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But fo far are fome perfons from

whole ftudy and employment feems to be, to rectify the mistakes of those with whom they converfe, and re

ings. You cannot mention an hiftorical fact or anecdote, but they correct you in the date, or fome trivial circumftance you had perhaps forgotten; if you make any general remark, they either add fomething to it, to improve it, or repeat it to you, fo amended and embellished, as they think, in the language, that you fcarcely know your own thought again. Sometimes what you have

in his franknefs, and adherence to truth; but it is much to be doubted whether his conduct is attributed merely to fuch motives by any perfon but, himself. To others it will probably appear to have been dic-mind them of their errors and failtated by vanity, felf-importance, or an opinion of his own fuperior judgment. And indeed, however he may pursuade himself that his departure from the ufual laws of civility has originated entirely in his abhorrence of deceit and infincerity, he would do well to examine whether fome latent imperfection of that kind, which fo many will attribute to him, has not had its fhare in influencing him. It was objected to Dio-faid appears to have been almost genes, and probably juttly, that he unintelligible; for they return it to cenfured the pride of Plato with you again with a—that is, you mean,— greater pride of his own; and it e-fo altered and improved, that you no pecially behoves every one who undertakes to reprove others, to be particularly watchful that he does not commit the fame or fome ftill great-diculous; and the reafon why they er error himself.

longer difcover the meaning you intended. Thefe errors against goodbreeding are equally glaring and ri

are fo offenfive is fufficiently apparent; because fuch conduct clearly discovers the high opinion they entertain of themselves and their own judgment.

If any rule can be laid down in a cafe fo delicate, it feems to be that vices, incontrovertibly fuch, are not to be flattered and encouraged, from fear of offending against politenefs; It is likewife to be remarked, fo and that mere infirmities and failings nice is human vanity, and so jealous are not to be rudely attacked, or are we of the honour we wish to reharthly ridiculed, under pretence of ceive from others, that, even a con a love of fincerity. Even were a trary conduct to that which has just man perfectly exempt from every been mentioned, I mean too great fimilar weakness, he would not be compliance and obfequioufnefs, is an entitled to give unneceffary and ufe- offence, though a far more pardonlefs uneafinefs to another who labours able one than the former, against the under any infirmity of body or mind; laws of politeness: and the ground and ftill le's can he be authorised to of this is as before, the attention to felf do fo, confidering the general im- on the part of the offender. It is perfection of human nature. It has miftrufted by the perfon who is the been found neceffary that men, in a object of this great obfequioufnefs, flate of fociety, fhould enter into a that it does not fo much proceed kind of tacit compact to appear not from a conviction of his fuperiority to difcern their mutual frailties, and in understanding tafte, or importance, by this kind of innocent infincerity as fome finifter and felfifh views on they promote their mutual happiness.the part of him who offers it, relaThe viclent hand which tears away tive to his own intereft, convenience, this decent veil, ffends against the or cafe. modesty and decorum of civilized life.

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In all caes, however, the man of good fenic and unaffuming manners

will not neglect to fhew that refpect and attention to others which he is confcious he would wish them to fhew to himself. This is, in fact, the only art to render ourselves agreeable to each other, and is an art abfolutely neceffary to be acquired and practifed in the prefent imperfect itate of our nature.

(To be continued.)

ACCOUNT of the New Grand
HEROIC PANTOMIME, called,
ALEXANDER THE GREAT; or
the CONQUEST OF PERSIA, per-
formed for the first time at Drury
Lane Theatre, on Thursday Feb. 12.
This brilliant fpectacle reprefents
the following incidents.
ACT I. THE CAMP OF ALEX-

TH

ANDER.

minacy, tears away their ftandard, difbands them with ignominy, and difdainfully retires among the Greeks, whom he deftines to be henceforth the only partners of his glory. The Macedonians, ftruck with compunction and awe, and unable to fupport the difgrace they have incurred, rush towards the Grecian tents, where the king is feated, caft their weapons to the ground, in token of repentance; and, throwing themfelves on their knees, implore his forgiveness; Alexander relents, reflores their ftandard, and enters their rarks amidst fhouts of univerfal triumph. -Preparations are now joyfully making for the march against Dirius, when an officer announces the

the arrival of Thale ftris, Queen of the Amazons, who comes eagerly defirous of feeing a hero whole renown has extended itself even to her remote dominions; Hepheflion is deputed to attend the queen; fhe appears, accompanied by a band of female warriors, avows the motive of her vifit, requests the honour of partaking in the dangers of the expedition against Perfia, and prefents her girdle to Alexander as the certain pledge of her faith; the king receives his fair ally with tranfport, and leads her into the royal tent to view the raining of the camp, as the army files off to form the

