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    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

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      nature and unpleasant in contrast with the brick wall Mr . W , H . Ward ' s " Fruit , &c . " ( 411 ) , must be noticed for the artist ' s Usual high finish , though the colouring is someAvhat dark ; while on the other hand Mr . Knight ' s pretty little . ' < Sketch onthe Thames" ( 416 ) -almost startles by its brightness . " Little Carry , " a regular "Ma ' s Barling , " in stiff petticoats and flounces * by Mr . Houston ( 415 ) , will arrest many a sympathetic parent : on the way to Mr . Hemsley ' s " Birdcatching" ( 427 ) , which tells its story so well , that it deserves especial mention . It shows the interruption of a bird-trapping party of country lads at a critical moment , by another bearing in his arms a crying infant ; their wrath at the

      offence , and the humility of the hapless culprit , are excellently depicted . The texture of the Barked ash , and the aerial perspective of the sea view in Mr . H . Moore ' s " Oak Coppice , Coast of Devon" ( 428 ) , are charming ; and not less excellent in its minute finish is the old door in the " Welsh Shed" ( 431 ) , by Mr . G . Cole , who has also a delicious little " English Landscape" ( 492 ) . Mr . A . Gilbert ' s Scotch lake scene , " livening— -the Alarm , " has an admirable effect . " The Blind Girl ofCastel Cuille" ( 495 ) , by Mr . J . Ritchie , is an . elaborate piece of prse-Kaphaelism , -which it would be cowardice to pass over in deference to the popular prejudice agaiiist the school . Tins work , though the figure of the unfortunate

      maiden is at first impulsive , has much that is good about it in drawing , but the painter must be warned against paleness and crudity in colour . Mr . E . Hople-y , who has painfully devoted time , taste , paint , and . superior manual dexterity to " The Birth of a Pyramid—ail attempt to realise an Egyptian Tradition" ( 45-3 ) , has , it may . be , nerved himself to brave all manner of derision and censure so lie make himself known . Appreciating this not uncommon calculation , we regard Ms work less as an outburst of enthusiasm than as a challenge to criticism . But let the industrious painter beware of often repeating such costly advertisements . The careless world can afford to laugh , and the . malignant to scoff , perhaps ,

      longer than he would wish to paint unmarketable eccentricities . By 450 , "An ¦ Old Welsh Mill , " see there is another Pettitt in the field , a younger master still of a lengthy line , who-shows signs of treading presently upon the heels of the seniors . Mr . Mogford ' s " Guernsey Peasant , at the Well " ( 474 ) is pleasing-and his * ' Watery Lane" ( 527 ) , in . Guernsey , is very natural , though a little too opaque in the shadows . * Mr . Raven has a very clever sketch ( 482 ) evidently painted from nature , with a good bold sky ; the subject worthy of a more finished picture . " The Hard Word" ( 483 ) , by Mr . E . Hughes , is delicately painted , and the expression of the" child reading " is admirably true . The same

      applies to No . 491 , " The Mother ' s Hope , " a pretty domestic scene by Mi \ J . W . Haynes . Mr . E . Gill ' s " Ruined Mill on the Usk , South Wales , " is good and very Welsh indeed . Mr . C . J . Lewis ' s "Punch " ( 525 ) , at first glaring , repays farther inspection , having much expression and good drawing . Sir George Ilayter ' s thousand guinea " Christening of the Prince of Wales" ( 538 ) , may be admired by those -who like pictures of the kind . It is as good as such generally are , but the interesting subject having attained his majority , or , at least , his colonelcy , the excitement about his christening has so far subsided ,, that the Thousand Guinea quotation may be regarded as prohibitory . The little Prre-Raphaolitc work , " Minstrel Love" ( 539 ) , is worth a

      look , for its nice painting and general inoffensivcness . The " Sbej' of the pair of woodland lovers is soft and inexpressive ; arid the artist , having been puzzled about her dress , bias given her a modern riding habit of grey . The "lie" tolls no tale , sings no song , tunes »<> Into , nnd is vacant . The " Castle of Angerio—Lngo Mnggiore , " by . T . IB . Pync ( 545 ) , is a , fair specimen of " this artist's style , und a very poetical nnd charming work , though the air all a- ¦ tire has frizzled up the vegetation into what has been facetiously called " a state , of Iceland moss . " " The Enemy" ( 564 ) , by W . W . Morris , is very

