The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-24 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Lablache, who took his benefit last evening, hal, .1
as might have been expected, a house crowded to suffo-
cation in every part. Last year, he produced for his
benefit the Don Pasquale, introducing the glorious
Don, for the first time, to the English public. This
year he revived Cimarosa's delightful opera Il Matri-
monio Segreto, the opera in which he first made his
bow before an English audience. This opera is re-
markable in musical annals' for the unique compli-
ment paid to it by a Royal audience. It is the only
opera that has ever been encored. Songs, duetts,
overtures, have been encored many a time and oft;
but Cimarosa's opera of II Matrimonio Segreto was,
on its first representation at Vienna, encored as a
whole. The Emperor Joseph, before whom it was
represented, was so delighted with this, the master-
piece of Cimarosa, that he commanded all engaged in
its performance to remain in the theatre ; and,
having had a supper served up to them upon the
stage, commanded them to repeat the whole of the opera
before they left the theatre, his Majesty and his suite
remaining to the conclusion of the second performance.
This was the opera chosen by Lablache in which to
make his first appearance in this country, and he last
night sustained his old character of Geronimo with
all his pristine power. There was the same glorious,
rich, unctuous spirit of fun--the same marvellous
power of voice—the same humorous roll of the
voice, the eye, and the body—the same indescribably
comic expression of countenance, in his attempts to
hide his deafness, that on his first appearance on these
boards fixed him at once and for ever as the greatest—
in every sense of the word—the greatest buffo actor in
the world. The opera was strongly cast: Persiani
was Carolina ; Grisi, Elizabetta ; Favanti, Fidalma ;
Mario, Paolino ; and F. Lablache, the Count.
The acting of Persiani and Grisi in the quarrel scene,
in the first act, was admirable. Nothing could ex-
ceed the pert humour with which Persiani gave the
passage " Le faccio un 'inchino Contessa Garbata "
—(our English readers will recollect the air as "My
Lady the Countess ")—while Grisi's reply—" Son
duma e Contessa," was the very perfection of shrewish
ill-nature. The gem of the opera, however, was the
air in the second act—" Pria the spunti in ciel
l'aurora," which was deliciously given by
Mario. The music was exactly suited to
his voice, and he threw into it all that ex-
pressive and exquisite tenderness which he knoWs
so well how to infuse into airs of this character.
We never hear this (with the exception perhaps of
Il Barbiere, the best opera buffs ever composed)
without reflecting on the marvellous little progress
which the moderns have made in comedy. The Ma-
trirnonio Segreto, and the School for Scandal, were
produced about the same time, and they still remain
unapproached (save in the instance of II Barbiere)
and to all appearance unapproachable. At the con-
clusion, all six of the performers were called for,
and they certainly well deserved the compliment.
Between the acts of the opera, a new divertissement by
Mademoiselle Cerito was produced, entitled
La Vivandiere. Cerito herself sustaining the
principal character. In her costume as La
Vivandiere, she looked exceedingly fascinating,
and her Pas de la Vivandiere was a beautiful piece
of pantomimic display, in the course of which she em-
bodied the feelings which may be supposed to ac-
tuate La Vivandiere du Regiment (a character im-
mortalised by the glorious lyrics of Beranger) dur-
ing the course of a battle. Nothing could exceed her
graphic and picturesque pantomime in this pas. The
inspiriting march to battle—the conflict—the grief at
the fall of old companions in arms, and the final tri-
umph—all were delineated with a truthfulness and an
energy which deservedly elicited the most rapturous
plaudits. Then followed a pas de quatre by Mesde-
moiselles Cerito, Ferdinand, and Louise, and M. St.
Leon. Cerito in this pas exhibited all that marvel-
lous power of execution for which she is so celebrated.
We had that arrowy rush from the back of the
stage to the foot-lamps ; those marvellous twinklings
steps; and those picturesque and graceful poses which
no one can give like Cerito. St. Leon, too, in this
pas de quatre surpassed all his former tours de force.
He is decidedly the first male dancer in the world.
A pas de deux, by Mademoiselle Planquet and M.
Montassu, was very gracefully given, and was much
applauded; and then came the Redowa, the original
Polka dance of Bohemia, by M. St. Leon and Mdlle.
Cerito. This Redotva will, no doubt, become a most
popular dance, there is infinitely more of character in
it than in the Polka, as we have hitherto
seen it danced, and there was a spirit of arch
coquettry about Cerito's manner that told admirably,
and elicited rapturous applause. The scenery was
beautiful, and the characteristic dances by the corps
de ballet exceedingly picturesque. The music is ap-
propriate, and the ballet is admirably put upon the
stage. M. Deshayes ballet of Alma concluded the
evening's amusement. The greater portion of the
audience remained to the conclusion of the ballet.

