The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-07 00:00:00

THEATRES.

DRURY-LANE.
Under the auspices of Mr. Manche and the manager.
neammont and Fletcher, -strange to say, incurred a failure
at this house last night. This happened from their play cf
Bonduca ,baving been made, under the title of Carartacia
the vehicle of the grand spectacle which has for some time
been premised from hencc to the excited anticipations of tla
public. The plot of Caractacus is brief. The action opens-
with the preparations of that chieftain for an encounter
with the Romans, under the propra3tor. Ostorius Scapula
(Mr. King.) He takes part in a grand D.uidie ceremonial
preparatory to battle-7fights—is defeated—loses his chief
stronghold, and with it his wife and daughter—hcromcs
fugitive with his son Hengo,--is betrayed to the Romans by
a barbaric retainer a.-Qtreen Carthismandria—brought to
Rome—paraded in a triumphal procession ; and, l'y, for his
magnanimity-, is pardoned by Claudius Cmsar. Two episodes
figure in the action—first a young Ro:nan 'Tribune, Junius
(Mr. Brindal), having fallen in love with the (laughter of Ca-
ractacus, and not thriving in his passion, tries in vain to ac-
complish a fall of another kind—v.z., in battle ; hut, as
usual, cannot possibly succeed in so desira'de a nurpose—L
commits his loyalty by saving his mistress and Caractacus
from the swords of his -soldiers—is punished by being treated
as a British slave, and finally shares the good fortune of
the hero, and has every prospect of marriage with his
&mica. The second episode is of a veteran general in
Britain, Penius Posthumus (Mr. Cooper) who having been
superseded in his command by his junior, Ostorius Scapula,
is exceedingly wroth, and refuses to obey orders to join in
the battle, which ultimately decides the fortunes of Caracta-
cus. He prognosticates that the young commander will
be defeated, but when victory declares for lim, mortifica-
tion and the indignatien of his own troops drive him to com-
mit suicide, which he effects after the old Ro:nan manner,
of perforating his thorax with his own sword. Some few
passages in the part of Caractacus, which was sustained
by Mr. Butler, were -listened to and applauded, espe-
cially the scenes with his stripling son (a part well played
by a young gentleman who never trod the boards in
London before) : but the rest was, as we have stated,
utter failure. The house at first took the matter in angry
dulness, and then in angry mirth, insomuch that the prolix
heroics of old Posthumus, and the melting pathos of Ju-
nius, were either enlivened by an epidemic accompaniment
of coughing or laughter, both, however, greatly alloyed
with the less agreeable" !sounds of disapprobation. Delays
between the acts kept these feelings in full vivacity. The
scenery and music of the piece were its best recommenda-
tion. The former did great credit, in sonic instances, to the
Messrs. Grieve, and the latter, to Mr. Balfe. An en-
trenched camp of the Romans, " a British Dracontium, or
.temple of the sun and serpent, designed foom a ground
plan of the celebrated remains at Abhry and a Moun-
tain scene, the retreat of Caractatus, were each admira-
ble specimens of the scenic art—more esnecially the Dra-
contium, in which a number of' figures, drawn with great
freedom of design, and coloured with equal power, were,
peculiarly striking. This, with its druidical procession
its inspired songs of the Druids, and the choruses of a large
body of dtamatis perecmcc, was by far the best part of the
whole piece. One chorus, " Ilark to his wheels,'.' was
warmly encored—it was a broad, bold, spirited comirosition.
It was succeeded by another snore and less effec-
tive. The final scene of the whole, and the intended
coup de vicloire was, we should say, but an indifferent
pageant, crowded enough with glittering soldiers, horses,
two or three chariots, a couple of small Brahmin bulls, a
camel, and two elephants, almost as good as if alive. The
scene was not felicitous, and the general effect of the
pageant unreal, incomplete, and common-place. Several
times during the evening, a summary verdict appeared
about to be passed off-this production, and at the conclu-
sion, things looked so inauspicious and menacing, that no
attempt was made to announce its repetition.

OLYMPIC; - •
A new burletta was projuced here last night with the
grand and imposing title Of .4 Dream of the Future ; but
the sublimity ceases trial the title, for " the future" here
alluded to merely unfolds some of the peculiar miseries as
well of "single blessedness" as of holy wedlock, and the
dreamers of the dream are only two young ladies (sisters)
Just returned from a ball. The two young ladies, of course,
ere provided with a lover each, but the two specimens of
the genus belong to very different classes—the one is a
captain, impudent, coxcombical, conceited, and in love
rather with his mistress's fortune than with herself; the
other is a young surgeon, but no fit representative of the
fraternity ; for he is modest, diffident, bashful, and abso-
lutely in love. We deem it essential, in order to enlist any
portion of the interest of our readers in a narrative so
bare of incidents, that we should state • that Madame
Vestris represented the dreamer, Miss Lee the sister, Mr.
C. Mathews the doctor, and Mr. J. Yining the captain.
We have little positive fault to find with this new produc-
tion from the pen of Mr. Dance, but we can also afford it
but little commendation. The acting is so excellent that
the piece could not fail to please for a time ; but that
time will, in all probability, be short.

