The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-16 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPHI.

Webster, as Triplet, in "Masks and races,"
All theatre-going Londoners, who may happen
to be still detained in town, are, at any rate in one
respect, in luck's way, for that precise reason—
because they yet happen to be Londoners ! If
they have but the smallest capacity for
appreciating what it is that constitutes the
true genius of acting, they may find, any evening
this week, upon the stage of the Adelphi
Theatre, far more than merely compensation fur the
delay of their holidays, whether at the seaside or
upon the continent. In saying this we speak strictly
within the mark, feelingly, and from our own cape.
rience. Announced for six representations (that is,
for the whole of this present week, beginning with
last evening), "Masks and Faces"—the celebrated
cennedy written conjointly, after the Beaumont and
Fletcher fashion, by Torn Taylor, Playwright, and
Charles Reede, Novelist—is now being nightly
enacted by the Adelphi Company ! With Mrs.
Stirling—sparkling, perennial, sterling Mrs. Stir-
ling—as the Peg Woffington ! With, alto-
gether, one of the very best casts, there
has ever yet been upon any boards, of
this exquisite Hale two-act drama I Above
all, with Mr. Benjamin Webster as Triplet--that
true Artist's Original Character I Mr. Webster's
Triplet—we do not hesitate to pronounce (and
this without one single exception) the very
finest piece of acting that can any where nowa-
days Le witnessed. It is a truly noble and
affecting impersonation. For ourselves, we could
witness it any number of times, night after night,
and with increasing satisfaction. It is more than
simply a creation of consummate art. It has—besides
—that oneineffable touch perfecting every truly great
work of art, that " ens touch of nature," that not
only (as the greatest of poets says) "makes the whole
world kin," but that stamps the true metal of the
artist with the royal "hall mark" of Genius. Mr.
Webster's Triplet is, in a single word, a masterpiece.
Throughout his impersonation of Triplet, whenever
he is before the footlights in " Masks and Faces," he
does whatever he lists with us as part of his audience
—he is absolute master of our tears and of our
laughter; Often and often, during the two
acts, he is master of them (of our tears and of our
laughter) together—simultaneously I So wonder•
fully, indeed, are the pathetic and the ludicrous
mingled together in his performance of Triplet—in
the every tone of his Tolce, in the every glance of his
eye, in all the quivering nerves of his mobile counte-
nance—that, again and again, we are gazing at him—
with laughing eyes—through our tears. Whatever
we might write thus of Mr. Webster's Triplet could
not by any possibility be couched in words of
extravagance or exaggeration. And this, for the
simple reason, that the character of Triplet as repre-I
seated by Benjamin Webster could not, to our mind
by any possibility be portrayed by anyone with a
nearer approach to perfection—with an art so cx.
quisitely finished of its kind as to bear all the
semblance of the absolute artlessness of Nature. In
which of the principal scenes or situations of the
drama, the genius of the Actor appears the most
conspicuously, we should find it difficult indeed in
any way to decide. Whether in the opening scene
of the First Act, where Triplet, with his three
tragedies just returned upon his hands from Mr.
Rich, the manager, renews his forgotten acquaint-
ance with Peg Woffington —or in the banquet-
ting room at Mr. Vane's, where Mabel Vane
touches the poor starving Poet's very heart
with her kindness, plying him the while
with wine and biscuits—or (" last scene of
all" in this same "strange eventful" comedy of
"Masks and Faces"), in the wretched garret where
James Triplet, Poet, Playwright, Painter, Musi-
cian, Man of Arts, and Man of Letters, toils and
starves with his poor invalid wife and his hungry
little children ! Artistically viewed, perhaps
the scene of scenes in the whole drama, is
ono last mentioned. Though the others,
the preceding scenes, are not one jot less
admirably, are not one jot less inimitably touched
into reality by the genius of the actor. Hogarth's
immortal picture of " The Poet's Garrat" is therein—
particularly in the opening part of the last
wonderful scone in "Masks and Fdces"—Hogarth's
pictare, is, as it were, now being nightly
realized upon the stage of the Adelphi And is
being realized,too, as (by the necessity of his dumb
are) the powers of the great national painter's
hand perforce failed to realise it I It is now
virtually being realized, in other words, night
after night, at the Adelphi Theatre—it is being
realized there audibly as well as visibly—
thanks to the marvellous capabilities for realization
appertaining, among all the arts, alone to the his-
trionic art, as defined by Thomas Campbell, where
the Poet of Hope sings :
"Till by the mighty Actor wrought,
Illusions perfect triumphs come,
Versa ceases to be airy thought,
And sculpture—"
(he might also, as in this instance, have said
painting)

to ba dumb."
Here, in this last act of" Masks and Faces," now, for
at least every evening during this present week, it is
as if in Hogarth's "Poet's Garret," the affecting
drama of a real human life was being played out
nightly by a Poor Poet. Not (like Hoge rth'e) a mere
painted semblance of a Poet--but one living, moving,
breathing, toiling, weeping, laughing in our presence

