The Demetian Mirror

enter somewhat into detail, we find ourelves con- strained to speak, though more briefly, of the Archi- tect. The building was designed by, and has been erected under the immediate superintendance of, Mr. W. R. Coultart, a gentleman whom now we may with pleasure designate as a Townsman, although his de- termination to remove from Aberystwith, will soon preclude the possibility of our making use of this term. Whenever Mr. Coultart leaves the Town he may do so with the pleasurable and proud reflection that he has left behind him monuments of his skill and taste, which will confer a credit on his name long after the head that devised them has been laid in the dust. We cordially and with unfeigned sincerity, bid Mr. Coultart a very hearty farewell." The Theatre The performances at our Theatre, during the past week, although in themselves excel- lent, have not been, from several causes, so warmly patronized by the play-going world as could have been wished. With the exception of Friday evening, the 25th, when Mrs. Pryse, of Gogerddan, bespoke the play, and the house was, as might have been ex- pected, most fashionably and respectably attended, the performers have had the two-fold disadvantage of playing to thin houses. On Monday evening, al- though the entertainments for the occasion, Miss C. Poole's benefit, were unusually attractive, that Lady did not receive the full measure of support which her unquestioned ability and indefatigable exertions to give effect to whatever part she undertakes, entitled her to expect, and which we had hoped she would receive. Amongst the causes which may be alleged as a reason for this apparent apathy on the part of the avowed admirers of the Drama, we may mention the very unpropitious state of the weather. The rain on Monday evening was unfortunately so heavy as to have the effect of keeping within doors numbers who otherwise, in all probability, would have paid a visit to the Theatre. On Wednesday afternoon too, about two hours before the Theatre was opened, the rain began again to descend, causing many who, perhaps, had been halting between two opinions, to make up their minds to stop at home, to the great detriment of Mr. Buckingham and Mr. Lansdowne, who took their benefit on that evening. The play was the Exile, a very excellent drama, taken from Madame Cottin's celebrated French work entitled Elizabeth, or the Exiles of Siberia," in which, the acting of Mr. King, Mrs. Cooke, Mrs. Bass, and Miss C. Poole, was really good. Eugene Aram, from Bulwer's Novel, concluded the entertainments, and this piece was remarkably well cast. Last night, that old favorite Sanders took his benefit; the performances were the Foundling of the Forest, with the interlude of Shocking Events, and the laughable farce of the Lottery Ticket. On this occasion, being for her daughter's benefit, Mrs. Rowlands appeared for the last time previous to her retirement from the stage. Although this lady has, we believe, arrived at the astonishing age of eighty years, she possesses a degree of activity that truly astonishes. We are sorry that even with this attraction, Mr. and Mrs. Sanders were not so extensively patronized as we could have wished. We perceive by the advertisement that next Friday evening will be the last of the perform- ances for this season, when Mr. Bass takes his benefit. Although we fear that the present campaign must have proved any thing but profitable to Mr. Bass, it must be a source of solid satisfaction to him that he cannot attribute the failure, if we may so term it, to any sins of omission or commission of his own. If he had adopted the advice of such of his friends as wished well to his Exchequer, heedless of the means selected, he would have introduced thead captandum class of performances, and crowded houses would pro- bably have been attracted by the novelties of Jack Sheppard. Mr. Bass however having preferred, for the honour of the drama as well as from proper feel- ing towards Aberystwith, to prohibit the representation of any thing of an immoral or dangerous tendency, we think he has a claim, if on this account alone, on the patronage and support which we trust we shall yet see extended to him during the few remaining nights of the theatrical season. Mr. Miles takes his benefit on Wednesday evening. The Severn Arms Hotel, Pen-y-bont —The House- warming Dinner of the highly respected Landlord of this Hotel took place on Tuesday last, when about one hundred Gentlemen, friends and neighbours of Mr. Stevens, partook of a sumptuous entertainment under the presidency of J. C. Severn, Esquire, Mr. Henry Meredith officiating as Vice-President. The dessert and wines were of the choicest description, and the company were enlivened during the evening with some excellent and appropriate singing. We are only doing an act of plain justice to the Landlord, when we state that the Severn Arms Hotel is now equal to any sleeping-house on the Road; and the uniform attention and civility which families invari- ably receive at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, will, we doubt not, ensure for them a continuance of the very extensive patronage which they received at the old House at Pen-y-bont. The approaching Cymreigyddion at Abergavenny which is the seventh anniversary of this Society, is expected to be a very splendid meeting, and Visitors from England will, it is thought, be as numerous as those from Wales. The blind minstrel from Carnar- von, Mr. Richard Roberts is expected to be present. This celebrated harper is, we understand, between sixty and seventy years of