The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-22 00:00:00

SA.DLER'S 'WELLS THEATRE. r

The legitimate drama, like persons in a decline,
seems to have been quite renovated by a return to
the 1 Jcality in which it was nurtured during
the days of its youthful vigour ; and Sadler's
Wells, under the management of Phelps and Mrs.
Warner, in the days of Queen Victoria, bids fair to
rival what the Fortune Theatre (situated in the same
district) was in the days of Queen Elizabeth, under
the management of Philip Henslowe and Edward Al-
leyne. Night after night is Sadler's Wells crowd. d
by a most respectable and highly-attentive audience, •
to witness the masterpieces of Shakspeare and
our glorious dramatists, performed as they
can now be performed at no other theatre in London.
Since the commencement 'of the season the company
has numbered amongst its members Phelps, Mrs.
Warner, Miss Cooper, Marston, and John Webster ;
more recently George Bennett has jointed them, and
Sadler's Wells can now boast of the inort complete
tragedy company that could, by possibility, at the pre-
sent moment be assembled within the walls of any
metropolitan theatre. The audirnee part of the thea- •
tre has been newly fitted up, and ti.e arrangements
for the accom nodation of the visitors to the boxi-s,
which are under the superintendence of our old
friend Notter, are admirable. The tragedy of The
Bridal, which was performed some few years since
at Covent- garden, was produced here last evening
with the most brilliant and the most deserved success. }
It is an adaptation by Sheridan Knowles of Beau-
mont and Fletcher's Maid's Tragedy. This play, one
of the most powerful and poetical compositions that
ever was penned, and which is inferior only to the
creations of Shakspeare, was laid aside
at the Restoration, because it was considered
to smack somewhat too strongly of disloyalty,
and Waller, who adapted it to the stage, attempted
to render it fit for representation by altering the de-
nouement, and making the king repent, instead of fall-
ing by the hand of Evadne; but the graceful, but
feeble Waller, was no match for the masculine vigour
of Beaumont, who is generally considered to have the
principal hand in writing this tragedy; they were as
ill-assorted as Amintor and Evadne. BValler's altera-
tions were soon forgotten, and the tragedy again
ceased to be an acting play. About four years since it
was revived by Macready, who entrusted Sheridan
Knowles with the task of adapting it for representa-
tion. The task could not have been confided to fitter
hands. Possessing the same heartiness of feeling,
the same vigour of thought, the same vein of poetry
as Beaumont himself, Knowles set about his labour
of love—for to him it must have been a labour of
love—lo the true spirit ;he has cut out a great deal,
which would not be tolerated on the stage in these
days, and has added three scenes, but so thoroughly
has he been imbued with Beaumont's spirit, and so
artistically has he introduced his new matter, that a
spectator who had never read the original would be
Puzzled to discover where the alterations had been
made. The cast last night was very strong. We
had Phelps as Melantius, Marston as Amintor,
Ix. Bennett as the King, Mrs. Warner as Evadne,
Iliad Miss Cooper as Aspasia. Phelps, as Melantius,
looked and acted the honourable, high-minded,
courageous, but injured soldier, to the life.
There was an intensity in his acting in the
scene with Amintor, in which the latter discloses
to him the cause of his sorrow, that told most
effectively; and in the scene with Evadne, in which
he taxes her with her guilt, and makes her swear to
be revenged, he was quite appalling. %Ve know of
no lady on the stage who could have personated the
haughty Evadne so to the life as Mrs. Warner did.
In the scenes with Melantius she was magnificent.
'We never saw Marston to greater advantage than in
the character of Amintor. He seems to have made
this line of character completely his own. George
J3ennett, in the King, did that which he has so often
done before —made a second-rate character of first-
ado by his excellent acting. Miss Cooper
but little to do as Aspasia, but that little was pepr-
Tormed beautifully. Take it altogether, we know not
when we have seen a tragedy acted so admirably as a
whole—there was not a weak part in it. The cos-
tumes were magnificent and appropriate, and the play
altogether was put upon the stage with the greatest
attention. The applause was enthusiastic at the fall
of the curtain, and Phelps and Mrs. Warner were
called for and received with the customary honours.
The house was crowded to suffocation in every part.

