The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-08 00:00:00

S ATI DECEMBER 8, 1847.

This SthileaAtriCe
COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.
,EtShPeEußseE'oSf which SlEastFeUveNnDin.g
was,
in the most handsome manner, given by Mr. Beale
to the Committee for the purchase of Shakespere's
house, was crowded to excess. All the performers
in London, too, gave their gratuitous services, and
in order to enable the committee to make the most of
these offers, it was arranged that the performances
should consist of a series of scenes from Shakespere.
The following is a copy of the prologue (written by
Mr. Charles Knight, and spoken by Mr. Phelps,) and
of the programme of the performances of this, per-
haps one of the most remarkable representations in
the history of the drama:—
PROLOGUE.
" The Macedonian stood within the gates
Of the devoted Thebes. Relentless hates
Ask'd to be loos'd in bloodshed and in fire:
Spare not—the conquer'd cried :—Yet stay, the lyre
Of glorious Pindarus in Thebes was strung—
Search for his house these fated piles among;
Perish the city, down with every tower,
But save, from ruin save the Muses' sacred bower.
" The victor Time has stood on Avon's side
To doom the fall of many a home of pride;
Rapine o'er Evesham's gilded Pane has strode,
And gorgeous Kenilworth has paved the road:
But Time has gently laid his withering hands
On on, frail house—the House of Shakspere stands;
Centuries are gone—fallen' the cloud-capped tow'rs;'
But Shakspere's home, his boyhood's home, is ours.
" Ye, who this night kind greetings bring to cheer
The histrionic groups assembled here,
Cherish the task, with reverent love to hold
One relic of our drama's age of gold,
For there, where Avon's long-immortal wave
Lingers in willowy banks by Shakspere's grave,—
The Pilgrims come: Ohio and the Rhine
Send forth their worshippers to Stratford's shrine,—
And still they come, to hail, from every clime,
The Poet of all countries and all time.'
" Perchance, in some dark hour, a venal stage
May leave to bookworms Shakspere's living page;
Fit on the buskins to some Newgate gang,
And give the comic mask to drunken slang:
Then, when no tear shall fall for Juliet's woe,
Falstaff be voted dull, and Hamlet slow,'—
Then, ere new Bettertons and Garricks rise
To win the crowd from scenes the good despise,—
The lowly roof, which you are here to claim
From cold neglect or desecration's shame,
May stand, the trophy of a nobler taste—
A beacon-light amidst the drama's waste.
" Yes I when a race unborn shall gather round
His hallowed roof, and consecrated ground,
And secret tears, and smiles of sudden glee,
Attest his sway, the mind's own jubilee;
Remembrance, perhaps, may turn to this 'brief hour,'
Which yields our feeble homage to his power:
For here th' assembled nation stands to say,
Our Shakspere's home is snatched from quick decay;
Is the work finished—or but yet begun?
Complete ! Maintain ! do all that needs be done !
Yes ! England's heart now beats at Shakspere's call—
The Muses' boweris saved—your's is the pledge for all.'
BEETHOVEN'S OVERTURE TO " CORIOLINUS."
I.
THE DEATH OF HENRY IV.
Second Part of King Henry IV. Act IV.
A Chamber in the Palace at Westminster.
King Henry ••• .. Mr. Macready.
Henry, Prince of Wales ... ... Mr. Leigh Murray
Prince Thomas of Clarence
... Mr. Aldham.
Prince John of Lancaster
... Mr. S. Parry.
Prince Humphry of Gloster ... Mr. Bellingham.
Lord Chief Justice ••• ... Mr. Ryder.
Earl of Westmorland ... ... Mr. Edgar.
1
Pages to the King
• ' Mr. Andrews.
Mr. Smith.

IL
THE DEATH OF QUEEN KATHARINE.
Henry the Eighth. Act IV.
A Chamber in Kimbolton Castle.
Queen Katharine ... ... Mrs. Butler.
Patience Miss Andrews.
Agatha Her Attendants Miss Bellamy.
Cicely (Miss Johnson.
Cromwell Mr. James Vining.
Guilford ... •.• ... Mr. Aldham.
Capucius •.• ... Mr. Martin.
SIR HENRY BISHOP'S OVERTURE, INTRODUCING POPULAR

AIRS PROM SHARSPERE'S PLAYS.
TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA.
Part of Act the Third.
A Street in Verona.

