The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

A new and original drama from the pen of Mr.
Shirley Brooks, was produced at this Theatre last
ev, ning with the most cemplete success. It is entitled
The Creole; or, Love's Fetters. The scene is laid in
the Island of Mauritius, at the time of the outbreak
of the ITench Revolution. The following description
of the social state of the Island at the time (extracted
from Mr. Pridham's work entitled " The History
of England's Colonial Empire"), will enable the
Feeder to understand completely the plot of this most
interesting drama The Creole part of the popu-
lation made themselves remarkable by the intrepidity
they
.displayed on board the fleets of France, or by
the efiorts of individual enterprise. But the Euro-
pen looked with disdain upon the Creole, who, in
turn, regarded the former as an adventurer. . . . The
Islanders were held in contempt by the poor noblesse
of Mauritius, on account of their ignoble extraction.
. It was remarked also, towards the latter end
of the century, the French inhabitants of
Mauritius appeared neither independent in their cir-
cunistaeces, ner easy in their minds, though they
alorected dress and g.ot ty. The condition of the slave
was that of the lowest and rm'st abject at-gradation.
Numbers of these unfortunates had European- blood
in their veins, being the offsprieg of liasons between
the planters and their slaves, but such a pedigree
only increased their misfortun.e. Alphonse de Neon
(Mr.:gli Murray), an officer in the French ; vo-
Innonaryatmv, a Mauritian by birth, but educated
in Frarire, has' succeeded to the possession of a large
estate in the Mauritus. His father has placed him
under the guardianship of Dareiron (Mr. F. Ma-
thews) a planter, and has so left his property as to
deprive Alphonse of the power of emancipating any
.of his slaves for five years. Damiron largely in-
debted to the father of Alphonse, and wishes to bring
about a match between his daughter Virginie (Miss
Mary Keely) and Alphonse, so as to cancel the debt.
Alphonse, in his rides, has seen a beautiful creature
Louise Fauriel (Miss aiay), with whom he has fallen
desperately irr love. Anthony Latour (Mr. Emery)
who, to repair his shattered fortunes, is anxious to
marry Virginie, but who has been rejei:ted with dis-
dain on account of his birth, knows of this penchant
of Alphonse and determines to exploiti it to his own
advantage. Anthony possesses no property, and,
moreover he owes a large debt to a Jew Bakes (ca-
pitally acted by Keeley); to whom he has given
what English lawyers would designate a warrant
of attorney upon the whole of his property as
security. Anthony, to further his own ends, under-
takes to introduce inptiblic Alphonse to Louise, and
does so, but he intriadisees Louise to him as his slave.
It is too true. She was the slave of the father of
Alphonse, and a union between them is impos-
sible. He cannot emancipate her according to
the provisions of his father's will. He can-
not marry his slave according to the laws of
the island. His regiment disembarks, and here we
are introduced tohis Lieutenant, HyacintliSt. Emilion
(Miss Dickenson), a dandy, but still a brave._ officer
.and a capital swordsman, and to the Vivandiere of the
regiment, Bellona St. Mars (Mrs. Keeley) who
keeps the whole regiment in order. Bellona is present
at the discovery of the situation of Louise, and Bokes,
pursued by a mob, enters, when she at once takes
him under her protection, and expresses her regret
that she is not in Paris, where she would have got up
a little revolution on her own account, and have freed
Louise. Anthony Latour, then proposes to Alphonse
that he should sell Louise to him and promises to
emancipate her, so that, being a free woman,
Alphonse may be enabled to marry her. Alphonse
falls into the trap, transfers Louise to Anthony: who
makes it a condition that Alphonse shall obtain for
him the hand of Virginie. Old Damiron at once
rejects such a mesalliance, preferring to brave Al-
phonse and to encounter beggary, which will be his
doom if Alphonse calls upon him to liquidate his
debt, to giving his daughter to a creole. Virginie,
too, is equally opposed to the match. She has fallen
in love with the dandy Hyacinthe, and the conse-
quence is a duel between Hyacinthe and An-
thony, in which the latter is mortally wounded.
Anthony is brought in dying, but the creole
is determined to have his revenge ; he be-
queaths his slave to his cousin, a planter in the Island
of Bourbon. Bokes, by command of Bellona, claims
all Anthony's property as his, and the slave amongst
the rest, but Anthony appeals to the law of Mauri-
tius, which declares that no alien can hold a slave,
and Bokesr being a Jew, is an alien, and cannot possess
slaves. The revengeful creole triumphs even in
death, when suddenly a shout is heard without. It
is an arrival from France. A decree of the Conven-
tion,
.abolishing slavery throughout the French
dominions, is put into the hands of the Governor.
Louise, no longer a slave, rushes into the arms of
Alphonse. Anthony dies, and the curtain falls.
This is an admirably built, admirably written, and
admirably acted drama. The interest never flags,
Runits success was complete. We congratulate Mr.
Shirley Brookes on his success. He has produced
the most complete drama that has been presented to
the public for many a long day. The scenery
was very good, and the music, by Alexander Lee,
the prince of melodists, was beautiful exceedingly-
The melody, " Waves of gold in music breaking,"
sung by Miss Mary Keeley, is a gem. There are
divers excellent hits in the course of the dialogue;
among others we marked the following :—The Creole
debtor would fain do his Jew creditor and proposes
that as they are both individuals of a proscribed race,
they should enter into an alliance, an entente cordiale
against the rest of mankind. " Ah," replies the Jew,
" Entente cordiale. I don't exactly know what that
means, but I suppose it is the French for humbug."
This was received with three distinct rounds of ap-
plause by a house crowded to the ceiling.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, THURSDAY.—The Queen and Prince Al-
bert walked this morning in the grounds adjacent to the
Castle.

