Mrs. Wignell, (now of the Philadelphia theatre, but formerly of Covent Garden) is, of her sex, the most adinired disciple of the tragic Muse. Her celebrity, as Miss Brunton, and afterwards as Mrs. Merry, renders any commentary almost unnecessary. She possesses a decided ascendancy over Mrs. Whitlock, in pathos, and her Alicia, in Jane Shore, evinces that her fascinating power of moving the passions, and of inspiring the affections of the audience, is not cir cumscribed within the sphere of sympathy alone. Her personations are always marked with mind. Whatever she performs is a character. Her best comie representation which we have seen her exhibit in America, is Rosa, in the Secret. The Philadelphia theatre has gradually declined since the removal of congress to the city of Washington. Its management was conducted by Mrs. W. for some time after the death of her last husband; but it is nowsaid, that she has assigned the lease to Mr. Warren. She is a great acquisition to the Ame rican theatre, and should ever be mentioned with pride by its patrons.

There is another eminent favourite, whom we ought to notice, and inferior to no one in the order of merit, Mrs. Jones, whose truly finished comic excellence has entitled her to a place with the English Jordan, as a handmaid of Thalia. It is now five years since she arrived in this country, and was originally engaged by Mr. Whitlock, for the Boston theatre, principally as a vocal performer. She very soon became the pride and support of the American opera. Her celebrity procured her an invitation to Philadelphia. Here she remained for two years; but, from the previous possession of the walk of comedy, in which she has since moved with so much grace and fascination, she was almost entirely confined to the vocal department. In the winter of 1803 she returned to Boston, where her distinguished comic talents, hitherto unrivalled by any competitress on this side of the Atlantic, burst in full splendour on an admiring audience. During her absence, her vocal powers had been improved both in strength and intonation; and her musical science had been highly cultivated. In this province of the drama, the celebrated Mrs. Oldmixon (Miss George of the Haymarket, London) had yielded her the palm; and Miss Broadhurst, and Mrs. Hodgkinson, who had led the opera in some of our principal theatres, were rivalled in taste, and far excelled in correctness of articulation, and extent and sweetness of tone. I have never yet seen, either on an English or American stage, a Rosina, which I could consider aggregately equal to the charming personation of this interesting character by Mrs. Jones." She was the prettiest village lass that ever ran on the green-sward." Her excention sometimes produces an effect bordering on amazement, and her melody of voice has a syren spell, which charms us, till we feel that "music is the food of love."

Many favourable circumstances conspired, on her return to Boston, to elicit those dormant comic powers, which have since been the delight of the public. Mrs. Darley, the reigning favourite at that time in the theatre, was confined, and had she performed, she was comparatively incapable of any assumption of the Jordan line, and was, moreover, a novice of very limited powers in opera. The

koydens had not been successfully attempted since the departure of Mrs. Williamson, (formerly Miss Fontenelle, of Covent Garden and the Haymarket) and this whole range of fascinating comedy was open to the ambition of Mrs. Jones, and her eminent success soon distinguished her beyond the parallel of any former example. In the Country Girl, the Romp, in Little Pickle, Albina Mandeville, &c. &c. she distanced all competition. To characters of this description she now annexed a more extended sphere of action. Applauding and crowded audiences have witnessed her polished and successful delineations of Rosalind and Letitia Hardy; her delightful naïveté in Amanthis and Amelia Wildenhain ; her elegant versatility and truth of colouring in Sir Edward Bloomly and Hypolita; her correct and animated declamation in Lauretta St. Orme; and her unaffected pathos in Theodore. Nature has been very bountiful to her in the advantages of personal grace and symmetry, in a beautiful and expressive countenance, a full and captivating eye, and the most elegant figure, when "like a young man apparalled," which has yet adorned the stage of America. If a comparison, which might not seem invidious, could be drawn between the comic favourites of England and America (with the exception of Mrs. Jordan only) I do not think any candid critic would consider the claims of our heroine in any de gree diminished by a contrast with any other performer. Notwithstanding all her cultivation, the character of her acting is nature. In scenes of levity, she glitters to the fancy; in those of interest, she plays to the heart. I never heard her pronounce a sentiment which was not received with enthusiastic applause; nor was she ever known to wing a jest in a comedy, which was not true to the aim of decorum. Yet never was the shaft thrown short, or pointless, for the want of barb or feather. It should be added, that though she sometimes creates the boldest effect, and enlightens the gaiety of the theatre, by the flashes of her genius, she has at all times paid due reverence to the laws of propriety, and avoids the pitiful ambition of some hoydens, as well as clowns, who, to set an audience on the roar,

"Will evermore peep thro' their eyes,

"And laugh, like parrots, at a bagpiper!"

