The Sun.
London, England, 1824-02-21 00:00:00

THE KING.

FASHIONABLE ARRIVALS.
Count Munster, at his house in Grosvenor-place, from
Brighton ; Earl of Carnarvon, from his seat in Berks ; the
Bishop of Worcester, from Hartlebury Castle, Worcestershire;
Sir George Wombwell, Bart. from his seat in Suffolk ; Hon.
Mrs. Robinson, at her house in Privy-gardens, from her seat,
Dunford, near Salisbury ; Mr. and Mrs. Waldron, at the Bath
Hotel, Arlington-street, from Bath ; Major and Mrs. William-
son, at ditto, from Southampton : Mr. and Mrs. Becher, at
ditto, from their seat in Berks ; John Beaumont, Esq. at Read's
Hotel, Lower Grosvenor-street, from the seat of Lord G. H.
Cavendish, in Sussex ; Sir John Frederick, Bart at ditto, from
his seat, Burwood Park, Surrey; the Hon. Thompson Van-
!tack, at ditto, from his seat in Suffolk; the Hon. Andrew
Windsor, at ditto; from Brighton; Colonel Aubrey, at ditto,
from his seat in Berks.

POETRY.

TO A LADY,
On exchanging Pencil-cases.

Thanks for your pretty pencil-case,
Bestow'd with so much gentle grace.—
" To change is not to rob," you said ;
But for this change you're ill-repaid ;
.A.73d though I own the saying true,
I feel I'm really robbing you.

And you, indeed, might well complain,
For you've the loss, and I the gain ;
But that your liberal heart will burn
A favour aiways to return.

Glad that my trifle you would take,
I wish'd you no return would make :
Mine, a poor bit of silver ore,
Contain'd a pencil, and no more ;
Your's, form'd upon an ampler plan,
Comprizes useful things for man:

A tooth-pick, pencil, pen, and knife;—
And though these articles are rife,
Yet so compact the shape and size,
The whole may well be deem'd a prize.

Time of some teeth has me bereft,
But he has not one colt's-tooth left.
The little instrument is neat,

I hope 'twill serve on many a treat.

I'll ne'er the pen or pencil use,
But some good counsels to diffuse.

The knife, whate'er it cuts beside,
Our friendship never can divide;
For none your merits can transcend,
As daughter, sister, wife, and friend ;
And since those merits will endure,
As firm a friendship they secure.
Long as shall last my earthly race,
I'll 'mid what most I value place
Pen, pencil, toothpick, knife, and case.

THE THEATRE.

DRURY-LANE.—The admirers of our great
dramatic Bard must see with regret and indigna-
tion that some of his best and most popular
works have been mangled into Operas, by
some anonymous scribbler, who must of course
be utterly destitute of talents for original
composition. Another offence of the same na-
ture has been made upon The Merry JVives of
Windsor, which was last night brought forward
at this Theatre with similar improvements. We
should be surprized that the Managers could
tolerate such outrageous assaults upon the works
of a Poet, whose very name is identified with our
national reputation, if this were not a musical age,
and if they were not constantly at a heavy daily
expellee, and consequently obliged to sacrifice to
the degenerate taste of the public. We must
acknowledge, however, that the additions to this
comedy are less offensive than in most of the pre-
ceding violations of the Great Bard's immortal
productions, as it has brought forward the musical
talents of great performers, who would otherwise
have had no opportunity of displaying their powers
on the present occasion. The play, however,
was well cast, and in general well represented.
DOWTON was excellent in Fa/SAY, WALLACK
very good in Ford, and GATTIE characteristic in
Dr. Galas. Fenton is an unimportant part, and re-
ceived due support from BRA lIAIS,W hile he enriched
it with the full exertion of his musical powers, par-
ticularly in " A Lover's eyes can gaze and Eagle
blind," the original music of which is highly
cteditable to Mr. PARRY, the Composer. Miss
STEPHENS was Mrs. Ford, and though the part
requires more theatrical powers, yet she was
lively and adorned the part with her beautiful
musical taste. The same may be said of Miss
CUBITT, who was th►e substitute for Mrs. VESTRIS,
in Mrs. Paze,and who gave no reason to regret the
change. The rest of the characters were tolerably
well supported. The new scenery of Windsor
Castle, and of many views iu the vicinity of
that grand national edifice, were beautiful and
honourable to the taste of the Managers, as
well to the talents of the artists. The only
apology that can be made for the mangler of
Shakspeare's dramas is, that the songs which he
introduces are derived from various works of
our unrivalled Poet. Upon the whole, though
the piece is thus subject to critical censure for
truncations and interpolations, it constitutes a
very gratifying treat for the public altogether,
and throughout received the full sanction and
warm applause of a very numerous audience, by
whom several of the airs, duetts, &c. &c. were
loudly and almost generally encored.

WINDSOR, FEB. 20.—Owing to the unfavourable state of
the weather, his MAJESTY has not taken his usualdrive in
the Park this day. From the same cause, his Majesty has been
prevented'from seeing the deer turned out at Langley Broom,
as he intended. This day his. Majesty has a large party at
dinner at the Palace. Amongst the company invited are—
Her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, Dowager Duchess
of Leeds. Lady Mary Taylor, the French Ambassador, General
Wynyard, and many distinguished personages.—The band of
the Royal Horse Guards has received orders to be in attend- '
ance.—On Wednesday, the Dowager Duchess of Leeds arrived
on a visit to her Royal Highness the Princess Augusta, at
Frogmore.