The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-25 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

The opera of Saturday evening, which was to have
been La Favorita, was, in consequence of Mario's indis-
position, changed to Otello. This piece had not pre-
viously been given this season, nor, if we remember
rightly, was it performed last year. Indeed, though it
has great beauties, Otello is by no means one of the most
attractive of Rossini's works.

The performance of Saturday evening was, on the
whole, excellent. Perhaps we have never had an Otello
superior to Tamberlik. The music is well suited to his
voice, containing many passages in the highest part of
the scale which demand all the strength of his powerful
and penetrating organ. He looks the character admir-
ably, avoiding the common error of making the hero a
negro. Tamberlik makes the swarthiness of the moor
quite consistent with manly beauty. Grisi's Desde-
mona, though it did not realise the English idea of " the
gentle lady wedded to the Moor," was a superb perform-
ance. Her aspect was noble and imposing, her acting
often impassioned, and her vocal execution as facile,
clear, and brilliant as it has ever been. Ronconi made
as much of lago as can be made of a character which is
reduced to mere commonplace, and which, as a musical
part, is inferior even to that of Rodrigo, which was very
respectably sustained by Stigelli. Grisi and Tamberlik
were enthusiastically applauded ; and the opera alto-
gether had a avowable reception.

THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, JULY 23.—The depar-
ture of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
City of London, for Gibraltar, Malta, and Constanti-
nople, has been postponed from the 27th inst. to the
10th proximo, in consequence of her having been dis-
patched on a voyage to the Peninsular ports, in place of
the Tagus, temporarily disabled. The screw steam-ship
Bengal, under command of Captain Bowen, late of the
Iberia, is about to be taken off the Southampton,
Malta, and Alexandria stations and sent to India, via
the Cape of Good Hope. The Bengal will leave South-
ampton on the 25th of August, taking passengers for
Calcutta, Ceylon, and Madras, and is to be immediately
afterwards employed in running between those ports and
Suez with the contract mails. The Bengal will be re-
placed on the Alexandria station by the Company's steam-
ship Euxine, to sail on the 20th of August. The Gene-
ral Screw Company's steam-ship Hydaspes, Captain
Greig, after having her machinery thoroughly adjusted,
is to leave Southampton on the 15th, and Plymouth on
the 16th inst., with the mails for the Cape, Mauritius,
Ceylon, Madras, and Calcutta. The royal mail steam-
ship Orinoco, Lieutenant Hast commander, is ap-
pointed to take out the next West India, Mexican, and
Pacific mails of the 2d proximo. La Platta, with the
homeward mails from the same quarter, may be ex-
pected to arrive home about Thursday or Friday next.
The United States' mail steam-ship Hermann, with dates
from New York to the 16th inst., is expected off Cowes
about Friday next, on her way to Bremen.
ELECTION-SATURDAY AT ETON COLLEGE.—On Satur-
day morning, Dr. Okes, Provost of King's College,
Cambridge, with the Rev. Mr. Witts and the Rev. Mr.
Thring, the posers, accompanied by the Provost and
Fellows, the head, lower, and assistant masters, pro-
ceeded to the Upper School at Eton to hear the election
speeches. The numerous and distinguished company
included the Earl of Derby, the Right Hon. W. E.
Gladstone, M.P., his excellency the Belgian ambassador,
Mons. Van der Weyer ; Lord and Lady Kinnaird. The
school list contains 614 names, an increase of nearly 20
on last year. There are 50 candidates for admission on
the foundation, and only one vacancy at present. After
the delivery of the speeches the visitors were entertained
by the Provost and by several of the masters at their
respective houses. At seven o'clock in the evening the
customary regatta, or procession of boats, from the
Brocas to Surley Hall, took place, and on their return
there was a display of fireworks. The whole affair
passed off most satisfactorily. To-day the boys leave
for a vacation of eight weeks.
UPPER INDIA RAILWAY.—A meeting of the scrip-
holders of this company is to be held on Thursday to re-
ceive a report from the directors of the terms of amal-
gamation which have boon arranged between the
chairman of the company and the chairman of the East
India Railway Company. The directors have re
solved to appropriate the remaining 23,980 unallotted
shares, pro rata, among the scripholders, in order that
the whole capital of 4,000,0001. should be subscribed.
This sum, added to the 2,000,0001. at present authorised
to be raised by the East India Railway Company, and a
further sum of 300,0001. required for the works, will
make a capital of 6,300,0001.
NORTH AND SOUTH-WESTERN JUNCTION RAILWAY.—
This short line of railway which runs from the London
and North-Western Railway near Willesden, to Kew, and
Breutford, and which has hitherto only been worked for
goods traffic, is to be opened for passenger traffic on the
Ist August next, in connexion with the North London
(Dock line) and the Blackwell Railway. It is under-
stood, however, that only about four trains per day each
way can be worked between FenCiurch-street and Kew
until the Hampstead and Willesden Junction line is con-
structed.

THE MooN.—Baer, a German astronomer, calculates
that when we shall have an instrument nine time more
powerful than Lord Rosse's, it will bring the moon with-
in a German mile of us, so as to show an object as small
as a man.

