The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-16 00:00:00

STRAND THEATRE.

A new one-act farce, from the pen of Peake (we
presume an adaptation from the French) was produced
at this theatre last evening, under the title of Madelon;
or, The Devil of a Dancing-master. The scene is laid
in a French village, in the time of Louis XV. Madelon
(Mrs. Montgomery) is an orphan girl, living with her
aunt, the hostess of the village inn. Monsieur Salathiel
(Mr. Alfred Wigan), the Devil of a Dancing-master, is
the dancing-master of the village, and has been in days
of yore the principal dancing devil at the Grand Opera.
He makes love both to Madelon and to her aunt, to
Madelon for the sake of her beauty, and to the aunt for
the sake of her purse. Madelon, however, treats
him with contempt, for she loves Pierre Paul
Placidon (Wilkinson), an honest journeyman-hatter.
A carriage drives up to the door of the inn, and
Mademoiselle Guimard (Miss Fitzjames), a danseuse
from the Grand Opera, accompanied by her lover, rush
in to seek for refuge from the persecution of the Prince
de Soubise and Madame du Barry. Mademoiselle Gui-
mard had been, in former days, kind and charitable to
Madelin's mother, and the grateful girl determines to
render her every assistance. The Prince de Soubise
arrives, and Mademoiselle Guimard effects her escape,
leaving Madelon disguised in her cloak and bonnet. The
devotion of Madelon, however, rouses the jealousy of
Placidon; and Salathiel, who seems to delight in mischief-
making, lends his assistance to increase the imbroglio.
All, however, is cleared np at the conclusion, and Madelon
and Placidon are made happy. The quiet humour of Wil-
kinson told excellently in Placidon,and Wigan, as Salathiel,
j umped about as though his limbs were of Indian rubber.
Mrs. Montgomery as Madelon was admirable. This lady
thoroughly understands the French character, and de-
lineates it to the life. Her Madelon had all the vivacity,
the elegance, the espieglerie, and the warmheartedness
of a genuine French girl. There were several little
touches of pathos in the part, which were exquisitely
given. Nothing, for instance, could be better than the
descr;j,tion of the visit of Mademoiselle Guimard to thP
distressed family of Madelon's parents. It was '
ful. We should like much to see this °eau&
.: - ' Lady in tragedy.
s Adele,e/eann
anddwfaosl l
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well successful drama of
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Thelleii"eatgrg'serg" raslengc so
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dl mtehre
evening's
amusements, The house was exceedingly
'ffe2.l tilled.

MUSIC OF IRELAND.-CROSBY
HALL.
_ _

It is quite impossible, in the space of a newspaper cri-
ticism, to do anything like Justice to the masterly lecture
delivered last evening, upon the National Music of Ireland,
by Mr. F. H. Horncastle, at Crosby Hall. A close note
of the doctrinal and controversial part of Mr. Horncastle's
eloquent and simple discourse would fill three or four
columns, and even then the report would be inadequate,
because we know of no shorthand which would enable
us to carry Ifrom the concert-room and convey to our
readers the peculiar richness of the Lecturer, in his
illustrations on the chaste, sweet, and exact tones of his
charming choir, Miss Cubitt and Miss Porter. The
whole credit of the fine effect produced last evening
by those faultless illustrations must not be given to those
ladies and to the Lecturer, who is the most perfect
barrytone in England, for Miss Le Roy has completely
rid herself of the Italianisms which we have been
obliged, on former occasions, to censure, and she played
" Fin M'Coul's March" with a tenderness of truth and
strength of expression which the warrior bard,
the author of this glorious melody, might
hear with envy. The correctness and truth. of
the Professor pervaded his entire corps, and the
symphonies were executed by Mr. Jolly in a style so
faultless that, if they were played as separate pieces,
they would have been as eagerly encored, as they were
warmly applauded. Mr. Horncastle shed a new light
upon the history, as well as the science of music; and he
concluded his delightful lecture with a promise that, in
the course of his series, he will prove that Iretia_of
t '
which be is not a native—metits the 'ppellation of • " Land of Song." .‘e

AMUSING A

thfo --at:CDOTE OT THE QUEUN...•-It is stated
on one occasion, when on a visit to Wentworth
House, the Royal party were perambulating the
grounds, when, being in advanee of the mst, the
Princess Victoria was respectfully cautioned by an
under gardener not to go down a certain walk, as the
rain hail Made the ground "slape." " Slape ! slape r'
retorted the Princess, with the characteristic ra-
pidity and inquisitiveness of her illustrious grand-
father, George III.;" " and pray what is slape 7"
" Very slippery, Miss—your Royal Highness-m-Ma arnl"
replied the worthy man. " Oh! that's all," she rejoined;.
" thank you !" and, as she proceeded, resolved to
try this slape" ground against which she had
been cautioned ; but she had not proceeded far when
the gardener's predictions were realised, and down she
fell. " There 1" shouted the noble owner of the
grounds, who had observed all that had passed from a
short distance, 'and who, on perceiving that no injury
was done to his noble and young guest, laughed most
heartily; "now your Royal Highness has received.' an
explanation of the term 'ilape,' both theoretically and
practically !" "yes, my Lord," Tejoined the good-
humoured Victoria, "I thinki have. I shall never forget:
the word 4 alspe.!n—fraser's Magazine.

~~~77

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