The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-30 00:00:00

LYCEUM THEATRE.

(Prom the Times.) •
The ancient glories of the " Bohemian Girl" vi-uf revived at this theatre last night, when a new opera wi
Mr. Balfe, entitled " The Rose of Castillo," was Pr:
duced with a success as groat as was probably ever
achieved by the composer of the first-named porl is
w( rk. The event was douby interesting to adal.eog
of English music, singe, in addition to the unfa"idi
charm of novelty, there was the credit ,
attiched to to the Pyne and Harrison management, of
which- the vary complete and admirable performselizr
' Auber's " Crown Diamonds" bad already won thedor
too
able consideration of amateurs. The first original 0p._,1
presented under this directorate was natnrallylootr7f
forward to with anxiety, as a more satisfactory "goo
its capabilities than could possibly be obtained from ti of
revival of any foreign adaptation, or indeed, of any liter.
production with which the public was previously fain to
The result left no disappointment ; on the contrary
expectations rai.ed by the " Crown Diamonds' 7
more than realised by the " Rose of Castille."

(From the Morning Post.)
ix, or
Had proofs been wanting that we have a Phu,"hiki
English opera, the events of last evening would n-t•ln
afforded them. We do not believe that the pr°"-:lit
of any new foreign work whatever would have bre":001
such a house, or with equal merit have excited e ;:nee
enthusiasm. Alarger or more kindly-disposed any"—
was perhapsß never assembled in a theatre. *pert
Mr. ale is indeed a very great favourite, and,
from the cause of national opera, which he in sonler-iy,
represents, enjoys a vast amount of personal Porlia,.-Aeet
Mr. Balfe's music is rarely deficient in flinch gi,,pe
point, or spirit, and these qualities were never Per 7,00,
more strikingly exhibited by him than in the %JO
under notice, entitled the "Rose of Castille," and *"-
was performed for the first time last evening.

GENERAL HAVELOCK.

The following letter has been addressed to a e-
emporary
*
Sir,—ln the notice of General Havelock gilfel
iaa
by Mr. Graham at Balfast, and a copy of which',"
appeared in your issue of Monday last, there Tie
pears to be some little inaccuracy which it maYsor
as well to cJrrecb. I have known the General /
more than 30 years most intimately, and can o's
with confidence that he has never baptized ant oes
neither, in the strict professional sense of the vils,
can he be said to have " preached." When 11. bits
barked for Burmah in 1824, in company with the
regiment, his Majesty's 13th Foot, he was "11;ied
habit of assembling as many as could be pref3'ca.
on to attend for devotional exercises, and be 3cef
sionally explained the Scriptures to them ill 9 briar
address. Tney were allowed toassemble at thegreva
Shoey Dagoon pagoda, the glory of Rogow)) Aed,
there, in a chambee filled with the cross-/egga
images of Buddha, might be seen little otti
lamps placed in the lap of the imaged, and 100 as
tit
more of the soldiers of the 13th around Lieutenato
Havelock, singing the praises of the living andtr of
God. Independently of the religious bone'A' t
so
these services, it was a most desirable object a
keep these men from licentious indulgences to
conquered town by the strength of Christian p
cipie. They used to be called " Havelock's Saint's
and the General-in-Chief, Sir A. Campbell, on,o-a..
occasion of a sudden alarm at Promo at night, unnt•
ing it difficultrto collect speedily a sufficient boifiN
soldiers, ordered the officer to call out .".HavelLe„,eijo-
Saints ;" "I can always," said he, "depend on tu"--;
They, at all events, are sober and ready for detP.
When he, returned to regimental duty be ecloof
tinued to attend to the religious and moral
wanedum'ea
his
company with conscientious care, and a558131,;05.
them, as opportunity offered, for reliaious serv"-00-
Of course, some were displeased with these Pod
military" proceedings, as they were called, wee
various communications adverse to him ;or
made to the Commander-in-Chief Lord
tincic, and he was described as a strait-laced 'the
a Dissenter, and, withal, a Baptist. Soon af‘ilfput.
adjutancy of the corps became vacant, and -ul-oaa
Havelock was a candidate for it, and very streclisth
efforts were made to prevent his nomination. the
Havelock, who happened to ba at Seramporel 00
regiment being then in the north-west—waited
Lord William to solicit the appointment.
er
he could not give a reply till the next day. vliiejl
calling a second time he said he had intern:teal:at
z..eut fora bundle of letters about her husband ',.`„,-ra
Calcutta. " They are all hostile to him, but be'-de-
I read them to you I will tell you that I have d
termined to give the adjutancy to your lais.,ll',
because ho is one of tha best officers in his Maiesei
service. I will also show you the replyto t;itie
mtacks in the return which I have ordered 0' jos
of
statehis eentlany, and I find that there is
drunkenness, loss flogging, less imprisonment to
in any other ;" and then, alluding facetionsy, Co
one of the charges brought against him, said, atoft,
and tell Lieut. Havelock, with my compliLe-b-010
that I wish he could make Baptists of the
army."

illr
YELL
OW EVER ON BOARD DER MAJESTT',- Sop,&
BRILLIANT,—Bermuda papers to the Ist inst. state 1i
IL: British shit-.;f-war Brilliant had arrived at Ef4rlni i°o9
Foci Granada, and sailed for Halifax She had the ;
cases of yellow fever among her crew, and 29 ,
of the
tae chaplain of the ship, Ray. Mr. Watson, being
latter number.

