The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-26 00:00:00

-0-

The Duka and Duchess of Northumberland have
deferred their departure fromAlnwick Castle,
land, far a few days in consequence of the noble duke havirg
been suddenly taken by an attack of gout.
The Duke and Duch,-Ss cif Argyll arrived at
their villa at CampLie%-hill yesterday from visit:rig 11°
Duchess (DJwagor) of Swherland at Cliefdtn, near Maiden-
head,
The Duchess of Somerset and Lady GArendolin
Somerset arrived at the First Lord's official residence at
the Admiralty yesterday afternoon from Bulstrode park,
Bucks. —Northumber.
The Duchess of Sutherland returned to Stefford
House last evening from Cliefden, the Duchess (Dowager)
of Sutherland's seat, near Maidenhead,

Yeaterlay evening Baron de Biegelben, the re.
presentative of Austria, arrived at Claridge's Hotel, in order
to attend the Conference.
The Earl and Countess of Erne have arrived ill
Eaton-square from the Continent.
The Earl and Countess of Gosford entertained
at dinner on Friday, the 22d inst., Lady Charlotte Denison,
Countess of Tankerville, Earl and Countess of Leicester.
Ladies Coke (2), Hon. Miss Ellis, Marquis of °mode'
Earl of Tyrone, Viscount Powersconrt, Lord Kensington'
the Hon. Lieut.-General Ashburnham, the Hon. Charles
Clements, &c. Her ladyship received a small
party after
dinner.

The Earl and Countess of Yarborough bave
arrivod in Arlington-street, Piccadilly, from their ogoti
Brocklesby Park, Lincolnshire.

Viscountess Palmerston will have a reception 011
Saturday evening next at Cambridge House.
Viscount and Viscountess Castlerme and fatril
have arrived at Eaton place for the season.
Lord and Lady Tredegar have arrived t►t their
residence in Portman-square from Tredegar Perks
Monmouthshire.

Lord Houghton has returned to London from
tour in Northern Italy.
Lady Macdonald Lockhart and family have ar-
rived in Grosvenor-crescent from Lee Castle,
Lanark, N,B.

Mr. and Lady Mary Craven have left Thotnas'i4
Hotel, Berkeley-square, for Newmarket.
Sir Francis and Lady Stapleton and the Miss 29
Stapleton have arrived at Thomas's Hotel, Berkeler
square.
Sir George and Lady Jenkinson have arrived at
44, Bryanston-spare, from their seat, Eastwood•
park, Gloucestershire.
The Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer and Mrs. W. E. Gladstone returned to their
residence on Carlton-house terrace, yesterday fore-
noon, from staying during the visit of General
Garibaldi at the Duchess (Dowager) of Sutherland's
seat, C itiden, near Maidenhead.
THE PRINCESS LOUISE OF WIED died at Neuwied
on the is h, at the advanced age of ninety-two I

THE EX-PREMIER, THE EARL OF DERBY, K. 0,9
was, on Saturday last, elected President of the Royal Com-
mission for the Exhibition of 1851, in place of the tats
Prince Consort.

THE MARQUIS OF EXETER, on the 19th of Mayt
will entertain 1,000 volunteers of Northampton, at Burghley
Yark.

