The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-12 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 12, 1846.

our very frame, ought either to have the
excuse of strong necessity, or the appeal ought to be
made with a vigour and a voice of genius such as
none dare question, and to which all must succumb,
without power of either resistance or criticism.
We can well conceive a tragic poet of antiquity
boldly venturing one of those dread appeals to a de-
vout and ignorant audience. For such, we fear, was
even that of Att2.Viux We can coney.: ve that audience
absorbed in the fate of (Edipus, or the sorrows of
Orestes. Our own audiences are not deaf to impas-
sioned bursts of feeling, or highly-wrought scenes of
horror. But it requires all the efforts of the poet, ay,
and of the actor, too, to work an audience up to a

fitting degree of sympathy.
Now, a novel fails in all the scenic and oratoric
means of appeal. It has but those of tranquil narra-
tion, written dialogue, and circumstantial description.
These give it a power sufficiently ample, wondrously
interesng ; but we strongly doubt if either the narrative
or the dialogue of the novelist's page are fitted to
grapple with those characters and events of the dra-
matic sublime which demand the inspiration of the
muse and the illusion of the stage.
The more dread is the subject chosen, the more
profoundly criminal, the more morally disgusting,
the greater is the demand made upon art and u
genius-to overcome the horror excited by the na ed
representation of such facts, in clothing them with
the gorgeous drapery of imagination, and investing
them with that interest, whether of fatality, or of
human weakness, or some redeeming quality, to
take off the vulgar outline of crude, rude, and unmi-
tigated crime.
Notwithstanding all these difficulties and dangers,
so obvious to the novelist or the dramatist, almost all
men of genius have been tempted, at some one period
of life, to try a strong subject. The ancients are full
of them, but they had an excuse in the religious creed
and popular credulity around them. Of moderns,
however, the greater the genius the greater has been
the failure in subjects of the kind. We do not ex-
cept even Shakspeare. Let it, then, be no offence to
Sir Edward Bulwer if we say that we like not his
Lucretia, even in admiring and admitting the in-
comparable and first-rate genius which he has
lowered to the task.
We will not analyse the novel ; it is hateful from
the first page to the last. We see as little reason in I
Lucretia's first throwing away her love upon the young
man, Mainwaring, who disliked her, as in her suc-
cessive acts of ruining and poisoning all her relatives
and acquaintances. If such crimes be, they must
have precedents and sequences, other than we see
here. The Examiner, in a criticism on the work,
tells us that it is a true story, that the villain lives,
nay, is not punished, who was the abettor of the
heroine's prototype, in her successful poisoning of her
relatives. This is an excuse undoubtedly, but after
all a sorry one.
Some of our French contemporayynovelists,the Sues
and the Dumases, have indulged in tales of this kind,
to the assumption of which they were fully warranted
by the revelations which came forth upon the trials of
Castaing, Laffarge, and others. But, unfortunatelT,
in the narrative, of those fearful murders, the prosaic
reality is far more powerful than the imaginative tale.
Sue has his poisoners and his stabbers ; but what are
they but mocking shadows, compared with the drear,
cunning, capricious, impenetrable, husband-hating
Madame Laffarge. There cannot be a more wretched
failure than the empoisonneuse in Dumas's tale of
Monte Christo. It is immeasurably inferior to Lu-
cretia. The French novelists seem to set about such
pictures in a kind of jocular, half-credulous vein,
which they communicate to their readers, and which
inspires a feeling of half-reality, very consoling in
horrors, and leaving full enjoyment of the comic in
gayer scenes. No Englishman could at all attempt
that light eharlatanerie of the French, and
for us to rival it by taking such stories
more au seriettx is equally hopeless. Yet
what a world of conception, of passionate and
powerful writing, is to be met with in Lucretia ! If
we condemn it, how shall we praise other imaginative
works? It is that we apportion our severity, or
rather our sincerity, to the genius of the author, and
feel that a blow of our light hammer, which might
break to pieces a mere earthen image, can but ring,
almost hke applause, on the bronze statue, which
Fame has long mace imperishably erected to Bulwer.

