The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-31 00:00:00

SADLERS' WELLS THEATRE.
The play of the City Madam was produced at this
theatre last evening, with the most brilliant success.
The hills announce it as Massinger's play of the City ;
Madam; hut we are almost inclined to demur to this
tide, for the play h-ls been so attend i the course of
adaptation that we doubt whether, if Massinger were
to be recalled to life, and taken to Sadler's Wells, he
would be enabled to recognise his own production.
The character of the Astrologer is altogether omitted,
and thus the key to the character of Lady Frugal
is therefore lost. She is wayward, capricious, tyran-
nical, haughty, and vain, and she forces her daughters
to become the same, because the Astrologer has fore-
told for them all the most brilliant destiny, and she
has implicit faith in his predictions, and despises her
husband, as bigotry only can despise, for his want of
faith. The daughters are reduced to mere walking
ladies ; and one of them, Mary, is made a pattern of
kind-heartedness—the sentimental heroine of the
piece, who calls her uncle " Good Master Luke"
while in his dependant state, and brings tears
into his eyes by her kindness. This kindness is made
good use of in the denouement. In the last scene,
Luke is about to turn his brother's wife and children
into the street to starve, when he sees Mary—the
remembrance of her "good master Luke" rushes back
upon his mind : he pauses, and in agony of tears,
hugs her to his bosom—recals her mother and sister,
repents of his cruelty, and when his brother enters,
kneels at his feet, and entreats his forgiveness. This
scene, to make use of the stage phraseology goes re-
inarkably well, and, acted as it was last night—Phelps
and Miss Cooper were very effective—but it is not
Messinger. Nay, more, it is contrary to the cha-
racter of Luke. The Luke of Massinger is one of
the most original characters in the whole range of
our English drama. It would not have been unworthy of
Shakspeare himself. He is the impersonation of a
self-seeker—the embodiment of what the French call
_Egoisnze. Inheriting an ample fortune, he is licen-
tious, profligate, extravagant, vicious ; reduced to
poverty, he is humble, obsequious, time-serving, hy-
pocritical—a dependent on his brother's bounty, yet
conniving at schemes of robbery. Love of approba-
tion is also, as a phrenologist would say, remarkably
developed in Luke. During the whole course of his
profligate career he seems to have been most popular
with his debauched companions. In his days of ad-
versity he is humble with Lady Frugal, and although
she treats him with the greatest tyranny, yet we
doubt whether Luke is not, in consequence of
rendering himself useful to her, less ill-treated
by her than any other person with whom she comes
in contact: with Sir Maurice Lacy, heis the repentant
sinner full of moral sayings and self-denial, the
pleader for mercy for other men; with his brother's
apprentices he is their tutor in dishonesty, their
pander in debauchery. He understands the nature
of those by whom he is surrounded, and by minister-
ing to their failings becomes the favourite of all. He
becomes at once possessed of his brother's immense
wealth. Those very men who had been by him
begged off, while they were debtors to his brother,
are by him arrested and thrown into gaol when he
becomes the creditor. Sir John Frugal, while con-
senting, at the instance of Luke, to give them
longer time, desires that it may not be men-
tioned on 'Change, as he should be laughed at.
Master Luke having succeeded to his brother's position,
determined he will not he laughed at, and therefore
he revokes that grant of further time which his brother
had made at his instance. He has learned prudence,
not virtue, by adversity, and thus exhibits himself as
a miser and solitary debauches. He does not turn
his brother's wife and children into the street to starve,
had he done so " the world would have talked," and
Luke is one of those who would fain stand well with
the world ; but he would also fain be revenged on
Lady Frugal, and get rid of the expense of her main •
tenance and that of her daughters; and therefore he
endeavours by promises of a brilliant alliance with an
Indian Prince to induce her and her daughters to go
to Virginia with certain Indians, having previously
arranged with the Indians that they shall be
sacrificed on the instant of their arrival.
These Indians are his brother and his brother's
friends in disguise, and thus the denouement is brought
about in the original. Thisis certainly a very dif-
ferent character to the Luke of last evening ; the
Luke of Messinger would never have been driven
from his purpose by a " good master Luke." The
City Madam, as acted at the Sadler's Wells, is a very
clever and a very effective play; the interest is well
sustained, and it deserves to have a long run, but the
City Madam of Massinger has yet to be revived.
Phelp's Luke was an impersonation full of energy and
power—very effective throughout, but occasionally
wanting repose; for instance, he gave the beautiful
soliloquy, descriptive of the treasure he had inherited,
more like a man who had been robbed of his
riches than one who had just come into possession
of them. If he would in this scene be a

