The Sun.
London, England, 1802-08-02 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

Hay-21farket.

OR Saturday last a new Drama in three AEts,
*as brought-forth tinder the name of The Voice of
ature.

IRAMATIS PERSONa..

Alphonso, King ot Sicily, Mr. Biotit yrioxt,
Rinaldo (his Brother), - Mr. C. K mEI, Z.
Carib, Minlster of Al phonso, . Mr. WA oo v.
Child, • - 4.. Master BYRNE.
Riccardo, 'Head Gardener to .the King, Mr. R. PALMER.
Clorinda, Bride-to Alphonso, . . Miss NORTON.
' Alzira, Widow of Bertoldo, - Mrs. Sr. LLGER.
I ilia a Young Villager, - - Mrs. ss s .
Benditta, her Ntike and Friend, Mrs.D.i.vsxroar.
Governess of the Chiki, - Mrs. Ebtalty.
• FABLE.
'he Scene of this Piece lies in Sicily. Lilla, the Heroine,
though in a state of depentimce on Benditta, tier Nurse and
her Friend, is the Daughter of a Sicilian Nobleman, who died in
its:farrey, and Whose. property tell into-other hands. Ben-
ditta, a poor Cottager, takes the Child under her proteetion,
!nd becomes a very beautiful and amiable girt. Rinal-
BrOther of the King of Sicily, without revealing.his rank
Lilla, excites her atketion' by his personal qualities, and,
in a fatal moment, seduces her from virtue. • lie leaves her,
ail in due time a Boy is the issue of their loves. When the
"lid was a year or two old, it was taken away, during the
night, w Lilla and Benditta were asleep, and a shrivelled,
dead one was put in its place. The Mother is, of course,
Wretched, anrf can hear no tidings of her ofi'spring. Soon
after the openhei of the Piece, Lilla has .an opportunity of
seeing the Son of Al zira, the. Widow of a Nobleman of high
tank in Sicily. Alzira's Son appears to be about the same
aft as her own. Her Nurse, and others remark a striking
likeness between her and the Son of 41zira. It appears that
Alzira's Child had been 'at the point of death, and that in the
space or Tie-night, Surgeent had, ty Sort of MirAtc, re-
storedit hopeless state of irtnrmistir, to the bloom of
health. It appear: also, that much of Alzira's propertyoe-
ptnds or, her
tavinga Son', and that the Surgeon, a tew
clays atter restoring- the Child, died suddenly. This Story
raUSCS the suspicion of which other events contribute
to Confirm and she is at length convinced that Alzira's reput-
ett Child is her Own.

