The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-18 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
GERMAN PLAYS.

HANOVER-SQUARE ROOMS.
Mudiuno VerdavaiLni's concert yesterday was at-
tended by a very full and fashionable company. The
talented and accomplished pianist was supported by
Madame Clura Novello, Miss Ursula Barclay, Miss Las•
cellos, Madame Lemaire, and Messrs. Frask Bodda,
Blauoves, Ap Thomas, Severn, &c., who were
severally much applauded. Warm approbation
was elicited by the beneficiare in her per-
formance of Thalberg's grand fantasia (Don Pas.
quale) which was given with great delicacy and effect.

ODD LINES FOR " ODD FELLOWS."
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)
They tell us a story—perhaps you all know it—
Of a father, three sons, and a bundle of sticks;
But it carries a moral of rise to the poet,
And still of more use to Toms, Harry's, and Dicks.

With your leave I'll relate it—and thus I may state it :
An old man was dying who wished to bequeath
His most precious advice to the boys who stood round him,
To hear what a father's last whisper would breathe.

0 See that faggot of sticks," said the sire," in yon corner,
With a withe twined about it to keep it together ;
Now each of you take it, and see who can break it,
But mind that not one of you take off the tether."

The boys in their turn tried their hardest and strongest,
But no, not a twig of the faggot would crack;
And at last when the stoutest had bent it the longest,
They gave up the trial and carried it back.

"Stay, stay," cried the father, " now take off the binding,
And see if your might be expended in vain"—
They tried, and the father spoke louder on finding
That the sticks, one by one, were all broken in twain.

"Now remember, my boys, be this lesson implanted
In each of your hearts when I've passed from your sight,
'Tis firm Moral Unity only is wanted
To maintain Human Peace and preserve Human Right."

Now methinks this old story has Gospel-like meaning,
That we in " Oddfellowship" honestly speak,
For with Unity's band we may laugh at the hand
That would break us in bits as the single and weak.

'Tis a great, 'tis a good, 'tis a glorious thing
When sweet Charity, Heaven's prime minister, comes,
And with eloquent voice and soft cherishing wing,
Takes that beldame, Old Poverty, out of our homes.

But a greater and better is proud Independence,
That asks not for bread with the chance of a stone,
That can laugh at the hag, and defy her to lag
Near the door that it locks with a key of its own.

Self-Help is the secret that makes man and woman
Most worthy of Heaven—most noble on earth;
And would that this truest of pride were more common,
And that rank were bestowed by our lffe—not our birth.
But remember self-helping is not the best done
By consulting the promptings of selfish desire;
The will and the wishes of dear "Number one,"
Often reign in our breast with Vesuvian fire.

For the man and the woman who reason aright,
Who as children of God would be sister and brother,
Must be willing to widen Humanity's light,
And while helping themselves learn to help one another.
'Tie atoms that build up the granite-pile mountain,
The wide and dense forest is fashioned of leaves,
'Tis drops, only drops, form Niagara's fountain,
'Tis barleycorns fill up the world-feeding sheaves.
And the links of " Oddiellowship," forged of pure metal,
Are able to stretch out a chain of rare power,
For " Oddfellowship" roots up Necessity's nettle,
And plants in its place Comfort's odorous flower.

With your hearts, with your brains, then, up, up, and be
stirring !
For remember each sister, remember each brother,
That Oddfollowship's motto—the blest, and unerring—
's, "we help ourselves most when we help one another."
ELIZA COOK.

To Charles Hardwick, EN.

The annual drills and inspection of the Hon. Corps of
Gentlemen-at-Arms have been held in the garden of St.
James's Palace, under the command of the Captain Lieute-
nant Sir James Tyler; the Standard Bearer, Major Harmer;
and 21. r.. Joseph Skip Lloyd, Clerk of the Cheque and Adju-
tant, attended. The sub-officers of the corps, Lieutenant-
Colon&L p. p. Nevill and major J. H. Cooke, were 4160
Preaen t„

measure will encourage the hope that others of even
greater and more general interest may receive the
legislative sanction during the present and the en-
suing session, and legal reformers will helve
cause to rejoice at the happy termination of their
long-continued efforts.

