The Sun.
London, England, 1834-04-11 00:00:00

DR Ur P Y-LANE THEATRE.

The long-promised tragedy of Sardanapalus was
brought out last night at this theatre. The drama, if
not the finest, is certainly the most characteristic of all
Lord Byron's, for it is evident that in the sentiments
which he puts into the mouth of the Assyrian Monarch
he had an eye to his own turn of thought and feeling.
The play, indeed, like the poems of the noble author,
is throughout an elaborate defence of selfishness and
sotisrn. All that should redound to the discredit of
,Sardanapalus, such as his habitual effeminacy and
wilful abandonment of the interests of his subjects in
the engrossing pursuit of his own pleasures, is so con-
trived as to tell in his favour. He is made to challenge
our admiration of his slothful voluptuousness, because
by the indulgence of such a habit he has saved his
country from the horrors that must be entailed on it
were he addicted to war and glory. Just as if there
was no mean between the two extremes—as if a
monarch might not cultivate the arts of peace without
degrading himself by the most abject vices ! History,
in this respect, has taken a better measure of the cha-
racter of Sardanapalus than Lord Byron. History
has drawn him as he' was ; Lord Byron, as he wished
him to be. The one has consigned his name to con-
tempt; the other held him up as an object of admiration.
We-side with the historian. Mr. Macready's per-
forriance of Sardanapahts was effective as a whole,
thoagh marked by his usual startling mannerisms.
His first entrance on the stage was very ill conceived.
He is supposed to enter in the midst of a banquet,
accompanied by his " eloqiient lonian" slave, Mgrrha,
and surrounded by dancers, musicians, cup-bearers,
concubines, &c. On such an occasion he would na-
turally enter with a light, buoyant step, and coun-
tenance lit up with sunny glee, yet Mr. Macready
came on with a thoughtful brow and formal tragedy
strut, rather as if he were walking at a funeral, than
presiding at a banquet. His voluptuous, half femi-
nine attire, and brows crowned with chaplets (after
the fashion recommended by Anacreon) contrasted
somewhat grotesquely with this solemn mode of en-
trance. He redeemed himself, however, by the ready
way in which he dropped into the character, when
contrasting the services which Bacchus had conferred
on mankind, with the showy, useless conquests of Se-
miramis. This part of the dialogue with Salamenes,
was given in a very laughing, jocund spirit, and came
neatly and trippingly off the tongue. But unquestionably
the finest thing Macready did last night was his de-
livery of the dream, one of the most thrilling passages
to be found in all Byron. He expressed awe and
shuddering affright with amazing truth and power.
His convulsed look—wild, glaring eye—palsied limbs,
and outstretched, quivering hands—all spoke the being
who in slumber had sate at the ghostly banquet with
Nimrod and Semiramis. This part of Mr. Macready's
performance had just the fitting effect on the audience.
They did not give vent to their feelings in cold, hollow
rounds of applause, but by an intense, universal hush.
Miss E. Tree made a tender and gentle Myrrha, full
of grace and melancholy. But there was not enough
of the lofty impassioned soul of Greece about her.
Her allusions to " lonia" did not come swelling up
from the heart ; they were tamely and coldly delivered,
as if not rightly understood. Cooper's Salamenes was
excellent, well conceived, and well executed through-
out. Had it not been for the relief afforded by this
bold, animated character, the play would never have
survived the night. We should not omit to state that
Macready's delivery of the very significant passage—
_

" Please you to hear me, Satraps,

And chiefly thou, my priest, because I doubt thee
More than thesoldier,"
was received with three distinct bursts of applause.
The scenery throughout was splendid, and the last
scene, representing the funeral pile of Sardanapalus,
and the ruins of the blazing city, with its palaces
and temples shaking and crashing in all directions,
was one of the most magnificent stage-effects we ever
witnessed. On the whole, the play was successful,
though, to speak the truth, it is a very heavy, linger-
ing performance, and, except towards the close, sadly
barren in incident and interest. From first to last it
makes no perceptible way, but creeps on with a snail-
like progress. There are too many " sayings," and
too few " doings "in it. Action is suspended, in order
that characters may talk ; and when they do talk, we
are surprised and vexed to find, how little their reflec-
tions are to the purpose. All this is the necessary
result of Lord Byron's adherence to the Unities, which
we are now more than ever convinced are a rank
humbug. At the end of the play, a picturesque view
of Newstead Abbey was exhibited by way• of drop-
scene, painted for the occasion by Stanfield, but evi-
dently in great haste. The house was crowded to
suffocation, and the piece announced for repetition by
Cooper amidst general applause.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERSALL'S.