—mastering all our tenderest emotions in turn
while we watch him—surrounded, now by his patient
wife and prattling children, now by radiant, kindly
Peg Woffiugton and her entourage of wicked beaux
and cynical critics, Mr Snarl and Colley Cibber,
Ernest Vane, and Sir Charles Pomander ! To see for
the first time Webster's Triplet, in " Masks and
Faces," is—we would here quite confidently assert it
—nothing less than an event in the life of the most
fastidious of playgoers—and an event, too, that
that most fastidious of playgoers must ever after-
wards bear with delight among the very choicest of
his recollections.

Death of Alexander llastie, Esq.

that Glasgow has lost another of her
It will be to many a source of deep regret to learn
public men in
the death of 111 r. A. Hastie, who for ten years repre-
seated the city in Parliament. The melancholy
event took place on the morning of Saturday last,
at 3.30 at Luskar House, near Dunfermline. Mr
Hastie had an attack of cerebral paralysis about
six months ago, from the effects of which he suf-
fered for some time, but he had so far recovered
as to be able partially
:f Shortlypurchasedo
Some
owr
aee t
understandimt hee
Glasgow. Last week he took his
duties to which he has more or less devoted him-
self during a pretty lengthened connection with
place as president
to resume some of those
w estatea neco
necessary
s Ls
aursy-
of the Chamber of Commerce and Manufactures, and
near Dumfxer7ms,loihoneoe
appeared to be a good deal recovered, although
still feeble-looking,
the sum
attack of paralysis,before ho had this
kar,
and last Thursday he left
of L 70,000 or
Glasgow, where, we
to prepare it for the residence of himself and family,
believe, he had been residing for the last few
months, to enter upon the possessiora of it. On that
occasion his health appeared to be considerably bet.
ter, and the announcement of his death only two
days afterwards came upon a few of his friends in
Glasgow somewhat suddenly. Mr Hastie has left
a widow (the daughter of Mr Napier of Shandon)
and two daughters, girls of six and nine years of
age, to mourn his loss, all of whom had the melan-
choly satisfaction of being with him in his dying
moments, having accompanied him from Glasgow
on Thursday. Mr Hestia was, we believe, in the
59th or 60th year of his sge.----31ail•

Tut CONFEDERATE CRUISER FLORlDA,—Yester-
day a telegraphic message was received at Lloyd's,
dated Lisbon, Aug. 15, announcing that intelligence had
been received at that port, dated Bahia, July 28, that the
Confederate war steamer Florida, in company with the
steam cruiser Electric Spark, had just captured the Federal
merchant ship Imfican, Captain Delills, bound from Cali-
fornia to New York, having 70,000 dols in specie on board,
and an extremely valuable cargo. The Florida took out
the treasure and portions of her cargo and her crew. The
vessel and her cargo, valued at £20,000, were then set fire
to and destroyed.

_
Admiral the Hon. Edward and Mr. Howard
have left Thomas Hotel, Berkeley-square, for Woolbediag,
Sussex,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

LREUTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

AMERICA.

(Per the Europa.)

