THE HIBERNIAN MAGAZINE: OR, Compendium of Entertaining Knowledge, For JULY, 1775 Memoirs of. Mr. WILLIAM THOMAS LEWIS. With an elegant Engraving of that esteemed Comedian, in the Character of Belcour, in the Comedy of the West-Indian. MR R. William Thomas Lewis was born at Ormskirk (Lancalhire) in the year 1748, being the fon of Mr. William Lewis. Though from his earlieft youth he was initiated in the drama, yet it must be owned he was more indebted to his natural genius, and strong conception, for every excellence to which he arrived, than to any precepts or examples in his youth, being for fome years confined to country theatres. His father dying, his mother married Mr. William Dawfon, fome time manager of the theatre in Capel-street, and alfo of the theatre in Crow-ftreet, and with him Mr. Lewis continued to perform in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, and gave every where fhining marks of a rifing genius. Whilft Mr. Dawfon continued in Capel-ítreet, he met with fuccefs; but as foon as he quitted that theatre, and hired that in Crow-street, fortune feemed to abandon him; yet fuch was Mr. Lewis's friendship for his step-father (though his mother had been long dead) that he would not defert him in his misfortunes, but continued for near three years, the almoft only fupport of his finking ftage; though thereby he fuffered greatly, both in his interest and in the means of improvement, and thewing his merits in a wider extended sphere. At length finding Mr. Dawfon not likely to profit any longer by his affiftance, he engaged at July, 1775. the theatre-royal in Covent Garden, at a very genteel falary; and made his firft appearance in the character of Belcour, in the Weft-Indian, October 15, 1773. How he was received may be eafily understood from the following paragraphs which appeared the next day in the London papers. "Laft night was performed, at the theatre-royal, Covent Garden, the comedy of the Weft-Indian, Belcour by Mr. Lewis, from Dublin, being his first appearance on this ftage. "On his firft entrance, the agreeableness of his figure, and the vivacity of his manner, obtained for him that applaufe which an English audience is ever ready to below on the efforts of genius. Animated, therefore, by this reception,, it took off, in a great measure, that embarraffment which too generally clogs the powers of first appearances, and left us more at liberty to examine his pretenfions to public favour. "His perfon then, we may pronounce to be a good ftage figure, rather above the middle fize; his voice clear, articulate, and commanding; his deportment graceful and easy. As the part of Belcour demands great vivacity and fpirits, Mr. Lewis filled the whole of it with propriety; judicioufly fteering between the pertness of the coxcomb, and the dapper manners of low comedy; fo that on the Ccc whole whole, we may venture to congratulate Such a teftimony to the abilities of Mr. How the other parts were performed is quite foreign to our prefent purpofe, but in regard to that of Belcour, it gave general fatisfaction. Mr. Lewis, by the help of a very tenacious memory, was perfect in the words of his part, and by the ftrength of his genius, and fire of his imagination, imbibed the manner. fhort, he performed that character fo In wel, that although his rival for public approbation was no lefs than Mr. Moffop himself, he had an abundant share of plaufe. ap The writer of the above paragraphs in the London papers, had then only an opportunity of feeing Mr. Lewis in one character, and from his excellence in that, thought he might be folely confined to the walks of genteel comedy. long before now, he must be acquainted But July, that Mr. Lewis is mafter of a much great In the characters of Douglas, Teribayouth, fire and vivacity are requifite, he zus, Hypolitus, Edgar and Hamlet, where appears to equal advantage; fo that he may be faid to be adapted, both by nawhich doth not demand a weight of voice ture and art to every fpecies of tragedy and figure, which Mr. Lewis's flimness and youth have not yet acquired. zen and Liffardo is happily ftruck off by The pert impudence of Captain BraMr. Lewis, and his performance of Touchstone, the Clown, and Dick, the Apprentice, teftifies that he poffeffes an abundance of humour. other characters in which Mr. Lewis apIt may not be improper to remark two peared with uncommon applause, though both in different ftiles, namely Archer in the Stratagem; and young Bevil in the play almost hackneyed out with frequent Conscious Lovers, which although it is a repetitions, yet he performed that character no lefs than five times in three weeks; ed. a fufficient proof