JACK BANNISTER'S LIFE, BY ADOLPHUS.

THE remarks we last week made upon Sir ;Ions Banaow's Life of Anson, apply to these Memoirs of Bannister by Mr. Anot.ent's ; fir had they not been written in an age when the mechanical fitcilities. of multiplication were great, we question whether they NVOUld have fiumished more than it pamphlet-like volume. It' a rigid reviser, pen in hand, were to peruse the work and strike out all that does not directly appertain to the hero, its bulk might be reduced to three-fourths ; and in the hands of a vigorous condenser this might be thither compressed into a few chapters.

This peculiarity has arisen from two causes,—the friendly par- tialities of the midair, who has known " five generations" of' the BANNISTERS; and the happy unadventurous career of his friend. CHARLES BANNISTER, the father of our hero, was one of GARRICK's corps, a contemporary of Foom, a wit, a bon vivant, and the first English singer of his day. . His son Joux, more endearingly. called " JACK," was intended for a painter; but nature and pa- ternal example were strong within him, and at the age of eighteen (in 177s) he appeared at the Haymarket Theatre for his father's benefit ; having previously received the instructions of Gstutica, who had taken a fancy to the "young gentleman." His data was successful; and for some years he fluctuated between tragedy and comedy, till at last he settled in the latter; though his forte, as Mr. Ammenrs observes, was that line of characters—rare on the stage—where the education and position of the person render his ideas comic, but circumstances and natural disposition evolve tragedy, as " Walter" in the" Children in the Wood." Ile quitted the stage in 181 5; and throughout this long period his public career is to be read in the playbills and contemporary critiques of his performances : a coup-deed of their number and variety ma,v be had in eleven pages of an appendix to the present work, where they are set forth very clearly, and as completely as existing mate- rials permit. His private life is without incident. Ile was happy in a well-assorted marriage; a disposition full of the "11111k of' human kindness ;" a large circle of attached friends; a fluidly trained by himself and his wife in habits of respectability ; and a fortune constantly growing, under the management of a liberal prudence. A well-constituted body was visible in a handsome form, an eye of teeming vivacity, and a great but equable flow of spirits : his life, in fact, was passed without disease, excepting the gout, which occasionally attacked him ; and he died in his seventy- seventh year, (in l836,) of a gradual decay.

It may be wondered how two bulky octavos could be produced from such slender materials. The answer is, not by writing V the hero, but round-about him. These Memoirs of' JOHN l3Assi$TKit are not so much 13ANNISTER'S life, as it history of the stages with which he was connected. Thus, for instance, the mention of' Gut- RICK gives rise to a disquisition on theatrical management, and GARRICK'S possession of a manager's qualities. The BANN-is:rims, father and son, were mimics: there is a discussion on the proper limitation of mitniery, and a notice of some leading mimes. JACK, in his early days, played "Zaphutt" in Volirmakfs "Mahomet :" we have a history of the piece and its translations, a criticism upon each, and speculations as to the causes of its want of success in Eng-

land. The production of SnErtioas's "Critic" gives occasion to a sketch of' its prototypes, from the " Rehearsal" of Vit.mas Duke of' Buckingham downwards: and so on with almost every other piece, and every new actor, at the theatres where BAN:cum.:a was engaged,—the work, in 'het, being less a life of its nomival hero, than of theatrical commentaries during his career.

Let it not be inferred front this that the volumes are valueless or without interest. They have nothing in them indicative of the ephemeral farce-writer or the green-room hanger-on. The author is a man of reading, experience, ability, and knowledge of life. And though, in a biographical sense, much of his matter is rather out of' place, and some of it occasionally flat, yet these Memoirs contain the pith of half a century's social and dramatic recreation. With his criticisms on actors and plays other matters also are mingled.

