The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-31 00:00:00

SADLERS' WELLS.

A new five act play, from the pen of Mr. T. J. Serle,
was produced at this theatre last -evening, with the
most complete success. It is entitled the Priest's
Daughter, and the scene is laid in the middle ages,
just at the period when the celibacy of the clergy was
introduced. The heroine, Madeleine (Mrs. Warner),
is the daughter of a married priest, whose marriage
has been rendered null by the edict enforcing the ce-
libacy of the clergy, while at the same time the issue
of such marriages are condemned to serfdom. This
takes place during her infancy, and the priest, to save
her from such a dreadful doom, conceals his relation-
ship to her, and she is brought up by a peasant wo-
man, Sybilla (Mrs. Marston), the priest watching over
her as her confessor. Count Robert de Velery
(Marston), whose serf she would be, according to the
provisions of the edict, sees and loves her. Ile
protects her from the violence of the soldiery,
and wins the maiden's affections. Luitprand (Mr. J.
Webster), the son of Sybilla, also loves her, but his
suit is scorned. The disputes between himself and
his mother on the subject of the treatment of the
beautiful maiden by the latter was full of comic hu •
mour. Madeleine is unhappily in the cottage of
Sybilla, and escapes to the castle of Count Robert,
who receives her with open arms, but has no inten-
tion of marrying her. The priest-father appears
and warns her of her danger. The acting of Phelps
in this part of the drama was exceedingly fine. He
delineated beautifully theheartfelt agony of the father,
rendered ten thousand times more acute from the
necessity there was to suppress the visible demonstra-
tion of it under the guise of the righteous indignation
of the passionless priest. Ile urges the peasants to
attack the castle and deliver Madeleine. They refuse,
alleging that Madeleine is not a peasant's
wife, and
there is no reason which calls for their interference.
The priest, accompanied by Luitprand, obtains, ad-
mission into the Castle, and insists on Madeleine 's in-
stantly marrying her peasant lover. She refuses; at
length the priest tells her that he is her father, and,
in obedience to a parent's command, she consents to

wed Luitprand. The ceremony is interrupted by the
arrival of the Count, who is indignant at the sup-
posed fah enes.s of Madeleine. The attack of *the
vassals on the Castle calls him away, and during his
absence, the priest, who is left alone in the banquetting
hall with Madeleine, puts poison in the Count's drink-
ing cup, notwithstanding all the efforts and persua-
sions of Madeleine to prevent him. The Count returns
victorious, and threatais to hang all his prisoners
unless Madeleine will consent to his purpose.
The Count is about to drink, when the priest rushes
forward, and renews his supplications to him, to in-
duce him to desist from his purpose with regard to
Madeleine. The Count is inexorable—the priest leaves
him. He has lifted the goblet to his mouth, when
Madeleine rushes forward and dashes it from his
hand, declaring it is poisoned. The Count, struck by
the generosity of her conduct, determines to wed her,
and the priest, who has himself swallowed the poison,
joins their hands as he is in the agonies of death.
The parts of the Priest and Madeleine were admirably
sustained by Phelps and Mrs. Warner, who were
called for at the conclusion of the piece, and much
applauded. A call was then made for the author,
and Mr. Serle appeared and briefly addres!ed the
audience, stating, that- he should consider that night
as the proudest of his existence, if this play should
turn out to be only the commencement of a series of
similar productions at that theatre. He was loudly
cheered, and the piece was announced for repetition
amidst tumults of applause.

LITERATURE.

AUN 7' R Y'S STORY-BOOK.
Dal ton and Oa: h, London, 1843.

We have here a new edition, carefully revised by'
the author, of one of the prettiest children's story-books
we have met with for some time. The language
throughout is simple and natural, without being at all
feeble, the incidents are skilfully put together, and the
volume is embellished with several pleasing coloured
prints.

CABINET COUNClL.—Summonses wire issued this
morning by Sir James Graham to the different Mi-
nisters, to attend a Cabinet Council to-morrow (Satur-
day) at the Foreign-office. Downing-street. It is
expected that the new members of the Cabinet will
attend the meeting tbr the first time.