      remarkable for vivid pourtniyal of action in the animals . In Mr . E . J . Cobbett ' s " Breton Interior" ( 5 f > 5 ) , liis only work hero , this master has somewhat diverged from hie old ground . He is bold and brilliant in colpuvj and Mr . W \ W . ftenno , who has also turned' to Brittany for subjects , lias given cjiarming specimens of his colouring in tho placid . " Broton Menage " ( 559 ) , and tho " Scone at Morlaix" ( 84 ) . Our remarks on this excellent pair of painterswho , whether in , so called , Merry England , or in more shockingly simple Brotagno , dolight to draw thoir inspirations from the lowly hearth—nnist oloso our notieo of this exhibition .

      Untitled Article

      COVEN ? OAHDISN Ol'KUA HOUSE . Jnl 9 magnificent house wa » flllotf on Wednesday by t » o admjrors of IJnlfe ' s " Hobo of Castillo . " on tho ocon-« on of tho revival of that work , which lifttl for a time

      been superseded by " Satanella . " The general effect of the work seems to us to be immensely heightened by the change of theatre . We last heard it at Drury . Lane , where the orchestra being placed below the usual level , it is possible that some effects are lost which tlie more open situation of the band in the Covent Garden House brings forcibly out . But ( however to be accounted for ) it is a treat to hear " the Rose" as it is here presented with Miss Louisa Pyne , our native prima donna as the Queen of Leon , and the finest band ever heard in this country , marshalled and headed by a native conductor . The vast stage , decorated with excellent new paintings , works of consummate art in their way , and covered with well-disciplined masses of dancers and choristers—all , or nearly all , in new and picturesque rememberedThe

      costumes—is a thing to be . perfection of the soloists , choruses , and band , again , noticeable under this management , is something not to be expected under the regular Italian Opera direction , whose select subscribers could not be expected to endure the same opera for fifty nights ; the comparison we cannot help drawing is therefore not odious . Mr , Harrison and Miss Pyne , the latter of whom we found was labouring under a cold , now achieve the customary successes of the opera with an off-hand facility , the result of continued practice . The marvellous Jim-itare of the Scherzo , and the second act finale flow deliciously as ever from our gifted soprano ; and the Muleteer ' s song- and other of Mr . Harrison ' s ballads , he seems , if possible , to handle better for the change of opera-house . The trio of the malcontent lords is much enforced by the aid of Mr . Weiss ' s resonant and powerful voice . This artist is an addition of great value to the cast . The groundlings who , seem utterly indifferent to the outrage upon taste involved in Hidal continue

      making a pantaloon out of a Spanish go , to enjoy the facetide Upon . which Mr . Honey— whose voice ' and acting are worth higher aims—is building a biscuit reputation . It is , however , no fault of his , poor man ! He takes the part , 'tis likely enough , as he found it set down by the librettist ; and funny enough he is , in a way ; but we should like to make the latter sacrilegious wight pay damages to the shade of Cervantes . Never to have been to Spain is not unpardonable , but never to have read " Don Quixote , " or to have read him and then written the part of Don Florio , is an abomination . Why , , the Governor of Barataria was a gentleman , a scholar , and a philosopher to this Floino ! The Opera of " Rip van Winkle , " by an American composer named Bristow , who studied , we believe , under Mr . Maefarren , is very shortly to be produced here . It is rich in effects , and particularly strong- in choruses . The management have been so well assured that liberality begets liberality , that , no expense will , be spared to ensure a perfect ensemble . LYCEUM THEATRE .