how well it was receiv don ftage, and not been forced to go Since Mr. Lewis has been on the Lonevery night; of appearing in fuch a vathrough the drudgery of playing almost riety of characters, that fome of them were oppofite to his own tafte; and of fore he had time to confider them as atbeing obliged to perform many parts betentively as he could wifh, he has been greatly improved; and as he is yet very young, there cannot be the leaft doubt ftage, and be able to fupply the lofs of but he will be a fhining ornament to the fhall force them to fet. fome of the greateft luminaries when time This account of Mr. Lewis's public given of his private character, in which character is not fairer than may be juftly and polite manners of the gentleman; the he is very happy. The eafy deportment, probity and punctuality of the honeft man; and the chearfulness and good bufeatures which all who know Mr. Lewis mour of the agreeable companion, are perfonally, will acknowledge to be really his. The prefent unhappy State of Denmark and were 1775. New Anecdotes of Struenfee and Brandt. lifted a Tour to the Northern Parts of New Anecdotes of the unfortunate Counts NOUNT Struenfee had not any noble The Civil Judicature of Copenhagen was then vested in thirty Magiflrates. Struenfee fent a meffage to this Tribunal, demanding to know the annual falary or penfion annexed to each member: Rather alarmed at this inquiry, they fent an anfwer, in which they diminished their emoluments two thirds, and eftimated them at 1500 inftead of 4000 rix-dollars. The Count then informed them that his Majefty had no further occafion for their fervices, but, in his royal munificence and liberality, was graciously pleased to continue to them the third part of their avow. ed incomes, as a proof of his fatisfaction with their conduct. He at the fame time conftituted another Court, compofed only of fix perfons of approved integrity, to whom the fame power was delegated. 377 other bodies of the Law. Then, enterHe proceeded to purge the Chancery and ing on the military department, he at one ftroke broke all the hori-guards, and afterwards the regiments of Norwegian foot-guards, the fineft corps in the fervice, and who were not difbanded without a fhort but very dangerous fedition. Still proceeding in this falutary, but moit critical and perilous atchievement, he ultimately began to attempt a diminution of the power of the Nobles, and We must not therefore wonder to fet the farmers and peasants at perfect that he fell a victim to fuch measures, and liberty that all parties joined in his deftruction. Thefe were his real crimes, and not that he was too acceptable to the Queen; which only formed a pretext. It was the Minifter and not the nan who had become obnoxious. I do not pretend, in the latter capacity, either to excufe or condemn him; but, as a Politician, I rank him with the Clarendons and the Mores, whom tyranny, or public bafenefs and want of virtue, have brought in almost every age to an untimely and ignominious exit; but to whofe memory impartial pofterity nave done ample juftice. Yet I muti avow that, though I cannot think Struenfee made a bad ufe, yet he certainly made a violent He feems, if one may judge of h's and imprudent one of his extenfive power. actions, to have been in fome meature intoxicated with Royal favour and fuch accumulated honours, and not to have adverted fufficiently to the examples which hiftory furnishes of Wolfey's in former days, and of Choifeul's in modern times; who, muft ftrikingly evince the When he was even prefled a short time flippery foundation of Political grandeur. before his feizure to withdraw from Court, and pafs the Betts, with the molt ample fecurity for his annual remitment of forty, fifty, or a hundred thousand dollars; an unhappy fafcination detained him in dehim for the prifon and the block. fiance of every warning, and referved The Queen Dowager and Prince Fre-deric were only the feeble fnftruments to produce this cataftrophe, as being by their rank immediately about the perfon of the Sovereign; though common report has talked loudly of the former's intrigue, and attributed it to her imaginary abili ties. The only mark of capacity or addrefs they exhibited was in preferving a fecrefy, which deluded Struenfee and the Queen Matilda till the time of their being arrefted. I have been affured that on the last Levee day preceding this event, Ccc 2 tha the Count was habited with uncommon magnificence, and never received greater homage or Court fervility from the crowd, than when on the verge of ruin. On the night fixed for his feizure, there was a Bal Pare in the Palace; the Queen, after dancing, aş ufual, one country dance with the King, gave her hand to Struenfee, during the rest of the evening; the retired about two in the morning, and was followed by him and Count Brandt. The moment was now come: The Queen Dowager and her fon Prince Frederic haftened to the King's private chamber, where he was already in bed. They kneeled down befide it, and implored him with tears and expoftulation to fave himfelf and Denmark from impending deftruction, by arresting those whom they called the authors of it. 