TIIE hi PROVIIMENTS IN WESTMINSTER.—Yes-
terday morning, about half-past eight o'clock, a dread.
ful accident took place in Orchard street, Westminster,
a part in•ended for the new line of improvement. The
corner house of Old Pve-street has for some time been
shored up, and .he resident lodgers gone away. The
first intimation was by a man who lived in the cellar,
NA ho finding his bed drop three feet, thought it prudent
to move out of the place. The house is stated to belong
to the Green Coat School, and Mr. Wardle, of Dart-
mouth-street, collected the rents. At the time above
named, Mi s. Coldnick, who keeps a chandler's shop op-
posite, states that the first intimation she observed was a
brick falling from the roof, and then another from the
side wall. This was followed by the falling of the roof,
and fortunately no person was passing. The ruins are
lying across the two streets, and the next house is in a
very dangerous state. In about ten minutes the children
would have been going to the parochial school in Old
Pye-street. Information was sent to the surveyor, and
Mr. Barefoot and Mr. Taylor, the inspectors of the B
division, directed the men in their force to kcep the
place free of passengers. Men were then engaged to
protect the remaining walls. It need hardly be ob-
served that there has been culpable neglect in some
quarter, as this occurrence might have caused the loss
of many human lives.
A TIDE-WAITER CONVICTED.At Gravesend
Police-court, on Wednesday, William Thompson, a tide-
waiter in her Majesty's Customs, was charged, at the
prosecution of the Commissioners of Customs, with
having, on the 22d of December, unshipped from the
Wilberforce steamer, belonging to the General Steam

Navigation Company, on board of which he was acting
tide-waiter from London to Gravesend, ten pounds of
loaf or refined sugar, of the value of 11 Bd., including
duty, and eleven ounces of green tea, of the value of
3s. 9d., including duty, the same not having paid duty.
After hearing evince at great length, the Mayor said
that the magistrates were of opinion that the case against
the defendant was full proved; they therefore convicted
him in a penalty of treble the value of the goods
seized. Thi, convicted officer will be of course dismissed

the service. The Court during the trial, which lasted
from twelve to half-past three. was crowded with officers
of the Custom and Excise.
MELANCHOLY DBATIL—The Clare Journal re-
cords the melancholy death of a little boy who, on Tues-
day last, followed the gentlemen of the Clare hunt for a
long way on foot, attracted by the excitement and plea-
sure of the chase. He travelled so far from home, how-

ever, that gettirp, fatigued and losing his way, he lay
down in a field when night came on. There he lay the
entire night, exposed to all the inclemency of the weather.
Next morning he was found still alive, but whilst being

c-nveyed to aplace for proper treatment and care, he
expired in the arms of the persons who were taking
charge of him.
THE LATE MURDER AT SALT HILL.-Mr. Fitzroy
Kelly, who has been specially retained, in conjunction
with Mr. Montague Ch,mbers, for the defence of the

aecuied has, it is received a retaining fee of three
hundred guineas. The assizes have just been fixed to
take place on the 10th of March.

A *LONG FAST.—The Memorial de Rouen says—
" There is a woman 24 years of age, at Vizonchaux,
who has kept her bed for two years, obstinately refusing,
during the whole time, to take food of any kind. She
has preserved her embonpoint, and appears to be in goad
health, Several physicians, and amongst them some of
the most eminent of Paris, have been consulted, but are
unable to explain this anomaly." The best explanation,
we conceive, would be received from putting a strict
watch over her person ; it would then, probably, be
found that the affair is an imposture.— Gallynanz's Ales-
Amer.

