The Sun.
London, England, 1829-10-27 00:00:00

DRURY-L ANE THEATRE.

The noble Tragedy of .Julius ('cfsar was played
last night at this house, in a st)le that must call for
its repetition many nights throughout the season,
for there is but one Brutus at present on the stage,
and that one is Mr. YOUNG-
- the noblest Roma►► of them all.

We are partial to Republican tragedies, where
many good actors have scope for display in
the same piece, and Julius Casar is eminently
calculated for that purpose. But unfortunately for
the character of the stage, and by consequence for
that of the drama, it has been the practice latterly,
and continues to be still the practice, to bring forward
only royal tragedies, or tragedies in which one master
spirit is allowed to monopolise in his own person all
the business of the scene. So much has this been
the case, that the hero will hardly condescend to
share a quarter part of the glory even with his
" better half." He engrosses every thing himself.
He is jealous of everybody—would be tyrant, king,
murderer, generalissimo, and even " maid of all
work," did not his respect for the modesty of na-
ture prevent him. There is no ambition more
grasping--no jealousy more sensitive than that of a
" favourite" actor, whom the applauie of the public
has first raised to distinction and then spoilt. It is
this evil that keeps down rival merit—and deters
original genius from writing for the stage. And
what has been the consequence ? Why; that not
one modern tragedy can be named which has kept
possession of the stage, and few rising actors in the
higher department of the drama. But let us hope
that the evil is now sufficiently felt to be allowed to
work its own remedy, for certainly there is no
species of amusement more conducive to the exalta-
tion of moral sentiment and enlargement of gene-
rous sympathy than a noble tragedy well acted,
wherein its several characters by an harmonious emu.
lation, combine to produce a lasting impression.
The play of Julius Ccesar was brought forward
last night, for the purpose of introducing Mr.
HENRY WALLACK, a brother of the Stage. Manager,
to a London audience, and the debut so far as it went
was favourable. We say, so far as it went, because
there is not much for the display of talent in the cha-
racter of Julius. He has little to say, and that
little is of a monotonous character. Mr. WALLACK
is much about the size of his brother, but not so
active a figure, nor does he possess so good and
clear a voice. In his acting there is no presumption,
and he knows the business of the stage suf-
ficiently to be at his ease, even on a first
appearance before a London audience. He
seemed however to want dignity for " Imperial
Caesar." What he had to say was delivered well—
particularly when lie refuses the request of the con-
spirators, and his scene with Calphurnia previously
to his going to the capitol. We understand that
this gentleman has acquired considerable celebrity
in America, and that he is as much at home in co-
medy as tragedy. If so we think he will be an ac-
quisition to Drury-lane; and we shall be happy to
see him add to his transatlantic fame.

Of Mr. YouNG's Brutus it is unnecessary to say
any thing, but we were particularly struck with the
effective manner in which he justified to the people
the destruction of Cmsar. Mr. COOPER, as Cas-
sius, was spirited, but rather too abrupt and snap-
pish in one or two parts of the quarrel scene. Mr.
WALLACK, as Mark Antony, was highly creditable,
and even rose to excellence in his lamentation over
Cwsar's body. The house was crowded, and.seemed
altogether exceedingly pleased with the performance,
which was given out for Monday next amid thun-
ders of applause.

THE LATE SMUGGLING TRANSACTION.

The following has been transmitted to us as
Lord Stuart's own version of the miserable affair
which has made so much talk lately. We shall
only remark upon the statement at present, that
it is totally at variance with the preceding ac-
counts,—that it differs from the explanations
befbre attributed to his Lordship ; and it does
not accommodate itself to the facts which have
been incontrovertibly disclosed:—

" When Lord Stuart left London for Paris in the
summer of 1828, he contracted with his coachmaker
there, who has also an establishment in Paris, to job
his carriages. When the imperials, trunks, &c., be-
longing to them, which were sent separately by the
coachmaker to Calais, were about to arrive there,
his Excellency applied to the Marquis de Vaulchier,
Chief Director of the Customs, for the usual permit
of free entry, which as a matter of course was im-
mediately granted. After being landed at Calais,
the carriages having preceded them, they were for-
warded by the ordinary waggons to Paris; and, on
their arrival, taken to the Custom-house; not, how-
ever, for the purpose of being searched, but to re-
main until notice had seen sent to the Ambassador,
that a certain number of imperials, trunks, &c., had
arrived, addiessed to his Excellency, and awaited his
orders. Lord Stuart having learned that they were
unusually heavy, concluded that some fraud had been
practised, and immediately directed that they might
be opened at the Custom-house : which being done,
they were found to contain a great many parcels of
contraband goods, intended most probably, for
persons at Paris, but who those persons were,
can only be known to the coachmaker in London,
and to his partner at Paris, as the mate-
rial packages were not addressed, but each of them
merely marked with a letter or number. On the
fraud, thus ascertained, being made known to Lord
Stuart, he immediately acquainted the Board of Cus-
toms at Paris, that none of the packages were for
him, excepting some saddlery, &c., and that they
were at liberty to act according to law. It is under-
stood that the packages of the contraband goods
were afterwards re-packed in several cases, and re-
exported in the name of the coachmaker, but without
Lord Stuart's intervention ; anti that upon their ar-
rival in England they were taken to the Castom-
house there for the purpose of prosecuting the of-
fending parties, if they can be discovered, for not
having paid the export-duties on the goods when
shipped from England. It is also fit to state, that
at the same time when the packages in question
were at the Custom-house at Paris, there was also
there a case containing a considerable quantity of
contraband goods, not addressed to Lord Stuart, and
of which his Excellency had no knowledge; and
which, it is understood, were re-exported at the same
time with the other goods at the request of the
Chevalier de Barboza, ci-devant Charge d'Affaires
of Portugal. .

" From all the official correspondence and other
documents on this subject, the whole of which our
correspondent has seen, it is clear that but for Lord
Stuart the contraband packages would have reached
their intended destinations; as the trunks, &c. which
contained them would have been sent from the
Custom-house direct to the coachmaker, who, of
course, would have delivered them ; and that his
Excellency has done every thing in his power to find
out, and to enable the competent authorities of the
two countries to discover the offenders, to which
authorities must be left the application and execu-
tion of the laws, which are not within his pro-
vince."—Times.

CHALD/EA.-This ancient territory, which
was the scene of so many of the sublime events recorded
in Genesis, was, we understand, explored last ye tr with
the greatest industry by Capt4in MIGNAN, of the Honour-
able East India Company's service. The principal object
of the researches of this enterprising traveller was to
throw new light on the early details of the Sacred Volume,
particularly as regards the plain of Shinar, the ruins of
Babylon, and the vast remains of the Tower of Babel.—
Capt. MiGNAN's Narrative is now ready for publication.

As the sun in all his splendcur was peeping
over the eastern hills, says a Yankee Paper, a newly-
married man exclaimed " The glory of the world is rising!"
His wife, who happened to be getting up at that moment,
taking the compliment to herself, simpered out " What
would you say, dear, if I had my silk gown on?"