The Sun. — London, England, 1852-04-13 00:00:00

s Kilierby Won by a leog,h. The L I dieb ' Plate. Child of the Mist Miss West Count ... The WLlt(r S:nk , s. Fo r Tan. ... 2 ... 1 • LITERATURE. A NEW GAZETTEER of the BRITISH ISLES. By James A. Sharp. Parts 1., 11., 111. Longman and Co. A really wonderful enterprise in these three in stalments lying before us, commenced. If completed With corresponding accuracy and minuteness it will im measurably surpass in value any one of our previous and in many respects excellent national gazetteers. The edit or or' compiler, Mr. Sharp—a gentleman admi rably qualified to carry out the undertaking with " 1 4—intimates on the very title-page that the work will be concluded in twenty m onthly parts altogether, while he announces in his Preface that these twenty parts will comprise the names of all the Cities, towns, villages, and hamlets in the British Isles mentioned in the censuses of 1821, 1831, and 1841 besides all the rivers, lakes, mountains, hills, passes, waterfalls, points of view, all the bays, ports, head lands, heights, islands, shoals, all the Roman stations, c amps, and ways, all the British roads, Saxon towns, Druid stones, Danish raths, Picts houses, castles, abb^ys, round towers, and cromlechs, all the seats of manufactures, mines, railroads, canals, railway stations, election places, polling places, coast guard and poli ce . Itations, even down to the minute particularity of 'Pecifying each among the various hunting "fixtures." From this it will be evident how much more practical and really useful information will be comprised in the gazetteer of Mr. Sharp than in the writings of Mogg, Black, Cliffe, Frazer, Pott, Carlisle, Lewis, Garton, Chambers, Hall, and Fullarton • T h is pro duction, when completed, will be to all other English srazetteers what Craig's work is to all other English dictiongries. NEW MUSIC. I MEET HE R ON MY MOUNTAIN WAY. Written by Frederick Enoch. The Music by Stephen Glover.. The-opening words of this song, which, as we are told in - the introduction, is that of " The Milk Carrier of the Alps," are characterised by a certain freshness and power of colouring that proclaim their author as much the artist as he is the poet. He paints with his pen, and, what is more, he paints well. The first verse will sufficiently attest the truth of our asser tion : "Mist) o'er the hills, oh happy sun! . Awake the blue flow'rs in the snow, Ohl bid the glaciers torrent run, And laugh and shout beneath thy glow, Thou art not happier than she, Tho blue flow'rs are not half so sweet, The torrent's stream is not so free, Or joyful as her bounding feet. I meet her on my mountain way Singing many a mountain lay, Where the merry goat-bells ring, Yi-he-U Of Hie-la-ho!" the music it is enough to say that we recognise in ever y bar the grace, vigour, and originality of style, Which 80 peculiarly distinguish the compositions of Ste phen Glover. E EXHIBITION CHIMES POLKA. By I, Miss Maria W. Hawkes. thi' s °r m any reasons we give a cordial welcome to , ne w candidate for favour among modern polkas. th the first place its very name prepossesses us, seeing 37 ; 4 it is associated with the great and memorable ',di l l ! ' / 85 .1, with reminiscences of which the world f-itatilniieentiti2;itihiye class never weary ; in the next because it appears of illustrative music, a class which requires the twofold exercise of skill and we n i: ; and lastly because in the name of the composer Th" l ii se ever one already a favourite with the public. yell `-'hirnes Polka is ingenious in its construction, to'timded, and has much novelty of character to re tnnlen it. vE,,,, its ' -- 'ROVVHING STEAM-BOATS.—Orders have been tied , . _ Of t i„ L r ° l :o the Board of Tride, pursuant to the provisions 0 er - en ittli entled Steam Navigation Act, for the prevention of h l olid e ;" ""ulfi. on board river steamers during the Easter that 4 8, and _ efficient officers have been appointed . to . see Be e'Lle Provisions of the enactment are complied with. veetearries will be 9W section, the owner, master, or person . in charge 11 e utied 20e, and also ss. for every additional passenger beyond the number for which he is certified. o rre, n ! f oring.their wa on board when the vessel is full, b r '"' n g to quit, having their fare tendered them, are to P e ers hed 4135 " toe: 27)tic.l address, or end for travelling beyond distance paid 51. name committing these offences, refusing to give their giving a false name and address, to be ALARMING A SREFFIFL ACCIDENT ON THE MANCHESTER, light ' 1), AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.—On Saturday t g ea serious accident occurred to . the five o'clock train Holland short branch of this company's railway, from New k athe _to the market town of Barton, on the south ban tbie !lumber. A new engine, the Apollo, was drawing sa , .train, and had, with one stoppage, brought it in t . i ,! .. EY the th ree - andea.half miles to Barton; but, on ar d;leueg there, from some cause at present unknown, the ef r ti r and guard were unable to make their breaks act fo urt en tin and the engine went at the rate of twelve or of t he miles an hour through a thick wall at the end bei el ine into the station-house, the internal fittings ng b laster completely smashed. Mr. Taylor, the station had •,' was writing at a desk at the time, and ° I th' ,„ V ery narrow escape. Hearing the loud shouts gone - People outside, he ran out, and had not been counter esecond when the buffers of the engine smashed. the po ri ;!,;he was sitting at into splinters. The engine-driver, o u t v ince, and the stoker, saved themselves by leaping at n ° , t e rl platform, when they 9 found the train could not . be fo ci i ,":°,.: The former went back to New Holland, gave in- Kullal of the accident, and has not been heard of since. Ifiej t4i of the passengers were injured ; Mrs. Morley, of tee. and jail others are now under med i ca l trea t me nt for the n -14 l i vtges received. The train consisted of five carriages and a g o e , e g e svan ; and it is somewhat singular that the persons gi n ; "ere riding in the carriage immediately behind the en viee-i and which was, so to speak, " doubled up by the cone 1,4; °l's" escaped without the slightest injury, while those tr e l n w ef_e . hurt were travelling in the last carriage of the tied;,• ‘ , 411 0 wreck was cleared away in a very short time, th e - .',.Lue superintendence of Mr. Hibberd, the manager of uistrict and the traffic was resumed, as usual, next kern' ' kern els th FEMALE EMIGR ATION F UND . —On Saturday e otherl. tot 1 . party of female emigrants, 50 in number, making tit of about 850, who have been sent out by this In !num, sailed from Gravesend on board the Tartar for t t lYneY. The emigra n t s arrived at the London station of __,' Bl ackwell Railway f rom th e • " Home" in Hatton-garden half-past nine o'clock, where they were met by the Right rlll• Sidney Herbert and M rs . H er b er t, th e R ev . Th o ma s Z a eltson, late Bishop Designate of Lyttelton, Mr. 11. Her bert, m . p ., the Rev. Mr. B rown , th e Rev. Mr. Quekett, 13 a reral ladies and gentlemen of the committee, Captain Lean, th e G overnment emigration agent, and Mr. Hely, the secretary to the instituti on. T he party proceeded b y ra i lway to Blackwell, where they embarked on board a steamer Which conveyed them alongside of the Tartar at Gravesend, a d eveela fine ship, and particularly airy and roomy between grants by Mr. Sidney • Errconraging addresses were delivered to the emi- Herbert, the Rev. Mr. Quekett, and the Rev. T. Jack committee . and vi:i e t ri o . rs Lett Afte trh the ostept amidstime spent h eo cheers board eer s of theth the erante and the emil,. , seamen who manned the rigging. The whole party of emigrants were exceeding respectable and well-conducted young woman LIE AUSTRALIAN STEAMER CLARENCE.—The you a few . \ lucent, March ,an officer on board the fol 10wing. is an extract of a letter f Clarence, dal ed Porto Grande, from articulars regarding our now give 1, 1852 shall-- D aa 4 , 1 „,,, e , t0 t • port. The day of sailingoionsluded, we steamed der canvass, losing i -"- " this then put the t. our days, our canvaheboom to get out gin fdourteen days. We l iearly fifteen hours in doing so, Gavin 4 ad masts to get up to spread verybut w e arrived • Ss upon. We had a Led light west and west north-west wind • trade wind, very strong a, in 34 degrees confused sea until we arrived north latitude 41 steamer 'Clarence has surprised myself and every one on b o e : , qualities under canvass, keeping ard, in her sailing qua . ' f' ct nothing way With far American liners; in a , we Passed us, either ge d. At times had two reefs in tc?'ng free or close-haule splendid sea boat ; in fact, I cannot say to p topsail. She is a Warata steamer touched here, 00 much in her praise. The all the way, and was Atitl took 231 tons of coal, after steaming ~...Liverpool Albion. fourteen days on her passage- C Commissioners of RE VESSELS.--The o Customs GISTRY OF the ports in the kingdom, have • d orders to all are made in the aye issue records bdirecting that in all cases in which by the 10th section of t; t ' l e l:4 , o f registry directed to be kept 89, whether first entry Act Bth and 9th Victoria, cap. hill et, da l sale, or transfer, the names of . y inserted therein. • I men, inte reAtSTEAM CoLuEns.