The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-15 00:00:00

T URKE Y.

The Hungarian emigrants from Shumla arrived at
Constantinople on the Gth, en route for England.
The Porte provides them with provisions for the
voyage, and has given to each of them in addition the
sum of 300 piastres.

PRIVATE THEATRICALS.
ROYAL SOHO THEATRE (LATE MISS
KELLY'S).

A crowded and fashionable audience, among whom
we noticed several of the most illustrious nota-
bilities of the literary and artistic world, assem-
bled at this theatre last evening, for the purpose
of witnessing the performance of Mrs. Centlivre's
comedy of The Busy Body, followed by Richard
Jones's admirable farce of Too Late for Dinner. And
here we must pay honour due to the consummate tact
of the gentleman who adapted The Busy Body for the
performance of last evening. To those at all con-
versant with our dramatic literature, to those even
who are merely acquainted with it, from the common
stage version of our acting plays, it must ap-
pear a task of almost insuperable difficulty
to adapt the comedy of The Busy Body for
an amateur performance ; yet this task the adapter in
the present instance has performed, and performed so
admirably, that while not a single phrase, or incident,
or allusion is retained which could for a mo-
ment offend the most fastidious, yet so ad-
mirably is the whole dovetailed together that
it would be impossible for any person who had not
compared it with the original version to discover
where the cuttings had taken place. The following
prologue, written by Mr. W. C. Kent, who, in the
comedy sustained the character of Marplot, was de-
livered with admirable emphasis and propriety by
Miss Sullivan, in the character of Patch :
Prince Hamlet tells us that " the Play's the thing
With which he'll catch the conscience of the King."
New-fangled projects speak new language, since
A sight's the thing with which we'll please the Prince.
Yet we'll combine them both: a Play shall be
The Exhibition of our Industry.
True that with us no wondering eye can mark
A crystal palace in a London park.
Yet from its rivalry we clear may pass—
Few hurling stones who live in halls of glass,
No foreign aid our native arts supply—
On England's drama native hearts rely.
Not ours the stage translating tact arrays
With borrowed plots, and ill-adapted plays;
A willing produce of soil is ours,
Culled from our garden of dramatic flower.
What needs the nation of SHAKSPERE'S teaching rules,
With learning bartered in Parisian schools?
What needs the muse great DRYDEN loved to praise,
With withered garlands of imported bays?
For us suffice the more than lavish spoil
Our bards have conjured from the midnight oil;
The fruits of more than Academic taste,
By genius squander'd o'er the social waste.
Thus rare in excellence of form and hue
The shape our Author's radiant fancy drew,
When in the masterpiece that graced her name
She sealed her passport to the realms of fame.
While once the humour of a hundred books
Seemed smiling thro' CENTLIVRE'S COMIC looks,
Still in the aspect of her quaintest work,
Congenial merriment and laughter lurk;
Still in her " Busy Body," reason tells
The Busy Spirit of her frolic dwells. .
Forgive then, freely, should our acting fail
In all to realize the jocund tale.
While lenient smiles support our aim to please,
Yield us—attention! and we'll—stand at ease.
Nor make our play, but seen in starts and snatches—
'Tis Patch that speaks—a thing of " shreds and patches."
The following was the cast of the comedy :
Sir Francis Gripe ... Mr. KENT.
Sir Jealous Traffic ... A GENTLEMAN.
Sir George Airy ... A GENTLEMAN.
Marplot ... Mr. W. C. KENT.
Charles ••• ... Mr. BULLER.
Whisper ••• ... Mr. E. MORRIS.
Miranda ••• •.. Mrs. J. ARNOULD.
Isabinda ••• ... Miss KENT.
Patch ... Miss SULLIVAN.