Mr. AnoLenus often brings to bear upon histrionic subjects, the ac- quaintance with life and human nature which he has picked up in the exercise of his professional career; his commentaries display

the shrewd observations of a man Who has looked into the " town 1' as well as lived in it ; and the whole is animated by diameter—the character of a man whose notions of manners were inculcated by a race which danced the mennet de la cow', and whose politics are of' the old school of' "loyalty" and Wn.t.tast PITT. There is a con-

stant under-current, and frequently a strong tide, of the sentiments of the landator temporis acti—" Oh the days when I was young." With this feeling, too, is mingled the more guarded and polite Ind not the less perceptible mode of conveying a hard opinion in smooth terms, which was characteristic of' the olden time.

ln a work whose topics are of so miscellaneous a nature, the specimens must be of' a similar character,—criticism, anecdote, re. miniseence, and Ilannisterial traits. Here is a description, which 111r. Aoomsincs extracted front ohl Ilaxxisrmt, of the reception of the players at the Prince (4' 11-a1es's parties : and his reading his appended a continent, than which it may he inferred that the " first (and only) gentleman" of tia, llonse of (;cm.en was inferior in the social humanities to the gentleman of the IIsitn:c of' grt-An-r.

Nor was Charks Bannister celebrated in these societies alone; privats part ies 1 110 most «eleel, mid often the most exalted, gladly sax)" hint among their numbers; and, at a later t° hut, he was often seen at bite table of the Prittee ot Wales. It onee oecurred to ow, as probably it has to many others, that in such an assemblage the heir apparent might posshly descenil erom the elevated Mat h») which it tweante him to maintain. and I asked Charles for intinanation. " I'rince,- Itu ansn (Ted, " never assumed linuiliarity with tot, though his denwanoge Nvas gitv;c.,s most g rocimis. We public performers b114 LIB IIVV41111, :IS 4111 glICSIS 101/1i their places according" to their rank ; otir conversation was to ourselves, and we ne%er mixed in unit 01 the general party, further than to answer questions. At proper moments, with his inimitable politenes.t, hg would stmgest that lie should be pleased Willi a song : and tlte individual seleeted received hi, highest reward itt 111'41i,4C, V. 111,11 Ili:4 ltoyal I Ugliness bestowed with 4111 eNel'llellt judgment, and expressed with a taste peculiar to himself." Iiing Charles the Second. who, wit a teVer 1VC11. 11144 faults, was certainly an accom- plished gentleman. (milled his condescensions notch further ; fbr, in one of Durfey's pultlitattion,, cutlet! "Songs Compleat, Pleasant, and Divert ice," he heads one with a description, that he had the honour to hli it with King Cloaks at 1Vitolsor, his .1Iajesly holding one part of the paper with Toni him- self'.

EA IMES BA 'VS Ii(TER, C01111111111iCallt of this filet, was a "goad fellovv," lmt his goodness, like that of nearly all his tribe, was lavished on any one save his family titti his creditors. 11'llen his povvers thiled,—and their failure, we suspect, Obr Arr. .1.nommes naturally shades the faults of his old 1'6(41,0 arose from easy fres living,—Ite was dependent thr his 111Pallg lID(111 ati mutual benefit anti the funds of' his son; living, Ito have heard, upon brandy. To the irregularity of the father, however, the prtulence of' the son may lte traced: and he receiv-ed, at a time when impressions are the stiongest, a relmke vvitich seems to have sunk very deep.

Early ill life, he was taught, Ii taSevir e le54:44/11, 1114' v11111C 11f 1141.1111i711y 11111C-

11121111C1Inn, 411111 the sligbt, which eesolt from it, altsence. \\*hire nt sclwol, the master, lwing hit int-e circumstances, did not supply his pupils with the best 1urocki,o1,.. Theho s Isaainw indignant ; and Bantu Aer, one of the most high- spirited, was appointed to head depatation anti repre.;:att their grievanco.

nthFrer and while lie expn it his regret, oh:creed, in a very pointed 111;11111C1, iii The 1101:1 ,1114111 Of 11C ',arty, that it the fathers of sonic ol'his scholars would pay their 1,111, more regularly, lie eould ;drool them better provisions. This reltii!..t. was well understood. and sank deep into the heart of the abashed leader, who nould rather have starved than uttered another complaint. Too late period of his life Bannister mentioned this little anecdote ; and while re 1■11 lug it, seemed to he still sensihle of the pain which, in his very early days, it lout occasioned hint.

