yers were fo perfectly perfuaded, as to be obliged to have recourfe to ingenuity to reconcile it to the principle, by faying that the coiner by the act ufurps a part of the royal prerogative. With refpect to the act of William and Mary, the circumftances of thofe times and thefe were widely different. During that reign were two rivals, James and William; while the nation was fo equally divided in attachment between them, that no man would deny, that if James had not deferted the realm, his pofterity would now have been feated on the throne of Great Britain. The abdicated prince had a great party in England; he was protected by Louis XIV, the most powerful monarch Europe ever faw: while the interefts and adherents of William were kept together by the extraordinary ability that ditinguished his character. The palace of St. Germain vied in fplendour with that of Great Britain; and in the number of noblemen, gentlemen, and others,

THE

that followed the fortunes of the exiled king, and endeavoured, by the aid of France, to effect a counter-revolution, British fubjects were daily, for the purpofe of plotting against the established government of their country, paffing and repafling. In fuch a fituation of affairs, the act of William was neceffary: but could the learned gentleman flander his countrymen by, afferting that any fuch dangers existed at present, to induce him to extend treasons to a greater length than the legiflators immediately after the revolution, who certainly had as great refpect for liberty as any of the prefent day, and knew as well how to prepare a bill; yet, notwithstanding the real dangers furrounding them, had not made a fimple agree ment liable to the penalties of death?

The debate now became exceeding defultory; and, on a divifion, Mr. Erfkine's amendment was negatived by ayes 44, noes 131; majority for miniftry 87. [To be continued.]

ON Wednesday, April 3, a new Co

medy, called FALSE COLOURS, was performed for the first time at the King's theatre, Haymarket.

This comedy is ascribed to Mr. Morris, the author of The Adventurers, played at Drury-lane. The characters are as follows:

Sir Paul Panic, Mr. King; lord Vifage, Mr. Suett; fir Harry Cecil, Mr. Wroughton; Montague, Mr. Barrymore; Tony, Mr. Wewitzer; Subtle, Mr. R. Palmer; Grotefque, Mr. Bannifter, jun. -Lady Panic, Mifs Pope; Harriet, Mrs. Goodall; Lucy, Mifs Heard; Conftance Evelyn, Mifs Farren.

Sir Harry Cecil, a man of strong feelings, and fick of the flattery which has been heaped on him fince his acceffion to a fortune and title by the death of his brother, wishes to find a woman who can love him without a view to these confiderations. For this purpose, being on a vifit to fir Paul Panic's, where his introduction is by letter, he perfuades captain Montague, a new friend, to exchange names with him. They are introduced, each in his affumed character, at Panic-hall, to a group of originals. Sir Paul is nervous and hypochondriac. Lady Panic is a would-be authorefs, at the head of a dilettanti theatre. Her aid de camp is Grotefque, a caricaturift; and lord Vifage is a

profeffor of the fyftem of Lavater, who

reads countenances, and from chins and nofes infers even the minutiae of character!

The characters thus grouped are drawn with skill, and oppofed with admirable pleafantry. The falfe baronet first makes love to Harriet, the niece of fir Paul, from whom he obtains a promife of marriage; but veering to Conftance, the richer ward, he wishes to transfer his friend to the niece. The affections of Conftance fix, however, on the pretended captain, even while he is involved in a thousand difgraces, in confequence of the name which he has affumed. The character and du plicity of the real Montague are at length developed, and fir Harry is at the fame time reftored to his rank, and blessed with the hand of his difcriminating Conftance.

This comedy is marked with ftrong obfervation. The livelier parts are comic in the true fenfe of that word: they are keenly pleasant, rather than broadly humorous. The theories of Lavater, juft in their firft principles, but ridiculous in their extremes, form a new fubject on the ftage.

The comedy was well fupported in all its parts, but particularly by King and Bannister, Miss Pope and Miss Farren. It was given out for the next evening with repeated approbation,

On

On Thursday, April 4, a new Comic Opera, called The ARMOURER, was reprefented for the first time at Covent-garden theatre, reported to be from the pen of Mr. Cumberland. Its plot is founded on the fimple incident of fir Theodore de Courcy, a baron in the time of Edward the Black Prince, being fent into exile, and leaving his daughter under the care of an Armourer, for whofe child the in confequence paffes.

