The Sun.
London, England, 1821-06-20 00:00:00

FASHIONABLE PARTIES.

Yesterday her Majesty had a dinner party at her house in
town, at which the following distinguished personages were pre-
sent:—Lord and Lclay Milton, Marquess and Marchioness of
Tavistock; Lord W. Fitzgerald, Mr. and Mrs. AL A. Taylor,
Sir Robert Wilson, Mr. Hobhouse, Mr. W. H. Whitbread,
,Sir Ronald Fergusson and Mr. Brougham.
The Countess St. Antonio gave a ball on Monday evening,
at her house in Hanover-square, which was attended by up-
wards of 300 distinguished fashlonables. The elegant suitesof
drawing rooms were tastefully fitted up,- and most brilliantly
illuminated. Dancing commenced in the principal one about
eleven o'clock ; refreshments were served in the grand dining-
room below stairs, which consisted of every delicacy in season,
with the choicest fruits, &c.
_ _

Yesterday, the T ake and Duchess of Montrose gave a grand
dinner to his Royal Highness Prince Leopold, and a large
party of distinguished personages, at their house in Grosvenor-
square.
The-Marguess and 'Marchioness of Lansdown gave an ele-
gant entertainment on Monday at Lansdown House, Berkeley-
square, to Prince Leopold, the Duke of Sussex, the Duke of
Gloucester, and-a large party cf distinction. In the evening
her Ladyship gave a rout, which was attended by nearly 200
fashionables.
Lady Caroline Barham's Ball on Monday evening, in Queen
Ann-street, was attended by upwards, of ,two hundred fashion-
ables.

Lady. Robinson gave an elegant Rout on Monday evening,
at her house in Albemarle-street, which was attended by about
200 of the HAUT TON.

FASHIONABLE ARRIVALS.—EarI Poulett, from Paris ; Sir
John Shelley, Bart., at'the Waterloo Hotel, Jermyn-street,
from his seat in Sussex. _ _ _

DEPARTURES„—Lord and Lady Boston and,the Hon. Miss
Irby, for their seat, "lucks ; Right lion. R. Ryder, for West-
brook, Hens ; Lucius Robinson, Esq. on a Continental tour.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

ASCOT- HEATH RACES, JUNE 19.
His Majesty's Plate of 109g,5:
Mr. Goddart's 14loonraker, 4 yrs. old, 9st: - 1
Mr. Bigg's Trance, ditto . - 2
Duke of York's Prodigious, ditto - . • 3
Eight started-5 to 2 agst. the winner-3 to 1 agst..Flibberty-
gibbet, which horse broke 'down. Chilli:icy won the race by
half a neck.

Sweipstakes of 100 gs.
D. of Grafton's Titian - - , - 1
D. of York's c. by Walton . - 2
Mr. Rush's br. c. by Waxy . ' - - - - 3
D. of Rutland's f:" by Waxy - - - - - 4
6to 4 agst. the winner, and 6to 4 agst Mr. Rush. Buckle
rode the winner.
The Oatland Stakes. 30 Guineas each, Two Miles and a Half.
Mr. Ockenden's Strephon, 6 yews old, 84. 51b. , - 1
Duke of York's Bankkker, .5 Yrs. old, 9st. llb. - - 2
Mr. Walker's Vanloo, 4 yrs. old, 75t. 71b-. - - 3
Col. Morland's Ranter, 6 yrs. old, ilst, 121 b. . - 4
A sporting race—even betting, and 5t04 on Banker-3 to 1
agst. Strephon. Howard rode the winner.
Sweepstakes of Ten Guineas each.
Ld. Foley named Shriekhorn - .. - - . 1
D. of York's Elastic

-7
to t on the winner.

_ .
The King arrived on the ground at one o'clock, and took his
station in the royal stand.
The Marquis of Sligo's Langan was the winner of the King's
Plate, value 100 guineas, at the late Currogh Meeting, beating
Mr. Prendergast's Dimsdale, and Mr. Croker's Don Juan.

,gle Wicket Match in Lord's
ld Mr. Brand, with two Fields-
iday, in favour of Mr. Budd.
- • BRAND.

