The Sun.
London, England, 1828-12-04 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER SCHOOL.

Last night there was the first performance of
the play, which usually takes place here previ-
ously to the Christmas holidays. The represen-
tation of any play, by the scholars, was last year
omitted (late as it was to pay the compliment)
in consequence of the death of the Duke of
York ; and such omission had the effect of in-
creasing the curiosity and interest to behold the
present performance. Though the representa-
tion did not commence till se en o'clock, by six
o'clock the doors of the " Dormitory," in which
thei play performed, were crowded by youths
dis to different schools, and those who had
been educated at Westminster, and by the
friends of such parties. Aided by the ac-
tive exertions of Cooper, from Queen-square,
and the " gownsmen” at the inner bar-
riers, as much order was preserved as
could well be expected under such circum-
stances; and still more order would have been
preserved, and satisfaction given, if the said
youths, or " gownsmen” had made a more re-
strained use of the ash sticks, with which all of
them had provided themselves, on the hats of
those who, in their earnestness to gain that
admission to which tickets entitled them, anxi-
ously crowded to pass the barriers. The young I
gentlemen went to no excesses in these dis-
plays of their authority ; but shaken as the sticks
occasionally were over the heads of their seniors,
and on such an occasion, the exhibition seemed
somewhat contra bonos mores, and a custom
that would now be " more honoured in the
breach than in the observance." The school
customs may be useful; but there is no neces-
sity for them to be extended to these public ex-
hibitions.

Much improvement has taken place in the
arrangement of the stage at the further end of the
dormitory, particularly in the display of two
handsome bronze lamps in front, and one exceed-
ingly tasteful gilt branch, and richly burnished
chandelier over the centre. Heretofore, they
had two or three miserably assorted musical in-
strument's ; now (and this is an agreeable as
well as a novel innovation on Monastic prece-
dents) there was collected an admirably assorted
Orchestra, which played before the Comedy, and
between the Acts ; and at the conclusion, amidst
loud applause, skilfully performed the National
Anthem of " God save the King."
The Play, of course, was Latin—the Adelphi
of Terence. The following were the Dramatis
Persona,.

Micio .Mr. Wal outll
•
Demea Mr. Ileatheote
Sannio Mr. Day
E-chinus slr. Biscoe
Syrus Mr. Sutherland
Ctesiplio Mr. Sail
Sostrata . Mr. Cothcr
Cnnthari Mr. Stragways
a!ta.
Ilegio Mr. Hue
Dromo Mr. Gresley
The performers, on this occasion, it may be
unnecessary to remark, were all selected from
amongst the Scholars on the Establishment.
Amongst the auditors in the pit appeared the
Head Master ; on the right of the stage, the
Rev. Mr. Williamson, the Under Masters, &c.
The performers (scholars) acquitted themselves
with amazing ability, accuracy, and precision,
delivering the Latin text not only with great cor-
rectness, propriety, and emphasis, but also with
an energy and feeling that could hardly have been
expected from their ages. They also dressed
and looked the characters with a natural solem-
nity and earmestness that astonished, when the
years of the youthful actors were remembered.
Where there was so much excellence and accuracy,
it might appear invidious to particularise the
performances of individuals. lArithout, how-
ever, forgetting the merits of any, it would be un-
just not specially to notice the judicious and em-
phatic representations of Mr. Woodfldl, as Micio,
and Mr. Heathcote, as Denten (the brothers,
" Adelphi"), and Mr. Biscoe's personation of
the son, ..eEschinus, whose strange love occa-
sioned so much commotion. The servant
Syrtis, an arch knave, occasionally reeling, and
then sober, cheating and moral, however, at-
tracted very peculiar attention, and marked and
deserved applause.—Morning Paper.

YEOVIL.—The manufacture of this twill is
that of gloves, of which it is calculated that upwards of
6,000 dozens are weekly made in this town, and in the
immediate neighbourhood. The materials of these gloves
are imported from Leghorn, Ancona, Naples, &c., gene-
rally in the raw state, so that, under the direction of the
manufacturers, they undergo the several operations of
dressing, paring, colouring; and cutting, previous to
their being passed into the hands of the sewers. Lamb-
skins, both foreign and English, are also used in great
abundance, and are prepared by a similar process. There
are about :3,000 men and boys employed in thus preparing
the skins for the sewers, of whom about 6,000 females are
also engaged ; most of them sew them with a machine (con-
structed upon a very ingenious principle, and invented by
a manufacturer in a neighbouring village), which not only
adds to the neatness, but greatly facilitates the work.—
The workmen, when in full employment, can earn from
Os. to SOs. per week, and the ifemales from about 4s. to

12s. Yeovil has been gradually rising into repute for
many years past, and the manufacture of gloves has greatly
improved. Although, in consequence of the introduction
of French articles into this country, the trade of the town
is now suffering a little stagnation, yet, from the disposi-
tion manifested by the manufacturers, hope is held out
that they will shortly make those discoveries in the process
of the manufacture which will enable them to compete, in
a great measure, with the French manufacturer ; at pre-
sent the latter have many advantages over their English
brethren.— World.

THE WIFE OF TWO HUSBANDS.—The
following curious anecdote is given in the Quotidienne
that arrived on Tuesday :—Some years ago an inhabitant
of Madrid, who had been reduced by mistOrtune to a state
of indigence, thought fit to leave his country for America,
in the hope of mending his fortune. He left a wife at Ma-
drid, to whom he afterwards transmitted several sums of
money, by means of a mutual friend, to whose charge she
was left. By and by the remittances ceased, and the wife
received an official notice of her husband's death. The
husband, in the mean time, received an official notice of
the death of his wife, and in his grief for her loss, entered
a convent. Years rolled away—the rebellion in America
broke out—the monks were banished—and the afflicted
husband was compelled to return to Spain. On his
.re-
turn to Madrid what WitS his surprise to meet with IT
wife! She was again married. It appeared that his
friend had embezzled some of the remittances, and, to
avoid explanation, had contrived to persuade each party of
the other's decease. His death, which had subsequently
taken place, rendered the elucidation of this strange affair
no small difficulty. An investigation will take place to
ascertain whether one or other of the parties has not acted
wittingly ; and, in the mean time, the husband has been
sent to a convent, and the wife has retired to a nunnery.
A RECEIPT FOR RENDERING SHOES
PERVIOUS TO WET...--Drying oil, one pint ; yellow wax,
two ounces ; turpentine, two ounces ; Burgundy pitch,
one ounce. Melt these over a slow fire, and then add a
few drachms of essential oil of lavender (or thyme). With
these the shoes are to be rubbed with a brush, either in
the sun or at some distance from the fire. The applica-
tion must be repeated as often as the shoes become dry,
until they are fully saturated. For water-fowl shooting,
where boots are required, the most effectual application
will be tar, tallow, and bees' wax, melted (not too warm),
and then poured into the boots ; which, after having this
shaken into every part of them, should be hung up to let
it run out. By this method, and the sacrifice of the first
pair of stockings that follows it, a sportsman may walk in
the river with more comfort than a Bond-street lounger
would cross the Street after a shower.