The Sun.
London, England, 1851-07-02 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE.

A new farce, under the title of the Fire-Eater, by
Mr. Charles Selby, was produced here on Monday night as
a which) for the exercise of Mr. Compton's peculiar hu-
mour. The plot is slight, and so are the characters, but
there is a vein of practical fan throughout the piece,
which supplies the place of more satisfactory recommen-
dations. The scene is laid in England during the civil
war of 1651, and the story turns upon an episode in the his-
tory of the royalists and their opponents. The bean of the
farce is a village farmer, who is induced to enlist as a
royalist soldier, in order to avoid the suspicion of being
a spy, and in this predicament he is made to submit to a
variety of practical jokes which end in his proving him-
self a valiant man, and rendering some essential services
to the party whose cause he is supposed to have em-
braced. These materials—intermixed with a small
sprinkling of love between the farmer and a village
damsel—afforded Mr. Compton a good opportunity for
keeping the audience in continued laughter. He exerted
his energies to a very satisfactory purpose, for the ap-
plause was unanimous and the piece quite successful.

SOCIETY OF ANCIENT FORESTERS.
This venerable and philanthropic fraternity held a
" grand demonstration and coronation gala," in aid
of tho benevolent funds of the various courts, at the
Surrey Zoological Gardens, on Monday afternoon. The
membes assembled at an early hour in the day, at
the Crown and Anchor in the Old Kent-road, and
marched in procession thence to the gardens, preceded
by an inspiriting band of music. A cold collation was
prepared for two hundred guests in a large tent of
Edgington's, pitched in the picturesque grounds, where
the functions of the presidential office were ably discharged
by the Worshipful Mayor of Southampton, Richard
Andrews, Esq., one of the most zealous and influential
members of the order. After the usual loyal toasts,
the President, in a speech replete with interesting in-
formation, and which elicited frequent bursts of applause,
proposed " Snccess to the Order of Ancient Foresters,
and to the labours of the executive committee," which
was responded to by the chief ranger. Several other
appropriate toasts were drunk and spoken to, and
at six o'clock, under the active superintendence
of Brothers Samuel, Wright, and Hill, of the Court
of Sympathy, aided by other members of the ma-
naging committee, the tent was cleared .for the votaries
of Terpsichore, who kept up the merry dance until
late hour. The gay attire of several of the brethren, who
appeared in the full romantic costume of the Order, was
conspicuous among the vast crowd which thronged the
gardens to enjoy the melody of Jullien's baud, and the
magnificent display of pyrotechnic skill which nightly
delights thousands at this admirable place of recreation.

SIGNOR ANELLI ON VOCAL SCIENCE.
The first of a course of four lectures on the art of
fernaing and cultivating the voice was delivered at the
Hanover-square Rooms, on Friday. Signor Anelli
erects a Tempio del Canto, and makes intonation, tone,
pronunciation,
elocution, expression, style, manner, exe-
cution the steps by which the aspirant may hope to
enter its hallo wed precincts. His method, which has
been approved by the celebrated Crescentini, proposes to
enable students to sing v. ith correctness, expression, re-
fined manner and taste, in less than half the time usually
employed. After dilating on the importance of a proper
cultivation of the human voice, not solely as a graceful.ac-
camplisb molt, but also as a means of preserving and im-
proving the physical health, and, according to Italq and
the Italian system of vocalization the palm of superiority
' over all other countries, the lecturer introduced two young
ladies for the purpose of illustrating the exercises of his.
of future system. The illustrators were Miss Livingstone and Miss
Menville, two young ladies of considerable personal attr.ac-
tions. The former possesses a fine pure soprano voice,
sy strera
her style and execution giving promise
she has
ex-
cellence. Miss Menville is a mezzo contralto of heau-
tifal quality, her lower notes indicating a power which,
with age and practice, under the
aad the result of hut a few
adopted, must prove a rich contralto. The exercises
appeared admirably adapted for giving certainty of
Balsa Livingstone, Livingfitone, who sang
tonation and expression,
months' tuition, under the system,.. was most satisfac-
torily May,,. Bud e Watchful and Beware" ;
evidenced by
" Charming
and the
and by Miss Menviilej who sang, with great brilliancy,
" Brindisi," from Lucrezia
Borgia.
"Non fu segue,"
The performance of a fantasia, by Mr. Frede-
rick Anolli, on the plaeoiorte,
which diversified the
lecture, deserves most favourable mention.