could you-oh! would you-confent

"to be mine

"The raptures! the transports! I burn like "Mount Etna

"A chaife fhall be ready to whirl us to "Gretna"

tt 25th Sept. 1795, the Rev. Herbert Croft was married, by fpecial licence, at Ham Houfe, by the Bishop of Dromore, to Mifs Lewis.

The Hon. Wilbraham Tollemache.

Henry Grefwold Lewis, Efq. confined at the time with the gout.

The Countess of Dyfart, the Honourable Mrs. Tollemache, Mrs. Herbert Croft.

¶¶ The Hon. Mrs. Lew, one of the daughters of Lord Bradford.

*Be to her virtues very kind :

"Be to her faults a little blind :

"Let all her ways be unconfin'd:

"And clap your padlock on her mind.”

PRIOR'S POEM.

Huff,

Methinks 'tis fweet (when from the Sun's For thou canst ease the load

And Love with sportive Fancy brings to view Soon half-recovering by thy foftering aid,

* "The Song was partial; but the harmony "(What could it lefs when Spirits immortal fung?) "Sufpended Hell."—— -MILTON'S PAR. LOST.

Cannon were frit ufed by the English at the Battle of Creffy..