The Sun.
London, England, 1832-02-21 00:00:00

IfTirpTyG INTELLICENCT7-(TIM DAY,

FROM LLOYD'S,

pLymount, ttas. 19.—WindE.2—Arrived tEe Espe—
mnre, Garde, from Buenos Ayres. Sailed the Orestes
,ransport.

FI-a.mourtt, Fin. 19.—Wind E.—Passed by t/.,
Buckinghamshire, Glasspsiol, and Waterloo. Blaksley, from
China, sailed the 21st of October, and St. Helena the a-tl:
ult., being one month earlier than usual. The outward-
bound bad arrived previous to the sailing of the Bucking.
hamshire and Waterloo.

DARTMOUTH, FEE. 18.—Arrived off port, the Exporter,
Anvyl, from the Mauritius, sailed the Ist of Nov,mber.
Livißrorm, FEE. 19.—Arrived the Majestic, Lawson,
from Bombay, sailed the 23d of September, and from St,
Helena the 12th of December.
Dovxm, FEB. 20.—Arrived the Eliza Jane, Findlay,
from the Mauritius, sailed the 3d of November, and the
Cape of Good Hope the 29th of November.
STA NDGATE CAE LK. FEE. 20.—Arrived the London,
Whiltman, from Alexsodria.
GREENOCK, FEE 18.-Arrived the Osprey, Salmon,
from Charleston.
Arr.'

_..rrived off the Wight, the Athens, Hoop-r, from
Havannah ; and Eliza, Wheatland, from Mitanzi..
The Forager, Mitchell, from London, ha• arrived at
Jamaica.

Arrived at 11Prnauds previous to the 10th ult., the
Arthur, Donnell, from New York, bound to Madeira, dis-
t:l:asted, and part of her cargo thrown overboard,

KING'S THEATRE.

(OMITTED YESTF.RDAT RF YIISTAKEO
ROSSINI'S Othello was performed at this theatre on
Saturday night, for the purpose of introducing Madame
LA CONTF:S9A LAztSE,in the character of the heroine
Les
dimona. This lady who, we understand, on this occasian,
made her first appearance on any stage, was received on
er entrance situ great applause, and was indeed fivour.
ably listened to throughout. But it is not to be denied
or conceale I, that she possesses few qualities requisite foe
prima donna; her voice is nit ;ranting in sweetness or
flexibility, but it is occasionally thin and wiry, and nit of
sufficient power to fill a house like the King's theatre. in
the third act, which is a peculiarly trying one, she failed,
at least in comparison with her c.-lebrated predecessors,
PASTA, SoNTAO, and MALIBRAN, in that character. The
subordinate part of Emilia was well performed by Signnra
ALBERTINI, who, in such performances, will, no doubt,
prove an acquteiti -n to the theatre. WINTER was il,e
Othello of the evening, end went through his p ire wilt
infinite spirit an-I propriety. The house was well at.
tended, and late in the evening much crowded.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE,