SUICIDE IN A WATER-DUTT.--Yesterday Mr.
Baker held an inquest at the IL pe, Pollard's-row, Beth-
nal-green, on the body of Edward Knight, aged 36, a
greengrocer, of Bethnal green road. It appeared in
evidence that deceased had been in a desponding state
from ill health for the last three weeks, and that a few
days since his medical adviser toid him he had the small-
pox. This information caused him to faint, and his
despondency increased. On Monday morning his wife
missed him from bed, and on raising an alarm, a neigh-
bour, named Alexander, came, and after some search

found him in the water-butt, in the yard, head foremost.
Mr. Jones, a surgeon, was called in, and tried in vain to
restore animation. Verdict—Temporary Insanity.
STRANGE, IF TRUE.—A circumstance the most
extraordinary that ever fell under our notice occurred:in
the lower part of Exeter on iiunday last. A person,
living in Sherman's-court, having occasion to draw some
soft water from the cock, was surprised to find it of a
reddish brown chlour' and still more surprised, on tasting
it, to find it like good beer I and beer it was beyond all
doubt, though evidently it had been very lately brewed.
He could not conceal his good luck, the news of which
soon spread throughout the neighbourhood. Other
coct:s were tried, with the same result, and the police
have now in their possession the particulars of seven
different houses, the tenants of which, paying for soft
water, mad unexpectedly obtained general home-brewed.
There must have been a considerable quantity of it, too,
for the drawing and drinking contic ued on Sunday and
part of Monday, and the dnizens of the quarter made
the most of the chance, by getting gloriously drunk.
How to account for it is, at present, not so easy, but
it seems quite clear that some brewer in the neighbour-
hood must have suffered, and that the beer must have
been drawn off by the pipes which were only designed
to bring the water in. At present no brewer can be
found who will confess to having lost any beer at all.
Perhaps the same pipes that emptied his vats of their
contents have by this time filled them again with the
pure fluid of the reservoir.— Wes of Englund Con-
servative.

HER MAJESIY'S STEAM-FRIGATE TERRIBLE.—
The preparations for the launch of this magnificent
vessel are nearly completed. Yesterday, at Deptford
dockyard, the shipwrights commenced painting her
bows, and seats are being erected for the accommoda-
tion of spectators. In consequence of some little delay
which has occurred in the Woolwich yard in the prepa-
ration of the timber for the builders, it was found that
the work could not be completed by the 23d of the pre-
sent month, the time originally fixed fit the launch.
Now, however, it is definitely settled that the event will
take place on the 6th of February (Thursday next).
During the last few days the vessel has been inspected
by Sir Charles Napier, Sir William Gage, Lord Hastings,
Captain Austen, and several others distinguished in the
nautical world, all of whom have expressed their appro-
bation of the manner in which the whole of the
works have been executed. The vessel has now a
most magnificent appearance, and it is perfectly sur-
prising how so gigantic a work could have been completed
in so short a time, it being sixteen months only since the
first planks were laid. After the launch the Terrible will be
towed to Woolwich Dockyard, where her engines will be
fitted in, the cost of which will be 22,0001., there being
two of them now completed for that purpose of 400-horse
power each. It is not yet officially known who will
christen this leviathan of the deep, but the reporter was
yesterday informed, upon excellent authority, that it is
not at all improbable that either her Majesty the Queen,
or her illustrious consort Prince Albert., may condescend
to give the name to the vessel. Orders have been re-
ceived that immediately after the launch preparations
shall be made for building another steam frigate, of
1,840 tons burden, to be built upon the same principle as
that magnificent vessel, to be called the Odin. The im-
provements now in progress in this once desolate but
now flourishing yard will cost the Government nearly
70,0001. The Spitfire is nearly ready for going off the
stocks ; and the Havannah, which has been lying in or-
dinary in the Medway for some time, lies off the dock-
yard for the purpose of being cut down, and afterwards
sent to sea as a corvette.

THE 44TH REGlMENT.—Yesterday a Court-mar-
tial assembled at the Government-house, for the trial of
corporal Spearman llolmes, of the 44th Regiment, for
atrociously attempting the life of colour-sergeant Black-
wall, of that corps, .as recorded in our last. Colonel
Aslett, Royal Marines, was the President. The pri-
soner, during the investigation, exhibited an indifference
of manner truly shocking, considering tl o awful charge
hanging over him. The case, which occupied the atten-
tion of the Court for several hours, was fully proved, but
the sentence will not be made known un it it is confirmed
by the Commander-in-Chief—Plymouth Advertiser.
We learn from Paris that M. Salvandy has ac-
cepted the office of Minister of Public Instruction. This
accession will, no doubt, tena3 strengthen the position
of M, Guiaot.—Merningpeaa.