No. 210, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1835. Price One Penny mour. This present effort shows in what way the best energies of . Ireland are being drawn away to give nourishment to the unnatural tree of Protestantism, which foreign intrusion has planted upon its engenial soil. The fruits of this tree are such as cannot be relish- ed in Ireland, and as the apple was death in Eden, so the fruits of protestantism are equally fatal in Ireland. Every part of the country is devastated and impoverished to enrich this one tree, the fruits of which are not intended for the inhabitants of the land it is thrust into ; but are designed to be the spoil of those who have no claim upon the produce of the country. However, it is not for us to' weaken the impression that Seymour has created, by his superhuman piece of lead and cedar, and we, therefore, leave it to the contemplation of a horror- stricken public. It presents an awful picture of the present state of that wretched country, and there is one consolation, that the patriot who looks upon it will feel a sort of extra glow of double distilled enthusiasm, and will feel a sort of pathetic desire to run through any man they may chance to fall in with. In fact, it is impossible for us to say what will be the result of the whole set out, for it is so well known that this work gets into the hands of all the first patriots in the land, that when they > see Seymour's caricature it is difficult indeed, to say, what will be the consequence. INTERPRETER. A Poor Topic. The Herald says that the all- engrossing topic of conversation just now, in the higher circles of Paris, is a service of plate sent over from this country for the Earl of Pembroke. We always knew that in the higher circles everywhere they find it difficult to catch hold of something to talk about, and that they are especially au fait in discussing any thing not requiring any but the most super- ficial of conversational powers. We dare say Pembroke plate is the very thing for them, and that they can go into appropriate rap- W. Strange, 21, P a t e r r o s t e r Bow. Fl^ AMO IN LORTDON. Political Pasquinades and Political Caricatures are parts ( though humble ones,) of Political History. They supply information as to the person and habits often as to the motives and objects of public men, which cannot be found elsewhere."— CROKER'S NEW WHIG GUIDE. THE PROTESTANT TREE. Every one knows, though we are telling every body, while they already know it, that the soil of poor old Ireland is overshadowed by the tree of Protestantism, which not only darkens its surface, but sucks away the strength of the land, and takes away from the roots of its more natural produce, the strength that ought to nourish it. Seymour, whose pencil is like the lancet, which when once applied to the fungus of the aristocracy never lets it rest. Seymour, we say, has given a god- like growl at the whole Irish system, and has fallen with a pliant pounce upon the state of that unhappy country. There is but little doubt that he will have the effect of calling the attention of the government to the conduct it is pursuing, and if any thing can be a balm to the sorrows of Erin, it will certainly be the caricaturing genius of the ripe Sey- Vol. IV. Satire should like a polish'd razor keen, Wound with a touch that's scarcely felt or SEEN LADY MONTAGUE. 202 FIGARO IN LONDON. 179 tures on the chasing of snuffers, the fiddle- heads of spoons ( a sym- pathetic topic), and the nozzles of candlesticks. In any other but the upper- circles, one would think they were badly off for conver- sation who had nothing more reasonable to dilate upon than plates and dishes ; but this great service of the Earl of Pembroke is doubtless of great service to those who, without it, would positively be forced to sit tongue- tied, unless a kind wind should suddenly spring up, to enable the noodles to exclaim to eaeh other, " Bless my soul, how hard it is blowing." Parish Wisdom Mr. Simpson highly approved of the principle comprehended in the resolution, but thought it irrelevant to the question before them.— ( Hear, hear.) Mr. Norman thought so too, but was ready to second the resolution.