IVItether truly or thistly, old IIANN1sTElt attrilatted his debts and difficulties to a rise in the rate of theatrical wages, followed by irregularity of' payment. llis statement is curious, as throwing light on the respeektbility of' Alister G vititit•a's management, and the respect with which " the l'aiglish Itoseitts " was regarded by his old. fillowers.

C'haries ltaocister v,sK 1144d to give alt account of his hemming eitilairras.,:ti, in a way which, if not literally correct, had in it a great itortimi of t-vitivat truth. " \\ unit J pin.vc■i wider Air. lUarrick." lie n1iit ' I hail six pounds a %etch and a benefit : ;Ind I it a, ;km out tit' dela and an independent man. Afterward, I had fifteen pounds a week and a bettelit ; and I layame needy and distressal. 'rite reason I,;ts thl,. In Alt'. Garrick's time, when Saturday night ixune, (hut... were toy ix p,mii:s 4:11 1.1114 treasurer's table, :Ind I could ray- all the 111'n'CIII I14:141-s 11f I I i V. :11,144 1 1441i1 10 WIlit 111;111y cuuki, per- haps io ;he end of the salary; and so was under la iii or di xl;.a," where I cool.' gel t,lli. but ()I 1,111/,1' Ill ic great di.advantoge. Mr. Car:lick's the()) re lurid, silica well tilled, somewhat less than Illree deed and Idly ;annuls; other theatres woului contain between six ;nal seven hundred ; but the difference iii a Inatelit ;tt the 1-1V0 sian very great indeed. Mr. (tarrick's curtain drew up at an expense of sixty pounds at the most ; and if I

cattle fortt;mt in a new character, or even advertised a new song, it wuttlil till the house, mnut I should put nearly three hundred pounds into my pocket. In times, the first two hundred guineas that were received went to pay ex- penses : ii imler to gain tIlat awl a surplus, I was obliged to depend oil my personal influence, anti consequently to frequeut clubs and live in taverns; practice expensive in itself alai of bad consequence as a habit."

Clubs lteinc,f incidentally mentioned, let us take our author's account of' what they were in iris Ildys, with a sl:etch of' the place in which the first Ilssousrlat passed his close of lift..

Clubs were, in those days, conducted on the principle that, tt heti 011ee member, every oentleinan was received hy all on the footing of an acquaint- inlet', joined in emit ersat ion without further introduction, antl formeut one of ct joint 'stock compaily of good-fellowship. Now, 1 am told, a different system

prevails; "It: co//!/ c a change' tout et In ; and a aunt nil of a modern club is ao more, as 'natter of course, acquainted with the individual who sits opposite a next to him, than with the man who meets or overtakes him iu Bond Street, Or jostles hint in Clwapside. At this period of Ids Charles bad no domestic establishment ; he had ft lodging. hut lived during- the day at a tavern called the One 'J'un, or 1110TC

sIllokly, the 'Pun, in Saint James's 'tin kit, The Ionise was remarkable for

being thin rnS(111- of wits and players, of sporting men of (Inc II and

of many eminent and wealthy tradesmen in the neighbourhood, l'here was no regular climb, no play, nor any allurement but lively conversation, with occa- sionally a song. The whimsical humour of the froptenters distinguished two

istx, rupees, ming the comparative sharpness of those w-'11:°oxfiritl!;;;ItittaititeeldnittIrtiet. compartments of the 100111 11}" thin /111111C.: of the needle At the ii t, I'harles Bannister held his reguha seat ; not it was allotted to the choice persomiges of the society. The new piece, flit(' new publications were discussed hy some ; while others adjusted Newmarket differences, gave and re- ceived odds when their books were too heavy on one side or the other, and gene- rally by their conversation showed that they were real needles, tin other box novices were generally introduced : they were not insulted, but kindly Te,- Cnived on all hands, although allowed to be only as sharp as marbles. 'co tins scene old Charles, as he was called by his companions, constantly resorted, cheering them with itis good humour, entertaining then] with his anecdotes and witticisms, and occasionally enlivening them with a sung. Those whichlw

