The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-19 00:00:00

)Al7 EVENING, OCTOBER 19, 18521

Ll't_ r THEATRE.

Th ever-sparklim. .arles Mathews and the peer-
less and perennial Va , opened the campaign for the
season last evening, in s elegant theatre. The hence
gas crowded, despite a casein tho market (whether pru-
dent in the main or no, time will tell), the pit havirg
been advanced from twa shillings to half-a-crown, and
the upper boxes from 1 air shillings to five. The first
piece was a new comic c rama in two acts, called " The
Mysterious Lady," an se -citation from the French, from
the pen of Mr. Planet), The original piece is a little
vaudeville, of the most light and farcical description.
The adapter has endeavoured to give a more substan-
tial and serious character, and to raise its tone by
writing the dialogue in blank verse. The result has not
been very happy; for the slightness of the subject and
the absurdity of the incidents are only rendered more
apparent by this elaborate mode of treatment. There is
an old gentleman, Sir Amaranth Fitzape, who has a
great admiration for the character of a roué, and sends
his nephew on his travels for the express pur-
pose of his acquiring the accomplishments belong-
ing to such a character. The uncle joins his
nephew et santwerp, and is rejoiced to find that his
design has been successful, fur the young gentleman
(Hector Fitzape) has, by his own aecotuat, male h.mself a
perfect Don Juan. But there are also at Antwerp a gen-
tleman, named Blackstone, and his daughter, who are
there for the purpose of unmasking " young'hopeful's"
character, and exposing him to his uncle as a mere pre-
tender to the character he assumes. Their scheme con-
sists in disguising themselves as a Corsican count and
countess, and persuading the uncle and nephew that the
count is a tremendous persoaage, who puts any one
to death who pays any attention to his wife. The uncle
is charmed with an adventure that will give his nephew
au opportunity of showing his spirit ; but Hester is
frightened out of his wits. After being terrified in
various ways, he is at length persuaded that the count
has put a deadly poison in his wine after dinner. He is
in agonies of horror, of course, of which he is not re-
lieved till Lis cowardice and false pretensions to the
character of a couragocus scamp are fully exposed.
There is another character in the piece, a properly
behaved young gentlemen, between whom and the
young lady there is an affair of the heart, which ends
in marriage ; but the connexion of this underplot with
the principal business was by no means apparent. The
principal part was performed by Mr. Charles Mathews,
who acted with great spirit, and made the last scene
very laughable ; but this was the only character that
produced any effect. At the fall of the curtain there
was considerable applause, mixed, however, with loud
disapprobation ; and this contention lasted a good many
minutes before Mr. C. Mathews came before the cur-
tain with Miss Oliver, and made his bow hastily. A
call for the author, raised by two or three persons, was
not attended to.

The middle piece was the Golden Fleece, (produced
hero by the permission of Mr. Webster,) a justly fa-
vourite classical extravaganza, which was done full hon-
our to, and which was made the medium for the reap-
pearance of the manageress,;Madame Vestris, who wasgreete,cl with a cordiality that could only arise from
genuine admiration. We were glad to find the lady
looking remarkably well, and in possession of all her
usual vigour, notwithstanding the reports circulated as
to her health, and which we were gratified to learn were
groundless.
Her acting was the perfection of burlesque, combin-
ing classic grace and elegance with grotesque and racy
johpnarody,
,
humour. her mellow contralto voice was as beautiful as
ever, and her singing was delightful. Her
in particular, of the old scotch ballad
An-
derson, my Jo," was exquisite, and received with
acclamation. The part of Jason (originally Mrs.
Keeley's) received ample justice from Miss St. George,
The entertainments concluded with a farce, called
A House out of the Windows, which is extremely inge-
nious and amusing. The entire action is conducted iu a
cleverly set scene, showing the front windows of a first
and second floor. On the second floor resides Mr Paul
Potter, an artist (Ur. licesby), who makes strong love to
Julia (Miss Martindale), on the drawing-room floor, at
first letting down letters with a string, and ultimately
descending by a rope-ladder himselt. He is found in
this situation by Closecard, the landlord, himself an old
beau ; who draws up the rope ladder, and goes for a
policeman. Poor Paul is lett in a sad dilemma, and he
is wetted to the skin by a pouring raia ; and his lady-
love coming to his rescue, with an umbrella, is herself
shut out in the balcony with him. This situation caused
much fun, and was made the most of by Mr.
Baxley, The fate of the young couple appears cri-
tical, when Paul contrives, at apparently an immi-
nent risk, to slide down the gas lamp, and to regain his
own apartment ; so that when Closecard arrives with
a policeman, he appears in his night robe, at his own
window, and the old landlord is abused by all parties,
including the policeman he has fetched, as a drunken
old ass who has created a useless brawl. Of course, an
old aunt (Mrs. Macnamara) consents to the union of
the young people, and their hands are united in the
balcony ; no one having ever appeared actually on the
stage, and the whole of the action having taken place
out of the windows. It is a very clever little piece,
with a good deal of smart dialogue ; and two or three
novel and telling situations in it. The audience enjoyed
it very much, and the actors all (including the Mario-
nette-like policeman) did the utmost for their parts, and
it consequently was thoroughly successful, and is likely
to continue a favourite. It is said to be the production
of one of the Mr. Broughs.

