The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-28 00:00:00

Laid:aw red as ace aeti and moat energetic Columbine :
to go thringh the dtomata at tun, frolic, and wit, with
which the harletuinade fruition-4,1y alsenu.ded, would waste
Baer. space than they djetive. The vendiet, returned by a
lootUy di entient j Levy war, that the first Diceum pantomime
is a dead fai'ure.
Ala Ft. rill. For the diminished popularity of
Chri,nuas pantomimes during the Lost few years their in-
arease4l cleanliness as ill sulliehittly account. The slow poison
is now becoming more tlecisise in its effists, and will doubt-
less speedily caannimmate their extinction. The Adelphi,
and some ether theatres we are ooticitg, dispensed with this
clue of eutertainment, and althouch the want was exem-
plified throughout 'he e.ve Ling by she extreme quietude of
the 1.;21k which 'was ay. fal C 4.001.:( r:t.g the occasion—the
fact must still remain admitted; fur the rampant enthusiasm
of a t• boxing-night" was wertniag during the Satur-
day night's performance.. The novelty consisted of a dra-
matia scream of the old story of the " Vendetta." which
has been drateatixed some score of times already. It it
ca 114.1 " Co:quite ,Le sia.er." This story of Corsi-
can rsvengc ha? been an often told that we need nut repeat it.
The- character., on the peewit occasion, were in every
last: axe well supported, out combined the "whole
strength of the company." Wright indulged in his
usuil vasouies, and P.sul ilolferd's held style of art ap-
peere.d to its usual advautage. The performances of Mr.
Joh,' e and Lis these was tie'deucel. They exhibited
their •• wonderful
.sS or yalesdatigues " an extraordinary
exhibitio... MOT, w,,,,, than phasing. The youngest
of the .-ant- '..fiag scarcely able to walk alone, his attempts at
gym-washes were highly amusing. The entertainments con-
cluded with the " I%.ionani Dancer .." The audience was
not iterneroas, the house Lein.; seeicely tided at half price.
Sa horat'a Weita.s. —So eager were the visitors
at this. theatre. on Models,. night, for their usual holiday fare,
that they neada succeeded. by their noisy impatience, in
convaiskia the play of '"the Stranger " into a pantomime •
a clegnge which some thi..k would •.ot be altogether undo'.
sizable. The paiitomicee which hallowed bears the title of
" Harisa,uiu and s. Ilapt.y Ne se Year, or the White Cat and
the King and h.. three Sew," and i- a very creditable spe-
cimen ot this kind of eatertaiumeut. The scenery is good,
and the trieka and traiodiermaiens are clever, and many of
thefts well canceived. The allusion* also to the leading poli-
tical arced of the expiring ye sr (principally borrowed from
PinerL 1, ;ire harpy, and well hit oil. There is some very
gooir dancing, ...ad the pautontimista exhibited at !cast en
aver.ege amenrt of heernour steel agility. The success of the
pies' was complete.
01. r Olympic opened for "boxing
night.," under the management of Mr. G. Bolton, to a
crowned house, intent WI enjoying the. fun of a Christmas
pantomime, aevidenced by the uproarems impatience with
which the time-honoured tragedy of " Jane Shore" was
witnessed. At leneth, however, tl e heroine (Mrs. R.
(}orlon)-did die, tier curtain dropped, and, after divers
skirntie,es oreapters eel the upper region, the
pantomime eotille d .• King Allred the Gnat ; or, Harle-
quin, iliatery, did the Eachaieual Raven," was ushered
in, be ing " a grand, gorge ous, historical, comical, tragical,
pastoral " pkce of cernpositiun. The only incident
which connected the great Saxon monarch with the perform-
ane was his introductiou into the herdsman's cottage
in which the king allowed the cakes to burn, when
" thiiskynge of los seal plsghte he dichle forgette to turn
them, and ro got seueellie rated for bye Deglect•' The trans-
form:Jima were amusing, and cleverly executed; and, as is
the went in all such cznibitiona, tne pawing events of the
day were made the >uhji et of a clever pautomimic satire, the
most ladicrms of whiel was a peavatal bur the vagrant Wel-
lington statue, deaigivel by the Clown (Mr. JefferinD, which
we Val to reehnunchol ve the notice of Sir F. Trench and the
rest of thee cam nittce. These:entry was well got up, and the
characters et 'oisembiele ( Anne Slott) end /kr/ea/obi
(Mr. Curnnckl ably atomised. We will only add that the
exerticns ot the any manager to eater for the taste of the
holiday hats as...meal to Lase been successful.
