The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-02 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, APRIL 2, 1850

EASTER AMUSEMENTS.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

Mr. Aederson seems determined to revive the legi-
mate and national theatrical entertainments at this
the national theatre. He commenced his reason at
Christmas, with a legitimate five act play and a legi-
timate Christmas pantomime, the very best that has
been produced of late years, and the run of which
exceeded, by some weeks, that of any of its competitors.
Aud now, at Easter, wisely eschewing the dangerous
ground of burlesque, he gives us a regular, legitimate,
magical, gorgeous, Easter piece, which will be to the
full as attractive as was his pantomime. It is so
many years since a regular legitimate Easter piece
has been produced, that the performance of The
Devil's Ring ; or, Fire, Water, Earth, and Air
(for such is the title which Mr. Rod well
has given to his fairy spectacle) has all the attraction
of novelty to the more juvenile playgoer, while to
those who remember the national theatres in their
palmy days, it recals pleasant reminiscences of by-
gone times, when from Easter to Whitsuntide
Thierna na Oge:reigned supreme Prince of the Lakes
at Drury-lane, and Peter Wikins was parried away
through the air, by the Flying Indians, every night,
at Covent-garden. The Devil's Ring is not only a
perfectly legitimate Easter piece, but it is one of the
most gorgeous, one of the most effective, one of the
most wonderful of its sort. It is far and away the
best fairy spectacle that has been pro-
duced since Cherry and Fair Slar, and the effects.
are so marvellous as to really merit the name of
magical. Indeed, your ancient magician must have
been a very clever fellow indeed if he could approach
your modern theatrical machinist in the performance
of wonders. The Devil's Ring is a tale of pure en-
chantment. The heroine, the Princess Eveline (Miss
E. Nelson), has been carried off by Go-dah (Mr. C.
Fisher), the wizard of the elements, and with her
singing-maid, Leila, imprisoned in the centre of
Mount Etna, and the drama opens with a beautiful view
of the city and harbour of Catania, in Sicily, with
Etna smoking in the back-ground. This beautiful scene
is one of the most beautiful productions of Brunning's
pencil, and, considered as a work of art, is exquisite.
We here find divers knights who have failed in ob-
taining possession of the Devil's ring, by the posses-
' sion of which alone can the Princess be rescued. The
ring can only be seized from the Brazen hand by one
who has never been untrue in honour nor false in
love ; and Herbert, the Minstrel of Cassel (Miss. F.
Huddart), undertaking the adventure, enters the
caverns of the Brazen Hand, seizes the ring, and has
bestowed on him, by the Spirit of the Ring (Miss
A. Lonsdale), a golden wishing-branch, and Whir-
liburg (Mr. Seymour), the slave of the ring, and the
most grotesque and active of posturers, to attend
him. Herbert then summonses his brother Franco,
the charcoal burner (Mr. S. Artaud), to attend him,
and together they proceed to seek out Eveline ;
France, who is the a funny man" of the piece,
being stimulated thereunto by his love for Leila (Mies
Rafter) the Princess's singing girl. The scene now
changes to the Realms of Fire, in which the Princess
and Leila are confined. Herbert and his party arrive
and rescue them, and they ascend with the Princess
and Leila through liquid flames to the earth ; the
second act opens with a magnificent view of the falls
of Niagara, and here the wizard weaves his spells to
recapture the Princess by the aid of the second element,
water. In this he succeeds, and they descend through
the falls to the City of the Fountains, the coral home
of the Naiad Queen. This is an exquisitely beautiful
and gorgeous scene, and a ballet by the
Naiades is very gracefully executed. The
Princess is again rescued by Herbert, and the
inchanter has recourse to the third element,
earth. The scene is laid in the diamond caves of
California, and here the Wizard by an earthquake
gets Herbert and the Princess in his power, and Her-
bert having lost the magic ring, is with the Prin-
cess in danger of perishing, when Franco by aid
of the wishing-branch, discovers their prison, and
by wishing their pursuers may remain where they
are until he sends for tbem, enables them to reach
the upper world by a gigantic staircase, when they
emerge in a Sicilian vineyard at the time of vintage.
This Sicilian vineyard is another exquisite specimen
of beautiful landscape painting. The fourth
element is air; here the Wizard has impri-
soned the Princess in the Palace of Rainbows from
which she is rescued by the faithful Herbert, and
the drama ends with the gorgeous wedding procession
of Herbert and the Princess, and their triumphal
entry to the Hall of the Hundred Knights in a car
drawn by real horses. This last scene is the mos