ROYAL PAVILION.
The tragedy of Othello Was " revived" hero l.►st night,
and drew an immense house, the novelties in the cast being
the first appearance of Mrs. Edwin Yarn°ld (late Miss
Grove), as Desdemona ; Mrs. Campbell, as Emilia ; and
Denvil, as Othello.. Mrs. Edwin Yarnold looked the
" sweet Desdemona" to the life, and Mrs. Campbell
was a successful Emilia. Laws gave a correct version of
the amiable Cassio ; and Farrell made the flighty, yet
lachrymose, Roderigo sufficiently amusing without being
offensive.

GA RR I C.K.
This little theatre has been redecorated and made quite
smart for the season, in addition to which the scenery has
been put under an improved arrangement, after the French
mode of managing. The proprietors have availed them-
selves of the services of Davis's beautiful and docile stud
of 'horses, and havelvroduCed some of the equestrian pieces
in very superior style. The Courier and his horse, a drama
founded on a patch of Polish history, has run with immense
applause for several weeks, and has now given place to the
very celebrated military spectacle of the Battle of Waterloo,
ivhich was acted for the first time last night. Mr. Davis
was the person who originally brought out the piece ; and
one of the proprietors, Mr. Gomersal, who was the original
Napoleon, takes the same character.

.
BOULOGNE-SUR-MER, Nov. 2.—During the last
three days, with scarcely any intermission, the wind has
blown a perfect hurricane from the north and north-west.
This morning, at five o'clock, the Leader, Captain Watson,
an English three-masted vessel of 190 tons, bound from
Cadiz to the port of London, laden with wines, quicksilver,
and pomegranates, was driven on shore at low water at Am-
bleteuse, a small fishing village about.four miles to the north-
ward of Boulogne... Of the crew, consisting of nine, only
three of the sailors were saved clinging to what is termed
the " break of the leek," upon which they were washed
ashore. The captain,. the first and second mates, and three
seamen were drowned. Their bodies have not yet been
found. The survivors state that the captain had mistaken
a light (supposed the Cape Grinez. light) for the Dungeness
light, and that under this impression the vessel was lying-to
until daylight. The moment she struck on the sands the
anchors were put out, which caused the veisel to swing
round, and all hope of extricating her from her perilous situ-
ation was at an end. About three o'clock this afternoon
not a vestige of the vessel was to be seen. Indeed she is a
total wreck ; and in the event of her being insured, scarcely
one farthing will be recovered by the underwriters. Some
of the spars and broken wine hogsheads have been washed
ashore, but nothing which will realise money has as yet been
found. Eight o'clock, p.m.—Soon after six o'clock this
morning a large vessel supposed to be a homeward-bound
East Indiaman, was seen from the pier proceeding up
channel in evidently a very disabled condition. It is just
reported here that a vessel answering her description was
driven on shore this afternoon to the southward. A French
fishing-boat is likewise reported to have been wrecked this
afternoon. Nine o'clock, p.m.—l have just been informed
that the „Grand Turk, which left this port for London on
Tuesday morning last, put into Calais yesterday afternoon
(where she now remains), after beating about the channel
for upwards of 36 hours.

On Tuesday morning, Lieutenant S. T. Carter, in
care of the Lowestoffe life-boat, received information tha t
a brig had grounded on the NewcomeSands, and was show-
ing signals of distress. The wind was blowing a hurricane,
and the fishermen could not put off to her assistance. Lieu-
tenant Carter, accompanied by Mr. Disney, of that town,
after much difficulty, launched the life-boat, and with great
lat.our and peril reached. the brig, from which they sue-.
seeded in taking the master, W. Banfield, four passengers,
and nine men of the crew. The gallant little crew had
scarcely got all hands on board before the brig went over
on her side, and the cargo was seen to float in every direc-
tion. The vessel was the Bytvell, of Newcastle, with a ge-
neral cargos, from London. On Wednesday not a vcts,tigo.,
of the wreck was to be seen.—.2Voipic Chkonick.

As a strong young fellow was driving a cart, drawn
by three dogs, along Duke-street, on Thut'sday night,
loaded with two sacks of potatoes, the dogs ran against
another cart, which was coming in an opposite direction,
with such force that the man, who sat on the sacks, was
thrown to the ground, and the potatoes falling upon him
broke one of his legs, and otherwise severely injured him.
He was immediately lifted by soma persons who 'Sere
upon the spot when the accident happened, pind carried to
the hospital. The load seemed to much too heavy for
the dogs ; and without the. weight of the driver, who np-
peared strong thi healthy, the poor animals must have bad
a sallicieat