CRICKET.—The grand sin,
Ground, between Mr. Budd an
men each, was decided on Mom
- Bunn.

Ist Innings -
2d Ditto

Ist Innings
-
2d•Ditto

-68 —0 ,
Mr. Budd won by .60 runs.
The grand return match at Cricket, between the two select
parties of 11 each-11 of the . Officers of the Royal Horse
Guards and the Coldstream Regiment, was played last week at
Windsor, and won by the latter.

COWES, JUNE 15.—The annual Regatta and Sailing Match
this year, are fixed for the 21st and. 22d August ensuing,
ere which, it is expected, his Majesty's visit to Ireland will be
accomplished.—The Royal Yacht CM% give 1001. towards the
Prizes; and on the day preceding, viz.. Monday 20th August,
John Fleming; Esq. M.P. gives 50 guineas to be divided in
prizes for the Vessels of Freeholders of the County of Hants,
which may enter, to contest a Race from Southampton Quay
to the Isle of Wright and back.—Several beautiful yachts are
now cruising within the Wright; among them are Lord Angle-
sey's Pearl, Sri- Charles Paget's Anglesey, Captain Pellew's
Grulia, Mr. Owen Mrilliams's Gazette, Mr. Powell Powell's
Briton,- &c. and others of the Yacht. Club daily arriving.—A
Match at Cricket was played on Wednesday last, on a fine
piece of ground belonging to Lord Henry Seymour, near
Norris Castle, between eleven gentlemen of East, and the same
number of West Cowes, which vas .won in a handsome man-
ner by the latter by 139 runs: -

TIIE LATE THEATRICAL FRACAS.—The fol-
lowing are Copies of the Correspondence between
the Managers of Drury-lane and the Adelphi
Theatres, which led to the fracas :

LETTER FROM MR. RODWELL.
" understand you have had the temerity to intrude
yourself behind the curtain of my Theatre. In order to spare
you a greater mortification, I have ordered the door-keepers
to refuse you adinission, should you, again present yourself.
I am," &C. - - - - - -

The following •pithy note was forthwith
re-
turned
RODWELL—I have heard of a puddle in a storm and of a
puppy in a passion, and I can only say that I scorn the oneand
laugh at the other. ".ELLISTON."

FOR THE SUN.

THE ,DRAM A.
" Heavens o'er. those hoards.thail folly rear her htad,
" Which Garrick trod, and Kentble livcs to tread ?).'

riYRON.

P7l Ir. Enrron,—At a moment - like the present,
when the country has no foreign enemies to con-
tend with, and faction and mistaken liberality
have ceased in a great measure to agitate her
from within; the Constitutional press, although
no longer called to arms in defence of our reli-
gious or political existence, • has yet much itn-
portent duty to perform: The 'arts of -peace,,
literature especially, and the taste of a nation,
have great influence on its political conduct ; and
if, under some circumstances, their progress and
character cannot be always accurately ascer-
tained by the politician, without culpable inatten-
tion to the more immediate province of his. science,
still, • wherever tranquillity. and 'leisure- admit,
they imperiously demand his attention. 1 do
not profess. myself of • this class : lettered retire-
ment, though less dazzling, has- always appeared
to me more engaging than political notoriety ;
but, although 1 have forborne to occupy your
Journal with literary topics when our most im-
portant interests were lately at stake, I am too
sensible -of the.- political importance (to say
nothing else) of the national literature, not to
-request your-Readers now to turn their attention
toWardS one branch of it ; a .branch so vicious
and diseased,-that I confeSs,•if no Means of heal-
ing it could be devised, I should be sincerely
glad to see it amputated. Your Readers ivirl
easily perceive that I allude to the Drama.
Now, if there be any department of literature
which is more important than another in a
national point of view, it is this. History, poetry,
even novels and romances engage the attention of
a comparative few : at the theatre all ranks are
assembled, and the nation appears epitomized.
Hence the. state of the stage, as it is that which
leads and models the aggregate taste of a nation,
is always the best criterion of it ; and in confir-
mation of this remark, J think it will be- found
Pretty generally trite, that those periods of a na-
tion's history Which have been most distinguished
for the encouragement -of liberal arts, have been
also remarkable for dratnatic excellence. What.
is spoken on the stage is spoken to the whole na-
tion ; inforced too, by the most powerful delinea-
tions short of real life and -example, which it is
possible to Conceive. It is idle to object that H.-.
literate men are incapable of enjoying SHAKSPEARE
on the stage, and that some amusement must be
found for them as well as-for the polite and learned ;
first, because, if it -were true there are numberless
Minor theatres, and inferior -places of amusement
for them; and secondly,- because the objection
itself is false. SII,IE:SPEAR. Eis the poet -of nature,
and writes- to all ; and his language- is neither so
antiquated nor so recondite as not to be, for the
most part, intelligible to an Englishman ; at all
events, the tendency and economy of his plays
must be evident to any ordinary capacity. Why
then, night after night, is he banished from the
national theatres ? •or if this must,be, why do not
JONSON, MASSINGER, OTWAY, ROWE, replace
him -?- Where -are the SHERIDANS, the CUMSER-
LANDS, the CoLtßinors of our own days? Why
does " the Spirit of the- Waters" profane those
- walls. which should be the haunt of the spirit of the
Bard of Avon ?. Why does the " Lamp of Alad-
din" take the place of the pure, bright lamp of the
classical drama ?