retained to the lost were, " Rail no more, ye learned asses ;" " While happy in my native land," and one, set by Cartel., the composer of the never-to-be- ro'rgotten "Oh Nanny," in an opera calk,' "Just in Time," begnimng, " When on boanl our trim vessel we joyously sailed." Modern improvement has removed the Tan ; and I believe nothing like it exists.

Ilelbre we lid] upon a few anecdotes of JACK IIANNISTEIL, we will cull 'antic characteristic remarks of tile author, having a relatimt to the sing,e. The lit'St Of the following passages has judgment. The reader must limit. the filet in the second to ()IA attics. tuid his fidlowers. 'file old school of tragedians, beginning with Be.r.ricarox tunl clos- ing with (,11,IN, were artificial c•nough. remarlc, however, is one by which tragic actors may profit.

USE OP TRAGIC POWER IN COMEDY.

Altogether, his tragie labours vere not absolutely wnsted : hiM attnintnents in that line motored into a series or clialltelers in witich a (1,01U impression lists

to be made on the feelings by means 6.0111 which comedy NA :18 tint banished, in mots where emotion AVII8 tO be IltV/Ikelled by bh111t :111d geii ii ie nal tire. true in-

tegrity, alai hy the exhibition or I lad Bannister never emitempliited Ilie %yolk of tragedy, La t floire, Sadi, and \V; ter, would never hfit'e possessed the great charms with whieli he adormat them. It is evident that man intly play Scrub the Is.fter for having studied Abel I/rugger ; Iuit not so obvious, all hough not less true, that he limy in both nttain greater for having me:emelt in his inied, or attempted on the Is sods, soine ',carts of the highest order in genteel comedy, or even the sublime effusions 01 the

SiSkr11111Se. %VII° klIOWS th:lt. in hinds of Carrick, the story fold by Abel pritorer of his malady, occasioned fly an indigestible focal after a shooting- party. eared fili. twopence 1i. an old woman wit Ii sodden ale mid ii little pelli- toryii 'Co all, might not derive additional effect from the skill which could elli:et sally narrate the progres, or Othello's love, or hollow out the modiets of the metineholy Jaques ? No man eon know by general anticipation the mo- ment at Ithich, even iii the most ludicrous comic part, a single inflection of the voila., the forcible enunciation of a word, or a slight change in the gesture or deportment, will, by a sudden appeal to the natural affections, give life and elfeet to passages ivhiell would otherwise fall still-horn and senseless.

PR E- K I; NIIII.ETONI A N STY LE or Tatmoolv.

'Tragedy was his first aim ; and in that Ile oils commit's:sal by the best critics and the most pertlirmer the day. But sisot oftca. Bannister's op-

penance, the tone and Mode of tragic exhibition were t iil hanged. The uuuifiu ii I,natural. and almost (sonic nianner of delivering I he mere cursery dialogue, was changed for one in whielt if seello`11 to be ;1::811111(41 tlmt no sec:- fruit however ordinary, or even unimportinct. could have been ivrit ten with- out an occult meaning ; no phrase could bare been peinied withont a coney:lied 1111 . ," jiblY 1115111 ? if it had Iwo cc itercaral con uif hostility, or the announcement of IL delleeted coo:Tinley ; 81111111V Very little which Cibber has lett of the rich sportive sarcasm with wIlit.li Sim kspere endued the character of Ilichavd. is so suppre>.stal, that when the tyrant banters his mother lie may almost he expeeted to aim his dagger at her heart.

