The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-20 00:00:00

, like valley of the desert, with its harvest festival, to
w ich the prodigal ret:,:rns. Mr. Rafter sang the prin-
cipal ric!odies. In the incidental bdiet, a Mille. Vie-
; torine L'2grain made her debut. She dances with energy,
succeeding also in flinging come archness of colouring
over it,s.r coquetti,h pantomime. The drama presents
few or no strong features for the actor. Its character
is entirely (I( claroUrory, au4 the principal speeches were
given by Mr. Vamdenhoff, as the aged father, and Mr.
Anderson, as the prodigal, with force, appreciation of
the sentiment, and earnest energy. Azad, the Prodigal,
was announced by the manager for nightly repetition.
(From the Morning Post)
Last evening, an adaptation of Auber's last new
opera, entitled L'Enfant Prodigue, now being performed
with prodigious success in Paris, was produced at the
above theatre, under the title of Azad, the Prodigal. It
must tie considered as merely founded on Scribe and
Aube' 's opera, the aim has been to produce a gorgeous
spectacle, including every species of scenic and choreo-
graphic effect, interwoven with an interesting story,
furnishing appropriate characters for the leading
actors of the establishment. Viewing the matter in
this light, we are bound to admit that the adapter
has acquitted himself most admirably of his
task ; for from the first scene to the last
there were interest and excitement. A new splen-
dour in scenery, costume, or decoration, arose each in-
stant to dazzle the eye. Ever and anon came a quaint
Auberian melody freshly upon the ear; and sufficient
scopa was constantly afforded fur excellent acting and
dramatic effect, to employ the mental faculties and affect
the heart. After describing the plot of the piece, the
critic thus speaks of the gorgeous scene, which con-
cludes the second a0t....,W2 have now arrived at the
most gorgeous scene in the spectacle; the most bril-
liant, perhaps, ever seen in any piece, if we look at it with
reference to the poetry of its conception, as well as the
perfection of its execution. It is the interior of the
Temple of Isis, during the celebration of the Sacred
orgies. The priests and Alime3s, drunk with love and
wine, mingle in the giddy dance. Wild bacchanalian
cams fill the air—everything that the imagination
can picture is present to delight the senses. The
scene, too, is arranged in a totally novel manner; a
platform rises gradually to the top of the back scene,
displaying the costumes and forms of the dancers to the
greatest possible advantage. Nothing can be more
striking than the coup We have not space to give
a detailed account of all•the magnificence of this scene,
but hope, on a future occasion, to be able to enter more
fully into its merits. At the conclusion of this act, the
applause was most tuniultuous. The concluding scenes
of the spectacle affAled opportunities for some admira-
ble acting by Mr. Anderson, Mr. Vandenhoff, and Miss
F. Vining, as well as clever mechanical effects; and
the curtain fell at midnight amidst most enthusiastic
applause.

THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.—WE under-
stand that efforts are being made in Manchester to secure, at
the meeting to be held on the 27th instant, the election of
Mr. Waddington, M.P. (formerly deputy-chairman of the
above company), as a member of the board of directors. Con-
sidering the prominent part taken by Mr. Waddington
in the not very " pleasant" proceedings of the com-
pany, from 1845 to 1848, we very much doubt the
success of the Manchester move, notwithstanding the extra-
ordinary scene enacted at the recent special meeting of the
company, chiefly through the instrumentality of some of the
small fry of its very declamatory, very unreasonable, and
very changeable proprietary.-2llorning Herald.
ITALIAN ANTI-PAPAL MEETING.—Last night, a
meeting, which had been twice postponed, was held at the
Music Hall, Store-street, for the purpose of hearing the very
interesting statements of several Italian converts who ad-
dressed the meeting, and who depicted in the most eloquent
language the frightful tyranny which was exercised by the
Romish Church over the consciences of her adherents. Un-
fortunately, no interpreters were engaged for the occasion, nor
were the names of the speakers announced, as they should
have been. Signor Bezzi, we were informed, took the chair.
The speeches had reference, of course, to recent events, and
many allusions were made to the interposition of Austria in
the late struggle of the Italian people. The hall was pretty
well filled, but the private boxes were almost empty. The
speeches gave much pleasure to the audience, a great part of
whom were foreigners, who fully appreciated the impassioned
bursts of the speakers, who indeed presented a bright pha-
lanx of converts to Protestantism.