gorgeously magnificent ever exhibited on any stage
and brought down the curtain amidst thunders of ap-
plause. The music by the author, Mr. Rodwell, is
essentially dramatic, and the piece is interspersed
with various songs and duetts, and concerted pieces,
which were very effectively rendered by Miss Rafter,
Miss E. Nelson, and Miss F. Huddart. At the con-

elusion Mr. Anderson was called for, and announced
the piece for repetition amidst enthusiastic applause.
The house was well attended.

HAYMARKET.

The after-season set in last night at this favourite
theatre with its wonted success and brilliancy.
Having survived the Dogberry of Keeley, who was
throughout the hero of the evening, we awaited the
rising of the curtain for the Easter piece with an
anticipatory confidence in the witty powers of the
Brothers Brough, which were by no means disap•
pointed by their new spectacular burlesque. The
brilliant romance of " Ivanhoe" has so few characters

Or whose ultimate welfare one cares a single dolt—
none, indeed, except the noble-minded Rebecca, the
chivalrous Cceur-de-Lion, and the faithful thralls,
Wamba and Gurth, for the hero and Rowena savour
of the mawkish, and the rest are brigands, ravishers,
gormandisers, Etc, that we felt that no flagrant
sacrilege was committed against the manes of the
tkriosto of the north, by perpetrating a travestie of
his knightly chronicle. In " the late" edition of
Ivanhoe, with all the newest improvements,
there was nothing outre in the costumes,
which were perfectly correct, and little in
the action, save the achievements of the Templar,
Wilfred, and the Black Knight in the Tournament,
nor was there any very striking scenic effect. The
entire force was thrown into the dialogue and songs,
and in that essential department never was a more
deservedly successful effusion of this nature produced.
In the accessaries of scenery, costume and ballet, the
lovers of the modern burlesque may find a far richer
treat at the Lyceum, Princess's, or Adelphi, but
neither the georgeously mock-majestic Honey, the
ferocious Wynn, nor even the piquant and melodious
Vestris, or the all-accomplished and fascinating
Woolgar, can carry off the palm from the Keeleys,
Priscilla Horton, or J. Bland. If we do not include
Buckstone, Mrs. Fitzwilliam, or Selby, in the pre-
sent category, it is only because their casts in Ivan-
hoe were hardly equal to their talents. Wamba and
Robin Hood were but secondary parts, and, in our
opinion, the portrait of Brian de Bois Guilbert, how-
ever admirably the conception was carried out by
the red-cross Selby, was the least felicitous
hit of the talented Germini. The opening
scene was " the Saxon mansion" of Cedric (Mr. J.
Bland), in which that " fine old English gentleman"
gave an excellent parody of the popular ballad of that
WHIM, and capped his patriotic prejudices by getting
royally intoxicated. Then follow in succession " The
Cheap Clothing Establishment" of Isaac of York
(Keeley), which afforded scope for some smashing
allusions to the present puffing system of certain dens
of habilimentary humbug, and where Ivanhoe (Mrs.
Keeley) gave a famous account of a Jew discounter
in a parody on "I do remember an apothecary ;"
" The Tournament of Ashby de la Zouch," which
elicited roars of laughter ; " Life in the Merry
Greenwood," developing Robin Hood (Mrs. Fitz-
william) as a flagrant land-schemer; " The Turret
Chamber," in which Miss P. Horton, as Rebecca,
sang a grand scene with wonderful power and exe-
cution; "The Dungeon," in which our old friend
Isaac of York (Keeley) came out with inimit-
able effect, most Fagin-like in appearance, and
haunted by the ghosts of a ground-down needle-
woman, a " gent," pitifully taken in by
the purchase of a rotten Paletot, a bill-ac-
ceptor poisoned by the villainous wine which
he had to stand from Isaac in addition to 60 per cent.,
and the phantom of Wilfred, to whom he had supplied
such vile armour that it fell to pieces in the lists, until
the Israelite vows to take a dose of " clo-reform" and
utterly mend his extortionate ways—and, finally, "the
Castle ramparts," where, after deadly combat, the
tyrannous Templar is overthrown, and the coal-black
and victorious Richard (Mr. Braid) discloses himself
to the loyal lieges ; the whole terminating by a toler-
ably effective scene representing " the Grand Exhi-
bition of all Nations." Ivanhoe very properly gives
the preference to Rebecca over the Saxon lady, and
Prince John is spared, else, as he justly pleads, "Who
would tbere be to sign Magna Charta ?' It would be
quite impossible to convey a fitting idea by a few ex-
tracts of the exuberant witticisms which in continuous
volleys excited the hilarity of the audience without
the slightest flagging. The performers without ex-
ception acquitted themselves admirably. Bland por-
trayed the groggy bull-headed Thane in capital style.
That most talented artiste, Miss Horton, was " great"
in the Jewish maiden, especially in the scene before
mentioned. In giving full point, without the remotest
approximation to vulgarity to burlesque dialogue.
Mrs. Keeley stands unrivalled, and must hare glad-
dened the authors' hearts as much as she delighted her
hearers ; and Keeley, whose parody on " Sam Hall,"
was deliciously woe-begone, fairly immortalised him-
self by his delineation of the rascally old Jew.
Those who desire to hear an incessant fire of
humorosities said and sung, responded to by the
sympathising cacbinations of an extatified auditory,
should beware how they fail paying a visit to the
Haymarket during the run of this clever and