—Several influential any ._ e ( cad ha the coal trade have formed a large company co 1 -u . p' t nd all to build iron screw colliers, to enable them m % r e w ith the railways. These vessels are to run betweende the Ar e e; eatti e and London, and it is expected will supersuell, B are " e nt sailing colliers. Messrs. Grantham and appointed engineers to the company, and have .s., already de of' ruon • ss t v two similar vessels, now building at Messrs. _e irerpooi ele, io te n town, for a private party at HartlepooL—L Fo last, between RECOVERY.—On Sunday evening wife-etween the hours of six and seven, Mrs. Couchman, tout ,°fhf Mr. Couchman, of Lewisham, dropped her purse, air W ing five and a half: sovereigns, and ten shillings and hiel s r ei lee in silver, whilst passing near Lee Church. Hand •t t he next day were issued, stating the loss, and offering 'Co: h ard for the restoration. On Monday evening Mr. 1101 "Winn received the welcome intelligence from Lieutenant Pick — e l n, of the Royal Marines,stationed at Woolwich,that he k orr i i n _ u P, the purse and its contents, and en a call the next 1 : 1 g1 ) t f „ - ,t 6 ue would be happy to hand the same over to the teei te " . ' owner. Mr. Couchman, of course, attended to the rea p - "cm, and received the " valuables." Lieutenant Hol it t ' 4 . 8 a gentleman, declined accepting any reward, leaving che r 4 r. Couchman to give somethin to some public til‘tity, and h readily assented to Mr. Couchman's . s . uggestion, kree r e 'abould present the Kent Dispensary with a half e i gn• - --Keeti e h Mercury. 1114,,4,1" P RA.THERS.—/ do not see that any of your ilin,"°ll3 correspondents have mentioned the common belief e , t. n 4 tlie poor in this county (Sussex), that a person con ntlee if his bed is stuffed with game leathers. A friend of 411,3ur,,a little time back, was talking to a labourer on the g, 5 , d ul t3' of such a belief ; convince the but he failed to b diT an ' who, as a roof of the correctness of his elief, 4get forward the P ease f a or s man who had lately k..._ after a lingering illness. o P " Look at poor Muster . ---. he could not die oe 'how hard he were a dying : poor soul, . _ , A te "Y way, till neighbour Puttick found out how it were testee says he, were be ly . gon geame feathers, lsede; sure] ;' and so he S - in e - took'n out o'bed, and " °ll the 11 and h • ° w . dth a , )9.....N0tc5 4 .41 Qt kries e gore, e Pretty soon the W , .~. THE SUN, EASTER AMUSEMENTS. DRURY LANE THEATRE. The only novelty wbich Mr. Bunn produced for the gratification and amusement of his patrons last night, was a short ballet divertissement, i n w hi c h Madile. D. Antonio Adele, and a host of other cele brities took part, and in which the graceful and elegant dancing of each was exhibited to great ad vantage. It was perfectly successful, and a "Pas de Policbinel," by Mr. H. Marshall, was vociferously ap plauded, and although it must have been very fatiguing to the dancer he was obliged to repeat it. The ballet was preceded by Aleyerbeer's Robert the Devil, which was exceedingly well given, Mr. H. Dray ton, in his diabolical character, having played, if possible, with increased powers and dramatic intensity. At the conclusion all the principal vocalists were called before the curtain. The new season which commenced last night has been inaugurated by a reduction of prices of admission to all parts of the house, and considering the excellent operatic company engaged by the lessee, and the daily growing taste for the cul tivation of music, we are sure the house will be well supported. In addition to the ever fresh and delight ful opera of the Bohemian Girl, several others are to be produced speedily. On Friday a continental star of the first magnitude, Madame Falconi, makes her appearance in Beethoven's Fidelio, and a new opera (probably Mr. MiFarren's) is in " active prepa ration," and will soon be presented to the public. Perhaps we cannot do better than quote from Mr. Bunn', manifesto, in endeavouring to give our readers an idea of the principles on which ha is in future to conduct the affairs of Old Drury : " The performances recently terminated at this theatre, were, from circumstances beyond the control of the lessee, of a general character, which tended materially to retard the progress of any specific object; but his efforts henceforth will be directed to the furtherance of such entertainments as aro exclusively of an operatic nature. By the diminution of expenditure on the one hand, ho will be enabled to strengthen, even beyond their present limits, the musical resources of this Estab lishment, and thereby give a more perfect representa tion of such productions than has hitherto been the ease." If he acts up to his present professions, and produces sterling works, we can have no fears of his being un successful; and although the theatre was not quite so well attended last night as we could have wished to have seen it, yet, when his intentions have become fully known to the public, we are sure his benches will be nightly filled to overflowing. HAYMARKET THEATRE. The Easter novelty at this theatre is the joint pro duction, as we learn from the bill, of " two members of the Amalgamated Society of Dramatic Engineers." It bears the title of 0, Gemini ; or, the Brothers of Co(u)rse, and is a burlesque on the melodrama of the Corsican. Brothers, now playing with great success at the Princess's and other theatres. There is but one step, we are told, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and in this instance, though the distance be a five minutes' walk from Oxford-street,to the Haymarket, we certainly think that a more complete transition from one extreme to the other has seldom been wit nessed. The plot and personages of the melodrama have been preserved, but the travestier have so skill fully brought down the harrowing incidents and spectral situations of the original into an every• day, not to say burlesque, interest, that M. Dumas himself would be puzzled to recognise his own progeny. The weight of the piece falls on Mr. Buckstone, the representative of the two "De Franchi's," who, we need scarcely say, made the most of the points en trusted to him. In the first act, or rather the act which is played first, we find him as the Corsican country gentleman, using the " influence of his posi tion" to put an end to a Corsican vendetta, which has existed between two families for the last 500 years, the original cause of which appears to have been the laying of an egg at a neighbour's door by a,, vagrant hen, and the subsequent strangling of the progeny in the dispute as to its ownership. In the' execution of this amiable office, he utters so many vile puns, that even the litigants are compelled to groan with horror. Next we see him, as in the ori ginal, under the influence of the sympathetic cord which binds the brothers ; but in place of the vague, undefined feelings of fear and foreboding, Mr. Buck stone is only affected by a violent fit of sneezing, from which he infers that his brother Louis, at Paris, has caught the prevailing epidemic , and directly after a violent pain between the eyes, convinces him that his brother has got into some row and received one for his nob, ala mode de boxe. Then he sits down to in dite a letter to 'his brother, and we have the ghost scene, in which an illuminated turnip lantern and a sheet are substituted for the spectre of the murdered, and the scene opening out displays the Parisian just floored in a street row Outside the Grand Opera, and not able to come up to time. In the next scene we are carried off to Paris, and find Mr. Buckstone, as Fabian, in the broad-breeched, narrow-waisted, and large-hatted Frenchman of the Boulevards, in love with a pretty modeste, Emile (Miss Col:ins), of the Rue St An toine, from whom, by way of striking up an acquain tance, he has purchased twenty " cheap summer straws." The Chateau Renaud of the original is en acted by Mrs. L. S. Buckingham, who displays the Parisian roué and dandy to the life, and by him Emile is decoyed to the bat masque at the Grand Opera, where we have Louis in an outrageous Roman toga, helmet, and nose; and then follows the encounter, where in stead of being run through, he meets with the more satisfactory, though less dignified, misfortune of being polished off with a " black eye." In the next scene Fabian arrives in Paris, " regard less of expense," by an express train, seeking revenge for the said "black eye," of which we have seen him informed by the mysterious electric telegraph. The duel then follows, first with single sticks and then with fists, when Chateau Renaud being vanquished and polished off in his turn, the family honour is avenged, and we are carried off to the Grand Opera, where, still as the representative of the two brothers, Mr. Buckstone exhibits to us a solution of the " two single gentlemen rolled into one" problem, and after singing a song in front as the Corsican, jumps round, and discovers the Parisian brother fastened on be hind. The subject is a difficult one to burlesque, at least while following the original so closely as has been done in this instance, and we are bound to say, that however creditably and cleverly the travestie has been carried out, the piece of itself pos sesses too few points of wit and humour to have succeeded on its own merits. The dialogue is extremely flat in parts, and we looked in vain for