The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-16 00:00:00

TUESI)AY -E

VE NI N"( 1-,

duties besides those devolving upon him in his_most
conspicuous capacity as the City Solicitor—his able
conduct, for instance, for some period as Governor
of Whitecrass-street Prison, and again as High
Sheriff of Southwark, at once served to illustrate
the ability, integrity, and general excellence of the
man, and his cordial appreciation by largo num-
bers of his fellow-citizens. While, during the latter
years of his active and useful life, Mr. CHARLES
PEARSON has worked admirably well in the inte-
rests of the great metropolitan Corporation, who
had, with rare sagacity, chosen him as their Soli-
citor—still more admirably has he worked, quite
spontaneously, and voluntarily, and without one
sordid thought of remuneration, in the interests of
the labouring classes in the capital, in behalf of 'he
artizan population of this busy world of London !
His enlightened Efforts to ensure the salubrity of
the homes of that population by clustering them at
reasonable distances in the country, upon one or
two of the leading lines of railway—beyond even
the remotest of the straggling and crowded
suburbs of this vast metropolis—that one good
work alone would entitle CHARLES PEARSON'S
name to our remembrance as that of a distinguished
and practical philanthropist.

711 E 711EATRES.

DRURY-LANE.

Last night Mr. Boucicault produced another of his sen-
sation dramas, which met with a success that promises to
be of a most lasting character. The name of the drama it-
self, " The Relief of Lucknow," is quite sufficient to attract
immensely; but, in addition to that most attractive and
memorable title, a number of the most thrilling incidents
are ingeniously connected, and presented to the audience
in a manner that none but a stage director of the greatest
eminence could accomplish.
It must have been a difficult task to entwine a sort of love
story into such a memorable event as the relief of Lucknow,
but Mr. Boucicault has succeeded even in that. The drama is
divided into four acts, each of which closes with a tableau,
which would have been sufficient to secure the success of
any drama of the same description.
The piece opens with a splendid view of a Highland
home in India, and here we are introduced to a Mrs.
Campbell, whom we find is attached to Captain Randal
M‘Gregor, of the 78th Regiment. The lover arrives and
communicates the disturbed state of the surround-
ing country to her, and her friends, amongst whom
are the Rev. Mr. O'Grady, George M‘Gregor, an
ensign of the 33d, and Jessie Brown, the attached attend-
ant on Mrs. Campbell's children. In a very short time
after this communication an attack is made by the
Rajah Gholam Bahadoor, and one of Mrs. Camp.
bell's children is carried off. Thus an opportunity is
given for the introduction of a number of characters,
and the rescue of the child forms the chief incident
in the plot. To accomplish this Jessie Brown and her
faithful lovers, Cassidy, an Irish corporal, and Sweeney,
an English drummer, go through a number of hair-
breadth escapes, the most intensely exciting of which is
the perilous flight of Jessie on horseback, with the child in
her arms, up a mountain pass, and through a dreadful tor-
rent. In addition to this we have a magnificent represen-
tation of the encampment of the rebellious rajah--a gor-
geous native festival, in which the celebrated Arabs take
the parts of sepoys—and, finally, a most vivid and bril-
liant representation of the relief of Lucknow.

The acting of Mrs. Boucicault as Jessie Brown was
most impressive, and the manner in which she sang the
various snatches of Scottish song was peculiarly beautiful
and Madame Celeste as Mrs. Campbell was the perfection
of melo .drama.

Mr. Swinbourne made his first appearance in London as
Randal M'Gregor, and was received with the greatest cor-
diality ; that he will become a metropolitan favourite is
certain. Mr. Boucicault, as Cassidy, the warm-hearted
Irish corporal, acted with all that humour which so con-
spicuously marked his assumption of Myles, in the " Col-
leen Bawn," and which has rendered him the first of Irish
comedians. Mr. Mellon has a good part, which he de-
velops to the very utmost—it is that of an old soldier, who
having left the army from conscientious scruples, returns
to his old profession, in order to aid the weak and
helpless. Mr. Chai les Vsndenhoff, another first appearance,
as Geordie M'Gregor, gave promise of being an excellent
actor; and Mr. Atkins as Sweeney the drummer, acted with
a quaintness and humour that pleased the audience amaz-
ingly. Mr. Ryder and Mrs. Jordan represented the prin-
cipal Hindoos with great care and vigour.
It is impossible to speak too highly of the " Relief of
Lucknow" as a military spectacle. From first to last the
incidents were most vociferously applauded, and the crown.
ing one, " the charge of the 78th Highlanders," elicited
such tremendous applause that it made the walls of Old
Drury fairly ring again.
At the termination of the piece Mr. and Mrs. Boucicault
received a perfect ovation.
The house was crowded almost to suffocation.