Star.
London, England, 1827-07-25 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.

Last night a new Drama, entitled The Serjeant's Wife
was performed for the first time at this Theatre, to a
crowded audience, and was received with unbounded
applause. The story of the piece, which is extremely
interesting, was this :
Frederick Cartonch, the Serjeant (Mr. Putman), is with the
French army in Spain. and is very anxiously expected by Lisette, his
wife (Miss Kama), the heroine of the Drama; bet failing tO MIA
home at the expected time, she sets out to meet him. In the cisme
of her journey, fatigued, almost broken down, and neatly pennyless,
she is encountered, during the elfin, by Gaspard (Mr. 0. Sams), a
tellow who, in concert with his brother Dennis (W. Csaraun),
had get possession of an old chateau in the neighbourhood of Name,
from whence Gaspard sallies forth to plunder and to lure other
victims to the chateau, eventually to plunder and murder them.—
Dennis affects to be a person of most excellent character, the better
to coaxal their designs. Gaspard, after rendering Usette some
trilling services, finding she has a few francs in her possession, insists
upon her delivering them up. At this instant Old Cartouch, the
father of Frederick, an old soldier, returning from Spain,
whither her husband had done service, comes very opportunely
to her rescue, and Gaspard is compelled to retire. Cartouch
and Usette, his daughter-in-law, seeing the chateau, seek for
abetter for the night, and are kindly received by Dennis. who
hospitably entertains them, with a view ultimately to plunder
and murder Old Cartouch, who has get co coaled about his
person a vast ems of money. In this critical moment Robert
and Magri (Mr. Kanter and Miss Gowaan), servant* at the cha-
teau, who wait at table, are anxious to apprise Usette of the in-
tended murder. Marget succeeds in apprising Usette, and :hakes
signs to her not to drink the cordial which Denali offers to her,
with a view to lull her senses while they commit the matrder,
during the time that Old Cartouch is at rest. This leads to seve-
ral interesting scenes, in *kick Lisette appears to great advantage.
The arrival of a party of soldiers, among whom is Frederick, from
Tours, and who are benighted just at the moment that the murder
is about to take place, awakens Old Cartouch, and of course
the knocking at the gates alarms the villains, who desist
and by these means Old Carlotta escapes. The difficulty
thee arises hOw Usette is to follow, she being greatly alarmed lest
she should not get free from the power of Dennis. Marget has pre-
viously furnished her with a pistol to defend herself daring the night,
and this, in the morning, when libels about to take her leave, is the
means of preserving her life; for Dennis,. they are dis-
covered, is about to stab her, to prevent her , when she
draws the pistol from beneath her dress, and sonmeing the reams
with instant death, Is allowed to withdraw. Old Carteock returns
just at the moment, with his sun and the other soldiers, and after
encountering Gaspard outside the chateau, whom they kill, secures
Dennis---and thus the Piece concludes.

Mr. Baarttar, in Old Catiouch, and Miss HILLY, in
Lisette, were excellent, particularly the latter—indeed,
the Piece seems to have been brought forward princi-
pally fot the purpose of :hewing her power of moving
the passions, which she did in a most eminent degree,
as testified by the applause which she received during
the whole of her performance. Kai Lay, as a simple
domestic, was, as usual, as far as the character went,
very good. His wife, Miss GOWAnD, who performed
the character of Margot, a sort of second Lisette, is a
very good actress, and-played that character well. The
Piece altogether was well performed, and when Mr.
BARTLIT came to Five it out for a second representa-
tion, it was some time before he was allowed to com-
mence it, the applause was so incessant.

Oa the 4th instant, took place at Draguinan (De-
pertinent of the Var) the execution of Mark Alphonso
Maurel, a respectable farmer, and for many years
Mayor of his commune. Maurel had been found guilty
of the murder of a notary named Cavin, between whom
and him a long-cherished animosity existed. The
murder was committed upon the high road, in open
day, and in the presence of Casin's wife and children,
who were from a distance looking out for his return
Nom a neighbouring village. Mantel came up to him
on the road, and after a few words altercation, level-
led his fowling-piece at him and shot him dead. Since
his conviction, Mantel has given an example of the
most pique, resigned, and edifying conduct. His
time has been chiefly passed in devotional exercises, or
in the perusal of pious books. On the 3d of July,
Maurel made his will, in which, after expressing his
,
' deep repentance for the crime he had committed, he
desires that the children of the 'unfortunate Cavin
should be indemnified out of his property for the in.
jury he had done them, by depriving them of their
father, leaving the amount of that indemnity to be
settled by the Tribunal of Btigno%les. On the 4th of
July, when the Registrar came at eight o'clock in
the morning, to inform him that his appeal had been
rejected, Mantel, without chewing any emotion, said
to hinr, " I expected as much—this was my fatal
destiny. I have long made up my mind to it." A
few minutes after he breakfasted, and ate heartily of a
particular fish he had called for. He after wards
smoked a cigar, and conversed with the gaoler. He
then, after remaining a few minutes alone, passed the
time in prayer with two Clergymen, until the hour
for his departure arrived. During the horrid prepa-
rations for the scaffold, be maintained the utmost
firmness, refused ascending the cart, and walked with
a steady step to the place of execution. On arriving
there. be bowed three times to the multitude, kissed
the two Clergymen, thanked them affectionately for
their attention, and then decently and firmly submit.
ted to his fate. Immediately after the execution, a
procession of the penitents of the city, known under
the name of Bourras, came to the scaffold. The ap-
pearance of this confraternity is of the most spectral
kind. They are clothed in a kind of sack, which covers
the bead and face, and has merely three little apertures
for the eyes and mouth. Six of these neon-day spec-
tres took up the body of Maurel, and placed it in a
coffin. The penitents then resumed their march, sing-
ing, in the most doleful manner, the Miserere, until
they reached the church-yard, where, after the usual
prayers, the body was interred. This was the first
time since its institution, which dates no longer than
two months back, that this confraternity performed the
task prescribed by its statutes, of burying executed
criminals.