That voice too Rolla heard, and, greatly by misfortunes in trade, and confidence brave, His Cora's dearest treasure died to fave, To all that praise repeats thro' lengthen'd years, That honour fanctifies, and time reveres. The Lines marked with inverted Com mas are not spoken. 25. FORTUNE'S FROLIC, a Farce, was acted the first time at Covent Garden for the benefit of Mr. Whitfield. The principal Characters by Mr. Fawcett, Mr. Knight, Mr. Clarke, Mr. Emery, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Abbot, Mrs. Davenport, Mifs Sims, and Mrs. Martyr. Though this piece was produced at a benefit, it deferves and will probably be again prefented to the public in a more reputable manner. It poffeffes much originality of character, and was very fuccefsful in its reprefentation. Fawcett's comic powers were very happily displayed. JUNE 10. Covent Garden Theatre cloled with Ramah Droog and The Birth-day. 15. The Haymarket Theatre opened with Peeping Tom, The Village Lawyer, and FAMILY DISTRESS, a Play, from the German of Kotzebue, afted for the first time. The Characters as follow: The ill placed, Maxwell is reduced to the utmoft diftrefs, having a wife, child, and old blind mother, to fupport; much in debt, and without refource. Walwyn, indeed, had met him in the ftreet, and, suspecting his condition, had made him fpontaneous offers of friendship. delicacy of Maxwell, however, forbids his receiving affiftance from the lover of his wife. A draft for a thousand pounds is fent to him from an unknown friend, whom he fufpects to be Walwyn; and earnestly appealing to his wife, the confeffes that the letter containing this draft is in the hand writing of Walwyn. Reduced even to the want of food, which had been for fome time hardly earned by the induftrious labours of his wife's needle, Maxwell hurries into the street in queft of the lowest employment for mere fubfiftence for his family. A gamefter offers to let him into a fhare of plunder at play; a man, engaged in a lawfuit, if he will be a fuborned witnefs; and an agent for the East India fervice, promifes him a place abroad, if he will quit his family.-Principles of integrity induce him to reject all thofe propofals. He next applies to Harrington, a gentleman of great wealth, who is full of agony, on the lofs of a fon recently drowned.Harrington's charity is obstructed by his parental grief. At length, difappointed in all his aims, Maxwell applies to Walwyn, not for pecuniary affittance, but for protection to his family, when he fhall have gone to the East; not meaning, however, to enter upon the voyage, but to get rid of his miferies and his life together. For this purpose he plunges into the Thames, but is drawn out before the vital principle is extinguished, and is restored by Agents of the Humane Society. Harrington, hearing of the event, influenced by the confideration, that a being has been faved from the element that deftroyed his fon, determines to adopt Maxwell as his heir; and the piece concludes with a moral exhortation against the evils of despair. This piece is the SELF IMMOLATION of this fuccefsful Author, whole performances have been lately fo often naturalized on the English ttage. There is little variety of charader in it, and the direts which pervades the whole play is of a kind which it may be doubtful how far it is proper for ftage reprefentation. It however powerfully feizes the imagination, and the meral, recommending a reliance on Providence, and for bidding bidding Defpair, is fuch as claims the approbation of the fpectator. The fcene is laid in London, and in our own times, in which it is to be prefumed that fuch a fcene of mifery could not exist. It therefore wants a reasonable degree of probability. The acting was very good, particularly by Mr. Pope and Mifs Chapnan; and Mr. Swindall, who now firft appeared in London, gave the character of Harrington confiderable importance. As a fubftitute for Mr. Aickin he fhewed that he would be a very ufeful performer. POETRY. FANCY, AN IRREGULAR ode. BY DR. GRAINGER *. I. WHAT lunacy diftra&ts my foul? What facred fury wings me through the sky? Beneath my feet the rattling thunders roll; The moon's dim earth's already past, I fee the Phoenix fhooting from thy blaze! Of ever-changing shape and hue, And with a piercing eye looks Nature through. Nature's improv'd by art ! Fire-clad Inspiration rides, When formless chaos started into shape, And pouring diverfe o'er the new-made ball, Painted the curling clouds, valt deep, and cry-broad land. Thou faw'ft yon Sun, like a rich bridegroom dreft, First bursting from the East, Then infant Spring waik'd forth in chearful green; Red Summers' blush adorn'd the rofy scene; Then laughing Autumn plump and blythe, Sprung