The Sun.
London, England, 1820-07-22 00:00:00

-THE THEATRES:-

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.—The new Opera of
Woman's IVill was repeated last night with
increased success. Curiosity, rather than Criti-
cism, generally operates on a first representation,
but a second hearing naturally gives scope to the
latter. The objections that occurred to us last
night were, that no adequate reason is given why
a man should be put to death if he cannot solve
a riddle, or why he should be rewarded with a
Princess if he can, the riddle itself being trifling,
and having no relation to the welfare of the
state. The Duke of Milan, .considering that he is
an amiable man, without provOcation makes war
upon Mantua, when he cannot reasonably suspect
that the Duchess had any concern in the escape of
the Heroine. The Duchess, who previously ap-
peared to be well disposed, appears a monster of
ingratitude in dooming Cesare° to death, after he
had defeated her enemy, and preserved her
country, and in compelling him to marry a sup-
posed ugly sorceress, after he had rendered her
such signal service. But perhaps the author too
implicitly followed the original story, of which
we confess our ignorance, yet the ability which
he has shewn in the general construction and de-
tail of the piece, should have given him more con-
fidence in his own judgment. There is too much
of the greedy servant, particularly as MASSIN,.
GER'S Justice, and other characters of a similar
kind, are well known. We advise the author to
attend to these comments, and silently correct
his drama, if he thinks them tenable, that it may
become a standard piece, and satisfy the critics
as much as it appears to gratify the subject. It
was applauded throughout, and the Performers
were still more easy in their parts. The house
was well attended, and there were several encores.
For the credit of the Theatre, it should be men-
tioned that the piece is brought forward with great
splendour.

COIIOCRG THEATRE.—The attraction of The
Ravens of Orleans, fills this splendid little Thea-
tre nightly. We have seldom witnessed a per-
formance so interesting as this tale of domestic
misfortune. is rendered-by the force of the dia-
logue, the talent displayed by Messrs. H.
KEMBLE, DAVIDGE, CORDELL, BRADLEY, H. BE-
VERLEY, and Miss WATSON, in sustaining the
principal characters, and by the splendour and
beauty of therscenery, for which this Theatre is
so justly celebrated. The interest of the piece
is excited by the unfortunate fate of Monsieur
D'Orville, a rich merchant, who is murdered by
two of his workmen, in the Forest of Cercottes,.
and the peril in which two innocent individuals
are placed, who are apprehended, and on the
point of being condemned on presumptive evi-
dence, when they are preserved from death by the
providential appearance of two Ravens. These
birds passing over the spot at the moment the
Assassins are committing the act of murder, the
dying D'Orville calls on them to become the evi-
dence of his murder, and the witnesses in future
against his murderers. The sudden appearance
of these birds at the moment the Judge is about
to pronounce sentence ou the innocent, has such
an effect on one of the murderers who is present,
that, impelled by conscience, he avows the crime
of himself and his companion. The innocent are
instantly released, and the guilty sent to death
in their stead.—The story is borrowed from the
French, and promises fair to rival its highly ce-
lebrated predecessor, drawn from the, same source,
The Maid and the Magpie.