The Sun.
London, England, 1837-10-02 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

Mr. Macready made his debut on Saturday night in
his newly assumed character of manager, and the recep-
tion he met with was of that cordial and hearty descrip
turn which of itself is a cheering- presage of success. It
seldom happens that a manager in the commencement nl
his miner carries with him so many good wishes for his
success as Mr. Macready does on the present occasion.
It has for a hog period been felt that the drama has been
declining ; rxertioos bard from time to time been made to
revive it, but revenes save continually occurred which
not only rendered those exertions abortive, but left the
cause which they were meant t, succour in a still made
hopeless state of prostration than bef9rp they were made.
Even at the two great patent theatres 01;.' works of our
old dramatists were in a great measure d:iven from
the stage to place to "spectacke shows, pautoanmes,
iknd other curiosities of foreign growth. Managers were
tai:nted with their neglect of. the good English tragedies
and e;,imedio ; but, in answer, they alleged a change of
the publi4 taste ; and they affirmed that it had been proved
by late experience that the works of our English dramatists
would no longer draw an English audience. From these
circumstances it was that Mr. Macready assumed the
management of Covent-Garden, with the avowed determini-
tiett of fairly trying the experiment how far the public
soAi,, support him in " his strenuous endeavours to ad.
vaned the drama as R branch of national literature and
art." ki.4 advent is hailed with joy, not only by the public
but by the I.."Qiession, who
concur lo considering Mr. Mac-
ready as a most At person to hold the responsible position
:
which he now oeeur;:es, His high character in printe life,
and his acknowledged position as the first tragedian upon
the stage, place him beyon4 the influence of those paltry
jealousies which ere but too arLt 19 occur when the
manager is also an actor, and which, :!" IrPth, have
been often the rock upon which former tiOnirse-
m,-nts were shipwrecked. It is in these circumstances
that Mr. Macready has undertaken the management
and we ,:re sure that the public will join us in good
wishes for the Success of his experiment. The house on
Saturday was cro.'dcd to the ceiling, and, as we have al-
ready said, Mr. Alac7eady's reception was ninst enthu-
siastic. On the rising or the curtain he came forward and
delivered an address, which was written for the occasion
(it is said by Mr. Sergeant 'Talfourd), and which was both
appropriate and elegant. The author, it appears, forbids
its publication, which is rather an absurd piece of modesty,
considering that it has been recited before three thousand
persons. After the address the whole company sang the
national anthem, which was received with immense applause
by the audience. The play of The Winter's Tale followed,
Mr. Macready having, with very great propriety, opened
with Shakspcare. Macready was Leontes, and went through
his part with great ability. Mis; H. Faucit appeared as the
ilermione, and her acting excited univei sal approbation.
The statue scene was peculiarly well managed, and we
have never seen it produced with such striking effect.
Nothing could exceed the beauty of Miss Faucit's acting
throughout it. The principal novelty in the cast of the
piece was the appearance, for the first time, of a Mr. An-
derson, who performed the part of Florizel. There is so
little to be done in the part assigned to him, that it is im-
possible to judge of Mr. Anderson's capabilities from his
performance on this occasion. The few words which he
bad to say were delivered with great propriety. His voice
is very pleasing, and his appearance altogether favourable ;
but beyond this we can say nothing till we have had op..
portunities of making his further acquaintance. At the
end of the piece Mr. Macready was called for and warmly
greeted. We have already given a description of the deco-
rations of the house. It is only necessary to add, that when
it is lighted up it looks brilliant and handsome.

Lord Viscount Curzon, eldest son of Earl Howe,
has this year joined the Leicestershire Yeomanry Cavalry,
as a private soldier in his father's troop, and as such has
performed his duty in the ranks. The regiment last week
went through their annual five days' training and exercise,
on which occasion they were inspected by Colonel Wild-
man, the Field Officer of the District.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to appoint
Messrs. J. and J. Holmes, of Regent-street, Shawl Manufac-
turers to her Majesty.
Drury-lane Theatre opens on Saturday, and more
than 100 workmen are now busy in the decoration and em-
bellishment of the interior. Madlle. Celeste appears in a
new piece by Planche, and a treaty is nearly concluded
with a sister of the lamented Madame Malibran. Her
Majesty, and some of the most distinguished leaders of
haul ton, have taken private boxes for the whole season.
A new ballet, embodying more than 150 dancers, will be
forthwith produced. Mr. Kean will make his first appear-
ance in Ila»zlet.
We may mention, as a most interesting circumstance,
that upon the, occasion of the first visit of the Marquis of
Tavistock to the Queen, at Windsor Castle, her Majesty
was pleased to point out to him the bust of the Duke of
Bedford, which she had just caused to be restored to the
place from which it had been removed by the command of
her Royal predecessor, William the Fourth.—Observer.
A Dutch frigate and brig of war having been or-
dered to the West Indies, and two sloops of war to time
East Indies.

