The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-10 00:00:00

ADELPHI THEATRE.

The harrowing pathos of Mrs. Yates's perform-
ance in the deeply interesting drama of Laffizrge,
still continues to attract crowded audiences to this
theatre. After Lafarge a new piece was pro-
duced here last evening, entitled The Old Curiosity
Shop, or One Hour from Humphrey's Clock.
The piece is, as its name imports, a dramatic ver•
sion of Boz's celebrated papers, but the dramatizer
has exhibited considerable tact in the management
of his materials, and the drama tells its story in a
manner much more understandable than is usually
the case with productions of this sort. Master Hum-
phrey and his friends act as a sort of prologue to
the piece. The curtain rises upon a tableau vivant
of Master Humphrey's club-room. The clock
strikes ten, and as he is producing the papers to read
the tale for the evening, the scene closes on Master
Humphrey and his friends, and the audience are
introduced into the interior of the old curiosity shop,
where the grandfather is waiting the return of
Nelly from Quilp. From this period the story is
accurately followed until we arrive at the denoue-
ment, which is brought about as follows :—Nelly
and the grandfather take refuge from the pursuit of
Quilp in the cottage of Mr. Garland, to whom
they are introduced by Kit. While there, Quilp,
Trent, and Swiveller break into their room, for the
purpose of taking off Nelly and the old man ; an
alarm is given, and Mr. Garland and Kit eject
the intruders, threatening to prosecute Quilp
for entering the house, unless he desists from
further tormenting his victims. Nelly, that
wondrous mixture of child-like simplicity with
deep thought, of wisdom with innocence and
artlessness, who, by her very honesty of heart, is
more than a match for the deep cunning of the de-
signing worldlings, who would fain betray, but
cannot overreach her, was represented to the life by
Mrs. Keeley. She was most effectively supported
by Lyon as the grandfather : this is rather a new line
of character for that gentleman, but one which
suits him admirably. His sudden bursts of energy
were terrific, and served to set off by contrast still
more strongly the general feebleness of the
mind-broken old man, who, in all emergencies, is
glad to lean on the poor child for support.
Yates's Quilp was an incarnation of envy, hatred,
malice, and all uncharitableness in dress, look, and
attitude ; he seemed as though he had stepped out
of the illustrations. Wright's Dick Swiveller was
excellent. His scene with the jolly old grand-
father and the wild young grandson, elicited shouts
of laughter. His manner of giving " fork," the
concluding word of the scene, was exceedingly rich ;
he seemed the beau ideal of dirty smartness, a man
formed by nature for the president of an Anti-Tee-
total Society. Paul Bedford as Tom Codling, and
Wieland as Short Trott ers,:were exceedingly amusing.
They sing a duet, " Punch and his Dramatis Per-
sonm," which has a very ludicrous effect, and in
which Wieland introduces sundry imitations of
dogs and cats, which tell amazingly. In the race
scene Mr. Nightingale introduces his imitations,
which are certainly the very best we ever heard.
All other imitators must hide their diminished
heads wherever this gentleman appears. Wilkin-
son had little to do as Kit, but that little was done
exceedingly well. The piece has been got up with
the greatest care ; the scenery is beautiful, and the
tableaux, from the illustrations of Cattermole and
Browne, surpass everything in that way that we
ever saw. Yates gave out the piece for repetition
every evening, amidst the unanimous applause of a
house so crowded, that even standing places, from
which a glimpse of the stage could be caught,
were at a premium ; and we have no doubt but that
Loffarge and the Old Curiosity Shop will cram
the Adelphi every night until Christmas.

BRUSSELS, NOV. 7.—Many senators and re-
presentatives have already arrived at Brussels for the meet-
ing of the Chambers, which ,is to take place on Tuesday.
Baron Stassart is not expected to return to Brussels be-
fore the 22d or 23d, from his diplomatic mission to Turin.
Duke Prosper of Aremberg arrived yestFrday afternoon at
his country-seat, Beverle, near Louvain, on his return
from Berlin, whither he has been to take the oath of alle.
giance and to do homage to the King of Prussia. We
learn from Warsaw that the Emperor of Russia has con-
ferred the order of St. Stanislaus of the First Class on the
Bishops of Augustowe and Warsaw. It is not known for
what reason they have received this mark of distinction.