The Sun.
London, England, 1841-11-30 00:00:00

SURREY THEATRE.

A n excellent adaptation of M. Felix Pyet's
celebrated drama Les Deux Serruriers was pro-
duced at this theatre last evening, under the
title of 77w Two Locksmiths, or Poverty and
Crime. We do not wonder at the tremendous
run which this drama has had on the Continent.
For two hundred nights has all Paris being
'crowding to witness it. The situations are most
ingeniously contrived, and the characters strongly
drawn, and admirably developed, while the inte-
rest increases in intensity up to the very close
of the last scene. It is true, that in this, as in all
other melodramas, certain circumstances are
required to be taken for granted which can
scarcely be supposed to have happened. Such,
for instance, as that the most promising student
of the University of Oxford should, on being
suddenly reduced to poverty, gain his living by
working A a journeyman locksmith; or that a
rich banker, after having been knave enough to
cheat his own brother out of an inheritance, by
purloining a will, should have been fool enough
to keep the said will for years locked up
in his iron repository. Why did he not destroy
it? This is a question somewhat difficult to an-
swer; but we feel much obliged to him for not
having done so, inasmuch as the preservation of
that will has secured to us one of the most effec-
tive dramas we have ever witnessed. The
banker, Murray, the rich villain, was well per-
formed by Mr. Neville. The virtuous locksmith,
George Davis, who turns out to be Murray's ne-
phew, the son of the brother interested in the will
to which we have before alluded, found an able
representative in Mr. N. T. Hicks, to whose
energetic praises of virtuous poverty, and fierce
denunciations of heart-corrupting Mammon, the
gods, as in duty bound, responded by thunders
of applause. Mrs. Henry Vining, as the banker's
daughter, and the beloved of George Davis, was
ex cee dingly interesting ; and Smith, as a drunken
servant, acted to the life. These characters,
however, may almost be called the common-
place of melodrama ; but there is one character
in this piece which is quite original, that of Paul
Burl, the thievish locksmith, the man who
would fain be the Mephistopheles of Davis,
were not the virtue of the latter proof against
temptation. We have recently had books on
the philosophy of everything, down to the
tying a cravat. Paul Burl is the very man to
write a book on the philosophy of thieving. He
argues the morality of dishonesty excellently.
Take, as an example, his answer to one ,of
Davis's high-flown eulogies on probity. "Ah !
it is all very well to talk about probity while
you have a shilling in your pocket, and bakers'
shops are open ; but when the money is all
gone, and the baker's shop is shut, the
probity flies up to Heaven, or to some place
where people live without eating, or where
quartern loaves are given away gratis."
He is astute enough to see through the hypocrisy
of words. " Thieving is a nasty word," says the
philosophic Burl; " call it working !" He fights
society with its own weapons, turning its con-
ventionalisms against itself with admirable tact,
or, which is the same thing, with consummate
impudence. This character was admirably per-
formed by Mr. Henry Hughes, who evidently
completely comprehended the meaning of his
author, and entered thoroughly into the spirit of
the character. - -We have never seen anything
better in its way than the Paul Burl of this gen-
tleman. The piece, which was loudly applauded
throughout, was announced for repetition every
evening. The house was well filled.

MATERIALS FOR HisToRY.--The Prefect of
the Dordogne has adopted a system which, if general,
would be invaluable to the historian. He has opened
a register, in which is to be inscribed, with due authen-
tications' a summary statement of every remarkable
event that occurs within his departments such as the
erections and demolitions of public or private buildings
of interest, important occurrences, storms, epidemic dis-
eases, acts doing honour to individuals and families, in
short, every event and circumstance which may.fpraish-
historical materials for posterity,