The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-04 00:00:00

DRURY LANE THEATRE.

Carlotta Grisi made her debut here last evening in the
new ballet of Paquita, which for the last six months
has been drawing all Paris to the Grand Opera, to the
equal delight of M. Leon Pillet, the impresario of that
magnificent establishment, and of the denizens of the
good city of Paris. Whether it is that Carlotta Grisi
has made Paquita, or that Paquita has made Carlotta
Grisi, we will not venture to decide—certain it is that
Paquita is her chef d'oeuvre. and that her Giselle, her
Peri, and even her Esmeralda, are as nothing compared
to her Gitana Paquita. The ballet opens with a
view of a mountainous pass in the r.eighbourhood of
Saragossa Spanish peasants are discovered tak-
ing their siesta at the foot of a rock, near
which appears a tablet erected to the memory of
a certain Charles D'Hervilly, who, with his wife and
daughter, had been assassinated near the spot in the year
1795, that is to say, fifteen years before the action of
the ballet commences; for the events are supposed to
have taken place during the rule of Napoleon over
Spain. General D'Flervilly (Mr. W. H. Payne) accom-
parded by his .Ton Lucien (M. Silvain), enter together, with
the Spanish Governor, Don Lopez (Mr. T. Matthews),
and his sister, Donna Seriphina, who is betrothed to
Lucian. The General then, pointing to the tablet, inti-
mates that he has caused it to be erected to the memory
of his brother. A band of wandering gitanos, led by
Inigo (Mr. Howell), enter, and he misses Paquita from
his band. Suddenly Paquita (Mademoiselle Carlotta
Grisi) appears upon the mountain ; she de-
scends upon the plain, and: becomes the uni-
versal object of attraction. Inigo makes love
to her. She rejects his suit with disdain, but it is evi-
dent that she is touched with the- attentions of Lucien.
The pantomime of Carlotta Grisi,• in this scene, was (x-
-quisitely expressive, and her pas, !albeit it could scarcely
be called a pas seal, was replete with grace, and ex-
hibited some tours de force that we ►re perfectly marvellous.
The gitanos then dance the Pas des Manteaux, a most
original and picturesque Spanish dance, which was ad-
mirably given by Mademoiselles Louise and Adele, and
the corps de ballet ; and then caine a Pas de Sept, by
M. Mathis, M. Adrien, Madame Giubilei, Madlle.
Les Scours St. Louin, and Mademoiselle Carlotta
Grisi, which was exquisitely beautiful ; and Carlotta
Grisi was, of course the Dee:;se de la Danse, and
never was she more graceful. Fanny Ellsler herself
never surpassed Carlotta Grisi in this marvellous pas
de Sept. The second act opens in Paquita's cottage.
Inigo is there, and Don Lopez entors and bribes him to
assassinate Lucien, who is about to pay a visit to the
cottage. Lucien arrives, and Paquita after great diffi-
culty, succeeds in warning him of his danger; and in
so exchanging the wine cups, out of which he and
Inigo are drinking, as to make the latter swallow the
sleeping potion intended for the former. This scene
was delightfully performed by Carlotta Grisi, who is
dancing the Gitana during the whole time, until at
length Inigo fatigued, sinks into a slumber, and
she escapes with Lucien. The last scene
is Un bal sous r Empire— acrid is perhaps one
of the most splendid pieces of scenic effect
ever exhibited. The stage rep.rusents a magnificent
Moorish Hall, such an one as in ight have served for a
Hall of State in the Alhambra in its palmy days. It is
resplendent with music, beauty,. flowers, and light.
Dancing is going on. Suddenly Lucien and Paquita
enter. Lucien at once renounces Seraphina, and de-
clares his love for Paquita ; who, in her turn recognises
and denounces Don Lopez, as the• hirer of the assassins
who had sought the life of Luciori. In looking round
the room she perceives the p or•trait of an officer.
She gazes at it and draws a min iature from her bosom.
The features are the sa me. She is the
long lost daughter of the murder ea Charles D'Hervilly,
and the cousin of Lncien, to whom, of course, she is
united. The piece concludes with a grand pas seul by
Paquita, which exhausts the res ources of the choero-
graphic art, and at the conclus ion of which bouquets
innumerable were showered up( in the stage. Never
was triumph more complete than that of Carlotta Grisi in
Paquita—never was ballet more successful than that of
Paquita with Carlotta Grisi. Bob were admirable, and
we only hope, for Mr. Bunn's sake (for Paquita would
draw bumper houses for the nex-t months), that Leon
Pillet will extend his conge. The -House was crowded,
and it is almost superfluous to add that at the conclusion
of the ballet the fair Carlotta was •called for, and received
with repeated rounds of applause..