ROYAL COLLEC OF SUZGEONS.—The following gentle.
men having undergone the necessary examinations for
the diploma, were admitted members of the college at
the meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 22d inst.:
--Messrs. Isaac Mennell Williams, York ; John Segar,
Ainsdale, near Southport, Lancashire ; Robert Brown,
Wintershields, Cumberland ; Edward O'Niell, Mitchells,
town, county Cork ; William Lee Dawson, Clougliran.
county Dublin ; Evan Pierce Williams, Denbigh, North
Wales ; Thomas Windsor, Pincadilly, Manchester; John I DENMARK.
Macloghlin, South Australia ; Win. Henry Jones, Lon-
don ; George Manias Slaughter, Farningham, Kent, and COPENHAGEN, JULY 19. In its sitting of yester-
Christopher Young, Yarm, Yorkshire. day the Landsthing, in spite of the opposition of
ARRIVAL OF PORPHYRY FOR THE CRYSTAL PALACE. the Government, adopted the project of a commu-
-A case of specimens of Swedish porphyry, from the nal law by 21 votes against 9. •
Royal quarries at Elfdal, has arrived in England. These A Ministerial crisis was considered imminent.
specimens include fifteen distinct varieties, some of great The Volksthing in its sitting of the 16th inst. had
beauty ; they have been presented to the Crystal Palace adopted by 64 votes against 8, on the third read-
Company by Mr. Charles Henry Edmands. ing, the project of law on a uniform system of CUS-
TER CHOLERA IN COPENHAGEN.—The cholera, which
toms for the whole kingdom.
is raging in Copenhagen, has numbered among its vic- From the 17th to the 18th the number of new
tims Madame Louise Hagermann-Lindencrona, the
author of several dramatic works cholera cases was 317, of which number 156 had
, which her countrymen I
pronounce to be of great merit, as well as of a variety of • proved fatal. The total number of cases from the
novels, tales, and compositions for the piano and the 115th inclusive, was 1841, and 926 had terminated
1 fatally,

LITER A TURE.

Electra; a Story of Modern Times. By the author
of " Rockingham," with Illustrations, by Lord
Gerald Fitzgerald. 3 vols. Hurst and Blacked.

This novel bears the same peculiarities as those
which distinguished its predecessor. There is an
impetuosity of manner evidenced in the closet*"
tions, and there is a daring spirit exhibited in the
actions that redeem it from the charge of raecue-
crity and endue it with force, energy, and vivacity
ci
The interest is not so intense as might be supposed
from the power of the work, for it is entirely eon;
ceutrated on one circle, and not on any member e;
that even. Lady Glenarlowe, the step-mother, 13
an extraordinary character, but it is impossible to,
feel much concern in her affairs, after her cruel
and heartless conduct at the commencement of the
narrative. She was, in truth, far more fitted to
rule despotically over slaves in Barbadoes than to
conduct the concerns of a young family in an
English home. Nor can her daughter, Florence,
lay claim to much attention from her extreme
vacillation and indecision. She was led away one
day by her mother, the next she inclined to the en"
treaties of Augustus, and then returned to attend tt?
Lord George Walsingham to please her mother, and
also to gratify her own fancies. At last she was s°r
over persuaded as to consent to relinquish bed
early choice, and to become the wife of her sewn
suitor. But at the altar her courage gave vial'
and the " bride who fled from the altar" was!
warning to all who sacrified themselves at the
shrine of mistaken duty. This scene is ably de'
scribed, and forms one of the most powerful point
in the work. Electra, the heroine, is the chief
object of attraction, not that she appears very often
on the scene, but, like all really great minds, her
works are evident when she is removed from the
immediate sphere of action ; she influences her
friends' thoughts and deeds, while apparently 11,,n.
concerned and unconnected with them. As gentle
as her sister (the step-mother) Lady Glenarlovie
was haughty, as calm as she was violent, Lady
Hazebrook might well have served for a model as,
heroine of romance, or nameless martyr, unnoticed
in the strife of a jarring world, but pre-eminently
placed among those who are acting for eternity in
time. Inspired by the purest desires for others,'
welfare, she never forsook the object of her regard,
from the moment when the desolate and deserted
school-boy was ill-used and neglected, to the day
when the unfortunate man seemed deprived of all
human countenance in his adversity.
Her efforts were fully appreciated by the hero,
and it was but a just tribute to her virtues, a due
return.for her kindness, and a deserved homage t°
her matchless conduct, that actuated him, when
on the day that crowned his long-deferred
hopes, and realised his despaired-of desires, the
thoughts of her dimmed his joy, and- clouded
bade
radiance of his future. He knew when he bote
her farewell "on what distant course she
already bound ;" for soon was the dark hour s
hand, and the framer of the work lived not to 0'36
its result, and to witness its effect. " There 02,
one gentle spirit who could discern her ow"
heaven-lit path amid the darkness around ne'
Through years of doubt—through months of die;
may—through hours of absolute despair, she had'
cherished her own firm purpose, and moulded t°
its accomplishment every circumstance and sewt
dent which she could not wholly control. But
now the valley of the shadow of death was passe.d'
and the hills of Beulah were unveiling their
smiling expanse before her. The long-prowis
goal was before her ! The earthly ministration e#
i
the Guardian Spirit was over ; but we shall meet
again. Oh, it cannot be but that we shall meet
again." In the course of the adventures the be,r°
e
met with, he mingled in the stirring scenes of %
Peninsular War, and many important engagewele
are here given with great force and spirit.
battle of Ciudad Rodrigo is the most striking ,1
detail and description. On the whole for an e_s,
citing narrative, or for an able exposition of If.
prominent passions that influence and excite xw;
kind, this work may be regarded with attentiei
and admiration. It is a successful sketch
.0 ~
characters that are not common-place, and 1;
epitome of events that will be remarkable for at.
It may not be called pleasing, but it must
owned as powerful, and the author may reasonably
expect for it renown.