The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-11 00:00:00

HAY MARKET THEATRE.

After the performance of My Wife's Dentist, a new comedy,
in three acts, called Belford Castle; or, The Scottish Gobi
Mine, was produced, at this house last night. The fol-
lowing is an outline of the plot :—Mr. Muckle (Mr. Mai wood),
happy in the possession of countless thousands, an event of rare
occurrence, we opine, north of Auld Reckie, immediately after
the '45, which is the period in which the plot is laid, is a
bachelor, and has a niece and nephew, both handsome aai
both susceptible of soft impressions. The nephew (Mr. F.
Vining) sees and falls in love with Lady Grace Lorimer
(Mrs. Stirling), the daughter of a proud but pennyless Earl,
and the niece (Miss P. Itortor ) listens with delight to the ad-
dresses of a young military officer (Mr. Howe). The. Earl of
Belford (Mr. Wallack) has been obliged to leave the country,
in consequence of having been out in the '4.5, and his
daughter, Lady Gra•:e, during his absence, is supported and
protected by a Mr. Stapleton (Mr. G. Bennett), her lather's
steward, and on old Muckle's visiting Farmer Stapleton
one morning, ne finds to his surprise and indignation that
his nephew, of whom he is tenderly fond, is over head and
ears in love with the tocherless daughter of a haughty and
exiled aristocrat, who had always treated him with indignity.
Upon this discovery he gets in a towering passion, forbids
all further intercourse, and makes a hasty retreat, forcing
his nephew along with him. Next morning he relents, for-,,
gives, and at length becomes as violent in favour of the
match as he was before against it. The happy day is
fixed and all is sunshine, when behold a messenger at-
rives in " haste post haste," with a letter from the lady's
father, stating that the sentence of exile had been can-
celled-- that ha was on his way home, and that, bearing
of her marriage, he forbade the bans. The proud lord of
a few barren and overburdened acres arrives at Belford, and
spUrns at and breaks off the alliance; but after persuasion and
entreaty had failed, the stealthy Muckle brought his money
bags into such active operation against the pompous noble, that
he ultimately consented to pocket the insult of keying his for-
tuneless daughter married to a handsome youth with a princely
fortune. This is an outline of the plot, hut the progress of
the niece and her lover fuinish materials for an underplot, and
at the last scene all is happily terminated. Mr. Maywood
was, of course, the chief actor—indeed, if we mistake
not, the play has been got up to exhibit his personation of
Scottish character ; and, with the exception of Mackay, of
Edinburgh, there is no actor on the boards can approach him
in his particular walk. His representaqoa of the bustling,
persevering, and wealthy, but kind-hearted Muckle, was true
to the life, and elicited much applause ; and he was ably sup-
ported by Messrs. Bennett; Wallack, and Strickland, and by
Mrs. Stirling and Aliss P. Horton. The character of Muckle
has no claims to originality, being but a diminished copy of Sir
Walter's Bailie Nicol Jarvie ; but the dialogue is generally
humorous, and seldom dull or insipid, and this, with-_a happy
grouping of characters in felieitons situati.ns, obtained a de-
cided triumph for the actors and the author, which the an---
dience testified by frequent applause. On the falling of the
curtain, Mr. Maywood, who was called for, came forward,
and made his bow, and the piece was announced for repetition
on Saturday.