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CHEAP RAILWAY AND STEAM
TRIPS FOR WHITSUNTIDE.
The development of the railway system is greatly en-
couraging the extension of cheap railway trips and
marne excursions ; which, although for the most part
really
afforded to the public at ail low price, are re-
munerative to the railway companies by the immense
persons they attract. :So numerous have
b,n
se arrangements, with refer' nce to the present
e numbers of
annual holiday week of Manchester, that it would oc-
cupy more space than we can afford, to specify them
all. Suffice it to say, that; cheap railway
have been planned, a.fiordivg to those
trips
availing themselves of these opportunities to escape
from Manchester, periods varying from one to ten
days, for visits to London ; to Liverpool • to Lytham,
Blackpool, and Fleetwood; to Alder! ey, and other places
on the Birmingham line, &c. The. marine cheap trips
have been to Glasgow (via Fleetwood and Ardrossan);
to the Isle of Man, from Fleetwood; to Ulverstone, from
Fleetwood; besides various excursion trips from Liver-
pool. Besides the cheap trips., of which any
any person may avail himself„ much has been
done by special contract on the part of the
conductors of Sunday schools with 'the railway compa-
nies, for special trains at low fares, to convey large bodies
of children to various rural spots on the different lines
diverging from Manchester into the North and West d
this county, and into Yorkshire and Cheshire. The swift
boats to Altrincham, Bowdon, :Lind Dunham, haveto
also been much in request for holiday p
omnibuses to places distant a few I
Dunham Park and the neighbourhood, and
Man-
chester,ftrhoaemrvtiaersious
outmeans of transit
Mon-
day and yesterday. These yari
rilieie the scene of an
have been filled inside andll.8miles
beesth on
make Manchester during Whitsouf
population. Fast
extraordinary ebb and flow
iron, outlet, and by the
as our citizens pour out by. every
or rural enjoyments,
—as out of this immense brick
—as rapidly as they
freshr fields and pastures new,m—
waterways and roadways, in search
this immense . ,
Babylon, .. to seek
so rapidly . does the influx of visitors from the coun-
try for thirty miles round, roll a still
larger human
tide into this great town. Thesethe stream that
pours
forth every noon towards Kersal Moor, and
flows back at night, its life-sprin g,s almost choked
with the dust of that dustiet it spot in her
Majesty's dominions, is a scene nee t without a deep
interest of its own, fur the intelligent stranger, the
philosopher, the statist, and philanthropist. The bright,
clear weather, though attended with so much heat,
has contributed much to the enjoyment of this uni-
versal holiday. And well is it, fer to industrious
and laborious a community as our' s, that there is one
week in the year when, by mutual consent, almost
every one ceases from labour, and seeks enjoyment
with that zest which only labour can know ;
for such a holiday is indeed a luxury rarely, perhaps,
too rarely, enjoyed. So far as we ci in judge, the rail-
ways are promoting greatly both th e increased influx
of country visitors to Manchester, and the rapidly
spreading efflux of those who prefer some rural haunt,
or a tour to some distant part of the kingdom, to the
noisy sports of the race-course. Thus, in every opposite
ways, the railways are mighty agents in promoting
the holiday enjoyments of the people.--Manchester
Guardian.