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Leader (1850-1860), 24th July 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 719

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      throats of the Chinese ; aud the equally wearisome and more offensive 'foreign libel , that the Hindoos were living " content . " Till we , resolved upon their peace and good , Their laws and lives have dro-wn'd in their own blood . Does Mr . Philip James Bailey imagine tins is satire ? If so , he gr ievously mistakes what satire is . Satire is nothing but the pointed expression , of public indignation against vice and folly ; and is never genuine when it seeks to maintain individual crotchets and aberrations . It must appeal directly to the moral sympathies of the public for which it is written , and not attempt to be the vehicle for doctrines held hy a narrow sect . Its office is not to preach , but to criticize ; and to do this

      poetically , it must appeal to old recognized principles , and not to principles which remain to oe proved and adopted . "We have touched here on . the great defect of this so-called " Satire . " It is an exposition of Mr . Bailey ' s own particular views , which are not particularly attractive , instead of a stinging criticism of recognized evils .. The work is deformed , too , by vulgarisms which are not humorous ; and by trivialities which , are notcolloquial . Ferbum sap . "We need not quote many instances ; and shall indeed quote none , unless in running our eye down those we have marked , we find some irresistible impertinence . Unfortunately here is one at once :-

      —To England ' s liberties , already got By open vote , we -will to change it not . We object to the opinion—at least that in the second line—more than to the expression in the following-tin my view , though not worth depending , The vote wants raising rather than extending . When Mr . Bailey does not attempt to be funny he rises towards the sublime : — Still , I am one to whom Old England's glorious

      At all times ; most of all when she ' s victorious . One moment checked , the volume of her force Enlarges , river-like , by length of course . That changeless charm , —my country ' s only dower , — Of pure success , and . evergreatening power , Hallows her cause ; to me her flag endears , Though sometimes stained with blood , and sometimes steeped in tears . But our author is not without wit : —

      Our meannesses by lofty names we signify , As Jove and Juno may twin puppies dignify . The following' , though said for the thousandth time , is not strictly true ; and though said for the thousandth time is well said : If you mean the public grace to earn , Ton must assume their very thoughts , words , attitudes ; For trade-winds only blow in the low latitudes . There are some hundreds of couplets worth quoting in this poem ; but we refer the reader to it . He will then be able to see what connexion , if any , they have with the general design , if any

      design there be . IY > r our part we have spoken very freely of Mr . Bailey , because we respect his talent ; and think it ill employed , if not thrown away , in this kind of writing ; . He is rather a poetical critic of men and things than a satirist ; and severity js so little suite . d to his temperament that , in assuming it , he often becomes coarse . Yet , as will be inferred from what we have said , this book is remarkable and well worth reading . We do not so often meet with originality even that offends us ; and Mr . Bailey does not borrow conventional phrases to express conventional ideas , always stamping the impress of his name on whatever he writes .

      Untitled Article

      No . 435 , July 24 , 1858 . 1 THE IE AIDER . 719

      Untitled Article

      Her Majesty ' s Theathb . —The subscription season « t this house was brought to a triumphant conclusion on Saturday last by the finished performance of // Trovatore , with Mademoiselle Titions , Madame Alboni , and Signor Giuglini in the principal parts ; followed by the new ballet of Ludlfo , in which Mademoiselle Boschotti appeared for the first time this season . This lady has lost none of the force or finish which Btampcd her as a public favourite last year . The

      out of season , or unseasonable performances , commenced on Tuesday with i \\ elluyuencts of Meyerbeer , cast as before . Mademoiselle Titiens and Signor Giuglini , as Valentino , and Itaoul , drew down thunder * of applause from full houses in the great eceno of the third act . At Her Majesty ' s Theatre the reduced price performances have been very successful ; but Mademoiselle Titiens is said to be engaged at Vienna , and Piccolonilni and Giuglini at Dublin , so that the performances will scarcely extend beyond another week . ItorAL Itxlixk Opeka . —Madame Grifli of course

      had an ovation on the occasion of her reappearance in Norma on Tuesday . It is superfluous to say more than that the Grisi of to-day hrs gained from Father Time in fire and grandeur more than all he has taken from her in youth and vocal flexibility . Signor Tamberlik , who was welcomed with enthusiasm after his long absence , was all that the part of Pollicne permitted . At Drory Lan e , Mr . E . T . Smith , the lessee , -who would seem to have taken the old saw of " Audaces fortuna juvat" for his blazon , wound up his Italian

