The Express.
London, England, 1847-07-22 00:00:00

03RNWALL

Two RAILWAT BRIDOES SWEPT AWAL—AII accident
resulting from the thunder-storm occurred on Friday after-
noon last, when two bridges, connected with the Bodmin
and Wodebridge Railway, were swept away by the flood.
The bridges were those at the Junction and the Grogley ;
the traffic, is consequence, will be stopped for some time. A
train was advancing to the Junction bridge at the moment of
its falling, but the signal man succeeded in apprising the
engine-driver of the accident, who quickly brought the
train to a standing without any person sustaining in-
jury. The water appears to have collected in the
valleys near Camelford, where it eventually forced a passage
in two directions, one along the Camel river, and the other
towards the east, in the direction of Lancut. The part that
entered the Camel river raised its waters to a height of from
12 to 16 and 18 feet above its usual level, overflowing, at the
same time, all the lower portions of the country from Camel.
ford to this town, a distance of 16 miles. Such an immense
body of water could not fail to produce the most disastrous
e&cts. All the corn and crops near the river were destroyed.
Besides the Grogley and Junction bridges three other road
bridges are reported to have been carried away. No lives
were lost.

A TABLET has been placed during the past week on one
of the ruined pillars of the Abbey Church, in the grounds
of J. Muskett, Esq., bearing the following inscription:—
Near this spot, on the 20th November, A.D. 1215, Cardinal
Langton and the Barons swore at St. Edmund's Altar that
they would obtain from King John the ratification of Magna
Charta.

Etc Mrama.
HAYMARKET.—Mr. Buckstone took his farewell
benefit last night, when Farquhar's comedy, " The Beaux'
Stratagem," svu revived after an interval o six yearn—Mr
Buckstone playing Scrub for the first time. The comedy
wee generally well cut, and passed off pleasantly enough
but the chief interest of the evening attached to the &bur of
Mr. John Reeve (son of the late well-known comic actor),
as Bill Dowry, in the farce of " The Unfinished Gentle-
man." Young Mr. Reeve is strikingly like his father in
voice, person, and gesture, and in his by-play evinces
much broad humour. He was received with tumultuous
applause, and although the eathusiasm with which he was
at first greeted was doubtless called forth by the recollection
of his father's powers, it soon became apparent that the son
hen merits of his own on which he may fairly take his stand
as an excellent comic actor ; and, with practice and expe-
rience, will probably fill the void left by his father's death.
The house was crowded to excess. The remaining per-
formances were " The Jacobite," and " Who do they take
me for " - _ _

•
FRENCII PLATS, ST. JAMES'S TTLEATRE.—Were
Mdlle. Rachel's tenure of the throne of tragedy less clear
and undoubted, there might be danger, after her triumph
last night, of her abdicating it for the purple of comedy, to
which she has so distinctly made out a claim ; as it is, she
mast endure the pleasant pain of wielding the double sceptre.
When she was announced for Celimine we had no
doubt of her success, for to a great mind all things
are possible; and as to the stage more (specially we
are well convinced that no one is so capable of
adequately embodying the higher impersonations of comedy
as the really fine tragedian. Our anticipations, however,
fell short of the actual result. We have no hesitation in
pronouncing the Caiinbte of MdUe. Rachel a perfect per-
formance. From the few simple sentences of the opening,
her mon anti—at her lover's first ridiculous suggestion—to
that in which she rejects his final proposal, there was
not a word, not an intonation, not a look, not
a gesture, which did not exhibit her thorough know-
ledge and relish of the author's meaning. We marked,
as she proceeded, the passages which we thought more
peculiarly delighted us : on referring to the volume thus
pencilled, we find that to give these peerages were
simply to print the whole part. As may be Imagined,
those portions which convey the sarcastic contempt of the '
heroine for the inferior beings around her were delivered
with the most telling force, and it is in this particular that,
as our recollection goes, she played the part even better
than Mdlle. Mars, the soul of tragedy, so powerful in
Rachel, hers contributing with singular felicity to the'
effect. Jeremy Bentham used to express a wish that he
could live the remainder of his life, a year at a time, at the
close of successive centuries, in order that he might enjoy,
from time to time, the popular success of his writings.
Could Moliere have anticipated the advent of such •
Celli/nine as her we now witness, he would undoubtedly
have anticipated Mr. Bentham in this aspiration. Made.
moiselle Rachel's costume was superb, and of the moll
refined taste. The whole getting up of the play was in the
best possible style ; the coadjutors of Rachel, of either sex,
aided her most ably, and the noise en seine reflected the
greatest credit upon the management. The house was
crowded in every part. We earnestly hope, that having
acted Ce'linane for the benefit of Mr. !Mitchell, Mademoi-
selle Rachel may be induced to repeat the part once and
again for the benefit of the public.