The Express. — London, England, 1867-11-19 00:00:00

Ititeratture. NEW BOOKS. Mr. O'Dell Travers Hill, F.R.G.S., has col lected from the Ihih lie trairersity Magazicce certain papers which he wrote there some time back, on English Monasticism; its Else- and hyltrente (Jack son, Walfurd, and Hodder). He takes for the groundwork of his discourse an account of Glaston bury Abbey (the oldest monastery in England), from its foundation in one of the early Christian centuries, to its dissolution in the sixteenth cen tury. His object he describes as the examination of km:fish monasticism in its two great phases, the Benedictine and Franciscan ; and ho has selected the recur& of the famous Somersetshire Abbey as enabling him to do this within something like moderate dimensions. Mr. Hill is certainly not a 11. man catholic, but he is manifestly a great admirer of the monastic system. He seems only to admit with reluctance that that system, towards the close of its existence in this country, had become extremely corrupt ; but he dilates with effusion and rapture on its many virtues, on the good it effected in rude and barbarous epochs, on the en couragement it gave to literature and the arts, on the charity which it extended to the poor, and on the piety which it excited among its devotees. We should infer from all this, and from a certain tone of sentimentality which pervades his style, that Mr. Hill is a member of the ritualistic section of the church of England • and yet his work is issued by one of the best known of our evan gelical and nonconformist publishers. Be this as it may, Mr. Hill is determined that the monastic system of the middle ages shall not want such adornments as his pen can give it, nor its opponents any hard knocks and depreciatory epithets which it is within his power to furnish. He is very severe on all thaw who deny the system any virtues or redeeming features whatever ; but it seems to us that on this head he expends a great deal of indig nation in vain. None but extreme fanatical, whose power at the present day is of the smallest, ever think of questioning the im portant part which the church of Rome per formed during the dark ages as a spiritual counterpoise to the savage brutality of the mili tary order. Lord Macaulay, who was certainly not inclined to a papistiml view of things, and who regarded such matters in a singularly calm and unemotional manner, fully acknowledged the fact, and did ample justice to the genuine claims of the Latin church. All other philosophical historians have written in the same fair and reasonable spirit ; but this does not seem enough for Mr. Hill. He becomes quite poetic and lyrical in celebrating the loveliness of the old conventual life ; and, in speaking of the men of the Reformation and their work, uses such phrases as " fierce fanati cism," " ruthless Vandalism," "blind ignorance," " the devastation of the iconoclast," " the wan tonness of the ignorant," " those over-zealous men," " barbarity without bravery," Sze. In making so large a claim upon protestant writers for the exercise of a liberal canelour in judging of the monastic system, Mr. Hill would have better vindicated his own impartiality had he made some allowance for the circumstances under which the reformers worked. To us, sitting in the security of the nineteenth century, under the light and liberty which they to a great extent secured to us, it is easy to condemn their excesses, which no doubt were often very regrettable, and not to be vindicated ; but when we recollect that the system which they shattered in a sudden outburst of wrath had become a scandal to Christendom, and a peril to the social life of England which can scarcely be exaggerated—a system that even Mr. Hill says hid degenerated into "a lie," against which human nature rose—we may well forbear from passing any bitter judgment on that excess of zeal which ap pears to be inseparable from all great revolutionary movements arising out of ages of corruption and wrong-doing. Mr. Hill seeks to be pathetic, in one place, over the loneliness of the monkish life ; but in that case why does he seek to array it in such gorgeous coloursl It was not simply that the monastic order had be come, by the commencement of the sixteenth century, a cloak for a terrible amount of pride, covetousness, tyranny, and vice. It is not only on that ground that really protestant writers object to this leading feature of Romanism ; they protest against it because, even at its best, and in spite of certain virtues specially suited to the circumstances under which it arose, it was an unnatural repres sion of the individual by a sacerdotal despotism designed to check the progress of liberty and the de%elopment of secular civilisation. Tlus does not seem to be the view adopted by Mr. Hill, and the presence of a contrary idea will act to the prejudice of the work in the eyes of all but the lovers of ritualistic formalism. As a laboriously compiled history of a remarkable institution, his book is a work of interest; although we cannot praise his style. To the numerous works that have already been written about Algeria and the other northern States' of Africa, the Hon. Lewis Wingfield has just added 1 two very entertaining volumes with the title of 1 Under the Palms in Algeria and Tunis (Hurst and Blackett). The book appears to have been pub lished against the advice of the writer's friends, who forewarned him of the consequences, and, above all, bade him take heed of the critics. Mr. Wing field, however, considered that a simple account of his travels would not be unacceptable to the general reader, especially as Algeria, according to our author, is but little known at present to English men, notwithstanding that many of our country men and countrywomen annually visit its shores to escape the inclemency of our wtnters. Doubtless Mr. Wingfield is right in saying that the greater number of these visitors return to England without knowing anything of Algeria, either as to its present condition or future prospects ; but we cannot expect to find laborious inquirers in mere pleasure-seekers. The two volumes tinder n0...66 contain a somewhat elaborate description of the writer's rambles, in the first four months of the present year, through the States of Algeria and Tunis. He was accompanied in his journey by two friends and several native guides, and he appears to have gone over nearly the whole extent of both these countries, having wandered as far as the borders of the great sandy desert of Sahara. Most of the principal cities and villages of Algeria were visited by him, and, during his brief stay in the capital, he experienced a rather severe shock of earthquake. The volumes include a compendious geographical and statistical descrip tion of the country traversed by the author, together with ample details of the present govern ment, laws manners, and amusements of the natives, interspersed with occasional Arab tales and legends. From Algeria Mr. Wingfield journeyed to Tunis, where he saw the ruins of ancient Car thage, of which he gives a short, but graphic and picturesque, description. Tunis, the capital of the kingdom of the same name, is supposed to number among its inhabitants at the pfesent day about 20,000 