age, and is both lame and blind. That eminent composer Mr. John Parry, in a letter to the Editor of the flereford Times, states that Mr. Roberts is by far the best performer on the Welsh, or triple Harp, in the principality; he not only plays Welsh airs with variations most admirably, but he executes several of Handel's compositions, in a very effective manner. Roberts has gained many medals at various Eisteddfodau, he was invested at Wrexham, with the silver harp, in 1820, and had the honour of receiving the gold harp at Denbigh, in 1828, from the hands of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex; on both occasions he played" Sweet Rieltard" with Parry's variations, supposed to be the composition of the Rev. William Felton, Prebendary of Hereford, some century ago." The appearance of this highly talented harper at the meeting, will no doubt tend to add greatly to the interest which is becoming more intense as the time for holding the Cymreigyddion approaches. We understand that J. W. Rolls, Esq. of the Hendre, is to be the President. Caution to incautious Welshmen—We are sorry to understand that a poor simple Welshman, from the neighbourhood of Newbridge, Glamorganshire, (and who came over to Bristol to make a purchase of a Phaeton, &c.) was taken in a few days back by one of the swell'mob, and eased to the amount of Seventy nine Sovereigns. The poor fellow found himself next morning minus his cash, and plus an insufferable head ache.-Countrymen visiting Bristol should keep their wits about them; there are plenty of sharpers to be met with in the streets. If any of them should happen to fall in with those very polite gentlemen who insist upon taking care of their money, let them at once call a policeman and give their friend into custody Keene's Bath Journal. BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL This festiva commenced on Tuesday, the 22nd instant. The principal vocal and instrumental performers engaged, arrived in Birmingham from Hereford, on Saturday and the first general rehearsal took place in the Town Hall, on Monday morning. Madame Dorus Gras was the prime donna, supported by Madame Caradori Allan, Mrs. W. Knyvett, Miss Birch, and Miss Maria B. Hawes. Mr. Braham was the leading tenor. The other principal male singers were Mr. Phillips, Mr. Machin, Signor Lablache, Signor F. Lablache, Mr. Vaughan, &c. Such a concentration of talent was perhaps never before collected in Bir- mingham. A great number of the Nobility were present at the commencement of the festival, and amongst those who occupied prominent situations were the Duke of Marlborough, accompanied, it was understood, by his daughter, Lord and Lady Leigh, the Earl and Countess of Bradford, Sir Edward Smyth, Lord Ingestre, the Earl and Countess of Dartmouth, Lord Lewisham, the Hon. R. Clive, M. P. Colonel Ficlden, &c. Sir Robert Peel also took tickets, and we are happy to add that, notwith- standing the very unfavourable state of the weather, the hopes entertained by the most sanguine friends of the festival of its success, have been realized, and ihe proceeds, which are devoted to the increase of the funds of the General Hospital exceeded £ 11,000. On Thursday, when the Messiah was performed, Tickets were sold in many instances at double their price, and some hundreds of persons after toiling as well as paying for admission, were unable to get their heads within the walls of the building. GREAT MEETING IN LIVERPOOL—NA- TIONAL EDUCATION SOCIETY. An immense meeting of the inhabitants lately took place in the spacious Amphitheatre of Liverpool, which was attended by nearly all the clergy and a large portion of the wealthy laymen in the diocese of Chester. The occasion was the first annual meeting of the Chester Diocesan Board of Education in con- nexion with the National Society. Among the gen- tlemen on the stage were Mr. W. E. Gladstone, M.P., Mr. Ainsworth, M.P., Mr. Bolton, the Hon. R. B. Wilbraham, M.P., the Deans and Sub-Deans of Manchester and Chester, the Chancellor and most of the clergy of the Diocese. The chair was taken by the Rev. Jonathan Brooks, one of the rectors of Liverpool. The chairman opened the business of the meeting by regretting the absence of the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, whose official engagements, as prebendary of Durham, prevented his attendance. He next briefly referred to the circumstances which gave rise to the institution whose anniversary they were met that day to celebrate. At the conclusion of the reverend chairman's speech, the honorary secretary read the report of the proceedings of the society during the past year. It was shown that there were no less than 497 incumbencies within the diocese, comprising a population of 1,694,981 souls, and that the number of children now in connexion with the day and Sunday schools (combined) of the Church of England was 154,574, and the number of schools 1,725. The funds at present in hand did not amount to much more than £ 4,000. The Rev. H. Raikes, the Chancellor of the dio- cese, then moved that the report be adopted, printed, and circulated. The Hon. R. B. Wilbraham, M.P., seconded the resolution, and congratulated the society on the flat- tering progress which its operations had made since its formation. The Rev. Mr. Buddicombe, who was loudly cheered proposed the next resolution. Mr. W. E. Gladstone, M.P. for Newark, then cam forward, and was received with loud cheering. He said that the resolution which he had undertaken to second, was to the effect" that the education of the labouring and middle classes ought to engage the