Is it theatrical intelligence or military intelligence, given by some
of the papers this morning, that " The amateur performances of the officers in garrison at Windsor took place last night"; the theatre being "crowded with a most fashionable audience?" The pieces were, The ifirech Ashore, The Follies of a Night, and Bombastes Furioso. "Every thing went off admirably ; " although, in a humorous metrical colloquy by way of prologue, one of the gallant actors declared, "Behind me many a heart is beating." So it is always—take a man from his vocation, and he becomes timid : take your veteran in stage wars, who dauntless presents his breast to an infuriated chorus, set him before some real Afghans, who are quite heedless of stage directions, and see if he would keep his brave bearing : but place a hero of Cabal before the motley audience of Astley's, and ten to one he would quake like a girl. These military theatricals might be put to a use, the actors becoming safe censors of the Horse Guards or oppressive Colonels. The Captain twitted with using a black bottle at mess, instead of a hostile message, might retort in a farce. Well-pointed satire would terrify tyrants and martinets ; and the wrongs of a neglected veteran, displayed in a semi-serious comedy, would extort tears and promotion.
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