In noticing the performance of amateurs, it is
generally considered necessary to make certain al-
lowances, but Mr. Kent stands not in need of any
such ; his Sir Francis Gripe would have done credit
to the boards of any metropolitan theatre—it
possessed all the artistic finish of Farren's perform-
ance of the part, without his hardness, joined to the
rich unctiousness of Munden, without his vulgarity ;
and when we consider that this same gentleman
rattled through the part of Frank Poppleton, in the
farce, in a style of effervescent buoyancy which
seems to have departed from the professional stage
with poor Wrench, we are almost tempted to regret
that a gentleman gifted with such versatility and such
capability does not adopt the stage as a profession. The
gentleman who performed Sir Jealous Traffic made
an excellent testy old man, and Mr. W. C. Kent as
Marplot was most amusingly fidgetty, prying, and
restless ; the scene in which he attempts to
bully Sir Jealous was excellently acted.
Next to the Sir Francis of Mr. Kent perhaps the
most admirable performance in the comedy was that
of Miss Sullivan, as Patch ; this young lady
possesses every requisite for success on the stage, her
voice is clear, her articulation distinct, and her acting
full of spirit ; we know no actress of the pre-
sent day who could have performed Patch
more admirably than she performed it last
evening. Mrs. J. Arnould made a most
espiegle Miranda, and Miss Kent an interesting Isa-
banda. She dressed the character with a correctness
which is not always found even on the professional
boards, and she looked and acted the high-spirited
Spanish beauty to the life. At the conclusion of
the comedy the following epilogue, written by
Mr. W. C. Kent, was spoken by himself in excellent
style. Every hit and every pun told, and told most
effectively :
Well said, Sir Jealous. Now here's peace restored,
Both wine and wit should crown the social board ;
And beauteous features be the flowers at least,
And smiles the sunshine of the friendly feast.
In then, elated with our dear bought joy—
Life needs the soffning cup as gold th' alloy.
But first a generous pardon here I'll ask,
Ere mad Thalia doffs her comic mask
To don the quainter guise the farce requires
In its broad contrast of burlesque attires.
Let not your kindness with our drama cease,
Nor war begin, because we end our peace.
For other claims upon your grace we bear,
And hope a cordial round may make all square ;
Sanguine that hands like yours may yet requite
Our harmless pastime for a winter's night.
For his deep laughter, and voluptuous cheer,
We loved old Christmas; aye, we held him dear:
And oft by rattling hail his reign we knew,
And by soft kisses knew his mistletoe.
Still the red berries of the bristling bough
Show us the year's true holidays are now.
Still rhyme and reason gild the festive time,
In pies the " raisin," and in frost the " rime."
And still the motley pantomime displays
The shifts of life in many wondrous ways.
Changes as striking, on the boards we'll bring,
And trust applause may make our changes ring.
Odd and fantastic though their breadth will prove,
Its very oddity to mirth may move.
Frank Gripe, no longer to his " chargy" true—
A capering miser [dances,]" and a wise one too"
Will cease his laughter—to appear again
As gay Frank Poppleton, with " seven's the main"—
Fingering the ribbons with a sprightly grace,
And driving tandem (yehup), to the cogs apace.
Whisper, with stealthy tread, no more shall help
My Lady Lovepuppy to find her whelp.
But as Nick Twill shall give his vit the suing,
And find, dear heart ! a vag is quite " the thing." '
Gay Sir George Airy, leaving Hymen's track,
No more on lady fair shall turn his back.
But as poor Fumet, seine pomme de terre I
Bring in de carte, [ha, ha,] voila de bill of fare.
Marplot shall pry no more—l mean myself—.
Nor bid men-monkeys break the clattering delft
But as Bob Rafter—clang my wigs, I'll try
To moind the house for maister bye-and-bye.
Yet stay—l wonder what they're at justno I
I'll run and see—first having made my bow,
For what's being done be sure I long to tell,
So off—with one kind parting word—FAREWELL!
The principal characters were called on at the con-
clusion of the epilogue, and bouquets and crowns
showered upon them. Then followed the farce of
Too Late for Dinner with the following cast :
Frank Poppleton ... Mr. KENT..
Frederick Poppleton .. Mr. BULLER.
Mr. Nicholas Twill ... Mr. E. Moan's.
Mr. Pincroft .. A GENTLEMAN
Robert Rafter .. ... Mr. W. C. KENT.'
Monsieur Fumet
Snip (a Tailor) ... • A GENTLEMAN.
Mrs. Thompson .. ••. Mrs. J. ARNOULD
Miss Emma Somerton ... Miss KENT.
Miss Elizabeth Pincroft... Miss SULLIVAN.
Letty .•• .. •.• A YOUNG LADY.
Of the Frank Poppleton of Mr. Kent we have already
spoken ; Mr. Buller as the steady brother Fred.,
wa the very picture of demureness; Nicholas Twill,
by Mr. E. Morris, was a glorious piece of cockney
vulgarity ; rich and unctions in his humour, I Mr.
E. Morris threw into the character such an
expression of most intense self-satisfaction
as made it gloriously rich and amusing ;
there was something quite Listonian about him.
Mr. W. C. Kent hit off the character of the sharp
York'hireman admirably, and Mrs. J. Arnould, as
old Mrs. Thompson, was excellent. The pieces were
excellently put on the stage, and altogether the per-
formances went off with great spirit.
Amongst the company present we observed Sir E.
L. Bulwer Lytton, Marquis da Via, Lady Con-
greave's family, Commissioner Fonblanque, Major
Smyth, Major Berre, Captain Broadhead, R.N.,
lion. Captain and Mrs. King, Captain Kent, R.N.,
J. Wyld, Esq., M.P., Mrs. Loudon and family, Miss
Jewry and party, Messrs. Harrison Ainsworth,
Albert Smith, Gilbert A'Beckett, George Cruikshank,
Bunn, Chorley, Hullah, Odovvd, Timbs, M. G. Leon,
Dowling, Wigan, Poole, R:A., &c. &c.