The Sun.
London, England, 1803-02-21 00:00:00

THE THEATRE.

uty. Lane.

A new oPeiatical Draniai which has been some
time in preparation at this Theatre, Was brought
forth on Saturday last, under the title of The Hero of
the North. 1 •

DRAMATIS titittorrt.
Gustavus Vasa - - - Mr. l'opr.
Cashnir Rubenski - - Mr. Witouottrpt.t.
Carlowiti
DE CAMP.
brennomar
Sigismund of Calmar - Mr. K
Gabriel, . . Mr. DOWTON..
112,lrcoff
Irvin . - • - . Mr. Sencuotcx.
Vilitzki
Nydortf . - - Mr. GRIMALDI.
Basalstem . . . Mr. GlaerNs.
Princess Gunikla - Mrs. You No.
Santa Michelwina . RLO I: •
f rederiut Itlbenski - - . Mrs. Mou NrA IN.
Yanlina . . Miss MENAGE.
,4.lexa
Ulrica . . - Miss TYRE*.
Chorus etWarriors, Priests and Miners.
Chorus of Nuns and Swedish Matrons.

4

the Hero of this Piece is the celebrated Gustavus Vasa,
whose name will for ever be held in veneration by his Coun-
trymen. After-an unsuccessful attempt to assert his right
to the Crown of Sweden, in battle; Gustavus, in order to
escape tromthe rage and stratagems Of his triumphant enemy,
has buried himself in impenetrable seclusien.
The Piece
opens at this period, anti the first seem: represents the inside
of a collage belonging to N.larcoff, a-Loyal Nlinee, who resides
in the Provinee'of I)alecarlia. Sean after sonic travellers
without doors beg to be sheltererEfroin the severity ofa snow
storm. They are admitted, entl:seinn •tohe an aged peasint
and his daughter. In a taw monies a shout is heard, and it
appearstilat Carlowite, the Governor of the Province, with
a largf, retinue, is in pursuit of these humble travellers.
Marcolf had listened to the anxious entreaties of the latter,
and concealed them in a private closet. The • Governor first suipects that Marcoll has concealed -the. fugitives, as
they were traced through the snow to his cottage. He how-
ever deceives the. Governor, and sends him iipon a false scent
in pursuit of them. The fugitives prove to be the Casimir
Rubenski, a Martial Noblemen, in the interest of Gustavus,
and his daughter, Frederica, of Whom Gustavus is deeply
enamoured. Mareoff is therefore highly delighted in finding
that he has been instrumental in preserving tle livesof those
• who, are dear to his lawfUl Prince. As, however, it would
.not have been safe for Casimir and his daughter to remain in
the cottage, Mareplfleads them into the mines to :Mimi them
a secure shelter: a stranger ofa dignified demeanor, and ap-
, perently• very unhappy, had prevtuuslY obtained the same
shelter. This swinger is soon discovered to be Gustavus,
who having -reason to rely on the fidelity of the Miners, re..
veals himself. They are all. in hit favour, and prepare to
join with other friends, who, according to the tidings of
Casimir, are ready
.to take the field again in support. of
their Sovereign. • It is necessary, however, in the first
instance, that stratagem should be. put in praetice, and
as the (;overnor is or en: amorous disposition, and has
made some gallant advances towards Alexa, the wifeal Mar-
t:off, she is counselled to *tend to make an assignation with
the Governor, who promises to send all his guards to a re-
mote place, and to open the gate for her himself. While
these matters. are in train, Sigisinund of Calmar, another
Noble Chieftain, who is in the interest of Gustavus, and.
betrothed to the Princess Gunilda, sister of the latter. pur-
sues her in the habit ofa Pilgrim. The Princess Gunilda is
going to take the veil, td 'Order of the usurping power in
Sweden, and-the. aweful ceremony is to be perfOrmed in the
Convent of Si. Cellerine's.,- on the day that Sigismund ar-
rives at that place. By the assistance of Gabriel, the Gar-
'dener of the Convent, to whom the Princess had shown great
I►utnanityy dtvinghis,sickiiess, the lovers are brought together,
end the 'meets it conveyed out of the Convent. They arc,
however, unfortwittly intercepted by the guards. of Car.
lowitz, and carried to tl,e Castle. Alexa attends her ap-
pointment .With: the Governor, and while the latter is en,-.
gaged in amorous parley with her before his Castle, iMar-
cuff, anti the Martial Miners, steal into it, and a conte.d.soon
follows, in which the forces of Gustavus victorious.
,I3rennomar, an officer of the Governor, determines to hold
out to the last and having secured himself from the imme-
diate pursuit Gustavus, by raising the draw-bridge tvhilrh
divides one pari of tide Castle from the other,. bids defiance
to the latter: • Gutravits, after a vain. exhortation to this
man, orders his Troops to scale•the walls.. M this moment
.Brennornar presents the Princess Gunilda, who is in his
.power, and threateni to kill- her as soon as Gustavus Com-
tnences .the assault. • In • this interesting Moment Gustavus
pauseS,. ands-cans. inclined to withdraw his forces in order
to preserve his sister. Princess, with , the most
heroic loyalty, fortifies the :resolution of her brother, and
is on the •point of 'being sacrificed, when the Governor is
brought forward. Seoroing to owe any advantage to the de-
stud ion ofa helpless Woman, the latter orders Brennomar
to give up the Princess. Gustavus, struck by this •ael of
generosity, •olligs to decide the contest singly with the Go.
yernore,in order to avoid the destruction or the forces on both
sides,_ -by arenewal of the battle. The Governor is alf.te:led
by this ark- of hetaid. condescension, and a sense of loyalty
itupetit him to fall on his knees and acknowledge his right. .
ful•ll,lonarch. The Piece then, of course, concludes, with
the happiness of the )(wets, and the accession of Gititiisus to
the Throne of Sweden.. •

