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EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

VIEW of S.MALO in BRITANNY.

Published Fib 1.1794. by I.Semell Nga, Cornhill

Engraved by W. Thomas.

Of mortal spirits fee him, for he is
By the mind only to be feen at all.
But he from good adduces never ill

To mortal men ; though love and hate attend him,

Famine, and war, and much-lamented woes.
Nor is there other one; and all you'll fee
At once, if first you fee him here on earth.
To you, my fou, I'll fhew him when I
view

The steps and strong hand of the mighty
God.

"But him I fee not; for around him
fpreads

A thick dark cloud, and from me hides the reft;

While tenfold darknefs hides him from mankind.

Of tribe-form'd men no one shall see him reign,

But he alone, who was a branch broke off From the high stem of the Chaldean race; And who was skill'd in the fun's orb and

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"As the great Logos of the ancient times,

Who is of matter to be born, ordain'd,
I've had the law all folded up from God;
Or else I should not dare to speak of it,
E'vn now I thake through all my fhudd'ring
limbs,

Though from the fky, I know, he reigns o'er all.

But, O my fon, do thou thefe thoughts receive,

A facred filence keep concerning them,
And in thy bofom lay them safely up."

Though we are difpofed to admire the comprehenfiveness of Mr. Whit aker's genius, yet we think his comment upon this poem might well have been spared, as we are of opinion that it is extremely improbable that Orpheus prophefied of the Meffiah under the appellation of the Logos. The evidences for the belief of the early Jews in the divinity of their promised Deliverer were fufficient, without bringing in fuch a weak auxiliary as this obfcure heathen.

With this chapter our learned Author concludes the proofs of the belief of the Jews in the doctrine of the Trinity; in the two which follow, he confiders their departure from the antient creed, and the progrefs of Mohammedanifm, Arianifm, and Socinianifm. As this part of his work is replete with much ingenious difquifition, and novel obfervations, expreffed in bold and happy language, we fhall poftpone our confideration of it to our Review.

(To be continued.)

MALO.

[ WITH AN ENGRAVING. 1

HIS fea-port is, or perhaps rather was,the See of a Bishop,and has for many years been celebrated for the extent of its trade with England, Spain, and Holland. The English, particularly the inhabitants of Guernsey and Jerfey, used to take from the inhabitants a great deal of linen and of tea, and to bring them in return cloth and money.

The entrance into the port of St. Malo is very dangerous, owing to the number of fmall rocks that encompass it, and which are very vifible at low water. The town is in VOL. XXV.

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general very ftrong, both by nature and by art. The fort called La Conchée, built after the defigns of the celebrated Vauban, is of amazing ftrength. St. Malo has given birth to several diftinguished perfons, fuch as Jacques Cortier, who difcovered Newfoundland in 1534; Du Guay Trouin, the celebrated Naval Commander; M. de Maupertuis, Abbé Trublet, &c.The view of the town with which we prefent our readers, was taken from a fcarce etching, made by Claude Caftillon, about the year 1650.

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CHARACTERS, ANECDOTES, &c. OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND CELEBRATES BRITISH CHARACTERS, DURING THE LAST FIFTY YEARS.

INth

(MOST OF THEM NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.)

(Continued from Vol. XXIV. Page 422.)

HUGH KELLY. (Concluded. )

N the winter of 1768, his first comedy called "Falfe Delicacy appeared at Drury-lane Theatre, and notwithftanding many of the performers were ftill farting under the lath of his "Thefpis," they forgot their injuries upon this occafion, and his Dramatis Perfone boafted the first names in the houfe, fuch as King, Holland, Mrs. Barry, &c. &c.

The fuccefs of this comedy was very confiderable; and it is but fair to fay, it made its way to public approbation entirely from its own intrinfic merit. Some favourable allufions to the fuperiority of English over foreign education in the fecond act, caught John Bull's attention, and from that to the dropping of the curtain, it was almoft one unremitted fcene of applause.

Kelly's friends anticipated the fuccefs of this piece, by ordering an handfome fupper at the Globe Tavern on the fame night, to receive their little Baves in all his dramatic fplendours. The party confifted of near feventy people, compofed of authors, book fellers, and the neighbouring tradefmen, who, from attachment, flattery, or ig. norance, poured out one continued ftream of adulation; "it was," in their opinion," the best first comedy ever produced"-" The Author was heaven-born genius, and he was defined by his pen to reclaim the former immoralities of the Stage."

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For all thefe, Kelly feemed by his obeifance "to fteal all humility from heaven." He thanked them for their flattering opinion of his poor abilitiesthat he claimed little more than the merit of induftry, and that if, by a purfuit in this line, he could obtain a decent livelihood for a deferving wife and a young family, his higheft wishes would be completely gratified.

When Cibber tells us, that on the circumstance of his falary being raifed in confequence of his merit from fifteen to twenty fhillings per week, he compared the fate of his own mind to

that of Alexander the Great in the moment of his greatest victory, what muft the state of our Author's mind be under this temporary glow of fame, when he confidered that his fituation, a very few years before, was that of an indigent ftay-maker, without friends, and without connections; but that now he could fee himself on the high-road to fame and independence, and furrounded by a number of refpectable people, proud to own themfelves his warmeft friends and fupporters.

