The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-05 00:00:00

OLYMPIC THEATRE

After an absence of three years, Miss Helen Faucit
made her rentree on the London stage, at this
theatre, last evening, in a new tragedy, from the pen
of Mr. Westland Marston, entitled Philip of France
and Marie de Meranie. The plot is very simple,
too simple, in fact, to bear well the ela-
boration of it into five acts. As a three act
play the tragedy would have been much more ef-
fective, whil,2 as a five act play it occasionally drags,
notwithstanding the very fine acting of Mr. G. V.
Brooke and of Miss Helen Faucit in the principal
characters, and the very beautiful poetry of Mr.
Marston. Philip Augustus of France (Mr. G. V.
Brooke) has been compelled to marry Ingerburge
the daughter of the King of Denmark ; for her Philip
has always entertained an unconquerable aversion ;
but he loves Marie de Meranie (Miss Helen Faucit),
and is ardently loved by her in return ; and in
order to make her his wife, he repudiates Ingerburge
on the score of consanguinity. The scene in
which he announces to Marie that he is free
was most effectively acted by Mr. G. V. Brooke and
Miss Helen Faucit, and is exceedingly well con-
constructed by the author ; at first she refuses to profit
by the ruin of another's happiness—a ruin occasioned,
as she imagines, by the caprice of Philipl; but when
she learns that a synod of bishops have decided that
the marriage is void, on the ground of consanguinity,
she consents to become his bride. This scene, admi-
rably wrought up, and beautifully acted, effectually
roused the attention of the audience, and brought
down the drop-scene, at the conclusion of the second
act, with raptures of applause. At the opening of the
third act we find that the Pope has taken up the
cause of Ingerburge, and that the thunders of the
Church are to be launched at the head of Philip, should
he refuse to repudiate Marie and take back Inger-
burge. Philip hurls defiance to the churchmen, and
pours out a flood of bitter and sarcastic satire against
the Pope and his pretensions. Each defiance of the
Papacy, each hit at its usurped power, was taken up
by the audience, and applauded to the echo.
Philip is at length compelled to give way for a time,
and to take back Ingerburge, but he still hopes to re-
tain Marie as his love. The scene between Marie
and Philip, after the decision of the Council, by which
Ingerburge is restored to ber'rights as his wife, is the
most effective in the tragedy. Marie, in an agony of
suspense, has been waiting the decision of the council,
on which her fate depends, when the King hastily
enters, and she-eagerly exclaims—

Philip—my lord ! say.
May I embrace thee—may I call thee mine—
_ .

Am I thy wife ?
PHILIP. Yes; in the sight of It( even.
MARIE. And not of earth? A doom told in a hreath—
B ler, but sl cold that it bath froz 3 the fJunt
Whence sorrow gushes !
The king tries to persuade her, that though Inger.
burge is now queer, they shall not part. She asks—
How is%
I can be thine, and leggrburge thy wire?
PHILIP (after a pause). She is but s) iu name ; thou
wilt retain
The empire of my heart.
MARIE. lit how the light—
The livid light I could not see before—
Buriit4 on my sight, and wheresoe'er I turn,
Toe lurid horror glares. No, it is night !
It se' ms a year since morn, so must be mght.
ARhough I sce-4 shall rot touch thy ham!.
(Takes his hand as if to assure herself )
It is reality !—And yet—forgive me!
A subtle tempter through my o'erwrought brain
Would stab my trust in thee. He shall not ion!
Even now I'm calmer.—Pray, repeat the words—
The words you spake but now. „
PHILIP. I said, my love,
Though Ingerhurge might bear the name of Queen,
Thou only shoula'st rule Philip—
MARIE. Pause awhile.
Though Ingerburge might bear the name of Queen
I only should rule Pstlip—(Signs to hint to proceed.)
PHILIP. Thou should'st be--(Hesitating aad averting
his head).
MARIE. HIS PARAMOUR !—Oh God, although his voice
Was shamel from speech, this is the thing he means !
(Site turns from hint)
This scene was magnificently-acted both by Mr. G.
V. Brooke and by Miss Helen Faucit. Her manner
of uttering the last sentence produced a thrill through
the house. In the last act we find poor Marie dying
of a bmken heart. Philip having collected
his forces has set the Pope and his
myrmidons at defiance, and having defeated
their partisans in a pitched battle, hastens to
the retreat of Marie to clasp her to his arms as his
wife : he does so for one instant—in the next
he is a widower—her gentle spirit has
fled. The acting of • Miss Helen Faucit
throughout the part of Marie, which would
appear to have been written for her, was full of
beauty and pathos, graceful yet most intense, and,
above all, full of feminine purity. Mr. G.V.Brooke,
as
acting
the3saKsitn.ugll, wofasnuinleosstty effective
power, while,
when seated on
his throne, hurling defiance at Rome. His
more tender scenes with Marie, he infuv*sr
e
e
ahrntwihtniMissiasedswse etcaahHasreeera
knpertmlaneoeiosmsnr
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vaceedtuegootrcl
ofmyosi tuugetpffdwhneo'
suffocation
were
ataa:ielrot
gal
from
ncsgrol aoineoml
mfdlfolepyordtsnhaeit
gshe, for at
author,tth
representation a most touching pathos. Both he and
hecwidolheni:enitbiuonosiwthoheinesd
opsbtfuhreipefirt oehaarrat ebre
es. thetbaf
gir oxeht.rneiws
lansoThe
miBe en scene of the tagedy is superb. The house
was crammed to suffocation long befoTe the rising of
the curtain, every portion of the theatre from which
it was possible to get a glimpse of tho stage was oc-
oc-
cupied.

