The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-22 00:00:00

OLYMPIC.

Last night a new burletta called The Barbers at Court
was produced at this theatre. It is one of that numerous
progeny which have had their birth from the incidents, real
or fictitious, which are so abundant in the life of Charles
11. The persons brought into action upon this occasion are
Maximus Hogsflesh, the Court barber (Mr. Liston), Mag-
nus, his son (Mr. Keely), King Charles (Mr. Hopner),
Rochester (Mr. J. Vining), and Catherine, the ward of
Hogs:flesh ; with a small supply of Puritans, Court atten-
dants, &c. The story is a concise one, and there is scarcely
a single ingredient of vitality about it but the acting of
Liston and Keely. Charles, in one of his eccentric
rambles, arrives with Rochester at the original shaving
shop of Hogygesh, where he and his son are busy with
the soap. The gallant Monarch sees Catherine, the
barber's ward ; is smitten with her, carries her off to Court,
and has her secreted in part of the Palace, with a view to
future dalliance, she being all the time quite ignorant of his
quality. She may now boast of three lovers, for Magnus,
part simpleton and part knave, doats upon her, and old
Ilogsfiesh himself has an interest at heart, not merely as a
guardian, but as a lover too. In revenge for the abduction of
his ward, llogyiesh instantly turns rebel, induces his son
to join him, and, in concert with some discontented Pu-
ritans, enters into a plan to have the Monarch murdered in
his dressing-room. It is proposed that this should be ef-
fected, first by shooting the sentry at the door where he
was usually posted, while Hog flesh was to operate with his
razor upon the Sovereign's jugular ; and, at a signal given
by him, namely, throwing a napkin out of the window, the
Puritans were to force their way into the Palace, and com-
plete the business. The whole plot, however, is disco-
vered, and the facetious Monarch with Rochester determine
to convert it into a joke. He compels the barber to sit as
king, while he proposes to act as barber, and Rochester at
the point of the sword, forces young Magnus to stand as
sentry at the door, expecting every moment to be blown
to pieces. The barber being seated, Charles begins to re-count, with brush and razor in hand, and under feigned
names, the circumstances of the plot so exactly as to
leave no doubt on the mind of father and son that
their plot is discovered, and that their lives are the ne-
cessary forfeit. Here Liston produces much laughter
by the variety of contortions which cowardice wrings
from limb and feature, fearing every moment to have
the razor at his throat. His sons timidity is no less lu-
dicrous, and when Charles flings the napkin, a very
ragged article, out at the window, poor Magnus, notwith-
standing the highly-wrought lessons of bravery and rebellion
he bad previously received from his father, flounders almost
lifeless on the ground, expecting every moment to catch a
bullet or two through the door. Here there are some
tolerably good hits directed against those who, like the
Puritans of old, would scarcely die of grief at seeing the
blood of their King either on the field or on the scaffold.
The upshot is, that Catherine (Mrs. Anderson), who sings
a little air in the piece very prettily, and who has been
discovered in the Palace under such suspicious circum-
stances, is married by order of the Queen to Magnus, and
all the conspirators, including Hogyksh, are pardoned.
The dialogue in some parts was smart, and in others had
something bordering upon humour. In all such pieces Mr.
Liston's face is the great attraction. Wlth the assistance
of that, it matters very little what is said or done. Sup-
ported by him, almost any burletta must be successful ; and
this was so. Mr. Hooper performed the Monarch with
something of easy but occasionally embarrassed dignity.
His attention seemed to be rather too studiously engaged
in giving to his countenance an irresistible sweetness of
simper.

The following singular case has occurred on board
the Brownfield, a vessel belonging to Mr. Brownfield, of
Greenwich, trading from Faro to London, with fruit. The
crew had been taking water, and had just filled the casks,
when one of the boys, being thirsty, applied his mouth to
the bung-hole of one of them, and drank freely. In a short
time the lad commenced bleeding profusely from the mouth.
He then told the captain that be felt something in his
throat, and was immediately taken on shore for medical
assistance, when it was discovered that he had swallowed a
large horse-leech, which had fastened itself deeply clown in
the throat. A quantity of salt was administered, with an
endeavour to dislodge the leech, but without effect. Pepper
and various other things were also tried, but to no purpose ;
the creature still kept its hold, swelling and blowing till the
boy was almost suffocated. In this fearful state the boy
continued till the following morning, when he was again
taken to the doctor, who on this occasien tried a quantity
of Scotch snuff. The excitement it produced caused the
little monster to leave its hold, and it was thrown up. It
was three times the size of a common leech. The boy is
now doing well, but is excessively weak from the loss of
blood.—Greenwich Gazette.

EARLY PROM ISE.-Mr. John Moore, the young
gentleman who has just obtained the first medal and three
other prizes at the Royal Naval College, is the only son
of Vice-Admiral Sir Graham Moore. He has not yet
completed his fourteenth year, and may therefore be con-
ridered as giving an early promise that he will not be un-
worthy of the name he inherits ; a name which his grand-
father Dr. John Moore, and his uncle Sir John Moore have
illustrated in the annals of literature and arms.—Hampshire
Telegraph.

It is stated by the friends of the Duke of Gordon,
and we believe the statement to be well founded, that in
consequence of the recent orders from the Horse Guards,
prohibiting military officers from belonging to Orange As-
sociations, his Grace feels that he is bound to res►gn the
high office which he holds in the Orange Society. The
Duke of Gordon is a General in the army, and Colonel of
the 3d Regiment of Foot Guards. We are sorry to per-
ceive, from a letter of Field Marshal the Duke of Cum-
berland, that his Royal Highness does not seem disposed to
pay similar deference to the commands of the King, or the
regulations of our military authorities on the subject.—
Sunday Paper.
The fire mentioned yesterday as at Odiham in Kent,
occurred at Cliffe in the hundred of Hoo, at eight o'clock
on Sunday evening. It bloke out in a barn, which it con-
sumed, with a lodge, a wheat-stack, and a large quantity
of straw. The loss i 3 estimated at about 700/. There
can he no doubt but that it was the work of an in, endiary.
The property was insured in the Phoenix.