Ben Blufter, a vaffal fet on by the duke of Somerfet, attempts to carry her off by force, but in a conflict with the Armourer and his men, is knocked down and fuppofed to be killed; in confequence of which the Armourer is carried to prifon, whence he is at laft releafed on the re-appearance of Blufter, who difcovers the confpiracy, and expreffes his repentance: which circumstance, with the union of Fitz-Allan and Rofamond, the daughter of De Courcy, whole affections are previously gained by her lover under the affumed name of Carol, concludes the piece.

The epifodical parts confift of a friar, a taylor and his wife, a cowardly fuitor of Rofamond's, and a town-clerk, who afford fome amulement in their feveral capacities; but the opera, though above the ufual run in point of language, is not altogether very lively or entertaining. The fongs are poetical and pleasing. The mufic is a felection from Shield's compoúitions, and contains fome pretty airs.

On Thursday, April 18, a new Comedy, called How TO GROW RICH, was performed for the first time at the fame theatre. It is the production of Mr. Reynolds, author of The Dramatift, Notoriety, &c. He has given a light comedy, which manifefts more of the fubftance of the drama, than any of his former fables. It was received throughout with the loudeft applaufe. The characters were thus reprefented :

Pavé, Mr. Lewis; Small-trade, Mr. Quick; Walford, Mr. Pope; fir Thomas Roundhead, Mr. Munden; fir Charles Dazzle, Mr. Farren; Simkin, Mr. Blanchard; Latitat, Mr. Fawcett; Nab, Mr. Cubit. Rofa, Mrs. Davis; Mifs Dazzle, Mifs Chapman; lady Henrietta, Mrs. Pope.

The outline of the fable is briefly this: fir Charles Dazzle and his fifter move in the higher fphere of life, not in confequence of any real fortune, but by keeping a Pharo-table, fleecing their vifitors, and taking every advantage of their foi

bles as circumftances and occafion offer. Mifs Dazzle folicits Small-trade, a country banker, to join their firm, and take a third of their table, as a fure means of getting speedily rich. He liftens to her propofal, and dreffes himself out in a gaudy fuit, to make a figure with among the company who frequent the pharo bank. While there, Pavé and Walford (the former of whom has been a hangeron upon fir Charles Dazzle, and lived upon his promifes for five years) call at fr Charles', the one to refcue lady Henrietta from the danger the runs of being plundered, and the other by chance. Pavé fees Small-trade, and informs him that a little country banker is intended to be made a pigeon, and to be well plucked. Small-trade, who had been eager to fign articles of partnership, and angry with his nephew Walford for not bringing them fooner, and for remonftrating with him on the probable ruinous confequences of his engaging in fo infamous a partnership, on hearing Pavé's declaration, takes alarm, and inftead of figning the articles, tears them in pieces, and gets out of the houfe as fast as poffible. Walford wishes to fave lady Henrietta, but cannot effect his purpofe. She plays at cards with fir Charles, who ftrips her of 1500l. and having a latent defign to get her in his power, commiffions Latitat, his attorney, to arrest her. Latitat, accompanied by Nab, a bailiff, waits upon lady Henrietta, and takes her into custody. Just as they are about to convey her to Nab's house, Walford enters and discharges the debt and cofts, informing her that he was accommodated with the fum wanted by her uncle fir Thomas Roundhead, who was extremely defirous of feeing her and reftoring her to his affection. Sir Thomas being a magiftrate, is difcovered on the feat of justice, and difmifies all who are brought before him, except Simkin, a miller's fon, who had been caught in the act of killing a hare. His worship com. mits Simkin to the county jail for poaching on his manor, which he confiders as an unpardonable and moft heinous offence, No fooner has he determined on Simkin's fate, than Rofa, the daughter of the minifter of the parish, and god-daughter of fir Thomas, enters with her fowling piece and plenty of game which he had fhot. The old knight vexed at the flaughter of hares and partridges, which Rola had made, bids her return to her father's, and no longer confider herself as his adopted ward and intended heir. Lady Henrietta

