1831.] Things Theatrical. 551 



came a countess. He now writes to the nobleman, setting forth his 

 claim in equity to the jewels which he presented to the lady, when he 

 expected she would become his wife. He states them to have cost 7,000/. 

 The husband of the lady has no disposition to give any such sum for 

 them, but has intimated that he woidd not refuse to pay what they were 

 valued at by a celebrated auctioneer — 1,000/." — The parties are name- 

 less, but the affair is piquant; and we understand that half a hundred of 

 our first-rate dramatists are already turning it into all shapes of comedy, 

 farce, and pantomime. 



Anderson, the singer, who made his debut at Drury-lane or Covent 

 Garden, last year, by singing Sinclair's parts, his debut behind the scenes 

 by belligerency with IMadame Vestris, and his debut at Bow-street, by 

 a general war with all that lady's friends, has exported himself to New 

 York, and has, as rumour says, placed himself in a general state of belli- 

 gerency there too. A journal, after contradicting the story of his mar- 

 rying Slademoiselle Victorine, or Josephine, a matter of no great interest 

 to the Americans, who love a speculatrix as they do a speculation, details 

 some of the incidents of the passage in a style which, we think, must 

 have been due to the pen of a regular Yankee. Nothing can be more 

 graphically told : — " One day, being pretty particularly merry, Josh, 

 would take the helm, which the mate resisted, and down went Yankee 

 No. 1. The captain thought it tarnation hard to see his first officer 

 floored, so he planted a Mississipi muzzier upon Anderson's ivories, which 

 Josh, returned with interest, and down went Yankee No. 2. ' This will 

 never do, I guess,' said the steward, a regular back-wood nigger man of 

 the V^irginian breed, ' I calculate this Englisher means to mallet us all.' 

 So blackey turned to ; and although the best of the Yankee trio, he 

 very soon made number three. The result of this will, we fear, prove 

 disadvantageous to Anderson, who, besides being prevented by his 

 bruises from appearing on his first arrival, has also to encounter the ire 

 of Jonathan, provoked by the conquered Yankees, who have reported 

 tliat Anderson abused the Americans most considerably all the way out." 

 Jonathan is an awkward fellow to deal with, on the best of terms, and 

 though many a man has been beaten into bounty, and the delight of 

 knocking down three Yankees must be inexpressible, yet we question 

 whetlier a hero and singer can thus pugilize himself into popularity ; as 

 to his beating the whole crew of the packet, of course, we have no 

 possible objection to that. 



Lacy, the author of Cinderella, is the wi"iter of the opera now in re- 

 liearsal at Covent Garden theatre, in which Braham is to make his first 

 ap[)earance. The music is by Aubert, the popular French composer. 

 PVom the success which has attended many of Rophino's productions, the 

 theatre may reasonably hope for something that, in the language of the 

 stage, " will bring 'em home." 



The Strand is still in a state of unhappiness. Bricks and mortar, 

 liod-men and dust-carriers, are carrying on open hostilities with hackney 

 coaches, cabriolets, and clean clothes. The winter rains will, we hope, 

 drown the combatants. In the meantime, the only improvement to 

 which we, as lovers of the drama, look, is nipped in tlie bud. The 

 building of Arnold's new tlieatre, on the site of the old Lyceum, is a 

 little; retarded l)y neg(itiati<»ns now j)endiiig between the worthy pro- 

 prietor and tlic Marquess of Exeter, relating to the extent of ground and 