Her first musical success was in ballads, and in these indeed she has few rivals, either in sweetness of tone, or simplicity of manner. She has since filled, with equal reputation, the vocal department which Madame Storace sustains at Covent Garden, and has displayed a wonderful compass and flexibility of voice. She may be truly said to "discourse sweet music;" her upper tones resemble the finest notes of the flageolet.

She is engaged this winter for the New York theatre, which is now placed under the respectable management of Messrs. Tyler and Johnson. Her salary is said to be very high, but the charming mistress of the

"Quips, and cranks, and wreathed smiles,"

of legitimate comedy, will amply remunerate the liberality of her establishment. Having extended this communication beyond its contemplated limits, I shall reserve the consideration of the merits of Messrs. Bernard, Twaits, Jefferson, Bates, Green, Barrett, Dickenson, &c. until my next. I shall then also attempt some sketch of the talents of Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Powell, Mrs. Whit

*Wife of two Husbands.

I-VOL. XXI.

lock, Mrs. Oldmixon, Mrs. Darley, Mrs. Barrett, Mrs. Woodham, Mrs. Shaw, &c.

The Philadelphia corps has lately received a valuable reinforcement, in the accession of Mr. and Mrs. Woodham. The lady has become a favorite already, and promises to maintain her re utation. He is attached to the opera, in which he exhibits considerable talent.

Mr. and Mrs. Young (from Norwich) have also been added to the Boston theatre. He possesses great advantages of person, voice, youth, and figure, and, with the attention which he seems incessantly to devote to his profession, will very soon become one of its valuable and distinguished members. His talent appears to be as yet unsettled in the views of its ambition; but he has appeared with credit in several characters of some importance, in whose features there was no affinity. He has no very particular antipathy to himself; and we think he will be, in a short time, on very good terms with the public!

The season in Boston has been very prosperous; and in New York it is very likely to be so, notwithstanding an unusual dearth of talent in the male performers. The ladies form a constellation of merit, of which Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Johnson, and Mrs. Barrett are the principal stars.

New York, 1805.

DOMESTIC EVENTS.

Yours, &c.

TERENCE.

THE FUNERAL OF LORD NELSON.

"Recorded honours shall gather round his monument, and thicken over it. It has a solid basis, and will support the laurels which adorn it."

LAYING IN STATE.

On Sunday, January 5th, and the Monday and Tuesday following, the remains of our illustrious hero, deposited and laid out in state, in the great hall at Greenwich hospital, were the object of veneration to multitudes. These crowded from every quarter, and numbers went away unsatisfied. The arrangements of the solemnity were as follow:-In the funeral saloon, high above the corpse, a canopy of black velvet was suspended, richly festooned with gold, and the festoons ornamented with the chelengk, or plume of triumph, presented to his Lordship by the Grand Seignior, after the ever-memorable victory of the Nile. It was also decorated with his Lordship's coronet, and a view of the stern of the San Josef, the Spanish admiral's ship, already quartered in his arms. On the back field, beneath the canopy, was emblazoned an escutcheon of his Lordship's arms; the helmet surmounted by a naval crown, and enriched with the trident and palm branch in saltier-motto, "Palmam qui meruit ferat." Also his Lordship's shield, ornamented with silver stars, appropriately interspersed ; with the motto “Tria juncta in uno ;" and surmounting the whole, upon a gold field, embraced by a golden wreath, was inscribed, in sable characters, the word Trafalgar, commemorative of the proudest of his great achievements,

PROCESSION BY WATER.

At half past seven o'clock, on Wednesday, the heralds and naval officers who were to assist at the procession by water, assembled at the Admiralty, and from thence proceeded about eight to Greenwich.

In the first barge, on their return, was the standard at the head; the Guidon was borne by Captain Durham. In the second were the officers of arms bearing the target, sword, helm, and crest of the deceased. In the third was the body. In the fourth was the

Chief Mourner-Admiral Sir Peter Parker, Bart.

Train Bearer to the Chief Mourner-The Honourable Captain Blackwood. Supporters to the Chief Mourner-Admirals Lord Hood and Radstock. Six Assistant Mourners-Vice Admirals Caldwell, Hamilton, Nugent, Bligh, Sir Roger Curtis, and Sir C. M. Pole, Barts.

Four Supporters of the Pall-Vice Admiral Whitshead, Savage, Taylor, and Rear Admiral E. Harvey.

Six Bearers of the Canopy-Rear Admirals Aylmer, Domett, T. Wells, Drury, Sir Isaac Coffin, and Sir W. H. Douglas, Barts.

