In Number 125 will be given a Portrait of Miss BRUNTON, of Covent-Garden Theatre, from a highly finished Miniature by STUMP. And in Number 126, a Portrait of Mr. FARLEY, from an elegant Drawing by Miss EMMA SMITH. Our Correspondent at Wn either misapprehends, or has been misinformed. His communications can never have been seen by the parties he mentions, who, except by name, are quite unknown to the gentlemen concerned in this publication. Some further poetical favours, by J. NORRINGTON, have been received, and shall be inserted. The extract from Mr. HOLLOWAY's unpublished poem; and a beautiful parody by a Lady (not received in sufficient time for insertion this month) shall appear in our next. At the same time the Elegy on a deceased Statesman, by MARCIUS. We have to acknowledge generally a variety of communications, both in prose and verse, from correspondents in different quarters of the kingdom, which we have not, hitherto, had an opportunity of inspecting; but they shall be duly attended to, and particularized in our next number. We must decline the renewed offers of PERTINAX. Mr. RAYMOND has published his Life of the unfortunate Dermody; a Poet whose Merits while he lived, and since his Death, have so frequently been recorded in this Work. It shall receive particular Notice in our next Month's Review. My Emma Smith del Master Albert Schirmer on the GERMAN STAGE, inLONDON; Born 27 Nov 1790. Pub by Vernor & Hood, Poultry, Feb ¥ 28,1806 A.Cardon sculp MONTHLY MIRROR, FOR FEBRUARY, 1806. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF MASTER ALBERT SCHIRMER. (With a Portrait) THE novelty of a foreign theatre in the British metropolis, and the extraordinary talents of the juvenile comedians who support it, have induced us to present, in our publication for this month, the portrait of one of the principal performers.: ALBERT SCHIRMER was born at Konigsberg, in Prussia, on the 27th day of November, 1790. His parents were alternately engaged for many years, at the German theatre at Koningsberg and Dantzic, till the year 1801, when Mr. Schirmer was appointed sole manager. Previous to that time, young Schirmer, and his brother and sisters, were occasionally brought forward to perform such parts as are generally assigned to children, when they acquitted themselves ** with such singular ability, that the public desired that a play, should be written expressly for them. In consequence of this intimation, Mr. Schirmer, in the year 1798, produced the little opera, called the Sportsman's Wife, which was received with uncommon applause, and frequently repeated. It was in this piece in which they first had the honour to perform before Their Majesties, at Frogmore, last year. Having acted several other comedies and musical pieces, with equal success, Mr. Schirmer was induced, by the advice of his friends, and the promising talents of his youthful offspring, to educate the whole of them, two boys and two girls, for the stage. Having come to this determination, he conceived that he could not lay a better foundation for future excellence, than by giving them the best possible education. With this view, he thought it advisable that his young actors should travel, and study the performances of all the eminent players, not only in their own country, but also in England, France, and Italy. In pursuance of this plan, he proposed to visit England first, for which he was on the point of embarking from Dantzig, when the war broke out with Denmark. The direct passage being rendered impracticable by this circumstance, he was obliged to make choice of another route, and travelled through Silesia, Saxony, Hanover and Westphalía, into Holland. During this journey, these children performed in most of the principal cities which lay in their road, particularly at Brunswick, where they had the honour of appearing several times before the duke and duchess, and their family; and at Hanover, before his royal highness the Duke of Cambridge. When they arrived in Holland, hostilities had been declared between France and England, and a passage to this country not being easy to be procured at that time, they were under the necessity, after having performed, with great success, for many weeks at Amsterdam, of returning to their native country. Mr. Schirmer, anxious to prosecute his plan of educating his children, engaged some of the French actors belonging to the Brussels theatre, and the two eldest, Master and Miss Schirmer, performed on the French stage at Düsseldorf with considerable applause. In the year 1804, an advertisement appeared in the Hamburgh Correspondenten, in which enquiry was made for Mr. Schirmer's address, which led to an invitation to come to London. Upon his arrival here, to his great disappointment, he found that the children would not be permitted to play without a license. The father was, consequently, reduced to the necessity of confining himself to the exhibition of his truly curious mechanical and optical objects. Mr. Schirmer, however, invited several of his countrymen to witness the performance of his children gratis; every one went away astonished. The fame of the youthful comedians reached the ears of the queen, and they had the high and unexpected honour to perform, on the 21st of last May, before Their Majesties and the Royal Family at Frogmore, upon a stage constructed for the occasion. After the performance, they sung God save the King in German. The talents which they displayed, procured them the honour of another command, on the 26th of the following month; since when Her Majesty has been pleased to take this deserving family under her immediate protection, and, in compliance with her desire, the lord chamberlain licensed the theatre in Leicester-street, where they at present perform. The subject of our present memoir is a tall, well made boy, with 1 |