The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-11 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

The season finished last night with the comedy of
The _Rivals, the interlude of The Pas de Fascination,
and the farce of Spring Gardens. The pieces went off
with great spirit. At the end of the comedy Mr. Web-
ster appeared before the curtain, and addressed the
audience as follows :

" Ladies and Gentlemen,—This being the terminating
night of the season, I am bound in gratitude, as the lessee
of the little theatre in the Haymarket, to thank those
who have patronised me; I do so most sincerely, but my
valedictory address cannot be of that cheering character
you have been wont to listen to during the many years I
have had the honour of catering for your amusement. I
assure you, ladies and gentlemen, I regret this the more
on the account of others than myself, your previous
encouragement having enabled mo to brave the battle
and the breeze' with the standard British drama, that I
have nailed to my fortunes, and with which I will
stand the hazard of the die.' The statement at the
head of my bill, that the increase of foreign amusements
compels me to close is a melancholy fact, founded upon
studious observations, and in calling attention to this
fact, by petition and otherwise, I humbly conceive I have
but done my duty to the public, and the many hundred
individuals who will consequently be deprived of themeans
of earning theirlivelihood. This course has been termed
I can only aver that I had not the remotest
intention of being so, but merely looked to the interests
of the higher order of our art, and that I was acting
justly by its professors. I am likewise informed, that
my houses having been always full (a most welcome
sound to manegerial ears) I have no right to complain.
Even if this were so, it would be very selfish in me, I
presume, to know of an evil existing detrimental to my
profession, and because I am doing well to say it does
not affect me. But, unfortunately, my bank-
book, showing a deficit, since January, 1847,
of nearly eight thousand pounds, tells me a very
different tale; proving, too, that the want of aristocratic
patronage is true, and that their visits here must have
been like those of angels upon earth, few and far be-
tween. Free trade has been also held to be against me,
but I am so obtuse that I cannot comprehend how its
principle can apply to acting, where the workman has
nothing tangible to vend, his stock being purely ima-
gination, and whose master cannot open a shop or place
an article in his window without a special license, which,
when granted, may be withdrawn at will, and without
the slightest icompensation.: If this be free trade, it
is for us a principle without interest. In my prayer to
the Legislature to restrict the increase of foreign amuse-
ments; 1-treg it might be distinctly understood that I
did not allude to the French Theatre, so ably conducted
by Mr. Mitchell, nor her Majesty's Theatre, imme-
diately opposite, which the proprietor could inform
you are more than sufficient for the establishment
of a second Italian Theatre, which has caused such
an overwhelming influx of foreign musical talent,
I only fear that in the fashionable vortex
of operas and concerts, the round of which continue day
and night, the English drama will be absorbed and your
humble servant into the bargain. If the taste for the
Italian lyrical drama, as it is at present so inimitably
rendered, were pure, I would bow with all submission ;
but feeling how small must be the number who can really
appreciate the perfection they throng to hear, I am the
first to cry Hold, enough.'
"I fondly hope, however, that, from late events and
the gracious patronage of her Majesty, a reaction in our
favour is taking place, and to deserve a consummation so
devoutly to be wished, the actors themselves must unite
in putting their shoulders to the wheel of fortune.
They must eschew that bane of our art, mannerism,
and the imitation of it. They must look to nature
as their model, to the general effect rather than self-
aggrandisement, and in the production of classic
plays not to allow the poet to be lost in admiration
of the painter. The elevation of the body, and not
its extraneous members, is the mark we should aim at,
The halcyon days of Garrick, Pritchard, the Kembles.
Siddons, Cook, Kean, young, O'Neil, may then return,
and the glorious Elizabethan ago of dramatic literature
not stand alone in the annals of English history. In
conclusion, ladies and gentlemen (for I suppose I am of
that stubborn English breed that will not be beaten), I
have that confidence in the nationality of this great
country, which has stood so majestically erect amid the
ruin of empires, that I shall live in the brightest hope
of the future, and as, through the more than ordinary
disheartenings of my chequered career, still adopt Nil
Desperanduin as my motto. Ladies and gentlemen,
during the recess the theatre will be re-decorated, every-
thing attempted, as far as my humble ability will allow,
to secure your favour; and, until September next, I
most respectfully, for myself and the entire company,
bid you a grateful adieu."
At the conclusion of the address Mr. Webster Was
loudly cheered from every part of the house.

NE W MUSIC•

ITALY. Song.

The Poetry and Music by Mr. and

Mrs. Vincent-Novello.
This is a truly patriotic song, and does great credit to
the fair authoress and her talented caro sposo. The me-
lody is noble and original, and the harmony replete with
charming novel combinations. There is a very pretty
chorus for alto, tenor, and bass; the effect of this com-
position will be considerably increased if the last chorus
be sung pianissimo and unaccompanied. The words, or
rather the poetry, breath the true spirit of patriotism.