Jews, which is a larger number than is to be found in any other town of the Barbary States. The population, both of Turns and Algeria, however, seems to be of a very hete rogeneous kind. Mr. Wingfield's work contains • good deal of information concerning the present state, political and social, of the people of Algeria, both native and colonial, and is very agreeably written, the style being easy, animated, and genial. The author gives it as his opinion that the govern ment of Algeria, as at present administered, is extremely vicious and corrupt, altogether false in principle and bad in practice. Ever since the con quest of the country by the French the govern ment has been placed in the hands of a general or marshal of France, who has also had the chief command of the army of Algeria. This military rule has been productive of many evil consequences to the French settlers. Of course the soldiers desire the system to continue • but the colonists, on the other hand, ardently Wish for a civil form of go vernment, similar to that of the mother country. They desire to be no longer in leading-strings, and I ask of the home government nothing more than that they will give them opportunities to buy land. Mr. Wingfield avers that, until the existing state of things is entirelyaltere d, the government com pletely assimilated to that of - France, and the THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1867. Arabs and Kabyles either wholly expelled or driven to the extreme frontiers of the country, and replaced b y Europeans, there will be no hope for Algeria. He expresses a wish that the time may not be very far distant when this shall be the case, and believes that in about another hundred and fifty years (rather a long period, by the way, to anticipate) the Arab population of Algeria will have become a fact of the past. He concludes his work with a few words of advice to his readers as to the various preliminary arrangements proper to be made should any of them feel disposed to take a journey to Northern Africa. At the same time he throws out a hint that, instead of travelling abroad, they had better buy his book (taking several copies for themselves and friends), and read it over the tire at home, " making an occa sional note of admiration in the margin." The volumes are adorned with frontispieces and vignettes, very well executed, representing the cities of Tunis, Constantine, and Biskra, and an Arab girl. A strange book comes to us from the Messrs. Longman, under the title of With Mo.rimilion in Mexico, from the Viet.-book of a Mexican Officer. It professes to be by " Max., Baron von Alvensleben, late Lieutenant in the Imperial Mexican Army." It also professes to be a truthful narrative of events in which the writer actually took part, ex -1 tending from February, 1856, to April, 1867. The writer save that, having acquired a taste for mili tary service as an officer of the United States army during the rebellion, he was glad, after the close of the struggle, to offer his sword to the then Im perial ruler of Mexico, in the hope that it might help to prop up the declining fortunes of the foreign government. Being himself an Austrian, the baron had ties of nationality and of language with the Emperor, to whose memory he dedicates his 1 volume in a very laudatory and high-flown inscrip tion. He obtained a poet in connexion with the Engineers, and, according to his own account, had some very rough work with the Juarista. In May, 1866, however, his small force was overwhelmed by ' a much larger force of the enemy. He him , self was wounded and taken prisoner, but after awhile he escaped, and once more joined the Im perial army. Ultimately, when, owing to desertions and the gradual collapse of the Imperial cause, his company could no longer be got together in its normal strength, he accepted the command of a detachment of contra-guerillsa, but, being sur rounded by the Juarists at Acapulco, he and his companions cut their way through with great diffi culty, and escaped in boats sent from an American vessel in the harbour. This was the end of the baron's experiences in Mexico, and he was not sorry to arrive at New York. He gives a very dis mal account of the whole sorry business. The French, he says, were not far away on the occasion of the battle in which he was taken prisoner, yet they made no attempt to go to the aid of their Im perial allies, and, on hearing of the defeat of the latter, plundered the town which they had occupied and abandoned it. The Juarists are described as a set of bloodthirsty miscreants, and the baron quotes a proclamation of General Escobcdo, enjoin ing the extirpation of the enemies of the republic, and the pillage of towns which after a certain date should still resist the national forces. On the other hand, the Imperialists seem to have been equally desperate. "The Emperor," Bays the present author, " knew that strong party spirit reigned among his adherents, even among the military, and his constant endeavour to keep all factions in check was one of the most arduous duties of his admi nistration. The unreliability of his ministers and councillors obstructed his efforts all the more, because he could not detect the offenders. Ru mours and warnings had aroused suspicion, and brought about arrests and examinations, but with out leading to any results. Hia honest heart would not believe in the treachery of those nearest to his person, although circumstances clearly pointing to its existence were of constant occurrence. There was, however, one officer in the Imperial army whose penetrating intellect, whose prudence, and whose invincible fidelity did good service to the Emperor. This was Mejia." These details would be interesting, if we could place any faith in the authenticity of the narrative. But there is a ro mantic colour in most of the incidents, and in the style of the writing, which makes us very suspi cious. The book has unquestionably been " cooked up," so as to read in many parts like a novel of the G. P. R. James order. It is certainly amusing ; the incidents are wild and stirring ; the descriptions of scenery sufficiently pic turesque ; and the style, despite a little senti mentality, bright and agreeable. The writer seems to be really acquainted with Mexico, and with the recent course of events in that country, and proba bly did in truth go through some of the expe riences he here relates. But the tone of romanti cism goes on increasing with the progress of the book, until, in the closing chapters, we find the baron tracking down a very highly wrought con spiracy against the Emperor, in which Lopez is described as being concerned. The incidents here are quite in the manner of a Surrey Theatre melo drama of the old school ; and the baron relates long conversations which it is next to impossible he could recollect with so much particularity, and which, moreover, are too highly coloured to bear the complexion of truth. The account which the author gives of his escape from Acapulco is also very suggestive of "the long bow. ' The work looks as if it were of American origin, and we should like to know something more of the Baron von Alvenaleben before we put much faith in him. The book, we repeat, is entertaining ; but as a con tribution