HUNTERIAN SOCIETY.—Dr. Lever delivered the

twenty-third annual oration to the members of the society
yesterday afternoon, at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-
street. He chose for his subject, " The consanguinity of
child-bed Lever and erysipelas." The lecturer described at
considerable length the various symptoms of child-bed fever
and erysipelas from his own observations and experience.
He conclude:l his lecture by hoping that he might be per-
mitted to suggest to the council that as this year was to be
a jubilee year, he might say with reverence a second Pen-
tecost year, and as thousands would be assembled in this
mighty city, and amongst them many of the medical pro-
fession, attracted from all quarters of the globe, he consi-
dered that it would redound to the honour of the Hunterian
Society, if they held occasional conversaziones to receive their
foreign brethren with that spirit and cordiality which had
at all times been the distinguishing character of the society.
The suggestion was received with loud applause, and assur-
ance was given that it would not be forgotten. The mem-
bers then adjourned to another room, where they dined to-
gether.

A SOFA MADE OF COAL.—The Fife Advertiser,
referring to one peculiar characteristic of the coal found in
that district, which can be converted into articles of house-
hold furniture, such as looking-glass frames, writing-desks,
chairs, and tables, states that Mr. William Williamson is at
present engaged in making a sofa wholly composed of coal.
It is nine feet long, with three compartments or divisions,
and is sufficient to contain seven people sitting on it. The
front standards are beautifully carved, displaying three
mongrel animals, which lorcibly remind the spectators of
those richly-carved figures that appear so frequently in Dr.
Layard's remains of ancient Babylon. This rare geological
curiosity was ordered by General Wemyss, and it is highly
probable that it will appear at the Great Exhibition, as it
was ordered to be finished previous to that time; and as the
General holds an appointment in the Queen's household, it
may yet be transferred from the Crystal Palace to the palace
of her Majesty.

SOCIETY OF ARM—At the eleventh ordinary
meeting of this society, held last evening, Professor Calvert
delivered a supplementary lecture before the members of the
institution, on the laws of colour, with relation to the com-
bination and arrangement of coloured fabrics. Having fur-
ther elucidated, by the aid of diagrams and illustrations, the
reciprocal influence exerted by different colours, either in
brightening or tarnishing their respective tints when placed
in close proximity to each other, the lecturer proceeded to
point out in varied detail the necessity for due attention to
the principles involved in these results in the " setting off "
of coloured goods—whether silks, calicoes, paper-hangings,
or any other description of fabrics requiring colours—at the
approaching Exhibition of the industry of all nations;
otherwise (he explained) the result would be that in many
instances the piece of goods most entitled, from its intrinsic
beauty, to carry off the prize in the competition, would be
thrown into the shade by articles really inferior, but having
the advantage of a better disposition for the purposes of
display. The lecture was listened to with very great interest ;
and at its close an animated discussion among the members
ensued, in the course of which much additional information
on various practical points connected with the subject was
elicited by the auditory. The thanks of the society were
cordially voted to Professor Calvert, and the proceedings of
the sitting shortly afterwards terminated.
DETERIORATION OF COPPER AND SILVER COIN.—
The licenced victuallers of the metropolis and its suburbs
have literally been inundated with spurious silver coin, prin-
cipally halt-crowns, so beautifully moulded and finished off
almost to defy detection. Vast numbers of drilled penny
pieces and halfpence are also in circulation, of not half the
current value—the copier coin of the Channel Islands,
Jersey, Guernsey, and the Isle of Man, is also abundant.
In short, Wood's copper or brass coinage, that called forth.
the Draper's letters from Dean Swift, could not be more abo-
minable. With regard to the silver coin adverted to, many
a licensed victualler unwittingly gives change for his own
absent, or rather abstracted, quart pot ! It is, indeed, truly
woneerful with what rapidity a " stray half- pint " is trans-
formed into a plausible-;ooking half-crown, or a melted
handle of a pewter quart into a respectable looking shilling !
too, are numerous, and the unwary recipient,
instead o
the right royal twelve of Victoria,
cFornainecs-oPtritee wt receiving
isth'onlya ten-penny Louis Philippe. The influx
of foreigners, on the approaching great Exhibition, renders
it necessary, particularly among the great body of licensed
victuallers, that they should be upon their guard, for both
internally and externally they have enough to contend with.
Aarertiser.

