F

in the use of musquetry and artillery.

his plans, and he returned to Buenos Ayres to complete his preparations of defence.

"What contributed not a little to excite emulation was the attention "After the splendid succésses he which Don Santiago paid to distin- had obtained, it might be supposed guish each corps by different uni- that Don Santiago would flatter himforms, according to their respective self with the expectation of receiving provinces. The Andalusian disputed the greatest favours at the hands of the palm of application with the the Court; and even of being hoGallician; he with the native of noured with the dignity of Viceroy of Biscay and Montagna, and they with a country which he had defended, and the Catalans, &c. The Creoles, under as it were conquered a second time.、 both the names of Patricios and Arre- But he conceived that the popularity venos, in like manner laboured to sur- he had acquired on these occasions, pass the Europeans. The blacks and the relations, of every descripthemselves, and all the free-casts, tion, which he had contracted as a joined this aggregate of patriotism. citizen, during a residence of 17 years, Lead was wanting; the gutters of the (having married a Creole of Buenos houses and tin vessels were melted. Ayres), might prove obstacles in the Lima and Chili supplied powder, way of his maintaining, in a suitable which was carried across the Andes on manner, the dignity of a superior men's backs. It was carried in bot- chief: besides, as the principles of tles that formerly contained liqueres, subordination were necessarily relaxed and other articles of luxury. The by the new situation in which the interraces of houses, formerly covered habitants were placed, and they would with flower-pots and orange-boxes, feel greater reluctance to obey a chief were covered with cases of grenades with whom they were in habits of and fire-pots. In a word, an opulent familiarity than a stranger; inasmuch and voluptuous city, at the voice of as the rigorous language of the laws one man, became suddenly converted which, in the mouth of the former, into a new Lacedemon. The very would seem harsh and disagreeable, ecclesiastics, by their exhortations, would in that of a stranger appear their writings, and their, presence at only what justly belonged to his chaall the exercises, proved to all classes racter; Don Santiago, in his repreof the inhabitants that the love of sentations to the Court, strongly incountry, and fidelity to the lawful sisted upon the necessity of sending Sovereign, are the first duties of a out to the River Plate, a Viceroy full Christian. of energy and integrity; and above all, that he should be accompanied by two regiments of troops of the line. In this conduct he acted like an able physician, who, after employing cold applications in an inflammatory disorder, or tonics in a disease of apathy, is compelled, in both cases, as soon as the dangerous symptoms have subsided, to resort to the contrary remedies in order to restore the equilibrium in the human system. Thus was Don Santiago of opinion that the same method should be adopted with regard to the body politic, and that the military ideas impressed upon a people, together with a consciousness of their own strength, things which, on certain occasions, might be necessary and useful, might become very dangerous in other circumstances. What he, therefore, proposed, was to confer marks of distinction on such of

"General Whitelocke soon learnt to his cost, what can be done by a people fighting for their wives, their children, their property, and their independence. The days of the 5th and 6th of July, 1807, will be ever memorable in the annals of the Spanish nation, as will also the treaty which restored to the king an important fortress, which had cost the English an assault and a considerable loss, some months previous to the actions of Buenos Ayres.

During the siege of Monte Video, Don Santiago had proposed to his volunteers to march with him to its relief. He selected 3000 of them, with whom he made two forced marches on foot, a thing unprecedented in that country; but on the march he was informed of the reduction of Monte Video, which frustrated

"The bearer of these dispatches was the Baron de Sassaney, formerly deputy from Burgundy to the States General, but who afterwards emigrat ed and served under the Prince of Conde in the first campaigns of the revolution; and having subsequently become an inhabitant of the United States of America, had, in the cha racter of a merchant, made two voy. ages to the river Plate.

the citizens as had distinguished the vice-royalty, and rendering him themselves, and to give rewards to responsible for whatever should hap the relations of those who had shed pen in case of resistance. their blood for the country; but he was, at the same time, anxious that the artizans should return to their employments, and the merchants to their commerce. As to himself, he solicited only the appointment of Inspector-General of that Continent, in order to organize its means of defence, and to employ the local knowledge he had acquired in improving the methods of working the mines, and opening roads and communications from one province to another, and thus to facilitate the operations of commerce, which, from the difficulty of conveyance, scarcely puts in circulation the hundredth part of the raw materials with which that part of the globe abounds.

