Star.
London, England, 1807-04-02 00:00:00

THEATRE, DRIIRT-LANE.

LaR night a new grand romantic Melo-Drame, the 1
production of Mr. Lewis, the author of 2 he Monk,
and teveral Dramatic Pieces, was exhibited, we'
will not fay performed, at this Theatre,•as there is
little in it which can difplay the talents of an altor ,
to advantage: It is entitled The Wood Demon; or, I
/he Clock ha: Struck—and, as a fpectacle, when the
machinery is brought to work more perfetlly, we
have no doubt it will become very attrative.
The principal charafters are the folkwing :
Hardyknute - - Mr. DECAMP.
Guelpho - Mr. Parit.er.
Whillikind - • Mr. DowtoN.
Leolyn - Mifs C. BRISTOW.
•
Ofwy . Mr. Gamow.
Ruric - Mr. MALE.
•
Rolf • Mr. Win.
Officers -
Mrff.
FISHER & EVANS.

Una
Clodlda
Paulina
Ando)
Sangrida
Alexina

Mrs. H. SIDDON S.
Mrs. HARLOW[.
Mifs KELLY.
Mils LAcET.
Mr. MONTGOMERY.
Mrs. SCOTT.

The whole of the (tory relates to the magically
ailifted efforts of liardyinute, a Danifh Count, to pro-
long " a charmed life," which" depends upon his being
able to facrifice to a demon a number of innocent chil-
dren : the prefervation of the ninth of thefe conliitutes
the bufinefs of the piece, an.; which is effected by 'he
viglance and adivity of two female agents, Una and;
Cicada, the former atone time betrothed to the Count,
and the latter the nude of the child. In aid of this
benignant work, a great number of fupernatural
auxiliaries are employed ; as are alfo, to counterad
it. fome malignant loirits—it terminates in the Count
falling a vidim to his own infernal machinations.
In following the didates of his horrified imagina-
tion, the author appears to have been extremely
remits in his attention to the other pasts of the plot
of hi: drama—the flory is told, and the language
of the dialogue, if we except fome few flights of de
clamation, is altogether unworthy the author. The
attempts at wit, put into the mouth of two charafters,
fuppotted by DOWTON and PENLEY, are execrable,
and may well he fpated, in order to reduce the piece
within proper limits, as Taft night it occupied nearly
two hours and a half in the reprefentation.
The &elks, fcenery, and machinery, are extremely
grand, and the drama abounds in brilliant pagean-
try. It alfo exhibits Come admirable dancing by the
pupils of L'Erville. The mufic, laid to be the pro•
dudion of Mr. KELLY, is not of a very prominent
charader. The machinery, as we have intimated,
did not work well ; and in the laft fcen particularly,
we are fearful Ds CAMP experienced lime hurt in
finking to the lower regions, entwined with ferpents.
The bottle was very crowded, and the applaufe
bellowed liberal.

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.-.-.-LA night Town and
Country, With Mother Go rife, WAS again performed to
a crowded audience.—An apology was made for
!Ir. KiMBLE, who was In extremely lame, that it
was with evident pain and difficulty he hobbled on
end cif the liege.

Friday night, about feven o'clock, four enttages
were burnt to the ground at Moncktnn Farleigh
Wiek, near Bath. The accident was occalioned by
chilchen play ing with lighted flicks, the fire of which
fell upon the thatch of one of the houfes ; and ano•
ther fire happened the fame night at Hilperton, which
defiroyed a large houfe.
On Saturday lalt J. O'Donnel (the bruifer) and
about 30 others, were fent from Newgate to :he hulks,
previous to tranfportatton, Gower, an accomplice
of O'Donnel's, and the fon of a reputable tradefman,
remains behind.

RURAL FirricaTios.--Laft Thurfday, at Horn,
In Bedtord(hire, a well contelled battle took place
between George Colter, of Bracknell, and J. Va.
grave. of Hurft ; in which, after 56 rounds of de-
cent fighting, in the courfe of about three quarters
of an hour, viOory declared kr Colter.

The prefent Lottery Scheme has peculiar advan.
tages. All the Tickets drawn at an early period will
be Priem The first-drawn Tickets for four days will
receive mood. each. The profpel of obtaining
thofe and other great objeas, with little or no ri(k,
has induced a great number of perf-ms to purchafe
Tickets, with a view to the chance of the fire two or
three da•rs, and then to fell fuch as remain in the
Wheel. This is called rifling Tickets.
An inconceivable act of atrrcity was lately com-
mitted by a new feet in the village of Rapperfwyl,
near Arberg. This felt was unknown a few weeks
ago, and the otigin of it is not yet afcertained :
All that can be colleaed refpefting them, is, that
they believed that the end of the world was near,
and that there was no other way to fave them-
felves but by following implicitly the infpiration of
the HOLY Gmosr. A young girl, about 54 years of
age, appeared to he the principal organ of thole
wonderful infpirations. They confulted her upon
all occafions, and thought they were bound impli-
citly to obey her. The firs meeting of thefe Seaa-
ries was very fecret ; but the Pallor and Sub-perfea
of the village being informed that there was to be a
tiumerous meeting within thefe few days, went thi-
ther, and by exhortations prevailed upon them to
difperfe. They then confulted the )(sung girl what
'hey were to do: the told them that they mull go
t;i it night in great force to the houfe of the Prefect,'
.11:1 coadt him to a diflance. This oracle was
obeyed. The Prefect was one of the molt worthy
men in the country, and what adds to the horror of
the circumllance, he was the grandfather of this very
young girl. He was taken from his own houfe by
this furious crowd, and carried to a place .a confider-
able diflance from hi, village. There the urhappy
girl threw her arms round this refpeelable old man,
ani drew him to the ground, and with frantic
cries invited the crowd to precipitate themfelves
upon him, and to fave him from perdition, by
foffocating him. After having put him to death
in this manner, without any wound or contufion
appeating on his body, the frantic crew danced around
their viaim, tinging praifes to the Lord. The prin-
cipal aaors in this dreadful fcene have been arreaed
and taken to Berne. There is a woman among them,
who is fufpeaed of having given them fume kind of
philter, which deranged their intelleas and rendered
them furious.