The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-04-11 00:00:00

COBURG THRAT E.

A lie* burletta uWarrilieattractivetitle of Paul Pry,
was produced at this theatre last evening. Prepossessed as
we were in favour of the original piece of the same name,
and its powerful representative, we cannot refrain from
observing that the Surrey intruder is scarcely less amusing
than his irresistible prototype. His situations are exceed-
ingly humourous, hia chasacter is forcibly drawn, and the
dialogue replete with pointed hits. In truth, we were in
COIIIIIIOII with the whole audience, kept in a roar of laugh-
ter from the beginning to the end of the piece. In this
drama, of course, Paid must be eveFy thing ; the greatest
compliment we can pay Davidge's personation of it after
Liston is to say, that we Aid not miss the original. The
other performers did justice to their respective parts, and
the rapturous approbation with which it Was received, en-
sures it a successful run.

, .
Mas. SIDDONS.—IVe are happy to state, from autho-
rity, that the late occident of this amiable and distin-
guished lady has been attended by no serious consequences,
and that alts is LOW nearly restated to .har usual state of
health.—Ereniag Paper.
Kean, the actor, is on his return from America, where
be has been reaping an abundant harvest.
Mr. Macready ia, we hear, in treaty with Mr. Price,
the proprietor of the principal theatres in America, to suc-
ceed Mr. Kean in that hemisphere. Miss Poole is like-
wise negotiating for an engagement with the same manager.
Miss Kelly, sister of the actress of that name St the Drury-
lane Theatre and the English Opera-house, is the favou-
rite heroine, both in tragedy and comedy, in Philadelphia
and New 'fork.

Morris opens the Haymarket Theatre shortly with a
Very numerous and powerful company. In addition to
Liston and Madame Vestris, and. the other Performers en-
gaged last season, he has Miss Vortle from Dublin, and
Mr. Lee, the author of " Blue Bonnets over the Border."
Mr. Poole has, during the recess, written a Comedy for
the Haymarket Theatre, in which he has again ventured
upon an original character for Liston, which those who are
in the secret assert is likely to prove a formidable rival tq
Purl Pry.
DESTRUCTION Or THE. ROYALTY THEATRE BY Flit •
About half past one o'clock this morning, the above
Theatre was discovered to be on fire, and so rapid was the
progress of the flames, that in a short time the whole of
the building was destroyed. The prompt suet:dance of
the fire-engines, and a plentifttl supply of water, prevented
the extension of the damage, in any material degree, to
the adjoining buildings.
A Parliamentary inquiry will, it is said, be immediately
instituted into the state of the Universities of Scotland. It
is anticipated that the Commissioners will be very minuto
in their investigations.
SINGULAR INVESTIGATION.-011 Thursday an exami-
nation took place before our Magistrates in their private room, vela-
tire to a eircunertance which has excited considerable interest, viz.
the apprehension of a clergyman. The person charged was the
Rel. Mr. Sturgis, and the supposed offence for which he was ap-
prehended was horse.etealitig. The circumstances of the case, as
related by file. Beardsworth, of the Horse Repository in this town,
were these :—At the time of the Warwick races in September,
1822, he offered to lend the prisoner, with whom lie was acquainted,
a horse to accompany his ( Mr. Beard:mot:des) party to the races;
the prisoner accordingly rode with them and attended the course Co
Mr. B.'s horse, which at the end of the first day's race he took to
Mr. Beardeworth's stables at Warwick. The prisoner was staying
at the sane inn as Mr. 8., who paid all his expenses. On the
second day the same horse was lent to the prisoner again, and re.
turned by him in the evening ; but on the third day. when it was
agreed that heshould return wi:h Mr. Beardsworth to Birmingham
after the races—even after begot upon the course, he left the party,
rode off in a contrary direction, and afterwards sold the horse. Ile
wrote to Mr. licardsworth acme time afterwards, and stated in Ins
lane that the horse had become lame, and that he had sold it for 81.,
but did not send the money. Mr. B. had hand-bills printed, and
inserted advertisements, offering a reward for the apprehension of
the prisoner, who from time to time wrote to him, but sent each
letter front opposite par.* of the kingdom, so as to make it hope-
less to trace hint. It appeared that the prisoner was apprehended
at Warwick. where he had been residing, and was one of the ran.
didates for the situation of Chaplain to the county gaol. The Ma.
gistrates told Mr. Besrdswarth that the offence which had been
committed did not amount to felony, and thcrfore he must bring
an action against him for the money. Another charge, for forging
the acceptance of a bill, was preferred against the prisoner by a
person who came from Leicester on purpose. The bill was drawn
on the Rev. Me Cmwther, sod purported to be accented by him ;
no evidence was offered, however, to prove that the bill was a for-
gery, and the prisoner was discharged.—/Tirminglearn Journal.
Awrui. Surtax DEATn.—On Tuesday last, an inquest
was held in the workhouse, on the body of a young woman named
Mary Ann Bryant, and a verdict returned of "Died by the Visi.
tattoo of God." It appeared from the evidence, that she had been
dancing on Monday evening, at the Ring of Bells, Old Town, in
company with her brother and a young man, one of the :loyal
Marine Corps, with whom she was going to be married in a few
days, and had left that house with her intended husband between
seven and eight o'clock. when, at the corner of Treville.street, she
complained of being ill, and was assisted back to the Ring of
Balls; when, in a few minutes after getting there. she expired.
Medical assistance was procured, but to no effect, as life was found
to be extinct. Her body was conveyed to the workhouse.—One of
the frail sisterhood put a period to her exigence on board hie Ma.
jesty's ship Blonde, by strangling herself with the lashing of a
hammock.—Plymouth Herald.
MIDDLENEi HosPIT AL.—Monthly Return of Patients,
from the Ist to 31st March :
In Patients admitted by Letters -
Ditto ditto by Accidents -
Out Patients, admitted by Letters
Ditto ditto by Accidents -

. 100
. 33
- 133
- 136
. 1-26
- 162

Total . . . 3106
In Patients diteharged .
/lemming in the Hospital .18l