The Sun.
London, England, 1804-04-03 00:00:00

THE FABLE.

In the eighth century of the Christian am, Pepin, King
of France, and father of Charlemagne, is supposed to have
given his sister, Belisanta, in marriage to Alexander, Empe-
ror of Constantinople, who reigned over the few Eastern
Provinces lett of what thrilled y belonged to the Roman Em-
pire. Beliaanta,. who was beautiful and virtuous, had-not
long been married ere her happiness was interrupted by the
presumption of a High Priest, her husband's bosom friend
and confidential favourite, whose ungrateful attempt to violate
his master's honour, in the person of the Empress, being
frustrated by her spirited and exemplary conduct, he deter-
mined to ruin the tharader, and destroy the domestic felicity -
of the woman whose virtue he could not subdue, With this
intention, he publicly accused the Empress of improper in-
timacy with a young nobleman of the court, whom he pre-
tended to have slain in the first transports of zeal for the
honour of his master, and by his influence procured so many
• witnesses who apparently corroborated his own false testi-
mony, that the Empress was condemned unheard, her preg-
nancy considered as an aggravating proof of her crime, and she
could only obtain, as a great favour from the Emperor, the
sentence of banishment, in mitigation of the doom of death,
which his first fury had passed upon her. Iq journeying to
her brother's court, attended only by a faithful page, the
unfortunate Empress was benighted in a wood near Orleans,
and while her attendant was absent in search of food and
shelter, her agony of mind hastened the births of Valentine
and Orson ; the latter of whom was carried away by a mon-
strous bear ; the frantic mother; impelled by maternal terror,
madly attempted to pursue the savage, but, fell insensible,
and was hidden by the surrounding thicket, hile her brother,
the King of France, accidentally passing that way while hunt-
ing, found the infant Valentine, ordered his attendants to
take care of him, and brought hint up as an adopted son.
The faithful servant of the Queen, ignorant of what had hap-
pened, returned at length, with a peasant's tvite ; they found
the unfortunate Belisanta still insensible; and conveyed her
to a cottage, front whence she afterwards repaired to a neigh-
bouring convent, and tosk the monastical vow, without ap-
prising the King of her situation, he having proclaimed his
abhorrence of her imaginary crime, declared his resolution to
consider her as dead, and ordered mass to be yearly performed
for her soul's health, as if she had actually been so. In the
mean time, Valentine became so great a favourite at court
that he excited the jealousy of all the King's relations, who
contrived to have him sent on every dangerous expedition,
from each of which he returned with increased honour anti
success ; and when arrived at the age of twenty, undertook to
attack a formidable wild man, who infested the forest of
Orleans, and proved to be his own brother, who instead of
being devoured by the hear was nursed anti reared by her, till
he in time was able to become the protector of his savage
f.ister. mother. Ity art and valour combined, Valentine over-
came the wild Man, and task hint front the forest alive ; the
latter he, perhaps, would never have accomplished, but for
the death of the bear, who expired with old age, and Orson,
as if by instinct, transferred his regard from her to his un-
known brother. The adventures of Orson at court were Wile,
as might be expetted from his untaught habits; he remained,
however, firmly attached to Valentine, and followed him
when he was sent to conquer Agramant, 3 Pagan Knight and
Sorcerer, who held as his captive, the daughter of tie Mike
of Aquitaine, and possessed a shield whicha until remtived
by a Prince who had never been nursed by worriani Wat desa
tined to preserve him from the arms of every oppontrita
Beare Valentine's departtl re, the King; in gratitude for thrmee
services, had promised Min the hand of his daughter Eglan-
tine, in marriage, and the Princess tearing the charms of
Floriinonda, in whose .arise Valentine was about to tight,
might weaken his adection tot herself, .nreceued him in dis-
guise to the Green Knignt's camp; where she was fortunately
preserved front death by the arrival or Valentine, who after
ineffectually opposing the pagan warrior, p.rinitted Orson to
attempt the combat : the talisman of the magic shield yield-
ed to the wild knight, he neing a Prince, though not nursed
by woman. The
_pagan was conquered by Orson, whose
rank was thustliscoeera and the genius Pacolet arriving on
a winged horse, dirreted Valentine to consult a golden oracle,
kept by the giant Ferragus, front which he learned the parti.
culars of his own origin, as well as that of Orson, who at the
same tittle was endowed with reason. A little before this pe-
riod the Emperor of Constantinople was undeceived. wish
regard to the supposed guilt of his Empress, by one whoa,
according to the custom of those times, challenged and van-
quished in single combat, the traitor who had abused his sove-
reign's ear, and confessed his crime with his dying breath.
"Pile Emperor had also learned his Queen's existence and
concealment, and arriving at the Court of King i'epin at the
moment w hen Valentine and O rson were consulting the golden
head ; he was reconciled to his injured Partner, and acknoss -
hedged his Children : Valentine was presented with the hand
of his Cousin Eglantine, and Orson married to-the Princess
Florimonda of Acquitaine. whose safety and Iloilo& he had
preserved front the tyrannic violence of the Green Knight.
[The Charaders of this Piece the Play-bill in our first
Page announces].
'This Ballet is certainly one of the most splendid
things of the kind which has been seen in the pre.
sent age of theatrical Magnificence. The Story
is well expanded and diversified wi:h sufficient in.
terest. The scenery is rich and beautiful, and the
whole is likely to become a very attradive Piece to
the Public in general: The merit of construding
this grand 4peaade is to be attributed to FARLEY,
who perfortned the part of Falcntine with great
activity and eff'ec't. Dußois entered into the
savage character of Orson with great spirit,
and displayed a suitable degree of strength,
and agility. His figure, however, is by no mans
powerful enough in appearance to impress the mind
with the terrific ideas which he is supposed to
excite. Some shaggy covering, we conceive, might
be contrived to render him more formidable in aspect.
The Prosesions, the Palaces, the Forest, the
Castles and all the various scenery constitute, as we
have said, a very striking and magnificent exhibi.
tion. There is too much fighting, particularly as
the PUblic have far many years been accustomed to
contests of this kind in every similar speetacle. We
do not however objea to that contest in which
Mrs. Sr. LEGER is engaged when she has assumed
the armour of lialen4ine. She acquitted- herself ad-
mirably, and fought like a Queen of the Amazsns.
It would have been much better, in our opinion,
if the whole had been in dumb-show,. except as to
singing, to.r it seems ridiculous to hear the charac-
ters uttering dialogue one mitmte, and the next ex-
pressing themselves only in gesture. But as the
Public taste in general is composed of various inclh.
nations, the piece altogether will probabffy gratify
more by this very incongruity.
The Managers. have not been merely liberal in
the style in which the Piece has beno brought lei-
wand ; they have been*ite prodigal in attempting
to indulge the Public with a speaacic of uncom-
mon splendour.
The Music was composed by Mr. Jouve. It is
highly- animated, and very well adapted to all the.
changes in the passions and incidents throughout
the representation.
The scenery is very creditable' to the talents of
Messrs. RICHARDS, PHILLIPS, WHITM(JRE, HOL-
LOOAN, and their assistants. Considering the va-
riety and complication of this piece, it was perform-
ed last night with surprizing accuracy.
The House was crowded, and the Ballet was' re.
ceived with very great applause.