The Sun.
London, England, 1829-04-28 00:00:00

THE LATE COUNTESS OF DERBY.

Elizabeth, Countess of Derby, died at Knows-
ley Hall on Thursday the 23d of April, after
several years of painful sufferings. It would be
unjust to the profession of which Lady Derby,
(Miss Farren) was once the brightest ornament,
to omit on this occasion a brief history of her
dramatic life. At the early age of fourteen, her
first appearance was at the Haymarket theatre,
then under the management of the elder Col-
man, in the character of Miss Hardcastle,
in Goldsmith's comedy of She Stoops to Con-
quer. That season produced at the same time
Henderson and Edwin. In the winter of that
year Miss Farren went to Liverpool, where she
appeared in Rosetta, a character afterwards re-
peated in London with great success. But the
part which at once established her fame as an
actress was Lady Townley, which we owe to
the inimitable Parsons, who, with infinite diffi-
culty, prevailed upon her to try it for his benefit.
The house was enraptured with her performance,
and Miss. Farren was engaged on that night for
both the Winter Theatres, and played alter-
nately at Drury-lane and Covent Garden the
first characters in Tragedy as well as Comedy. I
On the secession of Mrs. Abingdon from Drury-
lane, Miss Farren succeeded to all her, principal
parts, and at that Theatre she remained until
her marriage with Earl Derby. She was the
()Weld of her day. It was well said of her by
an eminent critic, that in her peformance Miss
Farren 'never deviated from the walk for which
art as well as nature designed her ; that were we
to collect every idea which has been 'suggested to
us by books, or has been the result of our own
observations on life, assisted by all that the ima-
gination could conceive of a woman of fashion,
we should find every idea realised and every
conception embodied in the person and acting of
Miss Farren. Her figure was considerably
above the middle heighth, and of that slight
texture which allowed and required the use
of full and flowing drapery—an advantage of
which she well knew how to avail herself ; her
face, thong% not regularly beautiful, was ani-
mated and prepossessing ; her eye, blue and
penetrating, was a powerful feature when she
chose to employ it on the public, and either
flashed with spirit or melted with softness, as its
mistress decided on the expression she wished
to convey. Her voice never possessed much
sweetness, but it was refined and feminine ; and
her smiles fascinated the heart as much as her
form delighted the eye. In short, a more com-
plete exhibition of graces and accomplishments
never presented itself for admiration before the
view of an audience. She continued to occupy
the highest fame in genteel comedy to the end
of her theatrical career. Miss Farren's last per-
formances were—March 30, 1797, Violante ;
April 1, Maria, in The Citizen ; 3d, Esti-
Jania ; 4th, Susan, in The Follies of a Day
6th, Bizarre, in The Inconstant ; and finally,
on the Bth, Lady Teazle. The writer of
this was present on the night of her retire-
ment, when the anxiety of the public to see
the last of this delightful actress was so
great, that the theatre was crowded soon
after the doors were opened. Towards the con-
clusion of the play, Miss Farren appeared much
affected and received much support from Mr.
Wroughton and Mr. King. The fall of the cur-
tain was attended with repeated bursts of ap-
plause, not unmingled with feelings of regret for
the loss of such an actress and such a woman,
then in the zenith of her charms, and whilst her
dramatic reputation was higher than ever. In
private life Miss Farren was perfectly irreproach-
able—her dutiful attachment to her mother, from
whom she was seldom absent, except when en-
gaged in her profession, was the best eulogy on
the qualities of her heart. Miss Farren super-
intended and acted in the private theatricals at
Richmond House, Privy-gardens, where Charles
ox, General Fitzpatrick, Lord John Towns-
bend, and the Earl of Derby, sustained charac-
ters in the Drama. She was much esteemed by
Queen Charlotte and George the Third, and by
his present Majesty. The extreme propriety of
her life, after she became Countess of Derby, is
well known.

REPREHENSIBLE PROCEEDING.—NO fewer
than eighty. convicted thieves were let loose upon the town
from the New Bailey, on Saturday and Monday last. A
time better suited 'for their professional avocations could
not have been chosen to release them. Knott Mill Fair
has amply repaid them for six months' relaxation, and the
hospitalities of Mr. DUNSTAN, the keeper of the prison.
We must take leave to say, however, that great culpability
attaches in some quarter, for not adopting means to prevent
a coincidence which we presume was entirely casual, from
becoming nothing less than a public enormity. To re-
strain the criminal propensities of such a number Of pro-
fligate wretches for a few months, till their evil passions
are wetted to the utmost, and then to let them all out at
once, the very day before the low Saturnalia of a vast
manufacturing town commenced, cannot be excused.
The circumstance is disgraceful to those who are bound to
protect the peace, as well as the persons and property of
the inhabitants of Manchester; and we have no doubt it
will attract attention in the proper quarter. —3fanehester
Advertiser.