There was very little done en the Derby yesterday
afternoon. Bubastes and Bentley were not in any
demand ; and so little desire was evinced to back
Shilelah that at one part of the afternoon Plenipo was
backed even against him ; at the close, however, he
was a point a-head of him. Plenipo in great request
at 9 and q to one ; he has fresh backers every day,
and those who have betted against him are trying to
get out of it. Olympic and Harum Scarum have ad-
vanced upon Monday's prices. The closing odds
were—

RIDDGESWoRTII
2 to 1 agst 15Ir. Gully's Viator (taken)
No others mentioned.
TUEsnAY's RIDDLEMVORTH.

to I agst Sir S. Graham's Zulima ,
.offers to take 7 to 2)
Even between Zulima and Lord Burling• on's Barossa filly

04TLANDS
5 to 1 agst Duke of Cleveland's Trustee (taken)
7 to 1 agst Lord Exeter's Sir Robert (taken)
8 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Quartetto (taken)
PORT STAKES

3 to I agst Mr. Rawlinson's Revenge (7 ,0 2 taken)
6 to 4 on Revenge agst Sir Robert (taken)
DERBY.
6 to I agst Mr. Watt's Bubastes
7 to 1 apt Mr. Yates's Bentley
8 to 1 agst Duke of Cleveland's Shilelah
9 to I agst Mr. Batson's Pienipo ( aken)
17 to I apt Duke of Grakon's Olympic
1 agst Mr. Gully's Viator
22 to 1 agst Mr. Mills's Bfother Rate
to 1 agst Colonel Peel's Hamm Scarum
‘97:?) tto. 1
agst I,ord Jersey's Glencoe
:30 to 1 agst Mr. Walker's Delirium
30 to 1 agst Lord Orford's Paris (PoAliuma colt)
33 to I agst Mr. Sadler's Delightful
32 to 1 agst Duke of Cleveland's Guardian (taken)
300 even b.tween Shilel,,h and Plenioo (taken)
600 to 500 on Glencoe agst Hamm Scarum (taken)

CROXTON PARK RACES, April 9.
The Farmers' Plate of 50 gs., and 10 gs to the second
horse. Two mile heats.
Mr. Wright's ch. g. by the Flyer
Mr. Fisher's b. g. by Mad Tom 0 2
Mr. Mackley's ch.
Eleven started.

The Scurry Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with 20 added, for
horses of all denominations (winners excepted), 12st.
each. Three to start, or no race.
Lord Chesterfield's Fanny Grey, 3 yrs
Captain Findal's Columbine, 6 yrs 2
The Billesdon Coplow Stakes of 25 sovs. each, h.ft. ;
4-yr.-olds, 10st. 91b. ; 5 yrs., 1 Ist. 71b. ; 6 yrs., 12st. ;
and aged, 12st. 21b. Two miles. Gentlemen riders.
Twelve subs.
Colonel Charitie's b. c. Swing, 4 yrs
Mr. W. C. Hobson's Reform, 4 yrs
Two others started. A good race.
Handicap Stakes of 10 sovs. each, h. ft., with 20 added.

Once round.
Lord Chesterfield's Fanny Grey, 3 yrs 1
Mr. Newman's Radical, 3 yrs 2
Two others started, but were not placed.
A Plate of 50 sovs., given by the Inhabitants of Melton
Mowbray, added to a Sweepstakes of 5 sovs. each,
for horses not thorough,bred. Once round
Colonel Charitie's Swing, 4 yrs 1
Mr. W C. Hobson's Reform, 4 yrs
A good race. Three started.
A Forced Handicap of 10 sovs. each for the winners.
Mr. Osbaldeston's The Tutor, 3 yrs 1
Lord Chesterfield's Fanny Grey, 3 yrs 2
Three started, but only two placed.

The General Steam Navigation Company's
mail-packet, the Ramona, from Rotterdam, arrived off
the Custom-house, at twelve o'clock yesterday.
We regret to learn that a Noble family in
our immediate neighbourhood are likely to be involved
in some litigation, which will tend to throw a shade
over the name of a Noble Peer, recently deceased.
Certain incidents in the life of his Lordship, which
were never intended to be made public, are said to be
so immediately connected with the affairs in question,
that they must inevitably become a common topic of
conversation in the county. Deprecating, as we do
most sincerely, everything which can conduce to the
inconvenience and discomfort of the respected family
in question, we yet hope that some circumstance may
transpire, calculated to hush the tongue of rumour, ere
it has wounded the peace of a bereaved widow, and the
pride of a high-spirited young nobleman.—Maidstone
gazette.