any of the smart hits which we bad ex pected from the opportunities which the piece itself affords, and which the acknowledged talents of the authors could have well supplied. We might almost fancy that the censorship had been busy at work, for with one exception there is not a political allusion in the whole piece, and the only fun attempted in the dialogue was a series of plays upon words, such as we had fancied had been long ago consigned to the tomb of all the Millars. Mr. Buckstone 's vivacity, how ever, made the most of what there was, and his skilful imitations of Mr. Charles Kean, the original repre sentative of the Brothers in this country, and the admirable manner in which he seized upon and burlesqued the little peculiarities of that gentleman's acting in the part, were a real treat, 'and contributed very much to the success of the piece, Mr. James Bland had also a double part to play, and 'acted with his usual spirit. The piece throughout is admirably put upon the stage, the scenery is excellent, and the scenic effects ex ceedingly well managed. The bat masque scenes were given with great fidelity, and so real did the racket, the glitter, and the continual bustle of the masqueraders on the ' stage appear, that we could almostiee e have fancied ourselves spectators at the Grand Opera. Th e d resses , t oo , were very tasteful, and it iis ev dent that no expense h as been spared to place ttie on the with full effect. On the whole, th ou -v. , e , by no m eans th e b es t burlesque which we have Been at this theatre, we'have no doubt that 0, w Gem'7" • • • ill meet with a pretty fair share of success. At this ADELPIIIpopi THEATRE. menta opened escribe a d z h place of entertainment the amuse the Market, d effects," with the additional new drama called the Queen of the bill as full of " Adelphi in the attraction that the prin cipal Mrs . Keeley, character was intrusted her first appearance at this th t e e piece, which is French t(hmroru.agtirio.uiti being may be briefly The plot of the told. Maurice Durand life (Mrs. v lif: °1 1 es)) of un known parentage, marries Keeley), daughter of Leonard inearl ,I3rionne, Syndic of wateroarriers of Paris. To better hi. . the to St. Domingo, where he rem p . osttion, be proceeds . remains for five years, leaving his wife and child with her parents. the Count de Salnalle. During his absence , a wealthy 11 is killed by ' nobleman (Mr. Worre ),. the fall of beam from a burning house,leaving a will in which a to an only son, whos he bequeaths his title and fortunet .. s ,, am _ . The nature of istence was wholly unknown obi . I . ily to a villain named Lorrain this will becoming known to purloin it, and, (Mr. 0. Smith), he contrives . f es into the Domingo, in us making his way to St. mind of Maurice Durand t he belief that he is the son and heir of the deceased Count , and ultim ate ly suc ceeds in putting him in possessi on of the inheritance, under the promise of a munificent rewardi• To effe ct . i this the usual amount of forgerie s and vin anes of every kind are practised by him, and in d ue time the new Count enters Paris in grand style, but is seen and recognized by his wife, who, by industry and perseverance, has gained the position of fruit and flower merchant to the King, and is recognized as " Queen of the Market." The usurping Count, though innocent of the forgeries that have been Committed, finds himself so mixed up with the pro ceedings of his agent, Lorrain, that he becomes the virtual slave of the latter, who, to serve his own pecuniary pur poses, insists up on hi s renou ncing his wile, the bumble flower woman , and marrying A LONDON,' ! lady of rank and opulence. -At this point the deep interest of tha drama commences. The so-called Count, fearful of the galleys on the one hand ,and re taining all his aid' •affeetion . for his wife on the other, is — subjected to a Severe mental struggle - --tit"iine titne;._clenying' all knowledge of his wife . ," and at another resolved at all hazards to -do -her--her justice.- - Ire the meantime she is made the object of persecution, and, - through the in strumentality of Lorrain ' backed by the Duchess de Cerny (Miss Emma Harding), an excellent specimen of the old French noblesse,. is arrested by the officers of the Bastile, with the view of frightening her into a renunciation of her marriage. Some stir ring incidents occur, but at length the better nature of the pseudo-Count prevails ; he acknow ledges Louise as his wife, and in the end is relieved of all danger from the liw by the appearance of the real son of the deceased Count de Salnalles, who for years has been the friend of Louise and her parents, and who, on discovering his birth and rank, freely absolves Maurice Durand, who now returns to his true position in life, from all blame. Such is the main plot of the piece, but there are besides a variety of telling and well-sustained incidents which throw an attractive interest over the whole drams, and from first to last the attention of the audience is never per mitted to flag. Mr. Paul Bedford. as Blaise Lefort, Syndic of the Porters, is the source of no small amusement throughout, from his grotesque mode of courtship towards Louisa, whose husband he assumes, from his long absence, to be dead ; and some of the minor characters also are brought in with consider able effect, so as to lighten the play. The character of the " Queen of the Market" was hit off with great force and skill by Mrs. Keeley'', and the same compli ment might fairly,be. applied to all the leading actors. The new farce of Who Stole the Pocketbook r and the comic opera of Good Night, Signor Pantalon, fol lowed, and thus closed a series of - excellent Easter en tertainments. LYCEUM THEATRE. An eight act piece, extending over the entire even ing, was the potent attraction at this elegant theatre. La Dame de la Halle, the original drama, by M. Annicet Bourgeois and a collaborateur, was in six acts. The two additional acts added by tha Lyceum adapters, Mr. Slingsby Lawrence and Mr. Charles Mathews, seem intended. principally for the introduc tion of a shipwreck - scene, excellently managed—better, indeed, than anything of the kind since the famous shipwreck in Mr. Kemble's last revival of the Tem pest, at Covent-garden, As a medium for displaying the entire resources of the Lyceum, both in regard to company and sceni c effect, it.,serves its purpose well. Mr. Charles Mathew's was ii - scoundrel of the first water, with a coolness, taw, and imperturbable effron tery ; that were..exquisite, and occasionally made the audience roar in themidst of the gravest passages of villany. Madame Vestris acted with fine pathos in the. scene where the loss of the 200 louis d'ors is disco vered, and was efficiently seconded by the rough and hearty earnestness of Mr. Frank Matthews, who made the.most of the part of Pere Bonneau. Mr. Roxby exhibited a great deal of vigour as Alcide le Fort, and Mr. Suter was quietly humorous as Brididi, the accepted lover of Javotte, which person age was played by Miss Julia St. George with charming sprightliness and ease. Mrs. Frank Mat thews was as genial and natural as she always is in Madelaine Richard, one of the chiefs of the Halle, — and Mrs. Macnamara's stiffness and dignity as the Marchioness were thoroughly characteristic. Miss Laura Keene made her first appearance at this theatre in the character of Therese, and her Mitt must be pronounced decidedly successful. There is a vast deal of promise in this .young lady, who only wants more familiarity with the stage to be come an actress of more than common pretensions, particularly in melodrama and domestic plays. She has youth and everything in her favour. The other characters call for. - r no special remark—except that every one, including Mr. Belton, another debutante (in the part of George Michel), did his very best, whatever that might amount to, to secure a good en semble. - The saee'ry . brought rcout the admirable talent of Mr. Beverley in a new light, and showed him as happy in the treatment of real as of fiery subjects. The. moonlight scene of the Market of the Innocents was a masterpiece of picturesque design. One of the most striking effects we have ever wit nessed on the stage was the shipwreck on the rocks of St. Domingo ;/ the reality was most appalling. The ballet was appropriate, and the dancing of Miss Rosina Wright extremely animated. One of the dances, entitled La Fricassee, by a troupe of pois sardes, was quaint and spirited, and elicited an uproarious encore. Mr. Tully has been very suc cessful in the music, and introduced more than one pretty song. The fall of the curtain was the signal for an unanimous recall for Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mathews—then for 'Miss Laura Keene—and, lastly, for the author ; in response to which Mr. C. Mathews came forward and candidly owned that the piece was an adaptation from the French, by himself and another gentleman (named above). The Chain of Events adds another to the chain of Lyceum suc cesses. PRINCESS'S TEIEikTRE. The extraordinary run which the Easter piece en joyed at this theatre last year was less attributable to any peculiar humour in the dialogue than to s o me very picturkaapie scenery, to the extraordinary and inimitable personatien of a monkey by Flexmore, and to the convulsing exploits of Keeley x and Wigan as " the bounding bricks of Babylon. Not