The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-31 00:00:00

HAYMARKET THEATRE.

A new five act comedy, from the pen of Mr.
Bell, of the Atlas newspaper, was produced at
this theatre on Saturday with great and deserved
success. It is entitled Marriage, and the plot is
as follows :—Sir Harry Vivid, M.P. (Mr. Wal-
lack), a volatile man of fashion, and a recently-
elected Member of the Lower House, has fallen
in love with Adelaide Temple (Mrs. Charles Pet-
annuli), who, with her guardian, Mr. Wortley
(Mr. H. Wallack), is on a visit to Lady Belgrave
in London. She returns his love; but, from a.
spirit of coquetry, conceals from him the con-
quest he has made. Baldwin (Mr. Stuart), the
villain of the piece, a man who has ruined
himself by gambling, also loves Miss Tem-
ple; and, in order to destroy all Sir Har-
ry's prospects, he plots with Drouk (Mr.
Webster) one of his gambling associates,
to take advantage of Sir Harry's fickleneSs, so
as to render a union between Sir Harry and Ade-
laide Temple impossible. A charity bazaar is
given by a Lady Pierrepoiut, and Baldwin takes
a stall for Clara Irwin (Mrs. Edwin Yarnold), a
simple country girl, over whom he seems to pos-
sess some mysterious influence. Sir Harry sees
her, is smitten with her, accompanies her home,
and is by her introduced to Drouk as her fa-
ther. Baldwin immediately circulates far and
wide the story of Sir Harry's attachment to Clara,
and in order to destroy him altogether in the es-
timation of Adelaide, who is a girl of strongaris-
tccratic prejudices, he induces the members of
the Pro Bona Public° Society, a Society for
opening, highways and removing fences, to re-
quest Sir Harry to take the chair at one of their
meetings. He writes a note, refusing the pro-
terred honour in rather a brusque sort of style,
and at the same time, in reply to the note of
Clara's, asking to see her the following day, writes
her word that he shall be happy to attend to
her wishes: By same mischance, Clara's note

is sent to the PiO Bono Public° people, who are
delighted at his condescension, and their note is

,ent-to Clara, who is disgusted at his rudeness.
Adelaid Temple, piqued at Sir Harry's neglect,
suffers Balchlin to make love to her. and to
repeat that they are about to be united. His
schemes, however, fail, just as they seem on the
point of succeeding. Clara confesses the whole
scheme to Sir Harry, states that she is an orphan,
who had been left by her flatter under the
guardianship of Baldwin, who at that time bore

the name of Mordaunt. He became a gambler,
lost his fortune, and under the name of Baldwin
sought refuge in London. She loved him, fol-
lowed him, and was induced to aid his scheme
against Sir Harry, but when she perceives that
the result of his success must be to make him
another's, she reveals all. Sir Harry andlAdelaide
are of course reconciled, and confess their mu-
tual attachment. Baldwin says, as all villains
say at the end of the fifth act, that he intends re.
forming, and makes a tender of his heart and
hand to Clara, and so all ends happily. There
is an underplot, in which a Mr. Cavendish
Parose (admirably acted by Wrench) a sort of
modern Solus, who doubts and hesitatel, as to
committing matrimony all through the play,
takes a principal part. and in which a Mr. and
Mrs. Doubtful (Strickland and.giss Maywood)
create an infinite deal of fun by their very '•
amusing domestic infelicity, he having been up
to the month previously a fretful old bachelor ;
but having married his young ward he thinks it
incumbent on him to thwart her inclinations in
every thing, while she, having high notions of
her own rightsand dignity, is equally determined
to thwart Mr. Doubtful. Sir Harry Vivid was
admirably played by Wallack, who reminded us
not unfrequently of Elliston. Mr. Stuart as
Baldwin was very good. His opening scene with
Drouk is one of the most forcible pieces of acting
we have ever seen; he was excellently sup-
ported by 'Webster as Drouk, whose cool, busi-
ness-like villany contrasted admirably with the
volcano bursts of passion of Baldwin. The. one
was a villain from. nability to resist the impulse
of his own headstrong Will; the other because
it was his business to be so. It is to be regretted
that the author has not worked out the character
of Drouk ; it would bear greater development,
and would be an agreeable relief to the comedy,
which is rather deficient in fun and incident.
The dialogue is written with the greatest
care ; it is elegant, conversational, and
sparkling- with wit at every sentence ;
hut it would be improved by curtailment.
[t was eleven o'clock before the comedy was
.over, and four hours is too. long for any play.
Adelaide Temple was performed with great spirit
and judgment by Mrs. Charles Pettingall, who
has hitherto been known to play-goers as Miss
Charles, and Mrs. Edwin Yarnold made a
mostluteresting Clara. At the fall of the cur-
tain the applause was loud and long-continued,
and Webster announced the comedy for repetition
every night next week. The comedy is exceedingly
well put upon the stage, and, in accordance with
an ancient custom, now becoming obsolete, it
was ushered in by a prologue, delivered with
good taste and judgment by Stuart, and was
followed by a sprightly epilogue, which received
full justice from Mr. Webster and Mrs. Pettin-
gall. The house was crowded.
b

THE DIARY AND LETTERS OF THE CELE-
BRATED MADAME IYARBLAY.—We are requested to
state that Mr. Colburn, of Great 'Marlborough-street,
has this day published the First Volume, price 10s. 6d.
bound, with portrait and fac-similes of " The Diary and
Letters of Madame D'Arblay, author of Evelina,'
Cecilia,' &c:, including the period of her residence at
the Court of Queen Charlotte," edited by her niece, to
be completed in about six monthly volumes, uniformly
with Agnes Strickland's " Lives of the Queens of Eng-
land." Orders received by all booksellers. Agents for
Scotland, Messrs. Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh ; for
Ireland, Mr. John Cumming, Dublin.
BARON PARKE AND THE 'PIKE-MAN.—Last
Tuesday Mr. Baron Parke took a short airing in his car-
riage on the Skelton-road. On arriving within a few
yards of the turnpike-gate; the coachman turned the car-
riage round, and the horses were axon on their return to
York. This was too much for the Argus-eyed toll-co'-
lector, who was watching the approach of the carriage,
as he thought, of a customer. The official could not
bear to see himself thus regularly done ; he set out on
the hue and cry. On coming up with the driver, the
barman made his demand in form, and the squabble made
the Learned Baron inquire why the carriage was stop-
ping, just as the coachman was about to tip the silver.
On being informed that it was a demand for toll, the
Baron required the gate-keeper to produce the Act of
Parliament which empowered him to collect tolls. The
'pikeman demanded the name of the occupant of
the carriage, and was answered, " Baron Parke."
The man immediately went back to his cottage by the
road-side, and the worthy Judge returned to York.—
York courant,