The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-14 00:00:00

CANTERBURY BALL.

On Saturday, a private performance of the " Miraculous
Steckel," from the Cirque Napoleon, Paris, took place at
the Canterbury Hall previous to his making his first ap-
pearance there this evening. His performance is of a
similar nature to that of Leotard, and, without at all wish-
ing to detract from the reputation of that very celebrated
artist, in our opinion, Steckel is quite equal to him in the
majority of his feats; indeed, in some of them, he sur-
passes him. Steckel's " flight," for instance, is consider-
ably longer than any other performers on the trapeze, and
it is performed with a neatness and precision that is truly
wonderful. During the performance, which lasted some
considerable time, Steckel never on one occasion made the
slightest slip, and to such certainty has he brought his
numerous acts that the most timid person can, without the
slightest fear, witness the extraordinary performance. M.
Steckel is a young man of about 24 years of age, of a very
pleasing personal appearance, and a remarkably fine
figure.

..,
Messrs. Morton and Stanley, the enterprising proprie-
tors of this justly-renowned establishment, in addition to
Steckel's performance, have secured other attractions for
Easter, although the usual unrivalled entertainment given
here would of itself be quite sufficient to attract enormous
audiences.

13&1211TS'S "JOLLY BPGGARS" AT THE
OXFORD MUSIC HALL.

Mr. George Linley has worked up Burns's humorous
poem into a cantata, for this hall, making certain neces-
sary excisions in the text, but preserving the leading fea-
tures in the description. Mr. Linley's business has been
to give to the music of the songs—already associated with
well-known words, such as " A Highland lad my love was
born," a new setting ; to compose the recitatives ; and to
supply a larger framework to the collection of airs than has
yet been furnished. He has also composed a new song for
the sailor—a character not found in the printed edition of
the poem—entitled, " When I bade good bye to Phoebe,"
of great merit and beauty, and quite Scottish in its
treatment. Tho characters in the poem will be
remembered as—the maimed soldier ; a merry
Andrew ; a fiddler ; a strolling tinker (the two latter
being rival admirers of the widow) ; the sailor (before
mentioned) ; a camp follower ; and the widow of
a Highland freebooter. These worthies are repre-
sented by Messrs. Albert, Morley, Green, Madame Ender-
ssohn, and others, and the "male and female vagrants"
are, with all humbleness and abnegation of self, personated
by the splendid chorus forming the backbone of the com-
pany. Considering that the brusque and rollicking charac-
ters in the poem are represented by ladies and gentlemen in
evening costume, a great amount of spirit is infused into the
performance. But the Scottish change-house of " Poosie
Nansie," of 1785, where Burns discovered his Bohemian
characters, was a very different place to the Southron
Oxford Music Hall of 1862, and without the aid of pictu-
resque dress, and a certain amount of action, it is difficult
to preserve the dramatic tone of the composition. Un-
doubtedly, the vagrant, tattered life depicted in the poem
would be much more graphically portrayed if the singers
could for the moment don the motley garments of Rag Fair,
and satisfy the eye as well as the ear. But even without
the aid of these dramatic accessories the entire compo-
sition is received with much interest, and many of the
songs are encored.

The Earl and Canntess of Carnarvon have left for
flighclere, where they will receive a large circle of friends
during the holidays.

The Countess of Desart and Lady Alice Castle-
Cuffe have left town for Bournemouth for the holidays.

Lord and Lady Blantyre arrived in town on Fri-
day from Erskine House, Renfrewshire, for the season.

Lord and Lady Skelmersdale will leave Lathom
House, Lancashire, on Thursday next, on a visit to the
Earl and Countess of Clarendon at the Grove, near Wat-
ford.

Lord and Lady Chelmsford have left Eaton-square
for Path, where they intend to stay during the holidays.

Lord and Lady Otho Fitz Gerald have arrived at
their residence on Carlton-terrace, from Grimston, York-
shire.

Sir George Cornewall Lewis and Lady Theresa
Lewis arrived at Kent House on Saturday from the Grove,
near Watford. The right hon. gentleman and her ladyship
leave town to-day for the Portland Hotel, Southsea, for a
few days.

Mr. and Lady Mary Craven leave town to-day to
join the circle assembled at Wimpole Hall, Cambridgeshire,
the seat of !he Earl and Countess of Hardwicke.
Sir William Alexander has left town for Mar-
seilles to meet the Earl Canning on his homeward route
from India.

WESTMINSTER HOSPITAL.—At a special meeting
of the governors of the Westminster Hospital, held on the
11th of April, Dr. P. W. Latham, of George-street, Hano-
ver•square, Fellow of Downing College, Cambridge, was
elected Assistant-Physician, and Mr. Christopher Heath, of
Sackville-stieet, Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons,
was elected Assistant-Surgeon to the 'Westminster Hospital.

STRANGE SCENES IN HYDE PARK.—Yesterday
morning, according to an announcement publicly adver-
tised, Mr. Richard Hibbs, M.A., of St. John's College,
Cambridge, a clergyman of the Church of England, preached
in Hyde-park on the subject of deaths from starvation in
London. The sermon consisted principally of a denuncia-
tion of the "fashionable vices" of the day—one of which,
the practice of paying two or three hundred a year for a
box at the opera, appeared to be particularly objectionable
to him—extracts from the Registrar-General's reports, and
leading articles of newspapers. Near to him there was
stationed a man with a broad Scotch accent, who was dis-
coursing on the errors of Mormonism. In consequence of
constant interruptions he lost his temper. and appealed to
two constables of the A division who were listening to his
discourse to interfere on his behalf. One of them politely
told him that ho was not obliged to remain there, and that
if he went away the uproar would cease. He did not act
upon the hint, but continued his exposition, and in the
course of a few minutes a desperate fight took place, and
the Scotchman lost the whole of his congregation, who took
more interest in the quarrel than in his discourse. In an-
other part of the park, two or three young men, apparently
students for the Dissenting ministry, were expounding ex-
treme Evangelical views ; but as there was nothing parti-
cularly offmsivo or silly in their mode of treating their sub-
jects, they had few I.steners.
THE WELLINGTON RE-OPENED.—An advertise-
ment thus headed informs us that the splendid apartments
of this celebrated house are no longer held by clubs which,
for the past two yea's, have occupied them, but that they
ara now open to all camera. The arrangements are certainly
very complete, and its accommodation unequalled ; but
while admitting the excellence of all supplied therein,
would it not be as well, as the leading representative of John
Bull's London Restaurants, to modify the tariff of wines, so
as to meet the requirements of our numerous expected
continental visitors ? There can be but little doubt but the
interests of the proprietary would thus be enhanced, and
the Wellington would deservedly achieve an European re-
putation.