The Sun.
London, England, 1819-01-01 00:00:00

CHARACTERS.

Ilb!amnion - Mr. H. KEMBLe.
De Wilton - - HANiaLts.
Minglas • - . HOLLANU.
Kini.rJasiws PENLEY.
Earl of Surrey • PowioL.
Friar . , °XII F.KRY.
Scitlires olMarinion . . { CoWELL.
LL.
• •
ikliti'strlcl U. :NMI.
Innkeeper • II. JoHNSTON.
Clara St. Clair Nits W.W EST.
. .
Constance - •
Margaret

The original poem is so highly celebrated, t!lat
it would be a sort of insult to our readers in ge-
neral to enter into a detail of the fable.- It is
sufficient.to--say, that none of the more striking
and interesting features of the story have beers
omitted ; but have been introduced with a degree
of ingenuity that skews considerable knowledge
in the persons who have given to this popular work
its present dramatic form. This drama is ascribed
to Mr. STEi`IIIIN KRMULE, the present Manag,r
of Drury-Lane Theatre, and who, by theludg-
ment which he had displayed in the selection of
the incidents, and the construction of the whole,
fully justifies the conduct of the Sub-Committee
in entrusting their Stage concerns to his superin-
tendatice. It is.said that Mr. Ilesdue KEMBLII
assisted his father in the compilation of the piece.
They have both manifested their poetical talents,
the one in a collection of printed Poems, and the
other in an excellent Academical Thesis. The
llouSe was full, and the piece evidently excited a
itrorig interest throughout. It was much applaud-
ed in its progress, and its success was billy ratified
on its conclusion by the sanction of general,
hearty, and reiterated applause. The musical
aitd all other arrangements were well regulated,
and this part of the merit of the piece, we under-
stand, is to be attributed to Mr. 11. JonnsTosr
and Mr. Coot. As the Author or Authors have
as strictly adhered to the original Poem as was
consistent with the- transfer of rhyme to blank
verse, and an unavoidable change in the metre,
the admirers of that Poem have no reason ta
complain, but rather to respect the two Drama-
tizers, for spewing so great a degree of reverence
for the text of a Port who possesses such
merited, ctlebrity.—Upon the whole, the piece
is interesting, impressive, and -effective, - and
seems likely .to conic in aid -of Brutus, ma
the return of .Mr. KEAN, and by alti!rnate repre-
sentation, to be eminently advantageous to the
Theatre. Considering the first night of a new
piece as rather a public rehearsal, the Performers
-in general deserve much praise, for the zeal, spirit,
and aecoracy, with which they sopported their re-
speetiee characters. Mr. KkMBLE, who seems,
as we have before said, to be rapidly improving in.
public favour, and who, therefore, evidently per-
forms with more of self-possession, gave an ani-
mated Portrait of Mannion. Mrs. WEsr in St.'
Clair, and Mrs. °stoke io Constance, displayed
ell the personal attractions which the Characters
demand and fully realized the conceptions of the
Poet. The rest of the Chirracters were judicious-
ly assigned 'and ably'supported. The Farce was
Modern Antiques, but oty the rising of the Curtain,
as on the night helot e, there was a lotid demand
for -the Pantomime which had been so furiously.
driven from the Stage, and this tumult con-
tinued so long that Mr. STEYIIEN K4MBLE
was obliged to make.his appearance, and address
• the ntidience in snbsta'uce as follows,'and- with the
same respectful firmness and serenity as on pre-
vious occasions.:—

" Ladies andGentlemen—When I had last the honour of
appearing- before you, •I understood inat it was your wish
that the Par4oniime should he withdrawn,—(Shouts of Bravo!
brar6 !)—As nothing- can afford me greater pleasure than to
gratify your.wishes, the Pantomime has been witip!raivn.—
(Loud applause.)—l now with great sat;sfaction have to in-
form you, that a new Pantomime is in pftparation—(l,oud
applause)—and from the extraerdinary care and attention,
and the heavy expeftue that. have been bestowed upon it, I
have little doubt that it will gratify the potiilic taste."—
(Loud applause.)
•

The FciTCC was then suffered to proceed without
further interruption.

KBAN is to appear in four of his principal cha-
racters at Yotk, as 'well as at Sheffield, Wakefield,
&c.; his return, there ore, to Drury-lane Theatre,
is not expected before the ‘ceek after next.
MATHEWb concluded his enga.etreur at this
Bath Theatre, by performing Scrub iihnnle, itt
the farce of the Bee Hive, ou Saturday evening, to
a full house.

