The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-18 00:00:00

TliE THEATRE.

7-
COVENT-GARDEN.-The favourable opinion of
the new Comedy entitled Love's Victory, as ex-
pressed by the audience on Wednesday last, was
fully confirmed by the reception which it expe-
rienced on its second representation yesterday
evening. We presume that it would have been►
repeated, without interrupting its course, if the
Managers had not conditioned to bring forward
Madame VEsTais for a certain number of nights
in the week, and to give her an opportunity of
displaying her abilities in Letitia Hardy. The
new Comedy affords the Victory of talents, as
well as of Lore, for Mr. C. KEMBLE and Miss
LACY never appeared to more advantage than in
the characters which they respectively sustain in
this amusing piece. The Comedy has been cur-
tailed, without affecting the main substance, but
rather to improve the general interest, yet there

.are so many supernumerary characters that it
will still admit of truncation, not indeed by tits
axe, but at least by the pruning knife.

ANECDOTES', &c.

REMARKABLE DAY7—This day is remarkable
as the anniversary of the deaths of Cardinal Wol-
sey in 1530, and Cardinal Pole in 1558. Wolsey
was made Minister to Henry the Eighth in 1513,
Archbishop of York 1514, Cardinal 1515, and
Chancellor the same year; Legate 1518, resigned
the Seals October 18,1530, was stripped of all
his possessions, and died at the age of fifty-nine,
at the Abbey of St. Mary de Pratis, Leicester.
CATHERINE DE MEDIC'S made a vow, that in
case a certain enterprise succeeded according to her wish, she
would send a pilgrim to Jerusalem, who should perform the
journey on foot, and in such manner, that for every three steps
forward he should take one backwards. It is related that a
man was actually found who had strength enough to bear the
fatigues of the journey, and sufficient patience to abide by the
conditions. lie fulfilled the undertaking. and on his return he
received a large stipulated sum as a requital, and soon after a
patent of nobility.
BIG SAM.—SAMUEL MACDONALD, R soldier in
the Sutherland Fencibles, was seven feet four inches in height,
and every way stout in proportion. Hewes. too large to stand
in the ranks, and generally stood on the right of the regiment
when in line, and marched at the head when in column ; but
was always accompanied by mountain deer of uncommon size.
This animal was so attached to Macdonald, that, whether on
duty with his regiment,'or in the streets, the hart was always at
his side. The Countess of Sutherland, with great kindness,
allowed him 2s. 6d. per diem extra pay, judging, probably,
that soNarge a body must require more sustenance than his
military pay could afford. Ile attracted the notice of the
Prince of Wales, and was for some time one of the porters of
Carlton House. Wben the 93d was raised, he could not be
kept from his old friends ; and joining the regiment he died in
Jersey, in 1802, much regretted by his corps.
EXTRORDINARY ANECDOTE OF AN .ABCII-
- following anecdote is taken from a scarce work,
called " Artachthos," containing an account of all the remark.
able famines which have occurred in England since the Con-
quest. "A. D. 1234, the 18th of Henry 111. was a great frost
at Christmasse, which destroyed the come in the ground, and
the roots of hearbs in the gardens, continuing till Candlemasse
without any snow, so that no man could plough the ground,
and all the yeare after was unseasonable weather, so that bar-
rennesse of all things ensued, and many poore folks died for
want of victual's, the rich being so bewitched with averice that
they would yeeld them no reliefe. Amongst whom Walter
Gray, then Archbishop of York, was not least covetous, of
whom it is recorded that his come being then five ycares old,
pee doubting the same to he spoiled with vermine, did com-
mand that it should be delivered to the husbandmen, that in-
habited his mannours, upon condition that they should pay
him the like quantity of new come after harvest, but would
give none to the poore for God's sake ; whereupon it came to
passe, that when men came to a great stack of his come, which
stoode neare the town of Rippon, there appeared in the sheaves
all over the same, the heads of wormes, serpents, and toads ;
besides, a voice was heard out of the come mow, saving, Lay
no hands on the cerne, for the Archbishop and all that he hath
is the devill's.' To conclude, the bailiffs were obliged to build
a high wall round about the come, and then set it on fire, lest
the venemous wormes should have gotten out, and poisoned the
come in other place. How this Bishop died,.l have not heard,
and whether he went to God or the devil!, it is not for pie to
determine."