They were all in mourning cloaks over their full uniform coats. The banner of emblems was borne in this barge, by Lord Nelson's own captain, Captain T. M. Hardy.

After the four barges came his Majesty's barge; the barge of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; then the Lord Mayor, in the city state barge, and other city barges: they had all their colours half staff. As the procession moved from Greenwich, minute guns were fired-the shore was lined with thousands of spectators-every hat was off, and every countenance expressed the deepest regret felt at the loss of so great a hero. Not a vessel was suffered to disturb the procession. The decks, yards, rigging, and masts of the numerous ships on the river, were all crowded with spectators-the number of ladies was immense.

As the procession passed the Tower, the great guns were fired. It reached Whitehall stairs about half past three o'clock. During the time the body was landing, together with the several attendants in the four mourning barges, the King's, Admiralty, Lord Mayor's, and City barges, lay upon their oars. Minute guns were fired during the landing of the body. The procession proceeded through a line formed by the Guards to the Admiralty, where it finally closed about a quarter before four o'clock.

PROCESSION BY LAND.

The procession did not begin to move from the Admiralty till eleven o'clock on Thursday. It was led by a military force far beyond what any one would think requisite to do honour to a procession, and amounting in number and character, as well as appearance, to a formidable army. There were near 8,000 regular soldiers, consisting chiefly of the regiments that had fought and conquered in Egypt. The 31st, 75th, and 92d, the 10th and 14th Light Dragoons, and the Scotch Greys, challenged particular admiration. Above 20,000 volunteers were employed in lining the streets. The military part of the procession was closed by a detachment of the flying artillery from Woolwich. The troops

marched in brigades, and in order of battle, the cavalry being stationed at intervals between the infantry and the flank companies, covering the artillery. The procession may be considered as consisting of three distinct parts; the military, the private carriages, and the mourners. The private carriages were very nume→ rous: the commoners went first, then the Peers, beginning with Barons, and closing with Dukes, next, the Princes, and last, the Prince of Wales. The Dukes of York, Kent, Sussex, and Cambridge, were in the streets very early, on horseback, with their aides de camp, seeing that every thing should be in order. The third part of the procession consisted of the hearse and mourning coaches. The seamen and marines of the Victory, and the Greenwich pensioners, who went in the first part of the procession, bore the most striking marks of deep and unfeigned sorrow; and their recent service caused them to be seen with veneration. A great number of the mourning coaches that followed the hearse, were filled with naval officers, who were all regarded with high feelings of esteem and admiration, being considered as the partners of Nelson's victories, or partic pators in the other triumphs that have signalized our flag. This last part of the proces sion came at a considerable interval after the preceding. It was though neces sary to give time to the carriages that had gone past, to set down their company. The whole procession took up above three hours and an half to pass. *he military in front began to move forward at eleven, and the last of the mourning coaches passed on a little before three. The day was the most favourable that could be wished, to give glory to a spectacle in which it must delight; the solemn and religious tribute of a grateful nation, fighting for every civil and religious right, to the most illustrious of heroes, and that beneficent Being, who made that hero the instrument of the victory with which he had vouchsafed to bless our

arms.

On the procession reaching Temple Bar, it was joined by the Lord Mayor and Corporation, who fell in immediately after the Prince of Wales; and on its arrival at St. Paul's, the regular troops who formed part of it, together with the City Militia, Light Horse, and Infantry volunteers, were stationed to preserve the necessary order. The whole reached the cathedral shortly after three o'clock.

On the entrance into the cathedral, the heralds, &c. were followed by the great officers of state, Peers, then Peer's sons, Knights of the Bath, Baronets, members of the House of Commons, &c. &c. Court of Aldermen, &c. the Lord Mayor, preceded by the city Regalia; afterwards the Dukes of Cambridge, Sussex, Kent, Cumberland, Clarence, and York, and lastly, the Prince of Wales. Then followed the Bishop of Lincoln (the Dean) and the Bishop of Chester, Dr. Moss and Dr. Western preceded the banner of emblems, which was borne before the canopy by the captain of the Victory, T. H. Hardy, &c. &c. The body now entered the choir, close to which followed, in deep sables, the Reve-* rend Earl Nelson, his eldest son Lord Merton, and the chaplain, the Reverend Mr. Scott. To these succeeded the chief mourner, Admiral Sir Peter Parker, supported by Admirals Lord Hood and Radstock, the flag officers, post captains, commanders, lieutenants, the rear being brought up by the mournful display of the colours of the Victory, borne by select seamen of that ship, and flanked by an equal number of Greenwich pensioners, in mourning loose coats, with a gilt