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We have received some lines lately, for our Poetical department, which are so wanting in poetical merit that we cannot possibly insert them.

We have too frequently repeated that all contributions to LA BELLE ASSEMBLEE are expected to be post paid; we now beg leave to inform our Correspondents that unless they are post paid they will neither be received nor inserted in our Magazine, nor shall we take the trouble hereafter even to notice such an omission.

Mrs. M'Mullan's contributions will appear in our next.

Our highly respected Caledonian Correspondent has certainly misinterpreted the manner in which we expressed ourselves concerning her contributions; which we have ever duly appreciated, and which, highly sensible of their value, we are always happy to receive.

We hoped that Deguir would, as we requested some months ago, have improved his poetical talents before he sent us any more of his love-sick effusions. Nothing requires sweeter numbers than the subject of love. The lines on Caroline's arm being broken, have not sufficient poetical merit for our Work.

Owing to the pressure of new Publications sent for notice, we are compelled to defer the review of Petrarch and Laura, with The Mother's Medical Assistant, till our next Number.

Persons who reside abroad, and who wish to be supplied with this Work every month, as published, may have it sent to them to New York, Halifax, Quebec, and to any part of the West Indies, by Mr. THORNHILL, of the General Post Office, at No. 21, Sherborne-lane; to the Brazils, Madeira, Gibraltar, Malta, and all parts of the Mediterranean; to Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Portugal; and to France and Holland, at 17s 6d. per Quarter, by Mr. Cowie, at the Foreign Newspaper Office, No. 22, Sherborne-lane. The money to be paid at the time of Subscribing, for either three, six, nine, or twelve months.-Orders also, post paid, on the above conditions, will be punctually attended to, ifaddressed to JOHN BELL,Proprietor of this Magazine, Weekly Messenger Office, No, 104, Drury-lane, and No. 4, Brydges-street, Covent Garden, London.

London: Printed by and for JOHN BELL, Proprietor of this Magazine, and of the WEEKLY MESSENGER, and Published at No. 4, Brydges-street, Covent Garden.

APRIL 1, 1821.

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For MARCH, 1821.

A New and Improved Series.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF ILLUSTRIOUS AND
DISTINGUISHED CHARACTERS.

Number One Hundred and Forty-seven.

MISS HALLANDE.

THIS young lady, whose vocal abilities are certainly of the first order, is a native of Somerset; and she made her very first debut a short time ago, this season, in the character of the first Violetta, in the new piece of Don John; or the Two Violettas, at Covent-Garden Theatre.

Notwithstanding the disadvantages a person totally unused to the stage, and having seen but a very few theatrical representations, must have laboured under, yet Miss Hallande, though naturally embarrassed at a first appearance in such a theatre, and before a very crowded audience, sustained the character she undertook in a manner that gained her universal applausé; her voice and execution gave much pleasure to her admiring hearers; and she was unamimously encored in all her songs.

Miss Hallande cultivated the fine talents she had received from nature, by taking instructions of one of the lay vicars of Worcester cathedral, but his style of music, as may well be imagined, was not that which is adapted to theatrical exhibitions; yet it has laid a fine foundation for the exercise of Miss Hallande's powers. Sacred music must certainly, by its grandeur and sublimity, be of infinite aid in affording that expression without which vocal music loses all its charms.

It was on a festive occasion that Miss Hallande paid a visit to a friend at Worcester and from frequenting, at times, the Theatre there, a sudden impulse made her resolve on embracing a theatrical life. She took a lofty aim, determining to make her professional engagement at one or

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and we have the high satisfaction of findother of our two great national Theatres ; ing, that merit "will win its way," almost unaided, and truly inexperienced.

which interests every one, at first sight, in There is a naïveté about this young lady her favour. In person, we find in her a strong resemblance to Miss Stephens, of whom she speaks in the warmest terms of gratitude, for the very kind assistance afforded her by that charming vocal performer, in getting through the arduous task of what was literally a first appearance in public.

At the desire of Miss Hallande, Miss DRUMMOND took her likeness in the character of Violetta. The merits of Miss Drummond stand in need of no eulogium from our pen; her fame, as an artist, is alblance her portraits bear to the originals is ready established; and the striking resemjustly appreciated, and universally acknow ledged.*

* We have scarce ever experienced a keener degree of regret, since the publication of our Work, than that which we felt last month, through the disappointment inflicted on us by the Engraver; which caused the Portrait of MISS WILSON to contradict the true biographical sketch we had drawn of her on the contem. MISS DRUMMOND, under some disadvantages, plation of her attractive form and countenance. had, notwithstanding, made a sweet and striking likeness of that charming singer and performer. The fault, we repeat, lay wholly with the Engraver; and we hope our readers will accept Magazine, such as, we trust, will never disgrace this apology for an accidental blemish in our

it in future.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

HISTORICAL AND SELECT ANECDOTES.

ANECDOTE OF POPE SIXTUS V.

SIXTUS, in order to surprise some banditti, went out in the woods disguised like an old man, with an ass laden with wine. The robbers, of course, seized him, and made him turn the spit in their cave while they examined the wine. Sixtus muttered to himself that he saw them do that with much pleasure.-"What say you?" said they. "Only that I shall eat with pleasure when the roast is done."-"So you may, but we shall drink all the wine ourselves." "Alas! gentlemen, wine is not made for a poor man like me, who only carry it about for others, and who will, perhaps, be put in prison for my misfortune in losing this, which is precious." So saying, he returned to his office by the fire. At length the meat was done, the supper eaten, and the wine drank, to the great delight of Sixtus, who had mixed opium in it; and, as soon as he saw the band fairly asleep, he whistled; his soldiers came up, and the thieves were every one taken.

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of France, to perform on him a very serious operation. The Cardinal said to him,"You must not expect, Sir, to treat me in the same rough manner as you treat your poor miserable wretches at your hospital of the Hotel Dieu."—"My Lord," replied M. Boudou, with great dignity, "every one of those miserable wretches, as your eminence is pleased to call them, is a prime minister in my eyes."

ANECDOTE OF MONSIEUR DE CHOISEUL.

VOLTAIRE, who was the greatest of flatterers to Kings and great men, had written some verses on Monsieur de Choiseul, when that minister was at the height of favour; he also wrote complimentary verses on Monsieur Maupeon, who succeeded Choiseul; the latter, to show his contempt of such time-serving behaviour, had the head of Voltaire represented on a weather-cock on one of the wings of his chateau at Chanteloup.

APT REPLY OF A NUN TO MADAME DE ΜΑΙΝΤΕΝΟΝ.

THERE was every reason to believe that a certain lady in the Abbey of Moret was a daughter to Louis XIV.; she was very brown and very much resembled his Majesty; who, when he placed her in the convent, gave her a portion of twenty thousand crowns. The idea she had of her birth made her very proud, of which the superiors often complained. Madame de Maintenon, on a journey to Fontain bleau, called at the convent, and willing to inspire her with more humility, endeavoured to banish the opinion that nourished her pride. "Madam," said the nun, "when a lady of your rank takes the trouble to come on purpose to tell me that I am not the King's daughter, it fully convinces me that I am."

ANECDOTE OF ADDISON.

ADDISON Could easily communicate what he knew. When he had taken his resolution, or made his plan for what he designed to write, he would walk about a room, and dictate it into language with as

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