NEW YORK, AUGUST 2.
The news from the Army of the Potomac is of an
important character. Another attack upon the de-
fences of Petersburg has resulted in disaster to the
Federal arms. Oa the 28th Jane, under the super-
intendence of Col. Pleasant, an experienced Penn-
sylvania mining engineer, the Federals commenced
to undermine a fort mounting six guns, considered
the key to the first line of the Confederate works.
By the 28th July the work was successfully accom-
plished. The tunnel leading to the mine was .500
feet in length, four feet wide at the bottom, and two
feet at top, its height being five and a half feet.
Six tons of powder were deposited in the mine :
co-operate arrangements being effected, early on
the morning of the 30th of July the mine was ex-
ploded with tremendous effect ; an immense column
of dirt, timber, and other debris was thrown to a
height of 300 feet; the fort was utterly demolished,
and the garrison, composed of South Carolina
troops, all either killed or wounded. Immediately
after the explosion the Federal artillery opened a
furious fire, under cover of which the Federals
charged and captured nearly the entire first line of
the Confederate entrenchments. The coloured
troops of Burnside's corps were then advanced in
two columns to sustain tha assaulting force and
carry the minor works. The negroes at first ad-
vanced in good order. but, being furiously charged
upon by the Confederates, they finally gave
way and fled in confusion to the rear. The
Confederates now bore down upon the white
troops, forcing them b Ick, and inflicting upon
them severe loss. General Bartlett and staff, and
twelve or fourteen hundred Federals were made
prisoners. The officers of the coloured troops suf-
fered severely while endeavouring to rally their
men. The slaughter of the negroes is said to have
been fearful. The entire Federal force finally re-
treated, under a severe fire of grape and canister,
back to their own lines. The total Federal losses
are estimated at from four to five thousand. Dur-
ing the charge immediately following the explosion
of the mine the Federals aro reported to have cap-
tured four hundred prisoners. The Confederate
troops engaged were mostly South Carolinians,
under the immediate command of Beauregard. It
is reported that on the day following the battle
General Grant went to Fortress Monroe, and had a
protracted consultation with President Lincoln.
Latest advices, which are up to nine p,m on the 31st,
state that hostilities had not been renewed. Grant
had asked a truce to bury the dead. This the Con.
federates refused, but a truce was finally agreed
upon, and the dead were being buried, and the
wounded lying between the two lines cared for.
The Confederates refused to exchange newspapers,
and had suspended all communication between the
pickets. This was thought to indicate that Lee was
executing some important movement, and was
guarding against the possibility of its detection.
Cars were heard running all night on the 30th, and
it was rumoured that Lee was throwing forward
heavy reinforcements either to Early or Hood.
Prisoners report that Lee has for some time past
been undermining the Federal works. No Con.
federate accounts of the battle on the 30th have been
received.

The new Confederate invasion of Pennsylvania
and Maryland seems to be enveloped in mystery.
It is not known definitely to the public where or
in what force the invaders are. A Harrisburg de.
spatch reports them moving to Bedford County;
another despatch represents them to be marching
against Hancock, while another report is that they
have entirely evacuated Pennsylvania, and are only
in small force in Maryland. Nothing positive is
known, but the general belief is that the main
body of the Confederates is still between Winches-
ter and Martinsburg in the Shenandoah Valley,
and that small bodies of cavalry are still operating-
in Pennsylvania. The report of the destruction of
a portion of Chambersburg by the raiders is con-
firmed. It is stated that a force of about 250 under
M'Causland entered the town on the afternoon of

the 30th ult., and after an unsuccessful attempt
to levy a contribution on the inhabitants of 500,C00
doll., fired the town in several places, after inform-
ing the people that the town would be destroyed
in retaliation for outrages perpetrated in the Shen-
andoah Valley by the forces under Hunter. The
Federal forces under General Averil came up during
the conflagration, but, being unable to subdue the
flames, started at once in pursuit of the raiders,
who had fled upon Averill's approach. It was re-
ported that Averill overtook and routed them et
M'Connellsburg. About 250 houses and public
buildings were destroyed at Chambersburg, in-
volving a loss of several millions of dollars, and
causing great suffering among the inhabitants.
Latest advices from General Sherman's army
report that on the 27th ult. General Hood made
another attack upon Sherman's intrenched position,
bat was repulsed with a loss of nearly 1,000 in
killed. The Federal loss being a little over 600
in killed and wounded.

Confederate accounts state that on the night o

the 24th of July General Sherman attempted to
break Hood's lines, but was repulsed by Cheatham
after a sharp fight lasting an hour.

General Hood has issued an address to his troops
,elling them that their safety in time of battle con-

sieted in getting into close quarters with their
enemy, that if the Federals were allowed to con-
tinue their flanking movements the Confederate
cause would be imperilled, but that recent
operations had proved that his soldiers had the
power to prevent it.
The steamer Clara Bell was attacked on the 24th
ult. by a Confederate battery near Carrollton Land-
ing and entirely destroyed.
Richmond papers announce the re-election of
Governor Vance, in North Carolina. Holden, the
peace candidate, receiving but few votes.
The Southern papers regard Vance's election as
an endorsement by the people of North Carolina of
the policy of the Richmond Government.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEW YORK, AUG. 2, r,m.

