The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-12 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

An Italian version ( f Mr. Baqe's most pleasing eni
most popular comic opera Les Quatre Fils Aymon, was
produced here last evening, under the title of I
Quattro Fratelli. The performance was for the benefit
of Mr. Balfe himself, whose exertions as musical
director at her Majesty's Theatre have been
during the present season, more especially, most un-
tiring, and most arduous, and to whose admirable
organization we are indebted for the present admir-
able orchestra. The theatre was crowded before the
rising of the curtain—a fit and proper tribute to the
high merits of the most popular of English composers
and conductors. The music of I Quattro Fratelli is
full of melody, it is characteristic,:dramatie, and
has about it that undefinable charm of unflagging
sprightliness without which all the mere school learn-
ing in the world is of no avail. When originally
produced at the Opera Comique in Paris
it enjoyed an immense popularity. A Ger-
man version of it produced at: Frankfort
had a great run. The opera was then re produced at
Vienna, where it was frequently represented at three
theatres on the same evening, and in this country it
achieved for itself an enduring popularity, when pro-
duced at the Princes's Theatre, under the title of
The Castle of Aymon. To detail the plot of an
opera so well known as this would be indeed
work of supererogation. Who does not remember Ivan,
the old Caleb Balderston sort of steward to the four
poor sons of the Duke of Aymon; who does not re-
member the pompous and stingy Baron de
Beaumanoir and his delightful daughter Iler-
minie, and how a marriage between herself
and Oliviero, the eldest of the brothers
(preceded by those of the three brothers with three of
her cousins), is brought about by the tact of Ivon and
the wit of a rich and lovely damsel. In order to adapt
the opera to the Italian stage, Mr. Balfe has turned the
spoken dialogue of the original into recitative; he
has also composed two new airs for Madlle. Sofie
Cruvelli, who sustains the part of Erminia. The first
of these, "Di Duchessa it nome altero," occurs in
the first act, and is one of the most marvel-
lous efforts of execution ever heard. Mr.
Balfe seems to have taxed his powers to heap
together every conceivable species of difficulty, in
order to show with what facility and adroitness all
difficulties can he overcome by Mdlle. Sofie Cruvelli;
the second, "Or qui verra," in the third act, is a
delicious melody, replete, however, with difficulties,
in the overcoming of which Madlle. Sofie Cruvelli
seemed to revel. This brilliant and exquisite piece
of vocalization excited the most rapturous applause.
Her rendering of the exquisite melody " Giovin
belea" was delicious ; and the duet with Oliviero
(Gardoni), " Quando tornar ridente' " was perfect ;
never have we heard two voices blend together
more delightfully than did those of Mademoi-
selle Sofie Cruvelli and Gardoni in this exqui-
site duet, which is, to cur thinking, the gem of the
opera. Gardoni, who was in excellent voice, sang
the beautiful music allotted to Oliviero with infinite
taste, and Pardini, as Riccardo, rendered the martial
air in the second act with great spirit. Coletti, as
Ivon, exhibited a degree of rough humour,
for the possession of which we had not before given
him credit, and his heartiness of manner was most
telling in the character of the old Seneschal. The
making-up of Massol as the Baron di Beaumanoir was
as perfect in its way as the making-up of Lablache in
Don Pasquale, and Massol sung and acted in the
true Italian buffo style ; we have never seen any
buffo duet more effectively rendered than the duet
descriptive of the riches of the sons of Aymon, by
Coletti and Massol. In the duet with Made-
moiselle Sofie Cruvelli, in the third act, in which
the bells are introduced as an accompaniment,
Massol was also admirable. The concerted music
was perfectly given, and we have seldom heard any-
thing more quaintly effective than the chattering
quartet of the four cousins. The bril-
liant overture, and the whole of the music
was admirably rendered by the orchestra. At the
conclusion of each act the principal performers were
called on, and at the conclusion of the opera there
were loud calls for Balfe, who was led on by Gardoni
to bow his thanks.

TEETOTAL DEMONSTRATIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The following letter has been received by the
committee who conducted the above demonstrations,
and as a practical testimony that rational amusement
is perfectly compatible (if not greatly enhanced), by the
absence of all intoxicating beverages, we beg most re-
spectfully to solicit its insertion in au early number of
your valuable paper.