Garrick's agile nuovencent ittul elegant levity, in which Bannister might have

been a valuable emower, \VIM' Ottell\' ; a dignified and supernia- tie manner Iras thrown around every eltariteter, from Slialispere's murderous Thane to Bowe's gay rake. 'Phis taste deseentled thrimgh all the perfbriners iii tragedy ; and he who bad to deliver a tnes.cage of no more importance than

Ciesar sends health to Cato," won hi haVe earned quitt's indignant re- root; wish he'd sent it by some other messenger."

!lure is an ancetlote showing " Vinegar" t; tints in a lighter point or view than he lets been suspected of, The :Beeves or this piece, ( Prince lIoare's" Indiscretion,") was limited to SiN ni.glits; and i he author published it with a (Italie:Ilion to (Sir) N'icary Gibbs. Many readers will think that Cruise or 11r. Sagilen might as o ell have dolivoi el their works on Coil ingent Beinolaclers, 111 011 Vendors and Purchasers,

to Prima, lloare or to :lack ; hat the groat lawyer and elegant scholar to whom the play was hIsCrib:•11, ellli111,11tly IVOI.thy of such a e11111-

1111111411r. His knowledge of English Ii uuuiui tie hicritt lire was copious; his ability

:1", a critic ;ware, but mit It .111111g lo ; :11111 they 'trim bare enjoyed the ide,isitee of his prilate etorc.., at ion. mt.\ reeoPeet. 11 itli satisfaction, the ;Honour and lido 11 it 11 us hielt he used to recite liassag,os hill seelleS from

orour lilt eihnedies,—" The II; :tux' Strmagem," 'Cite .11:11;110st," and " Twelfth Night."

A LAWYER ON A C ATAST ItO . Overreach's hull, which terminates in hopeless insanity, is occasioned by coo- 1 1..1 Ianc'es SO gross and inartilieial, that critics have doubted it twitter the poet has not shim it want of skill hi making a matt so astute and uvia.1,11 so easy :t • dupe. Such an ol,-en atillul shoo a very slender acquaiotanee with the annals 01 crime. whether on,a confined or an extensive scale. Instances innumerable might he produced, where, in pursuit of guilty ends, the Irary mind has lainwil into negligence ; seetcrity has been indulged where vigilance was most required, and the 11111 of the wicked man seems precipitated hy his own acts or omissions.

Any thing directly relating to BANN ISTE0 lutist be brief, in pro- portion to the miscelltincous matters ; but in this we shall only follow the example of' our author.

CRITICISM OF mite SAILOR KING. theatre and the concert-rootn always presented scenes of profitable engage- ment and of welcome reception; but her husband preferred a higher and Inure spirited determination, and woulul not permit her to appear as a candidate for precarious or secondary employment. At the time of his marriage, he had settled upon Miss Ilarper the sum she had already realized, and entered into a covenant that the profits of her en- gagements Aoccid he added until it Certain SUM had accumulated. When she was tchotit to 1111i; public life, he iliformed Mr. it iii her principal trustee, of her intention ; and, that no fears might be entertained 011 the subject, paid in, from his own funds, the sum that was still deticietit.

losiNTIMESTED LOYALTY.

In the smnmer, Bannister received rt request from the manager at Wey- mouth to perform lientre his Majesty. Terms were proposed ; but he declined remuneration, saving he deemed the honour sufficient. When informed of this spirited piece of loyalty, the Sovereign said, " There are not many of them who would havc done that.-

Mrs. BANNISTER was a near, Mr. .11.10LPIleS believes " the nearest

relation," of' old Rt.s iuusi.i. the goldsmith. On the destroction of Drury Lane by fire, where IlAssisriot lost something, and the actors were thrown out of employ, he received this letter- " Ludgate 11111, '27111 February HO. " Dear Sir—I have great pleasure in enclosing you a haillz-note rufloi., which bore you will ilo mime the favour to:tempt, ill consideration of the 1os4 you may sosiain from the late serious change to your coneerMl.

" I remain, clear Sir, with the greatest regard for your welfare, y»ur friend and humble servant, " Plume RuNDELL. " I presil Ille there will he a subscription openeul for those in distress."