The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-26 00:00:00

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.

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LONDON, SEPT. 24.—Wind this day at noon, E. to
N.E., light and cloudy.
DEAL, SEPT. 23.—Wind W.S.W., moderate.—Arrd.
Hindoo, Mohawk, Bahia ; Niagara, Boston ; Ocean,
Quebec ; Huron, Oromoets ; Fortitude and Lady Sal-
toun, westward ; William Broomham, Quebec.
PoaTsmouTir, SEPT. N.W. to W.—Arrd.
her Majesty's ship Warspite, New York, sailed Ist inst.
Arrd. off, Zenobia, Owen, Calcutta.
LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 23.—Wind N.W., fresh.—Arrd.
Planter, James, Monte Video, sailed June 25 ; Tartar,
Gordon, Valparaiso, sailed June 24 ; Llama, Clayton,
Porto Cabello, sailed Aug. 12 ; Carlton, Symmers;.Sa-
vannah and Halifax ; Joseph, Newfoundland.

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HAYMARKET THEATRE.
A farce, under the title of Curiosities of Literature,
was produced at this theatre on Saturday evening,
and was quite successful. It is attributed to
Mr. Bourcicault, and though he does not acknow-
ledge the piece, it is more to his credit than his co-
medy brought out last week at Covent-garden. The
following is •an outline of the plot :—Sir Terence
Velvet (Tilbury) is at the head of what is called (in
the face) the Transportation office in Downing-
' street ; he is also a Member of Parliament, but at the
opening of the piece his interest is opposed at Mary-
bury, to which place he goes in haste, leaving his af-
fairs, diplomatic and otherwise, in the hands of an
agent whom he has never seen. This violent impro-
bability must be allowed for the sake of what follows.
He' leaves instructions behind him for his unseen
agent, which instructions are by mistake carried to a
person of the name of William Shakspeare Dibbs
(Webster), who is a candidate for the situatidn of
Secretary to the Double-action Anti-matrimonial
Non-population Company. Dibbs, it should be stated,
is an author, in prose and poetry ; he lives in a garret, of
course is in the last and lowest stage of poverty, but is
engaged on a work which is to harrow up the very
soul of society, being the " Life and Death of Mrs.
Brownrigg," who flogged her apprentices to death.
This part of the character is meant to ridicule .that
style of .writing which has become popular within
these few years, and the chief excellence of which
seems to consist in the accumulation and exaggeration
of vulgar horrors. Into the hands of Dibbs fall the
instructions Sir Terence Velvet has left behind him,
and accordingly Dibbs proceeds to Downing-street,
and is duly received and installed as. the agent of the
Transportation Board. In this capacity, and in the
abseqce of his principal, he has interviews with depu-
tations, with Members of Parliament, with ladies of
title, and others, upon the business of Sir. Terence
Velvet; all which business Dibbs transacts .much
to his own satisfaction, -but ito the. apparent
utter confusion of the affairs of his employer.
Here, of course, we have various scenes of equivaque,
generally droll, if not always new, and in the midst
of the blundering thus occasioned, Sir Terence Velvet
returns, to the dismay of all parties, and not least to
his own, when he finds what has occurred. It turns
out, however, that Dibbs has unconsciously accom-
plished all the plans of his principal, and consequently
he is taken into the full favour and confidence of the
Baronet. The result is a double marriage between
Miss Velvet and a Major Blunt (Brindal), and be-
tween Dibbs and Lady Pension Hunter, while Sir
Terence is left in full possession of his seat in Parlia-
ment, of his place in DoWning-itreet, and of all his
political influence.

- There is a good deal of pleasant if not of smart
writing in the dialogue, and some of the situations are
highly laughable. Webster gave it out for repetition
amidst general applause from a full audience.