triumphant novelty. The house was completely
crowded, and, to the credit of its occupants be it
spoken, they had the good taste to abstain from
exacting an encore throughout the piece, so that all
went off smoothly and rapidly, and the performances
were over by twelve o'clock.

ADELPHI.

The novelty provided at this place of entertainment
for the holiday folks was a new historical and anec-
dotal vaudeville, evidently an adaptation from the
French, called Playing First Fiddle; or, Follow my
Leader. The aim in such productions is of course
less the development of any kind of plot, or the pre-
senting a concatenation of circumstances ending in a
happy denouement, as to collect together some slight
materials for a brilliant exhibition of all the resources
of an establishment. In this respect the enterprising
managers of the Adelphi were successful last night,
though the piece was received with some slight
marks of disfavour. To attempt to describe
within a small compass a production in which
so many fantastical matteis are introduced would
be difficult, but we may give a general outline ,
of the manner in which it is constructed. The
time in which the piece is laid is 1652, and the
opening scene is the kitchen of the Chateau Choisy.
The aspirations of the chef de cuisine (Mr. Lambert)
are concentrated in the culinary art, and he exercises
the utmost of ,his skill to please the palate of his
mistress, the Duchess of Montpensier (Miss Emma
Harding), whose tastes are as Capricious as she is
fastidious in the selection of a husband. This hero of
the kitchen has a numerous body of cooks in embryo,
who are marched and paraded with military exact-
ness, and whose incongruous proceedings are
in the highest degree humorous. Among
them is Lulli, a young Italian of nineteen
(Madame Celeste), who is invested with the
honour of the legion of stewpans for his invention of
maccaroni, but he disdains his occupation, and his
imagination soars from soups and stews to the more
delightful art of music. Philippe Quinault, a baker's
boy, aged 17 Nisi
•Woolgar), writes a satirical
ballad upon the Duchess, which is set to music by
Lulli, and the circumstance comes to the knowledge
of one of her
„repulsed auitors, the Margrave de
Bareuth (Mr. Bedford), and he conceives the idea of
circulating it at court and making it popular out of
doors. The ballad is brought to the Duchess by.
Jeanneton, her tirewoman (Miss Kathleen Fitz-
william), and she is so annoyed at the prospect
of being made a subject of ridicule for hesitat-
ing in selecting a husband, that she determines
in despair to marry the Margrave, but this is
prevented by the sudden appearance of the Duke
de Lawzun, who is her favourite lover, and the
curtain falls just as the angry Marquis is discovered
by the whole household ascending a ladder to carry
away vi et armis, his lady love. Madame Celeste and
Miss Woolgar made very pretty and charming cooks,
and Miss Emma Harding, played the part of the
Duchess with her usual fascination and grace. Miss
Kathleen Fitzwilliam made a most successful first
appearance at this theatre, and was well received.
The scenery and decorations were splendid, and the
dresses of the most superb and expensive kind, and
we have no doubt the piece will have a successful
run throughout the holidays.. The other entertain-
ments of the evening consisted of the Mothers'
Dream, the extremely laughable farce of My Pre-
cious Betsy, and Mr. Haynes Bayly's popular piece
called Tom IVoddy's Secret.

