The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-10 00:00:00

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: • 117
THE THEATRES
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•1 ' DRITRY-DANE. z'"'"l
The 'engacjerhdfrt- of Mr.- 4.--)1r. T-ooke having termi•
natod, bp last ev-aing' -benefit. Tke character
chosen Was ilittdbetil - Irnmediatelj, the'opening of
'the dOor4'iliere rush. that forcibly reminded us of
time pait—the time of -Kean, liemble, and Younge.
The theatre was filled 'immediately, and even the most
out-of-the-wa3., corneritof the house, where a glimpse of
the stage conid be obtained, were eagerly sought after.
Of the performance itself we can only say that which all
London know, therefore we content ourselves by saying
it was magnificent. At the close, Mr. Brooke,awho had
been vociferously called, came forward and addressed the
audience nearly as follows : • , - - ',l

" Ladies and Gentlemen; -It -is -lab* forrtien months
since my first appearance in this theatre, on .my return
from the United States, and since that timej have given
375 impersonations at different towns throughout Great
Britain and Ireland. But, nOtivithetindiug the great
fatigue, !both bodily and mental, attendant upon such
labours. I am happy and grateful to say -ifliast still pre-
served my health. Ido not say this in any spirit of vain
boasting, but to show that I have done all- that lay in my
power to meet the wishes of an indulgent public, and I
have been buoyed up through all these arduous labours by
the cheers anti smilax of an approving public, and felt my-
self repaid in the emotion of a moment. Perhaps I might
be excused for saying this much, but on the eve of my de-
parture for a far distant land, and when it may be years
before I again have tae pleasure of appearing before you,
I cannot refrain from giving utterance to my feelings."
Mr.: Brooke then In a very feeling manner bade the
audience 'farewell, and, bay; ug returned thanks, , retired.
During the deli Very of his short address Mr. Brooke evi-
dently laboured under the createst emotion, and at times
he beoattie so 'overpo wered t y hTs feeliugs'as to be scarcely
able to proceed.

HAYMARKET.
The spirited lessee of the little theatre in the Hay-
market -seems determined to keep up an uninterrupted
stream of_ attraction for his patrons. The.-Spanish
Dancers having concluded a most successful engagement
both fox; themselves and the management, novelty,
even during that engagement, was sought after, and
found in the person of Mr. Hudson. Last even-
ing again gave evidence of the determination of the
lessee. Mr. Wright, the great Adelphi favourite, made
'his bow as Paul Pry. It is needless to say his recep•
tion was of the most cordial description. A Miss Schott
made a most promising debut as Marion.

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
This theatre opened for the season 'Tad night with
a new drama in three acts, by Mr. Douglas Jerrold,
called " A lleart of Gold." Au original play by so emi-
nent an author is an occurrence of no common interest ;
the house, consequently, was crowded, and the piece
met with a reception which showed that the audience
did not feel themselves disappointed.
The plot of the piece is simple. The heroine, Maude
Nutbrown, is a country girl, the daughter of a substan-
tial farmer. She and a young man named Pierce are
lovers, but her father has refused his consent to their
union because the lover is poor. Maude has another
lover—John Dymond, a country gentleman superior to
her in station, but so deeply attached to her that he is
reduced by her coldness to the verge of the grave. When
the piece opens, the young girl and her father are on a
visit to London and staying at an inn. Both her lovers
are also there ; Dymond having followed her, prompted,
it would appear, only by despair. The two lovers are
iriends ; Dymond having an affection for his younger
rival as being the son of a friend of his father. Worn
out by the agonies of his passion, Dymond sinks into
a state of exhaustion : believing himself dying, he
sends for his young friend, and before the people
of the house assembled for the purpose, bestows upon him
a box containing a thousand guineas, desiring them to
bear witness that it is his free gift,: and he couples the
gift with a lecture to the young man upon the all-powerful
nature ofgold, describingit as the most valuable of earthly
pcFsessions, and counselling him, under every circum-
stance, to hold it fast. Having made this donation in a
way hich makes it very like the ill-omened gift of some
malignant fairy in a nursery tale, Dymond, to all ap-
pearance, expires upon the stage. But it is not so. In
the next act we find him alive. He has recovered from
a long illness, and is at an inn near his residence in the
country. Meanwhile Pierce's possession of the thousand
guineas has removed old Nutbrown's objections to him
as a son-in-law. The marriage is fixed ; and the bells
are actually ringing for church when Dymond, like
one returned from the dead, stands among them. •
The true-hearted Maude, who, if she could not love
him, has always regarded him with friendship and pity,
is transported with joy ; but Pierce stands like a statue,
gloomy and silent. An eclaircissement takes place :
Pierce, called upon to return the money which Dymond
had given him as a dying man, doggedly refuses to do
so in spite of Maude's tears and supplications. Indig-
nant at this display of his sordid nature, Maude ex-
claims she would not marry him if he were a king, and,
in the enthusiasm of the moment, gives her hand to his
rival. So ends the second act. Dymond is now happy,
his union with Maude being about to take place. But
she has deceived herself as to the state of her heart :
she loves Pierce as much as ever, and is wretched, while
he, repenting of his previous conduct, resolves to return
the money which lies so heavily on his mind. He does
so ; bitterly reproaching Dymond for having entrapped
him by a temptation which has proved his ruin. Maude,
who overhears the conversation, rushes into her lover's
arms ; and their union forms the denouement of the piece.
Miss Heath, as Maude, sustained the part with great
effect ; indeed, she made it he part of the play. Miss
Murray, as the maid servant, acquitted herself with her
usual ability. This young lady is a good actress, and
would be a better if she would rely upon her own con-
ception of a part, without imitating, as was palpably
the case last evening, Mts. Keeley. The other parts in
the piece were all creditably supported. The play was
decidedly successful, and was given out for repetition
every evening amid the applause of a house crowded to
the ceiling.