HE victorious Macedonians, difpirited by the profpect of the hardships which yet lie before them in their way through Afia, complain that Alexander allows no refpite to their labours, and unani. moufly refolve upon returning to enjoy at home the bleffings of repofe. The whole army, except the Grecian troop, is infected with fedition, when Hepheftion brings the command to march; the foldiers openly declare their determination to proceed no farther; they answer the remon-fiege of Gaza. ftrances of Hepheftion by tumultoary clamours, and meet his threats with contempt. Alexander enters furrounded by his guards; being informed of the revolt, he afcends the tribunal, in order to appeafe the commotion; the two leaders of the mutiny furiously clafh their fhields and javelins in defiance of his authority; he fprings upon the foremoft, hurls him to the guards, commands the other to be feized, and delivers them to infant death.-The rebels are difconcerted and difmayed; the king reproaches their ene

THE CITY OF GAZA.

The walls of Gaza are furrounded by the troops of Alexander, who fummon the city to fercnder; the Perfian governor, faithful to Darius his fovereign, refutes to yield the town but with his life; the attack commences; the Mac.donians are driven back; the fealing-ladders are fixed; the affilants are again repulfed; Alexander, enraged, plants a ladder himself again the towers, and is mounting, when it breaks, and leaves him cling ng to the wats;

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Greats

Account of the Pantomime called Alexander the Great:

62

gains the battlements in fpite of all

oppofition, and, regardless of the

ACT II.

intreaties of his officers, defperately THE PALACE OF THE KING OF

PERSIA.

Darius, feated on his throne, furrounded by his family and his no

precipitates himself, unattended, into the midst of the hoftile garrifon.Hephelion implores the gods to protect the king. The battering rams are brought up, the fortificables, and indulging in the foft plea tions are levelled with the earth, and fures of the Eastern court, is fur Alexander is feen fingly engaged in prifed by the abrupt entrance of a the town with whole troops of the meffenger, who informs him that enemy; at the moment the breach Alexander of Macedon has invaded is made, the king, exhaufted with the Perfian territory.. The sports fatigue, receives a dangerous wound; are interrupted; fear and confufion Thaleris, the generals, and fol- are visible in every face. Darius diers, rush to his affiftance; the city calmly orders a detachment of his is ftormed, and Alexander is borne army to repel the invader, and comoff by his difconfolate attendants. mands the amufements to be continued; they are hardly refumed before the high priest of the Sun rushes into the royal prefence, and announces all the dangers to be apprehended from the immediate proach of Alexander at the head of his refiftlefs army. A tempeft rifes, the ftatue of Darius is ftruck with lightning, and falls to pieces from its pedestal. The king, filled th

THE MACEDONIAN OUT-POSTS.

ap

Alexander, ftrctched upon a litter, and accompanied by Thalefris, Hepheftion, and all the officers, is met by Philip, his principal phyfician, who, having examined the wound, encourages the dejected army, and promifes to prepare a medicine whofe virtues will infallibly restore the fpirits and health of their belov-apprehenfion, confults the chiet of ed leader. At this inftant arrives a the Magi on this ill-boding omen, who reluctantly informs him, that it portends the moft lamentable difafters to the state. The Perfian monarch, refuming all his fpirit, orders the high priest to difmifs his terrors, confoles the women, encourages the men, reprefents the injuftice of this unprovoked aggreflion, and is joined by his whole court in an addrefs to the Sun, which they conclude with a folemn vow to perifh with their king and country, rather than fubmit to the ignominy of a foreign yoke. In this refolution, Darius, the royal family, and the Perfian. army, depart to take the field againit Alexander.

letter from Parmenio, accufing Philip of being bribed by Darius to poifon the king: the attendants are ftruck with horror, and befeech their fovereign not to trust his life to fo vile a traitor. Philip appears with the draught which he has prepared; Alexander magnanimoufly drinks it, and, fixing his eyes on Philip's countenance, gives him Parmenio's letter, which he reads without the fmalleft fign of confufion: but, filled with honeft anger at fuch an accufation, he puts himfelf into the hands of the enraged foldiers, cffering to atone with his own life, whatever evil befals the king from his prefcription. Alexander, perceiving the gradual return of his ftrength, embraces Philip, receives the congratulations of his troops, and without path, continues his expedition Pan P.