— Morning Chronicle Report. Public meetings, and especially parish meetings, are generally distinguished by the most abject folly ; but we really do think, that when the electors of Westminster get together, there is more pure humbug goes on, than in any other assemblage of noodles in any other part of the kingdom. There is generally among these fellows a blind and blustering propensity to play the fool, and they go at it pell- mell, with a want of discrimination that only marks the utter state of idiotcy with which these fellows have contrived to swamp themselves. The little extracts we have made above are de- lightfully characteristic of what these fellows are made of; and certainly when we consider the quantity of lead that is deposited in the heads of these people, we wonder that lead is not up at a very much higher premium than we now see it quoted at. " Mr. Simpson highly approved of the resolution, but thought it quite irrelevant." Now what a fool must this Simpson be, thus openly to acknow- ledge that the thing was irrelevant; " but that nevertheless he highly approved of it." What an ass ( begging his illustrious par- don) must he be to approve of a thing as part of their proceedings, which has in fact nothing to do with their proceedings. Then again— a Mr. Norman starts up, and declares he " thinks so too, but he is quite ready to second the motion." How can this fellow dare to open his mouth in public at all, when he pours forth from it such common- sewer like rubbish as that we find in our extracts. He sees the thing is altogether wrong, and yet with a blind defe- rence to Pouncey, or some such person, he starts up, and swears that though he sees it is bad altogether, vet he will join in for- warding it. This is conduct cjuite worthy of the wags of West- minster. Which is the Fool ? It now appears that it was not M. Carel, the Editor of the National Republican Paris paper, who bid 1920 francs for Napoleon's hat, bat a Captain Clary. The apparent singularity of the names led to this error.— Morning Chronicle. We do not wonder at its being thought necessary to insert some para- graph such as the above, for if such an offer has been made for the hat of Napoleon as the one named above, it is positively necessary to know from whom the offer proceeded, that the individual may be known, and spurned accordingly, as a lunatic. We remember, some years ago, that there was a terrific fuss made about what was then called Napoleon's identical hat, which was, to use a vulgar phrase, such an excessively shabby caster, that it gave rise to the phrase of what a " shocking bad hat!"— a phrase which became afterwards so exceedingly popular. This hat was dragged into a grand spectacle, called ' The Life of Napoleon,' and was worn by Mr. Warde, amid the rapturous enthusiasm of the greasy gods, who, though in Napoleon's life time they used to insult him with the title of Honey, paid a tardy tribute of late admiration to the hat of the emperor. The hat, however, whatever may be its merits, can hardly warrant the extiavagant offer that seems to have been made for it, though, to say the truth, it certainly did attract half of London to Covent Garden, when, literally speaking, Warde played in it. If the new purchaser should have an idea of having the hat got up again with new scenery, & c., it may still be a fine property; but as such does not seem to be the case, we think it due to Carel to insert a paragraph, from which it may be seen that Clary, and not he, is the purchaser. LETTERS FROM SPAIN, It is a long time since we have received any dispatches from this quarter. A few letters, we believe, have been received by the friends of the cause in London, but, as the postage was not paid, the letters were of necessity taken back again. We find, from our ill- starred correspondent, that none of them know where they are, and what they are up to. In fact, that whether they stand upon their head or their heels is utterly problematical. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE. " Spain. " DEAR FIGARO, " The Spanish force, or rather the British auxiliary force, is, I am sorry to say, in a state of considerable weakness. We really are as much reduced as the three per cents., and we have been lately worked about so much that I can't tell you even where we are, for the life of me. It is true we don't see any Carlists, but we still are in a devil of a stew for fear we should, and are so frozen up with the cold that we begin to wish the fears of our London friends may be realised, and that we shall have warm work of it. The fact is, dear Figaro, we are in a sadly disorganised state ; and I don't wonder at our being dis- orgamW, when it is remembered that all our musicians left us very speedily. Evans has been cutting a tolerable dash with the money that he has in his possession, and I have no doubt that he will be able to keep it up, as far as he is personally concerned, until the end of the campaign. With us, poor devils, it is quite another thing. It has been said that our whole force consists of what are technically termed in England " escapes from the sheriff's officers, " men, as the lawyers say, " not worth powder and shot." I need not tell you, my dear Figaro, that I hope