DRAMATIC INTELLIGENCE.
, The new version of Semirami de, which is to be
produced on Saturday next at Covent-garden, has,
we hear, been made by Plariche, whose skill and tact
in undertakings of the kind is without rivalship. The
story of Senzirantid,e is not equal in point of interest
to that of Norma, and although there are several ex-
quisite pieces of music in it, such, for instance, as the
great duet between the heroine and Arsace, we are
much mistaken if the performance as a whole will not
be heavy. The scenery and dresses will be beautiful
and gorgeous, and the two chief parts will be in great
hands—those of Miss A. Kemble and Mrs. Alfred
Shaw, who comes forward in her own unpretending mar-
ried name, although formerly so well known as Miss
Postans. The part of Arsace must be sung by what
i. technically called a contralto voice, but Mrs. Alfred
Shaw has much higher pretensions as a vocalist; and
thus our two forest English singers will unite to render
the same opera attractive. Those who formerly saw Pesa-
rone in Arsace, will be aware what may be done with the
music ; and Grisi, in the season when Brambilla was
in this country, will have left such an impression be-
hind her in Semiramide, as Miss A. Kemble will find
it difficult to "xceed. If she equal it, she will do more
than any singer, a native of this country, ever yet
accomplished. It was not originally intended to bring
out Semirantide so early in the season, and we think
it a pity that the management could not reserve it
until the town is fuller. However, if Miss A. Kemble
is indeed to retire at •Christmas, there was no time to
be lost. Circumstances have led to the production of
the opera perhaps a fortnight before the period first
designed ; but, it was found that a new character was
required for Miss A. Kemble, and accordingly Semi -
ramide has been a little hastened. It is advertised in
the bills that there will be no performance on Friday
next in consequence of the preparations.
Since our last the cast of As You Like It, for the
opening of Drury-lane, on Saturday next, has been
published. Mrs. Nisbett is to play Rosalind. Ma-
cready would not relinquish Jaques to Phelps, and
the town would have had reason to regret the change
had he consented to do so. Keeley's Touchstone will
be a new experiment on the part of that very droll
and clever actor; but we doubt whether the smart
things of the part will come from his lips with suffi-
cient neatness and precision. The musical parts will
be all- well supported, and, looking at the cast, we
should suppose that it is to be made a prominen
feature.

The new little afterpiece, called The Follies of a
Night, is by Planche, and is an adaptation of a French
vaudeville. It was said a few days ago that it was by
C. Mathews, who plays in it, but that seems to be a
mistake. Macready's bill for the commencement of
his season is, on the whole, a good one.
It seems that we are to have King John at both
houses. .At Covent-garden who is to be the Con-
stance? We still say Mrs. Butler ; but we know
that we say it only to have it contradicted in some
quarters. We may be wrong, but our impression
upon the subject is very strong, especiallyif it be
found that her father cannot carry on the theatre to

advantage without her aid. Then she will have the
best excuse for coming forward; though people may
be disposed to ask why, at his age, he mixed Walls&
up with theatricals again ? L et, if King Jahn he
played (and it is already in some state of preparation),
who is to play Falconbridge but C. Kemble ? And
seeing him in the part, who will think of his 70 years?
We hOpe that the reports regardin it are true,_ and
with Vandenhoff for the King, C. Itemble for Falcon-
bridge, and Mrs. Butler for Constance, 'there would
be little more to be desired.—Sunday Paper.
We perceive that that old servant of the public,
Campbell, takes his benefit on Wednesday next, the
28th, at the Royal Grecian Saloon. Mr. Campbell's
untiring exertions, as caterer for the amusement of
our lighter hours, and the excellence of the arrange.
rnents at this favourite temple of the muses, since he
has wielded the managerial baton, we think will in-
sure him, what we heartily wish, a bumper to over-
flovVifig. The evening's entertainments will consist of
The Haunted Tower, an opera in three acts ; Don
Juan; a ball, fireworks, a variety of danein, and
not less than forty songs, duets, glees, &c.
the Lion
last
Ma un-
derstand this is to be the last gala night of the season.
the
—Sunday.„ltthe
tPnagilsieri
Opera House, Mr. Carter,
King, will take a benefit this evening, Ding
night of his appearance in England. Mr. Carter,
.0 equal his per-
and wonders,
flovrhino
acnhcalel,elnsis
ethxehilbviotrldalflorhr
acct.
and will prove the extraordinar
twined over the savage tribe, anyd povve.
cage as usual, and feed all the anwirnilla
of Mont iisearahtaeg:leasisnaomthbee-
Dtimreea.nz Dfoorgm
will and Tie Maiden's
part of atrhge4c amusements of the
evening.

Isabella 11., Queen of
12th October, the twelfth year of her age.
This is
Spain, will complete, on the
the age at which, according to the text of the ancient
Spanish law, the minority ceases. Now the new
Spanish. Constitution has not modified these laws ;
Queen Isabella will, therefore, be at the. end of the
minority next month, and on the day on
which she
attains that age the functions of AI. Arguelles will
cease, as those of Queen Christina would do: =Bfuss~l
Paper.