The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-25 00:00:00

SADLER'S WELLS.

Lille's tragedy, Arden of Favenham, was revived here
last night. The old play upon which Lillo founded
his is founded upon a true story of a shocking murder
told in " Hollingshed's Chronicle," the real incidents
being closely followed, not only in the original play, but
in Lillo's version of it. The story, which ends by all
the principals being either burnt or hung in chains,
furnished a plentiful dish of horrors, suited to the pa-
lates of the playgoers of Queen Bess's days. In the
old play they are given with unvarnished simplicity,
and the characters are represented in ell their blackness
and deformity; the lady, who murders her husband,
being a shameless wanton, and her coadjutors a set of
remorseless villains and cut-throats, while there is in the
language of the piece a rude strength and energy some-
times reminding us of Beaumont and Fletcher. But this
did not suit the more refined ideas of Lillo. Ile makes
Alice, in the midst of her abominable crimes, talk fine
sentiments, and whine unceasingly about the loss of her
innocence. Nay, the murdering villains themselves wax
sentimental, and so provoke their comrade Black Will
(the only consistent character among them) that he
exclaims in a passion—
" Why, what a crew of cowards!
In the same moment murdering and repenting."
No bad criticism on the play. Lillo, moreover, has
diluted the terse and nervous language of the old play
with an immense quantity of his own tedious twaddle,
at once inflated and feeble. Such a piece could not
possibly succeed. The actors did their best. Mr. H.
Marston, as Arden of Faversham, Mr. G. Bennett as
Mosby, and Mrs. Ternan as Alicia; but the play, from
beginning to end, was received with the utmost cold-
noffirt and the eurtaiu tell in the midst of silence.

MR. WALLACE, LATE M.P. FOR GREENOCK..—It
will be gratifying to the numerous friends of this gentleman
to learn that his services to the public when in Parliament,
particularly in the cause of Post-office reform, are about
to be rewarded in a substantial way. Subscriptions have
been collected in different places throughout the country,
with the view of purchasing an annuity for Mr. Wallace,
and so successful have been the efforts of the committee that
was organised for the purpose, that 5001. a year has been,
or is about to be, settled on him ; London, Liverpool,
Greenock, on
Man-
chester, and other English towns, have all contributed
liberally, but the bulk of the subscriptions was collected in
Paisley and Greenock. The former town contributed 2001.,
and Greenock. which was represented by Mr. Wallace during
and Gallant;
h
at the Hoe
twelveas or thirteen years after the passing of the Reform Bill,
,6. gly.9wanlluacpewaisrdstoofmseoeotl.
htioswacrodussttihtueepurtaiss
aewndortfhriyenodsbjecitn.
Thursday next.
at War, the AC.:-'
Hardinge transacted
General of thej
Viscount business yesterday
.Guards as Commander-in-Chief. The Noble
count received the Right Hon. the Secretary
believe, be Baron
Adjutant General, &c. The title of the Master
Lord Wardentance—Lord Fitzroy Somerset—will, we
Ragland The Premier will be, we under-
stand,mere Constable of thQefThe
Secretary.—
e Cinque Ports, and Lord Comber-
mere
of the Grenadiwer. Prince Albert will have the
geardeGuards, and also the Colonelcy-
Pfince George of Cambridge
Colonel of the Fasileer Guards.
in-Chief of the Rifle Brigade
Herald.
will succeed Prince Albert as
CANCER HOSPITAL, LONDON. It SI
Colonel Airey is Military
very nearly a
year since we called public attention to thei
, existence of this
excellent charity in Cannon-row,
time, we noticed a meeting of the committee of " n ge
ment, at which the report of the medical officers, Dia
Mars-
;r
den and Mr. Weeden Cooke, was read, stating that the
hospi-
tal had then only been in existence five months, and up to
that time it numbered thirty-four patients. It also stated
the great prevalence of the disease, and that the charity was
established as a special hospital, with the view of arriving at
a better mode of treating this complaint, or at all events,
alleviating the suffering arising from it. The difficulty of
treating cancer and cancerous diseases has been long felt by
all, as well by medical as non-medical men ; and it is hoped
that this hospital may be made a means of doing much good
for suffering humanity. We are gratified to find by an adver-
tisement in Another part of our columns, that, it is enabled by
Public bounty to take a hospital at Brompton for the reception
of in-door tients, the premises in Cannon-row being re-
tained for oat-door cases. Its advantages are free to the
world, and it has now nearly 300 patients under its charge,
the best evidence it can offer as to its utility, and the strong
claims it Ims upon public eyropathy.—Aforning Pose, Sept,
17,1851