LITERATURE.
IRELAND AND ITS RULERS.
Newby, London, 1844.
There is much spirit and ready, off-hand vivacity
in this little work, which professes to give an account
—not quite so cool and impartial as could be desired
—of the state of Ireland, and the character of its
rulers since the year 1829—the memorable year of
the passing of Catholic Emancipation. The chapter
entitled the " Parliamentary Repealers in 1834" con-
tains more good sense and just thinking than any
other in the volume ; but the biographical portion of
the work is that which will be found most generally
entertaining, especially the sketches of Sheil, Bushe,
and Woulfe, which though somewhat overcharged in
point of colouring, yet display occasionally much
sound critical opinion, and are to all appearance
perfectly accurate in point of fact. The biographical
sketch of Sheil is by far the most copious and air-
eunistantial, and while the author denies that he is a
first?rate orator! yet he does every possible justice to
his splendid declamatory powers, and his talent for apt,
epigrammatic sarcasm. Of his apparent vehemence
he says that it is all carefully studied, and that he is
never more fully on his guard than when he most
seems to be carried away by the impulse of the mo-
ment,: and the itrdent applause of his party. " Sheil,"
adds our author, ‘i ought to have been a Frenchman.
He essentially belongs to• the country where feryour
of manner is confounded with ardour of passion
where there is much vivacity." We quote a brief
Afetch of the late Mr. Praed from a note which is
attached to tlip memoir of Sheil
Mr. Praed was generally coroi!4erP4 4 failure in po-
litical life by his friends, but if he had survived a fiiw
years longer, he would have gratified their expectations.
At the Union' he displayed uncommon liveliness of
mind, and sprightly gracefulness of wit. Ile was by no
means suited for political life, as he wanted earnestness
and the requisiie phygical organisation. His failure in
the House of Commons was' caused by the wretched
state of his health. It did not require muchdisek4n,
meat to perceive that on the night of his maiden speech
hp had strong symptoms of incipient consumption. In
fact he ought to ip.vp been in his bed on the night when
he first spoke, which he 4i4 merely hppape everybody
expected' him tp do so. He changed his politipl
opinions rather suddenly, but he never held himself re-
sponsible for all the light and laughing sentiments he
uttered at the Union. One Lot' .•liows his mental
energy and elasticity. He had the good sense to per-
ceive his failure as an orator, and immediately struck
out a IlelY line in political life. He amassed a greater
' - iiantity;o naiffutp aud Fem.:lto information on English
genprO thap anx loan of his political otaiaffipg
Colild 'Oast pf, and if leis party, hiaidir'9l.lela 6iii'liin
r, t6hlleci; d'Pa°t"i
he would have vapidly aenited
of Ministerial office. But in the fail' of ToFy 6PTerii-
ment, in 1835, he saw then the game was 'upr for soiue
time, and turned with great resolution to the dry pursuit
or oie Ire hnd mastered the difficulties of his pro-
i'esslBo;lthd litict'fk 4-0, in .000, wits malf.inp• a consi-
derable Wei: Mite: BtitlWd mfgseti 4i'retii location. lie
I sltodid 1;;;,ip, aine(ll- a nian .or lett6rstall'his'life;'?orte
had an exquisite fancy, ats coßo4.,ble poetical powers.
He had contributed (still uneolleeted) genie 01,41,44-
poems of a graceful, amatory kind, distingiiishWfdr
al delicious strain of fanciful tenderness. A gentle
idealityl:-:and
i;:icingez3dnispwoistihtiovne;
were to belotilict iii
great literary accomplishments. Hts Poetleal
djciion
is in it'elf a proof of the elegance of his studies. His
' Visherman,' produced on one of the most poetical
I " •' game effect which Scott said he
minds of the age ',fly voeatten to
experienced on reading 114110'N' 1114 1"
of hi; .„n
Madeline (not generally known) is oito ,
graceful poems. but the whole man is revealed in his
Law Student's verses, after leaving the Huntingdon
Ball. In the House of Commons Praed was almost as
much out of his sphere as Charles Lamb would have
been when Abbot of La Grande Chartrew, ilo was

a tender—affectionate—and generous man—of a dis-
position truly amiable, not unmixed with gay levity—
und in private life was a most interesting character."