then

then returns to her uncle fir Thomas', and the old man infifts on her marrying fir Charles Dazzle, whom he means to bring in as member for the borough in which he refides.-Lady Henrietta is fhocked at the propofal, being convinced that fir Charles is her inveterate enemy, and determines at any rate to avert fo dreaded a destiny. Pavé hearing accidentally that the minifter is in the vicinage, mifconceives the information, and imagines that the minifter of the country, inftead of the minifter of the parish, is at hand; he feeds his hopes therefore of accidentally winning his favour, and foon meeting with Rofa Medium, and learning that the is the minifter's daughter, makes up to her, and rejoices to find that the tender of his hand is not flighted. Under the influence of this equivoque, he gives himself airs of importance, treats fir Thomas Roundhead with great familiari

ty, paffes upon him for the minifter's intended fon-in-law, and through the aid of lady Henrietta, obtains an agreement for an annuity of a thousand a year, on his marriage with Rófa, and the greatest part of fir Thomas' fortune at his death. While matters are in this train, Latitat, who is the returning officer of the borough, prepares for the election, being direted by fir Thomas to return fir Charles Dazzle, whom the knight wished to unite with lady Henrietta; but accidentally meeting with Pavé, of whom, in the affumed character of a peer, he had borrowed 1000l. is obliged to accommodate with the latter by confenting to return him member. This event takes place, Walford is rewarded for his virtue and honour with the hand of lady Henrietta, and Pavé, after nobly returning the engagement for the annuity to fir Thomas, is married to Rofa.

Hague, March 25. L Ieutenant Western, of his majefty's frigate the Syren, who was unfortunately killed on the 21ft, by a fhot from the enemy's entrenched battery at the Noord Polt, was buried yesterday in the church of Dordrecht, with military honours, and with every folemnity that could mark regard to the memory of a young officer, who had fhewn on all occafions an active and steady courage, and an ardent defire to diftinguifh himfelf. His royal highnefs the duke of York was prefent, with the officers and troops under his command. The funeral was also attended by the officers and crews of the English gun-boats.- Lond. Gaz.

Hague, March 26. Accounts have been received here from the prince of Saxe Cobourg, dated Breibeck near Louvain, the 23d instant, ftating, that on the preceding day he had attacked the French, who were advantageously pofted between Tirlemont and Louvain; that the engagement was long and obftinate; but that the French were beat, and driven beyond Louvain, and were then posted hehind the Dyle, between Louvain and Bruffels.-Ib.

Hague, March 28. A letter was this morning received exprefs from captain Bentinck, dated yesterday, at Bois-le-Duc, containing intelligence from Antwerp and Maeftricht that the advanced guard of the Auftrian army entered Bruffels, on the

24th at noon; that the French army was pofted at Halle; that the country, from Bois-le-Duc to Lier, was clear of the enemy; and that the French force still at Breda, amounted to 4000, and that at Gertruydenberg to 2500 men.

Accounts are alfo received that Diet was taken on the 20th, in an attack by colonel Mylius; that a confiderable ma gazine was left by the French at Louvain, and that, in the affair of the 22d, the Auftrians had 1000 men killed and wounded, and the French had 4000 killed.Lond. Gaz.

Hague, March 30. Intelligence has been received here, that the citadel of Namur is taken by the Auftrians, and that a confiderable body of the Auftrian troops has been detached from that place to join the prince of Saxe Cobourg's army, ➡B

Oftend, March 30. The French troops left this town for Dunkirk, about three o'clock this afternoon, and at four, one of his Britannic majeity's cutters entered the port. Moft of the prizes had failed before the cutter arrived; the others, which were to have failed this day, are ftopped. Three English brigs are ftill here, under the care of the British conful.-Ib.

Hague, April 2. On the 30th ultimo, in the evening, prince Frederick of Orange obtained an advantage over the French, near Gertruydenburgh, in an action which lasted near three hours. The lofs of the

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