Sine marts.
DECORATIONS OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS.—
Sir,—ln your uotice of the decorations of the Society of
Arts, yesterday, you omit to remark the new mosaic pave.
anent in the hall—possibly because the workmen were still
engaged upon it. When it is completed I hope you will do
so, and recommend the adoption of this most successful
revival, not to say improvement, of an ancient and beautiful
art. The little twwerse are formed by the pressure of dry
powder, and are made with a mathematical precision of form.
I should think they would not wear out even by the use a
ages, they are so hard ; and that it would be decided eco-
nomy to use them instead of floor-cloth, wherever there is
much traffic. Of their superior beauty there cannot be a
question. I believe we are indebted to the liberality of the
nufacturers, Messrs. Minton and Co., of Stoke-on-Trent,
fur the present of this pavement —A MEMBER.
Lbt Drama.
Dm' nY-LANE.-11filfe's new Opera, "The Bond-
man," was produced at this theatre last night with great
success. The libretto, written by Mr. Bunn, is taken from
a vaudeville, performed a season or two ago at the St. James's
Theatre, called" Le Chevalier de St. Georges," and founded
on the history of that celebrated personage, who played so
brilliant a part in the fashionable society of Paris a little
before the Revolution. In Mr. Bung's libretto, R. Georges
is called Ardenford, and is represented as having been in his
boyhood a mulatto slave, on a plantation
between whose
in the island
of St. Domingo, the property of a lady?
daughter and the handsome boy a childish affection had
sprung up. Having been treated with indignity by. his mis-
tress, the boy ran away, leaving his remembrance indelibly
fixed in the heart of his playmate. This, however, did not
prevent her marrying; and, at the opening of the piece, we
find her in France, • rich creole widow, about to contract a
second marriage: while Ardenford has become a man of
fashion, living in the highest society and astonishing the
world by the variety, the brilliancy of his accomplishments,
and the mystery which hangs over his origin. The lady,
whose name is Corinne, is engaged to Count Floretille, the
son of the Marquis de Vernon ; and the marriage prepara-
tions are going smoothly forward, when she and Ardenford
happen to meet. They do not recognise each other ; but,
according. to Mr. Bunn's metaphysics, " there is an
instinct in the heart," which makes them feel like
old friends ; and they become so very friendly, that
the pntendu naturally becomes very jealous, and
trice various schemes to get his rival out of the
way. On the day the marriage-contract is to be signed,
Ardenford pays the lady a visit, and their conversation ter-
minates in mutual recognition, and a mutual avowal of
affection. While he is kneeling at her feet, the father of her
intended enters, and is more surpeued than pleased with what
he sees. By a blunder of Arektsford's foolish servant (die
buffo of the piece, enacted by Harley), the Costing dieoevers
his rival's parentage—that he is the eon of a negro waman,
a slave in St. Domingo. On this the Count insults
him by proclaiming his secret, and branding him as an
impostor—a colonial slave escaped from justice. The
Count's father, (the Marquis de Vernon) hearing the name
of Naomi, the negro woman, is struck with sudden horror •
and it turns out that he himself is the father of Ardenford,
this woman having been his mistress. Meanwhile Arden-
ford has challenged the Count, and • duel is about
former
to take
place between them ; but the Marquis, confessing his
guilt, declares them to be brothers. They embrace
accordingly ; and the fair creole, declaring her
intention of bestowing her hand on her youthful
companion, everything ends d ramiable.—This story is
much better calculated for a light French vaudeville than
for • grand opera in three acts ; and Mr. Bunn has been
obliged to expand (or rather to dilute) the subject
the
by the
introduction of an immense quantity of sing-song, in
shape of ballads, drinking-choruses, hunting-chorus, &c.,
which have nothing on earth to do with it, and by
• heavy load of proving dialogue, guiltless of wit, humour,
or vivacity. Considering . the little scope afforded
for the musical expression of passion, or for the
production of musical effect, Mr. Ballo has comthe off wellt
His overture is a poor affair,—the poorest, we ink, tha
he has written. It is • piece of patchwork—a parcel of
fragments joined together without coherence, and remark-
able for nothing but noise. The piece opens—like all Mr.
Bunn's operas—with a drinking chorus, which is one of
the best things in it. Its harmony is simple and bold,
and there is a syncopated passage of excellent effect. The
first ballad sung by Miss Romer as Corinne, "Child of
the Sun," is exceedingly pretty. The melody is of
and the older
Italian shoal, and the accompaniments are quiet
diced. Miss Romer sang it extremely well, and it received
a loud and genuine encore. This ballad has the further
merit of being well introduced. Corinne sings it as a remi-
niscence of the song her boy-lover used to sing under her
window ; and the same ballad is afterwards sung by Arden-
ford, to arrest the hand of Corinne at the moment she is
about to sign the contract of marriage with his rival ; but
In Harrison's mouth it had no l
onger. the same effect
which Miss Romer had given
" Were it not that folly," accompanied only by. Harrison
wind
meats, was was effective, and deservedly encored. tdr
had several ballads of the "We may be happy yet," stamp,
which he sang with his usual nasal twang, and with his
insufferable practice of drawling out his closing notes to an
endless length, by way of being exceedingly affettuoso. The
encores he received met with much opption. One in
porticular, "They say there is some distant land," pro-
duced a long contest between the yeas and the
nays, and was sung a second time, though th
en-
e beforehand. nays decidedly had it. But it was is pre-determined
core—a music shop encore, fixed and settled