HYDE PARK AND KENSINGTON

GARDENS.

I The alterations in Hyde Park and Kensington-gar-
dens previous to the interv'ed laying out of the latter,
are fast progressi to uarL ompl et ion, and will, when
finished, render that f.,vour:te prcsruenade of the haul
ton one of the most b,autiful gard n, in F.urope. Last
year upwards of two thousand trees were cut down in
the gardens, but so thick were the plantations that it
was found necessary to fell upwards of the same number
this year, making about .i,OOO trees cut down in one
twelvemonth, yet it would be difficult, had the ground
not been disturbed, to find theplaces froin whence they
had been removed. Their removal will beyond doubt
very much improve the general appearance of the
gardens, as by their closeness they greatly impeded the
growth of each other, and prevented the rays of the
sun penetrating the plantations, so much so, that the
ground has been in some parts, throughout the whole
year, almost a continned morass. The circular pro-
jection at the south-west corner of the gardens has
been cut through, thrown into the Park, and a low
wall run up,, by which the road from the far-famed
Rotten-row to the bridge over the Serpentine is made
straight, by which the bridge has a much better appear-
ance than it had from the crooked road they were at
first compelled to make on account of that. projection.
The trees on the famous Mount near the same spot are
to be cut down, and the Mount itself levelled, which
will be a great improvement, as it will give a full view
of the gardens and bridge, immediately on entering
the south gate, though no doubt its removal will be
much regretted by its juvenile admirers, having so long
been their favourite resort. In the Park also ,sonic
hundreds' of the old trees have been cut -down; and a
number of young ones planted to complete the rows on
the sides of Rotten-row, on the carriage-roaskt44e4..,
sington, and in various other parts of the Park, 'Which
greatly improve its appearance. The gaidens, when;
these alterations are completed, will 'be divided into
walks, and a large number of exotic shrubs and of the
finest flowers will be planted, which will give them a
most beautiful appearance. The timber which has
been felled, has just been sold by auction in the Park,
by order of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests,
and the sale, on account of its extent, lasted nine days.
The catalogue contained upwards of 1,000 lots, con-
sisting of above-1,400 elms, 500 limes, 300 chestnuts,
100 oaks, some of which were of noble growth ; also a
number of beech, birch, ash, pine, yew, and hornbeam
trees, a few firs, larch, sycamore, and acacias, and up-
wards of 14,000 elm, lime, chestnut, and sycamore
poles, 700 stacks of firewood, and 10,000 faggots.
The sale last year produced upwards of 2,0001., and
the returns of the sale just finished have been consider-
ably more, as the timber was much finer.

PARISH OF KENSINGTON.—Great dis-
content has existed in this parish on account of the
mismanagement of its affairs by the Board of Trustees,
in whom the sole government of the parish is vested.
These trustees. (fifty-one in number) are elected for
life, the only disqualification being by removing out of
the parish, resignation, or not attending the Board
once in three years. All vacancies arising from these
causes or death are filled up triennially, by ballot, each
parishioner being entitled to vote. It might have been
supposed that a body so chosen could not have failed
in working well, but, owing to an unaccountable supine-
ness on the part of the electors, the Board of Trustees
was, until the year 1831, little better than a select vestry.
In that year W. Farlar, Esq., of Brompton-square, was
returned, with other independent gentlemen, who, on
taking their seats, discovered that the accounts of the
master of the workhouse had not been audited for seven
years, although the trustees -voted him a gratuity of
20/. per annum for the very correct manner in which
he kept his accounts. Several attempts had been
made to obtain the suffrages of the rate-payers to ap-
ply to parliament for a bill to get rid of one-third of
the trustees annually, and other improvements—but.
thanks to that infamous act (Sturges Bourne's) which
measures a man's honesty by the size of the house he
inhabits, the reformers have had their objects de-
feated on the grounds " that it was unadvisable to in-
cur the expense of costly law making." On Thurs-
day the triennial election took place to 'fill up eleven
vacancies that had occurred in the board since 1831,
when the result was three reformers and eight conser-
vatives were elected.