The following notice is taken from a news-
paper 0,1761 :—" The L4dies of distinction ac
the \Vest end of the town have determined to be-
stow on the poor all the winnings at cards during
the holidays." •
A letter from, Crooks, dated Dec. 22, says—
" Yesterday a large whale, co-rather the species
termed Firmer, was observed tumbling in this
Forth at Inverkeithing Bay. It approached to
within. a hundred yards of the East point of
North Queensferry Battery, and all present con-
sidered it to be in size abOnt sixty feet in length.
'Upon cumin'; up to the •surface -of the water
it .generally blow.s three times, with short in-
tervals between each blast. Its motions .are
very slow, ao'd ‘vfien it again plunges itself below
the surface, iis-itaCk is heir some time gai,e
from the boiling and agitation of the sea all round
about, occasioned by the motion of its huge and.
unwieldy body as it proceeds through the Wa.
Thi9 fi=b, with others of the same descrip-
tion, have been in the Forth, above and below
the ferries, for these three weeks past. It is
rather surprising that the active and hardy liar-
P"Tms at the Prdjulnintt ports should let slip this
fair opportunity of laying in their winter's stock
of nil."

tcr.

INGWRIT ON THE Rev. D. PAllKER.—Yesterday
an. loyikition Was held in the Board-room of :he
Nliddlesex Elospit,d, before T. STiELING,
On the body of this much-latuen,ed Gen-
rlemall, who met Willi an untimely death,
being litiockd down by a :wise running at full
speed, with the shafts of a ch4l'e banging in th
tiarnrsa, fumy Tuttenbain-ccifirt-load do ‘sit High•
street, ero,•log the street, near the Brew.
twu3e.—Vcrthct, " siccldtutal

PROVINCIAL JOURNALS.

le following weli•drauvin character of a Lady

st) ti4e world is indebted for Ilie.works en-

ThscirtANg, -I,ELF-CoNTROuLt, and other

. . .
pro,lactions, xsitich destrve a better tttle

_t:)it,) that of NovEl,s, ive have extracted from The

Covrant.of the 28th inst.

It pl'esents

ate ex.ipiole of fetnaleecOlenre, wijvh we bore

cxcitt (ht. ,of..our Fair

the F,Thpife, .s'tire'that they

ellolot.pertise it vritis Mitt not feel an

horr.•-4,,,, which" twill: insensibly operate upon

thci•• conduct iitlft chat ..rter.

_ THE LATE. MRS. P.It.UNTON.
death of lt.,nutpn, %chit I) it has
re-
cent;v itee4 our !painful tasliltiannwince, is one
of ti,ose events which; in eryst .tire Public ton.
nearly to pass unheeded. .1r tartly hamens, in-
.

deed, that ;the: grave„cleses t)Ver so great a varkty
of excellence.; of. t.j),p,, in,,,the,ci!cles of private
life, the stroke of deathis feAt so extensively, and

so deeply: - •
The eliatacter of Mrs.. Branton was of •a sure-
rim % order. It ,npt 9:oy in, the memory her

. .
it..los, Omt thc.reivynatrance of ber, worth sur-
vives ; it is-oo,t,:tVli, by the present generation
Slone, 11. at it willlbe known',
,and appi eciated
I'he owl (irable niontnnents, ho,A•ercr, of her
,flod ,talents•will convey no whet' hnEa of
her rii.,trac'er;tli'aii that which her 1,e..a..5n00l triends'
cle,lll4,ift to cheyitih•, .oae, priticiple--the of
Chtioc,ani!y, tnainfesfin itself. at ()pee in humble.
piety., in .acrve iterievoknce,. and in nert,wial'
r;tv--Igos her whole conduct.; ,ancl,itnprcsseti
ivpon 1;e! tile a character of ittidevialing smity and
t)“..r,zliicis no, other principle .was capable

at; prositteiol!.
1 the private vklittions. Airs. Brunton
Was eminently distirignished.
.her friends, the
Ititsonices,of her vigorous,miud weic ever open;
tit .coorksel, to aid, „or tO, ,console them. The
c.;onh,tir and gonli.,sekise, hy.which she never failed
Ituder even the inc.st otdittary suhjec.ts interest
ing:--,;;And the kindness and afftetion i 1 ith which she
entered into the feeltngs, and, more especially,
with which she sympathised with the distresses,
01 her IrteltdS, were calculated to make a deep and
durable impression ; and it was accordingly her
happy lot to attach every kind. anti worthy heart,
wired ever IKift openip her in friendly confi-
dence; -Ind to ripen ioth<zealous friend,hip every
stotiment of tweet or • esteem, of w!bich, in the.
intereoutseof,iife, she ever became the (inject,—
to her own fasn:ily, cfflolact was
,very, exem.,
Fottuttate a: husband, who, felt her
v,,alue, and whose- tas:es, and opinions, and feel-
ings were congenial with her own, she devoted,
with characteristic ardour, her heart and mind to
'the proieotion of his happiness. She was his emu.-
panion in the hours both of study and of relaxa-
tion and was 'equally qualified to assist, in
Log both to the best advatitage. For the duties
of a more teudt.r7rell, ion,. Airs. Brunton was'
sioodioly. quahned ; by that combination of peter
feet good sem.e and rectitude of principle, with
kindi ness
,of natty e, kb was, the'eharm
of her cia!acter. To the perforni a nce,ot these
eltcies,•hou ever., it ,was not; her lot to be called.
But this i> topic too painful and atrecting,to be
dwelt upon ;—a few slutirt days lia.ve passed, since
the hest hopes of her family and friends were
Blasted in the momen:- of their completion t
. ti,e sphere of social anti, dornestic duties,
adm,rably as they were disci's:get! by Airs. Brunr
tots, was tl,O Hai row for the operation of the
principle us hicb directed her conduct. I'Vhere-
e r her time and her talents could be bestowed