'Tis faid the King was not eafily induced to fign the order, but did it with reluctance and he fitation. At length their intreaties prevailed, and he affixed his fign manual to the paper. Col. Koller Banner inftantly repaired to Struenfee's apartment, which, as well as Brandt's, was in the Palace; they were both feized nearly at the fame inftant, and, as all defence was vain, hurried away immediately to the citadel. When Count Struenfee stepped out of the coach, he faid with a fimile to the commandant who received him into cuftody, I believe you are not a little furprised at feeing me brought here a prifoner.' No, and please your Excellency, replied the old officer bluntly, I am not at all furprized, but, on the contrary, have long expected you.' It was five o'clock in the morning, when the Count Rantzau came to the door of her Majefty's Anti-chamber, and knocked for admittance. One of the women about the Queen's perfon was ordered to wake her, and give her information that fhe was artefted. They then put her into one of the King's coaches, drove her down to Elfinoor, and fhut her up in the Cattle of Cronberg. Mean while, as they dreaded an infurrection in Copenhagen, every military precaution was taken to prevent it; the most infamous and filly reports were circulated among the populace, to render the State prifoners odious: That they had put poifon in the King's coffee, to deftroy him: That they intended to declare him incapable of governing; to fend the Dowager Queen Juliana, out of the kingdom, as well as her fon Prince Frederic; and to proclaim Matilda regent. To confirm thefe extraordinary and contradictory reports, the King himfelf and his brother appeared in a State-coach, and paraded through the streets of the city to fhew himself unhurt, and as if escaped from the most horrid confpiracy. Mean while, Struenfee and Brandt were detained in the most rigorous imprifonment. They loaded the former with very heavy chains about his arms and legs, and he was at the fame time fixed to the wall by an iron bar. The room is not above ten or twelve feet fquare, with a little bed in it and a miferable iron stove, Yet here, in this abode of mifery, did he, though chained, complete, with a pencil, an account of his life and conduct as a Minifter, which is penned, as I have been affured, with uncommon genius. COUNT BRANDT rofe chiefly under Struenfee's aufpices, though he was originally of an honourable defcent. During a refidence which the Court made at one of the Royal Palaces, that of Herefholm, it happened that his Majesty quar→ relled with Brandt, and, which was fingular enough, challenged him: This the Count you may imagine declined. When they met foon after, the King repeated his defiance, and cailed him coward; and Brandt ftill behaved with temper as became a fubject; he thrust his hand into his mouth, feized his tongue, and had very nearly choaked him. In this fituation can it be wondered at, that he should bite the King's finger, or ftrike him, or both? Self prefervation must neceffarily fuperfede every other feeeling at fuch a moment, and plead his pardon. By Struenfee's mediation the quarrel was immediately made up, and the King promifed never more to remember or refent the circumftance of firiking him. Yet was this blow given to preferve himfelf from imminent deftruction, and from the fury of an enraged man, made the pretence for his condemnation. They faid he had lifted his hand against the King's facred perfon, which was death by the laws of Denmark.-His Lawyer, I am affured, made an excellent defence for him, and very forcibly remarked the effential difference between affaulting the fovereign, and only defending himfelf from a private attack. One of our former Monarchs, faid he (Chriftian V.) was ufed frequently to unbend himself among his Nobles: On thofe occafions, it was his custom to fay, The King is not at home." All the Courtiers then behaved with the utmost freedom and familiarity, unreftrained by the Royal prefence. When he chofe to refume his Kingly dignity he faid, The King is again at home." ་ But But what, added he, muft we do now, when the King is never at home?