NIGHT BALLOON ASCENT.—Yesterday evening a
very beautiful ascent was effected by Lieutenant Gale
from Cremorne Gardens, in the new royal balloon, con-
structed for these grounds. It was the first time this
elegant machine bad been trustedal to the boundless re-
gions of the air at night, hence was done to render
the aeronautic expedition a most brilliant one. Shortly
before ten o'clock the spacious lawn, on which was fas-
tened the balloon fully inflated, and oscillating with the
slightest breeze, became the point of attraction. The
light and brilliant amber colour of the silk of which
the balloon is composed rendered it plainly visible, and
caused it to stand out in bold relief from the dark
foliage of the numerous trees which surrounded it.
Attached to the car, and reaching to a. considerable
distance below the body of the balloon, was a stout
framework, to which were fastened the various fire-
works to be discharged when it reached a certain alti-
tude; the distance between the car and the framework
was sufficiently ample to
prevent any dangerous conse-
quences arising from the sparks attendant on the dis-
charge of the feu d'artifice. All needful preparations
having been accomplished, the band performed a lively
and appropriate air as signal for the ascent, and the
balloon was permitted to take its Hight.
The night was
beautifully. clear, and the aerial structure going slowly
was long visible to the spectators. At length, as it was
receding from the sight, a brilliant ray of light shot
forth from beneath the car, making the space around it
bright as noon-day. This was succeeded by a rapid se-
ries of beautifully-coloured fires, whose rays glittering
on the sides of the balloon
gave it a most fantastical ap-
pearance. The display concluded with a beautiful shower
of fire. The ascent was most cleverly and neatly
achieved, and was received with loud cheers, which con-
tinued long after the object which called them forth
had disappeared in the dark distance. The other
amusements were then confirmed, and the evening's en-
tertainments concluded with the exhibition of the fire-
work temple.
named AnnDavis,who drowned
The urowned
The poor woman,
her child last Thursday morning, in Manchester, was
found on Sunday in a large tub of water behind the
house, and of course quite dead. The desperate deter-
mination of the woman may bo conceived, when it is
stated that she had to climb nearly twenty feet to get to
the water, and, as she was a tall person, and the tub not
more than four feet six inches, she had to force herself
and to remain in that state till
into a stooping position,
death ensued.

On Thursday evening we visited this celebrated
and admirable establishment. In all those depart-
ments for which it has already obtained a name of
great eminence,, it still excels any other institution
of a similar character. The mechanical curiosities
arranged in the large room, the model steam-engine,
the model steam-vessels, the diving-bell, the statuary,
the glass-blower, the glass-spinner, the seal-cutter—
all attracted their share of attention from the nume-
rous visitors to the Polytechnic. In addition, how-
ever, to those objects of interest, in addition to the
beautiful dissolving views explained by Professor
Bachhoffner, and the admirable chemical lectures
delivered by Dr. Ryan, there is at present one feature
in the exhibition which, from its singularity, its
novelty, and its extraordinary nature, monopolized
the principal share of our observation. We allude to the
lectures now being delivered every day by Mr. Isham
Baggs on the Phenomena of Thunder-storms and the
Cause of Lightning. From the remarkable character of
the discoveries which have originated these lectures on
electricity it was essential to convey the facts to the
public as rapidly as possible, and to this end the re-
marks of Mr. Baggs are necessarily of afiery prelimi-
nary and introductory kind. Speedily, however, as we
understand, it is the intention of the lecturer to extend
his views upon this wonderful science in a series of
lectures more calculated to explain the importance of
'.those discoveries, by which he has added to the reve-
lations made by Professor Faraday. On Thursday
evening we witnessed a variety of very novel and beau-
tiful experiments, in illustration of the theorem pro-
pounded by Mr. Baggs, and among these we must par-
ticularize a most ingenious little instrument, invented
by that gentleman himself, to carry off the superfluous
electricity when charging a battery, and by that
means preventing the possibility of bursting the Ley-
den jars, just as the safety-valve of a!steam-engine, in
carrying off the superfluous steam, prevents the possi-
bility of the bursting of the boiler. The exordium
of the lecture was devoted to the consideration of the
bounteous and universal distribution of electricity
throughout the universe, that subtle force being
evolved by the smallest amount of friction even
among the material atoms of the creation—by the
movement of a grain of dust, or by the falling of a
leaf in autumn. The whole discourse was of a very
popular character, and abounded in anecdote. Mr.
Baggs throughout displays his familiarity with the
secrets of natural philosophy, and above all reveals
the mastery which tie has acquired over this abstruse
and (even now) merely nascent science. His manner
of delivery is peculiarly agreeable, and his language
at all times scholarly, and occasionally rising into
eloquence, is admirably adapted to convey a know-
ledge of scientific matters to an unscientific auditory
—technicalities being either Notwithstanding
the or, if
employed, immediately explained.
bee been
in thus
tthe
Polytechnic Institution.
the heat of the weather, the lecture-room was
crowded, and those who were present appeared to
aadpdperedcitaotethtehemnaenwy aatlrtreancdtyio
cnrowwhdiecd together which
has