The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-26 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

LE PROPHET E.

This all but masterpiece of Meyerbeer is now so thoroughly
establishe d as one of the great attractions of this theatre, on
the score of a completeness of rendering which it probably
could receive at no other house in Europe, that its repro-
duction is always looked forward to as one of the chief
treats of the year, and a tribute equally duo to manage-
ment, public, and composer. Little wonder, therefore, that
last evenbag its announcement served to a,serable one of
the most brilliant audiences of the season, and that its per-
formance proved a source of the very highest gratification.

It is ti ue we had to accept on this occasion the substi-
tution of Madlle. Didiee for Madlle. Caillag, in the charac-
ter of F ides, and we shall not pretend to disguise the
abatement in the power of the performanco which this
change net lessarily occasioned Madlle. Didiee is among
the most va tious and engaging of our London favourites—
a sound M 1,31 ician, a thorough artist, and a singer possessed
of a most agmeable and expressive voice, but she has neither
the tragic g•enius nor the physical power which are de-
manded by the sorrowing Fides, and which unite in so
striking a man ner in the claims of Madllo. Caillag. In ad-
dition to this, .11adlle. Didiea was so unwell on this wee-
sion that Mr. Harris was compelled to request the indul-
gence of the audience on her behalf beford the
commencement .af the third act, so that the public were
nit permitted to enjoy the fall extent of the compensation
which it is usually in her power to bestow. Nevertheless,
in the face of all deficiencies, and against the exactions of
all standards, her performance was stamped with a
merit which was universally acknowledged, and
which cannot fail to advance her position as one
of the most sterling members of the company. Her
" Figlio mio" was distinguished by its depth of pa.•
thetic earnestness. Her "Pieta pieta," was equally
marked by its emphatic feeling, and the subsequent duet
with Bertha had every claim to the loud approval with
which it was rewarded.

The cast of the opera in other respects retained its old
and grand attractions. Signor Tamberlik was the John of
Leyden, and the very finest, need we add, that the Lyric
stage of Europe possesses. His voice was in superb order,
and he has rarely exerted with more success all those
qualities which so nobly denote If m, than on the occasion
of last evening. His " Impero piu soave" was again an
instance of that intense feeling which he can so well
unite with his tragic vigour; and so also was his
"Madre addio," which terminated the first set amidst loud
and general demonstrations. Of an opposite and equally
successful character was his "Del Ciel lo sguardo, at the
conclusion of the second act, which led to his summons be-
fore the curtain by all parts of the house. The remainder
of the performance we can only refer to in our old and
general terms of praise. Madlle. Dottini was the Bertha,
Signor Tagliafico the D'Oberthal, and Signora Baraldi and
Polonini, with Herr Zelger, the Anabaptists, and the exer-
tions of each must be acknowledged as most meritorious.
Of the delivery of the magnificent choruses with which this
opera abounds no eulogy could be too great, nor is a less
tribute demanded by the superb performance of the band,
under the baton of Mr. Costa. The unrivalled miss en
scene, which so peculiarly distinguishes this great produc-
tion, of course remains in all its glory—its wonderful skat-
ing scene included—and the entire impression of the night,
was one that amply sustained the character of this first of
lyric theatres.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

MADLLE. PICCOLOMONI.

The three performances for the benefit of Mr. Lumley,
which were originally advertised to be given at Her
Majesty's Theatre during the present month, but which for
reasons that we need not discuss were transferred to the
above house, were initiated last evening by a performance
of the " Traviata," in which the heroine was sustained by
its moat distinguished representative. Mr. Lumley's claims
as a manager, during the 18 years that he directed our only
Italian opera, are sufficiently acknowledged to account for
the crowded and elegant appearance of the theatre last
night, which has rarely worn the look of fashion that it
presented on this occasion, Had such a cause, however,
bean wanting, the re-appearance of Maine. Piccolomoni,
now the Marchioness Gaetani, and especially under the
well-known circumstances of her return, would have
been quite enough we fancy to have ensured the result
attained. Most of our readers must be aware that she has
not only emerged from her retitement, but made the jour-
ney to London on purpose to evince her sympathy with the
manager who introduced her to tie London public. As
much in a personal respect, therefore, as an artistic, she
was likely to obtain a hearty response to her generous en-
deavours and to be rewarded with the welcome which so
warmly and universally greeted her first appearance in
the opera.