The author of this Piece, according to report, is
Mr. Drmotin, jun, a Son of Mr. DiMOND who has
long been respected for hiA theatrical ability, and
the judgMent anti -gcneral.propriety with which. he
has eonduaed himself as Manager of the Theatres
at Bath and Bristol.

Mr. DIMOND, jun. in very early life, displayed
favourable omens of poetical genius, and dim are
many proofs of that genius in the Piece before us.—
In chusing GUSTAVUS, VASA, as the hero of his
r!aY, he has, with the ardent spirit of youth, fol.
lOwed the track, and, in some degree, entered the
lists with Mr. Eitooice, who many years ago pro.
duced a Tragedr under the name of that Hero,
which fell a sacrifice to the political prejudices of
the times, but which abounds in passages of high
poetical merit. .

Though we cannot speak much o►t the dramatic
stratum of the) prisent Piece, in point of origi-
malt).* yet we mat fairly say that it possesses strong
merit in point of intereary The events are bug.
pended in such a manner, as powerfully to arrest
the feelings. In fact, we may consider this Piece
as a dramatic pastittio, Some of the incidents may

to tf eet in RiAtlnt Came tie in. itLige
Belrade,inLodoilia) in The Iron Chet(, and even in
Peet l'irg Torn ; for the Manlier in which Meli-cof takes
the mobey which the Governor is going to: present
to sAfexa, is a counterpatt of what happens. bet Ween
the, amorous Major of doeciently, Toni, andpetty
Maude.
Bur, though, we can discover many
.POints of re.
semblance between Tre Hero of the ArOrth and seve-
ral well-knoWn Pitces, yet we are ready to ac.
knowledge, that our young Bard has worked up his.
materials into a striking, and affening whole He'
has, however,. missed some opportunities of im.
proving the interest of his Produdion. For in.
stance, he should not have discovered Gusta,vut, in
the mine, till he was drawn forward by the voice of
his Mistress. By this means, Frecier;ca might have
nuarbied her song without the awkwardness attend.
ant, upon Guiravui, who stands behind, and is
,ob.
lilted to wait the uncertainty of an encore, and the
interview would then have been more surprising to
themselves, and mott'affeaing to the audience:
If Frederica, too, .had been the intended vidlini
on the rampart, GIIJIRVIIS would have been exposed
to a more severe trial of his feelings. Other points
werould mention that admit of improvernent, though
we confess that all such incidents have been em-
ployed over and over again in the way we have
suggested. -