to the history of the war it is of no value. Miss Sarah Tytler has written a charming little tale in one volume, called The Diamond Rose : a Life of +Love Ind Duty (Strahan). The story was originally published in the grit volume of Good Words, under the title of " Lear FKlttlernile's Maidens ;" but it Las now been completely recast, and forms • delightful picture of old Scottish life. The scene is laid in Edinburgh at the commence ment of last century, just when the legislative union of Scotland with England had converted the northern capital into a species of provincial town. The quaint architecture of the old city—even more quaint then than now—the staid, formal manners of its inhabitants—their deep feeling combined with the habitual suppression of emotion—the rough freedom of the men, and the quiet coquetries of the women—all are delineated with the mastery of one who knows well the scenes and characters of which and of whom she writes. We are also intro duced to a family of French protestant refugees, who give variety to the dramatis persona. Pathos, and a sort of grave cheerfulness, sometimes passing into humour, alternately characterise the book ; and a religious feeling, very distinct from cant or bigotry, is observable throughout the progress of the tale. A little story, with a more decidedly religions tone, comes to us from France, in the shape of an authorised translation of the Countess de Gas parin'a novelette, Camille (Edmonton and Douglas). The countess is a protestant, and the fiction to which we are now referring will doubtless find many readers in England and Scotland amongst those who are not generally inclined to look with favour on the productions of French fiction. From the Count de Gasparin, also a protestant, we have a volume on The Family ; its Duties, Joys, and Sorrows (Jackson, Walford, and Hodder), which is evidently the production of an amiable and accom plished nature. Whoever has a fancy for studying the mysteries of coats of arms, and the other insignia of chivalry, will find a good gguriiide to those recondite matters in EnOish Heraldry , by Charles Bound], M.A., with 450 illustrations (Cassell, Patter, and Galpin). And to the lover of science we can recommend the sixth edition of Mr. Jabes Hog's comprehensive volume on The Microscope: its History, Construction, cad Application: being a Familiar Introduction to the Use of the Instrument, and the Study of Micro scopical Science (Routledge and Sons), illustrated with upwards of five hundred engravings, and coloured plates by Taffen West. 017 ORD, Nov. 18—The election to Adam de Brente's exhibitions at Oriel College has terminated aa foLlowc—Callendar. James Montague, Cheltenham Col lege. Rowlett, James Clarke, Orkl College. Proxime Aoomeit : John Edward Payne, Chank7's Hall. nag wens 30 eandidates. Sine Ann. THE WINTER EXHIBITIONS. The two galleries in the Haymarket, Mr. M'Clean's and Mr. Tooth's, are showing more and more every year bow the picture dealer successfully rivals the regular exhibitions which the artiste themselves super- intend. The old days of the patrons of artists have com pletely passed away, and the fastidious connoisseur has given place to the " middleman," who buys anything and everything in the shape of a picture, provided it has the trade mark of a good name upon the face of it. This is • state of things that has both good and bad sides ; no doubt the artist finds himself, in respect of the sale of his works, in more easy cucumatances, but we doubt whether his poweis are always put upon the stretch and whether he is doing justice to hie own natural gifts. Ile must be constantly tempted to dash off pictarea and get the money for them, without bestowing a thought upon meeting the taste of this or that virtuoso, and often without much care for his art. Thus we can see a broad road open to facility of execution, and of course to mannerism, that Nemesis of all successful painters. It would often be better if an artist did not paint with the certainty of ibis ready sale before his eyes: we fear that much of the want of artistic spirit, and the de cadence which now threatens our school more seriously than ever, are to be attributed to the love of popular Em cee., and ties tt,c, which the dealers have made it so much easier to attain. There would be no difficulty in naming many painters of position whose works have never equalled the merit of their earlier time and first success, and )et they are overwhelmed with commissions. It would be unfair and ungrateful to blame the dealers for all this prosperity ; their office is simply to provide pic tures for the public ; it is for the artists to preserve their art and their good name. The examples we meet with away from the galleries of the Societies of Water-oolour Painters are, it will be remarked, generally a little lees refined endless fresh and original, as if there were the want of the spur of emulation amongst the contributors. In Mr. M'Clesn's collection there will be found a surpris ing number of drawings rather above the average excel lence, and most of the best masters are represented. There are drawings not only of the latest modern style and method, but some of the old masters of the art— George Barrett, De \Vint, S. Prout, Copley Fielding, Turner, and David Cox, and one admirable drawing by E. Ifeissonnier, which serves to challenge comparison with our English water-colour painting. This last is a single figure of cavalier in a red cloak and grey dress, warming his feet at the large old fireplace—an excellent study, though it is by no means equal to the 'painter's work in oil. Mr. Birket Foster is represented more especially by two large drawings, neither of which, however, can be said to be in his happiest vein—though the " Teaching Dolly to walk" (38)—a group of children, with two of them leading" dolly" along a pretty country pathway—is very prettily touched. Mr. Tooth has been more successful in his examples of this artist, particularly in • large drawing of gleaners crossing a rustic bridge as they reach their cottage home on a fine summer evening. We notice, however, in all these works of Mr. Birket Foster an intense mannerism, which with all the sweetness is becoming rather sickly. It is not satisfactory in this case, as in that of another very popular landscape painter—Mr. Visit Cole—to see so constant a repetition of the same themes in the same favourite colours. In Mr. M'Clean's gallery there is • " View near Haslemere" (6), but it is really a sandpit of the brightest yellow sand in the brightest sunlight, set off against a very blue and green landscape. The sole aim of this picture is to startle with • brilliant effect of colour, and we must admit that the painter has succeeded in beat ing the chromolith artist hollow, if that is any satis faction to him. A precisely similar aim has guided Mr. Cole in the drawing of " Grist for the Mill" (66 in Mr. Tooth's gallery), in which we see a broad field of yellow corn spreading away into the blue valley and under the green oak trees, with the blue sky above. The whole scheme of colour in such a picture has been entered upon without remembering that in nature these tremendous contrasts are never seen, because the scale is so vast, and the harmonising