The money market is active, 7 per cent. being
he current rate for loans on first-class securities.

Government Securities are depressed on account
of the war news, but the heavy European orders
sustain prices against any serious fall. Registered
Sixes of 1881, 105; Coupon do,, 104! ; Seven Thir-
ties, 107; Five Twenties, 107; One Year Certifi-
ficates, 031.
Gold is quiet at 258, and exchange moderately
active at 28 for bankers' bills.

The Share Market is active. Erie, 1103 ; New
York Central, 1301 ; Hudson River, 1291 ; Read-
ing, 137 ; Illinois Central, 138; Michigan Southern,
893; Chicago and Rock Island, 113; ; Pittsburg,
Fort Was ne, and Chicago, 114.

Flour.—Market quiet. 9 dols. 20c. to 9 dols. 40c.
for superfine State and Western; 9 dols. 80c. to 10
dols. for extra State; 10 dole. 150. to 10 dole. 25c.
for choice State; 10 dole. 25c. to 10 4ole. 60c. for

good shipping Ohio ; 10 dole. 75e. to 11 dole. 30c.
for common ; and 11 dole. 40c. to 13 dole. for fancy
aid extra Southern ; 9 dole. 90c. to 10 dole. 20c. for
common ; and 10 dole. 25c. to 12 dole. for fancy
and extra Canadian.

Wheat.—StEad,y. 2 dols 220 to 2 dols 40c for
Chicago Spring; 2 dcls 253 to 2 dols 41c for Mil•
wanksi Club; 2 dols 42c to 2 dols 453 for Ambir
Milwanksi ; 2 dole 58c for Winter Red Western ;
and 2 dols 60c to 2 dols 62c for Amber Michigan.

Pork.—Firm, 35 dols to 36 dols for mess ; 40
dols to 40 dols 25c for new ditto; 45 dols for prime;
and 37 dols for prime mess.

Beef.—Dall. 18 do's to 20 dols for unpacked,
and 22 dols to 26 dols for extra mess.

Ashes.—Quiet. 13 :lots 50c for pots, and 15 dols
25c to 15 do!s 50c for pearls.
Cotton.—Steady. 1 dol 63c to 1 dol 64c for mid-
dling Uplands.
,„

Petroleum.—Steady. 50e to 51c for refined, and
82e to 83c for refined in bond.

SPAIN.

SAN SEBASTIAN, Aucii. 15, Evening.
The inauguration of the Northern and Spanish
Railway took place to-day.
The King of Spain arrived at San Sebastian at

noon.

The religious ceremonies having been performed,
and the engines having received the benediction,
M. Isaac Pereire addressed his Majesty.
A banquet followed at which the King presided,
having on his right the Minister of Commerce and
M. Emile Pereire, and on his left the Minister of the
Interior and M. Isaac Pereire.

The King was applauded with enthusiasm. No
toasts were proposed.

The Cabinet of Madrid has ordered Gen. Prim,
ex-commander of the Spanish army in Mexico, to
leave the capital, and has assigned him a fixed resi-
dence at Oviedo. This measure has been taken in
consequence of the agitation recently prevailing at
Madrid, and of the attempts at revolt made on
other points. Gen. Prim is of the Progressista party.

THE ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH CABLE,
ST. JOHN'S, NEWFOUNDLAND, AUG. 6.
Her Majesty's surveying steamer, Margaretta
Stephenson, returned here this morning with Cyrus
W. Field, Esq., on board.
Heart's Content, Trinity Bay, has been selected
as a landing place for the Atlantic Telegraph
Cable.
The harbour is one of the best in Newfound-
land.

The Great Eastern can anchor within one mile o.
the landing place.

FRANCE.

PARIS, AUG. 15,

The feta yesterday passed off very successfully.
The illuminations were splendid, and the concourse

of people immense.

The Emperor came to Paris, and was warmly
cheered wherever he was recognised:
On the occasion of the Emperor's fete a conside'
rable promotion has been made in the army.
Generals of Brigade, Count de Clerambault, Guiod,
and de Castagny have been promoted to the rank
of General of Division, and Colonels Saget, De
Lamorte Charens Franconiere, Ribourt, Duportal
Dogoasmeur, Brayer, Martenot de Cordonne, Pelle,
Begougne de Juniac, d'Espinassy de Venel, Barrel
Danot, Aymard, and de Lascours to that of General
of Brigade. The list also contains the names of 18
persons promoted colonels, and 35 lieutenant
colonels.

