The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-15 00:00:00

DECEMBER 15, 1855. was filled, and such was the demand for tickets that they rose to a considerable premium. On such occasions one meets London face to face. Its rank, its fashion, its commerce, its intellect, and its pro fessions, are all represented. In that vast and brilliantly-filled hall — the audience listening with breathless delight to the thrilling notes of the Swedish songstress—wars and rumours of wars seemed a dream. •The gifted vocalist looks thinner than when we saw her last, but she retains her unaffected and vivacious manner ; and, notwithstanding her long retirement, there was on her face as she rose to sing the glorious serenity cf genius conscious of its power to please. Her first notes satisfied every one that her voice retains all its freshness, power, and enchanting purity of tone. It was rapture to listen to the airs " With verdure clad," and " On mighty pens," the concluding passages of the latter being admirably suited to the display of her vocal accom plishments. But we cannot think that she appears to most advantage n sacred music. Her genius—like that of all vocalists of the highest order—•is essentially dramatic, and requires the stimulus of excitement to draw forth its brightest flashes and highest inspiration. She re ceived a cordial welcome, and returned her thanks by leaving her audience in an ecstasy of delight. We hope, that as Madame GOLD -SCHMIDT has appeared before the public, she will be in no haste to withdraw ; for her voice is so unapproachable that it would be a cruel waste of nature's rarest and most rapture-moving endowment to hide in retirement a gift which can be of little use or enjoyment to its possessor unless freely communicated. PAM FROM " LITTLE DORRIT." Ha had a bold, confident air, and he threw out his hand with a defiant manner. He seemed a young man, though he was not—and a statesman, though he was not—and iu earnest, though ho was not — but it is remarkable that on such seemings men may become anything, even Premiers of England. " Don't go to sleep, when I want to talk, Pan," he said to his companion. " It's all one, master," said the pan, sitting up to listen. The other walked about the office, speaking as if to his humble friend, but it was easy to see that he was really addressing himself to the tribunal which he knew was about to meet and sit in judgment on his doings. " I am a gentleman-statesman. I admit that I always dealt with public affairs like a gentleman, and in a free and easy manner. Ido not ask praise for this. It was my nature. lam also a man of wit. I cannot help it." " You look as if you couldn't help it," murmured the pan. " I have filled most offices.. I began in 1809 as Secretary-at-War. They were afraid that my modesty would have been a bar to my pre ferment, but they were mistaken. Afterwards I became Foreign Secretary. I was a gentleman, and I did my work jauntily. But I bad always a determination to do something, and to make my tenure of office remembered. When a man has this determination, it may be matter of regret, but it is not unnatural that there should be a row in the buildings. There we re several rows. My enemies have misinterpreted them. I espoused a certain cause in Europe. I admit it. It might have been fortunate for the cause that I espoused it, for I am a gentleman-statesman , a man of wit, and do things jauntily. Jt might not. My enemies have said that it was not. They have said that I espoused the cause, that I led it into extreme danger, and, having by false promises induced its friends to believe that I could maintain it, I talked about " relations," and left it to be ruined. This is slander. Nothing could be more gentlemanly than my whole conduct ; but what is a gentleman, as the play says, with out his recreations? " Accused, you tell me, of having been the perpetual disturber of Europe, by exciting hopes which could never be realised, I am charged, you tell me further, with faction at home. I deny it. lam eager to serve my country. If that is a fault, I avow it. When I am determined to serve my country, 1 do not hesitate at carrying out My daermination. Qui vest le fin veut lee moyene, the French ay. My means may have appeared unscrupulous, but they have led s me into office. " Accused, again, of unconstitutional government at home, you impute a different offence, one of diametrically opposite character. Democrat abroad, I am an aristocrat at home, am I ? In making a Cabinet, I have retained all power in the hands of myself, and my two lieutenants, Pan and Clarendon, and given all the other offices to incapables, with good connections. Isit my fault that I am an abler It aa than others? Is it my fault that I can only find a couple of men of decent talent to join me? Is the mediocrity of my party to be visited on me ?" lie flung his hand from him with a triumphant swagger. " But you accuse me, again, of want of earnestness in prosecuting the war either to victory or to peace. I reply that lam a gentleman, and I cannot