The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-10 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.

A new melo-drama from the pen of Mr. Banim, author
of " Damon and Pythias," and " Tales by the O'Hara
Family," was produced at this theatre on Thursday. A
singular anecdote is at present in circulation respecting it.
The plot it seems, was originally Irish, and founded on the
tale of John Doe, in the O'Hara Family, from which it
was dramatized by Mr. Banim himself. This was enough
for the pious author of the exemplary " Broad Grins,"
" Two Parsons, or the Tale of a Shirt, &c."; his squeam-
ish judgment discovered revolution in every line of the
play, and he accordingly issued his firman, directing that
it should be rejected, unless the scene of action were
transferred from Ireland to Spain. This was instantly
done, the hero, honest John Doe was despatched to the
Iberian mountains, rebaptized a Guerilla, and thus rege-
nerated, was set to work, and to ferment through three
long acts. Still, notwithstanding this metamorphosis—
more singular than any recorded in Ovid—the play was
throughout successful. It appeared from the circumstances
that Alvez (Mr. Bennett) the Guerilla Chief, had formed
in youth a passion for Clara Sosa, (Miss Hamilton) which,
under adverse fortune still found a place in his heart.
With the lady it was otherwise. She was a child when
Alvez first loved her, and, therefore, was incapable of re-
turning his passion. As she advanced in years, however,
it was highly expedient that she should love somebody,
which said somebody made his appearance in the shape of
a young officer, named Damien, averse of course to Alvez.
After the usual allowance of plot and counterplot; alter-
nate success and disappointment on Shakspeare's receipt,
" that the course of true love never did run smooth ;"
Alvez resigns his claim ; rind bestows Clara Sosa on
Damien, upon which, to use the good old nursery phrase,
" they both marry and live very happy afterwards,"
although, in real life, from which this drama professes to
be taken ; the latter circumstance is by no means the ne-
cessary consequence of the former. Thus much for the
drama; with respect to the performers, we can speak in
terms of unqualified praise. Mr. Bennett, in particular, the
most intellectual of modern melo-dramatists, evinced con-
siderable energy and discrimination, as the neglected
Alvez; Miss Hamilton did justice to the coquettish
Clara Sosa; Mr. Pearman was in good voice as Damien;
and Mr. rcher as Losquez, wore a highly impressive
black wig.
On Saturday night the " Last Guerilla" was repeated,
together with the “.Barber of Seville," in which Mes-
sieurs Penson and 'Wrench made their second appearance,
and confirmed the favourable impressions of the preceding
evening. Mr. poison, in particular, is an actor of consi-
derable promise, and one, to use a grammatical term, in the
future tense of excellence, which, we have no doubt, he
will goon change to the present.
Cobi

obbett, in his Register, says, his right arm was so
much pulled and shaken by the salutations of the
people between Blackburn and Bolton, that he could
not the next morning lift it up to tie his cravat.
Fzeuxorry OF VEGETABLP.S.--A tingle
plant of Turkey
corns bears 3000 seeds; the sull-flower 4000: the poppy
32,000 ; and tobacco 4(020.
A Berkshire farmer recommends the shearing of sheep
early in the year : be remarks that if the weather is warm
the sheep feed better and thrive more after they are shorn,
and their wool gets longer to protect them from the cold
weather of the following winter.—The Gloneeitershire
farmers are three weeks earlier than the farmers in Berks. 1