Mr. Alfred Wigan as Hamlet,

The Liverpool Daily Post publishes the following
criticism on Mr. Wigan's impersonation of Hamlet
at the I'rinee of Wales's Theatre, Liverpool, oil
Friday night—'. While Mr. Wigan's Hanilet must
necessarily, like all others, fall short of one's ideal,
there are scarcsly any that can contest the puha
with it. It was once said by a clever periodical
critic in the New York ' Vanity Fair' that to play
comedy well a man should be a tragedian. The
saying seems a paradox, but it is not far from the
truth ; and as a companion to it, we assert without
qualification that no mere tragedian can touch the
part of Hamlet, and that an excellent comedian has
some of the prime essentials for distinction in it.
Hamlet is the glass of fashion and the mould of form.
He is pleasant with those before whom he does not
affect madness, and jocose even with those la hew-
he would deceive into thinking him insane. lie is
significantly respectful to his stepfather, sincerely
tender to his mother. Even the poor players find
in him a cheerful and chatty friend, and even the
sneakishness of Rosencrantz and Guildenstein does
not provoke him unto unkindness towards them.
How great then is the necessity for the lightest,
softest acting, replete with the genuine spirit and
tact of comedy and mobile in the utmost degree to
give expression to the constantly varying details of
the text. Such an actor is Mr. Alfred Wigao,
and all the less serious passages of the play aro lit
up by his lively, gay, and brilliant idiosyncrasy.
But this, though an important element in his
impersonation, is, after all, a mere fringe to it ;
for the essence of Hamlet is, of course, his great
sorrow and his overmastering impulse of re-
venge. Whatever may be his passing occupa-
tion or subject of converse at the mention or
thought of his father's death, he must besome ex-
cited to the verge of losing self-control ; and, of
course, the more exciting incidents of the play of
necessity plunge him into almost limitless frenzy.
Here, then, we perceive two requirements for the
actor of Hamlet almost equally imperative. In one,
Mr. Wigan is not yet what he might be. The'
other he possesses more remarkably than perhaps
any other Hamlet. At the close of the piece he
exhibited a free abandon of grief which would have
raised the soliloquy in the secend act very moon in
our opinion, but as a rule the tumultously emotional
passages were not given with sufficient power. Be.
the more subtle effects of voice and face in passages
less directly concernin g his father's death end its con-
sequences were produced with a vigour, an intensity,
and a thrillingness which we do not remember to
have seen equalled. In the middle of another person's.
speech some fur-off allusion woula suffice to bring
into Mr. Wigan's face an expression of wonderful
agony and perplexity, find the modifications of his
voice and accentuation under various degrees of
mental suffering are exceedingly fine. We will not
eater into details. IT.th this key to the spirit
of the performance our readers may easily
obtain by glancing at the play a fair idea of the
manner in which each portion of it was carried out.
The fifth act was a noble culminaticn. Mr.Wigan'S
fencing was splendid, and his visible suffering
from his wound, and the various Beta; s of his final
conversation with those about him, contained what
we consider • a we:c.ime importation from that
French school of melodrama in which Mr. Wigan
has long been a celebrated licentiate, Altogether
his Hamlet is exceedingly fine and powerful, and
that on the first attempt he should attain such a
high point of excellence is proof how thorough
master he is of everything connected with his art.'

FOUND DROWNED.—An inquest was hold 011
Saturday evening last, at the lied Lion, Wharton,
Leominster, before Mr. Lanwarne, coroner, upon the bed?
of Mr James Skeggs, of No. 3, Surrey.place, Wandsworth"
road, London. From what transpired before the coroners
it appeared that the deceased, in company with his wife,
loft London about three weeks or a month ago upon a Visit
to his father•in-law, Mr Speake, of Cheney Longville,
Shropshire. On the evening of the sth of the present mohth•
he was missed from Cheney, and on its being known that be
had about £lO in his possession, and also a handsome Oa
watch and chain, some fears were entertained that he had
become the victim of foul treatment. Bills were circulated
and a reward offered for any information respecting him'
The discovery of a blue velvet cap upon the bank of the
river Lugg, about two miles below Leominster, and the same
distance from the spot where the body of Count de Vytzlit
was found last year, led to the supposition that the body
might be in the Lugg. Drags and boats were abtained, but
all efforts were fruitless till Friday morning last. The men
then employed in dragging for the body were resting an
Ford's bridge, when looking in the direction of the water
they saw what appeared to be the body of a man gently
fi)ating down the stream. It was at once identified as the
body of Mr Skegge. Tilt-re was found upon the b about
Sti or £7 in gold and a gold watch and chain 16 bore no
marks of violence. Ihero was no evidence producvd beret°
the coroner to show how deceased got in the river.
verdict was pronounced of "Found dlovrned,"