The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-09 00:00:00

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generally which it was written to enunciate,
As an interesting and honest-hearted tale, it is excellent;
and, as the production of a dramatic poet of such extra-
rtlin;:ry rowcr:z, it is a literary curiosity. It can be
r st-ry that we just now remember,
::ely twitter for astonishment, consi-
Ind fluctuations which are perceptible
oinpisition. On this head Voltaire
red, that the arts which depend
ion, have as many revolutions

Ireadv

solely

or the earth ; and that they change in
a thousand differ‘ lit ways, even while we are striving to
give them a fl,Lss;ficAtion and a stability—" dans les arts
qui (.6 endeut purement. de 'lmagination, i 1 y a autant
de 14v,lutions que dans les eats ; its changent en mille
manires taudis qu' on cherche a les fixer." An exam-
ple or one of these changes is the novel of " George
Lovell." But that tir observations have already am-
tended so considerably, we should be tempted to matte
several quotations froth it, pages, especially one earnest
paragraph addressed to Rowland Hill. Quotations,
however, we take it, would be superfluous, seeing that
everyone will, as a matter of course, themselves refer to
"The Last Work by Sheridan Knowles."

SURREY THEATRE.
rovenlay evening a very interesting drama, entitled
" Lilly Da., son ; or, A Poor Gin's Story," was producod at
this theatre. It. is the novel of the same name, by that de•
seryedly popular writer, Mrs. Crowe, in a dramatic dress, by
that kilful artist, Mr. Stirling. The plot is as follows' :- -
Lilly Dawson (Mrs. 11. Vining) is employed as a domestic at
the liaise of Jacob Littlehans, a smuggler, whe-e she is
treated with uncommen severity by the family, consisting
of two sons and a daughter, the former of whom
follow the same honourable vocation as their father
and the latter of whom is wedded to a phlegmatic
Dutchman, Hans Peffer (Mr. T. Fredericks). "Shadows,
clouds, and darkness," rest upon the birth and parentage of
Lilly Dawson, but from the confession of Jacob Littlehaus
in a moment of mental agony, it appears that he has pre-
served her from a wreck. The crew have been murdered by
him and his sons. Luke Littlehaus, from a belief (the
grounds for which .do not appear) that Lilly Dawson
will turn out to be the child of some great person, determines
to marry her; but she dislikes him, and effects her escape,
after an attempt has been made upon her life by
Luke .Littlehaus, who thinks that she had been the witness
of a murder which he had committed, through the instru-
mentality of a blind beggar the girl is enabled to obtain a
situation for a period of three years, at the expiration of
which, dreading the machinations of Luke Littlehaus, she
comes to London, and eventually succeeds in obtaining a
situation at a milliner's, from which, however, she is com-
pelled to fly, in consequence of an accusation of having pus- - •
loined some lace. The real culprit is May Elliot, a young
female in the same situation, who acquaints Lilly Dawson
with the act of which she has been guilty, but
which the other is too honourable to divulge.
May Elliot notwithstanding this noble conduct, influenced
by jealousy, betrays Lilly Dawson into the hands of Luke
Littlehau's, and who with a view to his self-preservation, de-
termines to murder her, but kills his sister in mistake. Lilly
Dawson escapes and turns out to be the daughter of a
General Markham. The murderer is arrested, May Elliot
loses her lover, who marries Lilly Dawson, who has been
long attached to him, and dramatic iustice is rendered to all
I,art ies. The piece, in addition to startling and varied incident,
without which no drama of the present day can hope for
-vitality, possesses considerable subordinate merits. The dia-
logue is correct, and suited to the speakers, and the feel-
ings evolved are natural and suited to the circumstances.
Mrs. H. Vining, as Lilly Dawson, gave a mast correct em-
bodiment a spirit grown familiar with affliction, but gentle
as childhood in nature—a sort of female Smike. Luke Little-
haus was admirably performed by Mr. E. F. Saville, and the
other rarts were creditably sustained. The piece was an-
nounced for repetition amidst considerable applause from a
very crowded house.