EXECUTIONS.—WIivn jor-G enera HA nn
sox was hanged, for being one of the Judges of Charles I-
the rope broke, and the undaunted regicide., previous to being
tied up again, struck the hangman a sound box on the ear for
his negligence. A more wonderful, though less tragical in-
stance of audacity, took place in Cork some years ago, where a
tailor was hanged, but animation, restored by the exertions of
Glover, a player, at that time performing at Cork Theatre.
The first use the incorrigible rogue made of his revivification
was to get very drunk, in which' state he went to the Theatre,
where Glover was performing that evening, and from the gal.
lery thanked him for his exertions in his behalf, to the great
astonishment of the audience, and dismay of the actor.

MAcKrAN.—Much has been said of the age of
MAcxtlx, the actor, and several works state that he had ex.
isted a century at the time of his death. The following is a
copy of the plate on his coffin :—" Mr. Charles Macklin, co-
median, died on the 11th of July, 1797, aged 97. years." Of
the twelve friends who followed his remains in three mourning
coaches, Munden, who enjoys good health, with the exception
of an occasional touch of the gout, is the only survivor.
THE DEVIL'S SONATA.—W hi iSt TA RTI NI, the
celebrated musician, was pursuing his musical studies in his
youth, he dreamed one night that he had made a compact with
the evil one, who promised to serve him on all occasions. During
this vision every thing succeeded to his mind ; his wishes were
anticipated, and his desires more titan gratified. At length he
imagined that he presented the arch fiend with his violin, in
order to discover what sort of a musician his Satanic Majesty
might be: when to his great astonishment he heard him play
a solo so singularly beautiful, and which he executed with such
superior taste and precision that it surpassed all the music he
had ever heard or conceived in his life. So great was his stir-
prize and so exquisite his delight, on this occasion, that it al-
most deprived him of the power of breathing. Ile awoke with
the violence of the sensation, and instantly seized his violin, in
the hope of expressing what he had just heard, hut in vain.
He, however, composed a piece, which is allowed to be the best
of all his works, and which he called the Devil's Sonata. But
it was so inferior to what his sleep had produced, that he de-
clared he would have broken his instrument, and abandoned
music for ever, if he could have found any other means of sub-
sistence.

Mr. KELLY must be mistaken (which he sel-
dom is) in stating that Mr. SHERIDAN had never
seen KEAN act, in consequence of a vow he had
made never to enter Drury-Lane Theatre. Mr.
SHERIDAN certainly was present at that actor's
performance, and as he left the Theatre declared
to Mr. Dow Tori that he never was more disap-
pointed, or words to that effect. That he might
afterwards send for KEAN to rehearse Othello, to
please Mrs. SHERIDAN, when indisposed, as stated
in the rest of the story, is not improbable, for he
was really an indulgent husband, but we question
the truth of the panegyric on the actor's concep-
tion and delivery.

THE TROMBONE.—Curiosity led us last night
into the Surrey Theatre, in order to hear a Con-
certo on the Trombone. This instrument we
considered only in the light of a loud accompani-
ment to a full band, but felt no little surprise and
satisfaction on finding a Mr. BRINER render the
notes as soft and harmonious as a full-toned flute.
InEft s IKVIoN,
7
fjanahe was peculiarly happy. Mr.
the Leader of this Band, has
much merit in raising it inferior to none,
as far as its numbers go. We understand
this rare and extraordinary Concerto will be
repeated to-morrow evening, with a full accom-
paniment.