The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-12 00:00:00

STRAND THEATRE.

A translation of Henrick Herz's drama, entitled
King Rene's Daughter, was produced here last even-
ing with complete success. This exquisite drama of
the Danish poet has been twice at least translated
into English. A version by Colonel Phipps was
recently performed at the Theatre Royal, Dublin, in
which Mrs. Charles Kean appeared as the heroine
lolanthe, the blind daughter of good old King Rene,
and achieved an immense success. The version of
Colonel Phipps is not the one produced by the Strand
manager, who has adopted the version which ap-
peared some short time since in the Dublin
University Magazine, and which is from the pen of
a writer who assumes the name of " Bon Gaultier."
The drama is no more than an exhibition of a pecu-
liar psychological position, and when this is developed
it terminates. A (laughter of King Rene, of trouba-
dour celebrity, has become blind at an age so early
that she is not aware by comparison of her peculiar
deficiency, and as she is kept in a state of seclusion
by her father, who has enjoined all her attendants to
abstain from revealing the secret, she believes that
her condition is that of ordinary humanity. A young
nobleman, who accidentally discovers her retreat, and
is struck by her beauty, awakens in her mind the
feeling that there is a world of sensations, of which she
has never been aware. Shortly after her sight is re-
stored by a Moorish physician; and though she is at first
terrified by the new scene prezented to her, she is
soon delighted to recognise her father, and to hear
that the youth who first gave her a notion of light is
her betrothed. This little piece, simple as it is in
plot, is evidently the product of much reflection.
Ihe difficulty of making a person destitute of a sense
apprehend, even to a slight degree, the objects to
which that sense applies is exhibited with a great deal
of acuteness, and also with much poetical feeling
and the verse of the English adaptor is smooth and
melodious. Mrs. Stirling is just the actress to seize
on a definite idea, and to work it out with thought-
fulness and accuracy. The uncertainty of her move-
ments as the blind girl, the attitudes which were
too pleasing to be called awkward, but which yet
conveyed the notion of an inability in the body to
obey the dictates of the mind, were highly truthful,
and the air of trusting simplicity with which she
replied even to a strange voice, was the more pathetic
from the complete absence of exaggeration. The
attitude with which, on her restoration to sight, she
greeted the sky above her, approached the statuesque,
and showed a profound conception of the beauty of
the situation. Mr. Leigh Murray, as the chivalric
lover, looked exceedingly well, and by depicting a
generous enthusiasm gave force to a character more
slightly sketched. At the conclusion of the piece,
which was received with loud applause, Mrs. Stirling,
Mr. Leigh Murray, and Mr. Diddear (who played
King Rene) were called before the curtain.

MISS CLARA SEFTON'S ENTERTAINMENT ON THE
POETS AND MINSTRELS OF HUNGART.—MiSS Clara
Seyton's new entertainmentlon the Descriptive Poets
and Minstrels of Hungary was produced last evening,
for the first time, at the Western Literary Institution,
Leicester-square, with a success as triumphant as
might have been expected from the popularity of the
subject and the talents of the fair lecturess. In the
course of the entertainment Miss Clara Sey-
ton communicated much new and interest-
ing information on the subject of the
various tribes by whom Hungary is inhabited,
and of their manners, customs, and history. She
then proceeded to descant on the Magyar poets,
illustrating this portion of her entertainment by
specimens of Magyar songs and ballads, giving,
among others, the popular Magyar melody, " The
Invitation to the Dance," which was rapturously
encored, and narrowly escaped the honour of
being called for a third time. The descriptive
ballad, " The Croaking of the Frogs," was
rendered with great spirit, and was warmly ap-
plauded, as were the Hungarian ballad "The
Departure," and the scena descriptive of a war of
language between a Magyar and a German, en-
titled " The Tiszian Chikosh." Among the greatest
of Hungarian poets, Miss Clara Seyton classes
the Patriot-Poet, the !Statesman-Hero, Louis
Kossuth, on whom she pronunced an eulo-
gium of surpassing eloquence, which aroused her
auditors to the highest pitch of enthusiasm.
She completely took her audience with her, who
testiflecl,by repeated salvoes of applause their admira-
tion for the man who is at once the Hampden and the
Milton of his country; and for the gifted lady who,
in language worthy of the subject, gave utterance to
the universal feeling with which all who are worthy
of freedom must regard freedom's last, and perchance
greatest martyr—Louis Kossuth. The entertainment
concluded with a " Lyttel Historie of ye Operatic
and Street Music of ye Present Tyrone,'" a John Parry
like prolusion in which Miss Seyton gave an imitation
of Jenny Lind in the " Ah non giunge," which eli-
cited an unanimous and rapturous encore. The room
was crowded, and among those present we observed
several Hungarians, who seemed highly delighted
with the- entertainment, which will, we understand, be
repeated this evening. Miss Sey ton was accompanied
on the pianoforte by Mr. T. Harries Wilson, who
composed and 'arranged the music of the entertain-
ment, and who has added to his fame, both as an tic-
companyist and a musician, by the admirable manner
in which he acquitted himself in both capacities last
evening.
SEAL SHOOTING IN THE WEST.—A few days since
a large seal, following a shoal of whiting, entered one
of the little bays in Dunmanus harbour. It was soon
seen by one of the peasantry, from time to time protrud-
ing its head and shoulders for a moment, and again
sinking from view in the water. Dr. O'Donovan, an
experienced sportsman and a" dead shot," was at once
informed of the unexpected visitor's appearance, and he
instantly, with rifle in hand, approached the animal at
the nearest point of land, a distance of from 200 to 250
yards. He was not long waiting en opportunity to dis-
play his expertness, for the seal peeped out again with a
considerable degree of cJzfidtnce, and apparently look-
ing defiance at the learned doctor. The latter
was, however, too quick, and in an instant the ball from
his riff was aimed with such accuracy that it entered
the right eye of the seA and pawl out at the opposite
side of the skull. The animal, now mad from pain,
tossed its head and shoulders wildly about, and
thus gave his enemy an opportunity to fire again.
In a few moments the sea became crimson
with his blood, and he sank lifeless. When the
water had receded a little it enabled the boatmen with
some difficulty to discover him. Seine icha of the size
of this animal may be formed from the fact that it was
necessary to get six men to raise him. His length ham
snout to tail, which was very short, was nine feet. The
circumference of his body under the shoulders was six
feet. The quantity of oil pi oduced is computed at about
15 gallons.—Cork paper.
AIGHT HoN. Fox MAULS.—The Perth Courier
states, that "Rumour says the above named Right lion
Gentleman is intended eventually to fill the (;ilice of
Coloniul Secretary, should the retircrntit of Earl Grey
be the result of the mismanagement with which that
department has beets charged while under the Presidency
of the Noble Earl."