The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-04 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

An English version of the sparkling comedy of Alex-
andre Dumas' Les Demoiselles de St. Cyr, condensed
from five acts into three (and acting all the closer and
better for the condensation), was produced here last
night, under the title of liunaway Husbands, and met
with the most complete and deserved success. The
scene of the first act is laid at St. Cyr, the charity-school
for young noblewomen, founded by that strange com-
pound of asceticism and intrigue, Madame de Main-
tenon. The Duke of Anjou (Mr. llo‘ve) has succeeded
to the crown of Spain, and before his departure for Madrid
he goes every day to St. Cyr, to receive lessons on the
art of government from Madame de Maintenon, who,
because she had governed the household of poor old
Scarron, the poet, imagined that she could govern king-
doms. In these visits he is accompanied by the Viscount
St. Herem (Mr. Wallack), one of the most accomplished
of courtiers, who amuses himself with making love to
Mademoiselle de Merian (Miss Reynolds), one of the
pupils of the establishment, while his patron is listening
to the dull lectures of its foundress. The young lady,
however, has with her always a companion—
a Mademoiselle Bonrose (Mrs. Fitzwillfmn), and
to get rid of her presence he introduces to her a certain
foolish and very green young gentleman, M. Dubouloy,
who; albeit about to be married to a lady of title (tor
the qualification of title is de rigeur with his father) con-
sents to make love to Bonrose, in order to acquire the
character of being a "fast man" of that period. Their
billings and cooings are, however, interrupted by the arrival
of the officers of justice, who convey the two gentlemen
to the Bastille. The second act passes in Paris. The two
gentlemen have been discharged from the Bastille
and have returned to their respective hotels,
but it is as married men. A marriage with
the respective Demoiselles de St. Cyr, who have
been compromised by their attentions being the
sole condition on which they can obtain not liberty
merely, but food. The Duke of Anjou is about to de-
part to Spain. The two runaway husbands accompany him
to Madrid, leaving their wives in Paris. The scene in the
third act takes place in Madrid. Two French ladies arrive
and create a great sensation. The King is decidedly
smitten by the charms of one of the French beauties, in
whom St. Herem recognises his wife. He is informed
that through the interests of Madame Maintenon a di-
vorce has been obtained from Rome, and that he is tree.
He becomes maddened ; he kneels to his wife for for-
giveness, and, of course, a reconciliation takes place.
Her companion is the wife of Dubouloy, who also receives
her, seeing that she has procured a patent of nobility and
thus complied with his father's condition de rigeur.
Wallack, as the gay and gallant Cavalier, was every-
thing that could be desired ; Elliston, himself, could
not have looked, dressed, or acted the character
better. He was admirably supported by Miss Reynolds,
who showed herself a most accomplished artiste by her
manner of acting Charlotte de Merian. She never once
suffered herself to transgress beyond the bounds of
high comedy, although an actress of less po-
lished taste would no doubt have been tempted
to spoil the character by melodramatising it.
Buckstone and Mrs. Fitzwilliam, as Dubouloy and his
spouse, were excessively quaint and amusing. The
piece was admirably mounted. All the performers were
called for at the conclusion, and Buckstone, the adapter,
announced the comedy for repetition amidst the unani-
mous applause of a crowded house.

CEUM THEATRE.
A new comic drama was performed at this agreeable
place of amusement last evening, with very well deserve,he
success. Thetitledioses7hloetHsuusggebasn,dtof in
he
subject iV
lle
drama, nor yet of the original French piece from which
i Anonyms,
it was borrowed,ender which
name it obtained considerable popularity, The
time since
by the way, which of
at the Vaudeville Theatre at Paris. e plot i
in which
s sonie-
what confused, turning upon a mystification
of Spain (Mr. Selby), the officers of his court,
I)
on Fernand& d'Onva (Mr. C. Mathews), Don Philip
the King
d'Estrada (Mr. F. Matthews), and Don Juan de Peralea
(Mr. Harley), alternately participate. Harley's charac-
ter was very well adapted to him, and he bustled and
strutted through his imaginary difficulties with his usual
success. The piece, though not of that recondite class
for producing which this theatre is celebrated, was
nevertheless very pleasing, and it was very well adapted
to the English language and the stage conventionalities
by the translator, Senor de Morena, a Portuguese gen-
tleman, who, like a former distinguished foreigner of the
same nation, now no more, namely, Don Telesforo de
'Luba, owes his education and his cultivated tastes to
this country, and who bids fair to achieve, as his prede-
cessor did, the reputation of being one of its lite-
rary ornaments. PlancLe's succ2sstul and magnificent
burlesque increases in attraction every evening of its
rt presentation. The chivalric achievements of The
Seven Champions of Christendom—seven pearls of Na-
ture's peerless handiwork—continue to command the
hands, we had almost said hearts, of the sterner part of
the audience, who keow no bounds to their applause.
As a scenic display nothing we have ever seen can at all
be compared to the fairy lake, in which the adventure of
the fair and brave St. Andrew occurs, it is one of the
most splendid scenes imaginable. The house was filled
eo r.

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SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY..--By the steamer from
Havre we have received ibtelligeiwe of the depressed
state of the Cotton market, occasioned in a great mea-
sure by the large shipments expected from the United
States, announced by the Niagara. The sales up to
two o'clock yesterday were 245 bales, at a further decline
of if. The Ontario arrived last night from New Orleans
with 1,041 bales of cotton.