ROMANCE OF THE HAREM.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—In reference to an article with the above
heading in yours of 28:11 September, I beg to state,
as an intimate friend of Dr. Millingen, who is
physician-to Sultan Abdul Medjid Khan, and to the
Sultana Vulide, and whom I
had the pleasure of
knowing in Constantinople from 1847 to 1849, that
his separation from the unfortunate lady, whose re-
unbridled passions caused the horrible tragedy de-
tailed in your article, was most honourable on his
part. _ .

a--
Dr. MiMogen has had other domestic grievances
to sutler; his two sons have been detained for many
years at Rome, by their grandmother, who is edu-
cating them in some riligious establishment there,
and is supported by the Papal Court in her refusal to
slrrender them. Dr. M. has made aPplie4ti"" in
Court of Rome on his behalf. I believe even the
every cinater,
Ottoman Porte anzise
when bionsignore Ferried,
the Pope's legate, came to Constantinople, in 1848,
Dr. M. is a clever physician and a profound scho.
interceded,
t special agents to plead at the
but to no put pose.
far. No Frank has ever been mute perseve'ring and
energetic in introducing social improvements into
Turkey. I had the pleasure of cc-operating with him
in one of his philanthropic plans—that of l introducing
the English system of bread-baking; aw had reason
to admire his untiring energy and recklessness of ex-
pense in pursuit of his object.
Dt. M. was physician to Lori Byron in Greece.
I ani, Sir, &C.,
EDWARD CULLEN, M.D.
Commercial-place, City-road.

Society, lie© a shaded silk, must be viewed in o,
situations, or its colours will deceive us.—Eliza Cook's
Journal.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON—ANDREWS SCHO-
LAItSIIIPS. The council, at their session on Saturday,
awarded three Andrew ScbolarshiPs,for proficiency in Greek,
Latin, mathematics, and natural philosophy, as follows :
one of 100/."to Mr. John Power Hicks; two of 501., one to
Mr. W. Lewis, and one to Mr. James Savage. At the
same session the resignation of the Professorship c/ Eng-
lish by Mr. A. J. Scott, A.M., who has been appointed
Principal of Owen's College, Manchester, was tendered and
accepted.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAM—The erection of the
line of telegraph from Crewe to Birkenhead and Holyhead is
proceeding; and in consequence of the liability of the wires
to be injured by the dropping of water in the tunnels, the
company intend to cover them with proper materials, to pro-
tect them against damp and atmospheric influences, so that
the constant casualties that occurred during last winter in
the transmission of intelligence between London and the
north will be prevented. A number of men are now en-
gaged in the Kilsby tunnel and elsewhere in this operation.
THE LONDON FARMERS Cum.—Yesterday even-
lug the members of this club re-assembhd at the club rooms,
Bridge-street, Blackfriars, Mr. J. Payne. of Felineisham, in
the chair. The subject previously appointed for discussion
was, "The importance of some geological knowledge to the
farmer." In opening the proceedings the Chairman expressed
himself in terms of despondency with regard to the transit'
state, as he said it had been termed of the farming interest,
a state which had, he observed, been prol nged beyond his
own expectations and convenience (Laughter )--and
re-
marked that it would afford him great pleasure to learn from
the gentleman who was about to introduce the subject, how,
within the next month, a shilling per bushel might be ad !ed
to the price of wheat. Mr. B. Webster then introduced the
question. Amongst the speakers were Mr. Morton, author
of a work on Soils; Mr. W. Shaw, Mr. W. Bennett, Mr. R.
Baker, Mr. Ramsay, arid Mr. W. F. Hobbs. On the motion
of Air. Shaw, seconded by Mr. Hobbs, a resolution affirming
the importacce of a knowledge of geology to the farmer was
adopted unanimously ; and a vote of thanks was given to
Mr. Webster, for the manner in which he had introduced the
subject,