The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-27 00:00:00

LYCEUM.

The brilliant promise of the Lyceum announce-
lit was brilliantly fulfilled by the spectacle of last even-
ing. After The (range of Speoration, in which Mr. C.
Mathews sustained the part of Affable Hawk with his usual
ability, the audience were pre•i•nted with a splendidly
bound edition of " Planehe upon d'Anois," under the title
of The Prince of Hopp, Land; er, the Fawn in the Forest.
According to the emnbined authority, the Grand Duke of
Vert and Venison(Mr. F. Matthews) has a beautiful &sighs
ter, the Princess Desiderata (Miss Laura), who is immured
by his paternal care in a splendid chamber underground
lest she should suffer from the spells of the malignant
fairy Carabossa (Mrs. Foote), who owed her a grudge in
consequence of some difference of opinion with her mamma.
But though close her concealment the Prince of Happy Land
(Miss St. George) has heard of her charms, and renounces,
us her favour, Niaretta, Princess of Ethiopia (Miss Grove)
to whom he had been betrothed by his father. By a device
only known to fairy tales ke gets introduced to the under-
ground palace in the shape el his own picture, the princess
is immediately smitten, and a treaty of marriage is the re-
sult. But a difficulty intervenes. Serest suns must yet
ciao before the Princess will be out of Cie power of Cara-
Mesa, and hence there is great risk in attempting a
journey to join her husband in Happy Land. The
Prince's ambassador (Mr. Raker) suggs do a carriage so
close as to exclude the sun's rays, and the procession de-
parts. But Nigretta has not been idle. Under the advice
of Carabossa, she raises a troop of Ethiopian sert•nattera,
and waylays the royal party. Tho capers charm the
attendants with their innsie, and Nigrata, seiz-
ing her opportunity, cuts away the curtain, when
the Princees thus suddenly brought to light, sutlers tho
promised penalty of the larks' malignancy, and is isnmedi-
ately changed into a white fawn. By some unaccountable
process, the l'rince is brought to hunt in her sylvan haunts.
and, as might b expected, is unlucky enough to shoot at
and wound his betrothed. Affairs are now M•ginaing to
' look rither gloomy, but Florctta, the Princess'a waiting-
maid (Madame Vestris), is lucky enough to possess a talis-
man which brings the fairy Pine Apple to the rescue, and
' the Princess is restored to life, I ive, and humanity, Nigrette
is filially nonsuited, and the Prince of Happy Land
' made as happy as any man iu his dominions. An
alkenee of allusisn to the topics of the day was
felt in tho course of the time, an otnission for which
we suppose we may thank the Chamberlain's recent
• sudden attack of seal for critical revision. Nevertheless
the audience were in ths last humour, cheered one or
' two hits immensely, and found ample food far admiration
in the splendour of the scenery and decorations. Mr.
Beverley has already obtained the palm for realising tho
glove., of fairy land, and certainly his efforts in this (
Inas niece fully justify his reputation. The scene of " Peer
less Pool," with its gorgeous tropical foliage and splendid
atmaigherictflects, drew down thunders of upulause ; and
, one or two sylvan landscapes that followed were objects of
, quieter but more discriminating admiration. The magnifi-
cent concluding scene, which is now regularly expected at
the Lyceum, was as brilliant as usual, and brought down
the curtain amid loud and general cheering. The piece
must he said to have achieved success in a very crowded
house.