      On the occasion of Madame Celeste ' s benefit on Wednesday last , Mr . John Oxenford , whose " Porter ' s Knot , " as borne by Mr . Robson , is still drawing smiles and tears at the Olympic , has again made a hit in adapting from the French play Les A ? nonrs Mandits , an English one in three acts called The Last Hope . The first scene is a fete in the gardens . f one JBlangini ( Mr . Barrett ) , a benevolent doctor , the good genius of the piece . Among the visitors are Madame Antoine ( Mrs . Wallis ) , her daughter M arie ( Madame Celeste ) , Alfred Warnford { Mr . G . Murray ) , and Michali , an adventurer of awfully bad character . ( Mr . Fitzjames ) . These two gentlemen are in love with Marie , who prefers Alfred . To mar the happiness he cannot share , therefore , Michali makes known that the lady ' s brother Pierre , ( Mr . Emerv ) , is a convicted forcer . A duel is the result ;

      A If red is wounded ; Madame Antoine dies of shame and grief ] and the act-drop fulls . Seven years are supposed to have elapsed when , on its rising , we find that Alfred hns married Marie , and incurred the wrath of his father , Sir William Warnford ( Mr . J . Neville ) ' This wicked old man finds-just the tools to help him to coerce liis . disobedient child in Michali nnd the forger Pierre . He engages them to tear Alfred from his wife , in hopes that lie may thus be worked upon to agree to a legal separation . The plot succeeds . Michali carries off the hero ; Mario and her child remain in the hands of Pierre , Thesis worthies , however , cannot agree upon the clisposnl of thoir prey ; nnd poor Marie j with womanly tact , employs her ' little one successfully to aid her in softening tliVheurt of the villain brother . In tho situation thus opened to them the great talent , of the actor and actress hnd full scope , and wero most telling ; nor can we forget tho intelligence of the" little girl , which contributeiltQ tho nlfrot of I he tnblcuu . The end of it Is

      that mother arid child so fur humani ze Pierre that ho couiph to blows with his comrade Michali , and kills him . Marie at this juncture nearly bring * about a tragicending finale by tasting a poisonous narcotic which had been prepared for her brothor . »^ l | 0 contrives , however , to wrestle with her agony and to ' seek her husband in his father ' s presence . When Him audience liavo seen such a . wondrous change operated in the desperate forgot Pierro , they are of course not surprised , that Sir William should at last rolent . Ho docs so , well and wiaojy , and the piece ends happily for all . Numerous splendid openings occur in its course for tho display of Madame Celesta ' s peculiar talents , and she availed herself of all of them -so us poworfully to agitato a numerous audience . She was very warmly received , ns wna her able right-hand in the piece —Mr . Emery . Tho dolleiUo Blwafng by this aotor , of Plorro ' s transition ft'om vHlany to affection was very nicely managed , nnd deserved the plaudits of the assembly .

      WlJOJUtt ' ri ROOMS . — AIR , 8 . O . IIAM / tf JUiCTUKUa ON TUB AUTIIOMS OV THIS AU 15 . Wo wore compelled by press of matter to omit nil

      notice in our last number Of Mr . S . C . Hall's soirees at Willis ' s rooms . The veteran author and journalist may indeed feel flattered at the numerous and elegant assemblies ^—comprising many well known in the literaryand fine-art circles— -Wbom the magic of his name in the first instance gathered about him , and at tlie no less imposing audiences whom common good-report of bis entertainment has sent on subsequent occasions to hear his reminiscences of people he ., lias chanced to . meet upon the great world ' s stage . In his time Mr . Hall has been on terms of acquaintance , and in some cases of intimacy , with many a fine spirit j and thus historical pictures , with the dim outlines of which the public are familiar , are occasionally brought out sharp and clear by the bright rays his memory enables him to project upon them . He gossips with his hearers in the funnest , pleasantest of ways about the admirable Sydney Smith , the renowned James and Horace Smith , Lord Byron , MooreSou they , Lamb , Rogers , Crabb , Hook ,

      Camp-, bell , Maginn , Miss Edgeworth , and L . E . L . Too old a member of pur ¦ craft not to have observed that biography too often runs to mischievous panegyric , Mr . Hall does not fall into the blunder of canonizing- all whose acquaintance he has enjoyed ; he does not ignore , though it were needless to say he does not unnecessary deepen , the shadows of their humanitv—and this is a part of his secret . A nip-ht With a detefminately eulogistical lecturer of this kind would be a desperately cloying affair to any given section of that " Vanity Fair" which likes nothing better , when all is said and done , than passing an occasional evening a declarer sesamU . But our lecturer skilfully avoids the temptation to indulge in indiscriminate hero-worship , and flavours his dainty olla with just enough of delicate suggestive censure to satisfy , and pique withal , the intellectual palate of his hearers . We understand it to be Mr . Hall ' s intention to compress into one lecture , with a view to a country tour , the substance of the two delivered at Willis ' s Rooms , and to

