The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-08 00:00:00

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.

On Saturday night, a new piece in two acts, en-
titled " She would and He wouldn't," was produced
at this theatre. The plot is as follows :
A great prima donna makes a sensation at Genoa,
and she is known as La Serena (Miss Herbert), but
she really is a Countess, who, having her estates in
a state of litigation in a court of law, takes to the
operatic stage to support herself. Amongst the
many admirers she possesses is one Count Rafael
(Mr. G. Vining), a spendthrift nobleman of the
Don Caesar de &zap class, who has laid a wager to
run away with her within a certain time, but has
not a ducat to carry out his intention, and- is
moreover steeped in debt.
At the opening of the present drama we are in-
troducrd to the villa of a very high lady of the old
school. Starched and stiff with pride as well as
brocade, she enhances her antiquity with a pair of
green goggles. It requires no very great theatrical
acumen to find out that this lady is La Serena in
disguise, though we did not exactly catch why
she takes all this trouble to secure a lover already
devoted to her. But suffice it to say, she, by a
series of intrigues with Zanetta, a gipsy (Miss
St. Casse), who sets up for a sorceress, and has
elixirs which can produce youth or age or slumbers
at will, she gets the Count Rafael into her power,
and he is threatened with arrest if he does not
marry the apparently old Countess within an hour.
After many qualms he, the wretched young man,
consents to the sacrifice, and thus the first act goes
down upon the marriage.
The second act is occupied by the Countess ap-
pearing in her own youthful character, and the
Count is charged with the murder of the Old
Countess who has disappeared. The greatest state
of perplexity is produced by this state of matters,
and the Gipsy promises a solution if the youth-
ful lady will only consent to take the elixir that
wilt restore her to age. This she agrees to do if
the Count will take it too, which he, however, re-
jects with horror. His perplexity having been
prolonged sufficiently an explanation takes place,
and the Count wins his wager, for he is within the
time married to LA Serena.
It was well supported by the acting, Mr. F.
Matthews making something out of nothing as a
foolish Minister of Police ; and Mr. F. Charles, Mr.
Belmore, and Mr. Cockrill taking parts in ,which
they had no opportunity of displaying their re-
spective abilities.

FIRE A 7 LIVERPOOL.

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY MORNING.

Early this morning a fire took place at Liver-
pool, which resulted in the death of 17 persons,
chiefly children. The workhouse and church at-
tached to it were partially destroyed.

THE PRIMACY. —We believe that, although
nothing is as yet officially settled with respect to the vacant
see of Canterbury, there is no doubt that the Bishop of
London, Dr. Tait, will be translated to the primacy.—
Illornlng Post.

THE GREAT EASTERN REPORTED ON FIRE.—The
following, which appeared in late editions of the Liverpool
papers of Saturday, excited considerable alarm in that
town :—" By the arrival of the steamship Scotia, a rumour
has reached this country of the burning of a large sailing
vessel or steamer, near Montauk Point. The rumour has
caused considerable anxiety to be manifested, as nothing
had been seen of the steamship Great Eastern, though
the Persia, which left this port the same day (Saturday,
August 16), arrived at New York on the day of the Scotia's
sailing. This fact, however, only proves that the Persia
made a good passage out, and beat the big ship. The
report that has come to hand is too vague to place much
reliance on. A. passenger by the Scotia reports that, just
as ho was leaving New York, a rumour was there current
that a large steamer, surrounded by schooners, was on
fire off Montauk. Captain Jadkins states that the rumour
was current at New York the day before Ihe left. The
mail master of the Scotia reports the vessel to be a large
ship."
COURAGE OF A Bolt OF THIRTEEN.—A somewhat
extraordinary instance of courage in a young boy of 13 oc •
curred the other day at Holyhead. A boy named Jones,
while sculling a boat with another lad, fell into the water
near the old harbour. One of two men passing by plunged
in to his assistance, but his clothes becoming exceedingly
heavy in the water, he was obliged to turn back. Seeing
this, the young lad, whose name was John Williams, in-
stantly swam to the rescue. The drowning boy Jones
grasped him so tightly as to deprive him of all power, and
both consequently sank. Williams, however, extricated
himself, and rose to the surface. Despite his narrow escape
the brave boy made the greatest exertions to hold up his
companion, who catching his rescuer a second time in his
death grasp, again caused both to sink. Williams again rose,
still preserving his hold, and by this time the man who had
been passing came to their assistance and held them till a
boat was brought. Both were apparently dead when
brought to land, but happily young Williams soon recovered.
The lad whom he had so bravely attempted to rescue died
the t aro night.