LYCEUM THEATRE. •
Time has once again brought Easter on his wings
—that joyous season to the youthful heart that knows
no sorrow greater than the return to school, and had
no hope so full of promise as the welcome back again
to home; and many there were last night, at this
elegant theatre, who, by the able management of
Madame Vestris, were satisfied to the full bent of
their inclinations with gorgeous spectacles and fairy
splendours, that brought back to our recollections the
brilliant imagery of an Eastern tale. And many,
too, there were of riper years, who seized this oppor-
tunity, apart from the every-day cares of an anxious
life for a few fleeting hours, to cheat Sorrow of its
sting, and make companionship with
" Sport, that wrinkled Care derides,
And Laughter, holding both his sides."

Lest season the Seven Champions of Christendom were
awakened from their tombs to exhibit their prowess
before the eyes of an admiring audience, and we ques-
tion if, in the olden time the mighty deeds that have
chronicled their names could have elicited more
genuine applause than was bestowed then upon
their fitting representatives. But this year
we were lead away from the scenes of martial strife,
to wander in the peaceful shades of sylvan groves,
where the Dryad wanders and the gentle shepherdess
listens to • a tale of love. Cymon and Iphigenia
is the title of the new Easter spectacle at this house,
and styled a lyrical, comical pastoral. The scene
opens under the sign Taurus, March retiring and
April coming in, accompanied by Mr. Charles Ma-
thews, as April the First, King of Tomfoolery. Tnis
character occasionally makes his appearance through-
out the piece, as a kind of censor of the age,
hurling sly hits and wicked witticisms at the pre-
vailing follies of the day, and even daring an
assertion that he could not swallow all that even
Macaulay had written. The Enchantress Urganda
(Miss Isabella Dickinson), the wife of the Arch
Magician Merlin (Mr. F. Cooke), is in love with
Cymon (Miss Julia St. George), to the great wrath
of Merlin. Cymon is living under the protection of
Urganda, listless and unimpassioned, and a very sim-
ple Cymon indeed; but Merlin, by his magic power,
brings into his presence the beautiful shepherdess
Iphigenia (Miss Manners), and a spell more potent
than any that Merlin can conjure—the spell of love—
works wonders. His intellect brightens, his manners
improve—in fact he is in love. Urganda dispatches
her handmaiden Fatima, (Mrs. Humhy), a garrulous
femme de ehambre, to watch the lovers, but by Merlin's
power, as a punishment for her prying propensities, she
is deprived of the utterance of any other words
than the two monosyllables "yes" and "no ;" so
that when she returns to report progress to her mis-
tress the sad confusion that occurs may be easily
imagined. Dorus (Mr. Harley), an humorous old
justice of these Arcadian regions, is smitten with the
charms of Daphne, who is jealous of Iphigenia, and
the Justice promises to remove the hated rival,
whom he had never seen ; but just when
Iphigenia appears, and by her excessive beauty
works a change in the old gentleman's intention,
and Daphne is driven in disgrace from his pre-
sence, Cymon enters, and is ordered into custody by
the pompous magistrate, but love nerves his arm, and
the myrmidons of the law are compelled to fly. In
the meantime Urganda raises some evil spirits to
work mischief upon the innocent Iphigenia, but King
Tomfoolery now interposes, the lovers are transported
to the Isle of Paphos, and are united, to the great
content of all interested in the welfare of these in-
teresting personages. The scenery is very beautiful,
especially the garden front of Urganda'a Palace.
Several airs from Dr. Arne are pressed into
the service, and some ballet dancing, arranged
by Mr Oscar Byrne, materially heightens the attrac-
tions of the piece, which was received with unmixed
applause, and promises to reward the management fur
their liberal efforts to amuseo trouble or expense. Miss St. George, Mr.
the public without re-
and Mr. Charles Mathews were called before
curtaintglihaearrdlety
at the conclasion of the spectacle, to re-
ceive the usual honours. The evening's entertain-
ments were concluded by a repetition of the Island
of Jewels, and an Appeal to the Public, to the evident
satisfaction of a crowded and fashionable audience.