effect of broad day. light and atmosphere so diffused, that ally tender, deli cate, and harmonious. Those are qualities which we fail to recognise in these drawings, admirable as they may be in many points of realistic and technical painting. The art of Turner, Copley Fielding, and David Cox, which it is an advantage in these exhibitions to be able to study by the side of these works of the new school, wholly despised anything so merely and directly imitative. We are glad to be able to point to Mr. Dodgson'a drawing (38 in Mr. Tooth's collection), " On the River Wye," a beau tiful grey moonlight late evening effect, as a favourable example of a more intellectual treatment of landsospe. Mr. Charles Davidson contributes to the same exhibition two admirable works, 53,a " View near Bletchworth," with fine wide spreading beeches, rich in their autumn leaves ; and 15, " Chalk Cliffs on the South Coast "—the latter not so finished es it might be, perhaps, but full of excel lent nature. There is a good example of this artist in Mr. M'Clean's (112) " The Farmyard," remarkable for the truth of grey open-air effect. Mr. F. Walker is more favourably seen in his drawing (88), " Blackberrying " (Mr. M'Clean's), than usual ; the colouring is agreeable in the prevalence of the grey tone over the picture ; the figures are a little too nearly related to the family of the "Sentimental Rustic," but they are picturesque and neatly drawn. Mr. Frederick Taylor's " Mussel Gather ers" (10) is one of his boldest and richly touched drawings, and welcome as • variety after his many clever hawking and hunting pieces. Among other good drawings in these two exhibitions we should draw attention to Mr. F. W. Topham's " Landscape near Bettws y Coed," Mr. Richard son's " Como," Mr. Leitch's " Kilchuna Castle," Mr. J. D. Watson's "Musician," a gentleman in old costume playing on the viol di Casaba ; Mr. Carl Haag's " Greeting in the Desert " and " Eastern Chief," Mr. E. Duncan's " Donated," • ship in • gale, and " Smyrna," Mr. W. W. Desne's " Bull Ring, Seville," Mr. S. Bead's " Interior of Cathedral S. Lorenzo, at Genoa," and Miss Coleman's beautiful Apple Branch and other objects of still r Lib (1484 rp Mr. M'Clean's exhibition. There is • good lapse.' .Alit cil by Mr. Bierstadt, the painter of the large and very remarkabie Irak " A titiOna in the Rooky Mountain'," at Mr. M'Clean's ; and there is a small, but choice, collection of oil paintings, forming part of Mr. Tooth's exhibition, in which there are several good examples of the foreign schools, and one capital picture by Adolphe Schreyer, the animal painter, of • " Csikos"--an Albanian horse dealer, we presume, mounted on his well-trained Arab, enticing a wild chestnut colt that stands off and sniffs the air with • suspicion of captivity. These oil pictures at Mr. Tooth's are particularly well worth a visit, and, indeed, both the exhibitions are most creditable to the enterprise of their respective managers. BUILDING AND RZPAIRING CHURCHZA AND CHAPIII.B.—The meetings of the Incorporated Society for Promoting the Enlargement, Building, and Repairing of Churches and Chapels Were resumed, and the first for the present session was held yesterday at the wrist's house, No. 7, Whitehall, 8.W., the Rev. A. &windage in the chair. There were also present the Revs. W. Reyner, Omens, and Z. L. Cutts ; Messrs. John Boodle, George Cowburn, A. J. C. Lawrie, William Riviagton, Edward Thornton, and the Rev. George Ainslie, ILA., secretary' Grants of money amounting to 6781. were made in aid of the following objects :—ding new churches at Green field in the parish of Holywell ; fit. Chad, in the parish of }Ligation, Middlesex ; Lowfield-heath, in the parish of Ohio wood, near Crawley; rebuilding th e churchesat Farn ham Royal. near Slough • Melton Ross, near Uloeby, Lincoln ; and Llaa fi hangel•Bryn-Paboau, near Builtle Brecon ; enlarging or otherwise increasing the acoommodn! 1 Han in the churches at Buckland, near Tring, and Ted- 1 bourne, near Exeter. The grants formerly made towards building the church at Blackmon' End, in the . ' of Wethersfield, near Braintree , and towards • the church at Cantreff, near Brecon ware each inoneeed. The society likewise accepted the trait of ailment money es repair funds for the new churches at sparkiwook, near Birming ham, and Christchurch.Staincliffe, Dewsbury. It trammede smatter for regret at this meeting that the &mom had not been augmented, as it was Impel they would have been, during the nous, and an earnest hope was wee more ex pressed that the forthcoming year of the society's jubilee would wittier a great increase in its resources, the claims on &peanut of the ineremed growth of the population throughout the kingdom becoming every month more urgent. _ _ . 13017TH KINBINGION MIISIUM.—ViIitOIII (hiring the week ending Nor. 16, 1867 : On Monday Tuesday, and Saturday (free), from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m., Ii ,390 ; on Wednesday Thursday and Friday (admindon 6d.), from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., ; total, 0 11 8: 8 44 . .=. of cor responding week in f o rcer years, „ from the opening at tke mamma, 7,0N,516. - . . PAT/ST-0171CM MUNZUM, SOUTH KENSINOTON.- Number of Tilton foe the week aiding Nov. 113, 1760. Total onasloor aims the opealog of tb. K.sum fns &Ur (12Ih May, 1850), 1,300,910. jPlu%u. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. This house re-opened last night, under the ma nagement of Mr. J. Russell, with an English version of Ofienbaab's La Grande Duchesie de translated by Mr. Charles Kenney. This piece, first produced in Paris (at the Venetia) in April last, has had a sitcoms there beyond even that of the most popular of the previous productions of a composer who, whatever his merits, has unquestionably a power of fascination over a large portion of the public of the day. Not even his Orphie aux Enfcrs (►Rail), or his more recent La Belle Hit ne (1861-5), made such a hit as this last of his productions, which has reached most of the cities of Ger many, is being played in New York, and now finds its way hero in an English &imitation. A deliberate perusal of the original French edition of the music and the libretto leaves us in a state of some wonder at the enormous suc cess of this piece, granting all the power of such adventi tious aid as the piquancy of French acting can give even to the smallest productions. If the literary portion of the piece is intended as a satire on the pettiness of some Ger man States, on military rank and skill, and social diatinc , lions, the satire seems to us somewhat shallow—if merely as a purposeless piece of broad burlesque, or uproarious farce, its length is too prolonged and its extrava gance too great to he justified by the amount of in herent fun which it contains. An impossible Grand Duchess of a small German State, swaggering about among her soldiers, now seating herself on a drum, now taking drink from the hands of the vivandieres, cast ing an eye of favour on a stupid lout of a common soldier (Fritz), and promoting him in a series of rapid sentences through every grade up to that of general and comman der-in-chief in an impending battle with the " enemy" (indefinitely stated), the said lout