She soon, however, convinced her patrons that on artistic
grounds alone she was entitled to the reception which had
been so earnestly accorded to her. She never sang or acted
better than on this particular occasion. Whilst she showed
that her vocal power was not at all impaired, her histrionic
was manifested in all its old unrivalled excellence. Her
pleasant kindly face, it is true, and a little embonpoint of
person, somewhat detracted from the effect of the consump-
tive and remorseful Lost One, bet these were objections soon
forgotten in the passionate ardour of her acting, which won
her a loud recall at the conclusion of each act, and a still
more emphatic summons at the final descent of the curtain.
She enjoyed the able support of Signor Giuglini in Alfredo,
who was deservedly encored in the " I miei bollenti
spiriti," and also Signor Della Sedie in the elder Germont,
whose rendering of all his music, but more especially the
"Di Proven za,"
was graceful and tender to a degree.
Aradlle. Ferraris also added her attractions to the list, by
one of her most charming introductions, in the divertisse-
ment given in the ball-room.

At the conclusion of the opera, Mr. Lumley made his
appearance in answer to the summons of the entire house,
and bowed his acknowledgments with a very obvious
amount of emolon. On Friday next their Royal High-
nesses the Prince and Princess of Wales will honour the
third performance with their presence, when the entertain-
ments will consist of " La Figlia del Reggimento," and the
last act of the " Favorite," in which Madlie. Piccolemoni
will be supported by Signor Giuglini.

Upwards of 36,000 holiday folk visited the Cry-
s4al Palace yesterday, partly attraoted by the beauty of the
place, and partly by the round of amusements specially
provided for the occasion. Ample music was provided by
the company's band, the band of the Coldstream Guards,
and the great organ.
The Zoological Society's gardens in the Regent's-
park, always a favourite resort of the London,rs on their
national festival of Whit Monday, were more than usually
crowded yesterday.
A MISERABLE VIGNETTE FROM THE DERBY
DAY—AS SKETCHED BY THE " SPECTATOR."—
There was one sorrowful creature who had dragged a barrow
load of ginger-becr all the way from London, having started
the previous day. Of course ginger-beer stood no chance in
such weather—a mouthful of snow would have been as.
and the peoplepleasfint;and wereinth gehaufrtreyrinnoon, when the races were over,
away, the poor woman sat on
her barrow quite alone, with her head buried in her hands,
and tears streaming through her thin fingers. She had
" not taken a penny," she said, and it was all she had
reckoned upon for weeks. We saw her afterwards about a
mile on the road painfully dragging on through the deep
sticky mud, which came over her boots at every step. It
w,s one of the minor tragedies of the D. that forlorn
I:eing toiling back, disheartened and sad, to a starving
home.

A PROTEST AGAINST PUNNING.—Except when
it involves a witty thought, the play on words is
but the mark of a mind too feeble to lay hold habitually
with its entire attention on the thoughts of which words
are the signs, but accustomed to stop at the mere percep-
tion of their sound within the ear. It indicates the weak-
ness of an intellect so little attentive to souse that it is able
to spend what trifle of thought it connects witb the use of
words on the jumping aside after any jingle that can be
dragged into false association with them. The social con-
tempt for the mere punster is not expressed as in playful
juke against a spoilt child of good humour; it is the well-
grounded and demonstrably just censure of a manner of
speech that signifies commonly a want of intellect. Where
a man of sound judment has Leen like Sidney SinCh also a
punster, his puns always sent home a witty thought and
were not a mere brainless playing upon words.—Examiner.
PLYMOUTH, Monday, 10 p.m.—(By Electric and
International Telegraph.)—The ship Owen Glendower,
Captain Norris, which left the Downs last Monday with
passengers for Auckland, has put into the Sound this
evening leaky.
EXETER HALL —We are re.luested by Mr. Mar•.
tin to state that the performance of Handel's " Judas Mac-
cabous," by the National Choral Society, with Mr. Sims
Reeves, will commen2e at half-past seven on Thursday
evening, and not at eight o'clock as previously announced.
Several gentleman connected with the city are
engaged in an endeavour to procure a commemorative
statue of William Paterson, the founder of the Bank of
Bngland,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

- --

SPAIN.
MADRID, MAY 25,

It asserted that Senor Facundo Goni will proceed
to Mexico as Spanish Plenipotentiary, after the
French troops shall have entered that city.
Twenty-one Prefects have been replaced.
The rumours of a Ministerial crisis are unfounded.
Senor Enriquez has been appointed Under-Secre-
tary to the Ministry of Marine.

