So is our new house better than its brother,-
Its roof is painted yellower than the other;
It is is insur'd, at three per cent., 'gainst fire,
And cost three times as much, and is six inches higher.

'Tis not alone the house--the prompter's clothes
Are all quite new-so are the fiddler's bows;
The supernumeraries are newly shav'd,

New drill'd, and all extremely well behav'd-
(They'll each one be allow'd (I stop to mention)
The right of suffrage by the new convention.)
We've some new thunder, several new plays,
And a new splendid carpet of green baize.
So that there's nought remains to bid us reach
The topmost bough of favour--but a speech-
A speech-the prelude to each public meeting,
Whether for morals, charity, or eating!

A speech-the modern mode of winning hearts,
And power, and fame, in politics and arts.

What made the good Monroe our president?
'Twas that through all this blessed land he went
With his immortal cock'd hat and short breeches,
Dining wherever ask'd, and making speeches.
What, when Missouri.stood on her last legs,
Reviv'd her hopes? The speech of Henry Meigs.
What proves our country learned, wise, and happy?
Mitchill's address to the Phi Beta Kappa.

What has convinc'd the world that we have men,
First with the sword, the chisel, brush, and pen,
Shaming all English authors, men or madams?
The Fourth-of-July speech of Mr. Adams.
Yes-If our managers grow great and rich,

And players prosper-let them thank my speech-
And let the name of Oliff proudly go

With Meigs and Adams, Mitchill and Monroe.

PRIZE PROLOGUE,

WRITTEN FOR, AND SPOKEN AT THE OPENING OF THE NEW

THEATRE, IN NEW-YORK, SEPT. 1, 1821.

CHARLES SPRAGUE, OF BOSTON..

When mitred zeal, in wild,.unholy days,

Bared his red arm, and bade the fagot blaze,

Our patriot sires the pilgrim sail unfurl'd,

And freedom pointed to a rival world.

BY MR...

Where prowled the wolf, and where the hunter rov'd,
Faith rais'd her altars to the God she lov'd;

Toil, linked with art, explor'd each savage wild,

The forest bow'd, the desert bloom'd and smil'd ;:

Taste rear'd her domes, fair science spread her page,
And wit and genius gather'd round the Stage-
The Stage! where Fancy sits creative queen,
And spreads gay web-work o'er life's mimic scene;
Where young-eyed Wonder comes to feast his sight,
And quaff instruction while he drinks delight-
The Stage! that threads each labyrinth of the soul,
Wakes Laughter's peal, and bids the tear-drop roll!
That hoots at Folly, mocks proud Fashion's slaves,
And brands with Shame the world's vile drove of knaves..

The Child of Genius, catering for the Stage,-
Rifles the stores of every clime and age.
He speaks! the sepulchre resigns its prey,
And crimson life runs through the sleeping clay;
The wave, the gibbet, and the battle field,
At his command, their festering tenants yield.
Here wisdom's heir, releas'd from death's embrace,
Reads awful lessons to another race;

Pale, bleeding Love comes weeping from the tomb,
That kindred softness may bewail her doom;
Murder's dry bones, recloth'd, desert the dust,
That after times may own his sentence just;
And the mad Tyrant of some mouldering page
Stalks here to warn, who once could curse, an age..

May this fair dome, in classic beauty rear'd,
By Taste be foster'd, and by Worth rever'd.
May chasten'd Wit here bend to Virtue's cause,
Reflect her image and repeat her laws;
And Vice, that slumbers o'er the sacred page,
Hate his own likeness, shadow'd from the Stage.

Here let the Guardian of the drama sit
In righteous judgement o'er the realm of wit.
Not his the shame, with servile pen, to wait
On private friendship, or on private hate;
To flatter fools, or satire's javelin dart,
Tipp'd with a lie, at proud Ambition's heart.
His be the nobler task, to herald forth
Young blushing Merit and neglected Worth ;.
To stamp with scorn the prostituted page,
And lash the fool who lisps it from the Stage..

Here shall bright Genius wing his eagle flight,.
Rich dew-drops-shaking from his plumes of light,
Till, high in mental worlds, from vulgar ken,
He soars, the wonder and the pride of men.
Cold Censure here to decent Mirth shall bow,
And Bigotry unbend his monkish brow ;;

Here Toil shall pause, his ponderous sledge throw by,
And Beauty bless each strain with melting eye;
Grief, too, in fiction lost, shall cease to weep,
And all the world's rude cares be laid to sleep.
Each polish'd scene shall Taste and Truth approve,
And the Stage triumph in the people's love.

NEW-YORK THEATRICALS.

[National Advocate. New-York.]