PRINCESS'S.
last
Mr. Maddox has produced as an Easter piece
(wduhanipdethea, t
ir hne
with H
Queen of Roses) an excellent
Haley's music is at present drawing
crowded houses every night to the Opera Comique
adaptation
a Scribemaeie To of
~ s the
new piece La Fee =Roses,
in Paris, and we believe that every pains has been
taken to make the mise en scene of the Princess's ver-
sion a fac-simile of the mise en scene of the original,
Mr. Maddox having undertaken a journey to Paris to
see the original in order to insure the greatest pos-
sible accuracy. The plot runs much as follows :
Atalmac, a sorcerer (Mr. Ryder), swart, ma-
jestic, and mysterious as a sorcerer should be,
,hoNmerihlhea, whom he has lately
is
loves nought but roses,
desperately in love.
The
gafhati beautiful,
,r andslarew,isthhlaovirweever,
u ng and afterwards the
" argal" she loves not Atalmac. In his absence one
day, two friends of hers, Gulnare and Cardige, Per-
sian grisettes, pay her a visit, and, the three young
ladies light on the sorcerer's book
aagnidcsptaoff,wearnsd. amuselhey
themselveswfirhs
whole
l e s
efturan
ibbtyur
roeo,m exertingpr dancing,oci
theirci
an extremely novel
effect ; chairs, tables, stools, Vases, trip in a
very quaint and fantastic style, to the great
merriment of the fair usurpers; but when they
wish to still the uproar they have raised they are sadly
puzzled, and the magician catches them in flagrante
delicto. As, however, they have done no mischief, he
does not punish them, hut stops the frantic dance. He
then prosecutes his suit, and promises anything and
everything to Nerilha if she will be his. He creates
her Queen of Roses, with almost unlimited powers;
but all these she is to forfeit if she confesses love for any
mortal. With regard to his own hopes, he
trusts that time will alter her sentiment,
and so she ascends, in a magnificent corbeille
of flowers, to take possession of her fairy realms.
Her first regal act is to realise the dreams of her
two friends, and, accordingly, Gulnare suddenly
finds herselfa princess, about to be married to Prince
Badel Badour, Sultan of India. Cadige is united to
Hailoun, a gardener, a lover of hers, who is forthwith
appointed head gardener to the aforesaid Sultan.
Gulnare is spoilt by her sudden elevation, and be-
comes vicious and imperious, behaving with contempt
to her former friends, and allowing Aboulfaris, the
Vizier, to charm her with his sweet voice and ele-
gant pen= to such A degree that we tremble

for the Sultan's honour, should it be committed to her
keeping. To punish her, the Queen of Roses ordains
that whoever kisses her shall receive a box on the ear,
and that any one " popping the question" he shall
receive a sound flogging. Poor Aboulfaris, receives,
accordingly, abundance of blows, and when, at last,
he makes his declaration, innumerable birches start up
from all parts of the stage, and bestow an unmerciful
flagellation on him. In vain he attempts to escape ; they
meet him onall sides,yet never hit the wrong one. This
novel effect was highly surprising, and convulsed the
audience with laughter. Nerilba falls in love with
the Sultan, who equally adores her. Being pressed,
she confesses her love—and instantly returns to the
slavery of the sorcerer in caves below the sea. His
anger knows no bounds, and he changes her into
an old woman. From this state she can never
escape till she shall' prevail on a lover to kiss her.
Atalmac then leaves her, but again she obtains his
magic book, and by its power transports herself to the
Court of the Sultan, whose nuptials with Gulnare are
about to take place. She presents to him a magic white
bouquet, which, if his "intended" is faithless to him,
will turn red, and claims as her reward a kiss from
Badel Badour. Gulnare receives the bouquet, which
instantly turns red, and the old woman asks the
Sultan to kiss her,—this he does, though not without
much reluctance, and in a moment the wrinkled
old hag is changed into the blooming and lovely Ne-
rilha, who marries the Sultan, to the discomfiture of
the magician. Gulnare isgiven to the 'Vizier, and every-
body is, of course, a very great deal more than happy.
The scenery was magnificent. The enchanted gardens
in the Vale of Cashmere, the Valley of Desolation,
the Sultan's Palace and distant view of Jelhi, were
masterpieces of scenic art, and reflect the highest
honour on Mr. Gray. The dresses were gorgeous—
in fact, the whole play has been "got up regardless
of expense." Tne dances were short and pretty,
and the success of this graceful Persian tale was as
complete as it was merited. The Queen of the .Roses
will have a long reign at the Princess's.