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little less energetic the audience would be better able
to appreciate the beauty of the language, and the
exquisite rythm of Massinger, who in this soliloquy
has given us one of the most magnificent descriptions
in the whole range of English poetry, in:comparison
with which even Spencer's " House of Riches" must
be admitted to be inferior. In the last scene he was
admirable. Every sneer told with withering effect,
and the transition from hate to tenderness on the sight
of Mary, was given with a power which belongs to
none but an artist of the highest order. He was
called for at the conclusion, and loudly and deservedly
applauded. George Bennett, as Sir John Frugal,
was very effective ; it was the most evenly acted
character of the night. There were none of those
brilliant flashes by which the Luke of Phelps was
distinguished, but it was perfectly sustained through-
out—it was faultless. Mrs. Warner was most
amusingly viragoish as Lady Frugal, and the other
characters were well sustained. The house was
crowded.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Queen went in a
pony carriage this morning to the riding-school,
accompanied by Prince Albert, and attended by
Major-General Wemyss and Colonel Bouverie. Her
Majesty returned to the Castle on horseback with his
Royal -Highness.
The Judge Advocate-General arrived at the Castle
this morning, and had an audience of her Majesty.
Sir Robert and Lady Sale arrived at the Castle to-
day, on a visit to the Queen.
The Earl of Ellenborough had an audience of the
Queen this afternoon.
Sir Henry Wheatley arrived yesterday evening at
the Castle, and took his departure to-day.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert, the Earls of
Liverpool and Ellenborough, and Sir Robert Peel,
walked out in the Home Park and the pleasure-
grounds.
The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening
included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
Lady Charlotte Dundas, Countess Wratislaw, the
Rev. Edward Moore, and Sir George Couper.
The band of the Scots Fusilier Guards were in at-
tendance during dinner. Her Majesty's private band
afterwards attended at the Castle, and performed the
remainder of the evening.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge,
and the Hereditary Grand Duke and Duchess of Meek-
lenburgh
Strelitz, arrived at Kew on Tuesday evening
from a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailes-
bury, at Tottenham Park, Wilts.
The Duke of Cambridge visited her Royal High-
ness the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday, at Glou-
cester House. His Royal Highness afterwards left
town for Kew.
The Lord Chancellor has appointed eleven o'clock
on Saturday morning next, to signify her Majesty's
approbation of the Lord Mayor elect. Afterwards
the Lord Chancellor will give to the Judges, &c., the
usual first day of term breakfast. Each ceremony
will take place at his Lordship's residence in George-
street.
Her Majesty's Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms at-
tended at the opening of the Royal Exchange, and
lined the Throne-room, commanded by Lord Forester.
The Hon. Sir Edward Butler, Lieutenant ; Mr. J.
B. Curling, Adjutant; Mr. Wilson, the Harbinger,
and Sir Benjamin Smith, C. S., were on duty.
Dispatches from the Governor of Malta, the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and also
from the Governor o f Gibraltar; were received yes-
terday at the Colonial-office.

PUGILISTIC ENCOUNTER FOR ONE HUNDRED
POUNDS.—Yesterday the fight between Paddy Gill and
George Holden (of Birmingham) came off, in the pre-
sence
Lon
idtos n
of pugilisticthem
en fay,anncland, from the well-known
mace of a great assemblage of the Birmingham and
the heavy stakes pending the
result, much interest was created. In betting, sto 4 was
laid on Gill. A ring having been formed, the combatants,
with their seconds, entered, and immediately commenced
the contest, both displaying great science and hard
hitting. When the contest had occupied thirty minutes,
it was quite apparent the battle was in the hands of Gill,
but Holden continued to fight with great courage, and
ultimately, Gill came off the winner.
PUBLIC PARKS AND WALKS.---We have already
noticed the handsome contributions of Mark Philips,
Esq., M.P., and of Sir George Philips, and we have now
the pleasure to record the subscription of the clerks,
salesmen, warehousemen, and porters, in the ware-
house of the firm of which our excellent representa-
tive is a member—Messrs. J. and N. Philips and Co.,
Church-street. Including all classes of employees,
youths, porters, &c., we find that ninety individuals in
this establishment have contributed the very large and
liberal amount of 2211. 2s. in aid of the fund for public
parks I We regard this as one of the most remarkable
contributions yet made towards this admirable object,
and we have no doubt, that it is by no means the first
in point of time—though the largest in amount—yet
recorded, so it will have a long line of worthy followers
in no spirit of envious rivalry, but rather in that gene-
rous and benevolent impulse of honourable emulation,
in which it is not only allowable but commendable to
" provoke to love and good works."—Manchester
Guardian.