"Unfortunately, Spain then groaned under the tyranny of a favourite, equally ignorant and unprincipled. The plans of Don Santiago Liifers were not adopted. He was appointed Viceroy ad interim, but did not receive a single line of instructions. In short he was wholly left to himself, at the moment of the catastrophe which Napoleon caused to burst forth in Spain; and at one and the same in staut intelligence arrived of the fall of Godoy, the abdication of Charles IV. and the proclamation of Ferdinand VII. which was received with acclamation in all parts of Spain.

"Preparations Fad been made at Buenos Ayres for the august ceremonial of taking the oath of fidelity; but while entertainments and public rejoicings were preparing, an emissary of Napoleon arrived with dispatches, in the name of Charles IV. announcing that the abdication he had made in favour of his son was null, that he had re-possessed himself of his rights, and that the use he had made of them was to cede them in full property to his friend Buonaparte, who made them over to his brother Joseph, King of Naples. These dispatches were signed by the former Ministers of War and Finance, who, as well as the Ministers of Napoleon, addressed private, letters to Don Santiago Liniers, exhorting him to submit to the new order of things, making the most flattering offers of being confirmed in

"Don Santiago Liniers was not apprised of the name of this Envoy Extraordinary, until within a few hours of his entering Buenos Ayres. He however had time to reflect upon the delicacy of receiving an emissary of that sort, and resolved to receive him only in the presence of the magistrates and two menbers of the Municipal Body. Baron de Sassenay ap proached Don Santiago with open arms, as an old friend. He was much astonished at the return to these to kens of friendship, which consisted only in telling him in Spanish, that he regarded him only as an envoy from Napoleon, and that he must de clare the purpose of his mission in the presence of the persons there as sembled. M. de Sassenay then opened a his portmanteau, and laid all his pack-.. ets upon the table before Don Santiago, who caused them to be opened and read aloud. While they were reading, the indignation of the as sembly manifested itself to a degree which it is impossible to describe. Don Santiago informed the enver that he had, through a legitimate channel, received orders to proclaim Ferdinand VII. King of Spain and the Indies; that he (Don Santiago) would receive no orders from the Emperor of the French; and that the ceremony of administering the oath of fidelity, which had been deferred only to give more splendour to the proclamation, should take place without delay.*

* M. de Sassenay was transported to Cadiz and put on board the bulks with the rest of the French prisoners. His spouse came to London to solicit the liberation of her husband, and had

What part ought

he to take under circumstances so critical? He could not hesitate. Doubly a subject of the House of Bourbon by his birth and his appointments, he sacrificed a part of his po-` pularity to his loyalty-his personal interests to what he felt to be his duty. Born a knight he acted as became a knight; like a man of honour he opposed an energetic resistance to an extravagant and disloyal project, and

binet. This resistance has drawn upon him persecutions without number; and his efforts to preserve for Ferdinand VII. his kingdom of Paraguay, have been represented by calumny, as the result of a plan to deliver it into the hands of the usurper Napoleon."