titittthr.— The Saturday's entertainment at the
Sarre,y had at leant the charm of novelty to mann-
mead it. Not e intent with ft pantomime, the managers pro-
duce el n ur.y *i.,•,:.-Net piece, or which it is no small praise to
say that it was sufficiently interesting to arrest the impati-
ence of a Christmas audience. The "li Ina of Cards" is the
dramatic boyish) ; and the mere mention of the name, taken
together with the focole of representation, will, we conceive,
autti.denUy indicate its se Ipe and i aention. A couple of
=than. of the right Suit, a sehtimental lover, with a
plentiful supple of " elsgger and cord," to which
we must not beget vi add a heroine, adorned with
every teutal.e grace, anti an accomplished aptitude for the
broad.. vord cat rei..e, form the &mutant perfume. These,
coll. ivet) or indiA ;dually, drive through the three acts in •
perfeet hurricane of -triki.eg situations, and wind tip at last
amid a profoision of blue and red flee, in the manner most
accordant with the elates of poetical justice as administered
in n.cludreeroue. The pantomime is "Harlequin King
of the Castle," stay gurgcuusly got up, and exceed-
ingly well danced told tumbled. For our taste it
is somewhat of the longest; hut genius is often exuberant,
and we have no doubt that the pruning-knife of the
manager will be judiciuusly employed in future representa-
tions Beth mecca were execriingly well received, and
every tenant which the galleries could hear, without interrup-
tion to their own more interesting colloquial intercpurae, was
hormonal with a very fair amount of applause.
VICTORIA,—•" The Mack Doctor," a piece adapted
from the Frer.ch, and the " Birth of Steam" are the Chriet-
mas noveltha provided by the manager fur the amusement of
the th.l'elay Ilk who frequent this theatre. The former
piece. i- n ice ilNitalla, in tour acts, which contains some
affectime Mr.:dents. It was well received, and Mr. Hicksand
Miss Vilicent, oho sustained the principal characters' ob-
tained a weld-merited, but too vociferous applause. The
latter, however, was the piece for the occasion. It opens
with the entrance 4)1 the Emperor of the realms of Topsey
Turves., whom, old-tieshioned ideas are quite opposed to the
new order of things introduced by the " Birth of Steam." I
The entertuinineet is carried on thr. ugh eight stations, and
stops at last at " the grand terminus of pantomine in the
realms of laughter." Whilst passing through these several
stations, the principal topics of the day, social and political,
are intr Armed in a grotesque and laughable form, by
means of the mechanical contrivances usual, from time im-
memorial, on these occasions. There was, now and again, a
little awkwardness in shifting the machinery, but, on the
other hand, the scenery was excellent, and, on the whole,
the piece received a boisterous reception from an audience
crowded to inconvenience.
ASTI,EY's.—The performances at this place of enter-
tainmont on Saturday night consisted of the fortieth represen-
tation ot the "Demon Horse," scenes in the circle, and the
new Pantomine of the "Forty Thieves, or Harlequin and
Ali Baba." The last was admirably and expensively pro-
duce!, both ai regards scenery and devotes but it did not
fulfil the usual requirements of pantominc in the way of
drollery. It was, however, successful, and appeared to
give great satisfaction to a very crowded and very orderly
audience.
Crry op LONDON.—The performances for the Christ-
mas holidays commencedou Saturday night with a version of
Home's tragedy of " Douglas," Mrs. Manner taking the part
of Donylas. Little of the play could be heard front the
noise ; and at times the stage was dimmed by a dense mist
of dust, caused by a very crowded, and boisterous audience,
composed chiefly of errand-boys. After the tragedy there
tame the force '• Of Age To-morrow," the principal part,
that of Baron Ilarrieburg, being perform, d by Mr. J.
Webster, who did it justice. The pantomime, called "He
with the Hunchback, or King Dick," alter an interval of
more than half ate hour, was then produced. It is a poor
tracestee of Shalopeure's " Richard the Third," but was
suited to the taste of the audience, whose applause was
frequent.
