The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

Drury-lane Theatre,

On Saturday evening Messrs. Falconer and Chatterton
commenced their season with great ccLt. During the re-
cess the interior of the theatre has been re-embellished, and
many improvements have been made in the float of the
house, all of which greatly add to the comfort of the patrons
of Old Drury. The joint lessees have engaged a company
of unrivalled excellence, embracing the names of Mr Cres-
wick, Mr H. Marston, Mr Walter Lacy, Miss Helen Faucit
(Mrs Theodore Martin), and Mrs Hermann Vtzin, the
whole being placed under the direction of Mr Phelps, whose
serN ices have been secured for the entire season. The great
success of Shakspere's play of " Henry IV." last season,
rendered a novelty for tho commencement of the present
campaign unnecessary, thus we had a repetition of that
play in the opening night, with almost the same cast of
characters. The most important alteration was the assump-
tion of the character of Hotspur by Mr Creswick, in place
of Mr Walter Montgomery, and without at all deprecating
the abilities of Mr Montgomery, we must candidly admit
that his successor proved the best suited to the part. It is
so long since we have
.had the p'easure of witnessing Mr
Creswick in a part really worthy of his abilities as a genuine
actor that it was with real gratification we found his name
on the bills on the opening night, and without entering into
an elaborate and detailed criticism of his rendering
of the fiery Hotspur, we may sum up our praise of
the part by briefly saying it was a fine performance.
and one which gave general satisfaction. On Mr Phelps's
Sir John Falstaff we have already pronounced a very high
opinion, and therefore we need only on the present occasion
remark that it was marked by all those evidences of deep
study which invariably accompany all the characters repre-
sented by this great artist. The scene in the tavern at
Eastcheap was given with more than usual point and
_ex.
eellenco ; the audience seemed thoroughly to enter into the
spirit of the play, and the applause at its termination was
general and enthusiastic. Mr W. Lacy re-appeared as
Prince Henry, and met with a very warm reception, while
that general favourite, Mr Henry Marston, received the
same mark of favour on his appearance as the King. Tho
part of the Daughter of Glendower was sustained by
Miss Arabella Smyth; and although she had the dis•
agreeable task of singing a Welsh song after pretty little
Miss Wynn, she acquitted herself in a manner which was
highly satisfactory to the audience. " The Battle of
Shrewsbury' was given with all its pristine splendour, and
the curtain descended amidst the most enthusiastic ap-
plause. The play was preceded by the capital farce, "An
April Fool," in which Mr G. Helmer° created the uf most
merriment, and followed by another entitled " Beauty and
the Beast," which introduced the other members of the
company. The house was filled in every part, and Messrs
Falconer and Chatterton have every reason to be sati,fied
with the successful inauguration of their winter season.
The first revival of the season will take place next Sa-
turday evening, when the second part of " Henry the
Fourth" will be performed.

ACCIDENT TO AN EXPRESS TRAIN.—Au accident,
happily unattended with fatal consequences, but
which created great alarm among the passengers, occurred
yesterday at an early hour to the down morning express
boat train on the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway.
This train left Victoria and Blackfriara Stations at 7 30
a.m , and having amalgamated at Herne Hill, proceeded on
its journey for Dover. Atter passing through Sydonham Hill
tunnel, the train ran by Penge Station, and was travelling
over the slight embankment about a quarter of a mile be.
yond this spot, when, from some hitherto unexplained
cause, the engine left the rails, and, after running for 200
yards over the sleepers and permanent way, fell upon its
side down the embankment, dragging with it a second-
class carriage, in which were three or four passengers, in-
cludingone of the company's workmen—a gas-fitter—whose
leg was broken. The passengers in the first-class carriages,
of whom there were about 30, escaped injury—these car-
riages not having left the line—except one, an Engineer
officer stationed at Chatham, whose skin was grazed. The
driver and stoker of the engine heroically stuck to their
poste, and were both slightly hurt ; but the guard was able
to proceed to Dover with most of the passengers in a special
train which was sent down from Victoria immediately upon
telegraphic notice of the accident reaching London.
PARISIAN STREETS AND TIIEIR NOMENCLATURE.
—The Moniteur contains a list of 193 streets in Paris the
names of which are to be changed.
When Madame Goethe and Madame de Stt el
were, with some ceremony and much expectation, brought
together, "Je suis la mere de Goethe," was the solemn
self-introduction of the German mother, bale% ing that
there existed not among women a more magnificent title or
a nobler claim to honour. "Ah j'en suis charreee," was
all that the brilliant Frenchwoman could find to say on
the impressive occasion.

THE CONSULSHIP OF SCIENCE for 1865 has been
given to Professor Phillips, of Oxford. The British Asso-
ciation will meet next year at Birmingham, when Sir Chat".
Lyell will surrender his prcsidincy to Mr. Phillips.
ALEXANDER DUMAS' NEW FICTION.—The first
four volumes of San Felice," a new novel by Alexandre
Dumas, have appeared at the house of Michel Levy, Ft eres.

CHARLEMAGNE'S LANCE.—The Emperor of the
French has recently had presented to him a lance, said to
be taken from the tomb of Charlemagne. It is further
stated that this relic is undeniably authentic, and of grog
historic value,