The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-16 00:00:00

Or ;Drama•

ILtYMARKET TIIRATItE.—Mr. Webster has followed
up one of the pleasanteet of comedies by one of the most
amusing of farces. We have no doubt that " Queen Mary's
Bower," and "Spring Gardens," will rim on agreeably and
profitably together for the next two or three weeks to come.
We have know u, indeed, far less attractive productions
keep possession of the bills a much longer period then this,
but the system, ex Mr. Webster himself has learned by sad
experience, is a bad one in these days, when the public will
hardly go and see even the most meritorious of novelties.
" Spring Gardens " is a sketch of the times of Charles 11.
Scoreup, mine host of " the ordinary " near Whitehall, has
a pretty bride, whom the too assiduous attentions of the
vicinous gallants induce him to desire at a safer distance from
the Court ; for though she is a very dragon of virtue, and a
perfect dove in fondness for her spouse, there is no knowing
what may happen, when each practised seducer, are spread-
ing their snares so closely around. More especially is Scoreup
apprehensive of my Lord Courtington, one of my
Lord Buckingham's best pupils, who has of late
been dining every day at " the ordinary," obviously
for the sole purpose of watching an opportunity to
circumvent Dolly Scoressp, since nothing but a very deter-
mined purpose, wholly independent of " eaiing cares," can
have induced him to repeat so frequently the extra-venerable
wine that Scoreup has, at once malignantly, commercially,
and testingly placed before his lordship. Mrs. Scoreup,
accordingly, when the farce commences, is upstairs packing
her trunk in immediate anticipation of the stage which is to
convey her, much against her will, to her aunt at Brcntford,
in whose declining health Scoreup has all at once conceived a
deep interest. On this same day, Lord Courtinoton has
ordered dinner at " the ordinary" at two for two, his
being a country friend, Sir Arthur Lord. When his troireisit-
ship finds out Scoreup's intended move, he determines to
counterplot hint, and, by the agency of his man, Light-
foot, contrives to have Dolly conveyed to his house;
but to little purpose, for speedily the discomfited Lightfoot
rushes in to report that Dolly, having attired herself in one
of Lady Clarissa's most killing costumes, had, thus dis•
gused, passed the porter and escaped. This Lady Clarissa
is my Lord North's niece, whom my Lord Courtington is to
marry upon her arrival from the country, an event imme-
diately approaching, as her destined husband, who has n
seen her, supposes, but which has actually taken place,
though not announced in the Court Circular of the day, for
the reason that her ladyship, who loves another person—
the identical Sir Arthur Lovel, already introduced to us—
has come up to town incognito, for the purpose of satisfying
heroic about, or rather of getting up a manifest case, against
he-proposed husband, whose ill reputation has reached her
ears, in the mud way, through the kindness of mutual friends.
It happens—these things do happen so curiously in comedies
—that she repairs to the " ordinary," in anticipation of find-
ing Mrs. Scoreup, of whose existence she has very properly
assured herself beforehand at home; but Dolly being away,
and hearing that his lordship is to dine there that day, the
Lady Arabella conceives it to be a good occasion for cool-
menciof her inquisition, and attires herself in one of
Mrs. Scorcup's suits, wherein to attend upon the guests.
At this juncture, Dolly herself, magnificently attired as
aforesaid, returns home, and being met, ere she has seen her
hudiand, by the designing Courtington, he kindles her
jealousy by assuring her that her husband is a fame man,
who has bundled her into the country, in order to make way
for a surreptitious Mrs. Scoreup. His lordship merely as-
serts this offhand, but the words have scarce left his lips,
when in comes the Lady Arabella, in her Scoreup attire,
and, mistaking Dolly, in her finery and mask, for a duchess,
favours the fiendish fabrication of the nefarious Courtington.
Dolly wants to scratch the hussey's eyes out at once, but my
lord persuades her to wait awhile, and then come down with
all her lightnings upon the convicted Scoreup, and the minx,
his cousin, forsooth. To carry on the design, Dolly consents
to dine with his lordship. who then goes out to seek Local,
and put him off for the day. Meanwhile, Dolly and Lady
Arabella, and Sir Arthur, who, having missed Courtington,
come in, exchange mutually satisfactory explanations, and
then plot effectually to Menthe tables upon the plotter. To
this intent, Lady Arabella, reuming her proper attire, is,
on Courtingtoti's return, introduced to him as the supposed
shire aneie of Scoreup, said to be disguised as a lady, in
order to make a fool of that already most ill-treated person.
Coo rtingtoti enjoys the idea, and the four, taking their seats,
order up dinner, a portion of which is brought in by
Scoreup, aghast with horror at the false information
with which Lightfoot has crammed him, that his
Dolly has gone off with a six-foot three major
of horse. In due course, matters are cleared up, Lady
Arabella accepts the hand of Love!. Lord Courtington walks
away very composedly, thanking his friend and the
Arabella that they have made a fool of him, before he
.:tarried instead of after, aud Sioreup e.abrscing li, s.
Scoreup, expressed the hope that people will come and see
his Dolly and " Spring-gardens " every evening, an invita-
tion accepted with general and warm cordiality. The parts
are excellently filled. Mr. H. Holt is a Lord Courtington,
of whom Scoreics might very well be apprehensive; Julia
Bennett a Dolly, to render staider men than his lordship
irregular. Mrs. S. Buckingham, so attractive a Lady Ara-
bella, as to leave no other excuse for Courtington's indiffer-
ence, than his not having previously seen her. Buekstone, a
Score up, such as none but Buckstone conldexhibithim. The
house was throughout in ecstasies of genuine laughter.