- -
nsefully, they were employedliherally..fin .the
direction of many of the public Institutions of
this city, and especially of those which had the in-
St ruction of the poor for their object, her judg-
ment and good sense tvere .invaluable. The pa-
tience and cheerfulness With which she attended
even to. thenrost minute and irksome details,. at
onceengaged the confidence,. and excited the ad-
miration, of Call who- Were associated with her in
those " labours of love." The active superin-
tendence of these Institutions occupied a part,
and freqaently a large part of almos-t every day;
and the most Judicious improvements were adopt-
ed no, her suggestion. Nor was it only to her
personal exertions that these Institutions were
irolebted ; they. were henefitted not less by her
example and influence. For the sake of these
indirect benefits, she never affected to conceal the
share which she bore in directing their affairs.
While her solicitations, or her example could he
'successfully employed to widen any field of public
heneficence, she felt that it was nothing less than
a duty of to " let- her light shine before
w,s otherwise with her private chari-
These, which are now knownto have been,
estet,siye, aid discriminating, _were discovered
u hen her Ctlt west injunctions had failed to
the cxpre)sions of gratitude.. Her good
deeds %sere-Unseen of men ; but .they were the
gynititte fruits of a Christian ptticiple ; and
" verily they have their reward."
thsder the infittence of the same ivi'eciple, Mrs.
)3runton did not shrink from appear; fig before the
woild as an Author. Feeling herself awfully re-
sponsible for every had been' intiusted
to her, and hoping that, where higher
.motives
F nine, might be " allmed AO„irrigliter
Worlds," she undsrtook the task of teaelling the
-highest Itssons of religion and virtne,,irLthe lot m
of fictitious narrative, " There is high authority,"
she said, " for using fable as the vehicle of int-
porrent,, even of solemn truth.'*.. Thus did the
gte,tt example, which the law of her Master .en-
johted her humbly, to imitate in all things, direct
her in-this instance also. And she was eminently
successful, where many others had failed. Of bet
literary-ploduetions, the important object is never
'thrown into the back ground ; and hers were
among the first Novels that attained great popu-
larity and extrusive enctrlation,in spite of their
avowal of tiieit aim, which, among the reader's of
ovels,...had.-hitherto been so unpopular.
It might. he' rash to ascribe to 'these works any
tprcrfic effect in couctteractio the tide of Iprofli-

• l'i-cf. to Diicipline.

gacy, whicb,' in many shapes,- and, above all
others, in the shape of Novels, bad threatened
destruction to public morals. It is, however.cer-
fain, that for several years the 'immorality of
Novels has alMost. ceased to be a theme of corn-
plaint ;—an effect to which' the works of Mrs.
Brunton, and of anotherystriveinguished female
(Mrs. 11. More), have undoubtedly. contributed
iu no ineotrsiderable degree.
The most prominent feature of Mrs. BruntoWs
Novels IS the zealous and energetic enforcement
of teligious and moral truth.. This object is pur-
sued with unceasing persseverance; and, in gene,.-
neral, with great effect. But these works pos-
sess a.variety of excellence, independently of the
elevated and noble aim which gave them hirth.—.
They abound wills proofs of a vigorous judgment,
of aft in'tiniate knowledge of ,tiie human heart,
and of an accurate, perception of character and.
Ii,iI!WCTS: In point' Of composition, too, they ate
to bei'anyed with the most celebrated productions
of the cla,s to which they belong. It would, in-
deed, 'be difficult to find, in any of those depart-
ments of Eliglish Qterature which have employed
the pens of:Female Authors, better specimens df
a pure and vigorous style. They possess one ex-
cellence, whichls-pectiliartO themselves. From
the narratives and dialogues ()Wiese Novels might
he selected a collection of the most weigitty.apho-
rjsiosof mirrality; which are to he found to any
language ; generally expressed in the fewest
words possinlel and so connected with the pas-
sages iii which they occur, as to be incapable of
being disjoined from them without injury.
To the 'composition of these
,works, Mrs. Brun,-
ton's motive can never tor a moment be miStaken.
•
It was a pure desire to do good. to the best of her
'Never held the vanity of Antiforsuip lesS
short; in bringing anyindividoal beforet he puldic„
iler. first work she did not avow, 'rout In rt'plire-
!tension that her then unknown Italie might de.--
trac from the weight of that instruction of witiCh
it was intended to be the vehicle. Flea secret was
.confided oitly to a small number of friends: It• Was
not till the success of " zself Con!iol-. had se-
'cured to its Author a high rank .among the female
Authors of her 4 m
ge, that she was r
eDe raged to
Rolfe that the avuw..l of her name might add to
the nsetniness of another work ; and, when"
Dis-
ciplint; was. given to the world, the. Author's
name, though 'not, formally announced, was no
.longer concealed.
The 'very brietland imperfect sketch which has
now been attempted, by one who, for many years,
was honoured with the friendship of this excellent
person., mly. not be altogether unacceptable to her
numerous Iriends. It may serve, at least, till
subjecr shall employ an abler pen,- to mark sonic
of the leading features of a character, which pre-
: seats &tare-and instructive example, of great Ea,-
lents invariably.applied. to the noblest uses.
Nor is the death _of Mrs. Brunton less froitful,
of-instruction titan her life. It teaches, with a
force whi'cli no heart can withstand, the duty of
watchtnlnessi and of constant. preparation ; and
the wisdom of doing; with all one might, " w hat-
soever.outtliand findeth to do.". reminds all;
howlittle.youtb,.and health, and talents, and vir-
tues--the love of friends, the, esteenCoi all, and
all else for the'sake of which kite is, to fie prized
—avail against the irrevocable d00m..,t0 Whick all
are,subject.;-