"In this conjuncture it was neces- Don Santiago? sary to acquaint the people with the reason of the arrival of an emissary from a man who, but a few weeks before, was regarded in the country as the best and most powerful ally of Charles IV. To declare the whole secret was deemed dangerous by the magistrates present. The Council was convoked and consulted by Don Santiago, upon the measures to be taken in a case of so much delicacy. The fiscals drew up a proclamation, to the attempts of a neighbouring cawhich was approved of by the whole of the Council. This production, which has been laid to the charge of Don Santiago Liniers, is the only one of the kind which he did not write. "Amidst the entertainments and ceremonies upon taking the oath of fidelity to Ferdinand, an envoy from the Junta of Seville, announced that Spain had risen in mass to expel the [Here commences a contest, of a usurper of the throne of their young description absolutely novel. On the king, that war had been declared one side will be found Don Santiago against France, that peace had been Liniers, Viceroy, ad interim, united made with England, and the first with the Council of the Audiencia, operations of the Spanish arms had the Bishop, the Commandants, and been signalized by great victories. the faithful Corporations, to defend All these articles of intelligence were and maintain the sovereignty of Ferreceived with acclamation. It was to dinand VII., and on the other a be expected, that the only thing that Colonel Elio, successively made Brithren remained to be attended to, was gadier and Inspector-General, united to remit supplies of specie to the with the municipality and the insurmother country, and to regulate trade, gents, desirous of emancipating themwhich henceforth would have nothing selves from their duties to the mother to fear from the masters of the sea country. We shall also see figuring But if there were no longer any exter- in these civil broils, an emissary from nal enemies to fear, much more was the Brazils, who joins Elio; an Engto be dreaded on the part of certain lish knight, who displays on these factious individuals, compounds of half-savage coasts the same loyal and ignorance and ambition, who had heroic character which he manifestlong cherished ideas of independence, ed on the barbarous shores of Syria and who were supported and encouraged by secret intrigues which will be explained more at large at a future

time.

and Egypt; a new Viceroy who arrives from Europe, and is installed and acknowledged at Buenos Ayres only after the interposition of Don Santiago has saved him from the plots of the opposite party; and finally Don Santiago himself, banished to Cordova, 160 leagues from the town he had so bravely defended, where he waits previous to his setting off for Cadiz, and coming to combat in Europe the enemy of the Bourbons, for satisfactory answers to the memorials which he has transmitted to Spain relative to his conduct.]

2 H

THEATRICAL RECORDER.

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

HIS theatre was opened for the was

THIS

of dogs, equalled that in the O. P. row.

At length, finding it in vain to conwith the Beggar's Opera, when, in- tend any longer, the managers thought stead of an O. P. row, as before, ano- fit to comply; and therefore caused it ther equally clamorous was begun by to be announced in the evening papers a party that may be called the O.C.'s, of Tuesday," that they had deteras standing up for the old contract. mined to throw open the four boxes In the treaty concluded last season on each side," the source of contenbetween the managers and the O. P. tion according to the alledged concommittee, it was stipulated and tract. But as some time was necessary agreed to by the former, that the num- for the execution of this mortifying ber of private boxes should be reduced part of the business, it was proposed to three on each side: but on the last to shut the house up till Monday, night of the last season, Mr. Kemble September 24, when it was hoped 'came forward, and, for the reasons peace would be perfectly restored, and which be then stated, solicited from the public have the pleasure of seeing the public the favour of permitting the actors and actresses perfectly at the managers to retain seven private home in their proper places and cha boxes on each side. This proposition racters; and which we are glad to see was certainly received with consider- has taken place.

able applause by the audience then The house, however, has undergone present; and it seems, that upon the a material alteration since the last understanding that the favour then season, of which the expense is esti solicited was granted, the managers mated at no less than 7000l. This has had subsequently made their arrange- been occasioned principally by the ment. This arrangement being now necessity of forming a communication brought to the test, in a very full for the public with the tier of private house, was very loudly objected to: boxes. To effect this, it became nethe ominous sound of O. P. was heard very easily in the performance, and a noise was kept up, which rendered it impossible to hear connectedly the performance on the stage. The curtain finally dropped at a quarter past ten. The uproar was kept up the three following nights of performance with increased vigour. "No Private Boxes," and "The Contract," appearing on placards. Very little of the performances could be heard.

cessary, and, we think most fortunately, to take down the paltry winding stairs; this has accordingly been done, and in their place a flight of stairs, much more commodious, though by no means so spacious as such a building demands, have been substituted. The stairs are all of stone, as also are the passages of the corridors; to support which, flat brick arches have been turned, springing from the beams which sustain the floors.

