growing may exhibit. In conclufion, we remark, that even before a remedy fhall be discovered for this moft extenfive malady, it will, in the mean while, be of great importance, if the knowledge here communicated fhall ferve to indicate, in good time, what may probably be the produce of any harvest. ART. XV. Memoirs of the Life of William Henry Weft Betty, known by the Name of the Young Rofcius; with a general Eftimate of his Talents, and a Critique on his principal Characters. Second Edition. 12mo. 140 pp. 2s. 6d. Liverpool printed; Longman and Co. London. 1804. NE EVER has the public attention been more earnestly, or more univerfally excited, than by the extraordinary powers of the subject of the prefent Memoirs; never, perhaps, was there a fimilar inftance of any individual having acquired, at fo early a period of life, so high and fo established a reputation; and, as every man is more or lefs defirous to be accurately informed of the hiftory of any perfon who has, in an eminent degree, called forth his intereft, or commanded his approbation, we shall doubtlefs be excufed for paying more attention to this sketch, than is ufually allotted to fuch productions. We find nothing in the earlier years of this theatrical phænomenon that induces us to attribute his enthufiaftic paffion for the drama, in the flighteft degree, either to education, or the example of thofe immediately around him; and, fo far from his being, as is repeatedly afferted, deftined from his earlieft infancy to the theatrical profeffion, the author of the prefent book pofitively affures us, that his parents "poffeffed in their fulleft force the ufual prejudices against a profeffion, in itself of the higheft refpectability, but too frequently degraded by the irregular and imprudent conduct of its members." The natural force of his genius appears firft to have fhown itfelf by theunimportant incident of his accidentally accompanying his father to the Theatre at Belfast; which anecdote we fhall infert in the language of the author. "In the fummer of 1802, the play of Pizarro was brought out by the Belfast manager, with much iplendor, and Mrs. Siddons was the Elvira. As Mr. Betty and his fun happened to be in the town, they were induced to go to the Thea re, being the first time that Master Betty had ever feen a play. From this moment his fate was decided. When When he came home, he told his father, with a look of such enthusiafm, and a voice fo pathetic, that those who heard him will never forget the expreffion, that he should certainly die if he must not be a player. The wonderful acting of Mrs. Siddons in Elvira, not eafily to be forgotten by the moft phlegmatic, had left an impreffion on his glowing mind which nothing could ever erafe. It was fortunate for himfelt, that his firft, and therefore moft durable impreffions, were ftamped by fuch a model. He talked of nothing but Elvira; he recited the fpeeches of Elvira; and his paffion for the ftage became every hour more vehement and uncontrollable. He returned with his father to Ballynahinch, but no longer to his ufual occupations. The Siddonian accents ftill rang in his ear; and her majestic march and awful brow ftill filled his fancy. Every purfuit was neglected for his favourite object, and every thing not connected with it became tirefome and infipid. His propenfity grew vifibly more rooted by time; his importunities were irresistible; and his parents at length finding all oppofition unavailing, were compelled to think ferioufly of the practicability of indulging him." P. 21. In confequence of the above determination, Mr. Betty returned to Belfaft, to confult the manager of the Theatre at that place as to his fon's talents and qualifications. That gentleman, aftonifhed at the furprifing difcernment and abilities of a child, at that time only eleven years of age, immediately concluded an engagement with him for four nights. Since this may juftly be confidered as the crifis of his fame and reputation, we have great pleasure in tranfcribing the interesting particulars. "The happy moment at length arrived which was to realize our hero's hopes and wishes. About the middle of Auguft, in the year 1803, Mr. Atkins announced the tragedy of Zara, the part of Ofman to be undertaken by a young gentleman only eleven years of age. The fingularity of the exhibition drew together a great crowd of people, who were equally aftonished and enraptured at the performance of the young actor. A gentleman of the profeffion, who was prefent on the occafion, himself a good tragedian and a competent judge of the art, affured me, that his performance at that time was ftriking and correct beyond all belief. He difcovered no mark of embarraffment on his first appearance, and went through the character without the flightest confufion or mistake. The applaufes were tumultuous and inceffant. The actors were confounded to fee themselves fchooled by a mere infant; and even those who had formed the most fanguine expectations concerning him were amazed at his fuccefs. The next day he was the common topic of converfation in all parts of the town. Perfons of fober judgment, who had not seen him, treated the matter as they have