The Sun.
London, England, 1826-10-05 00:00:00

COVENT GARDEN THEATRE.

The comedy of the " Provoked Husband," was last night
performed at this theatre with the usual satisfaction to a
tolerably full house. Mr. Fawcett was the Sir Francis
Wronghead, and a Mr.: Meadows, the Squire Richard of
the evening, and of both characters we can speak in terms
but of qualified praise. Miss Chester, in fact, was the
chief attraction of the comedy, and as Lady Townley,
evinced great spirit, elegance, and naiveté.. After the
" Provoked Husband,'! an operatic piece,- in two acts,
entitled the " Castle of Sorrento," was produced, or rather
revived; for the purpose, as it should seem, of introducing
Miss Cawse to the notice of a London audience.. She
was well received, and we are pleased to adc4 deservedly so.

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.
(WEDNESDAY.)

The performances at St. Philip's Church ,commenced
this morning with Handel's fine overture to " Esther,"
which is too well known to require a minute analysis.—
Mr. Braham then executed the recitatave in r" Sampson,"
where he complains of his blindness' (by, we believe, the
same composer), in a style that literally resernbled an exe-
tion or murder of good music : that celebrated line inpar-
ticular—" My very soul in real darkness dwells," he
}manned over with a negligent insipidity, totally at vari-
ance with the intense feeling that Handel intended to
pourtray. He made ample amends, however, by his
mode of singing—" Total eclipse," which - follows. Mr.
Bellamy gave as much effect as the limited compass of
his voice (an agreeable counter-tenor) would allow, to
Handers " Brave Jonathan," in the Oratorio of " Saul ;"
but as the air itself, though stamped with all the sublime pe-
culiarities of Handel, has never been very attractive, at least
in England,we will not insist upon its merits. Selections from
"The Tod Jesu" (death of Jesus), composed by Graun, fol-
lovied, in which we were deeply impressed—as, indeed, were
almost all who heard them—with the thrilling grandeurof its
chorusses. A richer treat than the opening one, of " The
Lord bath prepared his seat ;" , whether we consider its
continuous, yet far more monotonous solemnity, or the
perfect simplicity of its composition, was never yet expe-
rienced. But perhaps the most remarkable feature in this
selection was the recitative by Mr. Phillips of "'Tie done;"
he worked out the idea which Gown had conveyed in
his music, of the general convulsion of nature at the death
of our Saviour, with the impressiveness the subject de-
served, and eveh accompanied the words " Ye sepulchres
give back you, dead," not only with a dramatic expression
of voice but even of countenance. We mention this fact,
as it contrasts strongly with the uniform inert stupidity of
his rival (Braham's) countenance, who, whatever power
he may impart to his lungs, preserves at least in his Linea-
meats all the dull vacuity of a true Iheotian intellect—
" Bwolum in Grasso jurares aere nation.' Miss Travis, who,
we were glad to perceive, seemed recovered from her yes-
terday's cold, was in unusually flue voice, and executed
the trio " Pour forth your tears," with Messieurs knyvett
and Vaughan, so admirably 'as to leave both far behind,
her in consideration of the audience. The " Tod Joie
was followed by selections, altered and' improved (as it
was somewhat boldly said) from Mehul's Sacred Drama
of " Joseph," in which there was nothing very impressive,
but a pensive air sungby Madame Caradori, entitled, " How
long are the days of his mourning." Two lines of this,
" Our Joseph was matchless in beauty,
Fair as morn o'er the bills when it glidei."
with a tenderness—a delicacy—and softened melody of
tone, that none but, a woman can give, and few but her
own , sex can .appreciate. Mr. Bellamy executed " The
people throng about thy palace gates" creditably in point
of style ,
,but "barbarously ungenteel," as far as action
was concerned. This gentleman (and we are well ac-
quainted, with his style and manner of singing) . always
prefaces an air with an application to his breeches pocket;
why, or wherefore, the power, as Sterne says, that made
us, alone knows : the reason rests with himself and his
conscience. In the Third Part, Mr. Braham thrilled' his
audience as usual with Handers unequalled " Jeptha's
Vow." Of this sublime recitation, which seems to rim
through the gamut of the-passions, displaying in turn, the
rage, remorse, tenderness, vacillation, and Axed pur-
pose of a parent who • has vowed his child to 'death,
it is difficult to speak in terms of common eulogium. Mr.
Braham, however, did justice to the composer, and, as the
dying, tones of his voice, in the air that closes the recitative
" Waft her, angels, thro' the skies," pealed among the
'
vaulted galleries of this noble church (for in a church alone
should such divine harmony be heard), the effect among
the audience was electrical.