SADLER'd WELLB.—Miss Laura Addison appeared
last night in the eharatler of Mrs. Haller, tho heroine of
" The Stranger," a play, the pathos of which no one 'tan
resist, although almost every one censures its morality.
liotzebue, its satin:, was so bitterly abused while living, so
hlitle pitied, deeds Ms ealhstanate end, when dead, that the
imputation of reeenesliw Ms principle* of ethics would
appear to his friends but a ght one. If, however, regard
be h:ul to the condition of society in Germany when this
play was produced, under the more siguifintnt title of
Misanthropy and Remorse" (Menarlaenliasz tend Roue),

it might be asked, with some confidence of an affirmative
answer, whether this drama was not a bold and indignant
protest against the toleration of notions which, in assail-
ing the obligation of the matrimonial tie, were shaking
the very foundations of the existing social system. They who
would test the moral value of this work must compare he
tone and principles with these propounded in Ooethe's pby-
' Biological romance Die IVahkertrosidischafien. When they
find the most winning and powerful writer of a nation treat-
ing conjugal love as a thing dependent on ail.nities, elective
as those which irresistibly and uniformly determine the
intermutual action of chemical agents : when they read the
seductive eloquence and plausible ratiocination which he
puts into the mouth of a personage who would make of mar-
riage a septennial uaiou only ; they may be diapered to
think that, in showing remorse, misanthropy, and
confusion to be the cansequences of conjugal infi-
delity, a dramatist did some service, though he
condescended much to repentance. As the piece
was performed last night, even virtue the mast austere might
have been satisfied ; not a sign was given from which it
could be inferred that the sufferings of the heroine had: suf-
ficed to procure a remission of punishment ; the curtain fell
upon her form, prostrate, perhaps dead, unrestored to a hus-
band's arms. Miss Addison played her part in a manner
that rendered the inflexibility of the husband en act
of heroism more than Roman. Indeed, the audience
seemed perfectly to agree with Peter in the play,
who professes a readiness to do anything for Mrs. Haller
if she will only allow him to stare at her. The intensity
of feeling which marked her action in the more agitating
scenes, was kept in touching subordination to the leading
idea which she had conceived of the character,—that of a
person to whose broken and contrite heart the expression of
grief or pain would appear sinful indulgence. In the lees
trying portion of the play she exhibited elegance of manner
and graceful seriousness that show her to lie well fitted for
dignified comedy. A certain breadth in the intonation of
the vowels, and occasional carriage of the person at an obtuse
angle, are faults which, we doubt not, will in time be
amended. Mr. Phelps, as the Stranger, received well-
merited applause.

einfbersitp sub Cairn' Otbt
CAMBRIDGE, Ocr. 13.—The Woodwardlan Professor will com-
mence his course of Geological lectures cm Monday, Nor. 2, In the
Geological Museum, and continue them tic Ave days In the week till
the end of the course.
The Bishop of Ely bas presented F. J. Boughton, 8.A., of SI.
John's, to the kllowship at Jesus founded by Bishop Stanley.
The Rec. Edward Arthur Illingwarth, M.A., of Catherine Ball, Cam-
bridge, formerly curate of Edgbaston, has been elected to the Head
Mastership of the Birmingham and Edgbastan Proprietary School,
meant by the preferment of Dr. John Ryall to the Vice Principalship
of the Goverment College at Cork.
Timm' Cocisoa.—The Rev. W. Hutchison sad the Rev. H. MID!,
late of Trinity College. were admitted into minor orders of tics Roman
Catholic Church by bishop Wiseman upon Sunday lamt.—Cambridge
Adrerliser.
By the ,'eatb of Dr. Pedal, the Rectory of Marylebone has become
vacant, together with that of Kingswlnford.