thatavfts is by no means sufficiently important in
the Piece, and the Governor's charader; from a
mean worthless tyrant, willing to abuse his duty in
order to gratify his passions, undergoes a most itn.
probable change in the last scene.
However, with all the resemblances, and with
all its imperfections, it is a Piece very honourable to
the talents of a young Author:—.The -sentiments' are,
sometimes elevated and noble, the di lion elegant
and vigorous, and the imagery highly poetical.
The aCting was on the whole 'very good. POPE
made as much of his pact as it admitted. 13ANNIs-
, YE tt,. is the.sctious and lighter passages of Afaree,
exhibited great matit. Mrs. YovN4 sung .plea.
singly, and gave st.roog circa to the part of. Gil-
Mrs. MOUNTAIN, though unaccustomed to
the heroic Drama, acquitted herself very well in
the asting, and admirably in the singing. KELLY
deserves commendation on the same gtounds. RAY.
OIoND was very respeaable in the repulsive part of
'the Governor ; and Wltouotriont displayed nature
and feeling in the venerable Riebtltrii. DOWTON,
in the Old Gardreer, was a *mixture of QUICIC3
and St/ries general manner, With a cast of Fa,w-
CETT, in Adam Winterlog. However, the Olio
was divoiing. Mrs. flu" Sung charmingly,
*and her acing was 1)04 unworthy of praise.
r.The 00Etture is of the martial kind, grand arid
impressive. The Music is partly the cornposi.
Ilioo of kEt.cv, and, partly setieled. It is very
tkeditalge to his talerw, and what he has the
nterit of,wrnposing, stands firmly in competitiun
with what he has derived'from other plastery.
'the scenery is varied, beautiful andmagnifieent.
Among the mast striking are lMtreof's Cottage,
the Gmernor's Castle, the interior of • the Castle,
the Cmvent, Hied the Chura, as well as the awful
exeavationsof the mines,
The House was ai full as posiible ; "and though a
- ludicrous instance or ttvo excited the risible feelings
of, the audience, the Piece, on the' whole, was
very well received, arid
.sal)4l.4ollCd :.with general
applause on the c,onclusinth
The following ita specimen oflthePoetry, which,
on the whole, much excels the ordinary tare of
such composition:.

.t.---('KEl.i.v). •
A n ! should my love in fight be sLin,
I neer could My' Woe,
This stricken heart would burst with pain,
Yet no distraction
This 14itliful eye no tear would shed,
~ This lip betray no sigh,
iihOuld but hear my love was dead,
[oat bless his name, and die.

Then should the trumpet wake thy ze.ll,
Dear youth, guantweit.thy
ThO'for thyselfthoucarest not feel,
Yet, oh preserve thy wits !
For bk.: the grgfted flower.thxt I:mds

Seim!kr
That storm whicu ou the tme ties.;ends,
• ' Must breathe a ficuAle doom

SONG—GAitititt..•(Kat.Lv).
.On, when i was young.how I kihed and 1.
The lasses,' sweet creatures, my time quite employ%
1 wrote them such posies,. •
'flout sweet 1)1'44 3114 roseas
when dancing, their pride was with me to be seen
Thu' now run to seed,
Arid and etill'd an old weed,
Yet I do 35 I pleas*,
Still enjoy in' heart's C3so,
And.contented I know I m an old evergreen.
Shut up in this. place as Ova'. under a frame, •
My trunk remains firm, yct my sap an't the 52111C*,
There's not a day passes, •
But all the young ietSSCS,
Like ivy Cling round me where ever I 'tit seen
• Thee grown somewhat
• My heart's not yet cold,
I'm as blythe and as gay,
As a daisy in May,
And my love fur,the wenches remains evergreen.

