The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-18 00:00:00

FOREIGN THEATRICALS.

The P 1

'aria Italian Op, open, we are informed,
under its new director, M. Corti, about the middle of
November. Little is yet known of the personnel of the
troupa ; but it is stated that we are likely to hear some
of our favourites of the olden time, among whom the
names of Mmes. Grisi and Persiani, and NI. Tambur ini
have been mentioned. MM. Bettini and Maset, both of
whom hays been heard at the Grand Opera, have also
been named, but nothing, we believe, is as yet defini-
tively settled. The Minister has given M. Corti the
priv 'lege for three years, with the power of resigning
at the close of each season. The Government grant
him an annual subvention of 100,000 fr., out of which
the rent of the salle, amounting to 60,000 fr. or 70,000 fr.
is to be defrayed.
The health of Mlle. Rachel, which since her return to
Paris has been too delicate to permit her appearing in
any of those characters that require much physical
exertion, is now, all admirers will be glad to hear, gra-
dually improving.
Bazziui, tho violinist, has been creating a perfect
furore at Lyons, whence, according to the last accounts,
he was proceeding to Italy.
At the Cannobiana, in Milan, Amalia Ferraris con-

tinues to attract large audiences.
At Rome the opera is flourishing; Mlle. Piccolomini
becomes every day a greater favourite, and her fellow
artistes forma good working troupe, remarkable for its
ensemble. M. Soares is the basso, and M. Guiglini is
described as a respectable tenor. In the last opera, Don
Bucefalo, Mlle. Piccolomini is reproached with an abuse
of the great iLxibility of her voice. Pacini's Buondel
monte was in rehearsal for Mme. Barbieri-Nisi.

La Scala, at Milan, is to open with a new opera: by
a composer named Mezzucato, entitled Luigi Quinto.
No mention is yet made of the troupe.
According to the Osservatore Triestino, Mlle. Plunkett
has been engaged for the opera at Trieste, as " ballerina
di primo cartello," at a salary of 10,000 fr. a month.
The company for the Italian Opera at the Oriente, in
Madrid, has been completed, and the season was an-
nounced to commence in the early part of this month.
The principal artistes are Mmes. Clara Novello, Angri,
Capuani; Messrs. Cuzzani, Bettini, and Vitali are the
tenors, and the baritones and bassi are Messrs. Coletti,
Roppa, and Selva. The only star in the ballet depart-
ment is Mme. Flora Fabbri.

The company at St. Petersburg this season will com-
prise Mlle. Cruvelli, Mme. Medori; MM. Mario, Ron-
coni, and Tamberlik, and the great basso, Lablache, who
now visits the Russian capital for the first time.
Mlle. Bochkoltz Falconi and M. Stigelli are at present
ine.Sontag
on a musical tour in Germany, which, from all accounts,
appearsl to be attended with complete success.
Metropolitan made her tifbut before an American
audience, on the 27th of last month, and, from all
accounts, with a success second only to the Lind
cess at one oilfaitlhelasnat
furor. The New York Courier says that she " left
fall o
wail of the violinsevening,ost
delightful
brilliantly
a sacntly
ever given in this city." From the first
attended concerts
ine the " Freyschutz" overture, to the
last dying
the delighted attefnhtiornvoine in
" "nine,
Sweet lome,"
long and able critique, on
by the performers."
in the following characteristic
alluded to concludes a
Theof the audience was commanded
Mme. Sontag's performances,
c iaer stylee e r evening
strange and brit-
her
When she gathered
l i a"Mme.
s f Sontag
beevgeannt lastt
il
shoeorafihrsatvefirtsemt IpatuerdehlsertsheesnawaertrdospiZof China might as
republic, which then held no such positionnt.rßnPuntisiain ofce that
lovely woman who last evening charmed thousands
mere grace of her presence, first woke the ent;u by the
Europe, we have become a mighty nation, and sithaisamhaost
become a great city; one of the great centres of art and
civilization on the globe. We have been growing old;
and in our wearying, wearing struggles onward, the
whole nation has become haggard sill careworn even to
making us a proverb and a byword; but she seems to
have drunk of the tabled spring which bestowed eternal
youth and loveliness; and now to our faded youths
comes this blooming matron, with all the bright gifts of
nature th,it were ever hers, cnly mellowed by the hand
of time. It seems as if she might go on singing and
charming the world for ever; and as if our children
might
unlading, youth and grace, might then, i
might be enchanted as we are now by her who,
n
called, cave for the unimpeachable purity ofher be
life, the
ot now,o
Ninon de l'Enclos of song.''

WAS PENN EVER. A SLAVEH,,LDER ?..—Did Wm.
Penn ever make use of negro slaves ? As this question is
put, I should think he did ; and for my authority in thus
believing would refer Mr. Croosfield to Hepworth Dixon's
recent " Life of Penn," published in London in 1851, p.
389 :—" Many years after this he (Penn) spoke of slavery as
a matter of course, and though he refrained from the actual
purchase of negroes, so as in strict fact never to become a
slaveowner, yet he constantly hired them from their masters,
and they formed a regular part of the establishment at
Pennsbury." William Penn was, therefore, a slaveholder, if
not a slaveowner. Many planters in America are similarly
ituated at the present day ; they hire slaves to cultivate
heir land, but do not own them. Mr. Bancroft would appear
to be correct..-Frotn Notes and Queries.