that the dialogue was, as regards fun, much below the average of that employed in fairy burlesques, but the fact is, 'that the profusion of puns, 'old and new, good and 'indifferent, which has signalised productions of this nature for several seasons past at divers of the Lon don theatres, has so jaded the public that the speaking parts have become in their estimation completely sub servient:6 the effects of scenery, costume, and ballet. People go more to see than to hear a burlesque. In the entertainment, however, : produced last evening at the Princess's Theatre ' under the title of Wittikind and hi, Brothers; or, The Seven Swan Princes and the Pair lllelusinc, this stale trick of punning has been wisely abandoned by its author. The dialogue is amooth = and unpretentious, not destitute of humour, but free from pointed absurdities. The story of Wittikind and his Brothers is founded on the German fairy tale, yclept " The Seven Swans," which, if we 'recollect right, has been also handled by Andersen. Esel, King of Miirchen land,' the father of seven sons and one daughter, Melusine, by a first wife, is married to a sorceress Queen, Mandragore, who persuades her henpecked spouse to send Melusine, when a child, to be reared by the shepherds of Miirchenlsnd. The opening scene of the fairy tale finds her celebrating her birth day, among the peasants. Their rustic merriment is broken in upon by the arrival of Adelmann, the mayor of the palace to King Esel, with a summons of Melusine to the court, on the occasion of the knighting of Wittikind and his brothers. Melusine leaves her shepherd friends with regret, and one of them, Ulf, her, - foster. brother, contrives to fol low her to the court. Here, by the spells of Queen Mandragore, who poisons her bath, Me lusine is transformed into hideousness, and is driven from the court as an impostcir. Ulf alone recognises her, and protects ber from the bldevs and the insults of the, lacqueys. With him she wanders away into the woods;- and there, by the intervention of the fay Rinnilde is restored to her original beauty. Mean while, the Queen,*anxious to obtain the sole power, transforms the King into an owl, and the seven princes into wild swans, who fly forth incontinently. At nightfall, however, the spell is suspended, and the princes resume their human forms. During the night they discover their sister. Anxious to escape from pursuit of their step-mother, they weave a net of rushes, and fly with Melusine over the sea to Avalon, leaving Ulf behind to follow as he can; and this flight closes the first act. The second act discovers Melusine sheltering in a cave overlooking the plains of Avalon. The fay Rinnilde, in a vision, points out to her that she may restore her brothers to their human shapes 'by .spinning - shirts of thistledown, during the spinning and weaving , of, which she is neither tee - apeMe' nor smile. Ulf arrives, having some how crossed the sea, and is perplexed to find Melusine dumb and sad. She sends him to 'gather thistles for her, - and whibelle is - absent Lothaire, Lord of Avalon, entering, the cave in pursuit of his hawk, is charmed by her beauty and silence,—he happening to be blessed with seven sisters who are inveterate chatterers. Melusine is taken to court, and there Lothaire weds her with great - splendour. Meanwhile Mandragore, who has been_driven from Mirchenland by the revolt of her people, hail. arrived in Avalon to ask Lothaire's against--the • rebels, attended by Adelmann, and bearing her wretched husband with her in his new shape of a horned owl. Recognizing Melusine, she persuades the King she is a witch, and induces him to follow her to one of her nocturnal eoh, visits ititac lrit ei,troes consents n h i aos e eef thsu brother'sr t c h y h aerr, execution v, iwho whither o av e b . in she goes to gather r thistles f or h er sp i n ning. The King, believing her a Witch, prison she en een arrested on a maligning the princess (with whoa,, du • interviews ea. the. piece, • they have secret still_ unceasingly spi ns on , an d , di struste d b y a ll b u t succeed s in ) about, to fire the pile prin o e li e which she is to be burnt as restored have flown down to a sorceress. The the pile as swans, are King Esel having prev ious r i ed to b their human forms, the presence of mind of NViYttiki:Cll disenchanted by having been, in her turn, char, and Mandragore 91 1 a 'The • a ge into an owl by one of her owa spe prince recognises MI the faith and innocen ce of e usine, and the seven r'n Wittikind the W ise, and his g idd y - pat e d plprinces, Rudibrethren, Ott oc ar the Obstreperous, ger the Rough, Wil libald the Wavering,Bginbard the Energeti c Hilde brand the Headstr on g , and Luitprand the Energetic, wed the voluble-tougue4. rrinceeeee of Avalon, Clo• - 11' ;1 I tilde, Ysonde, Yolande, Odette, Renne, Blanche, and Mathilde. The fair Melusine, the leading character in the piece was represented by Miss Carlotta Leclercq, of whom We may at once sa y th a t no ar ti s te on the boards could possibly hav e ac t e d th e p ar t better, or have looked it so well. In a dditi on to her personal attractions, the brilliant lightness of her dancing, her expressive pantomime and clear delivery, and the becoming elegance of her several dresses, rendered Mies Leclercq the most delightful em bodiment imaginable of an enchanted and enchant ing heroine of fairy romance. If anything were wanting to constitute her an established favourite, it was fully supplied by her performance of last even ing, and we feel much satisfaction in contributing our gratulations to the triumph achieved by a very charming and meritorious young actress. In Ulf, the faithful and disinterested foster-brother of Melusine, Miss Robertson displayed not merely a singularly pretty figure, but a feeling and energy in her acting which elicited frequent applause. (These are the two ladies of whose " manifest inauffi ciency" a certain profound critic writeth!) The terrible Mandragore, whom a righteous Nemesis ultimately consigns to eternal owlhood, was pour treyed with imposing malignity by Mrs. WinstenlCY. Miss Marshall (a recent and valuable acquisition to the establishment) did the part of Wittikind cleverly, as she does everything, and Miss Murray was the happy King of Avalon, who, if poetical justice were rigidly carried out, ought to have found less favour in the eyes of Melusin e than the affectionate and gentle Ulf. Harley had a p ar t t h at prec i se ly fitted this favourite and rejuv enescent comedian; a swag gering, consequential m a j or -d omo, faithful l y h o lding discretion to be the better p art of valour, cr i ng ing to the mighty and bullying the mean ; and Meadows 's make-up as the hapless King of Marchenland was admirable. The enchanted owl fell to the lot of Flexwore, who looked a very grave and reverend fowl, blinking and hissing with ornithological pro priety, but sadly belying the proverbial gravity of the bird of Pallas by getting helplessly inebriated at feeding time, to the great enjoyment, however, of the spectators. Flexmore's genuine talent was strongly evinced in making a small p a rt so promi nent, for in any other hands it would have been all but lost. A most agreeable surprise was afforded (there having been an inadvertent omission in the bills) by a ballet in the file scene in the second act, in which Madlle. Auriol executed a pas with a vigour, grace, precision, and firmness, that brought down most deservedly cordial plaudits. We have rarely, if ever, seen• this admirable danseuse to greater advan tage than in this scene, in which she contributed one of the brightest gems of the entire entertainment. The scene-painters have done themselves infinite cre dit, especially in the final scene, which we hold to be unequalled for exquisite effect, even with the fear of Beverley before our eyes ; and in the flight of Melusine over the sea, in which Miss Leclercq is the prominent form of beauty. The innumerable cos tumes, on which the outlay must have been enormous, are not merely rich and varied, but superlatively tasteful; Miss Marshall's attire is the perfection of stage dress. The orchestra, which is considerably increased, was led by Mr. Robert Stopel, who furnished the music of the piece, which is generally good. A chorus by Melusine and in the Seven Princes, in the first act, is .a very pleasing composition, and was unanimously encored. There may be a little pruning, especial.y in the earlier por tions of the piece and in the music, but we trust no paring to the quick. e n ment cor diality, after his rec T en n t e due on such an occasion to the best of managers i r ll e n - e a s p s p , ea N : a a s nc g e r o e f ete l\ d lr. w C it h h ar t l h e e s I v il e e h a and actors. Mr. Kean bore no traces of indisposition in his unrivalled performance of the twins of Corsica, " within which circle none dare walk but he." The house was crowded to the ceiling, and the boxes filled with fashion. The success of the magnificent after piece (which by the way is n a fairy tale," not a " burlesque," and written by Mr. Tom Taylor) was, it is unnecessary to say, unequivocal. . ST. JAMES'S THEATRE. The performances at this house, were resumed last evening, 'and, despite the popular; festivities of the day, were attended by a numerous and fashionable audience. Two pieces were acted, both new, we be lieve, in this country, and both