but whilst it continues law, let it be executed. We can no more tolerate a dispensing power in a juryman than in a king.

Mr. Douce's illustrations terminate with the 272d page of this volume, and the pext seven give us some additions to the notes; but previously to our offering any remarks upon them we will present our readers with an original illustration or two.

Merry Wives of Windsor, act 3. sc. 3.

1 "And smell like Bucklersbury in simple time." DR. MOFFET who died in 1604, in his " Health's Improvement," p. 96, has the following passage. "But here a great question ariseth whether sweet smells correct the pestilent air, or rather be as a guide to bring it the sooner into our hearts? To determine which question, I call all the dwellers in Bucklersbury in London to give their sentence; which only street (by reason that it is wholly replenished with physic, drugs, and spicery, and was daily perfumed in the time of the plague with pounding of spices, melting of gums and making perfumes for others) escaped that great plague brought from Newhaven, whereof there died so many, that scarce any house was left unvisited 21,530 only in London, anno 1563."

Taming of the Shrew, act 3. sc. 2. Gremio. Quaff'd of the muscadel, and threw

the sops

All in the sexton's face, having no other reason, But that his beard grew thin and hungerly, And seem'd to ask him sops as he was drinking."

Sandford in his Genealogical History, 6.6, ch. 4, p. 478, reciting the marriage ceremony of Philip and Mary, quotes a collection of ceremonials in the herald's college After mass, wine and SOPPS were hallowed, and delivered to them both."

The recipe here given for making men seem like horses or asses, from Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft, where Shakspeare might have seen it, is the real property of Baptista Porta.

This ingenious recipe is certainly not the property of Baptista Porta; for it appears among several such in Albertus Magnus's tract de Mirabilibus Mundi. Now Albertus died anno 1280; Porta in 1515. We are not aware of the trick put upon Dr. Cooke by Polymetis Spence.-Here we must, however reluctantly, take our leave of Mr. Douce's very ingenious work.

Petit Tableau; ou, Elémens de la Con stitution, des Lois, du Gouvernement, &c. -A small Epitome; or Elements of the Constitution, Laws, Government, &c. of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Adapted to the Capacity of Youth, with an English Translation of the most difficult Words at the Bottom of each Page. By N. Wanostrocht, L. L. D. Author of several Works relative to the Instruction of Youth. pp. 250. Price 4s. 6d. Vernor, Hood and Sharp. London, 1802.

THIS is another production from the indefatigable pen of Dr. Wanostrocht, of Camber well, to whom the rising generation is so much indebted for the pains he has taken in dedicating his hours of leisure from the severe attention of arduous duties, to their improvement and instruction.

That the present, or at least a similar work, should not have been undertaken before, will appear a matter of surprize to many of our readers; for, after the first elements of education, what, can be more appropriate than to instruct youth, in the knowledge of the constitution of their own country; which could so easily have been accomplished by an abstract of the greater work of the learned Blackstone; who seems to have pointed out to those who have the care of our younger branches, the absolute necessity of such species of instruction, by the following words, not unaptly chosen by the worthy doctor for his motto: "I think it an undeniable position, that a competent knowledge of the laws of that society in which we live, is the proper accomplishment of every gentleman and scholar; an highly useful, I had almost said essential, part of liberal and polite education."

This work is divided into four parts; the first treats of the Rights of Personsthe second of the Rights of Things-the third of Private Wrongs-and the fourth of Crimes and Public Injuries. It is preceded by a short historical detail of the establishment of the English constitution; of the Unions of Scotland and Ireland with England, and with other matters analogous to the subject. The rest the title sufficiently explains.

We translate the preface as it will enable ourreaders to judge of the author's intentions

There is," says Montesquieu, "one nation where political liberty is the direct object of its constitution."-That, undoubtedly, is the English nation; and it is to the goodness of that constitution, the result of time and experience, that it owes the state of grandeur and prosperity which it has now attained. It is therefore useless to shew here how important it is to be acquainted with such an excellent constitution, especially in an age and among a people so enlightened as this is, In reality, without that know.edge, it is in vain to pretend to understand the history of one's own country, or to join, in sensible conversation, with an inquisitive foreigner wishing to be informed of the laws, government, &c. of a country the civil liberty of which has for a long time been the admiration and envy of neighbouring nations.