Let not the great and vain fneer at this little inftance of felf-fatisfaction; it is for the fame feel they are labouring, when they are afpiring after the highest honours and rewards, though they often lofe a great part of its purity, from the means they make use of to obtain them.

To fpeak impartially of the merits of this comedy, we must allow it no inconfiderable fhare of praife; for though it boafts no originality of character, or no very refined turn of thinking, it exhibits juft views of human life, and fhews the bufinefs of the drama with much pleafantry and effect. This praife we cannot deny to its intrinfic merit; but when we confider it as the firft efforts of an indigent young man, and without a regular education, unskilled in the range of character, and deftitute of the means of keeping good company, where the manners of the Stage are beft ftudied, we muft raife the voice of eulogium, and pronounce it a very extraordinary performance.

Kelly was lucky too in fome adventitious circumftances. The taste of the times (for what reafon we know not, except that great practical vice requires a

proportioned fhare of hypocrify) was verging faft, at that period, to what was called fentimental comedy. The Belles and Beaux in the boxes not only fhrunk from the leaft equivoque, or ftrong expreffion, no matter how tinctured with wit and character, but John Bull, the truant, affected to grow delicate at the fame time :-hence all the broad difcriminating traits of comic humour were in

a great

a great degree neglected, and fentiment alone filled up the mighty void. This was favourable to our Author's talents and opportunities. Little verfed in the polite circles of life, and not much experienced in the knowledge of mankind, he drew for his balance principally on the circulating libraries, and by the affiftance of his own genius, accommodating to the tafte and temper of the times, he furnished a play which then received unbounded applaufe, and which we even now think deferves a place in the ftock lift of any well-regulated Theatre.

The profits of this comedy brought the Author above feven hundred pounds, befides a degree of fame that was very creditable to his talents. In the fummer of the year it was brought out it was acted at most of the countrytowns in Great Britain and Ireland. Nor was its reputation confined to thefe dominions, it was tranflated into feveral of the modern languages-into Portuguefe at Lifbon, by the command of the Marquis of Pombal-and into French at Paris, by the celebrated Madame Riccoboni-in both of which places it was received with uncommon fuccefs.

Poor Goldfmith, who could fo little endure the English reputation of “False Delicacy," was ill prepared to enjoy its foreign honours. When he first heard of its being tranflated and played abroad, he would not believe it; but when the fact came out fo ftrong as not to be difcredited, he comforted himielf by faying, "It must be done for the purpofe of exhibiting it at the booths of foreign fairs, for which it was well enough calculated." Goldfmith, however, had a more fcholar-like revenge a few years afterwards, as he himfelf, in a great degree, knocked down the whole race of fentimental writers, by his comedy of "She Stoops to Conquer;" a comedy fo diftant from the then mode of writing, that in many parts it leaned ftrongly to farce, but which catching the audience in the natural fate of their minds, reclaimed them to the fureft method of being pleafed, viz. by their feelings.

In the year 1769 Kelly, with a laudable view to the fecurity of fome profeifion which might be a more permanent fupport to his family, entered himmelf as a Member of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, where he became very acceptable to the ftu

dents of that Society, by his goodhumour and converfational talents.He likewife diftinguished himself, during his Apprenticeship to the Law, by a fpeech in favour of Mr. Stephens, who was at that time well known by writing a pamphlet "On the Imprifonment for Debt," but for fome reafon or other was refufed admittance to the Bar, notwithstanding he had performed all the previous requifites. Kelly fpoke upon this fubje& with fome force, and no inconfiderable degree of elocution, and when he drew towards the conclufion of his fpeech, thus expreffed himself :

"I have now run over the feveral objections which have been stated againft this man's admiffion to the Bar, and do not find one ftrong enough to warrant a petition to the Honourable the Benchers of this Society for his exclufion. But perhaps his poverty may be the only objection.-If this be his crime, I have doubly a fellow-feeling for him, as, I am free to confefs, few men have been more criminal in this

line than myself-indeed fo much, that fhould it be remembered against me, I defpair of ever enjoying the profeffion al honours of the long robe.'

In 1770, Kelly brought out his comedy of "A Word to the Wife," again which a strong party was made on the firft night of its reprefentation, under an idea that the Author was concerned in writing for Government. So unju a perfecution we never before were witneffes to, and we truft, for the honour of the drama, as well as literature in general, that popular zeal will never rife fo high as to condemn any author unheard, whatever may be the turn of his political opinions.

The history of this little tranfaction is fomewhat curious. The party determined to damn this picce affembled in the pit at an early hour, and long before the beginning of the play "gave dreadful note of preparation," by various practices of their catcalls, &c. &c. On the drawing up of the certain open hoftilities commenced, and continued, with very few intervals of peace,till the fourth Act, when fome little hitch arifing in the developement of the plot, the malcontents began with redoubled fury, and from that to the clofe of the play the performance little better fhow.'

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