Theatrical Regifter for January 1793

THE theatre has ever been esteemed by the Philofopher and Statefman, as highly conducive to improve the manners and morals of a people; when conducted with that decorum, and propriety, its importance deferves. Theatrical reprefentations are certainly the most rational, inft uctive, and pleafing of all amufements. A predilection for them may be traced in the remoteft ages and climates. The Spaniards found them in Mexico; and the English navigators at Otaheite. The Stage, in its rife and progrefs to perfection; and in its declenfion, has uniformly kept pace with the fortunes of the propie. Sophocles wrote when Greece was near the zenith of its glory; and it was in the “moft high, and jalmy fate of Rome" that Terence produced thofe finished performances that have immortalized his name. To dwell longer on this fubject would be ufelefs; and these few remarks are only made, to point out its imporWe intend to lay before our readers an exact lift of the Peces reprefented on the Dublin Stage; occafionally interfperfing obfervations on the Pieces themfelves, and on the performers. Candour shall ever guide our pen; but our pages fhall never be defiled by the vile and infipid puffs which, we are forry to add, are too much the fathion of the prefent day.

tance.

2d. Henry IVth, Part I. Falstaff, Mr. Lee Lewis, and the Pantomime of Ofcar and Malvina.

4th. He would be a Soldier; Ofcar and Malvina.

7th. The Tempeft; Ofcar and Malvina. Sth. The School for Scandal; Sir Peter Teazle, Mr. Lee Lewis (for his benefit) and the Padlock.

irth. Peeping Tom; the Agreeable Surprize; and the Pantom me of Old Leo, or Harlequin Wanderer, benefit of Mrs. Parker, the Dancer.

14th. The Pantomime of Old Leo; the Poor Soldier; and Cicar and Malvina. 16th. The Tempest; and Ofcar and Mal

vina.

18th. Fontainbleau; and the Doctor and Apo

thecary; benefit of Mrs. Mountain.

A very remarkable occurrence took place at the Theatre on this night, which feemed to make a great impreffion on the audience. It is our duty to ftate facts as they appeared before the Public. At the end of the Opera Mr. Fetterton, who played Lachland, came forward on the Stage; and, in a pathetic manner, complained of the treatment he had received from the Manager; who, he faid, "had not only de"prived him of his caft of parts; but refuted to pay him his falary; in confequence of which "he, and his wife and children, were almost "ftarving." This appeal roufed the indignation of the audience: and the Manager was loudly, and repeatedly called for. He did not appear; Mr. Hitchcock, the deputy Manager, then came forward; but was not permitted to speak. On Monday, appeared in the Hibernian Journal, a long addrefs from Mr. Daly to the public; refuting the charges made against him, in a very fatistaƐtory manner. Thefe charges were made

.

at a most critical period; as Mr. and Mrs. Daly, after having retired from the Stage for upwards of tour years; were announced to appear on the Monday evening following; accordingly on the

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21st. The Jealous Wife; Mr. and Mrs. Oakley, by Mr. and Mrs. Daly; and the Pantomime of Old Leo; were prefented before a numerous audience; and the Manager, and his accomplished wife, were received with the warmeft plaudits; fome marks of disapprobation however appearing, Mr. Daly came forward, and faid, "that if any Gentleman prefent, "would take the trouble of examining the statement he had laid before the public, and de"clare it was not juft, he was willing to make any apology the audience would demand." On this, the play was fuffered to go on; only occafionally interrupted by the burits o. applause beftowed on Mrs. Daly's admirable performance. At the conclufion, Mr. Daly again addreffed the audience; and after returning his thanks for the fupport he had received, added, "it never was "his intention or inclination to diftrefs an "individual; and that if it met with the public "approbation, he would, forgetting all that had "paffed, refiore Mr. Betterton to his fituation in the theatre." This manly and humane conduct was received, as it ought, with the highest fatisfaction. We have been particular in recording this affair, because, we hope the public amusement will never be again disturbed by fuch appeals. The Stage, certainly, is not the place for fettling difputes between a Manager and his performers.

23d, All in the Wrong; Sir John and Lady Reftlets, Mr. and Mrs. Daly; and Harlequin's Froles. 25th, The School for Scandal, Charles Surface, and Lady Teazle, Mr. and Mrs. Daly; and Ofcar and Malvina.

D. D. R.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

Amicus will fee that our fentiments coincide with his as to a genuine Collection of Portraits : we shall spare no expence in procuring them.

A Peetafter, as he modeftly ftyles himself, as claim to a fuperior title, if harmonious lines, beautiful imagery, correct and elegant verfification, can merit it.

A Roman Cathic has our thanks for his wishes and promifes. Virtue and learning will always receive our warmeft admiration and praife. This month's Anthologia will evince our liberality, and that our production embraces with equal cordiality every denomination of our fellow-fubjects.

Quid Nunc's fcheme is the emanation of a good heart, but conftructed for the fervice of one party, and would infallibly be rejected by the other.

Antiquariolus thinks nothing would be more grateful to country-readers than accounts of our antient hiftory and antiquities. Thefe, he will fee, have not been neglected; every communication in this department will be honoured with due notice.

A Sketch of The Life and Writings of the late Doctor Burke, Roman Catholic Bishop of Offery, in our next.

WBeauford bei:

Anth. Hit for Feb. 1793 plate 1.

ROUND TOWER at ROSCREA, CO TIPPERARY.

H-Brocas joulp.

