The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor Part 7

"The pa.s.sage at the beginning of page 5 is exceedingly beautiful--the whole movement will require considerable practice from the most expert performers.

"The second movement is an _adagio_, which for beauty and originality we think equal to any thing of the kind that Mr. Cramer has written. The change of time to triple, at the part marked _scherzando_ is unexpected and strikingly original. This idea is carried on till near the conclusion, when the movement again resumes the majestic character with which it commences.

"Upon the whole we think this sonata superior to any Mr. Cramer has published since those he dedicated to Haydn."

Irish music is quite the ton now in England. Corri the composer has published "The Feast of Erin, a fantasy for the piano-forte," in which the original Irish airs of 'Flanerty Drury,' 'The Summer is Coming,'

'Erin go Bragh,' and 'Fly not Yet' are introduced. Mr. C. (says the reviewer) has displayed some judgment in the selection of these airs, particularly in _Erin go Bragh_, which is one of the most expressive and pathetic melodies ever written. We are sorry we cannot bestow equal praise on the manner in which he has arranged them. We candidly confess that we would rather hear the original airs performed with a tasteful simplicity, than with the embellishments and episodes of Mr. Corri.

_Lays of Erin, arranged as rondeaus for the piano-forte, by the most eminent composers._

Of this publication the reviewers speak thus:

"We are happy to find a work commenced which will render more familiar to the English ear, the beautiful melodies of the sister kingdom.

"The air selected on this occasion is "St. Patrick's Day," and the manner in which Mr. Logier has arranged it, is such as to give us a very favourable opinion of his abilities. The little imitation introduced at bar 9, page 1, discovers considerable ingenuity. The return to the subject in the key of F, is well arranged. The minor is uncommonly spirited, and the conclusion playful and striking."

Under the head "Music" in a former number, allusion was made to the airs of the celebrated bard of Ireland, Carolan--particularly to one called Gracey Nugent, the music of which is published with accompaniments by sir John Stephenson and Mr. Moore. The following translation of that song _from the original Irish_ is done by Miss Brooke.

_SONG_

FOR GRACEY NUGENT--BY CAROLAN.

Of Gracey's charms enraptur'd will I sing!

Fragrant and fair, as blossoms of the spring; To her sweet manners and accomplished mind; Each rival fair the palm of love resign'd.

How blest her sweet society to share!

To mark the ringlets of her flowing hair;[19]

Her gentle accents--her complacent mien!-- Supreme in charms, she looks--she reigns a queen!

That alabaster form--that graceful neck How do the cygnets down and whiteness deck?-- How does that aspect shame the cheer of day; When summer suns their brightest beams display.

Blest is the youth whom fav'ring fates ordain The treasures of her love, and charms to gain!

The fragrant branch with curling tendrils bound, With breathing odours--blooming beauty crown'd.

Sweet is the cheer her sprightly wit supplies!

Bright is the sparkling azure of her eyes!

Soft o'er her neck her lovely tresses flow!

Warm in her praise the tongues of rapture glow!

Here is the voice--tun'd by harmonious love, Soft as the songs that warble through the grove!

Oh! sweeter joys her converse can impart!

Sweet to the sense, and grateful to the heart!

Gay pleasures dance where'er her footsteps bend, And smiles and rapture round the fair attend: Wit forms her speech, and wisdom fills her mind, And sight and soul in her their object find.

Her pearly teeth, in beauteous order plac'd; Her neck with bright, and curling tresses grac'd.

But ah, so fair!--in wit and charms supreme, Unequal song must quit its darling theme.

Here break I off;--let sparkling goblets flow, And my full heart its cordial wishes show: To her dear health this friendly draught I pour.

Long be her life, and blest its every hour.

[Footnote 19: Hair is a favourite object with all the Irish poets, and endless is the variety of their description: "Soft misty curls;" "Thick branching tresses of bright redundance;" "Locks of fair waving beauty;" "Tresses flowing on the wind like the bright waving flame of an inverted torch." They even appear to inspire it with expression: as, "Locks of gentle l.u.s.tre;" "Tresses of tender beauty;" "The maid with the mildly flowing hair," &c. &c.]

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

_Remarks on modern pedestrianism._

"They leap, exulting, like the bounding roe."

