The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-14 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

That weakest of all Bellini's operas, I Monteechi
ed I Capuletti (the last act being by a composer
named V accai, all of whose other compositions have
died from very feebleness) was produced here last
evening, for the purpose of giving Madame Viardot
Garcia an opportunity of appearing in the part of
Romeo, and we would demand no higher proof of her
genius than the fact that, spite of the feeble and in-
expressive and essentially undramatic character of the
music, Madame Viardot Garcia, by her acting
and her singing, contrived to produce an effect,
and in some instances a very great effect;
we would quote as a remarkable instance of this, her
manner of rendering the last act of Vaccai. The
scene at the tomb was rendered with an exquisite
pathos that was heartrending, and the recitative, "Oh !
to che morte," as Romeo swallows the poison, was
the very acme of the expression of hopeless despair.
The great triumph, however, was when Juliet is seen
rising from the tomb. "Ah ! che veggio 1." was the
exclamation of horror with which Madame Viardot
sunk to the ground, overwhelmed by the intensity of
her emotions. It was a great triumph of a great
artiste. Madame Castellan made an interesting
Juliet. Both were called before the curtain at the
conclusion. The ballet of Manon L' Eseaut followed,
in which Mademoiselle Lucile Grahn made her first
appearance at this theatre, and was, as might have
been expected, most successful.

Her Majesty's box was occupied last evening by the
Duchess of Sutherland, Lady Mary Howard, Lady
Caroline Lascelles, the Right Hon. Mr. and the bliss
Lascelles, Miss Ellis, and the Hon. Henry Howard.
Among the visitors were his Royal Highness Prince
Lubermosky, the Dowager Duchess of Bedb.rd,
and Lady Rachel Russell, the Marquis and Mar
chioness of Ailesbury, the Marquis of Titchfield,
the Earl and Countess of Wilton, Earl Bruce, Earl of
Cardigan, Earl and Countess of Granville, Earl and
Countess of Harewood, Viscount Exmouth, Lady Char-
lotte Denison, Lady Augusta Wentworth, the Counte..
of Egremont, the Countess Dowager of Essex,
Miss Johnstone and Sir John and Lady Wal,h,
Viscount Tenlpletown, and the Honourable Miss
Cotton, Lady Holland, Lady Wilson, Lady Morgan,
and Lady Leveson, Lord George Manners, Lord
Henry Lennox,'Lord Suffield, La-1y Webster, Lady Scott,
Lady Jodrell, Lady Domvile, Baroness Goldsmid, Lord
and the Hon. Miss Foley, Lady Lyndhurst and the Hon.
Miss Copley, the Hon. Mrs. Upton, Hon. Mr. and Mrs.
Gage, Hon. Gerald and Mrs. Dillon, Hon. D. Astley,
Hon. Mr. Murray, Hun. Charles and Mrs. Ashburnham,
the Hon. George Milles, Colonel and the Hon. Mrs. Fitz-
gibbon, the Hon. Mrs. Upton, Hon. F. Scarlett, Hon. A.
Willoughby, Hon B. Lyon, Sir John and the Misses
Burgoyne, Sir Wm. Abdy, Sir Henry Webb, Sir W. de
Bathe, Sir George Armitage, Baron de Sternberg, Sir
Benjamin and Lady Hall. Sir W. P. M. ,
. Mrs.
Villebois, Miss Mitchell and party, the Misses Richards,
the Misses Byrne, Major-General Campbell, RA.,
Colonel and Mrs Lockyer Freestun, Colonel Wingfield,
Colonel Blane, Colonel Wigram, Colonel B. Knox, M.P.,
Captain Kncx, Captain Cuddy, Captain de Bathe, Capt.
Arthur, Mr. Brownrigg, M.P., Mr. H. T. Hope, M.P.,
Mr. Montague Gore, M.P., Mr. Sackville Lane Fox,
M.P., Mr. Henry Greville, Ste.
T