Other decrees on the proposition of the Minister
of State make 13 promotions to the rank of com-
mander, 15 to that of officer, and 9 nominations to
that of knight—Minister of Justice, two officers
and 16 knights—Ministers of War, 12 commanders;
48 officers ; 321 knights—Minister of the Beaux-
Arts, one officer and two knights. On the proposi-
tion of the Minister of War 530 military medals
have been conferred on sob-officers, corporals, and
privates in the army; and on that of the Minister
of Marine, 161 on warrant officers and seamen in
the navy.

Baron de Waechtcr, Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary of the King of Wurtem-
berg, had the honour of a private audience of the
Emperor on Sunday, at St Cloud, to deliver his new
credentials. His Majesty also received a reply
from the King of Bavaria to the letters by which
the Emperor had put an end to the mission filled by
Count de Reculot at Munich.

By Imperial decree Rear-Admiral Paris, Director
General of the Depot of Naval Charts and Plans,
and Rear-Admiral Reynaud, Commandant-in-Chief
of the Naval Direction of the Antilles and of North
America, have been promoted to the rank of Vice-
Admiral, and Captains de Dompierre, and Penhoat
to that of Rear-Admiral.

The Prince of Augustenburg, it appears, has
resolved to defer to the desire of the Diet, relative to
the justification of his claim to the succession.
Counsellors Samwer, Michelsen, and Haenel have
been charged to draw up this memorandum which,
at most, can only reproduce the documents and
arguments already known. Several journals have
stated that the Prince had been requested to leave
the country, but advices from Hamburg represent
these rumours to be altogether unfounded.
BOURSE, Aug. 13.—Market firm, but without
any material improvement in the amount of busi-
ness. Threes are now at 66f. 45c, Mobilier have
slightly improved, having been last done at 1,016 f.
25c. Railway Market firm, with but trifling varia-
tion in prices. The market closed as follows :

4± per Cents. 95
Uo. end month....

Italian Loan 6B 30
Do. end month 6B 35
Ditto Threes ..
New Mexican ma
Russian
Austrian .. B3
Spanish Threes —
Home Debt
Defend
FAICS.
Cash. Account.
°Hearty .... 882 50 .. 885
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean 922 50 .. 926 25
New ditto
Southern 643 75 .. 64.2 60
Western
Eastern
Sardinian .. 350 .. 347 50
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa 515 510
Ditto to Barcelona

3 per Cents
Do. end month 66 45

Credit M0bi1ier,,,,1917 50
Do. end m0rith....1016 25

Bank Shar©s 3380

Credit Foncier

1220

Roman

BA IL

The French Tribunal of Correctional Police last
week tried M. Repos, the responsible editor, and M. Riquier,
the printer, of the journal La Taroisse, for having published
a periodical treating of political matters without first ob-
taining the authorisation of the Government. The article
incriminated was on the Pontifical Brief of Lyons, The
Tribunal condemned each of the prisoners to a month's
imprisonment with 100 f, fine, and ordert.d that the journel
should cease to appear.

DEATH OF KISS KATHERINE SOUTIIEY,_The
last living link connecting the name of Southey
with Keswick has just passed away, more than 60 years
having elapsed since the late Laureate fixed his residence
in the lake metropolis, Miss Katherine Southey, the third
and only unmarried daughter of the poet, was born ac Greta,
hall, and reached her 54th year on Monday. She had been
for some time confined to her room, and died on Friday
eight of congestion of the brain, at Lairthwaite-cottage,
Keswick, where her aunt, Mrs Lovell, expired a few years
since, By the death of Miss Southey a civil list pension of
£lOO per annum reverts to the Crown. She will be buried
on Tuesday in Crosthwaite churchyard, under the shade of
Skiddaw, where already repose her father and mother, her
brother Herbert, the eldest-born, and her sisters Emma and
Isabel.

CARDIGANSIIIRE.—In the event of Col. Powell
resigning his seat for this count y—a contingency more than
probable—we have authority for stating that Sir Thomas
Lloyd, of Bronwydd,will solicit the suffrages of the electors
as an independent supporter of Lord Palmerston's Govern
ment.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—This day and during the
week, by the kindness of Sir Joseph Paxton, the grounds
of Itockhills, adjoining the palace, will be open to the in-
spection of visitors to the palace, between the hours of two
arta six,