On Monday last, the Rev. William Wilcox,
A. M., was instituted to the Rectory of North Wotton,
in this county, on the presentation of the Hon. Fulk
Greville Howard and the Hon. Mary Howard, his
wife.—Norwich Post.

Yesterday a new East Indiaman and a steam-
vessel were launched at Blackwall ; the former from
the yard of Messrs. Wigram and Green, and the lat-
ter from Messrs. Wallace's premises. The Indiaman,
which belongs to the house of Messrs. Baring, Bro-
thers, and Co., was christened the Alexander Baring.
She measures 138 feet 9 inches in length, from the
stem to the after part of the taffrail ; her extreme
breadth is 28 feet 10 inches, and the depth in hold, 13
feet 10 inches. Great pains have been taken to secure
an ample stowage. Her stem is decorated with a full
length figure of the individual after whom she is
named, and beneath is the motto, " Probitate et La-
bore." She is built on the American plan, with bright
sides, resembling closely the New York packets, and
a very able crew has been engaged on the temperance
plan, or non-allowance of grog or spirituous liquors,
which is so successful in the American ships. This
will be the first trial of the plan in a British merchant-
man. The Messrs. Baring have another and much
larger ship, to be called the Malabar, building in the
same yard. The steamer, which belongs to the Old
Margate and Gravesend Steam-packet Company, was
christened the Fame. She is adapted for two engines
of 60 horse power, manufactured by Boulton and
Watt. The Star, a new steamer, belonging to the
New Gravesend Steam-packet Company, was also
launched, from Messrs. Curling and Young's yard, at
Limehouse. Another steamer, to be called the Eme-
rald, is to be launched next week, for the Gravesend
and Milton Steam-packet Company.

EXTRAORDINARY PIKE. A few days
ago, a man named Thomas Hewett was angling near
the church lock, on the river Medway, when he saw an
immense fish spring from the water in the basin, en-
deavouring to leap the upper gates, for the purpose
of releasing himself from a confinement he had in-
cautiously got into by following a barge which had just
before passed the lock. Hewett being somewhat
alarmed at the noise in the water, and seeing the fish
poising himself on the gate just below the foot-board,
made towards the spot, but by another effort the fish
quickly threw himself back into the basin. Poor Hewett,
who had been a long time standing with hook and line
without a single nibble,th inking if he could only lay hands
on the monster in the basin it would be a most excel-
lent " bite," threw aside his tackle, and began to look
cautiously about for another " rise." Whilst watch-
ing on one side the fish threw himself out on the
other. Hewett ran to that side. but the fish had
sprung in again before he could reach it. Hewett,
being a true personification of " patience in a punt,"
was determined not to be easily beaten by one of the
tribe of which he had destroyed so many thousands,
armed himself with a small landing-net, and took
up his position on the foot-board of the gates,
waiting cautiously for another jump. He had
scarcely fixed himself before he saw the fish
sailing towards the gates on which he stood,
within a short distance of his feet, It made
another spring, endeavouring to leap over the
foot-board where Hewett stood. The height being
two feet and a half the effort was very powerful, for the
point of the pike's jaws came in strong contact with
Hewett's shin. He instantly applied his landing net,
but to no purpose, as the pike's tail coming first into
the net enabled him soon to leap out again. How-
ever he soon made another attempt, and threw himself'
a distance of two feet on the stones by the side of the
basin, but regained the water. Poor Hewett's time
for going to his work being come (six in the evening),
he called to some persons, who were fishing near him,
to come and get the jack out of the basin. They
tried for some time, but without success. A large
stack of hop-poles which were being stacked in
Mr. Corrall's field, adjoining the river, tit:U
fell with a loud crash, and a person was heard,
as if in distress from the poles failing on him.
They immediately put their Lam to the opposite shore
to render assistance, leaving behind one person, named
Horton, to, watch-the movements of the pike. AnzAher 1
man came up with a spud on his shoulder, and they
both stood attentively eyeing the basin " frae end to
end," -when at length the pike made its last effort lAy
springing a considerable distance from the water's edge,
and very near to the spot where Hortan stood, so as 1
to enable him to throw himself upon the fish, and in
the hurry to get his hand into his mouth. The pike
" took the bait" and gave him a sharp bite. Horton
think he sh Auld, nevertheless, have lost hip prize, had
not his friend of the srud Flunged its nro gQ into the
fsh's head. The pike weighed I 41b,--Illaidsione
Gwtte.

'7 C