NEW STRAND.
The Vicar of Wakefield continues so attractive
here as to supersede the necessity to which, under
ordinary circumstances, managers submit, of an Easter
specialty. It was followed last night by His First
Champagne and Out on the Loose. The house was
crowded. The already very strong company has been
still further strengthened by the Addition of Mr.
Compton.

SURREY THEATRE.
The bill of fare at this theatre presented two no-
velties on its re-opening last night—The Adventurer,
a romantic drama, in three acts, by the author of The
Secretary, and a fairy extravaganza, entitled The
Three Princes, from the pen of Mr. J. Kingdom
(author of the Old Ferry House, &c.) The plot
of The Adventurer is laid in Spain, in the time of
Philip the Third, and his Minister, the Duke de
Lermes, both of whom figured prominently on the
stage. Pequillo Alliaza (Mr. Creswick), the Ad-
venturer, a sort of Spanish Japhet, is engaged in
search for a father, in which he displays all the energy
and perseverance of his English type, accompanied by
the generous bravery and insouciance of Don Caesar de
Bazan. This search is the chief object of his life,
and he prosecutes it through a variety of adventures,
in which it is his fortune to cross the intrigues of the
Duke de Lermes (Mr. Raymond), and Don Escobar
(Mr. Butler), the, chief of the Inquisition.
Philip the Third (Mr. J. Mead), by the
arts of his Minister and the Inquisition, has become
estranged from his wife, Marguerite of Austria
(Miss Daly), and is pining for some one to share his
heart without his throne, whenthe:portrait of Carmen
(Madame Ponisi), the daughter of a Spanish rene-
gade noble, then imprisoned in the dungeons of the
Inquisition, is thrown in his way, and shortly after-
wards, by the same machinations, he meets the origi-
nal herself; his heart is lost, but he is obliged to leave
her before he can declare his passion. The fortunes
of Pequillo and Carmen are in some sort interwoven ;
she, like him, is in search of her father • he has saved
her from drowning at Valencia, and in the'
second ac-
we find them together in the dungeons of the Inqui
sition, she disguised as a male novice to assist her
father's escape, and he a prisoner on a charge of
sacrilege, on which he has been arrested by the fami.
liars of the Inquisition, just after his fourth adven-
ture, where he helps the King to escape from the un-
pleasant situation into which his pursuit of Carmel
has led him. Delascar de Alberique, the renegade,
and Pequillo escape; but the sex of Carmel is disco-
vered, and she is condemned to be'burnt at the next au-
to-da-fe, from which she is rescued by an insurrection
of the mob of Valencia, led on by Pequillo, and con-
nived at by the King. The third act opens with
Carmel at the palace, protected by the King,
Delascar restored to fortune, and a decree for the
restoration of the Moors is planning. This does not
suit either the minister orthe Inquisition. A plot for the
poisoning of Carmen is set afoot, which is discovered
by Piquillo, in the course of one of his adventures,
and intercepted by him just as the King is about to
drink off the cup which had heen prepared for Carmel
at an entertainment in the royal gardens. The
King's gratitude makes Pequillo Prime Minister in the
room of the Duke de Ltruies, but, what is of more
consequence to him, he discovers his father in the
person of Delascar de Alberique. A powerful scene
follows between Pequill3 and his sister Carmen, in
which she declares to him her love for the King, and
implores Pequillo to save her from dishonour. An
Prime Minister Piquillo issues a decree, ordering all
Mahomedans to remove from the Spanish territory.
Carmen has confessed her Moorish faith, and she pre-
pares to obey the decree. The King's passion op
poses her, but Pequillo's manly and patriotic expos-
tulations restore him to his better self,
and the play concludes with the full re-
conciliation of the King and his wife, and the
departure of the Adventurer and his new found family
to Algiers. The dialogue of the piece throughout
was very good, and the parts well cast. The Three
Princes, like most pieces of the sort, has but little
plot. The Princess Brighteye (Miss Bromley),
daughter of Hi Ski Cloudy (Mr. Widdicombe), has
been stolen away by an evil genius, which sets the
whole court in a state of consternation. A proclama-
tion is issued offering the lady's hand to her rescuer,
and three princes—Prince Jealous (Miss Daly),
Prince Blush (Miss Laporte), and Prince Faithful
(Miss Jane Coveney)—set out on the expedition,
which is attended by numberless horrors and perils.
Prince Faithful, however, having secured the assis-
tance of the fairy Good-friend, is the only one who
can obtain entrance into the Enchanted Castle, where
he arrives only in time to save the other two princes
from being set down to the fire to roast for the En-

