The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-18 00:00:00

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE;

The Court and the City, " adapted from scenes by Sir
Richard Steele and Mrs. Frances Sheridan" (we quote
from the bills), is the title of a comedy, in five acts,
which was produced at this theatre last evening. As
might be expected from this announcement, the comedy
has a double plot, and between the two plots the con-
nection is uhnost as slight as between the two parts
of the town from which the play derives its name; and
that connection, like the connection between Court and
City, is principally maintained through the interven-
tion of a fortune-hunting younger brother of a gambling,,
ruined nelleman, and a stock-jobbing attorney, who, for
his fee,'. s euually ready to assist either courtier or tit,
or both. The Court part of the story is as follows :
Lord Dangerlield (Mr. Diddear), a libertine Nobleman,
whose circumstances have become embarrassed through
his extravagance, determines, in order te retrieve those
circumstances, to force on a marriage between his
daughter Louisa (Miss Cooper) and a rich, sentimentse.
hesitating, over-fastidious old bachelor, Sir Paladin.
Scruple (Mr. W. Ferrer:), the lady being all the while
desperately enamoured of Lionel Scruple (Mr. Wigan),
the nephew of the refined Sir Paladin"; while the
worthy Sir Paladin himself, is really the slave of a
certain Mrs. Charmington (Mrs. Nisbett), although for
some unexplained cause he has taken some offence at
something in her conduct, and seeks from her his dis-
missal in form, in order that he may for the ninth time.,
make an offer of his susceptible heart. This favour fee
widow laughingly vouchsafee to him, and Sir Paladhe is
introduced by Lord Dangerfield to Louisa as Jeer suitor,
Sir Paladin accordingly makes his advances in feria, and,
to the inexprosible delight of Louisa, declares that his re-
gard to female delicacy prevents him from preesing on
their union with any improper and indecent haste, awl
that he has no idea of being guilty of the indecorum, or ,
rushing into her arms until he has for a proper length of
time sighed at her feet. Farren's acting in this scene
was admirable ; never was a bashful man, placed, as he
himself phrases it, in "an extraordinary end delicate
situation," co excellently pourtrayed. Louisa, after
this, has an interview with Mrs. Charniington,
whom she has made her confidant, and the widow, as a
means of effectually baffling Sir Paladin's future at- e
tempts at love-making; gives a miniature of herself iv
ui Losa, hangs it round her neck, and directs her to
show it to Sir Paladin when next he seeks an interview
with her. Sir Paladin is announced, and, in the, midst
of one of his most flowery speeches, perceives nee
por-
trait of the widow, stops short, and talks abo- et the fas-
cination of black eyes, to the great astonishment
of Lady Dangerfield (Mrs. W. West), Losiisa's mother,
who calmly observes, " 3ly daughter's eyes are blue."
Poor Sir Paladin, completely overcome ley this aecoad
extraordinary and delicate situation, Legs leave 44 to-
withdraw in the greatest confusion." Lionel returns,
from abroad, and Sir Paladin, leealn,a,; been ieformed by
Lady Dangerlield of the true state of the. case, resigi -
Louisa to his nephew, end see :s refuge in the arms of Mee.
Charmingten. Lord Dangerrieldemt contented with forging
his daughter to marry Sir Paladin, has also a scheme en
foot for the seduction of Lady Whiffle (Madame Vestris)
the niece of Sir Paladin and the wife of Sir Harry Within;
(Mr. C. YntheWs). Sir Harry and Lady Whiffle Ineve,
been married when mere children, ha entertaining l'igit
and lofty ideas of the authority of a husband, and slee en-
tertaining equally extravagan t notions of the indepandence
or a wife. The result is a congest state of backering,
artfully fostered by Lord Dangescrield for his own purposes.
Lady hangarfield, however, becomes acquainted with his
designs, and, by her iudicious intervention, Sir Harry and.
his lady are reconciled, and his Lordship is foiled. The only-
one of his Lordship's schemes which succeeds, is that:
for marrying his brother, Captain Dangerfield (Mr.
Walter Lacy) to an heiress, and promises Mr. Wine
nington (Mr. Cooper), his attorney, a thousand pounds,
if he can bring this desirable event to pass. The heiress
fixed upon is a certain Miss Barbara Bearbinder (Mrs.
W. Lacy), who has been brought up by her uncle, Mr.
Bearbinder (Mr. F. Mathews), a banker in the City,
and who has beguiled her leisure hours by the perusal
of romances, until she is burning to be a heroine. Her-
uncle has, it seems, provided her with a husband, in the.
person of her cousin, Humphry Rumbush (Harley) who,
with his father, Sir Hector Rumbush (Bartley), has just
arrived in London from Somersetshire. Sir Hector
uses but one argument with his son, but that has over
proved a most convincing one, it is—a stout crab stick.
Humphrey has always hitherto proved obedient, but when.
he learns from Winnington that he is 23 years of age,.
and that his father's estate is entailed, he determines to,
show his independence by refusing to marry his cousin,
whom he never has seen, and by marrying Winnington's
niece, a young lady with whom he has thought proper
to become desperately enamoured. A meeting hav-
ing been brought about between Dangerfield and.
Barbara, of course they fall desperately in love with each
other. The cousins meet and determine to assist each other's
love affairs, and through the contrivance of Winning-
ton, Dangerfield marries Barbara, while Humphrey is
united to Winningtons niece, an arrangement to which
the old people, after a proper degree of hesitation, and
an abortive attempt on the part of Sir Hector to have
recourse to his usual argument um bucenlinum, are, induced.
to accede. Ilarley's Humphrey was excessively lu-
dicrous. In dress, manners, and appearance, he was
completely the country gaby. Mrs. Walter Lacy was
very good as the romantic Barbara ; and Bartley, as the
tyrannical country Squire, was excellent. Charles
kathews, as Sir Harry Whiffle, was. effervescing as
champagne ; and Madame Vestris, as Lady Whiffle, was
delightfully provoking. The great character of the play
is Sir Paladin Scruple, and a most difficult character it
is—difficult from its very quietness. We never saw'
Farrell to greater advantage than in this character ; and
all those who delight in pure, genuine, and natural
comedy, should see Farren's Sir Paladin Scruple. At
the fall of the curtain he came forward and announced
the piece for repetition three times a week, amidst the
loudest applause. At the conclusion of the comedy
there was a dance by the characters, which was cleverly
managed, and loudly applauded.