Many of our modern gentlemen seem to take infinite delight in reversing the original order of things; for instance, placing the heels where the head should be, as nothing possibly can confer so much honour upon a gentleman, as being able to vie with a Venetian running footman of former times, who would post at the rate of some eight miles an hour, with a dozen, pounds weight of lead clapped in each pocket, by way of expediting his progress. In these remarks, however, I do not intend to level the least sarcasm at _pedestrianism_, which, if properly attended to, may, in the lapse of time, render the properties of the canine race of no utility whatsoever; nor, indeed, does it at all signify how the game be caught, for a troop of Mercury-heeled puppies would do just as well as a full pack of hounds. To be sure I am at a loss on the score of _scent_, and the nose is confessedly a most material point to be considered, unless to this _leg exercise_ we allow the man to possess the keen sight of the greyhound, which will remove the objection, though the odds are much against him, as he makes so little use of his eyes as never to see that which he ought to do.

But in order the better to establish a _running system_, I shall have recourse to the Cla.s.sics, to prove, that the pursuit will confer honour upon its pract.i.tioners; for instance, has not Ovid recorded the gallopings of the lovely Atalanta, who, being determined to live in a state of celibacy, positively ran away from the male s.e.x? This establishes the vast antiquity of running, and nothing can possibly stand the test of inquiry, which has not such a voucher as antiquity to bear it out against the growlings of scepticism.

Athletic exercises have, in all ages, been considered conducive to the health, strength, and perfection, of youthful citizens, and consequently to the welfare of the state. In this point of view, the feats of our pedestrian candidates for fame who run against old Time himself, are certainly ent.i.tled to popular applause; and should the pa.s.sion for running become general, we may soon expect to behold an exhibition, unparalleled even at the Olympic games formerly celebrated in Greece.

The art of running is, like that of dancing, acquirable from a master; but gracefulness of motion is not essential to the perfection of the runner, swiftness being the princ.i.p.al requisite. Hence, whether the performer display his agility by bounding along on the light fantastic toe, or waddling with the zig-zag respectability of a corpulent alderman, if he can first reach the destined goal within a given period of time, he is rewarded, not with a civic crown--but a purse of gold.

Captain Barclay has obtained much notoriety, by an exhibition of his personal agility; he seems, from his attainments, eminently qualified to fill the office of running footman--an establishment, the revival of which would give permanence to this gymnastic exercise; but it is to be hoped that he will find few imitators in the British army. Celerity of movement might, indeed, be very advantageous in the field of battle, and a column, advancing at the rate of ten miles an hour, might attack the artillery of the enemy with success; but should a sudden panic on any occasion seize the troops, they might prove their agility by running away, to the great disgrace of our national honour. The introduction of Captain Barclay's improvement in the motion of legs and feet into the army, might therefore be attended with disastrous consequences.

This excellent art, however, will probably supersede equestrian performances on the turf. The horse will no longer be tortured for the amus.e.m.e.nt of man; but fellow bipeds, equipped _in querpo_, will start for the prize, and, with the fleetness of a North-American Indian, bound along the lists, amid the acclamations and cheers of admiring mult.i.tudes. The compet.i.tion between man and man in the modern foot-race is certainly fair; but, for the better regulation of the movements of public runners, it might be expedient that an amateur, mounted on an a.s.s, should keep pace with the performers, and, by the judicious application of a whip, prevent any of the tricks belonging to the turf, such as crossing and jostling, that gamesters might have a fair chance for their money. As for those gymnastic heroes, who, like captain Barclay, merely run against old Time, they are, indeed, unent.i.tled to the fame they _pant_ for. It may be thought ungenerous to oppose youthful agility to the hobbling pace of the old gentleman, yet, as he is well known to be sound in wind, he probably will run the briskest of them down at last.

The art of running only requires the sanction of some man of quality, to establish it at the head of all our modern amus.e.m.e.nts. There is a certain sameness in other divertis.e.m.e.nts, which must become irksome to the spectator. But in the n.o.ble exhibitions of the foot-race there will be no danger of satiety, for the art of running may be diversified by such innumerable modifications, that it will appear "ever charming, ever new." For instance, let the compet.i.tors for fame in the celerity of motion always be selected according to the strictest laws of decorum, consequently a lord and a lady cannot, without great impropriety, start against each other.