chanter's —dinner. He penetrates into the chamber
where the Princess is confined, pops the question to
her, puts an end to the Enchanter's power, and
restores the young lady to her parents only to de-
prive them of her himself. Into this plot
is interwoven a running fire of jokes, witticisms, and
clever allusions, the interest of which never flags, and
the application is never obscure. Every pawing event
furnished a mark, and none were allowed to pass by.
The political hits were very clever and told remark.
ably well with the audience. Of the scenery and me-
chanical effects we cannot speak in too high terms.
The last scene, the Lake of Gems, was •ne of great
magnificence and splendour. Throughout the whole
piece the audience were kept in a state of alternate
admiration and laughter. Messrs. Shepherd and
Creswick have certainly produced one of the best ex-

travaganzas on the stage; and they have no cause to
be dissatisfied with its triumphant reception. We
must not forget to mention the many adaptations of
ropular melodies which were given in the course of
the piece. They were well arranged and sang with
great spirit. A trio by the three princes was de-
servedly encored.

and had an infallible ordeal ly.fore which all
must go who claimed to be his daughter. This is no
other than a crown which strikes to death those who
approach it with an untruthful intention. The fair
damsel of the Valley of Roses, rescued from death in
a thousand hideous shapes by the gallant Roland, son
of Aymon, has already stood the test, and challenges
Mangis and his daughter to follow her. They ac-
cept the challenge, and, accompanied by their four
familiars, are all at once dispatched to Orcus. Odette
is then acknowledged by Charlemagne ; Roland
is received as her affianced, and in the royal
tent of Charlemagne the triumph of the four sons
of Aytnon is accomplished amid a glorious tableau.
The splendour of the decorations, the gorgeousness of
the costumes, the magnificence of the spectacle, and
the novelty of the effects, far surpasses anything that
hos been hitherto achieved even at this, the theatre,
par excellence, of spectacle. The applause was en-
thusiastic, and the Four Sons of Arnim will no doubt
draw crowded houses for one hundred nights to come.
Scenes in the Circle followed, of which the novel and
brilliant entree of the dames of the foxhunting chase
pleased us most, hut each scene had its admirers. Toe
re-appearance of the Young Hernandez especially
created an immense furor. Astley's, under Mr.
Batty's management, more than sustains its well-
earned reputation.

