The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-20 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATBE.

Last night a new four-act drama entitled " A Life's
Trial," from the pen of B. Bernard, Esq., was perforrr sd
for the first time, and met with complete success. The
drama is capitally written, admirably acted, and splen-
didly put upon the stage; the only thing to be regretted
is the abrupt termination of the play. At the end of the
third act the climax could easily and most effectually be
attained, but a decided mistake has been made by
adding a fourth act. The scene opens in Tenby in
1825, a year of panic and commercial calamity. The
heroine, Miss Rochdale (Miss Reynolds), is beloved by
Wyndham (Mr. W. Farreo), and reciprocates his pas-
, sion ; but believing that he has forsaken her, and re-
turned to the West Indies, his native country, she gives
her band, in an evil hour, to Hawksworth (Mr.
Howe), who establishes a claim upon her gratitude by
advancing a large sum of money to avert the ruin of her
father, who is a banker. Hawksworth, always a villain,
has now become a forger and an inveterate gamester.
Wyndham returns to London, and is heart-broken on
discovering that his mistress has betrayed him. Being
informed that Hawksworth has deserted her, be
visits her at her lodgings, and offers her all the as-
sistance in his power. They are in confidential con-
versation when the husband enters, and, affecting to
believe himself dishonoured, demands satisfaction on the
spot. A highly dramatic scene ensues, and a duel is
fought upon the stage. Hawks worth's pistol misses fire,
but Wyndham, magnanimously scorning to take advan-
tage of an anarmeeman, permits him to escape with his
life. The third act is laid in London, in 1838. Ten
years have now elapsed since the marriage of the heroine,
and they have brought with them many changes. Mrs.
Hawksworth fancies herself a widow, for the story goes
that her husband was drowned on the coast of Amer ca.
He, however, turns up, famished and ragged in the
streets of Southwark, and reveals himself to his wife as
the latter is walkii g by moonlight in the gardens of
her villa at Richmond. This fatal apparition
blights her prospects of happiness, and destroys all
the plans she bad formed, for she had succeeded
to a large fortune, and it was arranged that she should
be married to Wyndham in a fortnight. Ia the fourth
act the plot is huddled up in a most inartistic manner,
as though the author bad grown tired of his task and
desired to get it off his hands at any cost. Hawksworth,
disguised and passing under the name of Everington,
lures Wyndham, who fails to recognise him, into a west-
end gambling-house, and there wreaks his vengeance on
him by reducing him to beggary. He is about to de-
camp with his victim's money, when Mrs. Hawksworth,
who has got scent of the villanous plot, enters with a posse
of police, and " scatters all the Volsci." Finding him-
self hotly pursued, drinks poison, and the curtain falls.
The. part of Miss Rochdale was well performed by Miss
Reynolds ; and Mr. W. Farrel), as Wyndham, played
throughout with energy and tenderness. Mr. Howe, as
Hawksworth, acted with his usual excellence. The two
comic' parts in the play were supported by Meesre.
Bnckstone and Compton, and the manner in which
those accomplished artistes acquitted themselves con-
vulsed the house with laughter. At the fall of the
curtain the piece was given out by Mr. Buckatone for
repetition every evening until further notice.

ACTORS' TESTIMONIAL.

Theatre Royal, Drury-lane, March 12, 1857.

TO EDWARD TYRRELL SMITH, ESQ., LESSEE.
Sir—We, the undersigned, cannot permit another sea-
son of your management of this theatre to close without
congratulating you upon the continued, and, we hope,
increasing, success of your administration ; aho to offer
you an expression of our esteem for your character in
the relation you stand towards us.

A kind word, an approving smile, a frank and friendly
demeanour, exercise an influence that words can barely
express.

For your kindness we, therefore, wish to express our
sincere gratitude, and to assure you that, while in sour
employment, which we trust will be for many years to
come, no exertion on our part shall be wanting in the
,fulfilment of our duty; our only desire being to promote,
to the utmost of our power, your success and prosperity.
In this testimonial, which we now place before you,
we trust that we will esteem it as the expression of our
feelings. You will, we hope, estimate it not at its in-
trinsic value, but as the visible embodiment of those sen-
timents of esteem and affection with which your admi-
nistration of the affairs of the Theatre Royal Drury-lane
has inspired us.—We have the honour to be, yours re-
spectfully,

(Signed)
Messrs. Defries and Sons, Mr. and Mrs. Keeley, Mr.
and Mrs. Boleno, Messrs. Stirling, FlPxnkore, Chat-
terton, Drysdale, Stride, Lewis, A. Younge, Mrs.
Selby, Mrs. F. Matthews, Miss Wright, Mdlles.
Osmont, Herr Anschuez, Mr. Hollingsworth, Miss
Oliver, Miss E. Honey, Mr. E. L. Blanchard, Mr.
and Mrs. 'Vincent, Messrs. Tilbury, Dunning,
Tucker, Needham, Palmer (costumier), Lingham,
George Honey, Templeton, Barnes, Fairbrother,
Mr. Randle (pyrotechnist), Messrs. Elliott, Mr.
Rickards (hairdresser), Band, Money and Check
Takers, Messrs. Home and Wood (police), Messrs.
Walton, Messrs. Tanner, Glindon, Halford, Veroni,
Craven, Filcher, Messrs. Muffit and Emery.

