Star. — 1819-07-20 (London, England)

ENGLISH OPERA.—A new Melodrama was acted lag .aighti for the first time, entitled Self-Sacrifice; or, The Maid of the Cottage.—The interest of this piece arises from the violent suspicions which attach to Ida (Miss KELLY), an interesting female whom the Count Valmore is about to marry, from the circumstance of her being found alone with the bleeding child of tke Count. She is believed to have murdered him. Concealed, she has witnessed the perpetration of the crime, by Schwitzer, but will nor disclose the name of the assassin, because she will not give a guilty father up tt. jrstice. She is imprisoned, but through the contrivance of her supposed father, makes her escape. New perils await her, and to conceal his crime, he is about to destroy her, but delays the execution of his purpose, and Ida escapes to the retreat of the King of the Beggars. Here she is pursued by her enemy, and churned as a maniac. The Marquis Leone, her real father, who had returned to demand Ida from Schwitzer, to whom, for particular reasons, he has entrusted her in her infancy, hasbeen taught to believe her guilty. He finds her in the Beggar's abode, and satisfied that he has been abused, insists on her being given up to him. The villainy of Schwitzer is now avowed ; he defies the injured fa. ther, disarms him, and is about to take his life, but is detained by Ida for a moment, while the Marquis escapes. Leone is pursued by Schwitzer, but the latter 1, fading to overtake him, again seekg Ida, but finds his retreat cut of through her means, by the destruction of a bridge. He braves the foaming torrent, and Ida is again in his power, and about to fall a victim to his fury, when a shot from the Marquis, who has returned with Valmore, and a party of his', friends, puts an end to the villain's existence, and the piece terminates with the restoration of the Maid of the Cottage to the arms of her Father and Lover.— Such is the interesting outline of this piece, which, for effect and variety,may vie with the most favourite Melodramas that the season has any where produced. There is a busy interest throughout, that never fails to rivet the attention of the audience, and the general effect is as great and successful as either the writer or author oould possibly desire. We have seldom witnessed a more lively exhibition of the perils to which virtue may be exposed by the designs of villainy ; and rarely have we found ourselves so deeply interested in the progress of the scer.c. In short, the success of the piece was deservedly most complete; and to use a technical phrase, there can be no doebt of its having a long and well-merited " ihe. actors exerted themselves to the utmost. Mr. T. P, COOKE, as Schwitzer, was much and deservedly applauded ; and Miss KELLY did all that powerful talents and lively sensibility could effect for Ida. The scenery and Music were universally and justly admired. The piece was announced for repetition with repeated burst, of applause...--The exceedingly pleasant little piece of One, Two, Three, Four, Five, was repeated, with, if possible, increased success. REEVIeS imitations are certainly of the first order.  Monday se'nnight Lady STANLEY, travelling from York, accompan►ed by her maid servant, was stopped by a highwayman, when the maid in her alarm took up a bottle of ginger-beer, and the cork flying out, made such a repo: t, it so alarmed the highwayman, that he instantly galloped off!