were most favourably received, particularly the second, entitled Mademoi selle de /a SiegNre, something between a domestic drama' and a genteel comedy, which for some time has had a great run at the Theatie Francais in Paris. The incidents and the story generally being altoge ther French may, i n s ome respeots, be deemed less natural than we'inight wish it, hut, the acting is so good, the audience seemed so determined to enter fully into the spirit of the scene, that the whole went off with great éclat, and the actors, some of whom are old favourites, the others new to the British public, all shared and shared , alike in the general applause, and may pride themselves upon having won the genuine sympathy of all present; but a few words of details may be acceptable to our readers, and currente catamo we will try to give a rude sketch of our first impressions of Le Cachemire Vert. A gallant naval officer is on his return from the West Indies, and meets as a f e ll ow -passenger, a lady, who at once wins his good opinion and his heart. He, having improved his opportunity, on landing, informs against this very lady, and she loser, in consequence, a valuable Cashmere shawl; great is her anger, of course. They go to the same hotel and meet; a good deal of sprightly w rangling eosuesthe gentleman a d m i ts hi s cr i me, an d coo lly declares that by so acting h e h as succee d e d i n turning away suspicions from hi mse lf , an d save d a go odly number of shawls, int en d e d as presen t s to his lady friends. Then foll ows a d ec l ara ti on of his sentiments; then the lady gets into trouble because she lost her passport; then the gentleman discovers that his own c onta i ns t h e name o f hi s future wife (who has in the meantime become another's), and the curtain falls upo n a ba ppy ' , C oup le but, not so as to screen from applause Monsieur St. Maria, Madame Roger &lie, and our old friend Tourillon, who makes a capital thing of the gendarme. Of the the second piece, Mademoiselle de la Siegliere, the plot may be thus briefly stated : During the French Revolution the Marquis de la Seigliere has emigrated. His property has been sold to one of his old farmers, who has by dint of in dustry and labour much improved it, and, in fact, be come a rich agriculturist. The Marquis has a daughter, the farmer a son. Mdlle. de la Seigliire returns to France at the restoration, with ber family; the farmer's sou, who has joined the army under Na poleon, is supposed to have died in Russia. The f a rmer, believing his son t o b e dead, is induced at the point of death, to make a d onat i on of h i s estate to t h e former owner, the Marquis, who believes the money i s merely restored to him. The son re turns to claim his father's estate, under French law encounters Mdlle.de la Seigliere, and falls under the charm—he had come an opponent, an enemy, he becomes a friend, a benefactor (unknown). A conflict of generosity takes place between certain of the parties, of craft and deep design between others ; a certain lawyer does, partly out of ambition, partly for a moment, we congratulate a great deal of good ; and once m aell,e at of t h a ppy couple upon the termi nat i on of their troubles, osri T e e r n i g ti e c , a, an d ourselves upon a delightful evening. Monsieur Regnier, who pl a yed the Mar qu i s , i s a fi rst - rate ac tor, and acted the light-heart e d, stu bb orn o ld no bl e to the life. Bernard, the farmer's son, was ably de lineated by Lafont, and Monsieur Roger, imparted great spirit to an ungrateful part—that of the lawyer. The crafty Baroness was acted by Mdlle. Devin, who looked and dressed the part admirably. But the whole interest centred at last upon Mdlle. Marquet, who elicited much sympathy and applause in the character of Mdlle. de la Seigliire. At the fall of the curtain the actors were all Balled for, when a little incident occurred which added, if possible, to the in terest already excited by the performance. Monsieur Lafont' came forward, thanked th e audience for their kind patronage , a nd in a few words, fe e li ng l y spo k en, intimated the anxiety felt by himself and brother per formers that the au dience sh ould know that talented Mon sieur Regnier, the delineator of th e M arqu i s de la Si g liere, was also one of the joint authors of the piece. Of course cries, many, loud, and imperative, of "L'auteur" forced Monsieur Regnier to re- a pp ear , and he once more acknowledged the gratifying plau dits of the audience. THEAAT:Ec.haries Selby, g L t Y h e M E P a i s C ter holiday folks at this place ;i r o of t o l f z r e :s he ; fi o r r a , t the tim e ;l w y s i t t i h c Last evening of amusement aenntietxletrdavTaghaenzcaafmrobmer Camb e erwell Milkman. The author takes his idea from the Cor sican Brothers; the successful dramatic romance at the Princess's Theatre ; but, availing himself of the were presentpeßed privileges of his fraternity, he works out that idea by means of the most heterogeneous materials. He has forgotten, however, that even in the most outrageous burlesques some little connexion of incident is desirable, and that an audience never so well appreciates the ludicrous and comical as when exhibited in the development of some intelli gible plot. Mr. Compton, who is th e mainstay of the piece, represents t he twin_ broth ers , F unky Franky and Fighting Franky, the " 1 : 13 of Airs. Save loy Franky, the renowne d proprietess of a milk esta blishment in Cow-lime, Camberwell.: A somewhat wide stretch of the imagination is requi re d to recon cile the singular unity and yet _ separati on , b ut the inventive genius of Mr. Selbyclears up the mystery by a novel device. The two brothers were born like that almost fabulous species of humanity Which we are told has two distinct bodies united in one ; but Guy's Hospital was had recourse to to cut them asun der, an operation which happily succeeded without destroying the life of either. Here the mystery commences, and continues without intermission; for, e to confess the truth, the finale no more explains mat- SUES DAY EVENING, APRIL 13, 1852. ters - than a Ministerial reply gives an..explicit answer to the interrogatory of an opponent. Funky Franky, with whom the audience is most immediately con cerned, labours under the impression that his half brother will be his own, and that a kind of mesmeric or electric telegraphic sympathy or communication exists between them. The cleverly -arranged super natural appearance of Fighting Franky, and a tableau or vision, in which he is having a " mill" with an antagonist, strengthens the fears of Funky, and leads to the expectation.that an interesting, if not extraordinary, denouement will follow. At the close, however, of the first act Mr. Albany Brown, of Marionette reputation, is drawn forward on a string, and, after a dissertation on the ancient and modern drama, apologises alike for what has preceded and what is to come, and asks his good-humoured hearers to fill up all gape, blanks, and incongruities by the aid of their imagination —a request as necessary as it was modest. This bit at the Marionettes was one of the most amusing events of the evening. The living actor dressed as a doll to perfection, and his movements appeared to be entirely at the mercy': of the string above, which of course was not so skil fully managed as at the Adelaide G.liery. The se cond act consisted chiefly of a series of adventures by a few swells at Cremorne-gardens. Fighting Franky, the supposed severed half of Funky, forms one of the notable body, and the only percyptible reference to the pathetic opening is the fulfilment of the pre diction in the fighting tableaux, by his en gaging i❑ a prolonged contest with a boast ing and belligerent Irishman rejoicing in the name of Pat O'Rune, and whom he uititnately spiflicates. Mr. Shalders enacted the part of the Irishman with great humour and genuine Tippe rary brogue. The other characters were well sus tained ; but, notwithstanding the exertions of the actors and actresses, the production was rather dull, and its success questionable. Too much praise cannot be awarded to the scenery and dresses, which were extremely beautiful. The view of Cremorne-gardens by ❑ight on the occasion of a bal masque, with innu merable variegated lamps, was as fine a piece of scenic design as we have seen at any theatre. The extravaganza wound up with a Terpsichorean display, illuminated by Hammes de Bengale. The Merchant of Venice commenced the performances, but the only noticeable part in the piece was that of Portia, which was taken by Mrs. Walter Lacy for the first time at the Olympic. Her acting throughout was charac terised by considerable taste and feeling, and easy and graceful action. STRAND THEATRE. A new piece, by Mr. C:PZeade --- , ciescribed as " an illustration of our country h omes ," an d b ear i ng th e title of a Village 7 ale, was the o p en i ng p er f o r mance here last evening. T he Village T a l e i s i n th ree ac t s , and the scene laid in Berkshire. The incidents all occur in the house of Farmer Hath orn (M r . W . Att wood). In the reaping season, Corporal Patrick (Mr. E. Stirling) and his daughter Rach-ell (Miss Alaskell) are employed by the far mer to assist in getti ng i n t h e harvest. When the reaping is all over, and the cor poral and his daughter are about to quit the farm, the latter suddenly encounters Richard