The Sun.
London, England, 1845-01-07 00:00:00

COURT CIKCULAR.

WINDsoa, MONDAY. - The Queen and Prince
Albert walked in the Home Park and pleasure-
grounds around the Castle in the early part of the
morning.
In the afternoon her Majesty and the Prince pro-
menaded on the Terrace and in the pleasure-grounds
and Home Park.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice,
were taken their accustomed airings this morning.
The Austrian Ambassador and the Countess Die-
trichstein arrived at the Castle to-day, on a visit to
the Queen. The Earl of Aberdeen and Mr. Patrick
Fraser Tytler also arrived, on a visit to the Queen.
Mr. Barnard, her Majesty's Charge d'Affairs at
Coburg has left the Castle.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent and
Lady Fanny Howard joined the royal circle at din-
ner to-day.
The Band of the Scots Fusilier Guards was in at-
tendance during dinner and performed the following
pieces : _ _

Grand March, Lucia de Lamermoor,—Donizetti.
Overture, Der Freysehutz,—C. M. "Von Weber.
Grand Fantasia, pour Clarionette, Oboe, and Basson,
—Neumann.
The Guards Polka,—Wright.
Dublin Waltzes,—Labietzki.
Her Majesty's private Band afterwards attended
and performed the remainder of the evening.
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of
Cambridge, and the Hereditary Grand Duke and
Duchess of Mecklenburgh Strelitz, arrived at Cam-
bridge House yesterday from Kew. Their Royal
Highnesses visited her Royal Highness the Duchess
of Gloucester in the evening at Gloucester House.
Lord Jocelyn had an interview with the Earl of
Dalhousie yesterday at the Office of the Board of
Trade.

Mr. Moreno, the Minister of the Argentine Con-
federation, had an interview with the Earl of Aber-
deen at the Foreign Office yesterday. Alderman
Copeland had an interview yesterday with the Earl
of Dalhousie.

Despatches from the Governor of Jamaica, and
also from the Governors of the other 'Vest Indian
Colonies, were received yesterday at the Colonial
Office.

The Earl of Aberdeen left town yesterday afternoon.
The Marquis of Bristol and Mr. J. Hume,
M.P., had interviews with the Earl of Dalhousie
yesterday at the Office of the Board of Trade.

OLYMPIC T IIEATR E.
Horatius, or, the Roman Father, an adaptation from
" Les Horaces " of Corneille, was revived at this
theatre last evening, for the purpose of introducing
Miss Davenport for the first time as the heroine. In
the days of Mrs. Siddons this was a popular play on
the English boards ; since her time, it has never been
performed, for the simple reason that Horatia is her-
self the play, and that we have had no actress since
Mrs. Siddons, who could, unaided and alone, sustain
the whole weight of a tragedy. if we mistake not,
however, Miss Davenport will restore this tragedy to
its pristine popularity, for never has it been our good
fortune to witness a more chaste and more tasteful, or
more thoroughly classical performance than her Ho-
ratia. The tragedy is nothing more than a dramatic
version of the story ofthe Horatii and Curiatii; and Ho-
ratia is the Roman daughter, who is stabbed by her
brother, because on his return from the slaughter of
the Curiatii, she reproaches him for having slain her
Alban lover. Never has the young Roman girl been
more beautifully personified than by Miss Davenport.
She looked the character completely—her face was an
antique cameo—her form an ancient statue. Not
that we would have it supposed, from these expres-
sions, that her acting was of that "statuesque" school
which is so much in vogue at the present day ; on
the contrary, there is not the slightest attempt at
melodramatic clap-trap; there are no " poses ;" all is
beautiful, all is natural ; the countenance is
the index to the mind, and the varying
features express clearly the feelings of the heart.
At the opening of the tragedy we find Horatia, the
young and affectionate girl, confiding to her friend
aleria the secret of her love for Curiatius, and
expressing a wish for the return of that peace between
Rome and Alba which shall enable her again to behold
her lover. Beautiful exceedingly is her expression of
07 when her father enters and informs her that no
battle ,rl/2 ill take place between the two armies, but
that each is to choose three champions to combat for
the empire. A slight cloud of melancholy passes
over her features when she hears it announced that
r three brothers are to be champions of Rome, but
that melancholy becomes agony when she knows that
the three champions of Alba are the three Curiatii,
and that her lover is pitted in this deadly contest
against her brother. The scene with her brother
Publius, which immediately follows in which she
clings to him, and begs him to spare her lover, was
most exquisitely and most naturally given, and
the struggle between the stoicism of the Roman
maiden and the natural feelings of the warm-hearted
and affectionate girl was admirably depicted. The
catastrophe now approaches. The combatants meet
—two of the Horatii are killed, and the third flies.
The old Horatius curses his degenerate son, while
Horatia, endeavouring to comfort her father, feels a
calm joy in the knowledge that her lover is safe.
Suddenly a messenger rushes in, and announces that
the victory is Rome's. The flight of Publius Horatius
was but a stratagem to withdraw the then wounded
Curiatii from each other. He has returned and slain
the whole of them. Pale, breathless, motionless, with
features expressive of the intensest agony, of the most
hopeless despair, Horatia stands—she listens to the
story—a slight convulsive tremor agitates her frame.
No word is spoken, no shriek is uttered, but she
sinks to the earth, death-struck beneath the weight
of unutterable woe. The acting of Miss Davenport
in this scene was transcendently fine—most artis-
tically did she work the part up to a climax.
An inferior actress would have given vent
to her feelings by shrieks and moans, but
with that intuitive sense of the true, the
natural, the beautiful, which is ever the accompani-
ment of genius, she felt that such woes as hers,
were too deep for utterance. Tears, and shrieks,
and sobs, betoken a grief which admits of consola-
tion. The grief of utter despair, the grief which
admits of no comfort, is ever silent. The play should
have ended here, but following in the footsteps of
Corneille, the author gives us another scene, in which,
recovering from her swoon, she taunts her brother,
and is by him slain. This scene was very beautifully
given by Miss Davenport, but we could but feel that
such a conclusion is an anti-climax. Miss Davenport
has in this character achieved a great triumph. She
is now among the very first, if she be not already the
very first of English actresses. She was called
for at the conclusion of the tragedy, and received
with the most enthusiastic applause. She was well
supported by Waldron, whose Horatius was a very
careful and excellent performance. The pantomime
of Old Bogie, which is one of the best and most
amusing of the season, followed, with Mr. Flextnore,
as clown. This gentleman, of whom we do not be-
fore recollect to have heard, is an admirable clown,
one of the old Grimaldi school, full of fun and acti-
vity and practical jokes. We were almost afraid that
the race of Clowns had become extinct. The mantle
_ _ _

