The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-07 00:00:00

AN EC DO T ES, &c.

HAMA KKIBLE DAY.—This day is the anniver-
sary of the death of Edward Hyde, Earl of Cla-
rendon, at Rouen, in France, 1674 ; of the
Island of Corsicia being annexed to the English
it, Crown, and of an insurrection at Stir Kling°,
when 400 whites, 16,000 blacks, and 5 Imita-
tions were destroyed, in 1794.

ANECDOTE. OF THE M EXICAN GENERAL BRATO.
—General BRAT° and his family are Creoles of Mexico. His
father and himself beheld with emotion the enslavement of
their beloved country, and panted for the day of its emancipa-
tion from the bondage of its tyrants. They flew to arms, and
the " worker of petticoats" declared them rebels. Gen. Bravo's
father was taken prisoner by the Viceroy, and thrown into
prison. His mother was employed to use her entreaties with
the son. She entered the tent. " I am come from the Viceroy,
to offer you an indato and every honour the King can confer
on you and all your family, if you submit to his clemency, and
lay down your arms. Your father's life will be spared, and
your mother and family be made happy, and the highest honours
of nobility will be lavished upon yourself and family, if you will
forsake the cause of freedom and leave the Republicans." He
surveyed for a moment his parent, while the deepest emotion
took possession of his soul. He replied, " that you are my
mother 1 always believed ; but now I doubt it. No, Madam,
General Bravo never can consent to the enslavement of
his country. Let my father die like a patriot, for I will
never sell myself and country on such terms." She returned
to the Viceroy, and his father was called out of his dungeon
and shot.

THEATRts.—The form of the Theatres in
SHARSPEARE'S time was derived from those buildings which
experience had proved to be well adapted to the purposes of
the drama. Like the court-yard of an inn, three sides were
occupied by balconies, and these, properly divided, were ap-
propriated to the reception of different classes of company.—
The fourth side formed the stage, and the central are the pit,
which was entirely destitute of benches. The common people,
who resorted thither, stood to witness the exhibition; hence,
they are called groundlings, by Shakspeare; and, by Ben
Jenson, the understanding gentlemen of the ground ; in facts
our old dramatists are never weary of the play upon word,
which this circumstance affords them. Between this class of
specators, and the occupiers of the upper balconies or scaffolds,
the gods of modern days, there was no distinction of rank,
both being of the lowest description. The lower balconies,
or rooms, answering to our boxes, were frequented by persons
of rank and fashion. " The Lords' room," which are often
particularly mentioned, appear to have been immediately con-
tiguous to the stage. Independently of the regular rooms, there
were also in some of the theatres private boxes, but their
situation is by no means ascertained with precision. Occa-
sionally, also, the public rooms were appropriated to indivi-
duals, under the security of lock and key. An upper balcony
over the stage constituted the orchestra. The stage was sepa-
rated from the audience part of the house by paling; and pre-
vious to the commencement of the performance, was concealed
by a curtain, which being divided in the middle, could be drawn
from the centre to the sides ; and the materials of which varied
according to the opulence of the house, from woollen to silk.
Like the floors of private houses in the Elizabethan age, the
stage was usually strewed with rushes, and to this custom we
meet with innumerable references in our old plays. On occa-
sions of extraordinary ceremony, it was, however, sometimes
covered with matting. At the back of the stage there was a
balcony, or upper stage, on which those characters entered who
were required to appear in elevated situations as Juliet in the
balcony, and Romeo and Juliet aloft. ‘Vlien not in use for
the purpose of the scene, the balcony stage was also concealed
by a curtain. When a play was exhibited within a play, the
balcony was made use of, either for the scenic audience, or a
staue for the performance of the axiliary play. Shakspeare fur-
nishes us with an instance of each of these practices. Sly would
sit in the balcony to witness the performance of the Taming of
the Shrew, and the play in Hamlet, was undoubtedly acted
upon the upper stage.—( Palladium. )
As the MARQUIS SPIrtoLA and the President
RICHARD, were proceeding as Ambassadors from Spain to
negociate a truce with the Dutch, who had thrown off the Spa-
nish yoke, they passed on their way, a small boat, out of which
eight or ten persons landed, and sitting on the grass by the water-
side, made a hearty, but humble meal,upon bread and cheese and
beer. The Ambassadors inquired what might be the condition
in life of these sober citizens ? and updn being told that they
were Deputies to the States-General, and the Sovereigns of the
country, the Spaniards exclaimed, " We must make peace
with this people, it is out of our power to subdue them."

POMPEY'S PILLAR.—The dimensions of this
stupendous relic of antiquity having been stated so variously
by different travellers induced Captain SMYTH, while em-
ployed in his Majesty's ship Adventure, in surveying the coast
off Alexandria, about-three years since, to endeavour to ascer-
tain them. For this purpose he followed the plan that had been
before adopted of flying a kite, and by that means getting over
the pillar a small line, which drew a larger one, and ultimately
enabled a set of shrouds to be rigged. The following dimen-
sions wore obtained by a micrometric instrument, and a very
careful measurement with line and rule.

By the Micrornetric.—The Capital
Shaft -
Base -
- Pedestal

Feet. Inches
9 10
67 6
b 10
14 11

Whole height

- 98

Inches,
Summit to the Astragal 10 41
Astragal to the Torus 67 8
Torus to the ground 21 4
Whole height - - 99 4b

- 24 2
- 27 14
- 27 7}
- 14 54
. 11 9
- 15 10i