THE LATE MOJIAS ETANS, ESQ., M.D

The lamented gentleman, whose name heads this brief

Inotice, departed—this life at his residence, Stockwell-
park-house, Surrey, on the Ist inst. ; and seldom have
the scenes of this world closed upon any one whose
warm heart and earnest endeavours had been more lent
than his were upon doing all the good in his power, nor
upon any one more respected than he was, or more re-
, gretted than he is by a large circle of friends and ac-
quaintances. He was also remarkably happy in his do-
mestic sphere, for there he won and retains the love of
those who now mourn his loss. He was born at Sid-
welly, South Wales, in the year 1800, and was educated
at Trinity College, Dublin. He pursued his professional
studies in England, Germany, and France, and practised
successfully in London for many years. Waving married
the second daughter of the late wealthy Squire Angel,
of Rumsey-house, Wilts, and being much occupied of
late years in attending to his father-in-law's interests
and property, especially in the neighbourhood of Stock-
well, he found it necessary, not without regret, to
discontinue his professional practice. Out of the time
gained, however, by this means, he was enabled to in,
crease his ever-ready exertions to assist, in various ways,
many deserving persons whom he knew to be struggling
honourably against the difficulties and hardships of life,
in which private services he always took great delight.
Nor did he neglect public affairs. For during all the
years of his maturity, every movement which he believed
would contribute to the removal of wrong, and the ex-
tended establishment of what is right and just between
man and man, met from him an instant and hearty sup-
port ; and many of the great questions of the day had in
him the advantage of an energy and activity, combined
with a clear power of expression and wit, which he pos.
sassed in no common degree. In these and all the
transactions of his life, he, in mind and feeling, ever
ascended above the narrowness of party, sect, and class,
and looked upon mankind and the universe as a sub-
lime whole, governed by multiform and immutable laws,
which have God, the Eternal, for their author, and uni-
versal beneficence for their great and constant realisa-
tion, how incomprehensible soever this might in some
cases seem to the finite human understanding. His life
was a blessing, tied his end peace

ADDRESS TO SIR JOHN DOWRING.—An address is
' being numerously signed by the inhabitants of Black-
burn to Sir John Bowring, who contested the represen-
tation of the borough in 1832 andlB3s, and was defeated
on both occasions by a majority of only 13. The address
expresses sympathy with SirJohnßowring in the trying
circumstances in which he was recently placed "by an
unworthy combination of parties in the Parliament of
this country," and proceeds—" We cannot sufficiently
express Our indignation at the obloquy which has been
cast upon your conduct and character, without the justi-
fication of evidence, and in opposition to all the antece-
dents of your lung and arduous career in the cause of
human progress. The attacks made upon you by pro-
fessed friends form the most unworthy feature of this
malignaLt coast iracy to injure and defame an honourable
and philanthropic man." - •

" Lord 'Elgin is expected to visit Paris pre-
vious to his departure for China, in order to con-
fer with the French Government. I give this as
an on, dit without vouching for its exactness.
" Colonel Oklewsky, Chief of Division of Rail-
ways at St. Petersburg, has arrived in Paris.
His visit relates to the construction of railways
in Russia.

"M. Hubner, the Austrian Minister in Paris,
has been thanked in the name of the Emperor of
the French for the attention of the Emperor of
Austria in placing the statue of tke first Napoleon
in the public gardens of Milan."

TRIESTE, MARCH 19.

Despatches from Constantinople, dated the 14th
inst., annomlce,that the ship Kangaroo had landed
troops and arms in Circassia.

M. de Boutenieff had demanded the appoint-
ment of a commission to inquire into the nature
and origin of this expedition.

_There had been serious disturbances among the
population of Tibris, in consequence of the scar-
city of provisions.

The Circassians bad repulsed 4,000 Russians
on the frontier of Abasia.

BERLIN, MARCH 18.

Baron Bulow, the Danish envoy, has returned
from Vienna ; his mission to the two Courts of
Berlin and Vienna relative to the affairs •of
Schleswig Holstein is said to be a failure.

HAMBURG, MARCH 18.

The Swedish finance committee, accepting the
estimate sent in by the chief engineer Ericson,
proposes to make a considerable loan abroad for
the construction of railway lines. No doubt
whatever is entertained that the Chambers will
readily grant the requisite authorisation.

COPENHAGEN, MARCH 18.

The Supreme Council has been convoked for
the 3d April, on the occasion of the conclusion of
the treaty of the Sound dues. The session will
be a very short one.

Letters from the French squadron in the China
waters, received in Paris, contain particulars of
the defensive measures adopted by the civil and
naval authorities of England and France. Hong
Kong has been surrounded by earthworks,
mounted with guns, and commanded by a fort in
the immediate -vicinity of Victoria, which also
commands the Chinese town.

The Lemma canal has been cut, and the com-
munications by water are thus secured. At the
point whero the canal has been cut strong redoubts
have been erected. These works are defended by
a detachment of sailors from the French vessel

Virginie.
At Shanghai similar precautions have been
adopted, and numerous earthworks have placed
the factories beyond all danger of an attack from
the Chinese.

These letters all express A desire for the speedy
arrival at Canton of the gunboats and smaller
steamers, as the attitude of the Chinese is such
that a terrible blow can alone 011 them to their
senses.