The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-19 00:00:00

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.

The far-famed ballet of the Beauty of Ghent was
produced at this the itre on Saturday, with the most
complete su cess. Monsieur Albert, the composer
of the ballet, superintended its production, anti
Mademoi.eile Fleury and Monsieur H. Vestris sus-
tained the principal characters. The plot is simple, and
easily understood—a great merit in a ballet. Beatrice
(Mdlle. Fleury), the daughter of Cesarius (Mr. Howell),
a goldsmith of Ghent, is heti othed to Benedict (Mons.
H. Vestris), a young Flemish officer. The Marquis de
San Lucar (Mon.. Albert) would fain induce her to elope
with him. Like Victorine, she sleeps upon his proposal,
and, in a dream, goes through the splendid misery
of the situation to which she would be reduced by her
acceptance of the Marquis's proposal. Then comes :he
misery without the splendour, until at length she re-
turns to Ghent, a miserable destitute paupe.-, and sees
Benedict married to another. The only refuge left for
the wretched girl is to die, and she throws herself into
the canal. She wakes and finds it has been all a dream;
and the ballet concludes by her marriage with Bene-
dict, whose hand she joyfully accepts, repulsing the pro-
fligate Marquis with scorn. There is a comic part,
that of Zephiros, a dancing-master, which was acted
with rich humour by that first of buffo dancers, W. 11.
Payne. It is 2 perhaps, the best thing that Payne has
yet done, and the audience were convulsed with
laughter whenever he appeared. The scenery by
the Grieves is exceedingly beautiful, and the
groupings are most Returesque. The scene in the first
act, representing a Flemish fete on the banks of the
canal of Ghent, is in fact a tableau vivant from Teniers.
It is one of the most beautiful things we have ever seen.
Nothing could exceed the elegance of the groupings in
this beautiful scene. In this scene there is a splendid
procession of the authorities of the city, in which is in-
troduced a figure of Fame standing on a globe ; the
globe turns round perpetually as the procession proceeds,
while Fame keeps her position standing on one foot,
with her trumpet to her mouth. This was followed by
the pas de llvroyne, admirably danced by Messrs. Payne,
Delferier, and Madame Petit Stephan, after which Miss
Clara Webster, the first of English dancers, performed
a pas seul with the most exquisite grace imaginable.
The scene concludes with a pus de deux by Mons. H.
Vestris and Madlle. Fleury. Madlle. Fleury is very
beautiful and exceedingly graceful; her dancing is charac-
terised by ease, elegance, and neatness ; she performs
the most astonishing feats without apparent effort. It was
much and deservedly applauded. Mons. Vestris is a pupil
of Monsieur Albert's, and has only recently made his
debut. He his worthy of his name. His tours de force
are truly astonishing. and they are all performed with
the utmost elegance arid apparent ease. He bids
fair to be the first dancer in the world. The
mantle of his ancestors has fallen upon him, and
he will be a worthy representative of the Vestris dynasty
for another generation. In the second act we have a
magnificent masquerade scene, and a splendid illumi-
nated pavilion, belonging to the Marquis, in Venice.
The splendours of this scene surpass even those of the
far-famed masquerade scene in Gustavus. A grand di-
vertisement is introduced in this scene, consisting of a
pas Cracovier, by M. Delferier and Miss Clara Webster ;
a pas de Nayades. by Miss O'Brien ; a p:s de deux, by
M. Vestris and Madame Petit Stephan ; and a pas de
Diane avec Poses Antiques, by Mademoiselle
Fleury. This pas de Diane is one of the most classi-
cally beautiful performances we have ever beheld.
Nothing could exceed the grace and elegance of Mdlli
Fl ury's poses from he antique. She gave us ail the
positions of the huntress goddess from the ancientsta-
tues, while her attendant huntresses were grouped
around her. This, perhaps, is the mot classical per-
formance ever introduced on the stage. It is needless
to say that she was rapturously appl Aided. The first act
was a tableau vivant, illustrative of the Flemish school
o' art. The third act illustrates the Italian school.
When the curtain rose and discovered the park and villa
of the Marquis, with figures picturesquely grouped in the
foreground, we could almost imagine we were lo ling on
one of the marvellous creations of Claude Lorraine.
The scene changes to the ancient ruins of the canal of
Ghent, and we again return to the Flemish school. This
ballet is by far the most magnificent that has yet been
produced here, and we are not surprised at the almost
unparaileled success which attended its production at
the Aeadiun'e in Paris, and which will no doubt be
equalled, if not exceeded, by its success in this country.
At the fall of the curtain Mdlle. Fleury was called 'tor,
and led on by Albert. She was ereeted with thunders
of applause. Vestris was also called for. and appeared.
leading on Clara Webster, and accompanied hy D' t.
ferier, who led on Madame Petit Stephan. roe b?;flet
was preceded by Balfe's opera of the Bol4emian Girl,
which was represented for the fiftieth time, and the
attraction of which seems to increase at, each represen-
tation. The house was crammed. very so at, even in
the slips, was occupied before the rising of the curtain.

