The Press. — London, England, 1858-09-25 00:00:00

928 The western sea 4 had been our utmost bound, And poets still might dream the sun was drowned, And all the stars that shine in southern skies Had been admired by none but savage efes. Nor let it be imagined that the feelings of wonder excited by contemplating the achievements of this greet man are in any degree whatever the result of national par tiality, and confined to the country which glories in having given him birth. The language which expresses her veneration is equalled, perhaps exceeded, by that in which other nations give utterance to theirs; not merely by the general voice, but by the well•considered and well informed judgment of the masters of science. Leibnitz, when asked at the Boral table in Berlin his opinion of Newton, said that, "taking mathematicians from the be ginning of the world to the time that Newton lived, what be had done was much the better halt'." " The' Principle' will ever remain a monument of the profound genius which revealed to us the greatest law of the universe," are the words of Laplace. " f hat work stands pre-eminent above all the other productions of the human mind." " The discovery of that simple and general law by the greatness and the variety of the objects which it embraces confers honour upon the intellect of man." Lagrange, we are told by D'Alembert, was wont to describe Newton as the greatest genius that ever existed, bat to add how fortunate he was also, " because there can only once be found a system of' the uni verse to establish." " Never," sass the father of the Institute of France—one filling a high place among the most eminent of its members—" never," says M. Biot, " was the supremacy of intellect so justly established and so fully confessed. In mathematical and in experi mental science without nn equal and without an example, combining the genius for both in its highest degree." The " Principia" he terms the greatest work ever pro duced by the mind of man, adding, in the words of Halley, " that a nearer approach to the Divine nature has not been permitted to mortals." "In first giving to the world Newton's method of fiuxions," says Fonte nello, " Leibnitz did like Prometheus—he stole fire from heaven to bestow it upon men." " Does Newton," L'Hopital asked, " sleep and wake like other men ? I figure him to myself as a celestial genius, entirely ciis engaged from matter." fo so renowned a benefactor of the world, thus exalted to the loftiest place by the com mon consent of all men—one whose life without the intermission of an hour was passed in the search after truths the most important, and at whose hands the human race had only received good, never evil—no memorial has been raised by those nations which ereeted statues to the tyrants and conquerors, the scourges of mankind, whose lives were passed, not in the pursuit of truth, but the practice of falsehood; or across whose lips, if truth ever chanced to stray towards some selfish end, it surely failed to obtain belief; who, to slake their insane thirst of power or of pre-eminence, trampled on the rights and squandered the blood of their fellcw creatures ; whose course, like lightning, blasted while it dazzled ; and who, reversing the Roman Emperor's noble regret, deemed the day lost that saw the sun go down upon their forbearance—no victim deceived, or betrayed, or oppressed. That the worshippers of such pestilent genius should consecrate to the memory of the most illustrious of men no outward symbol of the admiration they freely confessed, is not matter of wonder. But that his own countrymen, justly proud of having lived in his time, should have left this duty to their successors, after a century and a half of profosaed veneration and lip homage, may well be deemed strange. The inscription upon the cathedral, masterpiece of his celebrated friend's architecture, may possibly be applied in defence of this neglect. "If you seek for a monument look around." " If you eeek for a monument lift up Tour eyes to the hea►ens which show forth his fame." Nor when we recollect the Greek °tittles exclamation—" The whole earth is the monument of illustrious men "—can we atop short of declaring that the whole universe is Newton's. Yet in raising the statue which preserves his likeness, near the place of his birth, on the spot where his pro digions faculties were unfolded and tvaisecl, we at once gratify our honest pride as eitisens of the same State, and humbly testify our grateful sense of the Divine good. nee* which deigned to bestow upon one race one so marvellously gifted to comprehend the works of Infinite Wisdom, and so piously resolved to mete all his study of them the source of religious contemplations, both philu. sophical and sublime. At the conclusion of the noble and learned lord's address he was presented by the mayor with a copy of Newton's " Principia," and the invited visitors then proceeded to the Exchange-rooms, where a substan tial dejeuner had been provided. The mayor presided, and was supported by Lord Brottgliani, the Bishop of Lincoln, and the gentlemen who