      break provincial ground at Oxford . ST . JAMES ' S THEATRE . There is something very pleasant—all shortcomings notwithstanding—in an evening at this Opera Comique de Londr . es . However defective ( within reason ) the executants , there is something about Auber ' s effervescent compositions that seems particularly suited to French voices and French fingers . Cccteris 2 >< O' > -bus , we believe a French opera company would be helped by mere nationality to-excel by a tifi ' fle any rival one in interpreting the Domino Moir , Massaniello , or the Diamnns dela Couronne . We have now once or twice heard the latter opera , under M . Remusat ' s direction , at the St . James ' s , and , though no one could be blind to tne defects , we found the balance of comfort on the right side . The band is excellent , and . gives the overture as lightly and smoothly as may be expected of a French orchestra , playing a stock French overture . The bandit queen , Catarina , is roost pleasingly acted by the prima donna . Madame Faure , whose thin but nrtstty voice has

      now become acclimatized , arid is in its best form . The music of this part is of a difficult character , but Madame Faure is perfectly mistress of it . In the air known here as " The Queen of Night , " the expx-essive coujilet d ' adteic , in the duo with Diana , and in the finale to the opera , she was loudly applauded . M . Fougeres , the tenor , is conscientious ; he wanders not from his allotted parthe lias not force to carry him far if he did . But marvellous is the good-natured self-possession of this gentleman , who ,, while , as he must be , conscious that he is exciting alternately smiles and compassion , sings and acts with the imperturbable sangfroid of a Rubini sure of his ovation in good time . I n the breakfast scene of Act I ., ( where Madame Faure , by tlie way , experiences and demonstrates the difficulty of sitting gracefully in a crinolined dress barely knee deep , he is most correct , and onlymiases boingvery pleasing through the failure of his falsetto . We understand that engagements are ponding with singers of talent , and that the entrcpenvurs intend to carry their season to Easter .

      Untitled Article

      books k :. Two Journeys to Japan , 18 &G—7 . By Kinnhan Comwallis , In ' dvoU . Thoinns Oautlcv Muwby . Cluasic Records Reviewed and JD vet plural . Thomas Do Quincey . . lames Hojrw and Soitt . JEsxai / n—Biof / raph ' wal , Critical , avd Miscellaneous . By ' Peter Bayne , A . M . J nines llo ^' g and Sons . Localised Movement ; or Musnilitr . JH . vcrci / n . 'a . By Henry Heather Bi ^ d . John Chuivhlll . A Plea for tho Constitution , liy John Austin , JEau . John Murray . The Earth we Tv ha I / it . By Captain A . W . Draysou , , R . A . A . W . Bennett . La Plata , tho Argentino Confederation , oud Paraguay . By Thomas J . Page , U . S . N . Trubuitr and Co . Poems . By Frederick W . Wyon . Smith , Klder , and Logic in Theology , and other JSusayo . By Isaac 'faylerBell oiiaDnlby

      . . . . .... „„ , *„ . „_ New Zealand and its Colonisation . By William Swainson . fcSmlfh , EJdor , and Co . Holy Places , and other Poems . By Robecca Hey . Hatchard and Co . Mackintosh ' s System of" National Defence ; orJSTow Strategies In Warfare , " fro . W . Clowes and Sons . 2 ? aots , Failures , and Frauds . By D . Morlur Evans . GrownbrldtfO and Sons . My Journal } with an Account of General Haveloch ' s March from Allahabad to Luc / mow . By A Volunteer , Calcutta : C . B . Lewis . Stato Prosecutions of tho Press at the Instigation of a < Foreign Government . By Uonvy J . Kluok , Jjnrrisl « r-at . Law . . ^ , „ Hand Hook of tho Court and Peerage ^ and tkoffoneo of Commons , 1850 . 1 » , S . King .

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      Untitled Article

      No . 465 , February 19 , 1859 ] THE LEADER . 239

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 19, 1859, page 239, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2282/page/15/