bESCENT OF THE " MONSTER
BALLOON."
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Monday evening
been Mr. Hampton's companion on
olonday evening in, the car of his " Monster Balloon,"
me to particularise the journey and descent.
we left White Conduit• gardens with ease and a
Moderate ascending power, and although the car con-,
tained three cwt. of ballast, Mr. Hampton did not
discharge an ounce of it, for the following reasons :
In the first place the intrepid aeronaut studied to
afford me a good view of the metropolis ; the altitude
the balloon attained, and the course she took, being
calculated to produce the desired gratification. I
Was enabled to gaze on this great city under very
favourable circumstances. Beholding around me so
Much that was grand and interesting, my trip,
although short, was sweet, indeed. The novelties,
entertainments, and beauties of London have fre-
quently afforded me amusement and instruction, but
the enthusiasm and real delight I experienced in
viewing its characteristic features, with their grandeur
and various peculiarities, was a pleasure so great and
impressive, that London has ascended in my estima-
- tinn through my having ascended from London.
Mr. Hampton's second reason for not exceeding
half a mile was this :--His balloon has very properly
been designated a " Monster," and it being the first
time she has ascended from London, he was desirous
°f convincing the thousands who were beneath that
She really merited that appropriate title. As the car
contained three cwt. of ballast, the balloon had suffi-
cient power to take up four persons, and an ample
auPPIY of sand. Mr. Hampton, however, determined
to take no stranger with him until after a second trial
had been made of the improvements in his balloon,
;nich have already been mentioned in tae papers.
The reason that I was favoured was owing to in-
„Li
'nnate acquaintance with Mr. Hampton, to the satis-
'action I telt as to the strength and safety of the
Machine, having observed its construction, and, more-
over' from a little ambition to be the first to ascend
With the aeronaut in his " Monster Balloon."
The descent of this new and splendid balloon was
rfeeted with perfect safety in a meadow belonging to
Thomas Rust, of East Ham Hall, East Ham,
about twenty minutes after our departure from the
ftardens. The valve car, and other improvements,
acted with satisfaction to Mr. Hampton.
I am, Sir, your obliged servant,
HENRY WELLS.

t AGED OPERATIVE COTTON-SPINNERS.—,MF. Stuart
l'actory inspector for Scotland, states that in the New
-,,,i,anark factory are two women, whose names are Marion
b"train and Margaret Mackenzie, still employed as spin-
ners, and who have been at work there as such since
.:93. Of male spinners there are three, at the factory
fOL Culereuch, in Stirlingshire, who have been employed
:j.n.,_ahnve forty years as spinners, viz., John Hunter,
f;""° Gourlay, and John Maitland. The two last-men-
been"ed persons are stillas spinners. Hunter has
in the factory for fifty years, and is now the overseer.
ICUSTOM-HOUSE AND BONDING WAREHOUSES.—
4essrs. Dowding and Kerr, the gentlemen sent down to
flanchester by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to con-
," with the mayor and corporation, respecting the sites
bonding warehouses, are still here, and we believe they
Meet his Worship the Mayor and the General Purposes
wornittee on the subject this day. They will shortly
cave Mancester ; but to return on the 10th September,
117 which day appcations for approval of premises or
nnding warehousesli are to be sentp in. The Act willf be
i„
• °Aeration about a month after that time, or about
6"1 10th October.—Manchester Guardian.
ECREASE OF CRIME IN LIVERPOOL.—From
officiall documents it appears that a considerable decrease
has lately taken place in the number of prisoners con-
ned in the borough prison of Liverpool. The average
Tnllnber is now only 540, whilst twelve or eighteen
inollfhs ago the number was 680. This decrease is
,„,
76,4'111y to be attributed to the great revival of trade
hieh has taken place in Liverpool.
110 P PICKING.—This branch of labour will corn-
41;ence in a few days, the supernumerary officers of ex-
esl_ftppointed for these occasions having commenced
their auties yesterday, by starting to their different des-
Intt•
i°°B. For the few weeks which it lasts, it affords
the
to
ns oYf
the different towns in Kent, as well as from the
metropolis.
burtizss, &c.—Messrs. S. and B. Solomons,
Opticians and Aurists, 39, Albemarle•street, directly op-
-s'site the York Hotel, state that, after thirty years' ex-
rinfive practice, they have invented an Invisible Voice
'°°(luctor, Sound Magnifier, of a metal to collect sound,
Peculiar to themselves. It is the size of a small gold
!even-shilling piece, and, when fixed in the cavity of the
em's, it is not the least perceptible, nor more uncomfort-
able than having a small piece of fine wool in its place.
It individuals at an advanced age, and of forty
the• fifty years' standing of extreme deafness, as well as
jse who are only slightly dull of hearing, instantly to
oin in general conversation, and to catch the sound of a
PlAs_tatit, low speaker, at church, theatre, &c. An iudi-
. I:4W, in company, can place it in the ear, and remove
totz_ll°lnerved. It pours the conversation into the ears
such an extent, that in most severe cases deafness
a
cannotmed be observed. The Newly Invented Spectacles,
either
lately they are placed before imperfect vision,
either
by day or candlelight, that mist and dullness
Which,e appears before the eyes is at once removed, every
aul
is defective eyesight uunßi_ et becoming clear and distinct, so that the most aged
becomes bright and brilliant,
brought to, its youthful, natural, and original
as tet Achromatic Telescopes, Opera-glasses, Micro-
...non:tons
Pere,_ 84e, of the same kind of lenses, to surpass
,3 ever yet invented.—Caution : Messrs. S. and B.
Opticians and Aurists, are not in any way con-
tdiected with a person of the same name in their imme-
revent mistakes
wte neighbourhood 110 •r in any part of the country. To
Lad
__, be cautious, and observe—only to be
York 14,,- 39, AlberUark-itreet Piccadilly, opposite the
ktOte