The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-24 00:00:00

A FRENCH HISTORICAL DRAMA.

A M. de Rougemont has just presented, at the Theatre
du Vaudeville at Paris, a bantling of his own begetting,
which he bas fathered upon no less a personage than Oliver
Cromwell. This

" Fruit of dull heat and pooterkin of wit"
is a Miss Frances Cromwell, whom her putative papa has,
at the age of ten years, placed in a house "aoigU& du brait
des crazes," probably a finishing establishment for young
ladies in the rural vicinity of London. The young lady is.
a staunch Royalist, and is quite shocked at what papa
has done during her sojourn at school. At the age of 15
Miss Frances Cromwell falls in love with the Mon. 'Waster
Claypole, the son of old Lord Claypole. His Lordship
objects to the match from political considcrationg. kliss
Frances is in despair, and old Oliver is at his wit's-m.ld.
The distress of all parties approaches its climax, whe.7
fortunately they are relieved from their embarrassment, and.
all ends happily ; for, " tout coup," the soldiers of the.
Protector drag upon the stage a slim young gentleman of
a sorry countenance and ragged clothes, whom they have.
found upon the sea-coast. This new arrival turns out to
be Charles 11., and to save his life from the vengeance of Crom-
well, old Lord Claypole eschews his scruples, and consents to
the marriage of his son with the daughter of his enemy.
This anecdote of Cromwell has certainly the merit of origi-
nality for its recommendation, and will be a novelty to the.
most erudite peruser of English history. If our French
neighbours be, however, resolved to resuscitate the old.
Puritan, and make him exhibit for their amusement ore
the boards of a theatre, albeit in his lifetime it was a plac
he never. visited, there is an authentic anecdote on which a
vaudeville might be successfully founded. White, a chap-
lain of the Protector, was enamoured of a daughter of his
patron—the same, if we recollect, who was afterwards Lady
Fauconberg. He was one day surprised by Cromwell in
the f'act of pressing his suit. To relieve himself from the
danger to which an avowal of the real state .of the case
would have exposed him, he replied, in answer to the in-
terrogatory of the incensed father, that be was entreating
his daughter to use her influence in forwarding his suit for
the hand of her waiting-woman, by whom he had been
treated coldly. Oliver, who saw through the subterfuge,
resolved to avail himself of it, lest the ardour of the lover
might some day prevail. " Oh, oh," said he, "is that the
case ? does a waiting-woman refuse my Chaplain ? Call
her here immediately, this matter shall be set right." The
waiting-woman was accordingly called in, and asked if she
would give her hand to White. She gladly consented,
and Cromwell to maks all sure, took care that the mar-
riage ceremony should be instantly performed.

THE WEATHER.—.rhe frost was so intense during
Monday night, that yesterday morning considerable portions
of the New River in many places were frozen over, the ice
being above half an inch thick. It has been noticed during
some of preceding hard Winters the New River, with
the exception of the river Thames, was the last piece of
water about London that became in a frozen state, owing
to it being kept unceasingly in a running stream. The pro-
gress of the barges in the Regent's Canal is also much re-
tarded by the accumulation of ice in various parts, and yes-
terday morning ice carts were in requisition in all directions,
and during the last three days an abundant supply of this
summer luxury has been obtained: The ornamental waters,
in the Regent's, Hyde, St. James's, and the Green Parks,
are frozen over ; and the former, from its exposure to the
northward, is expected to afford by to-morrow the enjoy-
ment of the manly and healthful amusement of skaiting.
The tenth anniversary of the Gerard Hall Hotel,
was held yesterday. About two hundred gentlemen, in-
cluding from sixty to seventy commercial travellers, dined ;
Mr. Sheriff Lainson, the Alderman of the Ward, being in •
the chair, supported by Alderman Thomas Wood, John
Shuttleworth, Esq., and many members of the Common
Council. Several loyal and liberal toasts were given, and
the health of the chairman, Alderman T. Wood, Mr.
Shuttleworth, and. Mr. and Mrs. Younghusband, were en-
thusiastically drank, and very eloquent speeches were made
in reply. Mr. Sheriff Lainson having retired about 1I ,
Mr. Shuttleworth was called to the chair, and the company
did not totally break up till an early hour in the morning.
A man last , week, who had stolen a hog in the
night, at Audruick, in the Pas de Calais found great dif-
ficulty in carrying off his prize, as it weighed 12.51b5. He
tied the four legs together, and slung it across his neck,
so that the body of the animal hung down behind. Worn
out by fatigue he stopped against a wooden paling, and
rested the back of the bog upon it. Unfortunately for
him the animal slipped down. behind, by which the cord
that fastened the legs was drawn so tight against the
robber's 'throat, that he was strangled and found in that
""
state next morning.---Gabgnani's Messenger.