The Duke of Montpeniier will shortly leave for

London.

FRANCE.

PARIS, MAY 26.

The Constitutionnel of to-day contains an article
signed by its chief editor, M. Paulin Limayrac,
upon the intrigues of men belonging to the old par-
ties. The writer says :—" An end is about to be
put to equivocation. Up to the present time these
par ties have undermined the power of the Govern-
ment by subterranean intrigues, penetrating the
Administration by its former relations with it, and
vitiating the principle of Government.
"The tendency of popular Government is vigor•
ous, full of sap and energy, of love for the masses,
and sympathy for the popular classes who, the first
to hail it, were often perverted by men of a different
spirit, who insinuated themselves into many posi-
tions under false pretences of devotion, corrupting
the best systems by introducing the poison of ancient
influences.

" It was a source of surprise that a known enemy
of the Government should exercise so much influ•
enco on the Administration. Thank God, that is
about to cease. False friends, false devotion, and
false services will be unmasked, and placed face
to face with the declared enemies of the Govern-
ment.

The part which the Government has to fulfil will
be freed from all the obstacles which have hitherto

impeded its progress.
" The ,enius of the empire will be fortified by
that which is lost by the spirit of intrigue."
BOURSE, May 25.—The market has not been
very animated, but the prices of Saturday have
been well maintained, Threes being unvaried at
69f. 60c. The Railway Share Market has been
also quiet, but firm. The market closed as fol-
lows :

It per Cents. 97
Do. end month 97
8 per Cents
Do. end month 69 65
Credit Mobilier 1447 50
Do. end month 1451 25
Bank Shares 3450
Credit koncier 1450

Italian Loan 72 60
Do. end month —
New ditto
Do. end month....
Russian
Austrian
SpaniBh Threes 53 50
Home Debt

RA ILWAYB.

Cash. Account.
Orleqns lOO7 50 .. 1006 25
Northern
New, ditto .. .
Lyons and Mediterranean 1065 .. 1068 75
Geneva..
Southern 777 50 775
Western
Eastern ..... 512 50 512 50
Sardinian
Austrian
Lon. bard

North of Spain
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona

580 - . . 580 -
730 - . . 727 60
387 50 . . 388 75

CD. n rt tiritulat

HER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL, May 23.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Helana,
nod attended by Lady A. Bruce, went out driving
this morning.
Princess Louise went out riding,
Prince Arthur arrived at the Castle, attended by
Major Elphinstor e.
Dr. M'Leod arrived at the Castle.

Her Majesty's Birthday.
WINDSOR, May 25,

The 44th birthday of her Majesty the Queen fall-
ing this year on Sunday, it was simply annou•iced
early in the morning of yesterday by one joyous
peal from the bells of the Chapel Royal of St.
George and St. John's Church, and to-day this aus-
picious event was observed with the customary
honours. Early in the morning and throughout
the day merry peals were sent forth from the above
churches, a royal salute was fired in the Long-walk
from the corporation ordnance by the town lmnbar-
dier, and in the evening the principal inhabitants
and royal tradesmen celebrated the day by dining
together at the White Hart Hotel, when Mr. Win.
Harrison, the worthy mayor, presided, and the cus-
tomary loyal and patriotic toasts were given and
responded to with much fervency and ability. The
customary handsome present from her Majesty of a
fat buck from Windsor Castle Great park graced
the table, with every delicacy of the season, dis-
playing much taste and liberality on the part of
the host, Mr. Johnson. Had it been later in the
season the present of venison would have been ac-
companied by a handsome present from the royal
gardens. There were also royal salutes fired from
Fort Belvedere and the Adelaide frigate on Virginia
water.

The birthday of her Royal Highness Princess
Helena Augusta Victoria, born May 25, 1846, was
also observed here with the customary honours,