The Sun.
London, England, 1838-10-25 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

The new burletta at the Olympic last night is an adaptation
from the French burletta, entitled .ilfaultias l'lnvalide, trans-
lated or imitated by Mr. Selby. The plot runs thus :—A
wedding festival takes place to celebrate the nuptials of Mon-
sieur and Madame Grnblet (Mr. Oxberry and Miss Agnes
Taylor), the first of whom is a footman, and the second a lady's
maid in the house of the Baroness de Serigny (Mrs. Orger).
The marriage celebration opens with a spirited and lively
dance, which puts the audience in good humour to listen to a
rather tedious first act, which two old pensioners of l'Hopital
des Invalides commence, by coming forward and specu-
latinc, upon the queer character and miserly qualities of
another invalid, a veteran of the old guard named Matthias
(Mr. William Farren), who does nothing but take snuff
out of other people's boxes, and tell them, when sounded
as to a certain mystery in his conduct, to—ask no
questions. The mystery in point is the lavishing, by the
old man, of all his money and affections upon a youth, Theo-
dore (Mr. James Vining), who is in love with Celine (Miss
Lee), and who, hoping to meet her at the wedding festival,
comes in and meets old Matthias instead. The old man
offers him money and all other tokens of fondness, upon hear-
ingthe
stehearteht eefissuunehhapupih;apapnideeshsai%sinlegvew, otremlisedhimfroamt
ehnieme
tthhaatt
such things happened to himself in his youth, and narrates a
story of his having loved, and been jilted by, a
campsute t 1 ,
of the name. of Lotta. After this story Matthias is laid hold
of by his old comrades, who make him gloriously drunk, and
when all parties come again upon the stage, there is an ad-
mirable scene enacted, in which Intoxication, as usual, blabs
what Sobriety has afterwards to repent of. Count Arthur
de Cesanne (Mr. Selby), cousin to Celine and rival lover
to Theodore, is sneering at the latter for being an unknown
foundling, living upon the bounty of the old invalid, who
is just then supported on by Gimblet in the saddest state
of drunkenness, and denied by Theodore, who cannot bear
to acknowledge him in the presence of Celine. Old Mat.
tliias is so indignant at this that he lets out every reproach
that can humiliate Theodore, who stands abashed—jeered at
by Count Arthur, and wept for by Celine, just as the old man
tumbles down drunk enough to close the first act, and con-
vince the audience of the inutility at present of " asking
further questions." In the second act Matthias finds himself

in the hotel of the Baroness de Serigny, having been conveyed
there when drunk by order of Count Arthur, her nephew,
who sets him down to a magnificent breakfast in a beautiful
room, with which, upon being informed that he has nothing
to pay, he is so well satisfied as to ask no questions. Gimblet,
the servant, however, upon discovering him doing his devours
to the breakfast, has so many doubts about his having any busi-
ness there, that he first kicks up a row, and then summons the
Baroness de Serigny, in whom Matthias at once discovers his
old lover, Lotta, the camp suttler. The lady dismisses her ser-
vants with consummate dignity, and then receives the old sol-
dier with open arms, and allows him to put her through drill as
gallantly and as good naturedly as in the days of yore. Imme-
diately on the appearance of Theodore, however—and subse-
quently of Count Arthur and Celine—she resumes the Baro-
ness in proper form, and soon quits the apartment with her
daughter, leaving the gentlemen together. Here Theodore
and the Count enact rivals. and are abought to fight the most
beautiful of all duels, ancient or modern, Bois-de- Boulogn-ish
or Chalk-Farm-ish, when the old soldier clears up the mys-
tery of Theodore's birth, by informing both gentlemen that
they are sons of the same father, who was an old comrade of
his in the Napoleon wars, and who died enjoining him to pro-
vide for Theodore. The young men ask no questions, but
shake hands, when in come the ladies again. Count Araur
gives up Celine to Theodore, and the Baroness takes Old Mat-
thias, the veteran of the Hopital des Invalides. Such is the
plot of the burletta. Farren and Mrs. Orger perform so ex-
quisitely as to give the burletta a feeling en.e. interest far
beyond its merit of authorship, though in that respect it is
smart, and sprightly, and clever beyond a doubt. But every-
body who has ever enjoyed an Olympic performance, must.
we repeat, ask no questions, but go and see Farren and Mrs.
Orger.

THE DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH.—The reports of the
Duke's visit to the Continent being occasioned by pecuniary
circumstances, as insinuated by a Contemporary last week, we
have the best authority for saying are altogether unfounded.—
Edinburgh Advertiser.
•

STATE or TRADE.—The increased activity in
the cotton market at Liverpool has produced some effect here.
There was more demand for yarn yesterday than for several
weeks past, and higher rates were generally asked by the
spinners. The demand for cloth continues good; and seve.
ral kinds, particularly 27-inch printing cloths, command rather
better prices.. —Manchester Guardian.
Placards were yesterday posted up ,
inthe
and on Tower-hill, for " petty officers and able-bodied seamen
alotnerathtieoinr ahrar idv able
eant
to serve in
LONDON
se navy, on oni3bioßarltdily:7eillsAfr:fmßloAtioLlw2ioAgyu._ns.'o' n
n the morning proceeded from London
the persons who had i _ .•i
, d astatton occasionea by the de
-
Tuesday much disappointment was exhibitedamong many of
thnatianng,
to Harrow to witness tue ev
fi
d.
tulhaedsetaitnionthe
departure of the last up train from Harrow,
which now leaves at five instead of six o'clock. No public
struc tive fireofonthMe Monday nrigaihitr:
aoyn,
noticenpos
ex to thattuing with h
a teiffee thad beente
stuck
clerk, he
told them upa t the Londonem it
was terminus.
On not
his fault, but that they must complain to the Directors.
They had no alternative but either to return to Harrow for
wayper
persons,
st o, wn.
who, The
consequently,latter couria
tnv,hoaets night,re adoptedach
tcoi rw taboyunmt walkiol
most
bt ael
of
w tetheheno
nine and ten o'clock instead of
half-past six.