of a soldier in love with a pretty young country lass (Wanda), and jealous of his general (Boom), whom he supersedes by the freakish favour of the Grand Duchess; the victory gained by the new commander over the enemy inebriated by ► vast quantity of wine and liquor, purposely placed in their way to be stolen by them—a melodramatic plot by the courtiers for the assassination of the new favourite, who, however, remains insensible to the Duchess's partiality mid persists in marrying his pantie, the humble Wanda ; the transference of the Duchess's light affections to the Baron Grog, who in turn rejects them, being already married ; and the ultimate acceptance by this outrageously impossi ble (lecher of the hand of the meek Prince Paul, who has been her suitor from the first—the disgrace of Fritz, who is deprived of all his honours and appointments in a de soending scale, by a series of rapid sentences similar to three in which they were conferred, the Duchess consoling herself in acceptance of the Prince Paul with the senti ment, as translated, " When what we've got our hearts on we can't get, on what we have our hearts we fain must set." ("Quand on n'a pas ce que l'on sine, it taut aimer es quo l'on a")—such are the leading incidents, scarcely de serving the prominence we have given to them. As to the music—there is no denying that it possesses (especially the first act) an impulse and exuberant viva , city, and • tuneful prettyness that may largely account for its popularity ; but the incessant succession of abort dance tunes (lively and pretty as some of them unques tionably are), and the want of any real continuous power as displayed in constructive art or development, soon pro duce, on an ear of any degree of musical cultivation, an impression of flippancy and shallowness that becomes irk some and annoying when prolonged through three acts, occupying • space of time that ought not to be devoted to any work but one of real thought and mature art. M. Offenbach's music may be acceptable enough allied to a short piece of avowedly farcical charac ter, pleasantly filling up • brief hour, without demanding either much attention or any afterthought; but an "opera bouffe " in three acts and four tableaux, playing from eight o'clock till just upon midnight, should possess stranger musical claims than waxen recognise in La Grande Dwasate. The overture, so called, is merely a very brief potpourri of themes from the opera itself, loosely tacked together. The chief pieces noticeable in the first act are Ihritz's song, " Round in circles flying," the Grand Duchess's made, " Oh, I doat on the military," and her celebrated sabre song,"Lo here the sabre of royal's," which m Ade so peat a sensation in Paris. In the second act • rather pretty duo and rondo, in which the Duchess makes love to Fritz, and a legendary ballad for the Duchess in the third act (" There liv'd in times now long gone by ") are among the most salient points in the remaining portion of the piece. There are finales and concerted movements, but these con sist of such mere scraps and detached phrases that they cannot be treated seriously as musical composition. Miss Julia Mathews, who performed the part of the Grand Duchess, comes from Australia, and made her first ap pearance in England on this occasion. This lady's talents are rather as an actress than as a singer. In the former capacity she possesses much vivacity and a distinct enun ciation ; while as a vocalist she made somewhat too free use, at first, of that ad /11.ituat intonation which is only admissible in the burlesque school. As she progressed, however, and gained more confidence, she sang with more decision, and in several points gained consider able applause, especially in the finale to the first act, and the legendary ballad in the last act. Miss Augusta Thom son was a lively representative of Wanda, and sang her mulct with archness and point, particularly the little ballad "Oft rite-a-lite." Mr. Harrison in the character of Fritz looked and acted with commendable stolidity, and gave his mimic with burlesque energy. The preposterously extravagant part of General Boom—who is always defying an unseen enemy, and instead of taking snuff discharges double-barrelled pistol and sniffs the smoke—was by no means underplayed by Mr. Arm* Cook ; while Mr. Frank Matthews as Baron Puck, the Grand Duchess's preceptor, was amusing in his costume, somewhat resembling that of a parish beadle, with • plethoric gingham umbrella. The small part of Nepomuc, an aide-de-amp, was rendered emotionally prominent by Mr. F. Payne's pantomimic talent for grotesque gestures. Mr. Odell was sententious as Baron Grog, whose name affords the theme for sundry jokes; and Mr. Stolle threw some humour into the part of the simpering and inane Prince Paid. In two respects the per formance hers has the advantage over that of Paris : the elaborate stage arrangements and the effective orchestra (00(144tted b 7 Mr. Boiltmana) Mona feat= is tbi present version ;but it cannot be concealed that the piece loses much of such power as it may have by trans ference into a foreign language, and a large theatre. Neither in its dramatic nor its musical aspect is the Grand Duda' suited to such a theatre as the Royal Italian Opera, or worthy of the antecedents of that home. The translation has been very carefully and cleverly effected by Mr. Kenney, who has made several necessary modifications in the situations and the text. The holies was well filled, and the enplanes was loud throughout the piece—qualified at the close, however, by some few dissentient signs. With some curtailment and compression (especially in the long dialogue near the commencement of the third set), the pretty dance tunes in the Grand Dockets may, perhaps, draw audiences until the production of the next attraction in preparation—the Christmas pantomime. At the conclusion of the per formance the National Anthem was sung. MONDAY POPULAR OONCERTS. Last night's concert offered a feature of great interest awl novelty in the first performance by Madame Arabella Goddard of a new book (the eighth) of Mandela aohn's Lieder ohne work, selected from the great corn. poser's posthumous works, and cow in course of publica tion by Messrs. Novello, Ewer, and Co. These charming pieces produced a marked effect, two of them being encored. Of the whole set of six, however, we must take another opportunity to speak in detaiL Litreomen-lwri.—The undermentioned gentlemen were ester& celled to the degree of Barrister-at-Inw by Use Society of Linooln's.inn, viz. :—Mr. John Wesley Hales, M.A., Cambridge ; Mr. Albert Hayford Pier9oll. 8.0. L., and /LA., Oxford; Mr. James Cholmeley Rummell, 8.A., Oxford ; Mr. Robert Pitcairn, late of Ox ford ; Mr. Henq Gasebig 8.A., Cambridge ; Mr. Samuel Beni Lone M.A., Oxford ,• Mr. Fermis Alfred Hanbury, M.A., Cambride ; Mr. Reginald Hughes, 8.A., Oxford ; Mr. John Ansel Day, 8.A., Oxford ; Mr Henry ' Stubbing ; Mr. Thomas Whitoombe Omen* 11.0. L., Ox ford ; Mr. Robert Campbell, M.A., Cambridge ; and Mr. Edward Geri. MADAIII Termite o's.