T. C. PREBBLE, Hon. Secretaries.
E. GRIFFITHS,
Royal Surrey Zoological Gardens, Aug. 7, 1851.
Sir,—lt gives me infinite pleasure to bear my
testimony to the conduct of the vast assemblage of
persons who thronged this establishment on Wed-
nesday last. In the first place, I think I am
right in stating that so large an assemblage was
never before congregated in a place of amusement; but
this I am certainly right in, that a more orderly and
decorous one I never beheld. I did not hear of a rob-
bery or quarrel, or even anything that was unpleasant,
a profane word never reached my ear. Now, Sir, when
you take into account the vast number (nearly 25.000),
this will appear (as it certainly is) a most remarkable
event, and one which reflects the highest honour on the
cause you advocate, as well as the general public; for
bear in mind that at least 8,000 persons did not belong
to the Teetotal Society.
Sincerely congratulating you on the success of your
exertions, I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
W. TYLER, Proprietor.
To Mr. W. Tweedie.

ARCH2EOLOGICAL DISCOVERY AT GREAT YAR.
MOUTIL—There is a tradition thut soon after the erection of
the fortifications at the south end of the town, near where
then stood the Blackfriars Priory, and acijoining one of the
towers, was the garden of a convent of nuns; that the Lady
Abbess while walking in this garden overheard four of the
monks talking, and one of them boasting of the familiarity
he had had with her; fearing that her reputation would be
destroyed, she determined to get rid of such dangerous wit-
ness4s ; she therefore poisoned the wine they were drinking.
They were seated at a table in the room of the tower, which
is still standing; they all perished; and the tradition pro-
ceeds to state they fell from their seats in the form of a cross,
thus t, and as they fell, so they were buried. The tower
belongs to Mr. George Danby Palmer, who has hitherto been
decidedly opposed to any search being made. But a few
weeks since, when in company with some gentlemen, the
conversation turning on the subject of antiquities, Mr. Jay,
of the Market-row, mentioned the above tradition, and Mr.
Palmer gave Mr. J. H. Harrison, who rents part of the pre-
mises, and a Mr. Blythe, a conditional leave to examine the
tower ; Mr. Harrison proceeded to remove the soil from the
lower chamber or cell of the tower, and very shortly came to
the top of a stone coffin lying in the direction north and
south ; the foot of another was soon uncovered, lying in the
; while the foot f a third was
angles;revidently proving that there are
directiondisceN discovered
atm
ri.7hutth to no north
four coffins lying foot to foot in the form of a cross. The
tops or lids are of Purbeck, with a double foliated cross, and
pediment of three steps.
To TELL THE NUMBER THAT ANY PERSON SHALL
bYd five, and give the, it being so far
product o
THINK OF, BE IT EVER SO GREAT.--Bid--Bidthe party double
them
refuse bothto
the number which he has fixed on in his mind; which done,
bid id hiul
(whichmultiply
b
above the number thought of), . from which, if you cut off
the last figure of the product (which will always be a cypher),
the number left will be that first thought upon. As, for
he willnever of
example, let the number thought of be 26, which, doubled,
makes 52 ; that multiplied by 5, produces 260 ; then, if you
take away the cypher which is
remain 26, the number thought of.—Family Economist.
~,
The sentence on Henry Groom, convicted at the
late Norwich assizes of the murder of John Ayton, at Holk-
ham, will not be carried out until the 16th instant, Saturdayr
next. The convict has fully acknowledged his guilt. The
convict Mary Cage, who was found guilty of poisoning her
husband at Stoneham Apsal, will be executed on the same
day at Ipswich.
RESTORATION OF THE SEPARATE SEE OF GLOU-
(2Es-11:Lt.—The petition for this object has been forwarded to
the Home Secretary, for presentation to her Majesty. Ap-
pended to it are the names of no fewer that IG9 of the paro-
chial clergy of the diocese of Gloucester, and 227 church-
wardens, besides which there are the signatures of a large
body of the nobility, magistrates, and resident gentry of the
county, making a total of more than 1,300 names. This
list might have been increased to a very large extent had
it been the desire of the promoters to display mere numbers;
they, however, confined the signatures to those only who
perfectly understood the object of the petition, and really-
felt the necessity for its prayer being granted.— Gloucester
Journal.

The Law Amendment Society of Glasgow have
appointed a committee to consider the best mode of begin-
ning the preparation of a report on a general scheme of
amalgamation of English and Scotch law.
The late Dr. Lingard has left his valuable library
t 9 St. Cuthbert's College, IJ§haw,—Lancaster Guardian.