The Press. — London, England, 1857-07-04 00:00:00

" The Partners," by Mr. Shirley Brooks, begins to grow interesting ; it is characterised by all the liveliness and sparkle for which Mr. Brooks's style is celebrated. A very pleasant paper is one called "Wood-leaves and Book-leaves," being a review of some of Mr. Thornbury's recent volumes, in which that spirited and entertaining writer receives a high weed of praise, but not mote than he deserves. In Bentley the principal feature as usual is fiction, Mr. Costello's story, which opened so well, being a little dreary in this number; but "The Six Grey Powders " gives us a dose of the horrible with which magazine readers ought to be contented, and " A Fisherman's Letter " is, like all his others, an exciting sporting sketch. No. V. of Paved with Gold betrays no falling-off from the excellence of the previous numbers. We most confidently recommend this serial to all our readers, whether their aim be information or amuse ment. Mr. Mayhew's personal experience of the scenes he describes, and the well-known humour which plays around his facile pen, combine to render " Paved with Gold " one of our very best periodicals. The Hampstead donkey' and the Haymarket rat, together with the human bipeds who derive either profit or pleasure from those interesting animals, form the staple of the present number. Mr. May hew has evidently studied the donkey-boy under every phase, and we daresay has wearied the loins of many a luckless jackass in his pursuit of knowledge. The following receipt for making a donkey go deserves to he quoted, in refutation of a popular error upon that very thorny question : " And a nice messing you'd a' made of it, if I hadn't seen you first," continued the Redpole. " Now, look here ! S'pose you was a driving old One•e j e, and you wanted him to gallop, what would be your little game ?" " Why, shout at him, and hit him as hard I could—give him with all my might a good feed of ' long oats ' and ' ash beans,' " answered Phi!. . . This made Mr. Jack Burt sneer with disgust. "0' coorse you would," he said. " I kno - wed it. That's like you and your proudness, thinking you know every thing. And what would you get? Why, old One-eye woull stand still and kick at you. I had my hand swolled dreadful through him." " What should you do?" asked Phil. . _ " Now you're coming to it," answered Master Hurt. "Why, first of all I should give him three or four over his 'ead to let him know who I was." " Well," asked Phil, " and after that, when he did know who you was ?" Why, then I'd give him two or three sharp 'uns on the top o' the hock to show him who he was." " Go on," said Phil—" what then ?" " Why, then he'd git one o' my lefthanders as should knock him on one side, and another as should knock him buck again, and send him hopping for two or three yards." " and what's the end of it?" asked Phil. " Well, for the minute," added the lecturer, " old One eye wouldn't know whether he wiei afoot or a•horaeback, but off he'd go, regular spanking, first rate. Phantasmata; or, Illusions and Fanaticisms. By R. R. Madden, London: Newby. THESE two volumes are little better than compilation on morbid manifestations of human nature. The matter which they contain is more suited to medical than to general readers, and the style does not make amends for the motley character of their contents. We are again treated to an account of " Witchcraft Monomania," " Maniacal Epidemics," " Monomania in Convents," and " Tbeomania in Protestant Coun tries," and upwards of two hundred pages are devoted to Joan of Arc. " Phantasmata " cannot be accepted as a scientific or philosophical performance. Medical cycloptedias, and wurks on demonology and on the diseases of the mind, are placed under heavy requisition by the author. The volumes, from their unwholesome topics, are scarcely fit fur popular circulation ; while physiologists would demand more closeness of reasoning, and more definite conclu sions, than are shown by the compiler. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED-JULY '2. BOOKS. Chow Chow, being Selection: I;ns a Journal kept in India, Egypt, and Syria. Vlscounteas Falkland. Two VOl9. _ Hurst and Hlackett Shining after Rain, or the Sister's Vow. Two Vols. Saunders and Otley The Elements of Drawing. John Ruskin, M.A. Smith and Elder The New Dance of Death. Chapman and Hall Summer Tours in Central Europe. W. H. Dalton The Modern Scottish Minstrel. Charles Rogers, LL D. Six Vols. A. and C. Black Poems. Edward Wilberforce and Edmund F. Blanchard. Longmans Explorations and Adventures in Honduras. William Wells. Sampson Low Boat Life in Egypt and Nubia. William C. }rime. _ Deeds not Words. M. Bell. Sampson Low Routledge A Popular History of British Crualacea. Adam White. Lovell Ileeve PAMPIILFTS Convocation and the Laity. Y J.