In the evening a miscellaneous Concert, in two acts, was
given at the Theatre, in which we were delighted to find
that Calcott—that wild and impressive genius—was in
high request. " His life's gay See!lee" lost something in
the hands of Vaughan • but justice was after Wards done to
his music in the well-known glee, for five voices, " Thou
art beautiful, Queen of the Valley." Miss Bacon (who,
by the bye, is too close an imitator of Veluti), sung a duet
with Caradori, " Ravvisa," from Meyerbeer's " Crociato
in Egitto," with a-spirit that, in Irian. y instances, reminded
us not only of Veluti, but of Catalan also, If this young
lady would trust more to her Own powers, and less to those
of others, wethink she would improve by the exPeriment,for
we naturally give more credit to a secondary original thane
first-rate imitator. In Act. H., however, she was very
successful in Ro„inps "Elena, oh tu ;" so much so, in-
deed, as to cause an evident regret among the audience
that she had so little to do.--So much-for the vocal; the
instrumental department of the Concert was equally well
spirit,the '
as, whotole, we may say of
sustained. Kieswitter, on his violin, delighted us with a
concerto that would have fully established his claims to
the character of a peerless musician, had not Lindley con-
teleave the question
poet said of his shepherds, " et
v
of
fsinid hprteuelac palm with
y(iou btfatsucoh
n both wtlr
ag
titnhues,Metaniitiiica. We subjoin the following Glee,
:
with which we shall close our account :--
Thou art loautiful, queen of the valley !
Thy walls like silver sparkle to the CM
Melodious wave thy groves; thy garden sweets
Enrich ,the pleasant sir. KPon the lake
Lie the long shadows of thy towers,
And high in heav'n riy t,"lple, pyramids arise.
Long may'st thou flourish in thy beauty,;
Long prosper beneath the righteous conqueror,
Who conquers to redeem. Long years of peace
And happiness await thy Lord and thee,
Queen of the valley.

the Jeceipts at the Church on

We are happy to /UV that
this day are as follows
Second Day, 18116.
Admission to Church. zigoo 17 0 AdmissSecalon tno4Cll).sauyrit 1:0596 U 0
Collected Liter Sermon,,, US 2 0 Collected .813

t;Asiu of
4:174
At tho Contort itt Lhi ThgltrO4 070.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—(Tnts DAY.)

Five men Were brought up this morning, on a charge of having
been guilty of extensive robberies, in the warehouses of Messrs.
Lebyter and Co. stationers,' Upper Thames-street.
The evidence which was long and complicated, went ro prove
that sevaral of the prisoners vim in the service of the prosecutors,
had been iu the habit, for several months, of taking out
paper in reams at an early hour in the morning, and car-
rying it to various public-houses, where a man named Brown
was in the habit Of receiving it.
. The Lord Mayor committed. Brown and one of the servants.

THE CORN LAWS.--IThe LORI) MAYOR, at the request of
Mr. Favell and others of the requisitionists, appointed Thursday,
the 19th, for a Common Ball, on the subject of the Corn Laws.

GUILDHALL.—(Tsus Day.)
DEskirrus,--John Carter was brought to this office, 'charged
with having deserted from the Marines. A Serjeant appeared,
who had been in pursuit of the prisoner for some time past, and
two others t►ot yet found, and who identified him,—Cornmitted.
Francis Bolt was charged with violently assaulting Dennis
Learie. Bolt was in custody, and Solicitors attended on both
sides. The prisoner lives at No. 6, Trinity-court, Lombard-
street, and a few days ago Mr. Antes, an appraiser, was employed
to take. possession of the goods and chattels of Bolt; he did so,
and left the complainant in custody of them ; on Tuesday night
the prisoner took hold of poor Learie, and as Mr. Learie would
have it, meant to capsize him complattly. lie, however, thrust
hint down stairs, opened the street door, turned him out, and shut
it again.

Sir P*-r. LAVILIE ordered the prisoner to find bail for the
assault.

BOW4TREET--(Tuts DAY.)

Tut GRINDILLS.—EdIitond Cowper, a porter in St. Luke's
Hospital, was brought up on a warrant, charging him with as-
sisting in the outrage lately committed on Mr. Grindell, sen.
Mrs. Grindell stated, that on Tuesday previous to the out-
rage, the prisoner came to the uncle's house, and her hus-
band continued to wheedle her up stairs, leaving the pri.
soner and her uncle with Mr. Hunter in the parlour. In
her absence they put a straight waistcoat on the nude.—
The prisoner himself acknowledged the fact, and told ber that he
did it at the request of Captain Dean and Mr. Stanton. She said
that there was no necessity, and gave the prisoner ht. who went oft
but returned again in the evening at the desire of Captain Dean,
hut she ordered him out of the house, and he complied. The
prisoner Acknowledged the facts as stated, and he was ordered to
find ; himself in 401., and two sureties in 201. each. •
Mr. Charles Grindell not being able to procure bail, was this
day committed to the House of Correction at his own request.