done every where elfe, with derifion and incredulity: they fuppofed his performance to be like that of other children; that he had been taught a few attitudes and stage tricks, and had learned to look the audience in the face and fpeak boldly. When affured that he had excited the deepest fympathy in the spectators, and that many parts of his acting even in a man would have been thought admirable, they looked on the whole as an idle exaggeration. They determined, however, to attend his next performance, and to judge for themselves. He next played the part of Norval, in the tragedy of Douglas; which character he fuftained with fuch unaffected yet energetic fimplicity, that the most incredulous were fatisfied, and his fame among the inhabitants of Belfast was firmly established." P. 26. The first appearance of the Young Rofcius in Great Britain was at Glafgow, on Wednefday, the 21ft of May, 1804, from whence his fame fhortly extended; and, as might have been expected, an engagement with the London Theatres was fhortly after concluded. It would perhaps be deviating from our province to enter into any remarks on the theatrical ex. cellencies of the fubject of these Memoirs: we are very far from thinking, that exaggerated praife may not have been fiequently beftowed upon him; but where fo many perfons of acknowledged talents and difcernment have declared themfelves fo enthufiaftically in his favour, it would be equally faftidious and unfair to deny his avowed merits, or magnify his occafional imperfections. The prefent book, we are affured, has been compiled from the most authentic fources; it is written with much ease; and the critical remarks on the characters which have been reprefented by Mafter Betty are very ingenious, and highly commendable to the author, who has now dedicated his book to his townfman, Dr Currie, and figns himfelf J. Merritt. BRITISH CATALOGUE. POETRY. ART. 16. The Powers of Genius. A Poem. In Three Parts. By John Blair Linn, A. M. 12mo. 155 PP. 5s. Williams. 1804. We lately noticed a poem of confiderable merit, on the Evils and Advantages of Genius, by Mr. Tindal*; the prefent compofition, on a kindred fubject, manifefts also a fair allotment of the powers it celebrates. Mr. Linn is an American, like Mr. Feffenden, whom we Brit. Crit. vol. xxiv. p. 77. praised praifed laft month; though, from fome of his idioms, we fhould have fufpected him to be Caledonian, which probably was the origin of his family. Shall and will, the great fnare of writers not completely English, are feveral times confounded in the little sketch of his defign prefixed to the Poem. He is, however, a young writer, by his own confeffion; and he has no imperfections but fuch as ftudy and attention may easily correctt. In the mean time, his principal Poem has many beauties, and many paffages which might be cited, with credit to the critic as well as the author. Yet we fhall choose for our fpecimen of his talents, a little Poem turned to a fimilar topic, which is complete in itself, and of great merit. "An Addrefs to my Taper. My Taper lend thy glimmering ray, And o'er the city falls the night. Blefs'd with the file of kind repofe, (While lowering clouds the fky o'ercaft), Aerial beings pour their yell, And spread their pinions to the blast. * P. 196. Balk in the blaze of Pindar's fire. + Thus he gives Profpéro for Prófpero, Phaton for Phaëton. Ꮓ BRIT. CRIT. VOL. XXV. MARCH, 1805. How How fast thy flender form decays! Burn till their pulse can beat no more." P. 135. In the principal Poem, notwithstanding the attempts to open the de fign, in the introduction and arguments, there is a want of method; which particularly appears when from English Novels the poet starts to Zenobia, and Palmira, to Sappho, Corinna, and Queen Elizabeth, without order or connection. The author's diligent attention to Englith poets appears in many lines taken, perhaps unconfciously, from them, as well as from his notes; but his own powers are confiderable. He complains, but we guefs not why, of the injuftice of English reviewers to American poets, (p. 81.) Dr. Dwight's Conqueft of Canaan, the moft confiderable Poem of that origin, received, we know, abundant praises from various literary journals. For ourselves, we rejoice in American genius almost as much as in British. It is only the glory of the child inftead of that of the mother. It has been a pleafure to us to praife Mr. Linn; and at this moment we had rather continue our extracts than close this Article, as we muft, at the call of other business. ART. 17. Hifpaniola, a Poem; with appropriate Notes. To which are added, Lines on the Crucifixion; and other Poetical Pieces. By Samuel Whitchurch. 12mo. 112 pp. 55. Longman and Co. &c. 1804. The poem on Hifpaniola is written in ftanzas of fix-lines, and opens with a defcription of the climate fo characteristic, that the ideas muft probably have been imbibed on the spɔt. "Queen of delightful fummer ifles! The moon looks down with placid eye, Thy fountains run in brighter streams, The marshalled hoft of Heaven appear, Whence evening's ftar, unclouded and ferene, Where'er the nightly traveller ftrays, And on his pathway fheds her filvery sheen. Though |