The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-13 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

DatittY-LANn.—A new candidate for theatri-
cal honours last night made his first appearance
in the character of Skylock. This candidate is
said to he Mr. PitiEsT, the landlord of.a respect-
able tavern in Maiden-lane, Covent-garden. The
dress of Sky/ock, his heard, &c. precluded us
from forming a conception of his age, but from.
the strength of his voice, and the energy of his
manner, when exertion was demanded, we should
take him to be in the prime of life. His stature
is about the middle height, his features are regu-
lar, and capable of expression. His voice is clear,
well-toned, and powerful. Ilis conception of the
character indicated good sense, observation, and.
reflection, and his performance altogether was
very creditable to his judgment and talents. We
have had many Skylocks from the time of MAcic-
- inclusive, and though we have certainly
never seen his equal in the part, we can confi-
dently say that Mr. PUIEsT has a right to stand
high among his successors. Mr.PragsT, whom we
never saw or heard of. till yesterday, appeared
to us to be capable of obtaining Wellsmerited
reputation as an actor, and we think that most
of the Morning Papers do not speak of
his performance with due candour and justice.
•At tows we thought that Mr. PRIEST was too
.vellithient in pas-Sages that do not require a vi0,.10
,.10 expression, but remembring the text, the
unprovoked insults and injuries which Skylock
had received from the mild Antonio, the deser-
tiOn of his daughter, her theft of his property,
pd the alleged folly of. her disposing of the
(most valuable part of it, the expense attending
the pursuit of it, &c. considering too that a "Jew
has organs, passions," and a disposition to re-
venge, under his accumulated sufferings, it would
be absurd to suppose that he should not express
his feeli_ngs with vehemence when circumstances
call them forth. We shall not trace Mr. PatEsT
through every scene, but content ourselves with
declaring that we attentively watched his acting,
that we saw no misconception of the text, and
that in our opinion he displayed a full knowledge
of the character, and supported it with judgment,
feeling,and energy. - Ile received much applause
through the whole of his performance ; and the
audience was evidently not a packed jury of
private friends, for when a solitary hiss once
or twice was heard, it was repelled by the
general voice, warmly exerted in his favour.—
The Play was followed by the Farce of Giovanni
in London, in which
Miss CUBITT for the first
time (we believe) acquitted herself with great
spirit, and sung with great skill, in the gallant
hero of the piece. •

COTENT.GARDEN.— The new' Play of The
Three Strangers was again represented last night
at this Theatre. It has undergone several altera-
tions and judicious omissions, and the consequence
was an improved general effect. There are
many passages in this Play marked by poetical
spirit, and the scope which the whole affords
for good and varied acting, and that acting being
generally excellent, give it strong pretensions to
public favour. Mr. C. KEMBLK, Mr. WARInE,
Mr. COOPER, Mr. EGERTON, and Mr. BART-
LEY, jointly and severally exerted themselves
with great zeal and adequate effect. We per-
ceive on reperusing- the account which we yes-
terday gave of this play, that we fell into some
mistakes in our statement of the plot, and the
reason is, that a recent perusal of Lord BYRoN's
Werner, so forcibly blended the fable of both in
our conceptions, as to prevent a due discrimina-
tion, but the mistakes were of a very slight de-
scription.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR.

(From the Inverness Courier, Dec. 7.)

Our readers will recollect, that at a General
nieting•of the County of Ross, held upon the lath day of
October, 1824, it was unanimously resolved, " That the thanks.
of thii county be respectfully tendered to the Right Hon. John
Earl of Eldon, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, for the
eminent service he has rendered Scotland, by applying his great
talents, and extensive legal knowledge, to the improvement of
the forms under which the Law is administered in our Courts of
Justice: a service forming a worthy sequel of that unbounded
labour and painful anxiety bestowed, by him on the deci-
sion of cases in the Supreme Appellate Jurisdiction,
which have justly endeared his name to the people of
Scotland." To this highly complimentary Resolution, his
Lordship was pleased, in a letter to Sir James Wernyss Mac-
kenzie, Bart., Member of Parliament for the County; to make
the following Answer, which will be read with interest, now
that the important judicial improvements alluded to, of which
his Lordship was the active promoter, are come into active
operation.