A translation or an adaptetion, or whakever other name
it may he called, of MAYEMZELR's Opera, Robert le
Diable was last night brought out at this theatre, tinder
the title of the Damon ; or, the Mystic Branch. The
original opera has created an extraordinary sensation at
Peril, greater even than Der Frieschutz, where it had
the advantage of TAGLIONI'S first-rate dancing, and the
choicest musical abilities. The piece as played here, opens
with an assemblage of knights in eight of Palermo, whi-
ther they are led by the hope of distinguishing thems. Ives
in the tournament held by the king of Sicily, in which
he victor is to Ise rewarded with the hand of the Princeee.
Robert Duke of Normandy (Mr. Woon) is among the
knights ; he has seen and inspired the Princess with a
passion for him, in which he has been aaled by Bertram
(Mr. PHILLIPS, his diernon-father. Reimbant (Mr.
TE3it'LLTON), a Norman Minstrel, arrives, accompanied
by Alice (Mrs. 'Woof)), Robert's foster-sister, who has
been commissioned by his neither. her death heti, t,
caution him against the evil attempts of the fiend. The mit.
etrel being commanded to give a proof of his art, canton s
1 a ballad in which the story of the Duke's supernta
coral origin is told. This provokes the anger of ti e
Duke, from which the minstrel is saved by the it t
position of Alice, whom Robert commissions to rear a
letter from him to the Prince:is. At Bertram', instigae
riots Robert then challenges the Sitiiiian Knights to play.
The dice are brought. Robert loses all, even to hie horse
and arms, and then repairs to the Princess. Abee
bus
already insured him a gracious reception ; the Princess
Isabella frankly confesses her love for him, and encourages
him to encounter his rival, the Prince of Granada,
whom her father favours. Here again Bertram's Luis_
chi vous agency is exerted. He conjures up aph stitoin in
the likeness of the Prince of Granada, who &Bea
Robert to mortal combat instead of the mock fight of the
tournament, and invites him to follow to the :crest.
Robert accepts the chall. nge, is led by the sprieht to a
thick woad, where it vanishes, and tie scene, suddenly
opening. displays the lists in which Robert sees his real
I rival triumphant. This scene is very effective, and is one
of the happiest hate of the whole representation. In the
second act Bertram corruuta Alice's lover, Rlimbaut,
awhi 1 echhoenii waitin
go
ntosr,
h..descendsßobert,s a
nd becia'v'gertn to l►ythen
sumniuned
structions from the Prince of Darkness. The ma-
nagement of the light in this *tittle is elate edit/L.ly
skilful, and the scene itself beautitully painted. Alice
enters soon afterwards, and nut finding her lover,
looks into the cavern, where she sees enough to frighten
tier, and as Bertram returns, she takes refuge at the loot
of a cross. .Robert enters in despair at his rival's triumeh,
and, notwithstanding the remonstrances of Alice, who
seeNthe cloven foot of Bertram Hoist di rectal, listens to
his proposition that he shall repaie to the ruined cemetery
of the Aithey of Saint Resale, where he may posses- him-
self of the mystic branch in the hand of the Saint, with
which I/treatise, promises him he may obtain his mis-
trees's hand, and be revenged upon his rival. A thick finr
covers the scene, and upon its being rernovei, the cemetery
is discovered by moonlight, filled with the nimble tombs
of the departed nuns. This scene, which is copied Hann
that in the opera at Paris, is admirably painted, and the
light so introduced, that tee effect is equal to any thing of
the kind, as a mere scenic representation. that has ever
Leen txhiitited here. By the spells of _Bertram the dead
nuns quit their tombs anti become slowly reanimated.
With their returning lite their passions and te, Hugs revive,
and on the entrance af Robert they atzempt, by their
blandishments, to lure him into the commissimi ot unpar-
donable sins. At length he seir,e the branch, tit, se nuns
are discamtitted, lie departs, and they console thetnselves
with a dance, until the spoeararice of a grim 'pears.,
representing Death, remands them to their tombs, In
the third act Robert tries the ,fleet of his magic butt .h
upon the Prince-are cams ht r attendants into a trance, and
might bear off Isabella, but his heart fail, ;he re-
nouncts the, aid of magic, breaks his branch, the s ell
loses its hold, and for his pains he is meizen y the guards.
He escapes and flies to a sanctuary. Bertram oissuroies
him from entering the church ; urges loin to contract for
the sale of his soul to the evil one, and produce a sued
written, as ruin a deed shuul i be, uetin black parchment
with red letters. Rabe-et he,itare, _Bertram, to confirm
his wavering resolutions avows him-elf to be his father
and a fiend, and Robert, unable to resist taus appeal to
his filial affection, is about to comply. when Alice ewers
and reads him a disuse from his another's wag, vrhich
iu,el)ll the balance oi his thoughts in favour of his own
soul ; and he is conrritieti by the itrelligetice she lozenge
hits that his rival, this -Vince of Granada, cannot enter
the church, aria that Isabella is waiting there to be
'named. All this occupies so much time, that Bertram,
has out-stayed his hour, and the demons come to retch
him. He is borne away in fitment, while the scene open-
ing discovers the'ehurch, with the bride and her cariege
waiting far a husband, in which character Robert is received.
The opera was remarkably well played, and the scenery
on the whole remarkable for its grandeur and magatifi-
cence. Mr. PRILLIPS, as the Deemn.,, produced tali 1,
usual effect, and Mrs. 'Wren) exerted herself with mere
than usual energy. Miss FANNY" AYTON sung aweetly,
but not in time, a defect which we trust she will remetti.
With regard to the music, though it certainly deaeleest
praise, yet as certainly it is not Mayerbeer'e. It lacks the
dramatic, skill of the original, and is too much a ;h rig of
a .terle and patches, reminding us at one moment " as with
a difference"of Weiser, and the next et Spolir anil Ho s hi.
The Demon chorus was, however, highly ffective, acid
both Mrs. WOOD soil PHILLUS took care that s vt•ry air
entrusted to them should Nil with the audience. The
chief defects of the piece ar , first, its heavine-s, secondly,
the bad taste of, *letting a pare- I of dead nuns capering about
an Abbey like so many dancing opera girls. In Parts this
defect was more endurable, because the dancing there was.
exquisite,—here it is rely so-so, and only has the effect of
producing laughter. However, the opera is a clever tate.
and so far as seeing is concerned, sup, rb in tt e extreme,
and was received with flip approbation by the most
crowded audience we have seen this season.