The ballad in the second set, "It is not form, it is not time,"
sang by Miss Romer, though it has nothing to do with the
impelis probably the gem of the opera. Its melodic
are beautifully rounded, and it conte.les en uncom-
mon and striking modulation. It wall remarkably well
sang, and a pretty harp accompantment added to its'
effect. Besides the choruses already mentioned, thew
are two choruses of hunters, in the glee style,
whichwere very pleasing. Tee long pieces of concerted
music, in which some Of the busiest scenes were carried es,
did not strike us as successful. They moved too slow, and
put a drag upon the action. The thud act, which consists
almost entirely of this sort of music, moved very heavily, and
had a sedative effect on the audience. The piece received
justice from the performers. Miss Romer never
better; her voice was fresh, full, and pow-
irelfn ; though she always lacks finish and refine-
ment, we never found lea reason to complain of her
in this respect. Harrison's bad habits seem incurable;
bat he has considerable force, and on several occasions ex-
hibited a degree of energy which produced a thunder of
applause. The parts of the Marquis and the Count were
ly supported by Weiss and Rafter. In the choruses
respectably
music, there were occasional symptoms of
hasty preparation ; but they were on the whole well sung.
The costemes, of the age of Louis XVI., were rick and
headgear. The theatre was crowded. At the end of the
opera the Final* performers, the composer, and (though
last not least) the poet, were called for, and severally made
their obeisances amid ' tremendous applause."
FRENCH PLATS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.—Mr.
Mitchell is certainly not chargeable with harping too much
managerially upon one string; he gives the critic no rest.
We had last night two novelties, a new actress and a new
comedy. The new actress is Mademoiselle Aerie, of the
Porte St. Martin, and of the Ttatre Imperial at St.
Petersburg. She merited and received a favourable race
Lion. Her person is good, despite the defect apparent
universal with French women, and, at all events, wi
French actresses, an excessive hinness ; her features are
pleasing, and her style of acting all the more agreeable
that it is in great measure free from the mannerism
which too generally pervades the style of the
ladies who fill the class of characters represented on thh
occasion by Mademoiselle Angele, whose rule de dame was
Emma Fauvel, in Dumanoir's amusing comedy, " Le Code
des Femmes." This piece turns upon the endeavours
made by a bride, on the very next day after her marriage,
to get separated from her husband, against whom she has,
during the wedding feast, conceived a grievous jealousy. She
sends for a lawyer, and finding that at so early a stage other
conj ugal career she has no other cause for law, than the getting
up some grave injure on his part, seeks to work him up into a
passion, in thehope that he may furnish her with the grave in-
jure in the shape of a box on the ear. The husband, however:,
being a perfect snonstre de douceur towards her, only boxes
the footman's ears, and afterwards, finding out her plot,
turns the tables upon her very amusingly, ere he finally
removes her unfounded jealousy by an explanation. The
part of the ill-used bridegroom was excellently filled by M.
Ithozevil. The new comedy we have to notice is Les
Trois Crisping; ou, la Famille Poisson," by M. Samson.
The personage of Crispin the knavish valet, so pleas let in
his roguery, is found in numerous productions of the old
repertoire of the Thi-ltre Francais. The part was created
in 1660, by Raymond Poisson, a celebrated actor of that
period, who, by the originality of his conception and the
finish of his execution, made the character so entirely his
' own property, that even when he himself retired from the
stage, no one but his son Paul, a veritable son, in birth,
parentage, and education, in form and feature, ventured to
attempt this class of character. When Paul himself grew
old, he, in his turn, was replaced by his son Arnold, than
whom the public Judged none other worthy to assume the
part. It was this peculiar circumstance of the three gene-
rations of Crispin, that gave M. Samson the idea of his
eomedietta ; and he has worked up the idea very pleasantly.
Ho has represented the very senior Crispin's retired from the
stage, and having nothing else to do, out of church, groan-
ing over the years he has misspent on the vile stage, and
anathematizing all profane pursuits, more especially the
military and the histrionic, though his grandson follows, as
be supposes, the one, and his son has succeeded to his
honours in the other. The value of his remorse, however, is
isaaMested when a country manager, who has dropped in,
I teaches his pride as a dramatic author, b 7 appearing to have
I forgotten his former productions in this way; and again,
when his grandson, who has secretly quitted the army, and
achieved triumphs on provincial stages, as Crispin the
Third, gets the old gentleman, by an insidious
stratagem, to show him how audiences were won in his
time. With the country manager, the old gentleman be-
comes all fire while he recapitulates his successes as a dra-
matic author, and asserts the honour of the craft ; aud,while
instructing his sly rogue of a grandson how properly to do
the drunkard on the stage (a capital bison for actors, by the
way), the venerable lirsynumd becomes Crispin himself
again, working himselt up into such an excitement on the
subject, that be actually dons the so long discarded
costume, wherein he issues from his apartment
just as his son and his grandson make their
appearance similarly equipped, presenting a ludicrous
tableau for the close of the piece. M. Perlet, we need
hardly say was the old Poisson; and we still less need to
say that he acted the part modmirably. He was well
supported by Pascal, as the youngest Poisson and by
Mademoiselle Brohan, as I'aul I oisson's niece.