-This feems more like the fpeech of an Englithman than a Dane, and breathes a manly and unfettered fpirit. I have been affured that Struenfee refigned himself to his own fentence without murmuring, or attempting to deprecate the blow; but that he expreffed the utmost pity and abhorrence, at the flagrant injuftice committed in fentencing Count Brandt to the fame death. The skulls and bones of these unhappy men are yet expofed on wheels about a mile and a half out of town: I have viewed them with mingled commiferation and horror. They hold up an awful and affecting leffon for future Statesmen. Don Carlos; or, the fatal Effects of pre mature Attachments. MOST ages have produced a variety of illuftrious perfonages, who feem to have been fhewn on earth only to excite the regret of the virtuous, and extort tears from the heart of fenfibility. Such was the lot of Don Carlos, heir apparent to Philip II. of Spain, and Elizabeth, princefs-royal of France. The univerfal hopes of the Spanish nation were centered in Don Carlos. Charles V. fuperintended his education himfelf; and it was imagined that the young prince would one day rival him in his exploits, and furpass him in virtue. The emperor beheld with complacence, in one of his defcendants, the feeds of thofe vigorous paffions which form a great man; and he delighted in directing a difpofition, fo well adapted, to receive the ftrongest impreffions, to that which was good, Fired with feeing himself the object of the attentions of a grandfire fo celebrated, Don Carlos fhewed a fondnefs of his inftructions, which, probably, he never would have shown to the lectures of any other master. The magnanimity, the heroifm of Charles V. feemed to be refined in their paffage into the foul of his grandfon; and to thofe qualities, which are formed to excite admiration, he joined those which are better calcula ted to make princes the objects of affection, that openness of address, that affability, that generofity, with which Francis I had fo long equalled the great fuccefs of his rival. beauty made fuch an eclat, her countenance was fo attractive, that he gave rife to a proverbial expreffion, till used in Spain, "That the wifeft and most cautious could not behold her without danger." The difpute between Francis I. and Charles V. was kept alive by their fucceffors; but the exhaufting of the two nations foon made them with for an end of a war, which had been no lefs tedious than deftructive. The propofal of the marriage of Elizabeth with Don Carlos, which had been made fome years before, was revived as one of the preliminaries for a peace. In the mean time, convinced, as well as all Europe, that the confequence of fo equal an alliance would Spain, and madame of France, were infenbe a general pacification, the prince of fibly accustomed to look upon themselves as deftined for each other.-Elizabeth had one of thofe delicate fouls, which must have an object worthy of them to produce an attachment. Inclination and duty being united, the had given herself up to the firft emotion of her heart, and the prejudices of her imagination, without referve. She was fond of talking with those of her own age, of the happy event which awaited her, when her fortune would be united with that of the amiable prince, of whofe tenderness, power, and glory fhe was to be a sharer. What he heard daily on this head ftrengthened these favourable difpofitions. But he was not without anxiety with refpect to the real fentiments of the prince. But how eafily might she have fatisfied herself, if he could have been transported at that inftant to the apartments of the prince, in Spain. She would have furprized him with her portrait in his hand, confidering, with intoxication, the traits which were fo dear to him, regretting his obligations to the arrangements of policy, and recognizing no other happiness but that of infpiring her with fentiments fimilar to his own! After this manner they both waited impatiently for the moment which was to make them one, when an unforeseen event fruftrated all their hopes. Philip II. lofing his wife, Mary queen of England, demanded the princefs for wife, whom he had obtained for his fon: no pretext could be affigned for a refusal, without hazarding the continuation of the war; and Elizabeth was facrificed to reafons of itate, At this period, Elizabeth, the eldeft daughter of Henry II. was the first ornament of the French court. She united more sweetness, nobleness, and fenfibili- It is impoffible to describe the conditity to all the charms of her exterior, at on of the princefs, when he heard this a more early age than was known. Her melancholy news. All the fuperftructure of |