The day after the first row, Mr. The grand saloon, from which the Kemble thought proper to propose, public were excluded last season, is that the public should permit the seven now thrown open The twelve centre objectionable boxes to remain open boxes of the ci-devant private_circle during the present season, upon the are now thrown open; in each box promise that they should be positively there are three benches, calculated to removed in the next. This promise, contain, in the whole, ten personshowever, which, like the former, they the first and second three each, and had no bond for the fulfilment of, the the third four. These twelve boxes public would by no means listen to. will, therefore, accommodate one hunAccordingly, on Monday the 17th, dred and twenty spectators. when the Suspicious Husband was The two shilling gallery, which, in brought forward, the audience was its original state, excited a suffocating more clamorous than before. Placards sensation, is essentially improved. The of every description were exhibited: space above the head has been inand the rattling, bawling, hooting, creased, by cutting away the cieling cat-calls, whistling, and the barking as close as possible to the floor of the

upper gallery. There are ten benches presentation without a single disPieces of this dein this gallery, the lowest of which sentient voice. has not been moved, but the other scription are seldom intended for any nine have been raised out two higher purpose than to serve as veinches each; the top of the upper seat hicles for the music, and therefore being 18 inches higher than it was. must be estimated more as they serve In the upper gallery, and the side that end, than by the rules of the pigeon-holes, there is no alteration. legitimate drama. Mr. Arnold's proThe baize, with which the benches of duction, however, might, for plot and the pit were covered is removed, and interest, be ranked with many of the they are all neatly painted. The doors dramatic ephemera of modern times, of the pit have been rehung, upon a whilst the music it serves to convey plan which precludes the possibility entitles it to the applause with which of the frequent noise that was so great it was received. The overture is chaa nuisance. The bauging of the box racterised by movements at once vabenches is also prevented by the end rious and affecting, and several of the of the flap falling on a stuffed cushion. songs were encored. The performers exerted themselves with much zeal, and contributed essentially to the success of the piece. The songs have considerable poetic merit, and are beside appropriate and correct. The dialogue is generally chaste, and often marked by strong and novel sentiment. This piece bids fair to have a run.

LYCEUM THEATRE.

Monday, Sept. 2d.-Plots; or, the North Tower-The piece is the production of Mr. Arnold, and the music the composition of Mr. King. It was received with very general approbation, and given out for a second re

MISCELLANEA, FACETIOUS AND ECCENTRIC.

A YOUNG woman who had professed to be converted in a sudden and violent manuer, had associated with religious people some time when the return of the wake season having arrived, she thus disclosed to another female the genuine feelings of her heart, "There is to be a dance at the wake to night, I can't stay away. I must go to it. I wish I had not been converted till after the wakes."

Francis de Malherbes, a French poet, used to say, that when the poor promised to pray for him, he did not believe they could have any great interest in heaven, being left in so bad a condition upon earth; and that he should be better pleased if the Duke de Luyne, or some other grandee, had made him the same promise.

A bookseller in the city, rather eccentric in his mode of labelling his -books, having lately in his possession an old folio in Divinity, called a Golden Chain, &c. made the following alteration A Golden Chain, but rather spoiled by some of the Iron Links of Calvinism.”

Three French ladies having heard much of the grandeur of HamptonCourt, determined to gratify their curiosity. A coach was therefore hired, and off they set in that harmonious flow of spirits which the commencement of a journey always excites. The weather was fine, every thing was strange; every object was delightful; and they had proceeded more than half the way before the cravings of appetite had in any degree blunted the eagerness of disquisition. After stopping to breakfast, and reentering the carriage, as they were, generally speaking, ignorant of the English language, they had delegated one of their number to interpret, when she being desired to urge the coachman to greater speed, had unfortunately forgotten these English expressions," Make haste. Be speedy. Get on, &e." could think of nothing but the French phrase, Allons donc, which the coachman naturally understood as relating to London, especially as the interpreter again popping her head out of the carriage, exclaiming Allons done, made him instantly conclude that some of them were taken