Our readers will remember that a
. -- - ------------.
man, name&
Serein, was arrested some time ago near Orleans, for
having carried off two female children from that town,
and, after a criminal assault on them,
having murdered
them under circumstances of peculiar atrocity. He was
brought to trial a few days since for this crime, before
the Court. of Assizes at Orleans, and the proceedings;
lasted three days. From the prisoner's own declarations
it appeared that he had suffocated the poor children in
his cart, and concealed their bodies for some tinie in a
loft in his house, under a heap of straw ; he had then
conveyed them to the wood in which their mangled re-
mains were found. Several witnesses were heard, who.
established the identity of the children, and the circum-
stances of their being inveigled away from Orleans ; bee
the Crown lawyers required that the public should he ex_
eluded from Court during the remainder of the evidence,
as it was of a nature nut tit for public disclosure. Th,
circumstances
being fully preyed, Serein was found guilty,
and condemned to death. He was in a state of apparent
stupefaction during the proceedings, and was removed
from the Court amid the loudest demonstrations. of in_
dignation on the part of the auditory. This affair has
created a great sensotion at Orleans and in the neigh._.
10th of
bourhood.
The Minister of Agriculture and Commerce has
just addressed a circular to the members of the Count-Us
of next
consideration
disathttohe customs and.
General of Ageiculture, Alanufactures, and c '
whose Session is to commence on the 10t
the month,qil
e st recommending,onof
foreign to
cattle,thema
st or
regards
any interests, that
'Ion; the sugar
octroi duties, and th mode of levying;
iltudeesntitoane'dlvifiitcrit'l; farther eessaLsinaafftieocnts; stOhenlqueestlli
of patents
for new inventions, with a view to aiding the Minister in
the preparation of a law
on the subject, and other points
coot'
ttionnd,usitlrn)d- ;
INtlellehni ,;71.10oodrs p,
Vic., and
prohibitory duties on iron,
the duties payable
on oleaginous seeds. The Mini.,
Minister calls upon the Coun-
cils to collect all possible information upon these cliffe
rent subjects, and to discuss them carefully, in order
-
may come to a calm conclusion as to the im-
provements and changes which
general interest of the country,
may be necessary in the
GOOD ADVICE.—ResoIve not to be poor.
Whatever you have, spend less.
,to human happiness ;it Poverty is a great enem y
'it makes sonic virtues certainly destroys liberty, and
remcly difficult. impracticable, and others cx-
THE FROST .--.D •
urtng Tuesday night the frost
was so severe that yesterday
• thickness was carted to the morning ice of an inch in.
ice wells in the metro/*liit. different confectioners and