The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-12 00:00:00

STRAND.

After Don Cesar de Bazan, who, in the person of
Mr. Roberts, still continues to draw crowded houses,
a new romantic, aquatic burlesque, entitled the Knight
and the Sprite ; or, the Cold Water Cure, was pro-
duced at this theatre last evening, introducing Mrs.
Walter Lacy for the first time to a Strand audience.
She had the honour to make her bow in the character
of Sir Hildebrand, a gentleman engaged in knightly
pursuits, who is the rival of Sir Florian, "a very hot
knight, but a very cool fellow" (Mrs. Montgomerie),
for the love of Bertelda (Mrs. Coleman Pope), " a
Bohemian Lady Macbeth slightly compressed," but
sallying forth in quest of adventures, she meets with
Ondine (Miss Bromley), a water nymph, supposed to
be the daughter of Jan Tickletroutz (Mr. R. Romer), a
fisherman, and falling violently in love with her, marries
her, the marriage being duly registered by Ondine's
uncle, Dabblehorn (Mr. H. Hall), " half demon, half
Dutchman, Registrar-General of the Eel-pie and other
Islands." Bertelda turns out to be the real daughter
of the fisherman, whereupon Sir Florian at once re-
jects her, and sprinkles his handkerchief with lavender
to get rid of the ancient and most fish-like smell
emanating from her ancestry. Sir Hildebrand, how-
ever, makes love to her, invites her to a water-
party on board the Lily steamer, which is
sunk by Ondine, and in the well .known caves at
the bottom of the sea all is explained, and Sir Hilde-
brand having called " peccavi, ' is made happy with
Ondine, while Sir Florian takes Bertelda for better
or worse. This burlesque, which is from the pens of
G. A. A'Beckett and Mark Lemon, is the very best which '
has been produced of late years. Every couplet is an
epigram, and even Aladdin must yield the palm to
the Knight and the Sprite. The artistes exerted them-
selves to the very utmost. Mrs. Walter Lacy was the
very pink of knight-errants as Sir Hildebrand, and
Mrs. Montgomerie, as Sir Florian, was the beau
ideal of knightly exquisites. The curl of her mous-
tache was magnificent, and the cool contempt with
which she turned away from Bertelda, on discovering
that she was the fishmonger's daughter, at the same
time with the most affected nonchalance sniffing at
her perfumed handkerchief, was superb. During the
course of the evening she danced the Polka in the
most elegant manner. Her costume was beautiful and
appropriate, and this rising actress has added much to
her well-earned fame by her personation of Sir Florian.
Hall, as Dabblehorn, was the funniest of devils, and
was deservedly encored in a nigger song. Romer and
Mrs. Melville, as the fisherman and his wife, were
most laughter-moving. Romer's melodramatic act-
ing was an admirable travestie of the " interesting"
line of business, and elicited roars of laughter. Our
little favourite, Miss Bromley, was most happy as
Ondine, and sang several ballads with exquisite taste
and effect. She is a great acquisition to the Strand
company. The mounting of the piece is beyond all
praise. As a spectacle alone it would have a long run.
Hildebrand's banquet-hall is a miracle in the way of I
scenery. It is like one of Martin's pictures ; and
how, on such a small stage, the painter has been en-
abled to convey the idea oisuch immense space, is an
incomprehensible mystery to the uninitiated. The
grand scene, however, is the opening scene of the
second act, in which, on the borders of a lake, by
moonlight, is introduced a grandpas del' Ombre, which
certainly throws all previous shadows into the shade.
We have a shadow dance of three, and, instead of one
shadow, which at the Italian Opera was thought a
most marvellous effort, we have three shadows—three
Ondine's dancing to their own shadows, each
kept perfectly distinct from the other. This is cer-
tainly the most wonderful scenic effect ever exhibited
upon any stage, and was rapturously applauded. The
sinking of the ship, too, was admirably managed, and
the last scene is a chef dceuvre of splendour. This
piece is a decided hit—the greatest hit of the season.
the expense incurred in the getting up of this piece
must have been enormous, but it is money well laid
out, for the Knight and the Sprite will draw crowded
houses for months to come. The principal actors
were called for at the conclusion, and Hall announced
the piece for repetition every evening, amidst a per-
fect hurricane of applause.

