The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-29 00:00:00

I)RURY-LANE THEATRE.

A new melo-drame, or tragedy, or comedy, or
historical play—we cannot take upon ourselves to
say exactly which, though, upon the authority of the
play bill, we may pronounce it an " historical play,"
was produced last night at this Theatre, under the
singularly inappropriate title of " Edward the
Black Prince." The dialogue is said to be
taken from Shirley, Beaumont, and Fletcher,
and is truly a strange mixture, where the
genuine poetry and delicate sentiment of the joint
authors of that beautiful tragedy " Philaster" is
wedded to the prosaic drivelling of Mr. Reynolds—
who, we understand, is the manufacturer of this pre-
cious farrago. As for the plot, there is none, at least
none sufficiently intelligible. Mr.Macready we discover
in the course of the piece to be a lover, though his
countenance is most seriously anti-amorous, and
Miss E. Tree (who evinces no slight quantity of
the feeling and intelligence of her sister, the present
Mrs. Bradshaw) the lady who, disguised as a
page, is secretly attached to him. Among the
minor parts—by the way, with the single exception
of Macready's, there is no character worth mention-
' ing. We may speak with praise of Mr. Wallack's
chivalrous bearing, as the Black Prince, and Mr.
Harley's arch buffoonery in the part of a half-starved
craven nondescript. Miss Grant, too, made a re-
markably pretty and intelligent waiting-maid; and
sang a Savoyard ballad with so much genuine sim-
plicity, as to call down a hearty encoro. This young
lady is, we are glad to perceive, a growing favourite
with the public. Mr. Cooper, as the sarcastic Earl
of Salisbury, was anything but what the author in-
tended him to be, his satire was lost from want of
intellect to comprehend it; and sank into mere feeble
inanity.

With regard to the scenery it was in one or two
instances showy; but as a whole unequal, and in-
consistent. The most remarkable part of it was the
representation of a water-spout, curiously illustrated
by a tremendous shower of saw-dust. The Gods,
however, were mightily tickled with the sight,
44 And when Divinities approve,
Say why should man condemn?"

The house was well attended; and the piece
given out for repetition by Mr. Macready with very
equivocal testimonies of applause.

CATHOLIC EM ANCI PA T It has been
stated to us, and we may venture to add, upon authority,
that a communication has been made to the British Catholic
Association from Government, either that a Catholic Bill
will be introduced this Session into Parliament—or that
such preliminary arrangements will be adopted, as to ensure
the speedy settlement of this great and paramount question.
It would be the height of presumption or indiscretion, at
least, to venture any opinion on this subject at present.
All who desire the peace and prosperity of Ireland will re_
joke at this announcement. It will be time enough het,.
after to canvass the details.—Dublin Evening Post.

At the Lime-kilns, Greenwich, on Saturday,
a number of scientific gentlemen and engineer officers wit-
nessed the trial of PERKINS'® steam cannon. A target
was placed in a gravel-pit,
. at a distance of 220 yards from
the cannon, and the firing commenced at one, and conti-
nued to half-past two o'clock, with trifling intermission.
The balls were six-pounders, and were discharged at about
twenty-eight to thirty per minute, with a pressure of
about 770 pounds on the square inch. This pressure,
Mr.
Paxxiws states, is only half what the engine is
capable of ; but as the point blank range was so short a
distance, the extent of power was not required. We ob-
served the Baron ST. DENYS, with another French officer,
and Captain Jolissow, who expressed their decided opinion
as to the merits of the MIN.