Launce
Speed ...
IV.
FALSTAFF'S RECRUITS BEFORE JUSTICE
SHALLOW.
Second Part of King Henry IV. Act. TH.. Scene 2.
An Orchard before Justice Shallow's House.
Justice Shallow... ... Mr. W. Farren.
Justice Silence ..• Mr. Darcie. •
Falstaff .. ••• ... Mr. Granby.
Bardolph •.•
•• Mr. Woolgar.
Mouldy Mr. Tumour.
Shadow Mr. Fortescue.
Wart Recruits ... ... Mr. Mandela.
Feeble J Mr. Oxberry.
Bullcalf LMr. C. R. Butler.
Davy ..• ... Mr. Andrews.
MENDELSMOHN'S OVERTURE TO " TIIE MIDSUMMER
NIGHT'S DREAM."

... Mr. Harley.
... Mr. Buckstone.

JULIET'S MARRIAGE DAY.
Rome* and Juliet. The Fourth Act entire.
Scene 1. The Cloisters.--Scene 2. A Chamber in Capu-
let's House.—Scene 3. Juliet's Bedroom.
Lady Capulet ... ... ... Miss O'Hara.
Juliet ... ... ••• ... Miss Helen Faucit.
Nurso ... ... ..• ... Mrs. Glover.
Capulet ... ... ..• ... Mr. J. Ryan.
Paris ... . ••• ... Mr. A. Harris.
Friar Lawrence ••• ... Mr. Diddear.

KATHARINE AND PETRUCHIO.
Taming of the Shrew.
Portions of Act I. and Act IV.
A Gothic Hall.

Petruchio
Baptista ...
Gremio
Gremio
Bortensio
Lucentio
Curtis
Vincentio
Biondello
Katharine ...

... Mr. Webster.
... Mr. Gough.
... Mr. Keeley.
... Mr. Bland.

... Mr. Howe.
Mr. Vandenhoff.
... Mr. Caulfield.
... Mr. Payne.
... Mr. Tumour.
... Mrs. Nisbett.
... Mrs. Gates.
... Miss Everington.

Widow
Bianca

VII.

THE BUCK-BASKET AND SLENDER'S COURT.
SHIP.

The Merry Wives of Windsor. Act 111., 3d and 4th
Scenes ; Act IV., Sceno 1.
Chambers in Ford's House.

Falstaff .
Ford
Page
Sir Hugh Evans
aw, Shallow
Dr. Caius
Slender
Robin ...
Mrs. Page ...
Mrs. Ford ...
Anne Page ...

... Mr. Granby.
... Mr. R. Roxby.
... Mr. Parselle.
. . Mr. Meadows.
... Mr. F. Matthews.
. . Mr. J. B!end.
... Mr. C. Mathews.
... Miss Ward.
... Madame Vestris.
~. Mrs. Stirling.
... Miss Marshall.

Till.
THE STORY OF PROSPERO.
Tempest.

The isinuu ..4?M:,.eene2.
Prospero ... ... ... Mr.—Pheips.
Ferdinand ..• ... ... Mr. IL Marston.
Caliban ••• ... ... Mr. G. Bennett.
Ariel ... ... ... ... Miss P. Horton.
'Miranda ... ... ••• Miss Laura Addison.

Ix.
THE STATUE SCENE.
A Winter's Tale.
Act V., Scene last.
A Room inPaulina's House.
Leontes Mr. Graham.
Polixenes . . Mr. J. H. Johnston.
... Mr. G. Vining.
Camillo ... Mr. Howell.
Hermione ... Mrs. Warner.
Perdita ... Miss Angell.
Pauline ... ... Miss Tyrrell.
The following statement has been issued by the com-
mittee:--

".500/. are still wanting to relieve the committees
from the liabilities they have incurred in representing
what they have considered to be the feeling of the Bri-
tish nation. The duties and expenses of the committees
will not cease, however, with the liquidation of their
present liabilities; it is their wish, before making the
property over to the Crown, to place it under the super-
intendence of some person honourably connected with
dramatic literature, and to remove certain premises ad-
joining, which injure the appearance, and endanger the
safety of the house."
There was, at the commencement of the perform-
ances, some little confusion occasioned by the diffi-
culty of finding seats, but an offer to return the
money quieted the dissatisfied, and all went off
pleasantly.
The music was admirably conducted by Sir Henry
Bishop.
The fund has cleared 800!. by the performances of
last night.

TIIE WIDOW OF MENDELSSOUN.—The Journal des
Debuts states that Madame Mendelssohn Bartholdy,
widow of the celebrated composer, has received letters of
condolence from three sovereigns—viz., the King of
Prui.ia, the King of Saxony, and the Queen of
England.

Dispatches were sent off last evening, from the
Colonial-office, for the Governor of Ceylon.