OLYMPIC.
The Olympic opened for the season last night under
the management of Miss Davenport, a young lady who,
as a juvenile phenomenon, was some few years ago
"all the rage.' Our old friend Rayner spoke an ef-
fective opening address, after which the tragedy of
Romeo and Juliet, with Mr. Hudson Kirby as Romeo,
and the fair manageress as Juliet. Mr. Hudson Kirby
is an energetic and powerful actor, but somewhat
coarse withal. There is stuff about him out of which
to make a great actor, if he will but study hard and
eschew bad models. He has much to learn, and more
to unlearn ; but if he will devote himself to assiduous
study and refine his taste, he will ultimately become a
great—a very great actor. His Romeo was a very
unequal performance—at certain times exceedingly
beautiful—at other it was coarse, almost approaching
to vulgarity ; but still there was promise about it,
which is more than can be said of the majority of
Romeos at present on the stage. Miss Davenport's
Juliet was a performance of great promise ; her
features are expressive, her person is good, her voice
is beautifully silvery, and in the more level
parts of her character she left nothing to be de-
sired. Her declamation is perfect. She was
evidently suffering from extreme nervousness, and in
the more impassioned parts scarcely did justice to her
powers ; but when she gets used to her audience this
nervousness will disappear, and in young tragedy she
will prove a great acquisition to the London stage. Mr.
Robert Roxby, as Mercutio, although somewhat too
farcical, was very good ; many of his points told most
effectively. The tragedy was followed by the farce
of A Chip of the Old Bloch, in which our old friend
Rayner, as "the chip," was himself. We hail this
admirable actor with delight, but cannot help asking
him—" Why did you ever leave us ?" The perform-
ances concluded with Don Ccesar de Bazan, the
übiquitous Don being admirably personated by Mr.
Robert Roxby. The house was crowded.

Mr. Sergeant Howley, in addressing the Grand
Jury for the North Riding of Tipperary, gave the fol-
lowing
account of the state of crime in that county : 1
lie said, that from the calendar that was then before
him, and the list of persons out on bail, he found that
there were 55 cases to be sent before them, in which 128
persons were charged with various offences. He could
not call that a light calendar, and when he looked at the
character of some of those cases, he must say that it was
a heavy one. There were two riots, in which 17 per-
sons were charged ; 15 cases of petty larceny, in which
also 17 persons were charged ; 8 cases of rescue of dis-
tress for rents, in which 30 persons were charged ; 9
cases of forcible possession, in which 55 persons were
charged ; 6 cases of rescue, where seizures under decrees
of the Civil Bill Court had been made, in which 18 per-
sons were charged ; 6 grievous assaults, in which 8 per-
sons were charged ; and it would appear from the infor-
mations that all those cases were of a very serious na-
ture—that serious injury was done to the parties as-
saulted—that stones, those dangerous and effective wea-
pons in the hands of the peasantry, were used—and in
one case, that there was a deliberate waylaying of the
party assaulted. He only spoke of them, then, as they
appeared on the face of the informations. When they
came to be considered, and the evidence examined, they
would be better able to judge of their character. There
were four cases of commun assault, in which five persons
were charged ; one of highway robbery ; one case of
rescue of a seizure for county cess, in which three per-
sons were charged ; a case against a soldier, for obtain-
ing money under false pretences; and one case of rescue
of a seizure under a coroner's warrant—making in all 55
cases, and the number of persons he had mentioned.
EXPORT OF HousEs.—The well-known horse
Sheet Anchor, purchased for the Duke of Brunswick,
left this port on Wednesday, in charge of an employee of
Tattersall's, by the steam-ship Hamburgh, Capt. Brown,
for Hamburgh. Ten useful horses, purchased by Mr.
Riby Nicholson, are intended to be shipped this evening
(Friday) by the Victoria, and twenty from a valuable
lot at the Paragon Inn stables, selected by Mr. Schol-
field for the MM. Strauss, of Vienna, are to be shipped
to-morrow, per the Queen of Scotland, for Hamburgh.
A further lot of ten or a dozen is expected to be em-
barked by the Princess Victoria, for Antwerp. —H ull
Packet.
Wooncocas.—We never remember a season when
this bird was so plentiful as at present. In price, too,
they are moderate, selling from 3s. 6d. to 4s. 6d. per
brace. Their increased number is supposed to arise from
the great number of young plantations that have recently
sprung up in the country, but it is certain also that in-
stances of their breeding in this country are now cora-
, mon, compared with what they used to be.— Carlisle
Pat! lot.