help it. Is it a gentleman's part to be vulgarly earnest about everything? Besides, how do you know whether I am in earnest or not. Because I joke? Sir Thomas More joked on the scaffold, saying that in a minute he should be no More. I scorn to meet such an allegation, and I point to Sebastopol. Have I taken Sebastopol or not? Is it a joke, do you think, to take Sebastopol? " I have complicated the European question, and prevented the adhesion of Austria, you allege, by an insulting policy to her Govern ment, and by my verbal encouragement of revolutionists to whom I meant to give no other support. My answer is, Austria be hanged. I am a gentleman, and I am not easily brought to submit to be cross-ques tioned; I own it, and if you punish my high spirit as a crime, I cannot help it. 1193 " You hear my defence. Sebastopol is taken, and lam a gentle man. Divide against me if you will." Ho turned, with a theatrical gesture, and snatched up a largo hat. His companion was silent, waiting permission to speak. In answer to an inquiring look and wink from the other, ho said — "Looks ugly !" " Let the House do its worst," returned the jaunty man. " Truly, I think it will," said the pan. THE BALTIC ADMIRAL. Ala—" The Minstrel Boy." The Admiral to the war is gone, For glory never minding; His decks shine bright with the holystone, But the men their teeth are grinding. " For my pretty first-rates," says neat Dundas, " Tho' your crews may foam with fury, " None ever shall say that it came to pass " Near a Russian fort. I'd moor ye." The enemy laughed, but the foeman's scorn Could not lash his soul to anger— " Your pretty new planks shall ne'er be tern " To appease a silly clangour. " The fiery spirits in each ship's crew " May rave—but they only bore ine— " Of the gallant Nelson and good ltiou, "Who fought in these seas before me. " My captains clench their idle hands, " My men with rage are glaring " At the polished pikes and the cutlass-stands, " As they curse my want of daring. " But a noble triumph is mine I ween, " And I would not seek a prouder— " I have brought my ships back neat and clean, " And unstained by the foeman's powder." A CARD. BLUSTERING 808, THE BARONET, THE WELL-KNOWN TAMWORTH TURNOVER, A. 2411 CELEBRATED STAFFORDSHIRE PET, Having recently completed his Provincial Engagements with the greatest eclat at Manchester, Birmingham, Burton, &c , is about TO REPEAT his celebrated Astounding, Shout-raising, World-thrilling, Polychromic, Mock-Heroic, Monologic, Histrionic, and Rhetorical ENTERTAINMENT ! ! In the presence of Admiring Tens of Thousands in the Great Hall of Commerce. he will have the honour of Exhibiting his Unique Collec tion of Curiosities, Oddities. and Eccentricities, among which an en tirely novel Feature will he the well known WHITE FEATHER, originally displayed by him before the Highest Circles in Madrid ! He will also perform in the course of the evening HIS WORLD-FAMOUS TRICK OF THE LOGOPHAGY. Any gentleman connected with the press will be at liberty to select any number of the Baronet's After-Dinner Orations at pleasure, to cut them up into as large a number of small pieces as he may think fit, and Bob will then swallow the whole of the fragments in the pre• sence of the assembled company !! ! He will afterwards drink a Glass of Champagne, to the good health of his kind friends, imme diately on which, and without the slightest exercise of volition, or any other influence on his part, an ENORMOUS MASS OF FUSTIAN will be suddenly discharged from his mouth, which will continue to be evolved without any intermission for as long a period as may be DEEMED DESIRABLE BY THE AUDIENCE!! He will also introduce in the latter part of the evening his Startling Terpsichorean Scenes, including the highly original ADMIRALTY FLING, (entirety at the expense of the Officers and Men of the British Navy). As soon as the applause consequent on this quite unprecedented tour deforce shall have subsided, he will turn right round, and, with HIS HEAD DOWNWARDS, without any support whatever, will commence the GREAT I'AS DE PANEGYRIQUE NAVALE, which will be sustained and completed entirely on the Ceiling of the Apartment !! The whole to be concluded by a New and Original MONOPOLYLOG IC PRESENTATION, entitled the " Seven St. Ages of Man," introducing College-Life — Scenes with the Proctor—Origin of "tiateing" and " Milk-Punch (Recipe tor)—Brass Band in Quad —Expulsion—Songs : " The Jolly Bachelors," " Those Evening Belles "—The Turf—" Why should Honour outlive Honesty? Let it go all !"—With some new and astonishing Card-Tricks —Foreign Tour—Song : " The Rivals," Hood —The Baronet—xaxoc EX CIXII/V-- " Miserable 'Young' impostors "—Quo tation : " I'm not Afraid "—" That Cock wont Fight' —The Family Pedigree—The Reform—Hope of the Family—Regular Turk v. Red- Tape—Public Life—Evenings with the Poets—" Dribble, Dribble, Non sence Dribble !"—Song : " Such a Genius I did grow"—Conclusion. Vivent les niaiseries ! [No Money Returned. Doors open at Seven, Peform ances Commence at Half - past. Come Early THE PRESS.