THE EXHIBITIONS.
THE WALHALLA.
The Earl of Carlisle, at a recent l}elgravian assem-
bly, convened to assist the mighty gathering of 1851,
congratulated the age in which we live upon its free-
dom from superstition or brutality, denouncing with
nervous energy the dismal ceremonies of the Romans,
and the sanguinary struggles of the gladiator ; but
" out of evil sometimes cometh good," and while we
lament the terrible incidents which characterised the
amusements of old, we should never forget the advan-
tages we derive from the imperishable mementos they
have left behind. Emmerson, the American lecturer,
tells us somewhere that sculpture owes its origin to
architecture. Doubtless the magnificent structures
of the ancients served to promote, encourage, and
develope that divine art, but it is in the gladiatorial
struggles within the amphitheatre, rather than in its
external walls, that we must look for its cradle. But
what has all this to do with the Walhalla of Leices-
ter-square ? Why, a good deal, for the Walhalla not
only recals to the reflective mind the games and
pastimes of a race of men whose genius, if not their
deeds, will live in history for ever, but it serves to
bear out the opinion which some of Emmerson's
opponents have advanced in America upon the origin
of sculpture. Painting and sculpture are but the sha-
dows of existing scenes and animate beings, and if
they afford amusement and delight to the man of
taste, no wonder that the originals, not as they are
seen in the artist's studio, but, assisted with costumed
illusions, gives him equal pleasure. Anything more
complete in its way, anything more removed from
the vulgarity of a mere model, or anything more
classical, can hardly be conceived than Madame Whar-
ton's Tableaux Vivans, and it is therefore not at all
surprising that her gallery comes in for a fair share
of patronage at this festive period of the year.

ARGYLE ROOMS.
M. Laurent, jun., still waves his baton at this
magnificent salle de danse, the appearance of which
has been greatly beautified by the erection of a costly
and brilliant chandelier. There is always a mania
of some sort prevailing, and dancing seems to be all
the rage at the present time. From the prince to the
peasant, dancing has its charms, and a holiday
never occurs now-a-days without a plentiful accom-
paniment of balls, routs, and quadrille parties ; and if
you happen to see a man struggling through his steps
clumsily depend upon it he is fast sinking into "the
sear and yellow leaf "—he is of a bygone age. The
young spark performs his evolutions with the ease
and skill of a professor, and you may judge, by the
perseverance with which he pursues the pleasure of
dancing, that it has become part and parcel of his
existence The Argyle Rooms are, therefore, im-
mensely patronized just now, and the scenes which
they nightly present are highly diverting. The grave
and gay, the young and old, jostle together in won-
derful confusion, and there is not a set made up in
which you cannot find some fine specimen of the sur-
face life of the great metropolis. Here you have the
bearded, chattering Frenchman—there the pale-faced,
spectacled German or Yankee. Here you see the
undoubted " Gent. out on the loose," with his stunted
imperial and ponderous watch-chain—there the fiercer
mustachioed militaire ; in fact, every conceivable
species of West-end idler, all twisting and twirling
round gaily-attired ladies, with languishing looks and
masculine paletots. He, then, who wants to dance
in a mob, or study the manners and customs of men
upon town, should go to the Argyle Rooms, which
were last night thronged with holiday-seekers,
country cousins, and provincials.

CASINO DE VENICE.
This admirably conducted Casino still continues to
draw nightly a most crowded and fashionable com-
pany. We know of no other place of entertainment
in the metropolis that we would recommend to the
votaries of Terpsichore sooner than the Casino of
Venice, for there they enjoy a quiet and uninterrupted
dance. The music is excellent, and let us, en
passant, just make mention of Mr. O'Brian's new
piece entitled the " Donnybrook Quadrille." Since
it was first played it has been rapturously encored
every night, and for ourselves we may truly say that
it is the prettiest quadrille music that we have heard
for many a long day. 'We are satisfied that it has
only to become known to be universally sought after
and its musical talent duly appreciated. The ar-
rangements on the whole for the accommodation of
the visitors are quite complete ; and, indeed, nothing
whatever is wanting to render this saloon one of the
moat attractive lounges in that quarter of the town.

LOVE'S ENTERTAINMENT.
We were delighted to find that the Music-hall,
Store-street, was again crowded last evening by a
highly fashionable audience. The public will cer-
tainly never tire of the entertainments which Mr.
Love can place before them. Each visit we make
we become more and more amazed at his extraordi-
❑ary polyphonic talent, and as a ventriloquist he
certainly stands unrivalled. His personifications of
the agreeable old man, the chatty young lady, the
spark, &c., are inimitable, and the rapidity with which
he changes his dress is truly startling. In short,
whenever we go to these entertainments we are
satisfied of being at least amused, if not instructed.
We would advise those country folks who are spend-
ing their Easter in town not to leave the metropolis
without paying Mr. Love a visit. As before stated,
the hall is crowded at every entertainment by a
highly respectable company.