the Carlists may think as the lawyers did in London, and not waste any powder or shot upon us. " Four's, till death ( Which, I fear, will not be long), " TIMOTHY GULLY." CITY ANA— No* 3 " Lord Arthur Hill quitted the York hotel yesterday, after a short stay." So says the Court Circular, but Winchester, reading it, swore it was highly improper. " What," said he, " Lord Hill quitting the hotel after a short stay. I suppose he was running after some woman with a short waist— that is, with short stays on.'" Hobler swallowed the City mace. At the meeting, the other day, about the aldermanic gown of Aldgate Ward, Mr. Sheriff Humphery was proposed, who de- clared his intention, if elected, to reside in the ward. " Reside in the ward," cried Copeland; " hang me if he can— Key is the only City man that can conveniently reside in a ward." The whole meeting gave a twinge. BREVITIES. Sweet Employment. " The king," says the Court Circular, " took an airing yesterday, ac- companied by a lady of the royal suite." This is all very pleasant for his majesty no doubt, and is a sweet ( suite) way of keeping his time ; but what will the real royal srceet ( Adelaide) say, when she hears of it ? A Good Move. The Duke of Wellington called public meetings farces, and indeed they sometimes are, for while every body moves some resolution, the resolution generally instead of moving any thing in return, leaves every thing just the same as before. FIGARO IN LONDON. 179 Distinguished Illness, The papers say, that Sir William Follett has been seriously indispos- ed. We wonder whether the word seriously is considered necessary on account of Sir William having been subject to attacks of a comic des- cription. Rather Hoggish, 125,000 hogs were slaughtered last year at Cincinnati. What would become of the London corporation if an equal number of hogs were massacred in the metropolis ? A Clear Brook. Sir Francis Burdett's letter to Brookes's , is considered in the light of an offence, and if it acts up to its name, the club ought not to Brook the insult. A Shallow Brook. Sir Francis is rather weak sighted, for not being able to sound the character of his club, be shows himself unequal even to prying into the depths of Brookes. Dogmatical. Prince George, the other day, rode out with Colonel Bowater and Lord Loftus, to join the hounds. We are not at all surprised at the young Prinoe going to the dogs in such company. Jew- dicious. Mr. Sheriff Salomons has been declared not fitted for the Aldermanic gown. We presume it is meant, that he is not sufficient of an old woman. Winchester Again. The Chronicle says, that the Emperor of Russia has given an audience to the Earl of Durham. We presume by this, that the Emperor has been commanding some play at Russia, in which Lord Durham has been enacting a character. At least, Winchester says, that he does not see how an audience is to be given without a performance of some kind. Extra- ordinary. We find from the Times, lhat the French journals have arrived by the ordinary post. Who can this be ? The most ordinary post we know of, is the Ex- Lord Mayor Winchester. Bounce and Pounce. Mr. Pounce has been playing the tiger at a public meeting, and as his name implies, pouncing npon everything. THEATRICAL CRITICS. The noodle in " The New Bell's Messenger" has thought proper to commence a Quixotic attack, after the manner of " The Times," upon the present management of the Adelphi Theatre. What is the cause of this extraordinary change ? A short time ago, the same wiseacre covered the self- same managers with the " slime of his approbation'' ( as Mr. Willis says of " The Quarterly*'), when they were the proprietors of the Queen's Theatre; and one or two of the ladies there were more slobbered with the slime than the rest. Won't the managers permit Noodle to dawdle behind the scenes, or won't they perform some of his beautiful plays, that have been so long waiting to restore the drama. In the true spirit of noodleism, the same critical Solomon commences a furious attack upon poor Bunn. " There is no drama now," he ex- claims; " we have no drama," & c. & c. ; and will not the incorrigible Bunn take pity on poor Noodle, and accept his productions ? Poor man! Every new management he offers ins services to— begins with them in the kindest and most patronizing manner— how his tone changes as they proceed, and will not recognize his wonderful merit. What will he say to Braham at his commencement ? We shall keep an eye upon Neodle, and report accordingly. THEATRICALS. There is so little, and yet so much, doing at Drury Lane that we can hardly know what to say of the establishment. • The Jewess' is drawing full houses, and is likely to do so until Christmas, and it