The author of this small volume has long perceived that young people of every description were in want of a book which combining at once the most important objects might be an easy acquisition to every capacity; a book which without being too voluminous, should sufficiently explain the elements of the constitution, the formation of the laws, &c. of the country that gave them birth, and which undoubtedly must be so much the more interesting to them, as they may hope to be, and in fact as they may become, members of the legislative body. Such is the immediate object of the plan of the work now offered to the public. The author has solely attended to what peculiarly concerns the most important branches of the constitution, and has endeavoured to use the most natural and proper order to communicate to young minds notions suitable to their age relating to the government and police of the state; the rights and functions of the sovereign power; the houses of lords and commons; the persons appointed to preserve order; the means which are employed to repress those who disturb the public peace by any attempt against the state, or who may otherwise annoy the public tranquillity and safety of families by crimes and misdemeanours; the various punishments which they incur the different courts of justice;the officers who are entrusted with their administration-their particular functions;

been at the trouble of reading, selecting, connecting, digesting, translating and often of copying, Any industrious person might have done the same, and perhaps with better success, but he could not resist the desire of being use ful, and co-operating as much as possible in the instruction of youth; and in short, of making them sensible not only of the constant advantages which are enjoyed under the auspices of such an admirable constitution, but that through industry, application to study, and good conduct, they may aspire to, and may even attain, as many others have done, the highest honors and first places under government, whether civil or military. The satisfaction of having succeeded will amply reward the author's labours, who has by no means any pretensions to fame. He is perfectly aware of the little value set on compilers; but he enjoys the gratification of having accomplished through the sole motive of puhlic good, what so many others have attempted for the sake of interest or vanity.

It is evident, then, that this little work owes its appearance, to the laudable intention of impressing on the minds of youth the great superiority "the best constitu

"tion that ever human wisdom framed"*

enjoys over every other form of go. vernment; an idea that, in the present aspect of affairs, cannot be too often nor too strenuously reiterated; for were Blackstone alive, he would have painted in terms still more energetic the necessity for inculcating a thorough knowledge of our government, to those who will inevitably be called forth at no distant period to protect (and perhaps to bleed for it in the field of battle!) the last chapter that remains of the Jurisprudence of civilized Europe, the only abode of Freedom and of Security from the ruthless attacks of inordinate ambition :. Happy Britannia! where the Queen of Arts, Inspiring Vigour, Liberty abroad sends unconfin'd, E'en to thy farthest cots!

dertaking by John Bowles, Esq. † and he returns him thanks for "the great pains he has so kindly taken towards its success." It is, by permission, inscribed without an atom of the verbose pomposities of flattery, to her Royal Highness. the

*Rt. Hon. C. J. Fox's list. James II. +Compare Panorama, Vol. I. p. 513. Vol. II. p. 244.

2 B

Critical Essays on the Performers of the London Theatres, including general Observations on the Practice and Genius of the Stage. By the Author of the Theatrical Criticisms in the Weekly Paper called the News. Small 8vo. pp. 287, 8s. Boards. Hunt. 1807.

If we were asked for a concise opinion of this work, we should say of it, what has been said of many other works; it contains some things that are good, many that are bad, and more that are indifferent. It is a compound of false and correct taste; kneaded together with an unusual quantity of egotism, metaphysical reasoning, and strained, and far-fetched similies. Elliston is the god of the author's idolatry: he says,

I consider Mr. Elliston, not only with respect to his versatility, but in his general excellence, and in the perfection to which he has brought some of his characters, the greatest actor of the present day ..Mr. Kemble is certainly an actor of consummate study; Mr. Cooke has a genius natural and powerful, though confined; and Mr. Pope is an excellent miniature painter. Let every body possess his due honours. It is my firm conviction, that if Elliston possessed the fine countenance of Mr. Kemble, he would instantly outshine him in every body's opinion, even in the character which Mr Kemble at present calls his own. Mr. Kemble's studiousness damps his enthusiasın; Mr. Elliston's enthusiasin overcomes his study if the one has more judgement, the other has more genius. Mr. Cooke, like Elliston, is a greater comedian than tragedian: and in his peculiar walk undoubtedly displays a firm and original step; but neither in comedy nor tragedy is he at the height of the drama, for he is confined to hypocrisy and sarcasm. As to Mr. Pope, he is, as I have said before, a very excellent artist: Mr. Elliston, at least as far as I know, is no artist at all. They are therefore at issue: there are no points of comparison between them.