EXTRAORDINARY CAE of a (wield Wily Par-
yoimg man, named George ;Matthews,
a native of, Ireland, was tried at the Old Batley, in
February last, convicted, and sentenced, to die; for
a to.bbery on,bis master, WlLLtam NiitiAtay, Esq.
In the beginning of the following month-, the
Hononrable I+.-G. BENNET and Mr. • Alderman
Weioo, rvliile visiting the jail of Newgate, were
induced, front some ciroinistances which had pre-
viously come to their knowledge, to examine
the wont h, Matthews, when they derived from
hint such information as. demanded further
inquiry. From that. time to the precept,
Mr. BENNET and Mr. Alderman WOOD, as-
sisted by Mr. HARMER, the_ Solicitor, and with
the artive co-operation of Lord SIDMOUTH, and
the Under-Secretary ,of State, Mr. Iloattous's,
have continued a progressive and unwearied in-
vemigation of this mysterious case, the result of
which has enabled them, successfully, to establish
Matthews's innocence, and to obtain for him
a gracious free pardon from his Royal Highness
the Ptittactt REGENT. We purposely abstain
from any -comment on this important subject, as
we' understand 'tbat full particulars will short-
ly be published, with a' i)roposal for ,the relief
of Matthews's sufferings during the time be was
confined in Newgate, and in hope that his example
will be held forth to all 'classes of Servants as a
blight pattern of the valneof,gotn) reputation, for
from the excellent character which Mathews re-
ceived from Lady CHARLOTTB CAMPBELL, and
from every other person with Whom be had lived
as servant, the - friends of igatrisews have been
materiallY enabled to trace and iishold his iliau.
cence to the public.—(:'Morning Paper.) •
liatirtst.AT-ratm,77—Ou Tnetday 144, ag'Wort-
ley, the constable or! ambeth, wai going from
his 116.04, in South-street, Lambeth-road, upon
duty atthe.Coburg Theatre, he was attacked by
a gang of sik thieves ; he received a desperate
blow from one of theist, which felled hint to the
'ground. As he lay on the eat tls he received se-
veral violent kicks-, which rendered bins totally in-
capable of defending himself ; be with difficulty
' srbwtOned'his Coat; and took from Isis side-pocket
a loaded pistol : one of the villains, who had stood
inactive till then.„ ewe- up to Wortley. and said
to his companions, " D— the b.-7, kill
Wortley raised his pistol, and fired it amongst the
desperadoes : one of them called out " Oh God !
Oh God !" and2they all took to their bends and
decamped, leaving Wortley lying on the ground.
The only severe injury Wortley received was on
his side. There oan be up doubt but one of the
• villains is wounded. TWo of the gang were well
known to. the
_constable ; be had them in custody
a few weeks ago, On a' charge'of'burglary, and
they were ili.selsaiged for 'want of identity. Seve-
ral police•officers. yesterday were in pursuit of the
wretches, but it is supposed that they have left
the metropolis, as they have -deseited their bathos.
"A few nights ago a thief, brOke aloa'ne of glass
in the window of the shop of Mr. Guest, Fleet-
' market, and stole a. valuable gold watch, with
,• which he escaped.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.