The Cabieet, though so often repeated, att ra4led
a very numerous audience to COvent.Garden Thea.
tre on Saturday, anti the. Piece is so ~veil recom.
mended by the acting, the music, and the singing,
that it is likely to retain its popularity through the
season,

KANIIILIC,.on his return from Madrid, Met Lord
and Lady llott.A.No. at Valencia, Who would "not
suffer him to lodge at the Hotel, but assigned him
apartments in their own house, anit induced' tim to
stay at that place a week longer titan he intended.
Near five hundred persons were some time since
colleited to an exhibition at Malden, in America,
when the floor, unequal to the support -01 SO great 4
concourse, gave way, and the whole company Wail
ptecipitatcd into the cellar. Several persons were
killed; and fifty had fraetured
The French are very politic in staring that the
'Epidetnit: Disorder now prevalent m Parts does not
aff.:et Foreigners. What 'should exempt Foreigners:
frot; the contagion it is difficult to say ; but it Fo.
reigners 'were to he apprehensive of its fatal efreas,.
they would of course hurry away from the pestilence
with all posible speed, 'and patriotically spend the
remainder of their -casliin their respcdiee coutmieS,
RFAMMAIR'S Thermometer was at 7 degrees on
the izth instant, at pads. :the Lieu day it rose
to 40.

f ;
LAIP p4porr•

Cot, t' or RING's BENCIt, Fitt, 4).

`SITTINGS istF,kF. LORD Atttilao:lntinll AliD A srrcf

JURY, W. WtSIMIN3t ali•ItAL 1.

COAL i*RAI3E.
IVARiEI, QUI TAM; SANDtItSOII.

. .
THIS was an Action to rect/et the Penalty nf
)601. igainsi the Defendant; for haVing sold two
Chaldron of coals, and undertaken to deliver theft}
by Pool Measure', Whereas. the Ware delivered two
buihels'and two pecks short of filth quantity ; tyst),.,
it .:4'.vas contended; on the part of the Plaintiff`, Mr,'
the words Of the Aft or Patliainent being general,
if Tiny person should. Sell;
.and Undertake to deliver
by Pool MeaSure, any quantity of Coals, even
though the Contrio was. short of half a ictire; the
penalty attached for delitrerirt short .of the quantity
contraded for ':—but if appeared by the evidence of
the .Witness called on behalf of the Plaintiff, tha;
the Contrad, in. this vie, was for the Delivery of
two Chaldrun; Pool Measure, or. Wharf Measure;
13 Sacks to the Chaldron, ~at the, option-9f the De,
fendant, and thererore,ai die Plaintiff's Declaratictri
was; that the Defendant had undertaken to deliver
these Coals by Nol Measure, .
Lord ELLehttiottoitnii said; that the Plaintiff
must be.nonsuited, becatise the 'Declaration stated
one Contrad, and the evidence proved' anotheria—!.
Whether the penalty sued for here, attached tom,.
quantity less than five Chaldron, his Lordship did not
give an opinion it was Clear that in this case, thet
Plaiotifrtrust be nonsuited.
Plaititiffnonsulted.