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS.
ozroars DF.e. 11.—MATRYN‘TICAL CLAM LIPT.--CLA.B I.—E. E.
Bastard. Commoner of WWI Coll.
Cuss ll. J. W. Freeborn, Iliblc Clerk of Worcester; W. G.
Palgmre, Scholar of Trin. Coll.
Cure lll.—None.
Cues IV. —W. P. J. G. Fitter, Commoner of Christ Church ; C. W.
Goode, Commoner of Bosoms*, 11. It. Lanbton, Commoner of Cni.
rersity Coll. ; J. L. Morris, Commoner of Worcester Coll. ; W. 11.
Thrapp, Commoner of Exeter Coll.
B. Walker, J. Ashworth, and G. Buckle, Examiners.
UNIVEZATT PIIEACIIT.IOI.—The Rev. J. Jackson, PembookeColl., Sun-
day morning, at St. Mary's; the Rev. 0. W. Lewis, Magdalen Hall,
Sunday afternoon, at tit. Mary's.
Yesterday the Lord Bishop of Oxfonl consecrated a chapel in
his lordship's palace at Cuddesden, under the title of ruddeeden
Palace Chapel, and dedicated it to St. Peter and St. Paul. His
lordship was aasisted in the ceremony by the Ithhop of Newfoundland,
Dr. Phillimore, Bc., Ike. Several loading members of t
he University,
as w‘.ll as a large body of the neighbouring parochial clergy were
present.

NAVAL.
SHEEENEI.E., Due. 11.—The , ffeirau, s. v., Sccond.Master Barker,
has returned from Devonport, after a stormy passage to and from.
She brought some supernumeraries for the Rosamond and Medea,
fitting at Woolwich. The Terrible, E. f., Captain Ramsay, in harbour,
is ordered to have her defects in the shipwright department surveyed
and reported on. The Emeritus in still in the basin. The Seri..ri-
palms, though teak built, Lae been found in a bad condition, but is to
be fitted as a coal depot for the Cape of Gaud Hope.
Tuu Garciax.—Notice is given in last night's Gazette to the °M-
erle and company of Her Majesty's sloop Greeinn, William Smyth,
Esq., Commander, that an amount of the refunded expenses incurred
in prosecuting the Hamburghtee barque Louise,' seized on 25th
Feb., 1641, and restored at Cuxhaven, originally deducted from the
proceeds of the Sandaite, seized on the 12th Feb., 1841, will he de-
posited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty. on the 9th
inst., agreeably to act of parliament.—Thomas Stilwell and Sons,
Deena, 22, Arundel-etreet, Strand.
Tar LATE R.Y.S. on, H.M.S. KINTREI--Thin fast-miling vscht,
late the property of the lamented Commodore of the Royal Taeht
Squadron, having lately tutdergone a thorough purvey and examination
by the dockyard officers, has been purchased by the government, and
the name of Kestrel will henceforth grace the naval list. To the
Royal Yacht Squadron the country is indebted for the stimulus given
to merchant shipbuilders, who have since produced specimen' of
naval architecture, which for mechanical and scientific proportions
haveixen the theme of admiration throughout the world. Tt is rather
a singular fact that different administrations of the Admiralty have
become the purchasers of the two cialerant "flag -ships" of the Royal
, Yacht Squadron, and each of those vessels was built by one and the
same individual, and the Isle of Wight may boast of his habitation.—
Haespskire Guardian.
POET RUM, Jamaica, Nov. s.—The Pickle, 3, Lieut. Bernard,
, arrived from Batabano en the Sth Mat, at which place else was nearly
wrecked, during the hurricane of the 11th October. The Vesuvius,
steam-eloop, Com. ('Callaghan, arrived on the 7th inst., from Bee-
mule, where were lying the Pindictire, 50, flagship, and the Persian,
16, Com. Corytod.
Arroireneesrix. 10.—Cominandem F.. A. Inglefield, J. W.
French, to study.at the steam-factory, Woolwich. Lieutenants W.
J. Luke, to study &tithe steam-factory, Wo
ntwic C. Mina, chief
above, coast-guard; C. IL S. Stanhope, Quee ; W. IL. Ruelbrooke,
St. Vuseent. Surgema Salter LiVeHEy, Albatross. Master's G.
hint E. A. Carey, Columbia. Naval Cadets F. Fletcher, Queen; G.
W. Strom Louis Delcherois, St. Vincent. Dec. D.—Surgeon and
Medial gamekeeper at s' of Good Hope, H. D. Shea. Master's
.. AllWilaile o.Mobibn. ~vat: Caleb Satmdets, Lip/dosing. ACtIEHE
' Aasistant-Sargeon A. it. ,R. Freston, Bransbk. Acting Boatswain
m• W. Tobias, eyser. •
insults

