The Sun. — 1850-02-13 (London, England)

SADLER'S WELLS THEATRE. A new five act play under the title of I?etribution, was produced here on Monday night, with unequivocal success. The author is Mr. George Bennett, the tragedian. The play is by no means free from the con. ventionalities of the modern stage, but they are never thrust prominently forward, and are always made subservient to the chief points of interest, and al" '' though the incidents are complicated, and there is too frequent a reference to antecedents, yet the plot is extremely interesting. Retribution is a tale of the Cavaliers and Roundhoads. The principal character is Sir Baldwin Briarly (Mr. George Bennett), a villain and a Roundhead, and his great enemy is Ralph de Lacy, a cavalier who has assumed the name of Blackbourn (Mr. Phelps). De Lacy was formerly the owner of large estates, and Sir Baldwin Briarly to possess himself of hem, excites the cavalier to jealoasy of - his wife's honour, and a period having arrived when there is some cause to suspect that this jealousy is well founded, De Lacy destroys his wife and at the same time her brother, whom he has been taught by Baldwin to believe is her paramour. After this deed, De Lacy flies the country, leaving the author of his misfortune to continue his career of villany. Baldwin then contrives a deep scheme to bring about a marriage between his only son, a youth some seventeen years of aseier R , and Alice Rabyliceß (Alr, A. Younge), and aby (Miss Glyn), the daughter of represents to the unsuspecting girl the improvement which has recently taken place in his fortunes. Alice, howevera f amdling whom her has been taught to regard Elwin (son to Baldwin) only in the light of a brother, and she has pledged her love to Philip, father has fostered. At this juncture De Lacy, or many Blackbourn, years having been as absenthe chief object is to seek out his ruthless betrayer and avenge his wife's death. He is now disguised as a trooper, and his conduct exercises so powerful an ini n appearsf tn ig ion part, s p, fluence over the mind of Baldwin that he orders him to be chained in a dungeon attached to his castle. Whilst he is thus confined a scene takes place between Blackbourn and Baldwin which leads to the discovery that the former is the possessor of certain important documents in which the interests of the latter are most deeply involved. Blackbourn .is then liberated, and in the course of events he avows himself as the injured De Lacy, who has been driven from home as the murderer of his own wife. Baldwin is still determined to make Alice Raby his daughter-inlaw, and in order. to effect this object he causes Sir Robert Raby to be imprisoned upon a charge of i having threatened mischief to the king. He more 'over concocts a tale that Philip is the brother of Alice, and he assures her that the only means of restoring Ulf! happiness of her home, of preserving her honour, and saving the life of his son (who has been stricken down by grief and disappointment) would be to. becon • his daughter-in-law. At the moment he imaginethat his proudest wish is likely to be fulfilled. Blackbourn again appears, and through the instrumentality of the documents already mentioned, diecloses the machinations of Baldwin, who falls speechless ; his son is removed from the chapel where the wedding was to have taken place, and Blackbour, avows himself as the long-veiled Do Lacy and the father of Philip. This is the author's tale of " Retribution " worked out to its climax. Considerable power is shown in the development of the two character.. Baldwin and Blackbourn, and their various phases are most artistically discriminated. Baldwin is a part by no means new to the stage, but the objects of his ambition are displayed with so much originality and dramatic effect as to give the character the charm of novelty. Mr. George Bennett's Baldwin was a powerful piece of acting. Mr. Phelps played Blackbourn with a rugged manliness, which, as opposed to the cowardice of his betrayer, won for him a large share of applause. At the end of the third act his performance was so powerful that Mr. Phelps was compelled to appear before the curtain at the close of the scene. Miss Glyn played with much feeling and energy. The other characters were I very well filled.