ESTIMONIAL TO J. HODGSON,

BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY- -- This afternoon a nu-
merous and highly influential assemblage of the pro-
fessional and other friends of this distinguished
surgeon took place in the Assembly-room of Dee's
Royal Hotel, in this town, to consider the propriety
of offering to him some token of their respect and
esteem. Mr. Hodgson has resigned his situation as
one of the surgeons to the general hospital ; and, to
use the words of Chief Justice Wilde on a recent
occasion, "Mr. 13odgson's professional reputation
was not limited to his own country or to Europe,
but extended to all parts of the world." The present
was deemed a fitting opportunity to do honour to him
in his more immediate sphere of professional
practice.
The Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel occupied the
chair ; and amongst those present were Mr. Spooner,
M.P., W. S. Dugdale, Esq., T. W. Whately, Esq.,
c
and a vast number of influential professors of medi-
i▪
ne and surgery in Birmingham and its neighbour-
hood; it was, in fact, in point of numbers and in-
fluence, the most important meeting witnessed in
Dee $ Assembly-room for many years past. The
pa
and t
comny, too, was composed of all political parties,
h e utmost unanimity, amounting to enthusiasm,
prevailed throughout the whole proceedings.
Sir R, PEEL, on his entrance into the room and
taking the chair, was greeted with immense applause.
He commenced by saying that it was quite unneces-
sary for him to detain them by stating the proposed
object of the meeting at any length. Their object
was to mark their respect for the professional and
private character of one cf the most distinguished
members of the medical profession.—(Loud cheers.)
They were aware that Mr. Hodgson had recently
signified his desire to retire from the situation of sur-
geon, which he had lately filled in the Birmingham
General Hospital ; and they were also aware that the
governors had passed an unanimous resolution ex-
pressive of their deep sense of the services which he
had rendered that institution for a period of twenty-
six years. They were assembled that day—following
as they did different pursuits, and many of them
entertaining very different opinions upon matters of
public concern—to acknowledge the high respect
they entertained of Mr. Hodgson.—(Cheers.) And
perhaps it was but consistent with the object
they had in view, that it should devolve upon him
(Sir R. Peel), who had no immediate local connexion
with Birmingham, residing as he did at some distance,
to preside on the occasion. It remarked in a signi▪ fi-
cant manner that Mr. Hodgson's professional services
were not confined to the town of Birmingham, but
ex tended to a much wider sphere—that respect for..
hi▪ s character and admiration of his talents
were dif-
fused through a much larger circle than his own
immediate neighbourhood. The Right Hon. Baronet
proceeded to pass a
glowing eulog
Hodgson's professional skill,
and the zeal a.nd
kind-
ness
with which he performed the duties of his pro-
fession. He spoke also in terms of the warmest admi-
ration of his private virtues, his high integrity, his
scrupulous honour, and all those qualities which di▪
s-
tinguish and characterised the Christian gentleman.
The possession of those virtues
aided his medical

resources, by inspiring confidene'e in' cases where
confidence was essential to the proper treatment
of disease. He (Sir R. Peel) did not know what
Mr. Hodgson's intentions were with mipect to his
continued pursuit of practice in Birmingham ; but be
hoped that the community generally would not lose the
bent fit of his labours ; that if he did contemplate retire-
ment, that the light of knowledge which tbe experi-
ence of thirty years had conferred upon him would
not be extinguished. (Sir Robert here read N. letter
from Sir C. Clarke, of whom Sir Robert stated that,
although he had retired from the preCtise of his pro-
fession, he was in his own neighbourhood, when ne-
cessity required, always at the call of rich or po3r.)
In conclusion, the Right Hon. Baronet expressed the
high gratification he felt in attending the present
meeting. In the course of his life he had had many
interviews with the medical profession, and no pro-
fession possessed more dignified sentiment or prac-
tised more active or disinterested benevolence. That
familiarity with affliction which braced the nerves to
the performance of professional duties appeared at the
same time to soften their minds. After some further
observations, Sir Robert resumed his seat amidst ve-
hement cheering.
Mr. RUSSELL, the secretary, next gave a short
sketch of the manner in which the present testi-
monial originated with Mr. Hodgson's professional
brethren.

The first resolution, which was proposed bs Mr.
W. S. Dugdale, and seconded by Mr. Soden, was
declaratory that the meeting was desirous of some
testimonial to Express its deep sense of Mr. Hodgson's
private virtues and distinguished professional know-
ledge and talent, and the value of his long and zealous
services to the public institutions of the town. This
was, as were all the others, carried unanimously.
The remaining resolutions were moved, seconded,
and spoken to by Mr. Spooner, M.P., Dr. Bell
Fletcher, J. T. Lawrence, Esq., T. E. Lee, Esq.,
Dr. Conolly, &c. &c.
It is intended to request Mr. Hodgson to sit for his
portrait to some eminent artist, to be placed in the
General Hospital, and the money subscribed above
the amount required for the purpose to be applied as
a Hodgson testimonial, in the manner the committee
may deem most befitting.
A vote of thanks was subsequently, on the motion
of the Hon. and Rev. Grantham York, passed to Sir
Robert Peel, for his conduct in the chair.
A large amount was raised, but we did not hear the
exact sum.