The Sun.
London, England, 1855-10-29 00:00:00

DRUBY-LANE THE Arm.

On Saturday The Critic was porton/al at this theatre,
in which Mr. Charles Mathews sustained the parts of
Puff and Sir Fratfel Plagiary. We have nothing fresh
to say about impersonations so well known as those by
which Mr. Mathews has made the irritable and envious
baronet, and the magnificently impudent author, his
own. We say "his own," for although other actors do
from time to time attempt them none have yet success-
fully provoked the comparison. The drennatis persona
of the tragedy were performed with considerable hu-
mour by various members of the company. Mrs. Fiank
Matthews, as the representative of Tilburina, indeed de-
serves a particular mention for the breadth of her mock-
heroics and the loftiness of her petniance as an actress;
while Mr. Robert Roxby was the most interesting, tru-
culent, and free-and-easy of Wkidierandon. But, per-
haps, we had better stop ; or some of our readers who
have never seen the performers we have mentioned may
imagine that we have been taking a lesson from Mr. Puff,
All we can say is, before they Judge us harshly, let them
go and see for themselves. The house was crowded.

HAYMARKET TREATRE.

On Saturday. a 11077 foar-act play, entitled The Be-
ginning and the End, from the pen of Mrs. Lovell, the
authoress of Ipgomar, wai prcdnced here. In order to
give strength to the cast M:". Iluckstone ha! availed
himself of the servicea of Ml3l Cushman ; and it is to
the efforts of that lady that the eethorces is mainly in-
debted for the 3LICCOSS that this play met with. The
plot is as follows :—A certain German merchant, named
Hoffman (Mr. Rogers), is on his death-bed, and is about
to bequeath the whole of his fortune to his partner Van-
derkiste (sir. Braid), a grasphig, selfish. man. During
the latter years of his life Heffinen has aliowed a small
annuity to a certain Lambert, foemeely a clerk, and this
man is, with hie wife and children, eSarvine on the pit-
tance. Their abode is under the control of Vanderkiste.
and he, on the death of the old man, means to
turn the family adrift. Mrs. Lambert (Mire Cush-
man), on learning their impending fate, seeks out
Hoffman, and informs him of the state of affairs. The
old man alters his will, on the persuasion of Mrs. Lam-
bert, in favour of his natural heir, and having. done so
in her presence, he places it under his pillow. Mrs.
Lambert is tempted to steal the will, and a false one is
substitutes, in
lma
uses. I..uavt. liar husband, is be-
queathed the whole of Hoffinetes propeety, esee:sseee,
this device, havirys become rich, remorse for the crime
they had committedr' seized both huebaid and wife, and
as the husband is indulging in brandy, Mat Hall (Mr.
Howe), who witnessed the stealing of the will unknown
to Mrs. Lambert, arrives, and not only demands his
share of the spoil, but insists upon receiving the hand
of Lambert's daughter Rachel as the price of silence.
The mother finding entreaties in vain attempts to poison
Hail, but he imagining something is wrong with toe
wine offers the glass to Mrs. Lambert 's child, and a
scream from Mrs. Lambert strengthens his suspicion. He
then compels her to save the child to swallow the
potion, and the curtain falls upon the death of Mrs.
Lambert—who, however, witnesses the arrest of Mat
Hall, and is thus folly assured of her daughter's safety.
The first part of the play is decidedly the best, but the
latter part degenerates into melodrama. As we have be-
fore remarked the wholo weight of the play fell upon
Miss Cushman, who, as the fond and despairing mother,
exhibited all the pswers of a consumeatte arti,stsi. Miss
Swanborough, as Rachel, was excellent, end Howe, as
Mat Hall, was exceedingly effective. The piece, which
has been placed upon the stage with the greatest care
and attention, war given Cu's for repetition every even-
ing.
a1ian....1