THE THEATRE.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 243, 27 September 1848, Page 4

THE THEATRE.

; Tiik following are the sentiments of several of the I Christian Fathers on the stoge: Tlioophilus, Bishop of Antiocb, soys to Antolicus, " The tragical detractions of Tercus nnd Thyestcs aie nonsense to us ; we are lor seeing no representations oflewdnes*. God forbid that we should dishonour oui thoughts, much less our practice, with such wickedness ai this." Tcrtullsan remarks, " We Christians have nothing Jo do with the frpnzies of the rue* ground, the lewdnpss of the play-house, or the barbautie;, of the beargarden." Clemei)9 Alexandrinus calls tbetheatie, the chair of pestilence. v< Away 'hen," says he, with these lewd, ungodly diversion!), which are but impertinence at the Ust." St. Cyprian aski, " What business has a Christian at suck places as piny houses ; to entsitain himself with lewd representations ? Has he a miud to discharge his modesty, that he may sin altenvards vviih more boldnpss ? Yes, this is the consequence ; by using to see these things, he vtM le.un to do them." St. Cyiil thus addresses those who were newly baptized: "You have said at your baptism, 4 I renounce thee, O Satan, I renounce all thy woiks, and b'l tby pomps ' The pomps of the devil are the diversions ot the theatre, aud al! other like vanities ; from which holy David begs of God to be delivered. ' Turn away rrine eyes,' says he, ' that they behold not viuiiiy.' Do not then suffer yourselves to be led away by a fondness for the s'jge, to behold there the exliavagancies of plays, fu'l ot wantonness and impurity. 1 ' ht. Ambrote tells us, that the circus the hoise-race, and the Uu-atie, ore nothing but vanity. St. Chrysostom says, that frequently the play-house has h i ought impurity and nbnhliy into vogue, and finished all the parts of debauchery, and introduced a world of disorders. St. Jeiomc cautions ladies aeainst bavin}; any thing 1 to do With the play-house, against lewd songs, and illconversation; because they set ill-humours at work, caress the fancy, aud make pleasure a conveyance to destruction.

A Stage DurL.~- f< The jealousies of the Opera," said Perchel, " are raoic amongst the sinner's than tlie dancers. While I was at the theatre ot Lucca last year, the performance was Donizetti's ' Lucia di Lammcrmnor.' A rivaliy had been subsisting for some lime between two of the male singcis, ami a duetto had taken place between them, in which the music was made by the clashing of steel, in other words they had fought a duel, and I was the ietnoin of one of them. To morrow morning; I will be a principal, and it sti i kes me 1 will spoil Chevrette's fliitalions- 1 had succeeded in apparently reconciling the two Luccliese aitists. During the combat, however, which forms paitof the second act of the opera, their former animosity became suddenly revived, and they thrust at each other in earnest, the stage fmht Lwamc a i eal duel. The public all the time, not in the least suspecting that the actors weie doing more than displaying " their cunning of fence," applauded their impresscment, and gave tokens of the most lively interest. An appalling cry was he-ud, and the actor who peisonated the Master of Ravenswood, suddenly dropped. He had received a deip wound in the breast, and fell dead on the stage ! His antagonist «a"> immediately aircstid ; the company broke up on the following day ; and the theatre was closed lor borne time after-"