is even doubt- ful whether Bunn will want any more even at Christinas. Covent Garden has nearly arrived at its lowest abyss, and FUzballiana are coming out as fast as steam- engines on the Liverpool railway. The blackguards of the metropolis are awfully agog for the pantomime ; and when we reflect upon the vulgar resources of the establishment, we think a treat of no ordinary kind may be anticipated by the lovers of life and tagrag- and- bobtailishness. When we consider the extensive connexion of the parties concerned in this house, we may expect such an assort- ment of clowns and pantaloons as never was congregated. We understand that Drury Lane intends producing a grand Christmas pantomime, and, in that case, there is no hope for the falling fortunes of the grand patent doghole, commonly called Covent Garden. Osbaldiston, finding that his proceed; ngs critically have the effect of frightening the people away, has been obliged to relinquish the dirty sock and degraded buskin, and confining himself to his more proper province of inspecting the amount of candles burnt on the premises, and the number of requisite scene- shifters. He has now engaged Kemble again to butcher Hamlet, by making him, an old man of near seventy, mar the text of Shakspeare by fruitless efforts at energy. Certainly, the return of Mr. Kemble is the only thing bordering even on respectability that has occurred in the ma- nagement of Covent Garden for the last six weeks ; but it is not to be supposed that his nearly- exhausted talent can relumine the darkness that hangs like a cloud over Covent Garden Theatre, any more than a rushlight pearly burnt out could be a substitute for a gas chandelier to [ produce equal brilliancy. Power has been playing again, bat his second engage- ment is not so profitable even as his first, which was nothing to boast of. Last week we had an affair presented to us, called ' The Carmelites, or the Convent Belles,' another of those monstrosities which the Catnachian brain of the worried Fitzball pours forth as plentifully as soot from a brewer's chimney. Poor Fitzball is a sort of inexhaustible butt of drama- tic swipes, from which Osbaldiston is continually drawing, but the public is beginning to let it be seen that they will not be inundated by theatrical beer of so very small a character. As to Osbaldiston's performance in it, if the piece was like a glass of small beer, his acting was like the cinder sometimes thrown in to give a flavour to that wishy- washy, slippy- sloppy drinkable. However, we had rather find him at this work, than act the Virginiuses, the Rob Roys, and the Rollas, so that we really feel inclined to give him some little praise, for if he must act, the shorter the piece in which he plays the better for every body. With respect to the other members of the company, we really do not think it worth our while to no_ tice them. We thank heaven, that there is only one lessee, and we only wish he would himself fill every office in the theatre, for we should then be spared the annoyance of seeing all sorts of inefficient persons playing principal characters by virtue of their offices. The Victoria really seems to have made a hit with ' The Jewess,' and when we consider the extent of the procession, we think the success is warranted. It is a piece of immense spirit, on the part of the manage- ment, to collect together all the old flannel- drawers' leggings, silk flesh- ings, robes, rags, and royal roquelaires, to wrap round the carcases of su- pernumeraries, and pronounce their walking round the pit on a platform a piece of magnificence unparalleled. It is, however, without the smallest quizzing in the world, a very gorgeous affair, and has, we understand, made rather a difference in the hftherto enormous receipts of the Surrey. The fact is, the public has had enough of the nautical of T. P. Cooke, and wants something by way of a novelty. We think Davidge must be stir- ring, if he has any wish to compete with what the Victoria is now doing. Davidge is generally active, and his activity ha « , up to this time, been rewarded with success, but he must not begin to relax if he is anxious for a continuance of former favour. Mr. Charles Mathews, son of his father as the bills graphically describe him, has come out at the Olympic as an actor, and has made rather a hit in two of his own farces. He was ushered in by an introductory address, spoken by Mr. Liston, and a very stupid address it was, with no more 214 FIGARO IN LONDON. piint to it than the butt- end of an Egyptian pyramid. It was as flat as a flounder, and a very floundering affair into the bargain. The papers call it serious, and say Liston could not on that account give effect to it; but