with the dawn and what her scythe; Laft churkish Winter, wrapp d in furs of bear, Lafh'd on his iron wane, and clos'd the varied year. Earth, Octan, Air, the Stars of Morning fang. The wandering Planets ftopp'd to hear, From thee Cupid ftole his bow, * See Vol XXXIV, p. 192. The The fhades of Pindus and the facred Nine, Or round their robes in fhining fquadrons Or in Neæra's ringlets ftray, For being on thy breath depend. Nor lefs thy bounty to the wondrous pair, Link'd in comely harmony, And while Pan his flocks among Without thy fmiles fpruce opulence gives Thou can't knock off the wretches' chain; Derive their wond'rous charms alone from Infpir'd by thee, brown drudgery fings thee. V. With you Milton rapt on high, Where darkness throuds the God of Gods. The Archangel's trump founds dire alarms, The rebel hoft the arch apoftate leads, Pertentous comets glare! Vaft torn up mountains hade the air! The fon of God to war Whirlwinds draw his living Car. Heaven's fediaft deep foundations shake, Th' Apoftate legions goar, Th' Arch fiend and furious Moloch quake. They plunge incontinent, and howling cry, hide, VI. At thy glance the defart blooms, Her night becomes an endless day, The flock dove thrills her plaintive ftrain, Around the Elm with wanton twine Of ruddy Mopfa's charms; Nor envies the proud state of feepter'd Kings, ply, And cottages are courts when thou art nigh. Light traverses with thee this earthy round, And vifits unfatigued the polar shores. VIII. Come then, while 1 upon a bank reclin`d, Or fhakes the trees, or whispers thro' the Or ftirs yon fheety lake. Ere Phofphor leave the sky, Or morn of rofy hue From old Tithonus bofom fly, To fhower on earth the pearly dew. With bufkin'd Emperors now I feem to Now faunter to the ftraw-thatch'd hut; IX. • Mif. Gunnings, afterwards Countess of Coventry and Duchefs of Hami ton. prove Her naked charms with all the wiles of love. Expire in amorous exítacy. The Heavens their choiceft influence shed Old Ida feels th' enamour'd God, And all his tops and forests shake with joy. With you through all the Signior's guards I . In vain grim eunuchs bar my way, and doors of brass. In the feraglio's innermost recefs And bring Neæra to my ravish'd view. That invites to foft repose. The vifion works, I clafp the maid, Struggling, wishing, fond, afraid. Dear arbour, thicken to a closer shade, Far, far each vulgar fascinating eye! ODE FOR HIS MAJESTY'S BIRTH DAY, BY H. J. PYE, ESQ. SET TO MUSIC BY SIR W. PARSONS, STILI, fhail the brazen tongue of War Still fhall AMBITION's iron Car It's crimson axles whirl around! O, Seraph PEACE, to thee the Eye To thee their vows the Virgins raife; Yet ev'ry fword that War unheaths, And ev'ry fhout that Conqueft breathes, Serve but to make thy bleft return more fure, Thy glorious form more bright, thy empire more fecure! When Northward from his wintry goal, Pours ev'ry hour a stronger ray, adorn, Hence SUMMER'S waving Fields and Au- Rous'd by the Royal Youth's renown Mid' fair HESPERIA's ravag'd Dales! The fhouts of War the Gallic Plund'rers hear, Th' avenging arm of JUSTICE learn to fear ; And low his creft th' infulting Despot vails, While their collected Navy's force Speeds o'er the Wave its defuitory courfe, *See Drog. Laert, in the Life of Plato. + Philip. After the defeat of Charones, Fro From BRITAIN'S guardian Fleet receding far, Their proudeft wreath to 'fcape, nor meet the shock of War! LINES Addieffed by Mrs. OPIE to her Husband, on his painting the Picture of her Friend H Mrs. Twiss, at her Request. A'L to thy pencil! Well its glowing art Now the' in diftant fcenes fhe fon will rove, Which sportive oft, yet fearful to offend, Within my breast contending paffions rife When this lov'd femblance fafcinates my eyes; Now pleas'd I mark the painter's skillful line, Now joy, because the skill I mark was thine; And while I prize the gift by thee bestow'd, My heart proclaims I'm of the Giver proud; Thus pride and friendship war with equal frite, And now the Friend exults, and now the Wije. A SONNET TO THE RIVER WANDLE. SINCE, Wandle, on thy banks a youth I ftray'd, Full many a year of fruitlefs toil has paft; I trod these fields, or linger'd in this shade: Smooth'd the rude way of life, and hope And rich bedeck'd with orient pearls In varying glow of light and shade, Earth's fhadowy crown as Twilight 'gins to weave, And Hefper lights the ftarry lamp of Eve, Now while his lingering radiance fades, Thro' heaven's bright arch in filvery bright nefs rove, And clothe in reflections borrow'd robe of light Some flower fring'd stream or fairy haunted grove, Where all fupine in mufing 1 may lay, Singing reclufe amid the fhades of Eve, pale, Cheer the wide earth" with beams of heav'nly light. |