The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-08 00:00:00

THE WESTMINSTER PLAY.

Last night the King's Scholars, WestminSter,
performed, according to established usage, one of the Comedies
of Terence, preparatory to the Christmas vacation. The `play
selected for this year was the Andria, which, except'. the
. Adeip4i, is perhaps the, most finished and interestingof the
few specimens that remain to us of that dramatic school which
Terreece founded in Rome on the model of Menander. As a
representation of ancient manners, it is remarkable for its fide-
lity and simple truth. The Roman dramatist acknowledges
that he collected the materials of his plot from two pieces-;-the
Andria and Perinthia--of his Greek master; but he did not,
like our modern play-wrights, degrade the sentiments and
vulgarize the invention which he copied. The style is as
elegant and polished as that of the Athenian Bard, and
in the union of sententious vigour with the graces of
expression, it rivals the finest productions of classic anti-
quity. The keen natural humour with which it abounds
is admirably relieved by the intermixture of an exquisite
• pathos. 'The characters are well diversified, and the
variety and animation of the dialogue make it unnecessary
to employ a great deal of incident to enliven and sustain the at-
tention of the audience. Though as a picture of Pagan mu-
,
ners, even in the " stern republic," it shows us that human
' passions and their consequences have been much the same in
all ages of the world, yet no immodesty of expression or thought
shows that the author ever identified his notions of morality
' with the frailties of any of his characters, but on the contrary,
he takes every opportunity that the story affords him to impress
those sentiments of tenderness, constancy, and moral worth,
• which preserve in the heart the elevation and freshness of virtue.
The dramatis persona' in the performance of last night was ar,-
ranged as follows:
Simo • '. - Mr. Durmor.
Sosia - Mr. LATIMER.
Davus - Mr. HEATH.
My sis - Mr. BLACK WALL.
.Paniphilius - - Mr. A NSTICE.
Charinu s - Mr. PAGE.
Byrrhia - Mr. HALL.
Lesbia - Mr. SUTHERLAND.
Chrenies - Mr. PIGOTT.
Crito . 411 r. GURLT.
Oromo . Mr. FITZHARDING.
Of these personages the most arduous are Slow and Dave; ;
the former is peculiarly trying to the dramatic powers of a boy,
as there is no sort of character that less assimilates with the
joyous an buoyant feelings of extreme youth than that of a
cautious, prying old man, whose heart is overloaded with the
anxieties of a family, and whose mind is familiar with the lessons
of experince. In Mr. Dunlop, however, he found an adequate
representative ; his acting was throughout chaste, consistent, and
spirited. He gave in the most natural manner the admonitions,
the reflections, and feelings of a parent, and his action and man•
ner were a faithful copy a the suspicious temper and tremulous
bustle of an active old age. The well-known description of Glyce-
rium, at the funeral, he recited with great truth and pathos ; and
his delivery, in particular, of the beautiful line, Rejecii se in
rum liens quamfamiliariter ! was followed by loud approbation.
In several other scenes he was no less effective ; but where, over-
come by what he considers the ingratitude of his son, he pours
out his feelings in the expressions—Seal quid ego Cur me
excrucio :a Cur me macero It Cur tneam senectutem hajus
sollicito amcntia ji An tie pro Indus pcccatis ego supplicium
suffer rams Imtno habeat—vakat—rivat oem illa—he so
excited his hearers, that the passage was received with
three distinct rounds of applause. The performance of Danis
was also very good. The arch contrivances-and mischievous
drollery of that Machiavel of the servants' hall, were played
with great vivacity and force. The look and expression of
Mr. Heath were in excellent keeping with the character, and
the mirth and applause which both his triumphs and his mis-
fortunes excited, were abundant proof of the impression
which he made on his audience. If we wculd select any
passage, out of a great number which he gave with great
comic tact and effect, it would he that where he says, Da-
ms sum non (Edipus. The by-play between him and Simo
was excellent. The representative of Chremcs had much
less to do than either of these, but he sustained the
_part
allotted to, him with great judgment and propriety. . The
characters of ranzphilut and Charinia were performed with
much gentlemanly ease, but were sometimes deficient in variety
and' animation. Byrrhia was played with such natural hu-
mour of action and expression that we do not think the test of
Terrence ever produced more unforced merriment. Crib() was
personified with a peculiarity of manner which appeared to
us more burlesque than comic, but this did not acute un-
pleasant as a variety in the -play., We must not forget Mr.
Blackwell in Afriz„ ,who acted to the, life the mature, .teniper,
language,' gesticulation, aridtlress of a busy, prattling,_ con-
sequential, and . irritable lady's mind.. The scene between
Mysis and Dam:, where the latter makes her the innocent ageilt
of his design upon the two oldnien and provokes a summary
puniehment at her hands, displayeda great deal of nature and
spirit. The feeble activity of Les4ia was also well expressed,
and the shrill treble of her Voice was in excellent unison with
the infirmity of her appearance. The other performers played
the little that fell to theirshare in a creditable manner. On
the whole, the performance was received with those expres-
sions of applause throughout, that proved it gave general and
decided satisfaction. The room, though spacious, was exceed-
ingly crowded ; several elegantly-dressed males added to the
interest and animation of the scene. At the close of the per-
formance the dramatis persome appeared on the stage, and the
anthem of "God save the King" concluded the classical en
tertainment of the evening.