      operatic season , previous to a transpontine enterprise at the Surrey Zoological Gardens , with a praiseworthy and ( considering the forces at his disposal ) a very successful dash at the Don Giovanni . The opera was supported by Madame Viardot Garcia as Donna Anna , Madame Persiani as Zeriina , Madame Sedlatzek as Elvira , Signor Badiali as the Don , Signor Rovere as Leporello , Signor Naudin as Don Ottavio , Signor Manfred ! as the Commendatore . The "two prime donne and Signor Eovere contrived , in spite of certain deficiencies in the chorus and some of the

      minor parts , to carry the performance to a very satisfactory conclusion , and reaped the enthusiastic plaudits , if not of the connoisseurs , at least of the general company . The opera was followed by the English musical piece of [ The Waterman , in which Mr . J . Newcombe—a new representative of Robin—made a good impression both as vocalist and comedian . Upon the usual call for the manager— who , by-the-way was special bentflciare of the night—Mr . E . T . Smith favoured the company with a speech , characterized

      by all his usual forcible bonhomie . He pointed with pardonable pride to his successes , realized predictions and triumphs over critics and croakers . He claimed to have illustrated on the boards of his own theatre the politico-economical possibility of a good and cheap opera ; and congratulated himself and his great patrons , the masses , upon the satisfactory state of their relations . He announced , also , that the Fyne and Harrison English opera company may be expected to open this theatre on the 13 th of September , and again after Chrisinas , with some novelties of

      interest . ' ¦ . - ¦¦ . ¦¦¦ ' -. ' . . ¦ : ¦; . . THEXYCEtiM Theatbe was opened on Saturday last with yet another English rendering of the Italian operatic version of the French novel of the JDame mix Cornelias . "Worn is the story , and wearisome are the versions which , to steer clear of each other , must perforce assume as they come some deeper east of dulness . So little trace of the original mainspring of young Dumas ' s novelet now remains , though many of the incidents are preserved , that the heroine appears as a marriageable widow . The part of Viohtta St . Valerie was nicely played by Mrs . Charles Young , but with this exception there is little to be said , in favour of the last edition of the Traviata .

      On Thttrsda-y Mrs . Wilkins ( announced in the bills as widow of the late Serjeant Wilkins ) made her first appearance in the Lady and Gentleman , in a peculiarly perplexing predicament , an event which calls for no further comment . The fairy afterpiece of the Lancashire Witches is redeemed from a dulness which neither Tilbury , as a rotund King Arthur , nor J . Clarke , as a small jester , can , with all their exertions , dissipate , by the very agreeable singing of Mrs . Howard Paul in the part of Sir Lancelot ^ du Lac . Dramatic Coixkge . —A crowded public meeting was held on Wednesday at the Princess's Theatre for the purpose of setting on foot a Dramatic College . Mr . Charles ICenn presided , and among tlie celebrities

      present were Sir W . de Bathe , Mr . Brady , M . P ., Mr . Charles Dickens , Mr . B . Webster , Mr . T . P . Cooke , Mr . Harley , Mr . James Anderson , Mr . Nelson Lee , Mr . Meadows , Mr . Frank Matthews , &c . &c . The 8 clieme of the proposed institution , which appeared in all the daily papers of Thursday , we have not space here to recapitulate . Suffice it to say that it is proposed to provide a collegiate hall , with residences and iillownnces , for such ancient players as may come within thu scope of the institution to the number of ten males and ton females in the first instance . The Chairman informed the meeting that the proposed cliarity was . already under great

      obligations to Mr . Henry Dodd , who had given one hundred guineas and five acres of land towards its foundation . Mr . Kean then eloquently drew the attention of his auditory to the claims of the player upon public consideration , member as he was of a profession which had numbered among its members men like Alloyuo and Sliakspeure , whose benevolence and genius havo secured them immortality . The Drury Lane aail Covent Garden Theatrical Punds had expressed their intention of erecting the first two houses upon the estate conveyed to the charity by Mr . Dodd . The General Theatrical Fund provided a third , and he himself would undertake the fourth . This announcement was received with

      enthusiasm . The secretary , Mr . Cullenford , then read the report describing the nature of the Dodd Gift , and giving an outline of the proposed collegiate scheme , lie informed the meeting that to adopt the report would l ) e > the proper mode of confirming the provisional acceptance of the Berkshire estate by