We should also congratulate our fellow-labourers
in the cause on the progress made in the Suitors in
Chancery Relief Bill, which last night was read a
second time, the LORD CHANCELLOR suggesting, " in
order not to throw any impediment in the way of its
being carried, that it should pass without any amend-
ments." This does not look like We conduct of an
opponent of all reform, or of one anxious to retard
any species of amelioration.

It is much to be regretted that the advanced period
of the session prevented the Lunatics' Bill, the
second reading whereof was last night moved by the
Earl of SHAFTESBURY, from receiving the attentive
consideration which its vast importance so eminently
merited. We have frequently pointed out
the deficiencies of the existing law, which
does not afford adequate protection, either
to the community or to individuals. The present
measure only deals with the first part of the subject,
and does not, therefore, meet the exigencies of the
case. It provides for the safe custody of persons
who, although manifestly incompetent to take care of
themselves, are still permitted to wander about
without protection, until they commit some crimes or
outrage. The probability of such an event may be
well known to the police ; it may be notorious that
the life of every passer-by is endangered, and yet no
steps can be taken until some degree of violence has
taken place, which is necessary to confer jurisdiction
on the conservators of the public peace. The
present Bill, which provides that where there
are no relatives of a person apparently
insane, or where the relatives neglect or refuse to
adopt the necessary steps, the police may bring the
party before a magistrate, who should cause him to
be examined by two medical men, and if they pro-
nounced him insane, to make an order for his trans-
mission to the county lunatic asylum, or if that should
be full, to some other place of lunatic reception
duly licensed and registered. If it were rendered
essential that every alleged lunatic should, previously
to his admission into any private asylum, be exa-
mined before a magistrate, and the certificate of
disinterested medical practitioners, appointed by the
magistrate, obtained, it would prevent many cases of
grievous oppression, when persons of sound mind
have been incarcerated on the report of two so-
called skilful persons. As the measure cannot
pass this year, we trust that a Select Com-
mittee may be appointed at the commencement
of next session, to take the entire law of lunacy
into their consideration, and to report on the
alterations that may be required. The LORD
CHANCELLOR has shown himself a faithful
guardian of those who were placed under the
jurisdiction of his Court when in Ireland. We
trust that he will consider the subject worthy of
his best consideration.

The house was crowded to suffocation last evening, in
consequence of the great anxiety to see Hamlet in a
German dress, the text being Schlegere marvellous
translation. The piece played full four hours, yet
there are several abbreviations in the speeches, and
indeed the entire funeral scene is omitted; but on the
other hand, the scene in which the King delivers his
conscience-stricken soliloquy, and in which, while striv-
ing to pray, Hamlet is almost tempted to kill him, is
given entire. Herr Emil Devrient's delineation of the
Prince of Denmark is unquestionably very fine, but
not superior to what we have seen on our own boards
in more instances than one. And if any curious reader
should ask, is it equal to Mr. Charles Kean's? we un-
hesitatingly answer, No! It lacks the passion and the
polish of that unrivalled performance. The play-scene
was flat, but the second ghoat-scene, the farewell to
Ophelia, and especially, the instructions to the
players, could not be surpassed. His elocution
was faultless, and attitudes elaborately artistical.
Herr Devrient was recalled at the end of each act. The
Polonius of Herr Limbach was a rational performance
which we would strongly recommend for imitation to
our own artists. We have never seen Horatio made
so much of as by Herr Wisthaler. The swelling speech
of the first player, singular to say, drew down the house;
but Herr Noetel's delivery of it was admirable. As
Ophelia, Franlein Schafer was not very effective, re-
sulting in some measure from her reciting, and not
singing, the snatches of ballad in the mad scene. The
Queen was quietly sustained by FranFlinde The other
parts were respectably filled, great care and attention, not
perhaps altogether unalloyed with ponderosity, being a
prevailing characteristic from high to low. With respect
to the stage business it is worth noticing (as has not
escaped the shrewd observation of a morning critic) that,
whenever in the principal scenes Hamlet appears on our
stage to the right, the Germans place him to the left, and
that the death of Polonius is better managed than with
us. Hamlet does not run off the stage to kill him, but the
arras is in the centre of the scene, and on its being
drawn aside the body of the slain chamberlain is dis-
covered. The audience on the whole seemed greatly
pleased, and the tragedy may well be repeated before
Herr Emil Davrient's departure from London.