" Monday, Nov: 1, 1824.
" SIR— Upon
_my return to town on Saturday last, I re-
ceived the favour of your letter, inclosing the Resolution of the
Freeholders,' Commissioners of Supply. and Justices of the
Peace of the County of Ross.
" It cannot but be very gratifying to me to learn that in
their opinion I have usefully assisted in the improvement of the
Forms of Proceedings in the Courts of Justice in Scotland. 't'
" Throughout the whole of the period in which 1 have had'
the honour-to preside in the House of Lords, I have acted under
a very painful apprehension that in the ecision of matters,
depending upon an accurate knowledge of the Law of Scotland
(and which ought to be decided in strict conformity to that law),
I might frequently fall into errors, prejudicial to the people of
that country. To protect myself and them against the mis-
chiefs consequential upon such errors, I have (teemed it to be
my indispensable duty to bestow upon the decision of Scotch
cases all the labour and pains I could exert : and it is a great
gratification to me to learn, that the County of Ross is pleased
to record that I have anxiously endeavoured to discharge that
great, but obvious duty.
" I have the honour to be, with much respect.
. " Sir, your' obliged Servant,
" ELDON."

Thif Canterbury Tales, from which Lord
BYRON derived his play of WERNER, were written,
we understand, by the late estimable Miss Soettia
LEE, in conjunction with her surviving sister,
Miss HARRIET LEE, but the particular story on
%%Moll that tragedy was founded was written by
the latter lady, to whom the public are indebted
for the new play of The Three Straugers.
Mr. M'A DAM is re-appointed General Sur-
veyor of the Bristol Turnpike Trust, at a salary. of 2501. per
annum : 39 Commissioners voted for the re-appointment, and
25 against it.
BREAD.--A few days ago, in a public company
in Edinburgh, a conversation occurred as to the quality of
bread in different parts of Scotland. One gentleman asserted,
that Edinburgh produced the best bread ; a second gave the
preference to Glasgow ; while a third insisted that better bread
was made in Jedburgh than in either of these places. A bet
was made, and to settle the question, the parties sent for and
exhibited in presence of several Edinburgh bakers, a few loaves
from each of the above places; when the judges, on examina-
tion, gave the preference decidedly to the Glasgow bread. The
I bet was readily paid by the losers.

THE KING, &c.

WINDSOR, DEC. 12.--Yesterday, notw:thstandi.:g the
weather being very favourable and mild, his MAJESTY did
not take his usual exercise, but confined himself to public busi-
ness, in his private study, nearly the *hole of the day.—ln
the afternoon, previous to his Majesty going to dinner, one of
the Messengers in attendance was forwarded from die Royal
Lodge with dispatches fur the Home and Foreign Depart-
ments..--There being no new arrivals at the Royal Lodge, at a
little after seven o'clock his Majesty honoured his distinguished
attendants with his company to dinner—l-From his Majesty's
desire in forwarding the improvements- carrying on at the
Castle, it was yesterday (in consequence of the fineness of the
weather) fully expected that Ilia Majesty would inspect the
progress made since his last visit, but it is evident that his
Majesty sacrifices all pleasure to that of pieblic business.

BRIGHTON, DEC. 11.-The-. Duchess of. GLOUCESTER
continues to enjoy- uninterrupted health with us. Like his
Majesty and the Duke of York, her_Royal Highness loses no
opportunity that presents 'itself of promoting the trading into,
rests of the local inhabitants—the Bazaartitas been repeatedly
visited, and at which the Duchess has sondiscended personally
to make purchases.—This morning, her R 4 -al Highness, at.
tended by Lady Charlotte Legge, was pres t at the morning
service, at the Chapel Royal, io Prince's-place, where the R.ev.
Dr. Butcher officiates; and, subsequently, took a carriage
airing. The Duchess has been much in public during the last
three days, and often, as a pedestrian, on the Level and Cliff
promenades. The Countess of ilardwi4e visited the Duchess
at her Palace residence en Friday ; the Earl of Hardwicke was
honoured by an audience yesterday.

• . DEPARTURES FROM TOWN, &c.
The Duke of NortOlk, for Farnham ; Lord and Lady G. H.
Cavendish, for Brighton; Mr. and Lady Catherine Cavendish,
for Gorhambury, Hertfordshire; Sir .Joseph and the Misses
Copley, for Hanwell Park ; the Lord Bislwp of Litchfield, for
Eccles Hall Castle, Stafford, from a visit to his Diocese ; Co-
lonel Etheridge, from Southampton, for Bath ; Earl and
Countess of Cassilis, and•the Ladies Kennedy, from Culzean
Castle, Ayrshire, for. Newark Castle ; Sir ,Wm. Smith, Bart.
from Essex, for Attle.borough Hall, Norfolk; Colonel and
Mrs. Orde, from Buxton, for Bath From Warne's Hotel,
Conduit-street--The riev.- J. Hamilton,- for Sussex ; J. B.
Benny, Esq. for Leeds. From Warren's Hotel, Regent.street
—The Rev. Humphrey Sibtliorpe and the 'Rev. Richard Sib-
thorpe and Mrs. Hawkins, for,LincolO. From Fenton's New
Hotel, St. James's-street—Alex. Clutterbuck-,.Esq. for Scot-
land. .

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