Letters from Odessa in the German Papers state
that the Emperor of Russia will visit Odessa after the
reviews of Wosnesensk, to witness some naval evolutions.
These letters express their belief that the Emperor will
neither visit the Caucasian Provinces, nor Warsaw, this

year.
The Courrier Beige has a letter signed " A True
Catholic," relating various instances of the persecution car-
ried on by the Priests against the agents of the Bible So-
ciety, whom they describe as wicked men, false prophets,
commissioned by Satan to distribute books that are the pro-
duce of hell (i. e., the Holy Gospels). In some instances
their lives were saved by the interference of the police.
The charge for admission to the theatres in Shak-
speare's time (about 1603) was—boxes, l s.; pit, fid.;
gallery, Id.
It is a constant remark of the Chinese authors, that
the more the penal laws were increased in that empire, the
nearer they drew towards a revolution. It would be easy
to prove that in all, or almost all the Governments of Eu-
rope, penalties have increased or diminished, in proportion
as those governments favoured or discouraged liberty.—
Baron Montesquieu.
Power receives 201. per night-1201. a week—dur-
kg the run of Rory 0' More at the Adelphi. To meet this
sum, Yates has cut off his chorus and corps de ballet. The
Burmese Monarch himself need not wish more victims im-
molated to crown his triumph !—Sunday Paper.
At about three or foor o'clock yesterday morning
the extensive farm-buildings and stock of J. Baker, Esq., a
magistrate, at the village of Chalk, near Gravesend, were
discovered to be on fire. The London engines were promptly
in attendance, but, from the scarcity of water (which could
only be obtained from ponds at a considerable distance),
were not of much assistance. The flames spread with fear-
ful rapidiOr, stack after stack became ignited, and a barn,
containing many thousand quarters of wheat (this year's
crop), was totally destroyed.
ETIIEL CII:TRCHILL.—In this new story of the
reign of George H., Miss Landon has evidently bestowed
great care on all the literary characters she has introduced.
Gay, Swift, Congrevc, are highly finished portraits, but
Pope appears the one which has been drawn most con
amore. Only the poetical mind could so far have entered
into the feelings of the poet. One very prominent scene is
laid at his villa at Twickenham, and in that Lady Mary
Wortley Montague is introduced, and the quarrel which
arose between her and her once impassioned admirer is
traced with a fine sympathy on the one hand, and a quick
perception of fi,!lies and weaknesses on the other. Lady
Mary's character is severely drawn, but with a severity
whose truth is amply ho.rne out by all contemporary records.
ILFRACOMBE REFO.RM DINNER.—The North
Devon Journal says,—This greztt festival came off on Wed-
nesday at the Public Rooms. Barnstaple presented a
most animated appearance ; banners were flying from seve-
ral windows, and a large proportion of the houses were de-
corated wilt flowers and evergreens ; indeed everything
seemed to assume the air of a high holiday. From an early
hour of the morning, horsemen began to pour in from the
surrounding district, and at twelve o clock a large body of
Reformers left Ilfracombe and proceeded as far as Two
Potts Gate, to meet their friends from Barnstaple, Braun-
ton, Eastdown,. ;on their return they formed them-
selves into a procession, headed by two bands of music,
and comprising nearly 100 gentlemen on horseback, and
a great number of pedestrians, walking three a-breast :
saving paraded the streets, they repaired to a short dis-
tatVle from the town to await the arrival of our liberal
county' representative, Lord Viscount Ebrington. His
Lordship drove up soon afterwards, accompanied by his
eldest son, an .1 followed by J. P. C. Chichester, Esq., M.P. ,
the Honourable Newton Fellotves, J. D. Bassett, Esq., John
Marshall. Esq., J. S. Clay, Esq., &e. 84e. A salute of
cannon was fired from the harbour to greet their entrance,
and the assembled multitude rent the air with their accla-
mations.
The remains of a temple of Ops have just been dis-
covered at St. Jean des Vierges (Arriege).. Near them,
beneath, a mass of rock chalk, which is In the act of being
worked, waa found a gold medal f
of Nero, in full
tiun ; one side bears the effigy o that Emperor, the re-
verse, a ferria!R seated on ruins, with the single legend—
" Roma."
A grand mausoleum, which has just been erected
I'EFtlie purpose of enshrining the mortal relics of Chateau-
T-Tiiriand, is to be consecrated next week in the Isle of Grand
BATA, Male, by the Bishop of liennes. Chateaubriand
is
tcvattend.