—A very excellent likeness of the late unfortunate Archduke Maximilian has just been added to the Baker-street eolleolion. The prises was a ray handsome man, sad his portrait is a valuable addi tion to Madame Tessend's gallery. ADMIRALTY, Nov. 18. —APPOINTMENT& —Nati gating Midek . lqienry R. Johnstoe, ad.litionel, to the Vista 7, for Amistant-Sergeons Dr. George V. Wriet, to the tee ; John P. Way, to the Medusa ; and mas Lott, " meting." to the Ads. *parting intelitgaire. TATTERSALL'S. —MONDAY. Among the eomparatively few 'Lemberg who were present at Albert-gate to-day the chief occupation was settling on the past two weeks. There was sonic occasional betting on the Derby, confined, however, to three or four bosses. Blue Gown was supported to a considerable extent at 20 to 1, but at the close these odds were still offered. Typhoeus was several times inquired after. Bookmakers, however, declined to lay; bad they been Bo disposed, 20 to I would have found ready takers. Harvester was again in some request at 40 to 1, and Betrayal, after being backed several times at 1,000 to 15, met with support at 1,000 to 20. None of the remaining forthooming events were men tioned, and at the close the prices were as follows : DEBBI. 7 to 1 agst Marquis of Hastings' Lady Elisabeth , o 12) 20 to I Count Hatthyanv's Typheas wanted, 90 to 1 Sir J. Hawley's blue (loan t and off) SO to 1 Marquis of Hastings' The Earl oil, 40 to I Duke of Newcastle's Harvester ,t) 60 to 1 Mr. W. l'Anson's Betrayal t) BETTING IN LONDON. —MoNDAY. Although the clubs were well attended, but little specu lation took place, members being pre-occupied in settling Liverpool and Shrewsbury accounts. Some few horses were fancied for the Croydon Steeplechase, but none of them backed for much. Bon Es it was in most request, and all the books were soon full about him. The little betting that took place on the Derby does not call for any special remark. Prices are appended : GRAND METROPOLITAN STEEPLECHASE. 20 to IWstß:n --- tsPaijt --- 25i•T1 TgatlslialTspeare 't'i and w) 25 to 1 Thank al 20 to I Sprite ft , 25 to 1 Knave of 20 to 1 Hornet ,t) Trumps , t) 20 to 1 Despatch t) 25 to 1 LOU. t. 25 to 1 The Doctor t) 25 to 1 Olohule ,t) 20 to 1 apt Blue Gown it) 1000 to 10 apt St. Ronan (0) 1000 to 16 Betrayal it in 1000 to 10 Tregesile (0) tome) TORY LANDLORDISM. The following letterarelating to the South Leices tenhire election have been forward to us far publication : FROM THE REV. J. P. POW= TO ML JOHN WISSTER, WAXXIS, PICILETON. My dear Sir,—l am sorry to hear that you are canvass ing on Mr. Paget's behalf, but I should hope that I have been misinformed. I should indeed be sorry to hear that you had been working for liberal interests, or had given a vote to the liberal party. I feel sure that I have been misinformed, and that we shall find your vote re. corded for the conservative candidate, for I cannot believe that I have been deceived, in you, but that you will strengthea the hands of the conservatives, and unite with us in striving to preserve to our country her most precious rights.—l will not add more, and remain, yours truly, J. P. Pow= Acton Beauchamp Rectory, Bromyard, Nov. 16. MR. WIREITIR% IMPLY TO THE REV. J. P. POWER. Dear Sir — I cannot but be surprised by your note. When I took of you your father's farm, which I bold under you, nothing was said as to my letting you my vote. Your father and yourself might very well know that my father voted in 1830 for Mr. Paget's father, and that all our family have always held liberal opinions. I now rent of Mr. Paget, at Hall Fields, as you know, • larger tract of land than I rent of you at Peckleton, but that gentleman never asked me for my vote. Without his knowledge I signed • request to him to come forward on the principles which his family and mine have always held, and I am sure, if I voted for Mr. Pell, Mr. Paget would never ask me about my vote, nor would it make any difference between him and me. But, air, having always held liberal opinions, and believing Mr. Paget to be a true friend to our institu tions and our liberties, I did not think I was doing wrong in signing a requisition to him to go to parliament. Now, sir, I am very sorry, but I think it right, when • man thinks as I do, and has asked a gentle man to stand for the county, to keep my promise, end support him with my vote, because it is accord ing to my conscience. You and I, sir, have always been the best of friends, and I always paid your respected father his rent as soon as it was due, and I am sure I have laid out a deal of money on your farm and farmhouse. But if, air, you should think well to give me notice to quit my farm, and leave all my money behind me upon it, I cannot help it, for I had rather lose my home and my money on your farm, air, than break my promise, and go against my principles, and kee the respect of my friends and neigh bours.—l am, km, JOHX WEBSTER. Peokleton, Hinckley, Nov. 18. THIS FERNDALE COLLIERY EXPLOSION. The progress made by the exploring parties since oar last report has been exceedingly slow and tedious. On Wednesday about midnight it was believed that • lame number would be got oat before the morning, and in the contractor's heading of the Rhondda district • batch had been got at and prepared for removal to the bottom of the shaft, when unfortunately two heavy falls took place and interrupted the work. In consequence of the frequent °eminence of falls the engineers, concluding that no more persons would be found alive, determined to abandon the method hitherto Tangled, of merely driving through and over the falls for the purpose of genial= bodies, and from that time forth to clear the fall' as they went, We believe that this course is now being adopted, and the remit is that the bodies are reoovered verb slowly. Some of those who have been down the pit think that it will be quite another fortnight before all are out. Several homes have bees exhumed from the falls and brought up ; and another horse has been recovered alive, but thoroughly exhausted. Those who have been found are in such an advanced state of de composition that the bodies cannot be brought to bank, and the coffins are sent down into the pit. Identification in most cases is absolutely imposMble. Of the 21 who Zb•• t out living but badly injured on the day of e re ex i on, another, Thomas Davies, has died. He was • carpenter, and worked in the stable in which it is said the explosion originated. But on this point • piece of in timation has reached us from an authentic source which we think goes • good way towards showing that the stable was not the maws of explosion; the gas gauges were blown, not away from the stable, but towards it. Of the insured brought up some were in a state of suspended animation., and it may interest medical gentlemen to know that the doctors passed over Dr. Marshall Hall's method for restoring respiration, and adopted Sylvester's system of artificial respiration, which was successful in each cue, and the men are now doing well. We are glad to find that the number of widows and orphans which the terrible calamity has thrown upon the world is very much smaller than wee at Bret computed. From a house to house visit which has been made, for the purpose of distributing relief, it appears that, exclusive of the late manager's family, there are 63 widows and 125 children. Since Thursday last the bodies have been recovered in twos and threes at long in. servals and it is beyond human knowledge in the present state of things to say when the whole of the victims will be got out. The baguet will be opened on the 24th inst. The story of the stolen watch, which appeased in our im pression on Friday, has, we are glad to report, been ex plained. The lieratyr Express, in its report of the disaster,says :—" The report of the stolen watch, we rejoice to say, has been explained, and the explanation is painfully interesting. A body, which had been identified from its face, was taken to the house of its friends, but while being undressed a watch was discovered upon it. The people of the house knew that their relative had no watch, and on examining the clothes • piece was found on the knee of the trousers which was not on the knee of the trousers of the young man belonging to that house. It was therefore concluded that they had brought hone the wrong body, and this turned out to be the case. It arose through mistaken identity ; there has been no watch stolen from anybody." ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION OF THE LIVERPOOL Cover or PAIIBaOZ.—Mr. Hardy, the Home Sesstary, In answer to a deputation from the United Associatious of Liverpool on this subject, has promised to communioate with Mr. Graves, M.P., before the appointment of a new judge is made, in order that some arrangement may be made as to Admiralty business. A MODEST JURYMAN.—Yesterday at the Old Bailey, one of the persons who was summoned to serve on the petty Mu, upon his name being called, handed op a note to the Common Se east, in which be stated that be had lame convicted of felony and sentenced to six months' imprisonment, and he, therefore, did not moulder himself aSt person to try others. The excuse was at owe ad mitted, and the party was told that be was relieved from the duty of attending as a juror. THE ALTON MURDIR.—The omimilaion for the Hampshire winter gaol delivery will be opened at the Castle of Winchester on Saturday, the 30th inst. Baker, the lawyer's clerk, who stands committed for the murder of Fanny Adams, at Alton, wader aircumskusees of patellar atrocity, will be tried at these wises. The presiding judge as the cameos will be Mr. Justice Mellor. - The Moniker, the o ffi cial journal of th e F renc h Empire, is henceforth to be represented in the United Kingdom, the Colonies, and America, by Messrs. J. M. Johnson and Soma, of Castle-street, Holborn, the Conoco domains of the Paris Eahibition Ce•alogue• An ingenious mode of robbery has been lately practised in various districts in Logician. A girl, respect- ably dressed and shoat 15 years, calls with a companion about dusk at a particular house, and asks for " the man gling clothes." The call is made on the day and about the time the garments, ks., intended for mangling are usually given out, and limy have in many Ulstermen been handed over without lissilatioa, sad have been heard of so mere. Citvirrat PALACE. Owl SHILLING DAT.— MONDAY, Nov. 18.—Adraisioes on payment, 499; ditto by semis tickets, 819, Tonal visitors, 1,318. ROYAL FREI HOSPITAL, GRAII * S-lIIN-ROAD. —The number of pate ate relieved at this hospital during the week maw Nov. 16 was 3,138, et which 1,039 were new ans. ________---, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION POR THE PROMOTION OP SOCIAL SCIZECIL The first meeting of the department of jurisprn. dense and amendment of the law for the melon 1867-61 took place yesterday evening at Adam-street, Adelphl„ The chair was taken by Sir Truvrau Queen's Advo. rate. The address from the standing committee of the department, which was read by Mr. Morley, alluded to the several pieces of legialation of last session of parliament. and complained of the slipshod way in which so many acts of parliament were prepared. It next quote.l approvingly Mr. Justice O'Hagan's opinion in favour of a codificataon of the law, the appointment of amistant barristers as in Ireland, and of a public prosecutor. The probable results of the Reform Act were then glanced at, and a regret ex. that the paramount importance of that measure Crcluseti parliament to throw over many measures of very high importance. The remainder of the address was occupied principally with a series of extracts from the proceedings of the Social Science Association at Belfast, and an enumeration of measures of legal reform which h i d been introduced, but had not become law, during the page session of parliament. In conclusion, the address strongly recommended the attention of the members to the subject of martial law, with a view to its c)mplete and early reef sion. In the brief discussion which followed, Mr. Edgar expressed himself hostile to any interference with martial law. In his opinion, the recent charge of the Chief Jos. tire exhausted the subject. With respect to the Master and Servants Act, he gave it his hearty approval as em. bodying the same recommendations which year after year had been given by that association. The great feature of the act was to equalise master and servant in the eye of the law. It was no longer the law that the waster should have a criminal remedy, and the servant only a civil one, in similar cues. Mr. CHISHOLM Alessi made a few observations respecting the act for the repeal of obsolete statutes which had past last session, and which was called the longest act ever passed by parliament. He contended generally that the labours of last session had been completely forestalled by those of the statute board in 1864, and that the " longest act" in fact embodied only a third of the sub. jects which had been digested and arranged by the board, Further he contended that the repealing clauses of th a t statute were imperfect, inasmuch as they revived the principle of the obsolete and repealed statutes. For these reasons he could not accord an unqualified panegyric to the act of last session. Mr. Cuaruis CLARKE contendad that the act of last session was as complete a repeal as could have been effected consistently with the interests of justice. Mr. GEORGE HARRIS complained of the irregular manner in which bills were prepared for parliament, and recommended the appointment of • revising officer by the House of Commons. From private sources of information he had reason to believe that the royal speech of this day would contain a copious programme of legal reforms, especially as regarded the question of bribery at elections. Mr. Edward Webster urged imam. diets attention to the real property laws, as well as those of entail and primogeniture, which were sure to be brought prominently before the public by the operation of the late reform act. The new electors would be anxious to acquire property in land, and would, therefore, not improbably agitate against the laws to which he had alluded. Hs must confess that his hopes of the new parliament were by no means over sanguine. (Hear, hear.) He Was she anxious to see the enormous wealth of the Inns of Coon applied to the purposes of legal education. The mods in which these wealthy institutions prepared candidates for the bar was absolutely ridiculous. Mr. Howar.t, would have wished to see more attention paid by the association to the law of partnership. The French law of partnership might with great advantage be introduced