of Old Joe, however, has fallen on Mr. FlexmoW,
and long may he continue to wear it. The con-
cluding some of this pantomime is very magnificent,
and the various characters pay homage to the Queen
and Prince Albert, who most graciously and conde-
scendingly accept the same, and among the lieges
appears General Tom Thumb, in his carriage. We
know not whether it be the General himself, in propria
persona, but if not it is, as his own countrymen
would express it, " a considerable good imitation of
him." The house was very well attended.

EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OP PROPERTY TRANS-
FERRED BY A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL.—A curious and
(not a little) interesting document has lately been pre-
sented gratuitously to the select friends and clients of
Mr. George Robins, also a large body of the agricultu-
rists, and- such persons as are deeply interested in the
transfer of property. We have been favoured with one
of these reports, and have read through it with unmixed
pleasure and satisfaction; as a matter of reference only
it will prove invalMable. It states the quantity of pro-
perty that has changed hands through Mr. Robins's in-
strumentality from the year 1815 to 1842, (and it avoids
noticing any of the estates he has sold at or under
2,0001.;) but it details the situation, extent, and rental
of each property, and the county wherein it is situate,
&c., with the name of the estate affixed to it. From
this condensed history we gather the following facts:
That, during a portion of Mr. Robins's professional pur-
suits, he has sold Seven Hundred Thousand Acres of
Land, the rentals upon which were Eleven Hundred
Thousand Pounds a-year, and the aggregate amount
Eleven Millions and Four Hundred and Seventy-three
Thousand, Two Hundred Pounds. It is said the pro-
perty sold at and below 2,000/. would exceed another
Million of Pounds sterling. A curious fact is appended
to this unparalleled result. In the year 1824, Mr.
Robins presided over the Sales of the Marquis of Or-
monde' s vast Estates, for which ha obtained 477,0001.,
independently of timber; and he valued the remaining
portion of the Lands and Estates of the late Duke of
Atholl (not sold during Mr. Pitt's Administration), to-
gether with his sovereign rights to the government, for
530,000/. Either of these occurrences (as it regards
the extent of the amount) are without a precedent;
but, occurring as they did in one year, are not in dread
cf having a parallel case to oppose them.—Brighten
Herald, an. 4.
The birthday of his Grace the Duke of Rutland
was celebrated at Belvoir Castle on Saturday, all the
members of the Noble Duke's family circle at present in
England assembling to do honour to the occasion. His
Grace has ceased to keep his birthday publicly as hereto-
fore, and the only additions to the family party on Sa-
turday were Sir Frederick Trench and Lady W. Powlett,
who are on a visit at the castle. The servants employed
on the Noole Duke's estate were re4uled to their heart's
content in the castle on the same day, and upwards of
fifty sat down to dtpker in the stewO,r„pcs room. His
Grace, we are happy o'announce, is in 9ieellent health.