O humiliating reply ! " Such is the taste of the
British public." If this- be indeed the taste of
the British public, how important is it _that it
should be reformedl Here we have a principal
instrument bf'good neglected, general taste de-
praved, and a noble part of the national literature
discouraged 'dud almostannihilated.• . Fur even
those

• ' " qui se lectori credere malutt
Quail" spectator's fastidia ferre superbi"
are not now very numerous ; and the drama, where
the objects and purposes of its very nature and ex-
istence are unanswered, must necessarily fall into
decay. This is almost the native soil of the mo-
dern drama ; yet the. French, who have so much
less to boast .of in this department of literature,
have, at Paris,..their.ovin national theatre, volzere
none but STANDAIO PRODUCTIONS arc-suffered to
be represented; and the Government does not
think the interests of the stage beneath its sup-
port. If the Government of this country were
just so far to interfere with the Theatres Royal,
as to permit the performance only of the regular
drama on their boards, great advantage might he
expected : and " Learning 's triumph - oer her
barbarous foes,'' as. it " first rear'd the stage," so
would now have the merit of restoring it.

These desultory' hints, Sir, are written more
with the view of exciting the attention of persons
of greater ability and influence to this subject,
than with any idea that they can be in themselves
beneficial. Whatever be the cause, certain it is
-that such persons have been strangely inactive;
and if not awakened, the effects of their slumber
on the national drama are palpable. Cana BYRON
content himself with a hint or two on the subject
in a preface, and KEMBLE, once the guardian of
the scene, be silent altogether !—Ye who value
the honour of your country, and of Your country's
literature, stand forth ! if the Stage must perish,
let it not be said that it has perishe,d through
your negligence and inactivity. Exert your
talents and your interests in the cause; and be not
disposed to over-rate small sacrifices, when the
object is so eminently honourable to yourselves
and your country.

DRA MAT ICUS.
We heartily agree with our intelligent Correspondent
in lamenting the degradation of the National Drama, and sin-
cerely wish that some means could be devised for restoring its
proper dignity and moral importance. _ We have Actors capable
of ably supporting both provinces of the Drama, yet we have
seen the Stage debased by despicable imitations of our best Per-
formers, even in the Theatre where their talents were employed!!
We hope that our Correspondent will resume the subject, and
we assure him that his communications .will at all times be
highly acceptable. . .

Mr. and Mrs. BARTLEY have concluded their
engajment at the Liverpool Theatre, and en-
tered into one with the Manager of the Bury
Stage for a limited number of nights.
PENLEY has disposed of his lease of the Co-
ventry Theatre to Mr. ELLISTON, and intends
shortly going to Hanover, where his' company ale
to perform English Plays, under Royal patronage.