The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-20 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1836.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.
Last night Mr. Forrest had his benefit at this theatre,
when he performed, for the first time, the character of
Virginius. His performance of this part was one of the
greatest efforts, if not the very greatest, that he has made
since his appearance in England ; and, indeed, was, in
many respects, one of the grandest displays of tragic
power we have ever witnessed. In the sweet domestic
scenes towards the beginning of the play, there was in
I his manner a smoothness and softness which we could
hardly have expected from his general style of acting,
which, powerful as it is, is more remarkable in general
for the production of striking effect than for sustained and
simple beauty. In the pretty scene, however, in which
Virginiimgently rallies his daughter on her love for Icilius
his affectionate playfulness was delightful. As the tragedy
deepened, his peculiar powers gradually displayed them-
selves. In the scene in which the messenger from Rome
arrives to inform Virginius of the danger impending over
his daughter, his agony of suspense, followed by the burst
of joy—" I thank thee, Jupiter, I am still a father !" pro-
duced an electrifying effect. The great scene in the forum
was splendid throughout ; and the deep stillness with which
it was listened to showed how strongly it laid hold of the
feelings of the audience. Such a breathless silence, pro-
duced by intense interest, is a better tribute to the power
of the actor than the loudest applause. The general ex-
citement was suppressed till the conclusion of the scene ;
when the exclamation, uttered with terrible energy—" Ap-
pius, I devote thee to the infernal gods V' was followed by
a peal of applause that seemed to shake the house. The
scene in the last act, where Virginius bursts upon the De•
cemvir in his prison, demanding, with frantic fury, his
daughter, and at last seizes his victim by the throat, and
hold him in his grasp till he expires, was absolutely appal-
ling, and appeared to thrill the spectators with horror.
To produce such an effect demanded the highest power ;
the slightest failure might have rendered the attempt
ridiculous. Mr. Forrest's reception throughout was of
the warmest kind ; and at the conclusion when he ap-
peared before the curtain, he was loudly and repeatedly
cheered. Mr. Knowles himself played the part of Den.
tatus. The rough old veteran was • well suited to his
style of acting. Miss Taylor, in Virginia, was somewhat
deficient in siraplicity. The house was full, but not .so
crowded as we think it ought to have been.

SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.)

(FROM LLOYD'S.)
DEAL, DEC. 19.—Wind W. S. W.—Arrived the Scipio,
Cambers, from Southampton; Rising Sun, Howard, from
Teignmouth ; Betseys, \Vood, from Liverpool; Eliza, De-
ward, from the westward ; Abraham, Cox, from Weymouth.
Arrived from the River, the Delight, Jefferson, for Cape of
Good Hope ' • Smalls, Duck, for Charente. The brig Ceres
proceeded for the River in tow of a steamer. The Anna
Catherina, with loss of rudder, will proceed to Ramsgate on
a sufficient flow of water.
PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 19.—Wind S.W., fresh.—Arrived off,
the Coloseum, Windsor, from Boston.
PLYMOUTH, DEC. 18.—Wind W.—Arrived the Edward,
M'Kean, and Bolivar, Richards, from Quebec; and Perkins,
Bruce, from Miramichi.
FALMOUTH, DEC. 19.—Wind W. S. W., moderate breezes
and cloudy.—Arrived the Manchester steamer, from Lisbon ;
and Donor, Kettle, from Hull.
LIVERPOOL, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Mary, Brade, from
Bahia; Skeen, Boyle, from Savanilla ; and James Dunn,
Furse, from Lisbon. Off port, Robertson, —, from Quebec.
TOPSHAM, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Elizabeth, Hooper, from
Richebuto.
CLYDE, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Clansman, Scott, Quebec.
YARMOUTH ROADS, DEC. 19.—Arrived the Helena, Vras-
ten, from Memel ; Mariarine, Rickells, from ditto ; and Oli-
via, Fusby, from Dantzic.
SOUTHWOLD, DEC. 19.—Arrived off port the Catherina,
Margaretta, from Copenhagen.
BREST, DEC. 16...-Arrived off port the Slater, ---, from
St. John's, New Brunswick, bound to Hull.
CORK, DEC. 17.—Arrived the Catherine, Hardy, Gibraltar.
BELOAST, DEC. 17.—Arrived the Britannia, Moore, Memel.
SHEERNESS, DEC. 19.—A brig, with foremast only stand-
ing, and painted ports, passed for the River to-day, in tow of
a steamer.
MARGATE, DEc. 19.—The Anathia, from Hamburg, which
foundered in the Gulls on the 29th ult., has been raised and
brought into Kingsgate. Cargo discharging in a damaged

state.
MARTEOET, DEC. 16.—The Albion, Duggon, from Bourne,
shipped her anchors off this harbour, and in coming in struck
the Lighthouse Quay, and sustained damage.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Nov. 23.—The Caesar, which cleared
for London, has been on the Dardanells, but got off without
apparent damage.
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•
•
VESSELS SPOKEN WPM-I.—The John and Elizabet
Quebec to England, ;tli inst. ; and the Forth, from Quebec to
England, 10th inst., by the Coloscum, arrived at Cowes.
The Mary and Harriet, Samson, from New Orleans to Liver-
pool, is on shore at Carnarvon Bay.

