During the last two seasons there have been many rumours
about the reopening of Her Majesty's Theatre ; rumours often repeated, and as often contradicted. They were rendered improbable by the pecuniary and legal difficulties in which the theatre was involved—the great extent to which the boxes had been alienated to individuals, and the doubts as to Mr. Lumley's own right of possession under his lease. This last diffi- culty has been removed by the judgment given in Mr. Lumley's favour this week by the Court of Queen's Bench, in Mr. Croft's action of ejec- tion against him on the ground of alleged breach of covenants on his part ; and the other difficulty appears no longer to exist, as the chief possessors of boxes, the Duke of Cleveland, the Marquis of Sligo, Lord Ward, and other noblemen and gentlemen, have made common cause with Mr. Lum- ley by appearing as joint defenders with him in the above suit; from which it may be inferred, that these weighty and wealthy personages, as they have joined in supporting his right to the theatre, so they will sup- port him in carrying it on. It seems, therefore, to be considered probable that Her Majesty's Theatre, which has remained for three years closed and desolate, will once more open its doors. We shall be glad if it be so. While we freely criticized, we neverjoined in tho outcry against, Mr. Lumley's management : we have not discovered that any abuses laid to his charge have been since reformed by an establishment professedly set on foot for that very purpose ; nor have we forgotten that one of the most beautiful theatres in Europe was the resort of all that was elegant and refined in London society during the most palmy days of our Italian stage.
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