Rinaldo arrives in Sicily at this critical moment, for the put..
ose of tieing married to Alzfra. He meets Lila, and hisi
ilelrt is torn by a'sense of the injury she has Suffered, as we‘l.
Is. by a revival of all his affeelion for her. He soon heart of
t'ala's claim to the child, and of Alzira's known indifterence
I°her supposed offspring. Rinaldo of course feels the inter-
s! ofa tamer ill ascertaining whether the child be really
)(tiles ofiSeting. The affiiir at length is submitted to the
tng Alzira and Lilla are ordered into hispresence, and he
lbe4S the allegations of the one and the defence of the other.
ti-erldereddolibfFil by the confliCting evidence, he earnestly ad.
Jiltes'ihe pretended mother to spare his feelings, and guide his
to a just dec;sion. Li lta declares that the marre..on the
'gild, and the irfultiplieityof Corresponding cimstawes so
f`illY convince her the child is her own, that it is-impossible
for her to resign it. Ai,ira avows.that she had rather the
shbuid than 'consent to part with ir. The king
orders the child to be seized, and an-Officer attends
Apparently fir the putpose'uf killing it on the spot, Lilla
.s,t9rn vvitit maternal anguish, and Alzira manifests a savage
.„`te.rbph. -At the niorniznt when the Executioner rears his
""votcl in order to -give-the. fatal stroke, Lilla fills to the
t%'und iri an agony of,duipair, and imploring that the child
'clillCt ght be preservea agrees to resign it. The different con-
of the two wo'nien of course satisfies the Monarch who
is.;;le real mother. He banishes Aliira, allots the child to
'"4, anti having been infufined of the whole of her story,
Venbines to reward her built-rings andher.alleclion by giving
er hand to Rinaldo;
u.:Frbrn this slight sketch of the Fable our Readers
readily perceive that the new Drama is founded
Pien the recorded jirdgmeyzr ofsoLomoN. This
ce, we understand, is, in faet, a free Translation
of
French Drama with that title, which has been
iceived with so much applause it France, that Mr.
EN was tempted to give it an English form,
„,:k' to present it to a British Audience under the
'rne of The Foiee Nature.
As the event upon which
- this
Drama
is
bt2itt)irs
t`r ivorsally known, it seems strange that any NV.iite
C:Q 'have made thoice of a subjeet which it was
'Possible' to treat in such a manner as to keep the
hnd in suspense, and preclude it from anticipating
t Catastrophe. However, the choice of the sub-
rue whether judicious or not, is the concern of the
jnch Writer, and he was at least justified by the
r'els Piece.
z,T,he English Dramatist may fairly be allowed to
himself of a Work that, by its Success abroad,
reasohabi y be exile red to prove a source or
-,:itr-41t in this Country. How far Mr. BOADEN has
ee-rv,Lated from hit Original, we know nor, but he
it 4lniv has sliewn much 'judgment in altering the
Persona", and. making the chief part
• bp,ilg of Sicily, and not introclue, a Monarch
rl,* the Stage, whose cluraeter is too nearly con_
Led with the sacred records of our Religious Faith.
Spen same difficulties, however; rernain with re_
rite t° the nature of -the Plot.. It is impossible for
Alio Audience to be at all doubtful as to the real
Cleetiller, and the,ultimate result. The story is in-
in„ exiiimded with skill, and made very interest,
61 considering that, the- subject is so well known,
and or
such an inevitable tendency.
Zilla •
(lien is a charaEter in whose happiness the Au-
\vitice are strongly interested. 4lzira is, drawn
/ sc' tunny traits of 'unfeeling. arrogance, ;hat she
cannotTh for a moment he considered as the Mother.
S
o:King is so dignified and just, that he does not
!rade the great Original. The Nurse, the OM,
et
and other charaders, give a diversity to the
and in some degree, add amusement to the
~atn interest of the Fable.
•
fie,
jle Play was well received, except at the MO-
uWhen the Sword is uplifted to destroy the
ed. , .and here the feelings of the Audience revolt_
r' circumstance, however, can be easily
411Ued into do incident less exceptionable.
The pk•
ey t lece was, on the whole, very Wellperfori)-
:,ned,l4.lrittYMOßE, CHARLES KEMULE) Mrs. G 18.735)
DA. E? OILT all did- justice to their re-
vi-at,=tedivs. N
e Cliarataers. Mrs. ST. LEGER rather aggra-
than softened the ferocious nature of ilizira.
the p
Atte_ le,he was crowded. Some opposition was
-pi'"?ted When CHARLP.3 K2MB LE announced the asforthis .evening, but upon a fair balance, it
e.ev !tient that the voice of the Audience Was
i'edly in favour of The Voice of Nature.
6{lll-44 Scenery was various, piauresque and beau-
there was no Prologue. The Epilogue- was
56,,t delivered by CHARLES KENiBLE, and it pos7
co:,1 so
fr m.much merit in.
unn itself, that it needs no en..
.tis om us.

-11.")P.N's engagements zt Livetpool has been
%ti"er« profitable to the Manager,and himself, and very
r;ltifYing to the, people of that plaee.• His- Benefit
Qt.i„asi°6.e.d oerflOwing Teatre. He goes from f,t;(rPoWto plat}', dariiig they assize week,' at York ;
:ill thence to Newcastle aria Durham Assizes. He
Quill'. concludes Lis Summer Trip at Pyestcal

.P-PILCCUff
Tilt VOICE OF NATURE.

WatTTEN 13 V' GEORGE -COLEMAN, Est.

To strike the thind the Scenic Muse essays.,
And levels her attacks a thousand ways.—
Suspence, surprise, sad dirges, thrilling air;
Didion than glitters, Pageantry that glares t
These-are the Muse's feather'd shafts, she flings-,
To tickle judgment, with the arrow's wings ;
But, when the Voice of Nature prompts her art,
She points the barb, and penetrates the Heart.
These truths, front heavenly Nature, Suaxtsrsakt
knew ;
She spoke, he ecchoed ; she design'd, he drew
Dorn in ber School, bright Genius, from the bowerS
Of Fancy, wreathed his cradle,round with flowers:
Now, Nattire's Pupil, fled by Nature's doom;
Leaves Taste to scatter laurel on his tomb:

Since, thett, out Drama's sun cart cheer 14 'yet;
With beams of glory, from his golden set, . •
May not a lowly Bard., still catch a ray,
To light his feeble steps, through Nature's way ?
May not a lowly lard adopt a tale.,
With truth, and Feeling fraught, tho' Genius Fail;
And mike the voice of Natnre still prevail
Where, where is Nature with more force exprest
Than in the fond babe-plunder'd, Mother's breast
Where is a breast more dead to Nature prov'd
Than bis who aces clutt.Mutfrlcr's pangs Unnrioed

That cause assails the human heart; by storm',
Which pleads the ties of '4l in human form ;
The grief. wrung Female, tor her infant wild,

Harrows each i'arenti and affeas each Child; .%
Beneath yout roofs tier pictured anguish glides; •
And brings the interest to your own fire-sides.

