We had an opportunity of again witnessing the exciting interest
felt by the Adelphi audience in the Maiden's Fame ; having been drawn to that fitvourite and crowded little theatre by the mirth-moving inci- dents of a broad fareicel burletta called Rifle filanalteres. It is the old story of a jealous husband being torn:tilted and cured by a lady personating a military gallant : and when, in addition to Mts. Nienterr in whiskers and pantaloons, we mention that Yams is stuck up in the gilt pillory of a picture-frame, personating his ow n portrait, and wit- nessing the attentions of the muck lover to his wife, HU one who bas ever visited the Adelphi may fancy much more vividly than we can describe the fun that is going forward, and the explosions of laughter that follow the grimaces of YATES and the arch glances of Mrs. Nis- Herr. Mr. H. BEVERLEY was accessory to the only offensive inci- dent; which, as the audience promptly resented it, we hope is not to be repeated. Lent is this year ushered in by an act of petty tyranny on the part of the dust-pan despotism that sways the fate of all the Queen's ser- vants, be they housemaids or players; and whose voice is equally potential in the green-room and the servants-hall. Not only is the (lull farce of closing the theatres against tragedy amid comedy to be enacted on Wednesdays and Fridays during Lent, as usual, but no more amusing kind of evasion then a musical one is to be tolerated, even itt the Minors. The attempt of manag,era to convert the theatre into a concert-room have Nisei so often that they are deterred from reviving it : Exeter Hall is now the successful rival of Drury Lane and Covent Garden in Oratorios. 'the Adelphi, that for thirty years has been permitted to ereettain time public with mono-
polylogues, tableaux, and what not, on the " holy nights," is now for- bidden to open its doors, unless the stage be converted into an orchestra. The evasion was palpable 'tie true; but all successful evasions of law that receive the public sanction prove the rule they infringe to be absurd and morally obsolete. How worse than absurd, in a supereminently Protestant country like England, to insist on the observance of forms sacred only among Papists ! It is the very mum- rely of hypocrisy. To follow out the principle, a sumptuary edict should be issued by the Archbishop of Canterbury, commanding that no meat be eaten on those days on pain of indictment in the Eccle- siastical Court. As it is, the players are the only part of the Pro. testant community to whom Lent is any thing but a time for salt-fish and parsnip formalities.
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