have been mentioned as present at the inauguration of the statue. At the conclusion of the repast, the usual loyal toasts having been honoured, "The Bishop and Clergy of the Diocese," " The Immortal Memory of Newton," " The Health of Lord Brougham," " The Health of Mr. Theed," and several other toasts, were given. RE-VACCINATION in the cases of sixty men of the French army superinduced serious symptoms of a typhoid and erysipelas nature to nine of them. M. Laney in his report advises the Minister of War that in future only a small number of men of a regiment should be vaccinated at once, so that they may not be forced to return immediately to their duty; that only those de bonne volonte shall be vaccinated; that the operation shoal only be performed in spring or autumn, and not in the hot season ; that the le vaccinated should be kept quiet from work for a week. THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER Ta,1858. Oltctinit .ntelligeutt. GREENWICH.—Tho contest for this borough seems likely to result in a battle between Mr. William Angerstein and Mr. Alderman Salomons—both Liberals. On Thursday evening Mr. William Anger stein addressed the electors of Greenwich upon the Liberal interest. There was some opposition to the hon. candidate, but upon a show of hands it was de clared by a considerable majority that Mr. Angerstein should be received as a candidate for the ropresen tation of the borough. GUILDFORD.—It appears that no new writ for Guild ford will be issued until the meeting of Parliament. The friends of the two candidates, Messrs. Onslow and Evelyn, are for the present devoting themselves to the registration, and parties are stated to be so evenly balanced that the result may be settled by this preliminary struggle. Et't Rama. TliE DLYMPIC.—This popular theatre was re opened on Monday, under the management of Mr. F. Robson and Mr. W. S. Emden, the programme for the week comprising The Doubtful VictJry, flush Money, and Ticklish Tines, which, though wanting in novelty, are still attractive pieces. Daring the recess an alteration has been effected which will materially add to the general comfort and con venience of the pit audience. The entire of the seats have been provided with cushions, and the alternate rows are allotted in spaces for ‘mach occu pant. That the plan has only been partially carried out is attributable to the fact, that if every row had been similarly apportioned, some fifty seats must have been sacrificed to the desire for impravament which the lessees have evinced. Two new pieces—a comedietta by Mr. J. P. Woaler, and a drama by Mr. Wilkie Collins—are in rehearsal, and will be im mediately produced. Tax STRAND.—The Last of the Pigtails, by Mr. Charles Selby, has been rapidly futlowed by another novelty by the same author. The Bonnie Fishwife, for such is the name of the musical interlude pro. duced for the first time on Monday, hinges on an incident not unusual in real life, and of which dra matic writers have largely availed themselves. Sir Hicoory Heartycheer, a steady old gentleman with a turn for matchmaking, has come to the conclusion that Miss Thistledown would be an eligible match for his son Wildoates, who, as his sponsors must have foreseen, is incorrigibly flighty. One of the parties most interested demurs to the arrangement; and when the young gentleman in obedience to his father's command returns from Paris that the nuptials may be celebrated, he finds himself unable to conquer his aversion to a lady he has never seen since childhood, and his penchant for Maggie Mac• farlane, a Newhaven fishwife, who had previously crossed the path of his erratic course. He accord ingly braves the paternal wrath with a flat refusal, and, accompanied by his valet Gaiters, seeks refuge in • shooting excursion in the Highlands. When M►ss Thistledown was male aware that the current of her love would find an obstacle in the unjustifiable prejudices of Mr. Wildoates Heartycheer, she was not cast down, as ninety-nine young ladies out of a hundred would have bean under similar circumstances. A feasible plan for the recovery of her lost swain entered into her romantic little head, and she at once proceeded to put it into execution. When next we are introluced to Mr. Wildoats Heartycheer he is in company with Maggie Macfarlane, a slave to the fascinations and tendresse of " the bonnie fishwife," and a prey to jealousy on account of the bashful wooings of a certain Writer to the Signet. But while love hurries him on, pride and prudence hold him back. In a struggle so unequal the former triumphs, and Mr. Wildoates is about to seal the contract with a k►ss, when two strange appari'ions burst on his astonished view. They stood in die relation of parents to his inamorata. Now, Miss Maggie Macfarlane, imbued as she was with filial piety ; was endowed with a still greater virtue—the love of truth ; and the portrait which she had sketched of her father for her lover's edification, was therefore by no means flattering. He was an old " 42nd man," who had been completely riddled in battle, with a terrible