Mr. and Mrs. L. T. Flood and family have arrived
at their house, Belle Vue, Chelsea, from their estates, near
Hastings.
The young women of Llanfair, in Wales, have all
signed a declaration, solemnly pledging themselves not to
receive the addresses of any man who is not a confirmed
tea-totaller.—Chesler Courant.
The steam engine erected for the purpose of pump-
ing docks, turning, and other mechanical uses, in our dock-
yard, will commence operations in a few days, and will
throw out 3,777 gallons and 13 pints per minute, or
1,078 tons, 1 hogshead, 47 gallons, and 1 pint per hour.—

•
De vonport Independent.
We,have to announce the death of the Rev. Dr
Rippon, which took place on Saturday last, in the 86th year
of his age. This venerable Minister was pastor of the
Baptist church, formerly worshipping in Carter-lane, Tooley-
street, from which place they were removed to New Park-
street. In his paternal office he laboured With great suc-
cess. He accepted his charge on the Ist of August, 1773,
which office he filled for upwards of sixty-three years. It
is worthy of remark that Dr. Rippon succeeded the vener-
able and learned Dr. John Gill, who was pastor of the same
church for the period of fifty-four years ; by which it ap-
pears that the paternal office of this church was filled by
these two eminent servants of God for the period of 117
years.
SUDDEN DEATH OF A SPANISH NOBLEMAN.—
Yesterday afternoon an inquisition was holden before Mr.
Stirling and a respectable Jury, at the Duke of York, New
Church-street, St. John's-wood, on the body of Don Cus-
tolio Costelio, aged 38, a Spanish Nobleman, who had re-
tired to this country from Spain, in consequence of the in-
testine wars in which that country was engaged. Mr.
Thomas Evans No. 13, New Church-street, clerk in a
joint stock banking company, last saw the deceased alive at
his residence, No. 16, Gee-street, Somers Town ; he was a
Spanish refugee, and a single man. On Thursday evening,
shortly after witness had returned home, about seven
o'clock, he was in the parlour speaking to the landlady,
Mrs. Atherway, when his mother ran down stairs, from the
drawing-room, exclaiming " Oh, Mrs. Atherway." She
again returned, followed by witness and Mrs. Atherway.
They entered the room, and found the deceased on the
sofa ; he was struggling as if in a fit. Witness went for
Mr. Mier, a surgeon, who bled the deceased in the arm, and
jugular vien. In a few minutes after this operation the de-
ceased sighed and died. Mr. Mier stated that the cause
of his death was a fit of apoplexy. Mrs. Atherway de-
posed that she was informed by Mrs. Evans, who from the
sudden shock was too ill to attend, that she was talking to
the deceased, who was standing before the fire. He was
in earnest conversation when he suddenly fell on the sofa.
In answer to a Juror, Mrs. Atherway stated that the de-
ceased, early in January, would have been married to Mrs.
Evans. Verdict—" That the deceased died by the visita-
tion of God."
A communication from Vienna of the 9th inst., in
the German papers, states that " The Emperor of Austria
is attacked by indisposition, which does not, however, give
any ground for alarm. The public audience, which was
fixed for to-day, has been in consequence put off. The
same communication states, tkat of late, in the environs of
Vienna, many robberies and burglaries have been committed.
A singular case has, during this week, occupied the
attention of the magistrates at Eton. A young man, about
26 years of age, rather respectably dressed, was stopped at
Salthill on Saturday, evidently in a deranged state of mind.
He has been questioned as to his name and residence,, but
nothing to lead to any clue of either can be obtained from
him ; he, however, frequently utters the name of " Julia,'
" Jane," and " Pangbourn." On his person were found
2s. 6d, in money, and two books—" The Landscape Annual
for 1830," and " The Village Curate." The unfortunate
man is at present under the charge of John Timber, a con-
stable of Upton-cum-Chalvey.—Windsor Express.
The female corpse at Finchley having been opened,
and very little aliment of any kind being found, suspicion of
a foul deed was not abated. It is essentially necessary, for
the ends of justice, to correct the personal description
which has appeared in several newspapers. As the body
now lies in the coffin, placed in an outhouse, at the rear of
the Swan Inn, the accuracy of the following account can
be tested by visitors :—Age above forty ; a slight growth
of hair on the chin. One of the upper front teeth wants
a corner—the fracture was oblique. The countenance,
pitted with variola, is full ; the nose rather small, and
slightly wavy ; eyes as well as hair and eyebrows, which
meet, nearly black. There is a mole on her side. Width
across the shoulders 18 inches. Fatness, or tendency
thereto, prevails in face and figure. The shawl is not
" dark," but has been white, with sprigs in colours at the
corner. The gown is " dark" only where the plaid or
chequer is formed by various bars. List garters, night-
cap, small net kerchief, and front or temple nair, in paper,
complete the inventory of apparel. The outer length of
coffin approaches six feet. At the back of the head, and
below, injury is evident.