Hickman (Mr. Moreland), a young farmer of somewhat idle and roving habits, and between the two there appearsto be some mysterious connexion, of which all that is learnt at first is, that Rachel had some four years before become the m o t her of a child, of which Hickman was the father. In the mean time the farmer's son, Robert Hathorn (Mr. J. Rogers), becomes enamoured of Rachel, whose conduct while reaping had pointed her out as a person supe rior to her occupation, and makes several overtures to her, which she treats very slightingly. This at tachment is viewed with great dislike by the farmer, but his wife, won by Rachel's behaviour (Mrs. Charles Selby), is not so averse to it. In the development of the plot appear two other characters, Mrs. Rose Mayfield, a widow (Mrs. W. R. Copeland), and Mr. A. Priori (Mr. Moore), a retired tradesman. The former of these is a sort of village flirt, being alter nately flaggedi()aslgn)gseedoa mounpczii courted etanrc;, and for his son, by Farmer Hathorn. . Hickman appears to have the best chance of winning her, but she at length begins to look upon him with distrust, and he, to spite Rachel for a supposed disclosure to the widow of his real character, hastens the denouement by asprsions on the latter. Such being the relative positions of the several parties, the corporal and his daughter are taunted by the farmer, in order to break off the attachment of his son, with 1 a reference to Rachel's past history and implied mis swehiweeni,the corporal admits the birth of a child, but defends his daughter's character by stating that Hickman had married her, that she subsequently discovered that he bad a wife living at the time, and that in order to save him from the consequences, she bad consented to conceal the fact. 'l'he widow now generously renounces her pretensions ; to Robert Hathorn, who had all along clung to the notion of Rachel's innocence, and becomes a mediator fur him to his father; Rachel rejects an offer of marriage from Hickman, now a widower, and, to re move the lingering repugnance of old Hathorn, in the very nick of time the maligned and virtuous suf ferer is discovered to be the owner under the will of self-denying f-ad Hickman.ue ti n t yueiA o nnw f ;g:ll 3 oB, , llo : l ytiw O cwr O easo / la:n . li 3,drpselaueccncet,ledcieve Mayfieldoettphddt Cleo p atra, t e drarab v neb,e e t(yicr r bi y o:tyl,:ui f : le a ,tiai r s:d m aebo:,:ua o tililh c irieett c ssiitg u s: p siensd, i occupied h d vi totr: h rhvari y ee... t entitled La Vivandiere, and finally, by The all of which met with a cordial re ception. MARYLEB JNE 141EATRE. The entertainments at this theatre last night were The Tempest, a grand national ballet divertissement, under the title of Britannia, the Gem of the Ocean, and i'lanche'd burlettaThe Loan of a Lover. In the Tempest, which was well cast, Miss Lavine, of the Theatres Royal Edinburgh and Newcastle, made her first appearance in London, in the character:of Ariel, and indicates.,that she will prove an acquisition to the company in other lines of theatrical character. Caliban lost nothing of his glory, growl, or power of cursing in the hands of Mr. E. Laws ; Prospero was well sustained in those of Mr. Cowie ; and Miranda, his daughter, had an admirable representative in Miss Grosvenor. Britannia, the Gem of the Ocean, the Easter novelty, is an attractive ballet, in which the nati ons o f th e world, in a grand allegorical tableau, pay tribute to " the Queen of the Waves." It is a light production of Mr. W. 11. Harvey (of the Italian Opera), whose dancing was admirably supported by the exquisite pas of Mdlles. Louise Blanche, Julie, and Kate Kirby. The Loan of a Lover was a good wind up, and was well received by " the gods," whose fancy it tickled very happily, and who departed, well pleased with the evening's entertainments. SURREY THEATRE. The entertainments provided fur Easter at this house were on a scale of enterprise and liberality which the success that has attended the present ma nagement gave its patrons a right to expect. They comprised a three act drama, a comediette, and a burlesque extravaganza. The drama, we need hardly state, is the Corsican Brothers, for, though it con tains many bad features of the French, from which it is a translation, there are yet in it such well-wrought passages, and so wide a scope for effects, that it pro mises to become as universal throughout this country as the vendetta which it illustrates was interminable in Corsica. The present adaptation is one of the best yet produced, and owes its quasi paternity to the bro thers Sala. The principal characters were sustained by Mr. Creswick and Mr. Mead in an energetic and artistica' style. The comedy of the Young Couple introduced the Bateman children to this side of the water. Their performances were characterised by the same taste which has from the first distinguished them; and their arch and winning manner elicited the warmest approval. The burlesque is from the pen of Mr. E. L. Blanchard, the author of the Christmas pantomime produced on the same boards, under the title of Harlequin Prince Blue Cap, and is entitled the Three Perils of Man; or, the Knights of the Round Table. It is founded upon a portion of the history, fabulous or otherwise, of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, the passage selected being that in which La Belle 'sande is stolen from her father by Sir Tristram, immured in Castle Dolorous, and subsequently, after many moving accidents, rescued thence by Si r Lionel. Prince Arthur himself forms a subordinate featurean in the burlesque. Of his trusty sword Caliburndo wde his magic lance Rou, we hear nothing, even see the fair and beauteous Guinever ;7bort place of all this there are lots of enchanting u Welch ataediVelch fairies with hats and leeks, Druids and hts in most spirits and elves, and the whole of th i e nt k i n s ig more closely gallant: array. The tenor of the p th n any of th allied to some of the French versions a a English with which we good fairy he knights, as a whole, are represented devils,ingotohde licentious set of gallants, albeit strong story of the Christian faith. The whole . . hinges are 1I c c I ua i t i'as te ad 'champions somewhatand the Sir ictory over whilst vSir Merlin Tristram enlists on his . behalf the enchanter. These latter subject Sir Lionel to , all sorts of trials in the shape of wine, women, and, finally, an accommo dation uL fairy,pi o o n n e Lionel htoe seeks orneestchpueoeianitath the beautiful which Morgansw we have ii,amil in iae d y, l e c ,w h the last by a duel with a veritable kite. Clothed in these slight vestments the dialogue is smart and racy. Numerous sparkling hits are interspersed, and some ail with it ij h istrietsisle, a g n u d id s a ig n n ce al o is f es th h e is v clever parodies upon resists popular. airs, , The scenery is good, but not startling. T he burlesque .kill : wi en j oy, as it deserves, a good reputation,. an d a long and pros perous career awaits. Miss Julia Harland made a charming Sir Lionel, singing._ and acting w ith im mense s pirit. Mr. Widdi ens be wa s an a dmirable Sir Tristram , a nd Mr. Wyan efLctive Merlin It only remains to Odd that th - - 0 holm was crowded,. • d I tfie . tfirpag,of _indulgent' spectators seemed very ready to make allowances the contritempi or a first presentation, and b e f ore l eav i n g joined in c'xi- I tinned rounds of applause. ASTLEY'S THEATRE. The introductory piece at this most popular theatre was a grand historical, equestrian, and mili tary spectacle, which has been eminently successful in Paris, entitled Bonaparte in Egypt, and it is scarcely necessary to say that it was got up with all the arts and appliances for which the Royal Amphi theatre is so famous. The spectacle, which is full of bustle and incident, consists of a series of picturesque tableaux—amongst the most effective of which we may notice the storming of the city of Alexandria, and the flight of its defenders before the im petuous attack of the grand army. Another Scene which told remarkably well was the grand entrée of Bonaparte through the golden gates of Cairo, accompanied by his cortege, sufficient in number to occupy almost the entire stage. The battle of Aboukir was manfully contested on both sides, but of course in the (eta the Mamelukes got terribly thrashed, and were obliged to succumb to the " infidels." In addition to the georral company, Mr. Frazer made his debut as the great general, and was ably aa•.isted by Mr. Widdicomb, who enacted the part of Kleber, and Mr. Craddock, who sustained that of Colonel Victor. Miss Lydia Pearce, who personated the character of a servant, promises to be a considerable acquisition to the company ; and Master Arthur Leclerq, the son of the stage manager and ballet master, was well received in a PasGrecque, assisted by the corps de ballet. The scenes in the arena were admirably gone through by Aldlle. Louise Massolta, M. Franconi, Miss Barraud, Mr. Bridges, and Tom Thumb the Great; and the evening's amuse ment was concluded with the amusing farce of the Lottery Ticket. ROYAL MARIONETTE THEATRE We had two novelties here last night, the one being a piece of apropos called Now in Rehearsal; or Confi dential Revelation Strictly Public, and the other an old Easter favourite, Aladdin, and the Wonderful Lamp, newly trimmed and burnished for the Marionettes. The audience must, indeed, have been bard to please that could find much fault with either performance, for apart from one or two little gaucheries incidental to first performances, everything was excellent. We have not space to criticise either piece at length, ncr is it necessary, as the performances more than sus tained the already good name of the Marionette Theatre. The story of Aladdin was well told, the libretto was entirely new, and the introduced songs and duets gave opportunities for displaying the very creditable vocal talent engaged here. In the intrdac tory brochure, Now in Rehearsal, we had something after the style of the Critic, with a good-natured exposure of some of the bickerings and jealousies of green-room life. We cannot refrain from speaking in the very highest terms of the scenery and costumes in the spectacle, for they were truly magnificent, and this little theatre may successfully vie with its proudest rivals in the admirable scenic effects pro duced. The audience was very numerous, and of the highest fashion, and were evidently delighted with their evening's entertainment. ISCELLANEOUS EX dIBITIONS, &c. THE BRITISH MUSEUM.