ELITARY.
Coca?-MANTIAL AT CRAT,TAX.—T•IIIIday, • general court-martial
anem`led in the morning at t hese barracks., for the trial of Captain
J. F. Bull, of the 57th regiment., on the following charges, that is to
say, for conduct to the prejudice of. good order and !anther die reitne
in the following instances, viz.:—'k lo having, On the 9th of,,,___QlTl
1546, on board the barque Mary Mine." then M snelthe in
Bay, cape of Good mope, ordered 'Odor Shadforth, 57th rein, the*
being his commanding officer, into arrest. 2nd. For haying at the
same time and place, without authori t 7, lammed the en.e,nniand........_°l the
headquarters of the 57th regiment, . by ordering i.wut-
Grant, then acting adjutant to ..be eons, to place Cap-
tain Stanley, of the same corm under arrest. 3rd. For
having, on the 10th July, 1846, onbot lel the mad =ne ()Karr
Anne), without authority, assumed the coo wandof the -quarters
of the 57th regiment, by taming regimen 'W orders, and relievifi
himself from duty as captain of the day," (Sr which service he
_ nad ! men
tin g of the
been detailed. Sill. For having, on the 10, hluly. and at the same I
place, refused to sign a pass order' fore thing
officers, which order had been issued by Major nlotth, then min-
mending officer. sth. For having, on the said Jule, after be had
been detailed in regimental orders as canton tof the day." left
the said barque Mary
_Anne," although el. 'frets ordero had
)
been given by Major Shadforth, then .log hi Ihvee Pn said
the.cn
barocccntinigi.ft his officer, that
STadforth's) permi officer was :oi Meier Shad-
forutor, wetted the case by atatiob that it was
wit thehat he felt it t be hi; duty to pret If the Present
charges against a brother officer, and briefly detailed the., be
stances set brit' do the foregoing charges' lifter In under;
need • long ex urination, and was followed by Captain S siss
the
er, slid
part by Dr. Jackson, of the same regiment. We ford-
me, at
request of the cant, to give the details of their evidence until the
inquiry is concluded.
Corer-Maretat.—Lieut. Smith, Ist battalion Rl. Art., (recen
barked for Bermuda), who was tried by a general court-mar mu is
Dublin, Mnice-Gen. Moor° prosecutor, for conduct unbecomin T_th,
character, get., in dishonouring a bill for 501., given to • Mu'
discounter, =roan Corer, has, after a most patient investigab IL
been moat honourably acquitted of the charge preferred against lin

SPORTING.
NEWMARKET CHAMPION COURSING MEETING.
NIWMARKST, FIUDAT EVVZIENO. —No coursing to.day, the !MOW
being a foot deep in the town. We wait until orning, expecting s
change of weather ; but we think there is nom chance, and that the
stakes will be divided.

tats intelligence.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY
COUNCIL.—YESTERULT.
Pre.ent.—Lord Brougham, Lord Langdale, Mr. Baron Parke, Mr IL
T.P.J. Ft2At. Right lion. Dr. Luthington, and the Right Hon.

Haa MAJESTY'S PROCTOR V. TEE SOLICITOR FOR THE
DUCHY OF LANCASTEE.—The,
arguments in this case were
concluded to-day and after a long deliberation, Lord
Brougham said the case had been ably argued on both sides,