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THE TENT OF DARIUS.

Sifygambis, Statira, Parifatis, and their attendants enter the tent, diftracted by their fears of what may befal them from the rage of the conquerors, and overwhelmed with grief at the report of the death of Darius, Alexander, accompanied only by Hepheftion, vifits his royal captives, who falute Hepheftion for the king; Alexander excufes their mistake, raifes them from their knees, affures them that Darius is fill living, begs them to believe that the most inviolable respect and honour shall be paid them, and cafting his eyes upon Statira, inftantly becomes the flave of her beauty. Darius is brought into the tent, followed by Beffus, the wretch who has betrayed and affaffinated his gracious mafter; the murdered prince expires in the arms of his fallen family, having bequeathed his empire to the generous victor, who condemns Beffus to death, in punishment for his treafon-decrees all funeral honours to the remains of Darius, which are borne away by his mourning kindred; continues lott in fixed contemplation on Statira's charms, till, roufed by Hephestion, he recollects himself, and is perfuaded to proceed and receive the honours which whole nations are affembled to pay him in the city of Babylon.

ORDER OF ALEXANDER'S ENTRY

INTO BABYLON.

Mazeus, governor of Babylon.
Babylonian infantry.
Officers bearing ftandards.
Babylonian infantry.
Babylonian muficians.
Slaves carrying perfumed vefels.
Slaves carrying presents.
High priest.

Magi bearing an altar.

Babylonians

Priests and priesteЛles.

branches.

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The decorations, extent, and accommodations of that part of this fuperb ftructure that is appropriated to the audience, have long been well known, but it remained till the prefent day to afcertain of what the flage and all its complicated machinery were capable, and we do not hesitate to pronounce that their effect is beyond any thing that the moft fanguine imagination could have formed.

The well-known romance, if a romance it be, fo entertainingly narrated by Quintus Curtius of the

bearing olive progrefs of Alexander the Great in Perfia, and his victories over the

unfor

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was born March 29, 1748, and affum, ed the government as Stadtholder of the United Provinces, March 8, 1766. He is described as poffeffing great facility of comprehenfion, a fingular difcernment of characters, and a memory uncommonly retentive. Few of his predeceffors, it is faid, have fo carefully ftudied, or been fo well acquainted with the history and conftitution of the Dutch republic. It has however, been in

unfortunate Darius, has been felected by the proprietors, as the medium through which the public were to become acquainted with the various powers of mechanifm which have been connected with the conftruction of their ftage. The only material alteration in the story, which has been admitted by Mr. D'Egville, the ballet master, is the adoption of poor Nat Lee's idea of converting Statira into the daughter, instead of the wife of Darius, and whofe mar-finuated, that his guardian the duke riage with Alexander undoubtedly much increases the intereft of the fable.

To the performance it is impoffible to do adequate juftice; for were we to pretend to do fo, we muft point out and applaud every part, and that would be a task which, in a piece that took up fo much time in the reprefentation, we have neither space to execute, nor would it, we believe, be very gratifying to our readers, for it must be feen to have all its merits underflood.

D'Egville's acting, in point of expreffion, was beyond any thing taat we ever witneffed; and the dancing of Mademoiselle Hilligfberg was replete with grace. The proceffion, which was compofed of horfe and foot, exceeded every thing of the kind that has hitherto appeared.

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of Brunswick, might have given him more liberal leffons in the science of government. A numerous and powerful party was formed against him fome years fince in Holland; and the affiftance of the Pruffian army, and the interference of Great Britain, were neceffary to fecure him in the poffeffion of his prero❤ gatives. But the French having now obtained compleat poffeffion of the country, he has judged it expedient to retire, and feek an afylum in England. He arrived at Harwich, in an open boat, Jan. 19th, and it is faid the palace of Hampton Court will be fitted up for his refidence.

On Oct. 4th, 1767, he married the princefs Frederica Sophia Wilhelmina, fifter to the prefent king of Pruffia. The principal features of her character appear to be activity and refolution. She has taken no inconfiderable part in political affairs, and has been commended by one party for her firmness, and cenfured by the other for her yiolence. She was born Aug. 7, 1751.

William Frederic, the hereditary prince, or eldest fon of the prince and princefs of Orange, has given feveral proofs of courage and gallant conduct in different engagements with the French, and is efteemed for his modesty and affability of manners. He was born Aug. 2, 1772, and is married to the fecond daughter of the king of Prafia.

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