Drury-Lane, have produced nothing this month to call for observations, Fazio and the Bryde of Abydos having been repeated every evening, with the exception of the Oratorios, with increased, effect to crowded audiences. The Oratorios, the one under the direction of Sir George Smart, and the other under that of Mr. Ashley, have been honoured with the most distinguished approbation. The principal attractions at Covent-Garden have been, Mr. Braham, Miss Corri, Miss Stephens, Mr. Thorne, and Mr. Yardley. This was the first appearance of the latter gentleman, and the second of the preceding one. The sweetness, taste, and expres sion, with which Miss Corri gave the celebrated" Angels ever bright and fair." were exquisite. The new duetto, for the first time, performed by Mr. Braham and Miss Stephens, did not give the degree of satisfaction which was expected. Miss Frith, Miss George, Mr. Thorne, and Mr. Yardley, exhibited talents, certainly far beyond the sphere of mediocrity-Miss Frith, indeed, promises to rank amongst some of the first rate singers. Mr. Braham was accompanied in a song by Mr. Lindley upon the violoncello, which was loudly applauded. The admirable selection gave, upon the whole, great satisfaction, FEB. 21. This evening the new Opera, which has been long in prepara tion, was produced with the title of Zuma; or, the Tree of Health. The scene is placed at Lima, and the period is about the middle of the 17th century. Zuma (Miss Stephenson), a Peruvian lady, the wife of Mirvan (Braham), an Indian chief, being one of the attendants on the vice-queen (Miss Foote), and known to be greatly attached to her, is suspected by her countrymen, who, detesting the Spaniards, would keep the secret from them, of an intention to reveal the properties of the bark, which appears to be the only means left for restoring the health of her mistress. To secure her fidelity, her child is deposited as a hostage, and its life is to be the forfeit of the mother's treachery. Distracted between her desire to save the vice-queen, and the terrors of maternal love, she resolves, at the suggestion of her husband, to infuse secretly the healing portion into the accustomed driak of the sick lady in the act of doing this she is detected by the viceroy himself, and not daring, on account of her fears for her child, to avow her real motive, she is convicted, on the strength of some dubious expressions she was overheard to utter, of a design to poison the vicequeen, and is condemned to the flames. Picquillo (Liston), a young Spaniard, It hapens fortunately, however, that has in the mean time discovered the secret, and communicating it to the chief physician, Dr. Bonoro (Fawcett), the vice-queen is restored to health, and Zuma, with her husband Mirvan, who had resolved to share her fate, is saved, after the pile had been kindled, by an act of grace, on account of her mistress's recovery. The interest excited by the piece is compartively trifling, nor do we think it by any means as good as any of the author's other productions. The incidents, as may be seen, are few, and one so absurd as to excite merited disapprobation. We allude to Chinchilla's (Mrs. Garrick) project for l'icquillo's ception, is the composition of Bishop escape. The music, with a single exand Braham, and possesses considerable merit. The airs or single songs, in general, form the least successful part; they are not remarkable either for originality or distinctness of character, and some passages in them are obvious pla giarisms from well-known subjects. The concerted pieces are very good; we' particularly admired the opening trio, the septetto in the 2d act, and the chorus in the 3d, " hear." The introductory slow moveDaughter of error, ment of the overture also deserves non tice, as the evident work of a musician of taste and experience. The exception above alluded to, is the celebrated 'Marseillois Hymn, "Aux armes mes citoyens," so popular during the first years of the French revolution, and which produced in its day a greater sensation than any other. The words to which it was applied on Saturday night, are a parody on the original ones, and, admitting an application to some late uppopular ministerial acts, raíscú a considerable tumult in the house. It was sung by Brabam. On the whole we anticipated a favourable result of its success, as the music is preity. The scenery is beautiful, and the dialogue replete with point-though, ou a better foundation, it might have produced better effects. FEB. 2. "Fazio, or the Italian Wife."