The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-13 00:00:00

THE THEATRES.

DRURY LANE.-The Opera of Artaxerxes was
repeated last night, but there was nothing in the
performance that requires additional notice. It
is altogether well got up, as the phrase is. BRAIIAM
was finely in voice, and was encored in " Water
parted," and Mrs. AUSTIN was encored in The
Soldier tir'd; but the manner in which she gave
it indicated that the exertion was too great. She
was kindly supported by Mrs. VESTRIS. The
pleasant Farce of The Liar followed, and Ews-
ToN gave the " poetical prose" of Young Wild-
ing with such diverting animation and humour
as detained a numerous audience.

COVENT-GARDEN.--The tragedy of The Hu-
guenot, with a few necessary curtailments, was
represented again last night. The Performers
in general were more at home in the characters.
Mr. MAcREAny was not so much Keanified as
on the preceding night, and Miss F. H. KELLY
kept her feelings under more regulation.—Mr.
BARTLEY, Mr. ABBOTT, Mr. YATES, and Mr.
BAKER, whom we ought to have noticed yester-
day, all gave able support to the pieces

LONDON WORKIIOUSE.-The Adjourned Ge-
neral Meeting of the London Chnrchwardens took place yester-
day at Bow Church, for the purpose of receiving ;informa-
tion from the respective parishes, of their sentiments an regard
to petitioning the Court of Common Council, upon the sub-
ject of the London Workhouse. Several Vestry Resolutions
and Petitions were accordingly read to the Meeting (which
was very numerous), all taking the same view of the sub-
ject
with the former Meeting—namely, that the Institution
has ceased to fulfil the objects contemplated at its original 1
establishment, and is 'now an oppressive and almost useless
burden upon the citizens of London. It was resolved that these
different petitions should be refered to the Select Committee,
who were ordered to draw up from them a general petitibn, to
be signed and presented to the Common Council as the petition
of all the parishes of London should it meet with their appro-
bation. Some hints were thrown out of its being desirable that
the members of the Common Council should be put in posses-
sion of the wishes of their constituents upon this subject as
soon as possible, as St. Thomas's day was near at hand.
Scions, Earls of Dumfermline.—During last au-
tumn, when the heritors of the parish of Dalgety,
Fifeshire, were inspecting the parish church (a very
ancient edifice) regarding some necessary repairs,
they resolved on opening a door, which apparently
led to a vault under one of the aisles. The door
was opened accordingly, and upon proceeding into
the vault they discovered several leaden coffins, in
perfect preservation and regular older, having va-
rious inscriptions, bearing that they contained the
bodies of various members of the Noble Family
of Seton, Earls of Dumfermline. The visitors
then with withdrew, and the door of the vault
was again shut upon the mortal remains of the
Chiefs of that once powerful and Noble House,
" now alike forgetting and forgotten."

SINGULAR CUSTOM AT HALLATON.-The town
of Hallaton, Leicestershire, is distinguished by
a singular and ludicrous ancient custom. A
piece of land was bequeathed to the use and--ad-
vantage of the Rector for providing " 2 hare pies, a
quantity of ale, and two dozen penny loaves, to be
scrambled for on Easter Monday annually." The
land, before the enclosure took place, was called
" Hare-crop Leys ;" and at the time of dividing
the fields, in 1770, a piece was allotted to the
Rector in lieu of the said leys. The custom is
still continued ; but instead of hare, the Rector
provides two large pies made of veal and bacon;
these are divided into parts and put into a sack,
and about two gallons of ale in two wooden
bottles without handles or strings, are also put
into a sack ; the penny loaves are cut into
quarters, and put in a basket. Thus pre-
pared, the men leave the Rectory, and are
soon joined by the women, and children, who
march to a place called " Hare-pye-bauk," about
a quarter of a mile south of the town. In the
course of this journey, the pieces of bread are
occasionally thrown for scrambling ; but the pies
and ale are carried to the grand rustic theatre of
confusion. This in olden time (though not upon
so great a scale, or destined for such bloody
feats, as the Roman amphitheatres) consist-

ed of a bank with a small trench round it, and a
circular hole in the centre. Into this the pies
and ale are promiscuously thrown, and every
frolicsome athletic youth, who is fond of the
sport, rushes forward to seize a bit, or bear away
a bottle. Confusion ensues, and what began in
puerile sport has occasionally terminated in a
boxing match. To the credit of the town it has
ended, for a number of years, in peace; and the
day has been spent in the greatest hilarity.—
(Provincial Paper.)