MR. COLEMAN has, last evening, changed his system of finding fault with ladies' hair and gentlemen's pantaloons, and has referred to a few subjects deserving notice, namely: the excellence of the orchestra, the inconvenience of large bonnets, and the indifference of the box keepers. As to the orchestra, it is really good; it has greatly improved, and is still capable of improvement. The large bonnets are doubly inconvenient; they conceal a pretty face, and hide a pretty actor; they, moreover, excite impertinent curiosity, and induce men to take a peep at every hazard. But I am against the white and coloured turbans, recommended by Mr. Coleman; they are too much in the style of Ali Mustapha: some faces become them, but to the generality of women, they impart a masculine character. Neither do I admire the West-India bandannas; they look too creole, or too much like the Parisian grizettes; but while on the subject of head-dresses, Mr. Coleman may well ask me, in his usual good natured manner, "sdeath and the devi, sir, what do you like?" Why, the hair, in all its native beauty and glossy softness, turned up with a comb, and ornamented with a white or red rose; neither turban, coal skuttle bonnet, nor bandannas, for me. Now, as to the box keepers, it is their duty to say, in a decided but respectful tone, "Sir, that seat is taken, and you must leave it."

The Devil's Bridge, for the twenty-ninth time, attracted an overflowing house; the current of taste and fashion sets naturally and powerfully to that very bridge, which carries managers and actors safe over. Philipps was in fine voice, and in fine spirits, and gave us William Tell in his very best style; for effect it is yet more powerful than "Scots, wha ha'." Mrs. Holman, who is

no small favourite, acquitted herself delightfully; and Miss Johnson was, as usual, sprightly and attractive. Miss Jones, a graceful and improving performer, gains nightly on the audience. As to Barnes, people will laugh when he plays, and, of course, criticism becomes a dead letter. His originals were as good as the author's. The voice in the third tier is heard with great effect, if not prevented by other syren voices in that quarter.

AFRICAN AMUSEMENTS.
[From the same.]

THE following is a copy of a printed play-bill of gentlemen of colour. They now assemble in groups; and since they have crept into favour with the convention, they are determined to have balls and quadrille parties, establish a forum, solicit a seat in the assembly, or in the common council, which, if they refuse, let them look to the elections. They can outvote the whites, as they say. One black gentleman most respectfully insinuated, that he thought "as how he mout be put on the grand jury!"

Mr. Brown, respectfully informs his Friends of Colour in this city, that on Monday Evening, Sept. 24, 1821, at half past seven o'clock, an Opera will take place, corner of Mercer and Bleeker-streets.

Mr. Brown has neither spared time or expence in rendering this entertainment agreeable to the Ladies and Gentlemen of Colour, being the second attempt of this kind in this city by persons of colour.

In which will be represented the tragedy of Richard The Third. King Henry, Mr. Hutchington-Prince of Vales, Mięs Welsh-Richard, Mr. Hewlett-Buckingham, HutchingtonLord Stanley, Stewart-Richmond, Wathews-Lady Ann, Miss Welch-Queen Elizabeth, Miss Welch. After which Mr. Hewlett will sing the favourite songs, Robin Adair, Behold in his soft expressive face, Is there a heart that never lov'd, Fancy's Sketch, Comic Song "My Deary." Feast of Apollo. Collombine by Miss Welch. Admittance 37 1-2 cents.

We noticed, some time ago, the opening of a tea garden, and evening serenades for the amusement of our black gentry; it appears that some of the neighbours,

not relishing the jocund nightly sarabands of these sable fashionables, actually complained to the Police, and the avenues of African Grove were closed by authority; and thus were many of our ebony friends excluded from a participation in those innocent recreations, to which they are entitled, by virtue of the great charter that declares all men are equal." These imitative inmates of the kitchen and pantries not relishing the strong arm of the law, thus rudely exercised, were determined to have some kind of amusement; and, after several nightly caucuses, they resolved to get up a play, and the upper apartments of the neglected African Grove were pitched upon for the purpose. Richard the Third, after mature deliberation, was agreed upon, and a little dapper woolly-headed waiter at the City-Hotel personated the royal Plantagenet. As may be supposed, some difficulties occurred in the cast of characters, and suitable costume. King Richard had some robes made up from discarded merino curtains of the ball rooms; and, from a paucity of actors, some doublets occurred, as thus: King Henry and the Duchess Dowager were represented by one and the same person, while Lady Ann and Catesby were sustained by another. The room was decorated with some taste, and chairs were placed by the wings for two clarionets..

If any proofs are wanting of the native genius and vigour of thought of our coloured fellow citizens, surely their conception of Shakspeare will be sufficient, and how delighted would the bard of Avon have been to see his Richard performed by a fellow as black as the ace of space 3. However, let us review the performance ac cording to the best and most equitable rules of criticism.

The person of Richard was, on the whole, not amiss; yet it was perceived that the actor had made the king hump-backed, instead of crook-backed, having, literally, a hump behind his neck little less than a camel's. Shaping "the legs of an unequal size," was also difficult, but was overcome by placing false calves before, and weara high-heeled shoe. The entrance of Richard was greeted with loud applause and shaking of handkerchiefs by the black ladies in the front seats, and many whispers went round of" how well he looks."