~Ridgway—Repo►t of the Meeting of she Congress of the Advanced Minds of the World. Wilson—Right Words abused by Words Wrong or Misused. J. and C. Mozley. T HE PRESS, JULY 4, 1857. The London Quarterly Review. Heylin—Le Follet. Simpkin and Marshall—The National Sunday League Record. Part I. Simpkin and Marshall—The Westminster Review. J. Chapman—The Quarterly Journal of Dental Science. No. IL Walton and Maher ly—The National Review. Chapman and Hall—Co lburn'e New Monthly. Chapman and Hall—Davenport Dunn. Part 1. Chapman and Hall—The Train. Gro,rmbi,l4?—The British Expe dition to the Crimea. Routledge—The .4rt Journal. Virtue and Co.—Routledge's Shakespeare. Houtledge--The Half Holiday. Part 11. Routledge—The Commercial Travel ler's Magazine. Kent and Co.—The Irish Metropolitan Magazine. Simpkin and Marshall. ittusiC. THE MUSICAL SEASON. THE season is rapidly drawing to a close. The heats or July will put an end to the largest number of private concerts known for years. There is too much spasm in the brief duration of our musical entertainments. Everything of note is crowded into the brief space between Easter and the end of July. At the time when the public and private dinners are in full swing, when balls and soirees-dansantes are in immense vogue, then is it that the operatic managers and the concert givers must look to their harvest. The consequence is that novelties of importance come too late for calm consideration and analysis. For instance, Auber's popular opera, Fra Diavolo, adapted by him and Scribe expressly for the Lyceum company, will only be heard for the first time next Thursday, and even then with the substi tution of Gardoni for Mario as the brigand hero, the great tenor, who is slow in study, not having been able to master the music for this season. There has been apparently some infirmity of purpose in the casting of the principal characters ; for Zerlina, originally intended for Mlle. Victoire Balfe, has been assigned to Mme. Bosio. The work will he welcome, whenever it comes, as one of the most sparkling emanations of Auber's genius. The Philharmonic Society terminated the season last Monday with Mozart's "Jupiter" symphony, and Sphor's in E flat, Beethoven's Leonora, and Weber's Oberon. Mr. Cooper executed in a masterly manner Beethoven's violin concerto. With more intellect and refinement the performance would have been perfect. Mme. Schumann quite delighted her auditory in Mendelssohn's variations. Miss Louisa Pyne and Miss Dolby were the vocalists. In the former the amateurs cordially welcomed the return of a brilliant vocalist, who ought to be at the head of a national opera, if ever we shall attain that desideratum. Mme. Schumann, at her matinee in the Hanover square Rooms, displayed her knowledge of the pianoforte music of every school. She executed with Ernst Beethoven's sonata in C minor, cp. 30, for piano and violin ; she played fugues, preludes, and suites of Bach, Mendelssohn, and Handel ; she " sang " Mozart's andante in A minor, op. 71 ; and vitalised Chopin's dreary nocturne in B. The director's grand matinee at the Musical Union, on Tuesday, was crowded with rank and fashion, listening to what the opera-goers style the "dryest" music in the world ; such as Haydn's quartet in F, No. 82 ; Beethoven's sonata in A minor, op. 47 ; Hummel's septet in D minor, op. 74, for piano, flute, oboe, violin, corno, violoncello, and contrabasso. The executants were Mme. Schumann and Mlle. Staudach (a very clever pianiste), Sivori, Goffrie, H. Blagrove, Piatti, Bottesini, Pratten, Barnet, and C. Harper. Herr von der Osten sang Beethoven's "Adelaida" to Mme. Schumann's pianoforte accom paniment, and two charming Persian melodies of striking originality by Rubinstein. One of the treats of the day was Mme. Schumann's reading of Handel's . " Harmonious Blacksmith." Mr. Henry Blagrove has given his third quartet meeting with the aid of Mme. Oury as pianisle, and Sainton. The programme of the Royal Italian Opera Con cert at the Crystal Palace yesterday contained some interesting items, amongst which the finale to the first act of Don Giovanni and Alendelssolin's Loreley finale, the overtures to Fidelio and William Tell, must be specified. Three more concerts, and these attractive entertainments will terminate. Heir William Ganz, with Lord Ward's permission, gave a matinee yesterday at the Dudley Gallery. He is an able pianist. Amongst the vocalists named in the scheme were Mile. Jenny Baur, Mme. Lem mens Sherrington, Mlle. Antonietta Mary, Mr. Charles Braham, Miss Messent. M. Paque, Mr. Benedict, and Signor Bazzini, were the instru mentalists. M.Offenbach, the director of the Bouffes Parisiens, had his benefit night lust Wednesday, at the St. James's Theatre. It may not be forgotten that M. Offenbach was first known in this country, some years since, as a first-rate performer on the violon cello. He afterwards acquired distinction as a com poser, and finally embarked in the undertaking in the Champs Elysies in Parii, which has given him such renown. Several of the operettas he has written have had a most extraordinary run, such as Les Deux Aveugles, Croquefer, ou le Dernier des Paladins, Le Violoneux, &c. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—On Monday next the benefit of Mlb. Piccolomini will take place. The performances will comprise an act of La Figlia del Reggimento, to be followed by an act of the Trova tore, with Spezia, Giuglini, and Alboni. Atter this Mlle. Piccolomini will again appear in the last act of the Traviata. The concluding scene of I Martini, in which Mlle. Piccolomini will appear, will add the interest of a new part to the evening's entertainments. The occasion will be honoured by a musical concen tration of strength upon the ballet. ST. JAMES'S IHEATRE.—FRENCH PLAYS.—The last week of the Bouffes Parisiens draws near. Their en gagement terminates next Saturday, and no one will deny that the loss of this admirable troupe will be really felt. Their success has been remarkable and well deserved. HER MAJESTY AT MANCHESTER. THE Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the Prince Frederick William of Prussia, the Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princa Alfred, left Buckingham Palace for Worsley on Monday afternoon, and arrived at Lord Ellesmere's seat shortly before eleven o'clock the same night. Notwithstanding the lateness of the hour a vast concourse of people were assembled at the station, and cheered the Queen heartily upon the arrival of the royal train. In Manchester every preparation had been made to give the royal party a suitable reception upon their visit the following day to the Arts Exhibition. Triumphal arches had been erected, banners and draperies were used to decorate the buildings along the road, and all that was wished for was fine weather. But a heavy thunderstorm had already broken over the town, the sky was louring and heavy, and it was feared that for once the Queen's proverbial good fortune would fail her at Manchester. From an early hour the next morning the route from Worsley to Pendleton, and along the Oxford•road to Old Trafford, began to fill in rapidly with thousands of people. Manchester bad deter mined upon a holiday to do honour to her Queen. The mills were at rest, the weather had cleared up, and soon after daylight the triumphal arches were finally touched, the groups of flags and draperies arranged for the last time, and by nine o'clock nearly a million of people, packed in dense masses along the entire route, were waiting the progress of her Majesty and the Royal Family. Miners and mecha nics, factory.men, women, and children, and the peasantry, with their wives, were all there, with bands of music and benefit clubs and Odd Fellows, waiting to give a welcome to their Queen. Shortly after nine o'clock her Majesty quitted Worsley. Six open state carriages, escorted by the Lancashire Yeomanry, formed the cortege. The carriages proceeded quickly to Pendleton, which they entered at a slow pace, and amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the people passed through Salford into Manchester. Here was a scene such as is rarely Is of people, clustered like bees upon every housetop, in every window, snd densely massed along the streets, welcomed the Queen with such shouts end huzzas as English lungs alone can give forth; while the thunder of artillery, the strains of the military bands, and the merry peals of the church bells, stimulated the popular feeling to the most exciting demonstrations. Her Majesty and the royal party arrived at the Exhibition building, which had long previously been almost filled with a most distinguished company, exactly at twenty-one minutes past eleven o'clock. The royal party all occupied open carriages, which had moved through the crowded thoroughfares very slowly. Only once, and that when in Market-street, did a shower of rain compel her Majesty to use her parasol as a protection, and that was for a few moments only. Her Majesty wore a black silk dress trimmed with crape, black mantle, and white bonnet; and the two Princesses were attired with equal simplicity. Both they and the Prince Con sort, who wore the Order of the Garter, appeared to be in good health. Her Majesty bowed repeatedly to the frequent salutations from either side of the roads, and smiled most graciously on the crowded throngs as they cheered and welcomed her amongst them. A salute of twenty-one guns from the Royal Artillery announced her arrival at the Exhibition, and the concussions of the atmosphere caused by these discharges probably brought on the heavy torrent of rain which immediately succeeded. On entering the building the Queen and royal visitors proceeded to the reception-ram at the entraice, froal whence they emerged into the great central