The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-20 00:00:00

ENGLISH THEATRICALS AT THE

T UILERIES.

Their Majesties gave last night a grand theatrical re-
presentation at the Tuileries, the performances being
Shakspeare's tragedy of Hamlet, by Mr. Macready and
the English company, followed by the petite comedy of
The Day after the Wedding. The beautiful theatre of
the Palace was fitted up for the occasion, having been but
two nights before used as a salon de danse at the grand
Court ball. This brief interim had sufficed to restore
the theatre to its original destination, and a more elegant
and commodious construction for the purpose does not
exist. The salle, which is composed of a parterre and two
principal galleries, or rather two ranges of loges, with
a circle of much smaller ones near the ceiling, ap-
pears capable of accommodating about six hundred
spectators. The stage is sufficiently capacious for
all the purposes of the drama, legitimate or illegiti-
mate, for its size and completeness in machinery, trap-
doors, and other accessories, so unlooked for in a thea-
tre of this description, render it suitable for every
species of dramatic representation, from " gorgeous
tragedy" down to the mere display of a ballet. It is
unnecessary to say that, on this occasion, the auditory
was a most spleidid one ; it would, indeed, be difficult
to imagine a more striking coup d'ceil, at once gorgeous
and elegant, than that presented by the salle at a few
minutes after eight o'clock. It was at this hour that
their Majesties and the Princes and Princesses, Marshal
Soult, M. Guizot, and other Cabinet Ministers, with all
the great Officers of State and the household, had just
taken their seats in the spacious gallery immediately op-
posite the stage, which was entirely occupied by the
royal party. The side boxes had been previously filled
by the various Ambassadors and Ministers from all the
Courts of Europe, with their ladies, the leafing Members
of the Chambers of Peers and Deputies, and all the most
distinguished foreigners at present residing in Paris. The
gentlemen were nearly all in uniform or court costume,
and the scene was literally dazzling from the brilliant
display of diamonds, flowers, and jewellery made by
the ladies present. The parterre was also glittering
with uniforms, and the elegant dresses worn by les dames
presented a wondrous contrast to the sombre appear-
ance of this part of the house at the public theatres in
Paris, whence ladies are rigorously excluded. Of the
performance of the tragedy we are not here called upon
to speak, even if it were according to etiquette, having
lately more than once described the representation at
length. We may be permitted, however, to observe that
though the play was somewhat abridged, the scene of
the grave-diggers being wholly omitted, it seemed to
lose nothing whatever of its interest by the curtailment,
and the tragedy went off in the most satisfactory man-
ner. Hamlet, who is here the " observed of all ob-
servers," was never played by Macready with more spirit
and power ; and Miss Faucit and the entire of the per-
formers acquitted themselves worthily on this remark-
able evening—remarkable to our minds, because we look
upon this representation of Shakspeare's tragedy of
Hamlet, by an English company in the ancient Palace
of the Tuileries, on the invitation of the Monarch, as an
event in the history of the two nations, which to have
foretold a few years ago, would have set the pro-
phet down as the idlest of dreamers.—Galignaas
Messenger.

SINGULAR ACCIDENT AND NARROW EscAPu.—The
other evening, as Mr. George Airey, butcher, of Fiddler
Hall, was returning from his usual round of selling
his ineqt towards his home, about a mile south of Newby-
bridge, and a short distance from the corn-mill at the
foot of Windermere, his horse, from some unknown
cause, leaped from the road into the river, a descent of
more than three yards, without upsetting his covered
cart. The river being swollen with the heavy rain of
the last few days, the horse and cart wets washed into
the middle of the river. Here. Mr. Airey remained for
nearly three hours, the horse contending against the
stream, and though young and powerful it could not stem
the torrent ; nor was Mr. Aii:ey able to make any one
hear him, the noise of the water running over the weir
preventing him being heard, and as it was about eight
o'clock no one was passing at the time. Mr. A. how-
ever, being a man of regular habits, and not returning
home at his usual time, his father proceeded towards
Backbairow, and got Mr. John Wren, carpenter, to
accompany him. To their surprise they found Mr.
Airey in the perilous situation above described, and at
length, by assistance, they got him and the horse (the
cart was left until the morning) on terra firma, neither
of them having received any injury, except a few
bruises, and being much benumbed with cold, a hard
frost prevailing at the time. What is the surveyor about
to suffer a public, road like this to remain so long in so
bad a state, without any protection to the traveller?
At the place above named the wall is nearly level with
the road, and there are three openings. We hope the
proper authorities will look after the matter.—Lancaster
Guardian.

IMPROVEMENT OP TRADE." ..We are glad to hear
that, in consequence of the continued improvement in
trade, the manufacturers of this city have again raised
the wages paid for weaving. For work for which eleven-
pence was formerly paid, one shilling is now given ; and
this is aid. more than was paid for the same work in
1842. Probably the advocates of corn-laws will now
explain to us how the fallacy of their usual argument
has arisen, that the manufacturers only ask for cheap
bread for the purpose of pulling down the wages of their
workmen.
theystatement is here proved, as it
say, means low wages :
has often been proved before, by a stubborn fact.--Car
another
lisle Journal. obfr otande,

FELONY BY AN OFFICER OF THE COUNTY POLICE.
—David Abraham, late officer 241 of the county police,
St. Helen's division, has been committed to Kirkdale, by
Peter Greens'', Esq., M.P., to take his trial at the next
quarter sessions, charged with committing several acts
of felony whilst discharging the duties of an officer of
police. It appeared that the prisoner lately locked up a
man for being drunk, and stole his watch ; he also took
armlets, sticks, and handcuffs from the lock-up house ;
and at a ball lately given at St. Helen's, he stole three
a
silver spoons. The charge is brought home to the pri-
soner i n
Storey, s%
ho consequencefound of
thethe
articlesactivity ofb Mr. Superinten-
dentove-named at his
lodgings. The prisoner comes from London, and has
been about three months in the force ; he is very re-
spectably connected, and brought with him most un-
exceptionable references as to character.—Liverpool
Mercury.
Our Correspondent " Vindex Legalia," whose
second letter appears in our paper of this day, speaks of
the " anticipated" decision of the legal advisers who have
been recently consulted by the authorities of Oxford, on
the proposed new test and the proceedings against the
Rev. Mr. Ward. We believe we may venture to state
what that decision is. From a well-informed source we
learn that Mr. Bethel and Mr. Fitzroy Kelly, the eminent
counsel referred to, have given their decided opinion
against the legality as well of the test as of the proposed
measure of which Mr. Ward is the object. The test, we
hear, it has already been determined to abandon • with
respect to Mr. Ward no resolution has yet been adopted.