we must beg leave to take off the odium from the actor, and attribute its utter dulness and insipidity to the author's stupidity. It was a sort of thing that could not have sounded well in the mouth even of Moses. It was downright bad, from beginning to end, and ought to have been omitted. Mr. Charles Mathews seems to be an actor of a lively kind, and he will supply just what is wanted in Madame Vestris's company ; for, with the exception of the low comedians, there is no one in the theatre that has more life in him than a stuffed kangaroo, or more spirit than a cup of weak tea with too much sugar in it. We were glad to see Liston again on these boards, for while Vestris is herself ill, she cannot afford to let him remain idle. He was cheerfully greeted by a much fuller house than has lately assembled at this theaire. Mr. Braham's theatre has been put off for another week, but is advertised to open positively next Monday. There is a great deal of talk about it, and some of our contemporaries, who appear to have had private views, speak of it as the most elegant theatre in Europe. We, who always judge for ourselves, shall give our opinion on this point after seeing it. The name of the Opera, by Mrs. a'Beckett, has been advertised. It is called ' Agnes Sorel' and all we can hope is, that the music will be of a kind to warrant the idea that Balfe's opera has started, of there being something like musical genius in this country. The company seems very good, though in some cases an untried one, but Mr. Braham's musical reputation is a sufficient guarantee for there being at least good promise about all who are about to appear in the opera. We perceive that Mitchell is the stage manager, and we think that Mr. Braham has done well in securing him, for in the capacity he fills, he is decidedly the cleverest man in his profes- sion. The Adelphi is said to be prospering, owing to the success of ' The Dream at Sea,' and the increased talent engaged in the company. At the East end of the town theatricals are, as the phrase is, looking up ; and we presume that this implies the fact of the theatres being so low, that if they look any way at all, it must be upwards. Mr. Denvil, who was to have taken Kean's place at Drury Lane, had it not accidentally happened that he didn't,— Mr. Denvil is playing every part in the drama, from Shy- lock, Shakspeare's Jew, to Eleasar, Dibdin Pitt's old clothes- man. The bills of the Pavilion say, that Eleasar was originally written for Denvil! We presume, that, if such were the case, it was quite without the author's knowledge, as we very much doubt whether Scribe when he wrote the Jewess, even knew there was such an actor in existence as Mr. Denvil. In fact, we rather think that at that time nobody had ever heard of him, for he had not then broken upon the town in all the pomp of puffs and paid paragraphs. However he is, in some melodramatic parts, an actor of me- rit, and as leading man where lie now is, he can give offence to nobody." The Standard Theatre is flagging terribly for want of a lessee, but we have no doubt a spirited person will be found in a week or two ready to impale himself on the altar of managerial ambition, and ready to yield up his latest moments of liberty in a lingering cognovit. Such is the certain fate of the new lessee of the Standard, directly one shall be found to under- take the character. TO CORRESPONDENTS. Mr. Thomas Haynes Bayly's new Burletta, ' A Gentleman in Difficul- ties,' we understand, will be published next week, uniform with STRANGE'S Edition of Buekstone's Dream at Sea, price sixpence. ERRATA.— In last week's Number of FIGARO, under the head ' Theatri- cal Critics,' read Planche ' waxes'instead of ' was,' and read ' scriber instead of' writer.' ADVERTISEMENTS. BUCKSTONE'S DRAMAS. SECOND EDITION. " I^ HE DREAM AT SEA," now performing with unbounded ap- -*- plause at the Adelphi, is now published Price Sixpence. The first and second volumes of Buckstone's Dramas are now ready, price 7s. each, bound in cloth. This Edition is carefully revised and corrected by the Author, with stage directions, costume, & c. & c. Price One Penny, or 6s. per Hundred for distribution, O'CONNELL'S LETTER to the Editor of the " LEEDS TIMES," on PEERAGE REFORM. O'CONNELL'S SEVEN SPEECHES at Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.-— Prico Sixpence, or separate One Penny eaeh. O'CONNELL'S PORTRAIT, plain 3d., proofs on India paper 6d. O'CONNELL'S LETTER to the DUKE of WELLINGTON, and His DEFENCE OF THE CATHOLICS, One Penny Each. Published by W. STRANGE, No. 21, Paternoster Row; and Sold by Wakelin, late Cleave, 1, Shoe- lane. Fleet Street; No. 18. 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