—The chief objects of attraction for the numerous visitors to this establish ment yesterday were the gigantic sculptures lately arrived from Ni neve h, and only w deposited orkso the Mu seum a few weeks ago. Thesewinged human head e d li ons, and two n bulls, nsist rknwie of two winged and human-heeded, w hi c h formed the portals to the temples of the Assy r i ans . T he bulls are of enormous size, being, no less than 14 feet 5 inches in height, and of proportionate bulk. These objects are placed in the Ga lery of Antiquities, near the en trance, in a species of transept, which, though spa cious and lofty, is scarcely sufficiently so to allow of their being seen to proper advantage. They are such extraordinary productions of the art of sculpture and of such extreme antiquity that it is no wonder they excited the admiration of all who looked upon them. PICTURE GALLERIES.—The National Gallery, Trafalgar-square and the Vernon Collection of pic tures, at Marlborough House, received, as usual, a great accession of company yesterday. The different exhibitions of paintings now open also received their share of public patronage :—That of the Society of British Artists, in Suffolk-street, which, though not first-rate, is still particularly interesting on account of the variety it displays both in the selection of sub jects and in style of execution; that of the •Britis Institution in Pall-Mall, which includes among its contents some creditable historical pictures and some fine landscapes ; and Mr. Grundy's Winter Exhibi tion of Water Colour Paintings and Sketches in oil, in which are to be found several excellent works by the leading artists of the day. THE COLOSSEUM.—This old-established and popular haunt comes forth this Easter with a new face. For some time pa4t it has been in the hands of the im prover and decorator. The principal change is in the Glyptothece, the inner walls of which are now lined with mirrors, set in elaborately gilt frames which reflect the statuary on the opposite side. By this devise the hall seems to have increased in biz-, while the figures appear to be multiplied upon the same principle. The whole of the embelli.hments have experienced renewal, and the ensemble is now lustrously and delicately beautiful., Tne other at tractions of the place remain unaltered, though they have all undergone the process of revivification. The conservatories, the stalactite cavern, the Roman anti• guides, the aviaries, &c, are replete with interest, as they always must be, for the cost which they have occasioned in forming, and the grace and beauty of the several effects, are too obvious and remarkable ever to be overlooked. The Colosseum, in a word, with its two elaborate panoramas of London and Paris, is a sight among sights, in which the best con trivances of art have been associated with the highest refipements of taste. As a refuge for the idler, and a repast for the sight-"seeker, it surely can have no equal. The Cyclorama will re-open- shortly, with a moving diorama of the Crystal Palace. MR ALBERT SMITH'S ASCENT OF -MONT BLANC. —One of the most attractive of the Easter exhibitions is this, which not only contains a series of charming paintings by Mr. William Beverly, illustrative of an excursion between Paris and Chamouni, but is further enriched by the viva voce descriptions of Mr. Albert Smith himself—a tourist of great observation, and a lecturer of the most agreeable vivacity. His narra tive of a journey to the foot of the celebrated Mont Blanc is replete with comic gaiety, while his sketches of the personages whom he has met with are given with an apt sense of the ludicrous, and with much versatility and address. We need not remind our readers that Mr. Smith actually accomplished the as cent of Mont Blanc in the autumn of' last year. The second part of his lecture deals solely with this adven ture. He tells the spectator, in a pleasant conversa tional manner, of the difficulties he and his compa nions encountered while prosecuting this ha zardous cl a _ undertaking; and his descriptions receive a practical reality from the several portraitures of Mr. Beverly, f scent up which sink perpendicularly into the dataages, and by this process suggest the idea of ent since the sides of the mountain. This it has been opened has met with.s is no more than egn a tr n ear i n p ill recedented amount of patronage, though only was predicted, for it is not instructive, but ex quisitely amusing. Rooms.—The public p w ro s p o r n ie e t r or i s n ot w t h h ic ts h e t s il t e a ; LAURENT'S CASINO, A RGTLLa owe no slight thanks to the blishment for the adm irable have raised it to one o f the recog nised and de corum, so publi c amuse ments of the metropoli s • h p laces, are here sh own to be in h d ie p h lea n s i u g r h e ti ; y an fi d ll this elegant room , , easily violated in stic s an d perfect accordance if we may judge the pubiic app frowralththec enjo yment o wd ate to the full reci the very exce llent manner in which the out. The arrangements here are c arried nd b t orchestra is one of the inerous. l eds .conducted in the metropolis, most nu and as the music p nye is of the newest and most select • d e scription the musical dilettante, as well as the lover of the mazy dance , will find a treat here which will well repay him for a stroll into Windmill street. Sr, GEORGE'S GALLERY.--The diorama of "Tern „own, painted under the su perintendence of Mr. William Beverly, from sketches made by Mr. Bart lett during his lo ng sojourn in the East, has been one of the most popular of the picture exhibitions. In it has no rival, solemnity of i nterest • val, for the scenes which it depicts are those of grave and momentous peculiarity. The sca l e upon which these views are painted is vast in comparison with other works of the same class with which the metropolis abounds, the measurement being the same as that required in a full-sized theatre. This great extent of surface adds considerable grandeur to the pictorial effect, inasmuch as it has enabled the artists to embrace wider ensem bles, and treat the most remarkable localities with a breadth due to their individual importance. The diorama contains views of the Mount of Olives, Mount Hor, Mount Sinai, Bethlehem, Nazareth, and other places of like holy suggestiveness. DIORAMA OF THE HOLY LAND.—This diorama, exhibiting at the Egyptian Hal), is similar in plan and purport to the foregoing, though not painted upon so magnificent a scale or so elaborately. The views professedly illustrate the same localities, which, it is said, were " daguerreotyped" for the purpose. Most of the scenes are, however, taken from different Points of view to those which are to be met with at the St. George's Gallery, and hence the two dio ramas, although dealing with the same theines, have separate specialities and can scarcely be said to in terfere with each other.l f DIORAMA OF HINDOSTAN.—The Diorama Louis dostan, painted by Mr. Philip Phillips and b n e o n ax- Haghe, which for some months past has a lio Baker hibition at Madame Tussaud's establis n 3 h t e the exteroal street, affords an instructive glimpse ° character of Indian scenery. Derived from sketcheg taken on the spot by Colonel Luard, long a resident in those districts of the vast country which the pa norama undertakes to illustrate, tht forty ,or fifty views which pass successively before the eye may be accepted as authentic. Com mencing at Fort William the traveller ascen d s th e Ganges, the p r i nc i pa l localities of which are depicted with great and striking effect, while the customs, costumes, and public and private ceremonials of the natives are incidentally delineated. The artists to whom the town is indebted for this interesting tran script of scenes, in which we may be said to feel s national interest, have amplified the original drawings of Colonel Luard very ably, while perfect vraisem blance has been secured by the personal supervision of the colonel himself. HIINGERFORD HALL. The well-known diorama of the Chevalier Bouton, that of St. Mark's Church, his been transported to the exhibition-room o f H un _ gerford Hall, where it is now on view with a variety of contrasted effects, the result of the dioramic p ro . cesP, which it illustrates as beautifully, probably, as any of the numerous pictures which have at various times been submitted to the public at the old esta blishment in the Regent's Park. The economical rate of admission established at Hungerford Hall places, it may be observed, this wonder of pictorial ingenuity within the inspection of all classes of so ciety. MADAME TUSSAUD i ti.