The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-31 00:00:00

DRURY LANE THEATRE.

A translation from Scribe and Auber's comic opera the
Dame dc Pique, which has lately been so successfully pro-
duced in Paris, was announced for performance at this
theatre on Saturday, but shortly before the doors opened
a notice was posted to the effect that the comedy of
Simpson and Co. would be substituted for the Queen of
Spades, in consequence of the sudden indisposition of
Mrs. Nisbett, who was to have taken the principal cha-
racter. The curtain accordingly drew up for Simpson
and Co., which was proceeded with quietly for a few
minutes, but on the entrance of Mr. Simpson, the
audience, especially the "gods," became impatient, and re-
fused to allow it to continue. Mr. W. West, the stage
director, came forward but could not obtain a hearing.
Mr. Anderson himself then appeared, and stated that he
bad not been made acquainted with Mrs. Nisbetess in-
disposition until ten minutes to six on that evening, but
if the audience desired it, the Queen of Spades should
be given, as Miss F. Vining had kindly consented to
read Mrs. Nisbett's part. This arrangement appeared to
give entire satisfaction to the audience, and in about
half-an-hour the curtain again rose for the Queen of
Spades. The scene is laid in Russia, and the principal
character is Katinka Nelidorf, who, having been so impru-
dent as to box the ears of the Czar Peter, who bad been
making love to her, bad been ordered to bo arrested for
the offence. She, however, has contrived to escape un-
der the disguise of her humpbacked and lame old aunt, the
Princess 13eresina, to the castle of the Princess at Poleax.
On her way she accidentally becomes acquainted with Eric
Klareberg (Mr. Craven), a courier in the Imperial service,
whose father had been unjustly disgraced from the rank
which he held in the imperial army by the machinations
of the Prince Moskau. At the castle he meets the
Prince (Mr. Walter Lacy) and challenges him, but the
Prince declines to fight until Eric has paid a large debt
duo to him from his father. In a moment of exaspera-
tion Eric strikes him, and is immediately arrested and
sentenced to be shot. In the meantime he is confined
in a salt mine belonging to the Princess, the superin-
tendent of which, Ivan (Mr. Anderson) has ruined him-
self by his love for gaming, which he seeks to gratify
at every risk on every opportunity. He has heard of a
legend that the Princess Beresina is in possession of a
certain ring which contains the names of three magical
cards, which are always sure to win if the owner of the
ring turns round a secret spring in its interior. Olga (Mrs.
Walter Lacy), the waiting-maid of the Princess and the
betrothed of Ivan, bribes him, by means of the ring and
the secret of the cards, to permit his prisoner to escape
by the panier which serves to let down the workmen to
the mine, which is 1,000 feet below the surface. The
escape is accordingly effected, the supposed Princess
tells Ivan the names of the three cards,—the three, the
ten, and the Queen of Spades,—and gives him the ring,
which, however, is immediately taken from him by the
Prince, who has overheard the secret, although too late
to prevent the prisoner's escape. Tho second act of the
play passes at the public gardens at Carlsbad, in
Bohemia, where Kopeck (Mr. Barrett), an old
usurer, has set up a gaming house, and taken
into his service Ivan, who has lost at play all the money
given him by the supposed Princess. Prince Moskau,
the Princess, and her waiting-maid, and Eric, are also
at the gardens on the night of a masquerade, and the
Prince, who wishes to mend his fortunes by marriage,
exchanges a paper, proving the innocence of Eric's
father, for a contract of marriage with himself, signed,
as he imagines, by the Princess. He then tries his for-
tune at the faro table, betting on the three cards ; and
Eric, who has raised a portion of the amount of his
debt, stakes it against him. At first the three cards
win, but immediately afterwards they lose, and Eric,
therefore, is enabled to pay off his whole debt, and meet
his enemy upon terms of enmity. They are about to
fight, when Katinka makes her appearance in the dress
of the Queen of Spades, with the real Princess Bere-
sine, and bestows her hand upon Eric, and that of her
waiting-maid upon Ivan, who promises thenceforth to
renounce gambling. The piece was very well put upon
the stage, and was perfectly successful in spite of the
drawback of the principal character having to be read.
Miss F. Vining, however, went through it as well
as it was possible, under such unfavourable circum-
stances, and was called for at the conclusion of the first
act, and at the end of the piece, and loudly applauded.
Mr. Anderson was excellent in the character of Ivan,
never thinking of anything, but maddened at seeing
gambling which he cannot join, and rushing to the
gamine-table with frantic eagerness when he has go,
hold of a little money to stake upon the magic cards
The other characters were also very well sustained, ant
when either Mrs. Na.bett is recovered sufficiently t)
sustain the principal character, or Miss F. Vining hea
had time to study the part, the piece will, no (hat,
have a long run. Tho performances concluded wall
the magnificent spectacle of Azad, which continues to
draw crowded houses.

Mr. French, publicly addressing the directcrs of
the Dundalk and Enniskillen Railway, said to them, Yere
a dirty crew—a shabby lot ! Dirty water upon ye—bid luck
to ye all !" _

be lit(rally
surnTmheedesuspentthiaulss:_Sea, salt, sun, sand, shrimps, shells,of a watering-place may
steamers, ships, and sailors.
CEYLON PAPERS.—The appendix and index to the
evidence taken before the select committee in Cey;on have
just been published in the form of a blue book, weighing Lib.
12oz. It is composed of rather more than 550 closelyprimed
pages, and contains a great variety of documents connectd
withithe aft'air3 of the Waal