~; ~,

WINJOSOR-SATURDAY.

This afternoon her Majesty took her accustomed airing
in the Park. .

The following distinguished personages arrived in the
course of the diy :—Princesq Augusta of Saxony, Baron
Gcrsdorff, the Duchess of Gloucester, Lady C. Legge,
Count and Countess Sebastiani, Count D'Aglie.
In addition to the above the following were of the Royal
dinner party :—Duchess of Kent, Baroness Lchzen, Lady
Mary Stopford, Lady Charlemont, Miss Murray, Miss
Lister, Baron Stockmar, Hon. Colonel Cavendish, Lord
Torrington, Hon. A. C. Murray, Lord Melbourne, Lord
Palmerston, Mr. and Mrs Brand.
The Turkish Ambassador and suite, Lord and Lady
Albemarle, and Lord Alfred Paget took their departure,
S:.;NDAY.—This morning the Queen attended divine ser-
vice at St. George's Chapel. The lessons were read by
the Rev. H. Butterfield ; the chant to the Psalms was by
Massey, of Percy Chapel, London ; and the service, Dr.
Boyce, in A. The communion service was was read by
Dr. Goodall ; and the sermon, from Phillippians, chap, iii.,
vet, 8, Was...preached 14 the Rev. W. Cannins. The An-
them Was Handel's hallelujah chorus, from The Messiah.
Mr. Elvy presided at the organ. There ware present
with her Majesty in the Royal Closet Lady Stopford, Lady
Charlemont, Miss Murray, Miss Lister, Lord Torrington,
Lord Palmerston, and the Hon. Col. Cavendish.
This afternoon the Queen accompanied by the Duchess
of Kent, and attended by Lords Palmerston, Melbourne,
and Torrington, Lady Charlemont, Miss Lister, Miss
Murray, Hon. Colonel Cavendish and suite, honoured the
visitors on the Terrace with her presence. Both military
bands were in attendance, and her Majesty and Royal party
walked amongst the company nearly half an hour.
The Duchess of Gloucester rode out this afternoon in an
open carriage with Princess Augusta of Saxony.
There is now a vacancy for a counter tenor in the choir
of St. George's Chapel, which is to be filled up in the early
part of November.
Princess Augusta of Saxony, attended by her suite, ar-
rived at the Castle yesterday, on a visit to the Queen. Her
Royal Highness is about 58 years of age, and is celebrated
for her literary acquirements. It is the intention of the
Princess to make a tour of England, and to visit all the
principal manufactories in the kingdom. Her Royal High-
ness does not speak our language, but is perfectly well ac-
quainted with French, which she speaks fluently. This
Princess is the step-daughter of the late King of Saxony,
and first cousin to the present. Napoleon sued for the
hand of her Royal Highness, but ineffectually, previous to
his marriage with Maria Louisa of Austria.
Queen Adelaide paid a visit to the Queen yesterday, at
the Castle, after going the through the painful trial of re-
turning to St. George's Chapel, to visit the tomb of his
late lamented Majesty. Previous to leaving Windsor for
Bushy the Dowager Queen passed an hour with the Princess
Augusta, at Frogmore Lodge.
The Court will leave Windsor on Wednesday next, for
Brighton. The Queen will remain at the Pavillion till
the 7th of November, and then preceed to Buckingham
Palace, where her Majesty will stay till the 27th of the
same month, and then return to the Castlo for the re-
mainder of the winter.