temper, aggravated by his wounds am►d the " wee drap in his ee," typical of strong libations. But h►ghly coloured as was the portrait itself, it by no means came up to the original, who danced round the luckless Mr. Wildoates with imprecations both " loud and deep " on the assailaut of the honour of his " Loose;' in which ho was ably seconded by Mrs. Macfarlane, as hideous a virago as ever stood in the enviable relation of mother-in-law. However, " the heavenly rhetoric " of the fair Maul and his own sense of honour prevailed, and when Mr. Wildoats prepared to fulfil hi s p li ghted troth % denouement as satisfactory to a ll p art i es, the audience included, took place. Maggie Macfarlane, "the bonnie fishwife," stood revealed as Miss Thistle. down ; her terrible father threw off his disguise and appeared as Sir Hiccory Heartycheer; while Gaiters apologised to his master for having taken part in the deception as his wife's mother. Miss M. °Ji ver played the part of Miss Thistledown in proprie per. sons and under her alias as " the Bonnie Fishwife" with force and spirit. Indeed, to her inimitsblo im personationof the principal chara c t er muc h of the success which the piece has deservedly met with must be attzibuted. In a new song, " Love's sweet summer," and the popular Scotch ballad, "Caller Herrin," Miss Oliver was encored. Mr. Charles Selby, the author, played the part of Sir Eiiccory Heartycheer most effectively, and Mr. J. Clarke was equally successful as Gaiters, both as the valet and under his strange metamorphosis. Mr. Parselle was a good Wildoates Heartycheer. The house was well attended, and the piece, which met with a decided success, was announced for re. petition. .111 E LYCEUM.—The leading event at this house during the week was the appearance of Mr. Leigh Murray, for the first time, as Frank Hawthorne, in Mr. Falconer's successful comedy, called Extremes ; or, Men of the Day. This part, it will be recollected, was originally played by the author, and the change, we are bound to say, is most judicious. Mr. Leigh Murray, who received a most flattering reception, showed by Cis graceful and impressive acting, a thorough Appreciation of the role he bad under. taken. Another feature worthy of note was the sea stitution of Mrs. Mellon, better known to the thea trical public as Miss Woolgar, for Mrs. Charles Young, as Lucy Vavasour. After the comedy, a little comic ballet, entitled The Rendezvouson winch the Laurie family appeared, was produced. Vubizt linusenunts. MR. HOWARD PAUL'S " PATCHWORK."—The favour able impression produced by tho comic and musical entertainment provided by Mr. and Mrs. Howard Paul at the Egyptian•hall, has in no degree lessened with repetition. The imprimatur of approval is still firmly fixed on the olla potlrida for whieli our nomen clature could supply no other title so appropriate as " Patchwork." Human life in its varied phases is portrayed with remarkable fidelity, and the " cha racters " which stand out in the bold relief of origin ality amidst the sameness of our existence find in Mr. and Mrs. Howard Paul apt representatives of their peculiarities. The great charm in Mrs. Howard Paul's impersonations, the great secret of her suc cess, is her ready adaptation of voice and manner to the part she assumes. Nothing, for instance, could have afforded a stronger contrast than her Laura Dashaway, a young lady who has graduated in the high•pressure school, and the child of France de claiming the hymn with which Rouget de Lisle fanned the fire of Republicanism in 1792. Then what a broad line of demarcation is drawn between Molly Doolan, the merry maid-of-all•work, whose bashful admissions of partiality for her " Bowld Sojer Boy " enlist our sympathies. and Miss Selina Singleheart, the unprotected female, whose lop • brious confessions of her love passages—the green spots in a sterile existence — p rovoke nothing but laughter at The sorrows and the hardships poor females must endure, and which the fair Selina so pathetically deplores . But if Miss Singlebeart, with all her anxiety to catch a husband, takes a highly practical view of matri• ninny, Miss Aurelia Gushington, though impulsive and sentimental, is, as Captain Puppington Loll would say, " deucedly par ticular" in the object of her choice. In fact, she has just arrived st that dam gerous period of life when sent i me ntalism finds d a vent through such media a s discourses on poctrYseti me moonlignt. A nice young man on own is PuPP ton Loll, as portrayed by Mr. Howar we swe ll of d Paul. The great weakness of this young g entleman, who, as te are informed, " has set up as a heavy thin umbrella species," is the introduction hio n of a new pattern of " trouser," whic h arbitrary fas will st similar doubtless some of these day s p lace among " institutions." Another very admirable character is old Roger Whitelock, who inveighs against mod innovations ern with nil the prejudices of ag. As a whole this little entertainment, woven as its name denotes, of " shreds and patches," takes premier 1i s. ank amongst the public amusem ents of the metropo