Britons !—to,whom (though adamant in arnis)
Domestic duties yield peculiar charms;

Who, were those duties with less ardour knowni
Might /earn a sweet example from the Thronel—
Cive yOur applause, to night !—at'loasti be mild!
A Play, remember, is a Poet's Child,:

The late Duke of BEDFOP,D, on his ciedth.bed,
requested that some memorial of 'his regard might
be distributed amongst his Domestics and Bands,
at the discretion of his Successor. - The present
Duke, with great liberality, has given four. years
wages to every Servant who had been in the employ.
ment of the family fourteen years; to those who had
been half that period three years wages, and two
years wages to the rest. The sum thus distributed
amounts to upwards of s=d.

Nothing more clearly shews the-Inconsistency of
the Whigs, and their public contempt of Principle,
than their Coalition with a certain popular
'date whom they have twice litarLiallfti on his
being proposed as a Member of the Whig Club.
After the quotation from THotirsow's Seasons,
and many other remarks concerning Prisons from
the Press of BURDETT and Co. we are surprised'in
not finding Sir FRANCIS'S name amongst the Sub-
scribers to the " Society for the Relief of-Persons
imprisoned for small Debts."

So many recent escapes from Prisov and. I?edlam,
account sufficiently for the Majority of Sir F.-BuR-
DETT upon the Poll.

Hadfield, and his .companion, had proceeded .as
far as Deal, after their escape from Bethiem; from
whence the former "-rote to his Wife, direaing
her to dispose of what furniture, 4c. she
might have, and come to him, that they might go
to France together. On receipt of lhe letter, the
Wife went immediately to Bethlcm, 'and informed
the keepers, who, accompanied by her and soliv,Po.
lice Officers, set off for Deal, where 'they immedi-
ately secured him. His companion found means to
conceal himself for several hours, till discovered
by the servants of the inn among some hay. When
taken, Iladfeld seemed much affeEted,.cried bitter.
ly, and upbraided ,his wife with having betrayed
him., They were conveyed to town in. post..
chaises, and 'arrived at Bethlern on Saturday, at
twelve o'clock, where, no doubt, proper care Will
be taken to prevent a similar occurrence. Hadfidd's
wife is allowed t 4.5. per week ; the wile of Trite loci;
wbp was confined at the same time, has a similar al.
lowance; and the husbands are made as Comfortable
as their unhappy situation will admit.
. On Friday last died at •Pulteney-streeti Bath,
Miss COMB E, of Earnshill, in the County of Sotner-
set, •

The St. ri.icent Gazette of the 29th May says,
" We learn with regret,- by accodnts frotri Tobago
and Grenada, that a great Mortality prevails in
thOse Islands, particularly among the Shipping ; a
circumstance," says the Grenada Gartette, " not
only lamentable but astonishing, as there appears
to be no malignant disorder among the Inhabitants."
The Week?), Chronicle, published at Halifax,
Nova Scotia, mentions that ToussAitcr, shortly
after the debarkation of the French in St: Doming-o,
sent an immense quantity Of Specie, under an escort
of fifteen picked men, into the interior of the
Island, where he caused a hole to he dug, and-the
treasure deposited in it; and on rejoining the main
body of his Army, he instantly ordered the fifteen
men to be shot to prevent a discovery.

The Herring Fishery on the Coats of the Isle of
Arran,-is very successful. Last week, four boats
arrived in one tide at 'Whitehaven, with 170 Maze
of Herrings.
The Powder Mills, near Cork, blew tip on Thurs_
day se'nnight with a most tremendous, explosion, by
ni
which unfortunate accident seven en 'lost. their
lives.

•
Several anions have lately been brought against
some Farmers in the neighbourhood of GlOui:ester,
by two men, strangers, to get the penalty under the
13th Geo. 111. which orders *that persons drawing
with more than four horses a waggon, the fellies
of the wheels less than six inches in breadth, shall
be liable to the penalty of 51. for each horse
four.

At the Liverpool Session on Ttlesday,
Thomas was sentenced to 1g months imprtsonent,
and to be twice whipped, for rioting; and' Wi'lliatn
Dale, for a like offence,
,and forcing the outer-wall
of Bridewell, to be casnfined -two years, and twice
whipped,