SPORTING NOTES.

No. CCCXX.X.
CAMBRIDGESHIRE " WAIFS AND STRAYS."
(To the Editor of the Sun.) •
Srit,—The following scraps of information respecting
the last great Handicap of the season, have been col-
lecting during the last ten days, partially at Newmarket,
but principally in those clubs and places where sporting
men most do congregate. Taking its money for my
guide, I find that those stables, the names of which are
given below, in all likelihood will be represented by the
horse whose cognomination is attached to each, as fol-
lows:—T. Taylor, Babette; T. Dawson, Evadne; Kent,
Chief Baron Nicholson; Dockeray and Dilly, Knight of
the Shire; Stebbing, Hungerford; Isaac Day, Ephesus;
J. Shepherd, Sir Charles; Saunders, Hobble Noble;
Bullock, Grief; T. Parr, Weathergage; John Day,
Father Thames; Death, Convulsion; Stevens, Azael;
John Scott, Hyacinth; Fisher, Plot; and Cleary, Brawn.
From other sources, I hare ascertained that one, or
both, of Mr Drinkald's will go to the post; that Rachst,,
will probably be Osborne's animal; that Le Juif w
also be started from Saunders's stable; and that Job
Marson's lot will be represented by the High Sheriff,
and Wadlow's by Lady Amyott.
Khadidja is reported the representative of the Horse-
heath Stable; and Herbert is to try it on for Lord Rib-
blesdale. Mainfold will go from Carlisle's, Miss Fanny
from Shirley's, Phlegra from Harlock's, Puritan from '
Darling's, Pancake from Rogers', Peacock from Boyce's,
and Sabra from Armstrong's; and report says young
Stephenson will have Billy Bar, and Stephenson, senr.,
Sophistry in the race.
Bardolph, not unlikely, will run for Mr T. Parr's in-
terest, equally with Weathergage.
Alec Taylor's stable, I believe, will be unrepresented,
for Sister to Singapore is held in light estimation, and
Teddington's lb. extra for winning the Doncaster Cup
is considered to have destroyed his chance.
Lady Evelyn will run in case of an accident to her
stable companion, in the hope of saving the cash invested
on her chance previously to the Babette move; the sum,
however, is anything but great.
Truth is looked upon as a non-starter, or, if a runner
without hopes.
Glauca will, not improbably, go, in addition to the
money representative of the Dockeray and Dilly Stables.
Ephesus has been backed for a very heavy stake by
the partisans of the stable; but in some very knowing
circles his chance is considered anything but rosy.
They are not remarkably confident in Saunders' stable
of victory with Hobbie Noble.
Chief Baron Nicholson has been doing good work for
some time, and, 'tis said, will come out in his old form.
Stebbing's rather crack string will have, it is ru-
moured, for its money horse, Hungerford; but I have
some doubt of this being the case, comparatively little
having been invested upon him as yet, Alfred the Great,
if in form, looking much more like business.
I shall publish the remainder of these " waifs and
strays," as they arise, on Thursday, and endeavour to
throw a ray of light as to the probable winner.—l am,
&c., THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.
Oct. 19.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S-MONDAY.

A considerable outlay on Babette, at an improvement
of about twenty points en the odds last quoted from
Newmarket—the result of previous transactions at the
West-end and in the City—the decline of her stable
companion, Lady Evelyn—and a disposition to back
Hungerford, were the features yesterday; business in all
other respects was unimportant and dull. The follow-
ing were the closing prices:—
CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
5 to 1 agst Mr. R. E. Oliver ns Babette (taken and
afterwards offered)
12 to 1 agst Mr. T. Parr's Weathergago (taken and
afterwards offered)
13 to 1 agst Sir W. Booth's Azael
14 to 1 agst Mr. Wsller's Ephesus
100 to 6 agst Lord Brace's Knight of the Shire
18 to 1 agst Major Martyn's Convulsion (taken)
12 to 1 agst Baren Rothschild's Hyacinth (taken)
20 to 1 agst Lord Wilton's Lady Evelyn
20 to 1 agst Mr. Merry's Robbie Noble (taken)
20 to 1 agst Ur. Morris's Hungerford (take 25 to 1)
25 to 1 agst Mr. E. Phillips's Le Juif
25 to 1 agar Mr. Robson's Bardolph
DERBY.
20 to 1 apt Mr. Powney's Cineas (taken, and after-
wards
offered)
20 to 1 agst Lord Derby's Umbriel (taken, and after-
wards offered)
20 to 1 agst Lord John Scott's The Reiver (taken, and
afterwards offered)