But if persons of rank and respectability choose to take an airing on their own legs, instead of an equestrian exhibition, for the _amus.e.m.e.nt_ of the public, there is no necessity that they should be of equal size and weight. Every individual must be the best judge of his own muscular powers; and if the duke of Lumber should think proper to challenge my lord Lath, to run four times round the ca.n.a.l in St. James's Park, for 10,000l. the contrast in their figure would only render the diversion more entertaining to the admiring spectators.

As the ladies have ever been emulous to distinguish themselves, and their proficiency in dancing is an excellent preparative to running, we may soon hope to see them exhibit themselves in the gymnastic lists, as candidates for that public admiration which seems to be the great business of their lives. The disparity between the compet.i.tors will doubtless be very amusing, as well as edifying.--When we behold the fat d.u.c.h.ess of ----, with a face like Cynthia in all her glory, boldly approach the promenade in Kensington Gardens, in open defiance of public decorum, and, unzoned and divested of superfluous drapery, prepare for the race, in opposition to a slim vestal from ------, how shall we be able to restrain our risibility? The running ladies will, however, labour under one great disadvantage. Their muscular exertions must affect the lungs, and, in a great degree, suspend the exercise of their blandiloquence, not only during the race, but for some minutes after its termination.

On a general view of the national utility resulting from this modern amus.e.m.e.nt, it appears admirably well calculated for the exercise of the legs of our n.o.bility, gentry, and merchants, and may operate as an efficacious remedy for indolence, _alias_ laziness. It will also be conducive to the benefit of those ingenious individuals who devote their talents to the fabrication of ornaments; and we may soon expect to see, in the advertis.e.m.e.nts of mantuamakers, milliners, hosiers, and tailors, a list of _patent bounding corsets_, _Atalanta robes_, and _winged bonnets_, for the equipment of female adventurers in the lists of gymnastic glory; while _flying trowsers_, _elastic jackets_, and _feathered buskins_, fit for Mercury himself, will contribute at once to the adornment, the swiftness, and the reputation, of our n.o.ble and ign.o.ble racers.

BACKSWORD PLAYING--MIDDLEs.e.x PASTIME.

At Wilsden Green, a hat, and a purse of twenty s.h.i.+llings, were played for at backsword, and, as an encouragement for young players, five s.h.i.+llings were given to the winner of every head, and two s.h.i.+llings to the loser. On the umpire's proclaiming the game, a hat was thrown into the ring (being the ancient mode of defiance) another soon followed, and the owners entered and played several bouts with much good humour, till the blood trickled down the head of the least fortunate. Other gamesters followed, to the number of seventeen, affording most excellent sport to a numerous and well-dressed field. The prize was won by a Dorsets.h.i.+re lad, who, by breaking four heads proved himself to be the best man.

CURIOUS PEDESTRIANISM.

A very extraordinary wager was decided upon the road between Cambridge and Huntingdon. A gentleman of the former place, had betted a very considerable sum of money, that he would go, at a yard distance from the ground, upon _stilts_, the distance of _twelve miles_ within the s.p.a.ce of _four hours and a half_: no stoppage was to be allowed except merely the time taken up in exchanging one pair of stilts for another, and even then his feet were not to touch the ground. He started at the second milestone from Cambridge in the Huntingdon road to go six miles out and six in: the first he performed in one hour and fifty minutes, and did the distance back in two hours and three minutes, so that he went the whole in three hours and fifty-three minutes, having thirty-seven minutes to spare beyond the time allowed him. He appeared a good deal fatigued; and his hands we understand were much blistered from the continued pressure upon one part. This, we believe, is the first performance of the kind ever attempted; but as novelty appears to attract, as well as direct the manners of the age, _stilting_ may become as fas.h.i.+onable in these, as tilting formerly was in better times.

Twenty-four gamesters contended manfully at Harrow-on-the-Hill for a prize of a hat and purse, at the _right valiant_ game of backsword. Many a crown was cracked and many a heavy blow was given with right good will, and received with true humour. Much skill also in a.s.sault and defence in this game (the most lively picture of war) was evinced. Jack Martin of Harrow played the best stick among the Harrow lads--but the prize, alas was actually borne away by--a LONDON TAILOR. Fourteen broken heads graced the ring.