The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-20 00:00:00

KING'S. THEATRE.

KIAN took his farewell—though perhaps not his fin a
benefit—at this house last night. It was crowded 'in
every part long before the commencement of the per-
formances; and we apprehend, at a rough guest., that be
cannot have cleared lets than about 1,0001. to start him
to the New World, whither, it is said, he is going for
two yeare. He gave the fourth act of Richard ILL,
the fourth act of the Merchant of Venice, the fifth act
of A New Way to Pay Old Debts, the second act of
Macbeth, and the third act of Othello; in all of which,
of course, he sustained the principal part. He preserved
his strength so well to the last, that we have never seen
the third act of Othello go off with more effect, or attract
more applause. The last act of A New Way to Pay
Old Debts went off fl ally, from the want of connection,
which it seemed to require inure than any other of the
fragments of tragedies. The portion of Macbeth was
positively bad ; and although Airs. Bunn gave great force
to Lady Macbeth, Kenn made little of his part, and his
memory failed him lamentably in several places. The
fourth act of Richard 111, the fourth act (or ra-
ther parts of the third and fourth acts), of the Merchant
of Venice, and the third act of Othello, went off with
the entire satisfaction of the house. After the fall of the
curtain, KILO; came forward, supported by Coorits, to
deliver his " Farewell Address," and immediately the
whole back of the 'tags was filled with spectators, who
had crowded the wings, and considerably annoyed the
actors and the audience during the evening.—Kenw ad-
vanced to the front of the stage, and spoke nearly'as
follows :--

" Ladies and Gentlemen,—After the fatigues I have
undergone, I trust that you will excuse any lengthened
address on raj, part. The approbation you have lavished
upon my laborious, and may I add, not altogether unde-
serving exertions to-night, will ever make a deep impres-
sion upon my heart, and as long as I retain the name of an
Englishman it will not be effaced. The numerous cha-
racters I have sustained for the first time, and which I
shall never be able to sustain again, are the duly recompence
I can make, beyond that gratitude which is in itself some
return for kindness. lam on the point of departing for
a foreign and a distant land : I quit a people whom I
adore, perhaps, never to return among them. Allow me
to observe upon the vast importance of the drama to every
civilised nation: this point will need no illustration from
me, hut, impressed as I am with its truth, permit the to
express an earnest hope that yen will never allow empirics
to ascend the tragic throne. To preserve it in a legiti-
mate line of succession is of more consequence to the na-
tional welfare than all the biblicals in the world. I will
not touch further upon matters with which an actor has
no business, and without adverting either to the past or
to the future, I will dwell only upon the present, and upon
the generous approbation with which you have rewarded
my labours. I now beg leave to bid you a long and a last
farewell." _ . . . _

KEAN then retired by the wing, amid a tumult of ap-
plause, the whole house standing.

The East Retford Bill was read a second time
hit night in the House of Peers. we should have been
glad to have seen the elective franchise taken away from
that corrupt town, and transferred to some populous and
important town where the number of voters would make
bribery impossible. A clearer and more impudent system
of corruption than that which prevailed in East Retford,
has never come before Parliament : and we shall always
regret that so fair an opportunity has been lost of invest-
ing either Manchester or Birmingham with those repre-
sentative privileges which had been justly forfeited by th
ie
ineignificant and degraded borough.-- Timm