M. Isturita, the Spanish Minister, left the Castle to-
day.
His Serene Highness Prince Lowenstein and Viscount
Palmerston also took their departure to-day from the
Castle.

The Royal Family rode out on ponies and took walk-
ing exercise this forenoon.
Lord John Russell arrived at the Castle this afternoon
on a visit to her Majesty.
The Royal dinner party at the castle this evening will
include his Excellency M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian
Minister, and Madame Van de Weyer, and Lord John
Russell.

The band of the First Life Guards attend during
dinner. Her Majesty's private band will afterwards
attend in the Castle.

The meeting at the Lord Chancellor's residence will
not take place, as usual, on the first day of Easter Term.
His Lordship will sit at Westminster on Tuesday, the
13th day of April, at ten o'clock.
His Majesty the King of Saxony has presented Mrs.
Colquhoun with a bracelet and ornaments en suite of
elegant workmanship.
Lord John Russell left his residence in Chesham•place
yesterday afternoon for Windsor Castle on a visit to her
Majesty.

DEATH OF SIR WILLIAM TEMPLER POLE, BART.--
We have to record the demise of this Baronet, who ex-
piled on the 3d inst., at Shute House, his seat in Devon-
shire, aged
in l
dsix;9t39,-fi andv t
e. succeeded
married,ceeededon viz., first
in?f
his father
1804 to the only daughter of George Templer, Esq., of
Shapswick, in Someisetshirt, by whom he had issue one
surviving son George Reeve, born in 1808, who succeeds
to the tide and estates; and, secondly, to the daughter of
John Fraser, Esq., and neice of the late J. Farquhar,
E. sq., of Fonthill Abbey, Wilts. By this union he had
issue four children. This family have been seated in
Devonshire ever since the conquest. The deceased was
a Deputy. Lieutenant of the counties of Devon and So-
merset.

Lord Brownlow Cecil, we are happy to state, is re-
covering from his late accident, and that he is expected
to be able to resume his military duties in the course of
a week or ten days. His father, the Marquis of Exeter.
who was summoned to Windsor immediately after the
accident, left the Castle. Hotel yesterday morning. Her
Majesty sent the equerry in Waiting to the infirmary-
barracks both yesterday and Wednesday to make in-
quiries
morn-
-3,1r.
Th Cork
Reporter
in sending_you
51 t hf
elloElf,
,AhvLiTsi
.suht.a—cleoast Lordship.
tsuergee ,
contains the following:—
ing, April 2.
: Sir'-lof e muc I
pleasure
just
. OaCtCeroNthsteEt
the following extract aletter . . received from
Dr. 011iffe, dated, Purls, March 29,' and
my brother,
have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, Henry
B. 011iffe. .I am delighted to tell you that the health
of our illustrious countryman, O'Connell, is fast improv-
ing. He is afflicted with no organic disease whatever.
I cannot conceive what gave rise to the report of his
being attacked with hydrothorax. Never was a report
less founded upon fact. This I can state with certainty,
having more than once examined his chest with the
greatest care. Dr. Chomel fully agrees with me in the
sanguine hope that he will, ere long, be restored to per-
feet health; and I may add, that I have reasoroto;eup-
pose such is the opinion of his medical advisers iti Eng-
land. He sleeps well, his appetite is excellent, and he
is fast regaining his natural liveliness and elasticity of
spirits.' " The Cork Repor:er quotes a private letter
from Paris, from which we give the following extract:—
" I can state that Dr. Chomel (the King's physician)
was commissioned by Louis Phillippe to present his
Majesty's regards to the illustrious patient, and to ex-
press his earnest hopes fur his speedy recovery. The
doctor was also the bearer of similar expressions of
sympathy( rom various members of the Royal Family of
France."

NIGHTLY SHELTER FOR TIIE IIOUSELESS POOR:
Yesterday the committee of the above association made
a report of the number of unfortunate individuals who
have sought shelter during the inclemency of the past
winter in their three asylums, situate in Playhouse-
yard, St. Luke's ; Glasshouse-street, East Smithfield ;
and in Upper Ogle•street, Marylebone. Upwards of
120,000 men, women, and children have received
shelter, and above 300.000 rations of food were distri-
buted amongst them. The asylums will close on Monday
next.