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-
tingall), 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 oeAdelaide, who is a girl of strongaris-
tocratic prejudices, he induces the members of
the Pro Bono 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-
ferred 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 lie shall be happy to attend to
her wishes. By some mischance, Clara's. note
is sent to the Pro Bono Publico people, who are
delighted at his condescension, and their note is •
sent to Clara, who is disgusted at his rudeness.
Adelaid. Temple, piqued at Sir Harry's neglect,
suffers Baldwin 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 father 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 and Adelaide
are of course reconciled, and confess their mu-
tual attachment. Baldwin says, as all villain's
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 hesitates as to
committing matrimony all through the play,
takes a principal part, and in which a Mr. and
Mrs. Doubtful (Strickland and Miss Maywood)
create an infinite deal of fun by their very
amusing domestic infelicity, lie 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 inability to resist the impulse
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.
Tile dialogue is written with the greatest
care ; it is elegant, conversational, and
sparkling with wit at every sentence ;
but it would be improved by curtailment.
It 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
most interesting 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 Mr. Stuart, and was
followed by a sprightly epilogue, which received
full justice from Mr. Webster and Mrs. Pettin-
gall. The house was crowded.

PROTECTION AFFORDED BY THE CLERGY.—
One idea now inculcated on society by the lovers
of priestcraft, is that the priesthood protects the
people from the oppressions of the upper classes,
and notably from the governors of society. We
are grateful to the Tories for the admission that
protection is now necessary against the rulers of
society, but it is a mistake to suppose that the
priesthood, who no longer possess muchindepen-
dent power, and are here the servants of the
State, can give such protection. The priests are
now the allies of those against whom it is pre-
tended they protect the people. They protect
them as the dog protects the sheep from the
wolf, to deliver them with greater certainty to
the knife of the butcher. The people will be
grateful for the admission that they need protec-
tion against their pretended protectors, but they
will cast about to protect themselves.
ITHE DIARY AND LETTERS OF THE CELE-
BRATED MADAME D'.ARBLAY.--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,'
&e.oncluding 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.
Licensed victuallers should be aware that the
officers of Excise are making seizures of all spirits
which they find under the proper strength.