Kemble's affected, and vicious pronunciation, which certainly calls for strong censure, is, upon the whole, treated with more severity than justice, by this writer. On the other hand, his strictures on Liston, and Emery, exhibit a large portion

We have heretofore noticed what credit is Criticisms, as they are called. And, indeed, to be attached to news paper Theatrical how can any impartial account be expect ed, when it is notorious that there is scarcely an editor of a news-paper now-adays but who enters the theatre in forma pauperis, having a card of admission for self and co-independent of his connexions with play-makers, actors, &c. who are obliged not only to court, but dven sometimes to pay him. He praises or censures just as interest or prejudice dictates, not as rational, manly criticism demands— Hence many a good production has been banished from the stage to make room for trash that disgraces literature-not to mention our German Pizarros; our pilfered Castle Spectres; our Joe Miller Cabinets, cum multis aliis, whose treasury ordeals, by means of continual puffing, absolutely frightened poor Arthur Mur phy from finishing two or three pieces. he had commenced" No, no," said this veteran, a little while previous to his death, to a friend who expostulated with him on his not completing them- no, no; the public taste, has quite changed since I first begun them-none of my productions would stand the least chance “now—I'll e'en leave them, unfinished, as they are."-No doubt he blushed that such things, generally speaking, as have been latterly produced, and nicknamed*comedies and tragedies,should pass for standards of national taste; nor could he debase his judgment, else he might have written pieces like them by the score, and soon have outnumbered Lopez de la Vega himself. As for ourselves, we shall continue in the track we have hitherto pursued; alike unconnected with either managers, or players, and their parasite dependents; we shall present real, candid, and unbiassed opinions, at least, determined to praise where merit claims, and to censure without asperity or prejudice; we shall

Nothing extenuate, nor set down-aught in malice.

We coincide completely in the author's reflections on the gross, not to say' dis gusting, impropriety of the assumption of male attire by actresses, as reiterating senti ments which the PANORAMA has strenuous

"

thinks;" a merit of no mean estimation,

in this age of venal dramatic partiality.

* Such things indeed one knows not what to call, Their generation's so equivocal!

We doubt not, but he has witnessed what he describes; the indelicacy of the subject, however, has led him into an indelicacy of style which forbids us from verbatim transcript of his sentiments.

The English are not yet surfeited, like the French or the Neapolitans, into an indifference for female shapes, because their women have not UTTERLY divested themselves of clothing; they are therefore extremely fond of those stage exhibitions of necks and legs, which can conveniently supply the common deficiency of the sight, and at the same time [as some of them fancy!] leave the national character of their women uninjured. This passion is so well understood by foreigners, that an Italian woman, who sung in this country the other day, [Madame Catalani] advertised in the Opera bills a new scene, purposely added to introduce her in male attire. But is it not INFINITELY DEGRADING to an English woman, to a woman of that nation so famous for the delicacy and domestic importance of its females, to stand in the gaze of a thousand eyes, divested of her becoming concealments, and imitating the appearance and actions of a sex, to whom she is always most lovely when most unlike? A slave in a West Indiair market could scarcely undergo a more humiliating exhibition. What a charming homage to genius! How complimentary to the powers of the actress!

justice too ;* but, hoping the "ladies and gentlemen of the theatre" will pay attention to this author's hint, and speedily begin the work of reformation, we proceed in cur extract:

Let the actress, who is fond of displaying her person in male attire, never forget, that the applause which she gains in such a dress cannot possibly carry with it any thing of respect the more vehement it is, the more is it an acknowledgement of a very lamentable familiarity in the performer, and of a very gross kind of gratitude on the part of the audience.

I have introduced these observations into the present article, not because I mean to apply the whole of their inferences and exemplifications to Miss Duncan, but because I have felt peculiarly interested in the future fame of the best lady our conic stage possesses, and have not a little lamented to see her increasing fondness for male attire. It will be objected perhaps, that an actress cannot help appearing in what the manager wishes; but even then to appear, and to provoke attention by an appearance full of display are very different things: I have seen both Mrs. Henry Siddons, and Miss Smith in male attire, but whenever I have seen them so dressed, they have always given as little as possible to the public eye.

Here the writer criticises this "best lady's" choice of dress, in a manner which for the credit of our audiences, we will hope is unfounded; if not-the taste and the morals, the sentiment and the delicacy, of the public, are at as low an ebb as that of the performer.-In what stronger language can censure be conveyed?

many

other

Miss Duncan has, what actresses have not, a respectability to lose. It requires but a little exercise of her good sense to persuade her, that to strut about in all the insolence of a military coxcomb, to slap the jovial fellows on their backs, to rap out oaths with a twang, and to imitate drunken lobby loungers is not the surest way to preserve either her own delicacy or the respect of others. She may become a very gay sort but she must of something like a man, forget herself first; and in proportion as she does this, she will forget something very ingenious and very pleasing."

* What are the qualities which the player acquires by his employinent? A mixture of baseness, dissimulation, ridiculous pride, and a littleness, which fits him to represent every kind of personage, except the noblest of all, that of Man, which he forsakes.-Rousseau.