QUEEN'S. —Considering the very low price of ad-
mission to this little theatre, we were rather agreeably
surprised to find that the Christmas pantomime, under the
title of " Tom Tiddler," was produced with much taste and
display in the scenery and dresses, and with clue regard in
the dialogue to the capacity and character of the audience
likely to witness it. But we have to regret that their de-
meanour on Saturday night was far from being commensu-
rate with the spirited exertions of the manager to ammo
them. With every wish to make allowance for the festive
period of the year, when even the poorest amongst us seek
for some source of joyous excitement, we cannot refrain from
saying that the conduct of the audience upon that occasion
was most disgraceful—marked, ea it was, hyanproar amount-
ing to riot, and exclamations which forced upon us the belief
• that from a theatrical performance they were incapable of
deriving any real pleasure. We hope the day is not far
distant when we may have to record better things even of
the humblest classes of the metropolis.

'UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS.
CAMBIZIDGE.—tNI•EIISITT REPRY., NTATION.—A rumour boo been
lately circulated, that Mr. Goulburn intended to withdraw at the next
rleelection. We have no authority from Mt. Goulburn to contra-
il but we can confidently state, on the beet authority, that there
is not the slightest fiumilatMn for the report.—Cambridge Indepen-
dent Preu.

SPI/ORN Daunt OP THE RFT. W. T. TITILLWALL, RECTOR OF
ICKLEFORD.—An inquest was held before T. Swoeder, Esq.,
coroner, at Baldock, on Wednesday, when the following facts
were detailed in evidence —Mr. S. Yeasey solicitor, of Bal-
dock, stated—On Monday the 21st, about ha:if-wt. three o'clock,
the Rev. T. W. Thirlwall, who was rector of Ickleford, Herta,
called upon me on professional business ; he was with me in
conference about an hour; towards the clam of his conversation he
became more impatient and irritable in manner than 1 bad previously
!mown him. Ills carriage came round, and be was preparing to
go; he kept talking fast, and bin utter-are was indistinct ; on
a sadden he slipped from his chair, and fell before I could
arid him. His nephew was in the roam, and assisted him
to a chair. Afterwards, by the desire of the deceased, he was re-
moved into an armchair; he appeared to me fainting, and in need
of stimulant. My servant brought a glass of wine; the deceased per-
ceived it was sherry ; he mid he should prefer a glass of port; he
took one with an apparent relish ; he then appeared to us in a faint
state. I wished him to take my close carriage, bat be preferred his
own open carriage. Perceiving he dial not get better, I then sent for
Mr. Sharpe, his conservation becoming incoherent, and he appeared
wandering. Mr. Sharpe came almost immediately. He was about
67 years old."—Me. G. It. Sharpe, surgeon, stated r—l was called in
on Monday afternoon last, about tire o'clock; I found deceased
attempting to talk, but it was scarcely possible to understand a word he
said. I ordered him to bed; he went to bed at Mr. Veasey's : I
assisted him up with Mr. Vcasey and his servant. The
insensibility and lore of muscular power gradually increased, and,
from the full character of the pulse, I deemed it right to bleed him.
I then requened Dr. Hicks to be sent for. He came, and then we bled
him. Shortly afterwards Dr. Hawkins, his usual medical attendee'',
was sent for, and be came; and the bleeding was repeated in Dr.
Hawkins' presence, an well as Dr. Hicks'; we applied leeches also.
He continued to get worse, and insensibility quickiv increased. I con.
*stied in attendance upon him all the time until his death, except
about an hour. He died at about a quarter past four on Twiday
morning. There was decided paralysis of the left side. He died of
apoplexy."—G. H. Hicks, M.D., of Baldock, corroborated the fore-
going evidence. Verdict, "Died by the visitation of God."
ISZIAND.--Tex CHI:ECM—On Sunday, the 20th inst., his Grace the
lard Primate held an ordination in the cathedral of Derry. The fol_
lowing gentlemen were ordained:—Priests: Reeds. E. Newenham,
T. Twigs. 0. S. Greer, G. Hunt—Deanna A. S. Irwin, R. Homily
too, H. W. Young, B. Wads, A. Gilmour.—The Lord Bishop of
Down, Connor, and ifromore, held an ordination in the parish church,
Hlliebeiroogh, on Sunday, the 20th init., at which the following gen-