into this country. Sir EARDLEY WILMOT noticed, amongst other subjects, the unsatisfactory state of the criminal law. In sonic eases the recommendations to mercy of juries were corn. pletely disregarded; in others the most atrocious mini. nals were let off without rhyme or reason. He alluded particularly to the case of a man named Scott, who was tried at Birmingham for murder, and sentenced to death. That man had been reprieved nobody could tell why, although • most atrocious criminal, and one who gloried in his criMe. _ _ Mr. ROBERT STTART was most anxious for the appoint. went of a public prosecutor. Mr. SETTORD pointed out that the appointment of a public prosecutor would have a great effect in preventing such exhibitions of perjury as had recently been seen in cases got up by the polios. Aa a matter of fact, there were no prosecutions for perjury except those which was, instituted by individuals. With • public prosecutor, all important cams of perimy would be prosecuted. After • few observations from the PRZAIDECT on the importance of considering the laws of bankruptcy and of partnership, and the othee subjects which bad been touched on in the course of the diaossiou , the address was adopted, and the sitting terminated with the usual vote of thanks. QuEszurrowx, Nov. 18.—The Cunard extra steamship Heck from New York arrived here at 11.15 p.m. to-day with 132 paseengen. She landed 45 of them and despatches, and proceeded at 11.30 p.m. for Liverpool. —Reek'''. Telegram. RErszearcranorr or TnirivOßD.—A vacancy ham suddenly occurred in the ropmentation of Thetford, Mr. A. H. Haring having announced his intention to retire. Lord F. Fitzroy is can the electors in the liberal interest ; and yesterday the lard Advocate of Scot'and announced his intention to contest the seat. The Lord Advocate was to sddress a meeting of the electors yester- day evening. Lord F. Fitzroy represented the borough from 1863 to 1865. _ _ Tare Nzw MAIL CONTRACTS. —At length the terms of a. new contract for the conveyance of the India and China mails have been imaged with the Peninsular and Oriental Company ; and the new service, which will oome into operation in February next, will be organised on a basis which in most respects must be considered very satisfactory. The contract is for • longer period than the previous one (which was for seven years), and its terms are considerably higher. On these two points we are unable to give more precise information at present, it being con sidered inexpedient to publish full details until they are submitted to parliament at the approaching session. The Marseilles route will still be adhered to, and between that port and Alexandria there will be a weekly direct line of steamers in conjunction with • weekly line between Suez and Bo mbay. The Bombay mails will be made up in London each Friday evening, and the service abroad will be arranged with a view to ensure the delivery of the homeward mails in London on Monday morning. There will be • fortnightly service between Suez and Calcutta and China, connecting at Galle, as as present ; and the mails for these places will be de spatched with every alter nate Bombay mail. In like manner the homeward China and Calcutta mail will be timed to reach Suez simultane ously with every alternate Bombay steamer. In short, the China mail in future will be • fathightly one, instead of twice in the calendar month ; it will be despatched every alternate Friday, and delivered here, all circumstances being favourable, every alternate Monday. On this side of the isthmus the whole systemwill consist of a weekly vessel between Marseilles and Alexandria direct, with another to and from Southampton, touching gst Malta se at pre sent. It will be observed that no conWact has been mule for • line between Brindisi and Alexandria ; as the port of Brindisi could not be substituted entirely for Marseilles an extra service has been decided against, on the Wan of outlay. The Australian mail will be once in every four weeks, joining the China steamer at Gallo, as at present. The advantages of the scheme are obvious. The uncertain intervals between the making up of the mails, owing to the difference in the lengths of the months and the intervention of Sundays, disappear in favour of • system of regularity and fixed days. The partial amalgamation of the two services cannot fail to have • favourable effect in promoting thermal punctuality in the delivery of the inward mails. The days selected for despatch and arrival are beyond doubt the most suitable ones. And it is satisfactory to know that the new era are are about to enter upon is • permanent and not as eNperi• mental one. It will be observed that the existing slue" of one line between Buss and Calcutta, and another between Bombay and China—with transhipment at Gallo —ls still to be retained, instead of giving place to the direct trunk line from Sues to Hong Kong that we he" always advocated. We must, however, rest content with this arrangement for the present, as the outlay involved by the direct line is more than the Post-office will sanction. We are assured, however, that the boat from Calcutta will always be despatched in time to avoid the yowl* bility of detention to the China mail. It will be seen that the new service, however satisfactory i 2 itself, will not harmonies with the French line at all indeed, if the Messageries steamers continued to be ila spatched on the 19th of the month, probably in most eases the facilities at present offered by the French mail will be absolutely nullified. We imagine, however, that the French company will find it expedient to make a correspond log alteration by despatching their vessels on a given JAY in every fourth week, so as to bring their departure mid way between two of the P. and 0. mails. We trust some suet arrangement as this will be urged by our own govern ment on that of Frame. We may add that Satunkiy is the day fixed for both arrival and departure of the south iunpton steamers, and that the duration of stay at Siert pore, and the question of calling at Penang, are soil andecided.—Loadon and China Triegraph. Early on Saturday morning, the employA, opening the extensive retail grocery department of the Baeup Co-operative Stores, which are situate on the ground door, found the place piled up with broken ilea imagery, earthenware, bacon, broken timber, a hire quantity of bags of dour in all directions, parcels 0§ groceries mingled in confusion with heavy wring"' machines and such like articles. It appeared that dung Friday night the store-room, which is above the grocer/ and general shop, had fallen ? in consequence of the grel quantity of goods stored in it. The building was eras" in 18§i2. The damage will be considerable. THE ROYAL HOSPITAL FOB DISEASES OP TO CHS.r, „ C ui rrr is -so h.pi Ao.—taTh during enumbzre pasto f pe 2 iz e ts k , un o d un er wa lna w t• .eut v 920, of which 75 were new cases. 'the most wholesome breakfast is made of DV BASEr's Zavanxe• C 110001.4111 PORDIM, to Uns of It CT! , fa ; to cups, 34. ad.: 48 espy es ; 228 cups, SOL . 576 curl'. ,; It ts mare delicious, sa d Downg than th..." concentrated beet. Alto adapted to rear Infanta with.—Da Bar ed and Co., 77, Ssetut-qewhaat, W., Loadon—ithveinssluem§