The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-28 00:00:00

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The holiday entertainments at this elegant and com-
modious house commenced last night with Sheridan's
once popular and still favourite school-boy play of
Pizarro. The vulgar ruffianism of Pizarro, the rant of
Rolla, and the mock sentiment of Elvira, were as well
sustained as such parts could be by Mr. Wallack, Mr.
11. Wallack, and Mrs. Clifford. Mrs. Stirling, as Cora,
exhibited a depth of true pathos, of which, we confess,
we did not previously think her capable. The play was
followed by what the bills denominated " a New, Grand,
and Original Romantic, Legendary, Fairy Spectacle, in
two acts, called The World of Dreams; or, The Man of
the Moon ;" and, as a spectacle, nothing could be finer.
The first scene opens with a view of the Elf-King's
Oak, near which is the cottage of an old blind widow
(Mrs. W. Clifford), and her beautiful daughter Violette
(Mademoiselle Celeste). Now, pretty girls, from
time immemorial, have been troubled with .a super-
abundance of lovers ; and, therefore, as a matter of
course, all the bachelors in the neighbourhood, from
eighteen to eighty, are running after the charming Vio-
lette. But Violette is as good as she is handsome ; and
the village bell-man, Peter Hoop (Mr: David Wes),
and old Hans Braunwig (Mr. Strickland), and the youth-
ful nephew of this lastveterau wooer, are outbidding
each other for the heart of the sweet Violette.
She refuses them all that she may take care of her blind
parent. Wearied, however, with the rejoicings on her
birthday, she lays herself down to slumber under the
Elf-King's Oak, regardless of the following pithy legend
which had long attached to it—.

‘4, In the month of May, be warned by me,
Sleep not beneath the Elfin Tree,
For then the spirits that haunt the air,
have power o'er the mortal that slumbers there."
Wo sooner is she asleep than Andgrim the Spirit of
Troubled Dreams (Mr. Mitcheson), and a host of imps,
assail her. Serena, Spirit of Happy Dreams (Miss Matt.
ley), and a host of her nymphs, and the female warriors
of the moon, come to the rescue of the sleeping mortal,
and of course, after a rather ungallant engagement on
the part of the male wicked spirits, they are defeated as
they deserve to be. Fazenheim, the Man in the Moon,
and Prince of the World of Dreams (Mr. J. Webster),
next makes his appearance, and falls desperately in love
with the slumbering mortal. But on her birthday
Violette's mother had suspended a cross round the neck
of her daughter, and this proves now her talisman. She
is returned to earth, with Andgrim to attend her, but not
before she reciprocates the Man in the Moon's passion.
Her venerable lover Hans Brounwig, however, resolves to
have her, and to compel her acceptance of his hand, bargains
with her mother's landlord to expel the old woman from her
cottage, ancl sell her furniture for rent. Violette cannot
bear to see her mother houseless, and, to protect her,rac-
cepts old Hans. While the settlements arc preparing,
Andgrim plays all manner of pranks upon the bride,
groom, who, on his way to be married, is conducted
through a morass, loses the bride, and falls asleep under
the Elfin-Oak. So much virtue and filial piety
do not always go unrewarded, and Violette is
favoured with another interview with her super-
human lover. To him she explains the cause of
her apparent breach of constancy, returns to her mother,
whom a legacy makes rich, and having obtained from
old Hans Braunwig her marriage settlement, to all ap-
pearance dies, and is received by the Man of the Moon,
who carries her to

" That land of joy
Where bliss is every heart's employ :
Where all is beauty, love and light,
Within that valley of delight.
In this piece there was a good deal of very amusing bye
play, of which we have taken no notice. Miss P. Hor-
ton, as Rhoda, a village beauty, betrothed to Franz, was
exceedingly arch and lively; and Mr. Mitcheson more
than once reminded us of Wieland in his best parts.
Dreams oftener " adorn tales" " than point morals," but
this brilliant fairy spectacle points two, which, though
not remarkable for their originality, are worth remem-
bering by old and young. The first is, that it is very
ridiculous of bachelors on the verge of seventy to fancy
that they can make conquests of the hearts of pretty
girls of nineteen ; and the second, that if pretty girls
will only be good, and pay more attention to what their
mammas tell them, than to the soft nothings of the good-
for-nothing swains, they will be sure to obtain the men
of their choice at last. In ordinary cases—
" Dreams are but interludes which Fancy makes.
When Reason sleeps this mimic wakes,
Compounds a medley of disjointed things,
A court of coblers and a mob of kings."
As for the scenery and dresses, they were really
splendid. The house was very well filled, and the
audience appeared to be highly delighted.