-It is one of the proudest compliments which could be paid to Mr. DIBDIN'S management of this concern, that the tragedy of Fazio, now so popular at Bath, and from its very superior cast of characters, promising to be so popular in London, was originally brought out as an acting piece at the Surrey Theatre, and from its first performance, has continued to attract crowded houses, and to elicit undiminished applause. It was this evening re-produced, and the principal characters sustained by Miss Tayler, and Mr. Huntley, with their usual excellence. FED. 9. Nouveauté encore! - Mr. Coleridge's Dramatic Poem of Zapolya has furnished the Surrey Theatre with a splendid Melo- Drama, entitled "The War Wolf." It consists in the successful attempts of Emeric to secure in his own person the sovereignty of Illyria, by deposing the Queen Zapolya and her infant son, who with Kinprili, a lord of the court, only escape the vengeance of the usurper by secret flight. In the forest to which they flee for shelter, the Queen entrusts the infant Prince to a peasant, and seeks refuge in a cavern. Twenty years are now supposed to have elapsed before the curtain again rises and discovers all the characters as they were left, with only the changes which time has wrought in their various ages. Zapolia and Kinprili still inhabit the cave, which, from the terrific sounds that occasionally issue from it, is deemed the residence of a War Wolf. The young Prince, hitherto brought up as a Mountaineer, is now informed of the mystery attaching to his birth, and searches the forest to gain, if possible, 1818. 1818. Feb., 7. Gay Mannering-Harlequin Gulliver. 9. Fazio-Ditto. 10. Guy Mannering-Illustrious Travel.er. 11. No Performance. 12. Fazio-Harlequin Gulliver. 13. Oratorio. 14. Guy Mannering-Illustrious Traveller. 16. Fazio-Harlequin Gulliver. 17. Point of Honour-Illustrious Traveller. 18. No Performance. 19. Fazio-Harlequin Gulliver. 20. Oratorio. 21. Zuma-Illustrious Traveller. 23. Fazio-Harlequin Gulliver. THEATRE. From this slight sketch, it will be evident, that the piece is more than usuaily interesting, and from the excellent acting of the principal characters, it received every assistance that could add to its effect. Between the first and second acts, an Address somewhat on the plan of Shakspeare's Chorus, is admirably recited by Miss R. Adcock in the character of Ariel, and concludes with the favourite air of "Where the Bee sucks"-It principally alludes to the lapse of 20 years in the interval of the two acts, and contains much point and humour. We have only to add that in this piece, Mrs. T. Dibdin made her first appearance this season, and was received with loud and merited applause, and that the scenery, always good, was upon this occasion superior to any we have lately witnessed. PERFORMANCES. Jan. 26 to 33. Knights of the Lion-Tom Jones-Dou Feb. 9 to 7. Tom POETRY. THE CHAPEL OF THE ISLE.* A FRAGMENT. TS it a cloud of fleecy white bright? A lone amidst yon glassy bed When diamond domes his fancy greet, Smil'd as she heard the war-horn's call; "A wizard of France coveted the fair land of Albine, but therein dwelt the son of another magician, who ruled a rare engine called a Parlement, and could raise spirits."-Old Romaunt. Europ. Mag. Vol. LXXII. Feb. 1918. And oft his scowling eye explor'd Sends from the heart which gave it birth: A serpent rears his blazing crest, "Ah, Lady! scorn the beardless sage! Ill sits the hermit-cowl of age On youth's enamell'd brow! Shall Albine to a peasant-guide Her treasures and her fame confide, Yet scorn a victor's vow? Bid then the shrill-voic'd clarion cease- The scarlet host to meet their foes: While on its spiral point supreme The mystic Horologe alone Amidst funereal darkness shone-- stone They hear the dead man's waking groan- Around him from their dark repose The Future's awful shadows rose, Imperial on his purple throne The mighty Wizard sat alone;' And 'twas a pageant strange to view, When banners streak'd with ev'ry hue, By crouds of trembling vassals spread, Wide as a rainbow, arch'd his head. Beneath his feet, a footstool proud! St. Jago's warworn helmet bow'd, And that fam'd shield, in slumber lost, With tow'rs of blazing gold emboss'd, "The pride of Leon's proudest host Lay trampled by his hate: Sev'n chiefs from Belgia's baleful strand, Of him whose thought was fate. He lingers, living in his tomb, Beside her holds his envied place: The freemen of her golden fields Raise high a canopy of shields; And rang'd beneath their shade sublime, Stand knights and chiefs of ev'ry clime: But from ber brow the myrtle leaf Falls not more beautiful and briefAnother moment, and the pall Of death and darkness covers all? The comet and the star are gone That empires paus'd to gaze upon; Yet not alike-the comet's path Mark'd an avenging demon's wrath; But that mild star of loveliest light, Which promis'd bliss and fled from sight, Its place in nobler spheres has won, Itself in Heav'n's own world an everlasting San! V. JOURNAL OF THE PROCEedings of THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT TUESDAY, Jan. 27, 1818.—The House met this day for the despatch of busihess. Shortly after three o'clock, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Earl of Harrowby, the Earl of West moreland, and the Duke of Montrose, entered the House as Lords Commissioners, and the House of Commons, attended by their Speaker, appeared at the Bar: his Lordship then read the speech: |