The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-12 00:00:00

ASTLEY'S.

A new spectacular extravaganza, by Mr. Suter (late
of the Lyceum Theatre), was brought out here on Satur-
day evening, and met with that degree of success which
may be taken to be a good prognostic of a "long run."
The novelty bears the somewhat ambitious title of
Jupiter's Decree, and the Fall of Phaeton ; or, the Four
Fiery Coursers of the Sun: and though the plot, or story,
is not very intelligible, the piece affords a most excel-
lent opportunity for the display of the peculiar re-
sources of this favourite establishment, which, after all,
are the great attraction. The audience is first intro-
duced to an assembly of the gods and goddesses on
Mount Olympus, an excellent pictorial representation,
in which Mr. Cooke's stud is introduced to very great
advantage ; then they are transported to Arcadia, where
there is a real stag hunt by Diana and her nymphs ;
and anon, Phaeton, a fast youth, obtains his ardent wish
—the loan of the flaming chariot of the sun, and forthwith
sets the world on fire, to the great consternation of all the
deities. In a subsequent scene is depicted the fall of the
rash and impetuous Phaeton, his car is overturned, his
four fiery coursers are lying together in a confused heap,
and the unlucky driver is himself in the midst of them.
But he is brought to lifeby a young nymph, and accom-
panies his companions on a terrestial visit, in the course
of which they become mixed up with the events of the
day. The cab question, and the camp at Chobham come
in for their share of ridicule ; of the latter there are two
views, one of a domestic character, in which the sufferings of
the officers, from cold and wet, so piteously portrayed
by John Leech, are shown in action—and the rain, and
sneezing, and gruel, edify the house. Next, mimic war
assumes a brighter form, and the whole forces of Astley's
cavalry and infantry, are called out, as Life Guards,
Highlanders, and field officers, and a series of dashing
charges and effective evolutions are gone through, which
quite arouse the warlike sympathies of the Amphithe-
atricals, and are as loudly applauded as they deserve
to be. Finally, the gods, each of whom has been
getting into his own private scrape, begin to think
they had better go home to their celestial residence,
and Jupiter's gracious assent being signified through a
heavenly speaking-trumpet, the scene draws, a
and a
splendid mythological tableau is visible, which, with its
glitter brought out by coloured fires, closes the piece.
It has been got up with all the care and outlay which
Mr. Cooke bestows upon his productions ; and, from
its general merit, and the adroitness with which topics
of the day are handled, it will, we imagine, be a valuable
card. The Chobham camp, especially, is a very effective
feature, and one which the resources of this theatre en-
able the manager to develop with much advantage. The
author of the piece (Mr. Suter) sustained a part in it—
that of Momus—in which he had to say a good many
telling things, whose sarcasm was not impaired by any
enfeebling attention to the construction of the verse in
which the piece is written. He was called on at the
close, as was almost every performer engaged ; and Mr.
Suter took the opportunity, when announcing the piece
for repetition, of apologising for the absence of certain
scenic effects, with which the illness of an official had
interfered, but which he promised should all be duly
given on the next representation. The applause of the
audience, however, did not indicate that they missed
anything, and the success was complete.

BRITISH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCE-
MENT OF SCIENCE.

On Friday evening Professor Phillips delivered an ad-
dress to an audience about 800 in number, in the saloon
of the Mechanics' Institute, Hull, the subject being the
physical geography and geology of Yorkshire.
On Saturday morning the only sections which held
sitting were A, B, and G.