—The gallery of Madame Tussaud does not seem to abate one jot of its cele brity. It has outrivalled, and consequently outlived, many other collections of a aim il sir kind, simply by its great superiority in the facts of portraiture and by i's brilliancy and gentility as a promenade. Among the most recent additions, a figure of Kos suth is the most prominent, besides a Bloomer or two in proper brevity of costume. A model of the Rus sian giant, Loushkin, is now on view—a worthy be tween eight and nine feet high, a downright Brobdig. nagian, a man, indeed, of most fabulous proportions: But there he is, in his dress as drum-major in the Imperial Regiment of Guards, of which he must be a monstrously conspicuous member. GREEN WIWI FAIR. Yesterday's sun shone forth in earnest, and chal lenged tho votaries of rural delights to join the joyous groups that rushed to the railway or the river in search of health and recreation. Great was the throng. even on the highway of carts, gigs, carriages, and pedestrians. The fair might be said to begin at the Bricklayers' Arms, where for a mile the road was a perfect mart of toys, gingerbread, and o ther "com bustibles," as Mrs. 111alaprop bath it. Thousands of pedestrians footed all the way to Greenwich, nor felt the way tedious. Indeed, it is many years since se many people passed down the road to an Easter fair. All were agog for fun, and the cry resounded on all sides, " What's your game ?" To which the ex pected reply was promptly given, " All serene." For the origin of this military or civil sign and countersign, we confess we have con sulted the authorities in vain. Every one knows the story of the statesman, who said " Give me the songs of the mob on my hide, and I shall laugh at opposition speeches in Parliament." The temper of the times showed itself in pictorial allusions to in- vasion, caricatures of John - Bull waiting for the aa- sault of a long•visaged grim personsge in uniform; caricatures of the condition of Englishmen and Frenchmen, the latter sabred, shot, or deported to the colonies. Groups were collected to hear a song, which was popular all day, a verse of which runs thus : Arouse up, Britannia, or soon we shall rue; The French are all coming to beat us quite blue. In France there's been lately the devil to pay ; Come, rouse up, Old Nosey, and show us the way; We'll not be conquered , boys, don't be afraid; John Bull will pr - otect his ;Omen and maid, And if we get wounded whilst blazing away, Queen Victoria will give us three halfpence a day. With sounds and sights like these, we beguiled the way to the great scene of action, and struck into the glorious park to gaze upon the vast landscape that pre.. seats itself, into four counties, and a circuit of some 70 or 80 miles, from the summit of the Observatory hill, now called Flamstead House, and devoted to as- tronomical and scientific observation and research. During the dynasty of the warrior kings of England, when the crown sought py all means to strengthen itself against rivals and the turbulent insolence of powerful nobles, who had each a little standing army of his own at command, the present site of the Observatory in the park was selected on account of its lofty and commanding situation as a fit spot to be fortified.' The famous Humpbery, Duke of Gloster,' raised upon • the summit of this hill a castle which had in those times, when parallels of approach and batt e ring trains of heavy artillery were unknown, the character of being a place of great strength. The extensive chase of Black heath then extended far beyond Eltham Palace, which the Norman race of monarchs, including Richard Coeur de Lion, his son, and his brother King John, cherished as the stronghold of Royalty, as well as the secluded retreat where they could, unobserved, indulge in wild wassail teasing, and every excess. There was under the protection of the fortress on the hill, and close to the river side, another palace. On its ruins the Merry Monarch Charles 11. raised that wing of Greenwich Hospital which has often been the awns of his pleasant orgies, and upon which every gala•dav now tloat,, in imperial pcznp, the Royal standard. The fair street, terminating at Deptford-bridge, presented nearly the same aspect as usual, and its at tractions in the way of shows were the never-failing gorgeous glories of Richardson, who still, after the manner of the early Greek players, carries all his attractions in a waggon or two. lie has this year polished off a Warren s jet black band for the occa sion, and well and " gently they do their spiriting," impostors though these sable minstrels be. The far- famed Wombwell and his splendid men agerie,we regret to say, are not amongst the attractions. Indeed, there were no wild beasts to be seen, whether biped or quadruped, at the fair—an improvement which will, doubtless, encourage timid mothers to bring their tender nurslkgs to-day to witness the gilded glories of gingerbread-row. There ware not wanting lures for all classes—riflea for our future volunteers —swings for highflyera—E. O's, lotteries, and turnabouts, for the gamesters, an d pigs —cats all sorts of preternatu ral si g hts for the g ullibl e mob : Russian terriers , w ith the forepart of their bodies like claws, and their eagle's w hl aadss , ducks—greyhoun ds with lambs heads—th the hands d an o d g from South Afri ca, with forefeet of a a nd tmhoonke likebinydLqouoaorktesrswith re al h likers n n b like appeared to attract a fai r s h are of spurs —andpatronage. Archer's wonderful colle c ti on o f mons trosities, A representa tive of the Fives Court has est a bli s h e d a ebaosobtihonforstrsippaprerdiegan, som e d w b h e e la r bou e rd et would-be sprigs of each other about the nos e and eyes until th e i r s weeh carts could not dis tigThere was a great er num b er o f hu e in u b is le h b ball-rooms, them. -o ° m s , at two and threep ence p er h ea d for admission, th an usual, and the keen bracing air induced great numb-re. , even at an early hour, to spurt a fantasti c t oe to not-indiffereut music. The endless ball-room of Alger occupies its usual place, and defies refreshments, all competit ion—whether ,onorr a London band for a tf i h t m s e vast aot arec:. a a o r 8 7 , a excel lentaitpseriortothose at many There is in every popular meeting something pecu liarly in vogue. The crowds that entered the pretty little studios of the portrait-painters betrayed the prevailing feeling, and might with propriety license us in naming this spot " Vanity Fair," there seemed to he so general a rage " to be taken from life," or rather we should call it, to live • after death in a flat tering resemblance. These varied agremens OCCII• sioned the fair to be crowded to excess all day, al- though the town itself was thronged with thousands of visitors. The park, too, though divested of foliage and even of verdure, through the long-continued drought and perishing north-east winds, was well frequented, and there was a great profusion of at tractive goods spread along the gravel walks which have been laid down since last year, with good discre tion, by Prince Albert's order, as well as a fine wide carriage-drive from the river-gate to that at Black. heath. The racing down the bill was carried on with great spirit., notwithstanding the interference of the police, who got mobbed and pelted with oranges and • apples for their pains. " Kiss in the ring"—a time honoured sport—had its votaries in a remoter part of f the park; where, also, there was a frequent consul. tation held by simple swains and lasses with the • weird sisters, the tawny daughters of Egypt, who deal with fate and fortune, and— , " Like foul and midnight hags, Do a deed without a name.' The Heath, with its surrounding hills in the d.is" tance and handsome villas grouped around ilgenwsidise margin and embosomed in groves of everg l pie sure to be a source of general attraCtl.ngs within, f a turesque wildness awakens those g enial n e durance vile" , the human breast that even a long does not render within ate th . e dread bills of mortality cannot q u it e Naturam expellas force, greensward on a Jerilialein ride: feelingssf with hi The m Et pr indifferente male s en c e P of to outbmsePssee social c k i i l' a u e gl r d r .t i e u e can Join here in a pony,sNvee t h o e r a r i n t , o r prepare himself by rifle ,uronraifiea_elinthge match at cricket., ancient archers of Kent in drawinglun g bow, alldcoronsk e s in eyt u h fi a Je L the l-1 the the f uture d e f ence igTo P ou r mhT a thi : sib : dme i hr c yoee e s enlpai a, momentary r r yytys of isrihdiiacuslaet toil which zest to a life of severe labour. o b f re rn alc au L a d is i g n h te o rt li a g i renews his were actively progre ssing energy and gives when we left the scene, and from the place, the ex tent of preparations made, e a s nd et th e e exc ellent te arrange. ment and dispatch of the trains , we must prognosti cate, that a s the weather promises well, this f • wi ll, 15 gur w.!• be th© best Easter fair on record. . 3 1