The following distinguished members of society
visited Drury-lane Theatre last week:—The Duke and
Duchess of Beaufort, the Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe,
the Duke of Leeds, Marquis and Marchioness of Normanhy,
79 Marchioness of
valeisrubuitue.
Dowager Co'un-
tess of Westmoreland ; Ladies Villiers, Somerset, Foley.,
CMoanrynclugisheasmo,fEaLranl asndrCouentaensds ofB
Poi-
timore, Graham, Woolmore, Burgoyne, Errol, Count, Kiel-
mansegge ; Ears of Chesterfield, Cardiga Munster , Jersey,
Errol ; Lords Castlereagh, Macdotteid, Alfred 13
- aget , Graham,
Glamis, Sussex Lennox, Adolphus Fitzelarence, w Graham,
Maidstone, Foley, Strathaven, Curzon, Wenhir,k, Russell,
Strafford; Sir John Burgoyne, Bart., Sir BellinOtaill Graham,
Bart., Sir Thomas Gage, Bart., Sir John Cpbell, Bart.,
Sir Henry Webbe, Bart., Colonel Peel, Colonel Cavendish,
Hon. E. Byng, Hon. Mrs. Lister, Mrs. Morier, C. Standish,
Esq., M.P., T. S. Duncombe, Esq., Hor4, Craven Berkeley,
M.P., Hon. Grantly Berkeley, 1.P., Hon, F. Sta;thope, &c.
SIR ROBERT PEEL'S GRAM) PARLIAMENTARY
DmcErt.—On Saturday evening Sir Robert Peel received a
very numerous circle,at dinner, of his supporters in the House
of Commons, at his residence, in Whittahall..gardens. The
banquet, which was of a sumptuous des,cription, was served
up in the picture-gallery. Covers wP,re laid for forty-eight;
and the following noblemen and grntlemen constituted the
party :—Viscount. Grimston, Vise
:.,,,mit Ossulston, Lord Hen-
niker Right Hon. C. W. Wynli night Hon. C. E. Law, Hon.
Francis Charteris, Hon. R. Neville, Hon. A. Duncombe, Si:
Edmund Hayes, Bart., SAlt J., Hanmer, Bart., Sir Philip de
Malpas Grey Egerton, Wt., Sir W. Jollitle, Bart., Hon. F.
Scott, Sir J. Owed /ft H. Stuart, Mr. C. Tumor, Colonel
Bruen, Colonel Wyndham, Mr. George Reptevn, Mr. George
Palmer, Mr. Montague Gore, Mr. C. 0. Margan, Mr, Master,
Mr. Munclay, Mr. W. Martin, Mr. M‘GefAchy, mr..Lockart-,.
Mr. Cornwall Legh, Mr. Lawson, Mr. F. FLoklison,,Mr. Hardy,_
Mr. Gregory, Mr. D, Gordon, Mr. J. IT. S. Douglas,
IDai,r.
Dodd, Mr. bickinson, Mr. Colville, Mr. Collett, Mr. R.
rC y-.
ton, Mr. Buckley, Mr. Botfield, Colonel H. Baillie, 11. •
.H
Baillie, Mr. Castell, Mr. Allix, • - and Mr. Adderley. A similar
entertainment will be given on Saturday next by the Right
Hon. Baronet.

NVORKSOP.-A few days previous to the commence
ment of the late severe weather, a labourer employed in Mr.
Knight's quarry, situate at Lady Lea, discovered amongst a
quantity of stone and rubbish, which he was removing, a
bird's nest, containing three yonng ones, all of them alive and
apparently doing well.—Doncaster Gantt.,