CORONER'S INQUEST ON THE BODIES OF HICK-
MAN AND MR. ROE.-This Inquest took place at
the Swan with Two Necks, on Finchley Com-
mon, before the Coroner for Middlesex, at eight
o'clock on Wednesday evening. The body of
Thomas Hickman was mutilated in the most
shocking manner, no part of it was discernible
to his best friends. Mr. Roe's was different.—
The Coroner's Jury returned a verdict as to
both, of " Accidental Death."—lt was proved
that the proprietor of the Peterborough wag-
gon coming up to town had a lock cart at-
tached behind it. The night was dark ; it was
about half-past eight. The conduct of the
men was quite injudicious. Gas, finding himself
locked in the wheel, got away in the best way
he could, by throwing the vehicle up a nine-inch
bank, on a five-foot path, the off-wheel of the
vehicle caught a plug, which brought him on the
waggon. Had not this circumstance happened,
from the extent of the footpath, five feet wide,
upon which they were, and the near wheel
being within two inches of a bank, they would
have been thrown into a field. The road was
strewed with the blood of both ; they were
killed in an instant.; the carter knew nothing
of the accident until he was apprised of it by Jas.
Ball, a groom, who was walking on the foot-
path ; he saw the accident; the chaise was over-
turned, and the two unfortunate men were
plunged between the waggon and the cart. The
wheels of the cart, which was heavily laden,
crushed the heads of both to atoms. The dis-
tance where their blood was spillcd was about 12
inches. Gas was first killed, and but few rem-
nants of his head were left. That part which
remained in his front exhibited one of his eyes
knocked out. Mr. Roe's head exhibited a me-
lancholy spectacle too ; his crush was upon the
temple.

WINTER HOME CIRCUIT.

CHELMSFORD, DEC. 11.

After attending divine service, Mr. Baron GRAIIAM charged
the Grand Jury, and addressed them with topics precisely simi-
lar to those upon which he dwelt in his charge to the Hertford-
shire Grand Jury, and expressed his opinion against the neces-
sity of a Circuit at this inhospitable season of the year, attend-
ed as it was with so much personal Inconvenience to the Judges
named in the Commission, to the Grand Jury, and to the Yeo-
manry of the county, who were called upon to discharge the
duty of common jurors, without producing any public advan-
tage adequate to the sacrifice which all persons atsrmbled on
such an occasion were compelled to make.

Before Mr. Justice BAYLEY.
Abraham Parish and James Parish, brothers, were indicted
for feloniously assaulting Henry Golding on the King's high-
way, at Barking, on the 17th of November last, with intent to
rob him.
Mr. JOSEPII was for the prosecution, and Mr. ANDREWS
for the defence. It appeared in evidence that the prosecutor was
the guard of a common stage-waggon from Colchester to Lon-
don. Between one and two o'clock on the morning of the 17th
of November, the prisoners attacked the driver of the waggon
near Chadwell, and insisted upon stopping the waggon for the
purpose of robbing it. The prosecutor, who was asleep in the
waggon, was awakened, and he came to the assistance of the
waggoner. He successively knocked both the prisoners down,
but they could not be prevailed upon to go about their business.
They both attacked the prosecutor, got him down, and were
trying to rifle his pockets, when two carters came up, over-
pow-red the prisoners, and they were taken into custody. The
scuffle and resistance lasted for nearly half an how. The wit-
nesses positively swore to both the prisoners.
No substantial defence was offered, and both prisoners were
found Guilty.
The prisoner, Abraham Parish, was tried at the last assizes,
for a highway robbery upon a female, under the most atrocious
circumstances, but was acquitted in consequence of a mistake
in the prosecutor's name.
The Learned Judge sentenced the prisoners to be transported
for seven years, being the full extent of punishment awarded
by the statute 7 Geo. IL c. 21, sec. 1, on which the indictment
was founded.

Before Mr. Baron GRAHAM.
John Targrass was indicted for stealing on the 3d November,
at Priklewell, a sheep, the property of John Scratten.
The sheep in question was one of a flock of 97, belonging
to the prosecutor. It was missed on the morning of the
4th of November last; and in consequence of foot-marks on
the ground, and traces of blood, search was made in the prison-
er's house, and the remains of a fresh butchered sheep were
found in different parts of the cottage. There was also a pair of
shoes found which corresponded with the footsteps which led to
the prisoner's cottage from the spot where the sheep was
slaughtered. The joints of meat also corresponded with the
sheep-skin found in the field. Upon this evidence the case went
to the Jury, and they found the prisoner Guilty—Death.
There was no other conviction worth mentioning which took
place in this Court.
The Assizes are not expected to finish before Saturday
morning.