The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-28 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE 7HEA7 RE.

Mr. Chatterton on Saturday commenced his season
in the most triumphant manner—an overflowing
audience assembled to witness his opening novelty,
a new spectacular melodrama, entitled " The King
of Scots," which we have the greatest plea-
sure in recording a 3 an undoubted and com-
plete success. The drama, from the pen of
Mr. Andrew Halliday, is founded on Sir Walter
Scott's celebrated novel, " The Fortunes of Nigel,"
and although various alterations have of necessity
had to be made, yet enough of the original tale

as been preserved t 3 constitute one of the
best spectacular dramas produced for a yell
lon time. One of the great attractions of
the drama was the circumstance that Mr. Phelps
was announced to support two distinct characters,
viz., King James and the miser Trapbois, and
calling to mind his wonderful impersonations of Sir
Pertinax Mac Sycophant and Justice Shallow, a
curiosity was excited of more than ordinary interest.
Without entering at length into the matter we may
at once say that two greater impersonations Mr.
Phelps has never yet presented to the public; as
King James he was perfect in accent, dress, gait,
and expatiate with that monarch's well-known
mixture of raw pedantry and nimble shrewdness,
on all and sundry topics current in his Court. As
Trapbois he had a weak, whispering, tottering air,
the miser feverishly and vigorous at the least
hint of gain, and sacrificing everything to
the one great and absorbing thought of
scraping together an increase to his wealth.
Mr. Halliday opens the drama with old Fleet-street,
and the shop or booth of David Ramsay, the watch-
maker, with his two 'prentices, and the well-known
" What d'ye lack ?" Pretty Mistress Margaret is
at once brought on ; Richie Moniplies makes mirth
for the mocking 'prentices ; Lord Dalgarno and a
Court gallant pass over ; a street fight and " clubs 1"
called, and a general rising of the apprentices fol-
lows, forming a very effective tableau. Richie
then relates to his master the rejection of his peti-
tion by the king, and George Heriot appears and
befriends Nigel. Margaret falls in love with the
hero of the story, and Jin Yin, driven to
despair, becomes a ruiner and a roysterer. The
scene then changes to Whitehall, and here
occurs the chief incident in the first act.
Nigel's drawing his sword within the precincts of
the palace and the attack on Dalgarno within the
palace itself. Then we have the escape of Nigel
to Alsatia, and the interior of the Duke Hildebrod's
Whitefriars rendezvous is presented with powerful
effect. After a lively song of the period 11
Mr. Irving, and a wild uproarious dance,
the scene changes to the gloomy house
of old Trapbois, the miser and usurer.
Here the mortgage deed is redeemed by Dalgarr°9
the miser is murdered, and then we pass to Lou
don-bridge, where Nigel meets his enemy. A duel
ensues, and Dalgarro is thrown into the river.
Passing over some of the minor incidents we arrive
at Greenwich Park, and here takes place the inter-
view of Nigel with the King, which so excited hi!
comic terrors, the King's interview with Margaret
Ramsay, and the shrew discovery of which the
Scottish Solomon was so proud. The last scene
takes place in the Tower of London. King Jame!
in ambush, overhears the interviews of Nigel with
Margaret, with Heriot, and with Sir Mungo Mal
growther. He comes from his hiding place, threatenth:
Nigel with the " punishment of the maiden)"
ts
terrible rack mentioned in the novel), Pc"
out Margaret as the maiden in question
and having rendered justice to all the curtain
i
descends. The parts of George Heriot,
Richie Moniplies, Dalgarno and Jan Yin ware excel
lently supported by Messrs. Addison, Price, Cum:
ming, Sinclair, and Irving, and Miss Heath madd
a most bewitching Margaret Ramsey. The scowl
is superb, and the mounting of the pieces altogether
a ,work of the highest excellence. We heartily
congratulate Mr. Chatterton on the great succeSs
of the piece, which will carry him triumphantly on-
ward until Christmas at least.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENI

Orders have been reseived from the Horse Gaga'
directing two draughts of one officer, one sergeant'
and 25 rank and file of the depot, Ist battalionci
16th Regiment, and one sergeant and 27 rank all
file of the depot, 160th Regiment, to leave Colches-
terd to-day (Monday). The draughts will proeeie
to Liverpool with a view to embarkation for Canal!'
where they will join the service companies of their
respective regiments.
Capt. A. Heaton, Ist battalion of the 15th itegi;
ment, joined on Saturday the depot of his corps t.
the Ist Depot Battalion, Chatham, succeeding CaPh;
J. W. S. Moffatt, who is under orders to join t a
service companies of the regiment at New 131'111"'
wick. 3d
Col. the Hon. J. J. Bourke, commanding the a
Depot Battalion, at Chatham, has been grant:,
leave of absence by the Field-Marshal Commanclin°
in-Chief till the 12th of October.
A Frazer, or what is termed the Woolwich gne'
burst at the proof butts, Royal Arsenal, on Fri':l,sY;
at the first round, with a charge of 5341 b. of Poviu,a,
and a shot of 2501 b. weight. The gun is one of V!
same pattern and construction as 85 9-inch 12-tet`i
guns that have passed proof and have fired 500 an'
600 rounds since. The explosion has been di,B:
covered to have arisen from a flaw in the steel tun'
which forms the bore of the gun. These steel WO
are supplied by contract, and undergo a very sever°
P
process of tempering at the Royal Gun Factory e-
partment, and it is supposed that the enorrantis
strain to which the steel tube was submitted Oft
have caused a crack which could not be discerned.
the time. A vein running through the metal) -
112
dicating the flaw, is now seen.
The Moncrieff gun-carriage, on the protected hair:
bette system, being now finished in some minor ",a
&ails, experiments will, in all probability, be resuni
with it in the course of this week at ShoebarYn,es,%.
The Russian frigate Alexander Newsky, 511tM'ci
Krenner, wrecked off the western coast of jutlant;
at 1 o'clock on Friday morning, while proeeediligoo,
St. Petersburg, left Plymouth on Monday afterne.
_a
in charge of Mr. Edward Glynn, pilot,
at Dover on Tuesday with telegrams, stating 1.72/3
they had experienced a very boisterous pass here,
Channel, but all was well on board. One °f met'
addressed to the Emperor, was from Admiral 'ivo;
tutor to the Grand Duke Alexis. Mr. GlYliaaisio
also the bearer of an illustrated history of ittiseaon
two volumes, for presentation to one of the hni in
board her Majesty's training ship Implacah eats
who la
tit
Hamoaze. This lad was born of English Par cir.
in Russia, where he resided several years' a jo.
cumstance discovered by Prince Alexis villeuTho
specting the Implacable on the 18th inst.
C
left
Alexander Newsky was a wooden ship ; s-,e1311-
Algiers on the 17th of August, and while ast
mouth received 300 tons of coal. Off the c:bAOILS
Jutland there are some very dangerous On%
beep
on which several Russian ships of war hay-
damaged.ted
During Saturday the storm signal was hnl'he
the Chatham dockyard, giving notice of tar er
proach of a gale, which set in at an early 133 Dleif
terday morning. Throughout yesterday he 34
strong from the southward, with frecinel'
anti e
rains, while the barometer was falling. Irlaies
tb
pation of the setting in of the autumnal teen rt,"
large iron floating dock Bermuda has laced ot
moved from her moorings in the river and P
anch
orage in Stand late Creek, in the l‘le
k:
Hill
where there is good anchorage, while the asleo
be less exposed to the westerly and southerlY
during the approaching winter. 0 Sattir4
Lieut. Alfred C. Harris was appoiPted
day to her Majesty's ship Achillex,