MISS STEPIIENS..--ThiS charming. Syren has
not only derived great pecuniary advantage from
her performances in Scotland and Ireland, but
most flattering honours, for when, in the charac-
ter of CLARI, she was led to the Ducal throne,
the applause which arose in both countries seem-
ed to indicate that she was deemed not unworthy
of such a distinction in real life.

This day a man went into a general shop, in
Old Gravel-lane, Borough, kept by a poor wo-
man who has but one eye. After asking her for
a small quantity of each article that she sold, as
tea, sugar, soap, and coffee, while he kept sound-
ing a sovereign, and complained of having the
toothache, he said that he had heard treacle and
,brown paper as an excellent specific. She then
procured a plaister of that description, which he
suddenly applied to her eye, and disappeared
with the goods.
MESSRS. CHAMBERS'S BANECRUPTCY.—Yester-
day the first meeting under this commission of bankruptcy was
held at the Commissioners' Booths in Basinghall-street, when
several persons were admitted to prove their debts. An objec-
tion was taken to the commission, on the ground that the peti-
tioning
creditor had signed a letter of license to Mr. Chambers.
After considerable discussion the objection was over-ruled, and
the Meeting adjourned. _ _ _

LARGE MoTn.—A friend at Krracan, informs
us that he has caught a moth, which measures from the tip of
one wing to the tip of the other ten inches. Both wings are
beautifully variegated with the brightest colours. Unless we are
mistaken, this is the largest moth upon record, exceeding in di-
mensions the largest in the British Museum, which we believe
measures about nine inches from tip to tip.—(Madras Paper.
July 26.)

SINGULAR DIRECTION.—A letter, bearing the
following curious superscription, was put into the post-office in
this town on Wednesday, the 30th ult.:—`' For Air. Colwell
that Keeps the Shop in Back Anderton-st. to Bee Gave to Jack
Timlen that Keeps the pigs in his own Sellar in Back Ander-
son-mt. the irish man that has the Large family that bgs the
mail from Mr. Colwell and milk to Bolton."—( Nano/tater
Paper.)
AWFUL OCCURRENCE.--A short time since a
respectable man, residing in Noble-street, Goswell-street-road,
having been attacked by that dreadful malady, the putrid fever,
went raving mad and died. A Mrs. Goodspeed, residing in
the same street, went to the house of the above person, and
shortly after her return home was seized with the same disease,
and in two days after also expired. The husband of the poor
woman, in consequence of his wife's death, went to his friends,
in the Borough, to communicate his irreparable loss, and while
conversing on the melancholy subject, he was taken very ill,
and shocking to relate, likewise expired. The body of the un-
fortunate man was conveyed in a coffin and laid •by the side of
his wife in Noble-street, Goswell-street, and on Tuesday after-
won, their remains were interred in one grave in St. Luke's
churchyard, Old-street, amidst a concourse of spectators, who'
had assembled to witness the funeral ceremony. They have
left five children to lament their premature death.