The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-05-06 00:00:00

He was subsequently engaged by Hiighes, manager
of the Plymouth Theatre. "D. G.," the critic of Ct
berland's edition of plays, states that Dowton

having made the übiquitarian's grand tour, returned to
Exeter, and performed Macbeth, Romeo, and the usual
round of first-rate tragic characters, for, like some of our

comedians,

Melpomene. It is but just to state that in these repre-
sentations he evinced much good sense and feeling ; and if

he rose not topre-eminence,hi descended not to mediocrity.
Sherri, in Cumberland's comedy of "The Jew," had long
been a favourite part of Bannister's ; Elliston had also
marked it for his own. Mr. Dowton stepped into the field,
and without taking the laurel from either, honourably
shared it with both His first appearance at Drury-lane
was on the 10th of October, 1796 in this difficult charac-

ter. He was hailed as a genuine actor, and crowned with
applause. In 1805 he was engaged at the Haymarket
Theatre, and on the 15th of August in that year he re-
vived fir his benefit the warm weather tragedy of the
Tailors, which produced that memorable fracas between
the " dunes" and the "flints," and ended in the com-

Mittel of three dozen and odd, and one rebellious carver
and gilder, to the watch-house. The principal roles in
the burlesque were sustained by Dowton, Mathews, Lis-
ton, and Mrs. Gibbs, as Francisco, Abrahamides, Zacha-
Hades, and Tittilinda. 'lhe great success of Tom Thumb,
in which Mr. Dowton played King Arthur very humor-
ously, stimulated him to this attempt. His two prin-
cipal Shaksperian characters were Sir John Falstaff and
Dogberry. As Dr. Cantwell, in the Hypocrite, he was
inimitable. His other best parts were Sir Anthony Abso-
lute and Major Sturgeon. With the proceeds of his
farewell benefit at her Majesty's Theatre a few years since
an annuity was purchased.
TRACES OF THE TEN LOST TRIBES.—About twenty-
five years ago a dervise arrived at Damascus from the
eastern part of Asia, and brought with him a great quan-
tity of gold coins, which he thought to exchange for cur-
rent money. On one side of these coins was imprinted,
in square Hebrew characters, " Under the reign of our
Lord Isaac the King." In reply to the question as to
how they became possessed of this money, lie related
abruptly and simply, without strictly replying to other
questions, that he had on his pilgrimage taken a journey

of several months in a south-easterly direction from Ads-
hem (Persia.) He came to a great empire, and entered

a town where his ridiculous beggar's dress excited
curiosity. He was soon called into a castle where he
found a majestic person on a throne-like scat. This
personage asked him in Persian from whence he came ;
and upon his explanation he was asked whether there
were Yehudim (Jews) Jiving in his country, and what
was their physical and moral condition ? The foolish der.
vise knew not yet that he was talking to a Jewish Prince,
and commenced delivering so scurrilous an account of
them that the prince was greatly affected and fell into a
passion. Observing this, and perhaps anticipating the

. .
cause, the dervise, who knew at once how to alter his tone,
began to relate good things of them, and said—" Though

depressed, these people observe an excellent character
and an inward love of virtue, though the opinion of the

lower class of people might be the reverse." At this the
prince was delighted, and ordered at the conclusion of the
audience three hundred golden pieces to be given to him.
This the dervise related, and more could not be learned

from him. The weight of this coin was something like
that of a double :Inca of the best gold. Let the matter
and narration, however, havebeen somewhatdifferent. yet it
nevertheless remains a fact, which these coins sufficiently
prove, that even to this day thera exists a Jewish empire,
having a Jewish monarch. About three years ago I saw
a superior Indian dervise in the street. I entered into
conversation with him, and observed that his words ex-
pressed something to which credit might be given. I took
him home with me, and conversed with him about his dis-
tant journey to Asia. Some things I tried to elicit from
him, and knew well how to bring the truth to light. Thus
he related to me that there is, at a four months' journey
from Chasmir' in the north-eastern part of Persia, in a
north-easterly direction, a great Jewish empire, and that
the seat of their regent is in the city of Ajulum. Almost
the whole empire is surrounded on three sides by enor-
• • ,

mous high mountains, which form a natural fortress; on
the other aide is a large gate of rocks, near which the
Jewish military are stationed. These Jews have commer-

t:11 the surrou

cial intercourse country, thouga
into their dominions is seldom permitted to
Nay, he assured me that a companion of his
had been for some time in Ajulum, and that he (the
companion) could never gain an opportunity to excite
the admiration of the listener with the narration of the
magnificence of this place and of their synagogues, which
are said to be fairy-like. All the iuhabitants are Jews,
except alp playcp,—Jetcish Chronicle,

strangers