INSECT LlFE.—lnsects generally must lead a truly
jovial life. Think what it must be to lodge ins lily. Ima-
gine a palace of ivory and pearl, with pillars of silver and
capitals of gold, all exhaling such a perfume as never arose
from human censer. Fancy, again, the fun of tucking them-
selves up for the night in the folds of a rose, rocked to sleep
by the gentle sighs of summer air, nothing to do when you
awake but to wash yourself in a dewdrop, and fall to eat your
bed-clothes.—American Paper.
DEATH OF COLONEL COCK, C.8.---This officer
died in England on the 17th inst. He belonged to the East
India Company's service, Bengal Presidency, and for his ser-
vices in the east was in 1838 nominated a Companion of the
Bath.

SUICIDE OF A DISSENTING MINISTER.—An inquest
was held on Friday at Kidwelly, on the body of the Rev.
William Davies, generally known as Mr. Davies, of Africa,
from the circumstance of his having many years ago been
engaged as a missionary at Sierra Leone, in connexion with
the Wesleyan Missionary Society. It appeared by the evi-
dence adduced at the inquiry that for seven years the de-
ceased had been subject to occasional periods of great mental
excitement, but during the last four months of his lite he
became exceedingly depressed. It was likewise stated that
his last marriage was a very infelicitous one. A verdict
was returned to the effect that deceased committed suicide
by hanging himself, he being at the time insane.—Swansea
Herald.

DARING ATTEMPT OF A DESERTER TO ESCAPE.-
On Sunday evening a corporal and private of the 9th Foot
were escorting a deserter from Mullingar to Dublin by the
Midland Great Western Railway. When within about seven
miles of the Dublin, and near Clonsilla station, the prisoner
managed to relieve himself of the handcuffs, and having
cautiously opened the carriage door, he jumped out. The
corporal in charge on missing the prisoner at once made a
spring out after him, although at the imminent risk of his
life, the train going at the rate of fully 25 miles an hour at
the time. On the arrival of the train in Dublin the matter
was reported to the superintendent, who returned on an en-
gine to where the accident occurred, under the impression
that both parties must have been either killed or so disabled
as to remain where they jumped out. On reaching the place
he found both the corporal and prisoner quite safe, and pro-
ceeding on their march to Dublin.

UNPLEASANT INVITATION.—The following was
posted on the door of the Ludlow Church, in Hertfordshire,
some time back :—" This is to give notice, that no person is
to be buried in this churchyard but those living in the parish.
Those who wish to be bui ied are desired to apply to me,
Ephraim Grub, parish clerk."
THE SAXON BLOOD.—Wherever the descendants
of the Saxon race have gone, have sailed, or otherwise made
their 'way, even to the remotest regions of the world, they
have beau patient, persevering, never to be broken in spirit,
never to be turned aside from enterprises on which they have
resolved. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America, the whole
world over; in the desert, in the forest, on the sea; scorched
by a hurning sun, or frozen by ice that never melts, the
Saxon blood remains unchanged. Wheresoever that race
goes there law, and industry, and safety for lite and pro-
perty, and all the great results of steady perseverance, are
Cettikta t 9 ArLso.772)ichens'a Household Wordss

THE SUN,