      the committee . The resolution to adopt , the report was moved by Mr . Dickens , who , after eulogizing Mr . Kean , delighted the meeting with an ingenious comparison of the holy and charitable compact ; they were then ratifying , and the internal bond which would be put in action between Shylock and Antonio , on the scene of their meeting- somewhat later in the day . Messrs . Kean , DickenB , Thackeray , and Webster , were next appointed trustees . The latter

      gentleman , in moving the opening of a public subscription , announced that there was every hope of obtaining the patronage of the Sovereign when the arrangements of the subscribers were more matured . He also promised a supply of stone from a property of his own , to be employed in the architectural decoration of the building . Messrs . Coutta and Co . and Bobarts aud Co . were named bankers , and . the amount subscribed "before the adjournment of the meeting was considerably in excess of 700 / .

      Death of Mb . Geokge BARTtGT . —Mr . George BaTtley , who has been identified for hah ? a century with , the history of the modern stage , died on Wed . nesday evening last , in the seventy-seventh year of his age . He was bom in 1782 , and retired from the stage in 1853 , on which occasion le had the honour of performing Falstaff , at the Princess ' s Theatre , before her Majesty . The Swedish Minstrels , from -whose first appearance we drew such favourable augury , still continue to draw crowded audiences , and are decidedly the fashion . While they retain the gentle and talented Mdlle . Humler as violin soloist , they have adopted also Madame Biedes , a vocalist of modern French school , possessing a good and effective voice and a fascinating style of singing .

      The Royal Gardens , Vauxhali ,, seem almost doomed to immortality . Still promising to dose for ever , we find them open every year with a fresh blaze of triumph . One would have thought the all-devour , ing town , abhorring- as it does a vacuum , would have long since popped a factory or two little by-streets on to that time-honoured enclosure , which can only be useful , ornamental , or remunerative for a mere fraction of each year . But no ! come wind , come rain , come every damp upon the spirit of proprietors and the public , the Vauxhall of our childhood and our father's father's childhood , still opens its canvas bowers and wooden glades to uncritical youth and reflective age , an annual immortelle * This event took place for the presnet year on the evening- of the

      17 th , when a grand juvenile entertainment was successful in captivating a goodly number of children . A ballet of juvenile dancers was succeeded by sundry clever feats of horsemanship by young riders . A concert followed , in which the most ' promin « nt performance was the " experiences of a sailory * being the sad misfortunes of " Billy Waters , " a nautical burlesque , sung by Mr . J . G . Ford , which , -we may fairly Bay , may rank as one of the cleverest of its very numerous family . Dancing and good fi reworks followed , and the evening wound up , as usual at Vauxhall , with a smart shower . That -we have watched this revival with interest for the sake of old associations is proved by the space we have devoted to it .

      Close of the ExmniTioNS . —The various exhibitions of pictures by modern artists close their doors for the present season this afternoon . The com . mittees hand over the proceeds of the sales to their constituents , and the works of art to their new owners . While the latter are rejoicing over each newacquisition with the necessary alloy of indecision al ) out hanging , light , aud so on , wliich is the amari aiiquid—at least so we have always found it of flue art property—such of the former as have not already departed scheme portable easels and more elastic knapsacks than can ever by any possibility be worked out , and pore over handbooks and guide-books to d is traction . Landlords under Snowdenand Relvellyn ,

      Ben Lomond , and perhaps Mount Blanc , prepare for the coming swarm ; for in a week ' s time . Charlottestreet and the other pictorial neighbourhoods will be deserted , and the hungry hunters after the picturesque , will bo upon you I Wo had purposed to say a few more last words about the picture exhibitions , but , ns under pressure of limited space the weakest part muBt give way , we are forced for the moment to defer that pleasure perhaps indefinitely . We havo been informed , and are gratified to pass the information as we have it to our amateur readers , that the celebrated " Waiting for the Verdict , "

      exhibited in last year ' s Academy Exhibition by Mr . A Solomon , and which very deservedly attracted no small share of public attention , has at lost found a iiurchaser . The very fidelity with which the painful nature of the subject was rendered by Mr . Solomon loft the picture long upon his hands , but d uring the last few days it has changed owners . It lias been purchased by Mr . Lucas , the eminent contractor , so well known in connexion with tlio rebuilding of Covent Garden Theatre , who , on ( lit , has commissioned the talented artist to paint a companion picture illustrative of tho light side , as " Waiiting for the Verdict" is of tho durk one , of a court of criminal justice .

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  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), July 24, 1858, page 719, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2252/page/23/