Balfe's new opera, ent:tlscl " The Rose of Castillo,"
was produced here last night, and met with the most
prompt success. The incidents of the plot are
already familiar through the well-known romance 0'
Dumas and the "Muleteer of Tt Ledo," which was founded
upon it, and produced some time since with so mob
success at the Princess's Theatre. It may serve to re'
fresh the memory, and lead to a more perfect under"
htanding of the new opera, if we briefly sketch the prin•
cipal incidents :—Elvira (Miss Louisa Pyne), apes/. con•
vent novice, was chosen by her uncle:the King of Leon,
as successor to his throne. The King of Castile there'
upon made a formal demand of the band of the
Queen on behalf of his blether, the infant Don Se'
bastian. The Don, adopting an assumed narnet
secretly resolves to see his future bride, and judge
for himself how far her appearance will accord with
his taste. Now, as no female of spirit, and e'P'
cially a queen, could brook such an inquisition with
impunity and without retort, Elvira also determines t°
put on a disguise, and to have a. private glimpse of her
intended husband. She had learned that the Don wee
travelling under the name of Manuel, and in the disguise
of a muleteer. Accompanied by her confidante, Dunne
Carmen (Miss Susan Pyne), she assumes the garb of
simple peasant girl, her attendant being a Corydon.
They arrive at the courtyard of a Spanish posada, where
peasants and mountaineerr, with guitars and mandoline°
and castanettes, are regaling and enjoying themselves is
the genuine operatic fashion. Mine host Pablo (Mr'
Wel North) invites his pretty guest to the dinner
just served, and is about to take payment for the
repast by a salute on the peasant girl's cheek'
At this moment a muleteer arrives, protects the
fair one from insult, drives off the offender'
makes love to Elvira, ignorant of her station, who prcr
:nisei to be his bride. Don Pedro (Mr. Weiss), Don
burst (Mr. St. Albyn), and Don Florio (Mr. Honey)'
three courtiers and conspirators from the court, hare
tracked the Queen on her travels, discover her or feud
that they have discovered her in the person of the
peasant girl, and ultimately induce her to accompany
d
them to the Leon, in preference to going, as she ba
promised, with the muleteer. Arrived in the palace
Don Pedio wishes to obtain the hand of the Queeo, ee
failing in hie object, compels her to marry the muleteer:
with whom he had seen her when disguised as a peasant
girl, hoping by this means that a mesallianoe °'
that kind would lead her to abdicate the throne, Wile:
he would !succeed. The marriage takes place, and D°-
Pedro calls upon the Queen to give in her abdication ti
her assembled nobles. This she refuses to do ; Man°
enters, proclaims himself King of Castilla, and the OW
spirators crave and obtain pardon from the .Queen.
So far as the music is conctirned, the " Rose of Cee'
tille" will bear comparison with any of the previous coal'
positions of Mr. Belle. Harrison sings a dashing bra'
vura song of the muleteer, just such a one as he is eo
thoroughly at home'io ; it is, "I am a simple Muleteer,
and its burden, " clic clac," is improved by ties crack °
the muleteer's whip. It was sung with spirit and eO,
b
cored. Weiss has a good bass song in this part,." Thole tortune darkly o'er me lowers." A ballad, "The o°ll,
vent Cell," sung by Elvira in the throne room, ie a
simple flowing melody. The words are so much 'sett°
r
than the ordinary run of operatic songs that no apology
will be needed for giving them.
"Of girlhood's happy days I dream,
My home the house of prayer,
As in the bssoin of a stream,
Seemed heaven reflected there.
In regal halls, where oft I sigh,
Food memories with me dwell
Of many a blissful hour gone by,
Passed in my convent cell.
" Oh ! call it not a solitude,
Where silence reigns profound ;
• With placid smiles the sisteihood,
Keep angel watch around.
The vesper hymning day to rest,
To wake with naatin bell; •
Oh ! peace no home has, like the heart.
That sleeps in convent cell." • e
The last act is a scene in the Queen's oratory 111 th
palace. Donna Carmen, droll and playful, sings of 10"
"Papa, he's sure to disobey,
And should mamma tell this;
He hides the rod or runs away,
Till they call back to kiss.
And though he only begs his keep,
When cares our thoughts employ;
The little wretch won't go to sleep—
Oh, love's a naughty boy."
the The house was crowded to the ceiling, and the arPl
the
bestowed upon Mr. A. Mellon, musical director eSsosa
Lyceum, when he took his place in the orchestra, 812°„ de•
at once that the audience bad assembled with a ftulfac.
termination to be pleased. Rarely, indeed, bas enti'
tion more unequivoc 1 and more unanimous been
waspressed. From the overture to the end, every piece
,honoured with unmistakeable manifestations of 70
proval ; and no less than six "encores,' two or tbro
of the evening. At the end of each act Miss Louisa
of them uproarious, were among the significant incident„
Pyne and Mr. Harrison were called before the foot
lightswb.le ;
house,
et,hemn,r.inßiife, obediencethe composer,t
"peered -°
receive the hearty felicitations of his admirers.
eran 0n s from t;