The Sun.
London, England, 1823-08-19 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

d .

Ertottsn OrEnA HonsE.---The return of Mr.
Mi-inEWs last night, after hii trip to America,
naturally attracted a. numerous audience. Ile
was received on his entrance with the Most flat-
tering Plaudits, which were several times re-
peated, and which were returned with every
token of heartfelt gratitude. The first piece,
is. entitled The Polly Packet, in which - the
versatility of his talents in the assumption of va-
rious characters are' well known. They were all
supported with unabated spirit and humour. He
introduced his usual songs, and was warmly ap-
plauded. The second piece was the humorous
Farce of Monsiear Tonson, founded on the well-
known Tale,- and first represented at Drury-lane
Theatre. Mr. MATnews has evidently studied
the French charaCter, and in language and gesture
is completely at home. We shall not enter
into any cotnparison between hint and Mr.
GATTIE. They are both excellent in the repre-
sentation of. Frenchmen, and they both gave a
very correct and humorous support to the perse-
cuted hero of the piece. If we have any thing
to object against Mr. MATHEWS in this character,,
it was the want of that gradation of anger Which
the original tale requires, for though he displayed
due courtesy on the first vexatious inquiry
for Mr. Thomson, he was so passionate on the
secomhas to admit of hardly any addition to the
progress of rage under the repeated annoyances.
But it was .his firit performance of this character
before an-Engli,h audience, -and will doubtless
be improved as he becomes more familiar with
the part, and reflects on the gradual increase
of irritation, as delineated in the tale. He was,
as he deserved, much applauded. Mrs.
TAY-
LEOKC'S Madame Belgarde was admirable, but
but she was much too well dressed, and appeared
rather like an old FrC,uch Countess than the
housekeeper of ,the persecuted French Barber,
who, -according to his account, was to do all
domestic drudgery. Warxcn's Tom King
had all his active spirit. Miss L. D tNcE was
sufficiently interesting in the fair artist, and the
rest of the characters had adequate support. The
Farce altogether excited general merriment and
applause.. The concluding piece was Presump-
lion, and its terrors now excite fear and sym-
pathy, without any disapprobation.

Miss BLAKE, who two or three seasons av,o
performed Macheath with so much success at the
ilaymarket Theatre, has been engaged, by Mr.
ELLISTON, who, is always on the watch for ta-
lents, at a liberal salary, to succeed Madame
VESTRIS and MrN. BLAND at Drury-labe Theatre.
Miss BLAKE, we believe, is a pupil of Mr. NA.
THAN, whose compositions in Szceethearty and
Wires have been so successful at the Haymarket
Theatre..

K EA N
.appeared as Richard on Monday last, at
Cork, where .he was to perform twelve nights,
and then proceed to Waterford, to fulfil an en-
gagement in that city.

Two Spanish Literary Gentlemen have arrived
in this Capital, GOROSTIZA and CORTABARRUE :
—The former js the. asu.thor of several excellent
Comedies, and the latt:r is distinguished for his
political writings, and his oratorical talents.
A SoLuica's .WlLL.—Colonel MARTIN, who
was born at Lyon; died in pidiain 100, and bequeathed a
large part ofhis fortune to his native city. The municipality
caused his testament to be printed in 1110:1, and the soldier had
been so careful in disposing of his property—had taken so
many precautions against the hwyers—that his will filled 120
quarto pages. Wherever there are word; however, there will
bg different readings, and Colonel ..11artin's precautions gave
birth to a long Chancery suit.
Prince PoTEm KIN • going up the Palace stairs
one day, to visit the Empress; met Prince
011 LOW, who was coming down to return into
his own apartments. The former, not wishing to
seem at a loss, addressed his predecessor with
the trite enquiry 'of " Whit new's is there at
Court ?" " None," replied Prince On LOW,
_carelessly., " save, thatyou are going Up, and I
ath corning tiowd." _ _ _

DEAF AND Du-am—Since the death of the Ce-
lebrated Abbi! SlcAan, the Institution for the
Deaf and Dumb at Paris has been under the
superintendence of M. SAULNIER. The replies
of the pupils to questions put to them by the
visitors are often very curious. One of them
being asked to define courage, wrote down—
" Courage is that strength of soul which persists
in braving the dangers and the evils of life, even
at the expellee of our glory." Another said of
poetry, that " it paints all that it sees, and
adorns all that it paints."
The Newspapers teem with statements of the
proceedings in the Grand Lodge of Ireland ; if
we haVe been silent, our silence is owing to a
more extensive acquaintance with them, than any
of our cotemporaries can boast of, and is such as
prudeuce dictates. The Orangemen of Ireland
may place the most,confident reliance upon our
fidelity towards them ; and, as we have the only
certain and earliest information that can be pro-
cured upon the subject, we shall not_ be the last
in our communications. At present we can only
say, that the ultimate arrangements of the Grand
Lodge are not completed ; and until such is the
case, the less that is said upon the subject, in our
opinion, the better. It is not improbable but
that our next post will contain some certain in-
formation upon a point with which the cause of
Protestantism, not only in Ireland, but through-
out Great Britain, is so nearly and' clearly con-
eerued.—Publin Antidote, Aug. 16.)
LIMERICK, Apa. 13.---Important Detection.—
GODFREY MASSEY, Esq. in consequence of in-
formation received by him,'proeeeded on Friday
night with a party of the Lancers, and Mr.
Smith, Police Officer, to the neighbourhood of
Newcastle, and succeeded in apprehending ten
men, charged positively with being the prin-
cipals in all the violent outrages committed
in this County for the last twelve months
—such as murders, burnings, and robberies of
cattle. The information was received from one
of the party, and this apprehension, it is now
considered, will completely restore the county to
peace and quiet—a matter most devoutly to he
*idled. On Sunday night the same party pro-
ceeded in another direction, and also succeeded
in taking seven more of the same gang.