613SCtge, PLI3LITATiONS.
Tai XIVC AARTAkit.
This was a Prosecution instituted by the Society
for the Suppression of Vice and Immorality, against
the Defendant; Baptista Bertetel, an Italian itiner-
ant 'Print and Bookseller, fer publishing very ob:s
scene and infamous Prints, and a rennin kook, of
the Most scendaloui natpre, the title of. whiOVie
supptesi, the tendency of which is most MischieVoins
to the tieing generation. . . -
Mr. GArtnow opened the cast for the Piosecti:.
tion,' in the course of which he observed, that this
cause was the most important he ever knew in
Court of, Justice, on, account of the 144 it might
have on the Society in which we lived. Those wht
attacked the Constitution under whiele we had the
,happiness to live, were very just objeds of the'
punishMent of the law; but they were almost tams.
cent in comparison with such persons as the be:.
tendant, whose trade was to debauch the Youth of
both sexes, by the:publication of Prints and Books,,
representing scenes which never existed in nature,
and which tended to the disappointment of out.
creation: So infamous Were these publications, that
the very nameeof them were ekisonous; the liars
mention of which 140,1ot:ed. Inca ttlble Mischiefs
because it operated as an Advertisement, by Which
the thoughtless And the giddy, learnt where these
infamous things itere to be pitrehased ; 4i this wars
th'objets} of skit persons, as the_ Defendant ; for
these reasons he hoped tihat those who ccuntnunicat.
ed, and itsefelly
.‘446inicated, to the Public,
through the nieditun of. Newillapers,. ateounts of
the Proceedings of Courts of Justice, wopld abstain
front stating.any thing by which it might lie krilmh
wliere, or how; these poisonous works might ho
obtained:--to keep them at little known as possible,
and, in the ends tp drive them outrof Society Oro.,
gether; if possible, was the objea of ,the. SoCitry
which he lead the honour to represent. They had
been extremely ae)ive in their endeavours to stun.
press these UlQ3t abOtttinable publications, and their '
labouri had been attended with considerable successz
the present Defendant had already been convirted
for,an offence similar to that for which he now stood
before the Court, and- was brought up incuStody or
an Offieer--,-for he was now enduring the punishment
esvertled to him by an inferior Court, and it was et
leading objed of the. Society for the Suppression of
:Vice, to bring this case before the Chief Criminal
,Court in the Kingdom, in order to have. the autho»
rity of the Lord Lhief Justice of England, for the
propriety of the Prosecution; and that his great
name might give weight, to it, end that the Inferior
Courts might hereafter be guided b/ the judgment
of this high Tribunal; for the rniselnef:of these oh.
scene arid most infamous publications, was so gigan.
tie, that the efforts of the inferior Courts were not
adequate to their luppreseionslienee :they were
brought here by Indielment, the particular aver..
rents of which; he would nor read, because, al.
though necessary, by the rules of law, to be stated,
parts of th. Libel must be set forth; yet it was not
necessary that those averments should be stated in
Open Court, the Noble and Learned Judge would
undergo the pain of casting his eye over as much of
this nauseous Metter as was indispensible to see that
the averment contained the requisite accuracy of
statement—more could not be expo ed from any
moral man, for the very sight of 'the erement
of the fads, to say nothing of the , abominable
pi6ture itself, was painful to the eye of idecincy ;
and be could not help lamenting it as a deka in the '
law of the lenc!, that required a statement of such
,matters upon the face of an intliftmeut ; it would,
in his mind, be an itnprovement in the, law, if it
provided that it, shall be sufficient to set forth the
general
.tenor and effeet of such ptiblications for -
. then posterity would pot' tee ilie stain which the
deliaecheries of some part of the preeent age can
even it ; -and, the whielt,if not checked in due' season,
by the hand of public justice, would not only over..
turn the existing Government of:the Community in
•which we live, but also destroy every moral prin
eiple of action, and involve us in one common ruin;
for history faithfully recorded the,'downfall of the
'reatest and most flourishing enlpites of the earth,
to be preceded and occasioned by the lieentiousnese
of the people. He had therefore no .hesitation in
"Ying, it was of more lasting impertance to the
Community to suepress'.sueli publications es these,
than to prevent Insurration itself, because the, mis.
chief..ot..the,.ont was of. longer duration than the
other, Having made many other general obsrava.
best ris its.ehistefec-t,Astit' description of.whichlvould
lead osbey9rtd our liMits; he proceeded :to state, in
a cautious manlier, the general cireunistenees 'of, the
present case. The Deferitiaor, he said, was an
Italian, who went over the cuunt,,ty, Arai) latnenta.