644 Letteron Affairs in generals. ‘ED, 
bably have; destroyed, the: man’s-house,: and! cost otheslives | ofyhalf the 
persons:in itv} Hoteil otenices tr we los’ To sonsatielisg 
 Ivobserved,.a little way, back, that Drury-Lane:Theatre was domgybut 
badly, ‘Laporte: the» Rrench actor, has» appeared othere'dately:«in «the 
English drama); and,:as every: body who knew! any thing:of' theisubject 
foresaw he -must-do; has; failed in producing any’ considerable effect. 
The fact’is; that the style of the French comic:actors is:too- natural, that 
is}; itis too. much like nature’s common-placey tov. do muchiin ‘England. 
Neither the French plays—that is, not one in ten of} them—ortheir| per= 
formers; have strength and breadth enough for our taste:»:\Nor—=asifar as 
a foreigner can form a judgment upon such a subject+can dy admit, that 
their:existing:comedians are equal to ours in point of:talent.'\ I’ have 
seen none—and.I have seen all—who, for force, humour; or) varietyo of 
expression, ‘could be named against Farren, Liston; or Mathews:\odLa- 
orte had not a fair chance for his talent at Drury-Lane, because he»was 
compelled to speak English—which he speaks well, but still likeay fo- 
reigner. At the French theatre he is a pleasant actor of) valets+not 
first-rate, but lively and intelligent ; but he has less force thanyseverab of 
his countrymen; anda slight nasal twang in his delivery, which»is:not 
agreeable. ion Yo. brow 
. There has been another “ fasting woman,” going for five: weeks with- 
out food, at Trowbridge in Somersetshire. The Globe of to-night»says 
that.“ she has at last come to her appetite ;” but, ‘for five weeks; took 
absolutely nothing” (that any body saw) “ but water.” Itis curious»what 
‘an old device this “going without food” is. A friar exhibited)invit, 
according to one of the monkish historians, so early as) the) thirteenth 
century. , This) man. fasted for three months, the door of his cell being 
watched and: guarded ; and.at length it was discovered that 'he lived-upon 
sausages, which were conveyed to him cased over with ‘tallow ‘to! look 
like candless- : i! mm iw siqosgq stony 
Defend me! but Colonel Wood made ‘a tremendous: explosion am the 
House of Commons on the Corn Indemnity) Bill; «and Fridaynight \(the 
24th inst.) the hon. member, after giving a most luminous» exposition of 
the general merits of) the question, and shewing the perfect harmony (of 
interests) which existed between the agriculturists and. the manufacturers 
with respect to it; concluded by loudly calling upon the: House:to come 
forward, and take some means to put down the aggravating) attempts of 
‘THE PRESS, which were causing a division: of ithe two great interests: of 
the nation !..So—only-to think of this counsel of unconstitutional despe- 
ration! and froma quarter that nobody would have suspected of it! >: ' 
It was like seeing the Thames set on fire by a farthmg: rushlight;:or 
the fly on the King’s chariotwheel, calling to one of Newman's post-chaises 
to. ‘keep out of the way !”—** Who is the hon. member?” ‘said one. 
«« His name is Wood,” answered another... “Wood! what»wood:? of 
what tree 2” asked a third. ‘* Not Braintree, I am sure,’-replied a fourth. 
*¢ Is he not a branch of the Londonderry family ?”saidsa person imthe 
gallery.’ A sapling, you mean!” interrupted some: one! behindthim. 
« Nonsense !—what Wood really is it?” asked a visitor from the 
Exchange at John —, who was just going outiat the middlevdeora+ 
© I don’t know what Wood,” replied: the last 3 but: Isthinkkiwithsthe 
poet, that—Ez quoris LIGNo, non fit Mercurius.”—I rather!dike: Colonel 
»Wooed myself, but he did not make ahit this timesscom oF) iiw hotenn 