R

OSCREA is a thriving and wealthy town, in the county of Tipperary. The country round it is fertile and populous, and the post-road from Dublin to Limerick running thro' it, added to its other advantages, materially contributes to enrich it.

From the time St. Cronan erected a monastery in Rofcrea, about the feventh century, the place became of note, and a large town was foon conftructed This church is at the entrance into the town, and will claim the notice of the curious traveller from the fingularity of its architectural decorations. There are a door and two flat niches on either fide, in the Saxon order, with a mezzo relievo of the patron faint. At a little distance is a crofs in a circle, with a crucifix on one fide; adjoining to which is a ftone, carved in various figures, and another relievo of the faint. This church, and the round tower near it, feem to belong to the eleventh century.

Antiently a great annual fair was held here on the feftival of St. Peter and St. Paul, for fourteen days. The Danes, in the year 942, formed a defign to furprize and pillage the merchants affembled here; but they were defeated, with the lofs of Olinn, their com

Feb. 1793

mander, and 4000 men flain. When the English arrived in this ifle, they foon extended their power into Munster; and, as they proceeded, fecured themfelves by ftrong caftles and garrifons. After fome contefts with Mortogh, king of North Munfter, they obtained Rofcrea; and, in 1213, founded a strong caftle in it, as a barrier against the attemps of the natives on that fide. This antient fortrefs is at prefent in good prefervation, and no fmail ornament to the town.

Within the walls is a dwelling. houfe, which, with the whole town, is now the property of the Right Hon. Lord Milton.

The round tower is eighty feet high, and fifteen feet in diameter, with two steps round it at the bottom. At fifteen feet from the ground is a window, with a regular arch; and at an equal height is another window with a pointed arch. If this latter is not a more recent addition, which it probably is not, it certainly reduces the date of this tower to the twelfth century, which is rather earlier than the time generally allowed for the ufe of this arch.

The drawing was communicated by the ingenious Mr. Beauford, of Athy.

M.

D.

The

The following Curious Account of our Round Towers is taken from the Rev. Mr Ledwich's Antiquities of Ireland.

T

HERE is a very juft obfervation too applicable, I confefs, to modern antiquaries, and from the truth and feverity of which none of us can claim exemption: It is, "that as the final caufe of the principle of curiofity is the acquifition of knowledge, it is a perverfion much to be lamented, that it fhould fo often be found to falten moft keenly on thofe objects about which little or nothing can be known. A mere fcrap of fomething, between knowledge and conjecture, if it be but obtained with fufficient difficulty, appears far more valuable to perfons of this defcription than abundance of real information, if eafily acquired, and if as easily gained by others as themfelves."

In the wreck of ages fome materials of antient structures have furvived: though it is impoffible with them, or every adfcititious help, to reftore them to their original utility and beauty; yet, by putting what remains together, in many inftances, we may form a notion tolerably correct of their proportion and architecture: the fame may be faid of antient manners, cuftoms, fciences, and arts. Thus far we deserve some portion of praife. While we proceed on au thentic and folid grounds, and reject idle hypothefes and conjecture, antiquarian difquifitions become a rational ftudy, and interest every reader.

To apply thefe reflections to the prefent fubject, we fhall foon fee ftrong caufe to admire how men, eminent in literature, fhould be fo miferably defective in judgment, as to defpife or neglect the real information refpecting our Round Towers lying before them, and to feek for it in barren ways and thorny paths, where it cannot be found. Their original defignation is too obvious ever to be mistaken; of this if any doubt could poffibly exift, where fhould we look for its removal but in antient writers? If antient writers are unanimous, and well-informed moderns agree with them, as to their authors and use, will

any say these points are not drawn from obfcurity, or that we have not gone beyond verifimilitude, and arrived at fome degree of certainty? Let the candid and learned reader determine for himself from the evidence now to be submitted to him.

Giraldus Cambrenfis, about 1185, is the first who mentions our Round Towers. He calls them "Ecclefiaftical Towers, which, in a style or fashion peculiar to the country, are narrow, high, and round." Though this paffage has been frequently quoted, yet no one has obferved, that from its grammatical conftruction we may fairly infer, that Cambrenfis faw the Irish in the very act of building these towers. It was a fingular and ftriking fpectacle for our author to behold fo great a number of them difperfed over the country; all of the fame figure and fashion, contiguous to wooden churches, and fupporting bells to fummon the vicinity to religious dutizs, or to warn them of approaching danger. Surely it must be efteemed a grofs perverfion of common fenfe, to extract from Cambrenfis's plain words any other meaning than that now given: he was fully competent to deliver a fimple fact; nor did the objects he was defcribing require the microfcopic eye of fome modern Irish Antiquaries.

John Lynch, in 1662, is the next who fpeaks of our towers. His words are: the Danes, who entered Ireland, according to Giraldus, in 838, are reported to be the authors of our orbicular narrow towers. They were called Clochtheach; that is, the house of the bell."

NOTE S.

a Turres ecclefiafticas, quæ, more patrio, arctæ funt et altæ, necnon et ro tunde. Topog. p. 720.

b See Voff. de Construct. ferm. p. 504. Amf. 1662.

Exiguas illas orbiculares aretafque turres, Dani Hiberniam, Giraldo authore, A. D. 838, primum ingreffi, primi erexiffe dicuntur. Clochtheach enim perinde eft ac domus campane. Cambrens. Evers. p. 133. Peter