The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-24 00:00:00

1126 poses. The conclusion of the tale is soft and pleas mg, though tinged with sadness : the man of iron will is tamed by suffering, solitude, and success. Happiness is deni.d him ; but, through the triumph of principle and duty, he cm thank Heaven for peace. The tale, though extremely simple in con struction, will sustain Mr. Lee's reputation, and ex hibits him to advantage as a delineator of strongly marked character, and of life's hardest trials. The moral philosophy of the author elevates his narrative, without detracting in the slightest degree from its charm. 1. Angelo ; or, the Pine Forests in the Alps. By Geraldine Jewsbury. With Illustrations by John Absolon. 2. The Talking Bird ; or, the Little Girl who Knew what was Going to Happen. By Mary and Elizabeth Kirby. With Illustrations by Hablot K. Browne. 3. Tales of Magic and Meaning. Written and Illus trated by Alfred Crowquill. London : Grant and Griffith. 1. Whether this be intended for an account of the youth of Michael Angelo we know not, but we pre sume that it is. At all events, it is nicely written, and well adapted for the young readers to whose amusement it is dedicated. 2. We cannot, we think, say quite so much of " The Talking Bird." The moral, indeed, is excel lent, and undue curiosity about childish things meets with various punishments thoroughly appreciable by children. But we do not quite like the expedient of the prophetic dove, which is employed without a word of explanation, and is very likely to be misun derstood. The whole thing, too, is unnaturally described—as no child, of whatever age, would be other than frightened to death by such an occur rence. We think our young friends will one and all exclaim with Paul Dombey, " I don't believe that " story "—and so the effect of the moral will be lost. 3. This is a volume of higher literary merit than either of the above two, and in its best parts is, we think, fully equal to the fairy tales of the Countess D'Aulnoy. "Little Sunshine" and "The Redcaps" are two especially good stories, and throughout the whole number there is combined with all the require ments of children an undercurrent of fun which may very well amuse their seniors. On the whole, these three form a nice little batch of children's books. The Ear in Health and Disease. By William Har vey, F.R.C.S., Surgeon to the Royal Dispensary for Diseases of the Ear. Landon : Henry Ren shaw. . This little book is a most valuable contribution to the bodily comfort of us all. The distressing com plaint of deafness is hero thoroughly investigated, and rules laid down, by the observance of which the sufferer may in many instances cure himself. In our damp and changeable climate sudden affections of the auricular glands are very frequent; and we know nothing that is at the same time so irritating and so depressing. In Mr. Harvey's book will be found all that medical and surgical science has yet discovered in the way of alleviation. It will be found an exceedingly useful appendage to every nursery; and perhaps, by more general obedience to the author's precepts while young, we might, avoid many of those blunders and acts of negligence which lead to permanent deafness in after life. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. BOOKS. The Poetry of Creation. In Seven Parts. Nicholas Mitchell. Chapman and Hall. Western Wanderings ; or, a Pleasure Tour in the Ca n ad a. Two Vole. Ditto. Family Intetests : a Story Taken from Cife. Hope and Co. The Last of the Arctic Voyages. Sir John Richardson. Two Vole. Lovell Reeve. The Court Album. 1). Bogue. The Keepsake. Ditto. The Rhine and its Picturesque Scenery. Ditto. ilia and Charlie. Illustrated. Ditto. The Life and Works of Goethe. H. Lewis. Two Vols. I). Mott. Lessons on Morals. J. W. Parker. Travels in Albania, erc. By Lor3 Broughton. Two Vols. J. Murray. Two Summer Cruises with the Bailie Fleet. By the Rev. Robert E. Hughes, M.A. Smith and Elder. ___ _ PAMPHLETS. French in a Fortnight. Grcombridge. Bow to Detect Adulteration. Ditto. Hard Words Mule Easy. Ditto. Blunders in Behaviour. Ditto. Mind Your Stops. Ditto. The Metropolitan Building Act. Butterworth. A Refutation of the Report of the Contractors of the Railway from Lisbon to Santarem. Richardson Brothers. Notes on Monetary Panics and Convulsions. 11•21.-Il.....m.sac • The British Almanac's. Knight and Co. The Army and Militia Almanaok fur 18b8. Edited by J. H !Root/n*ler, Esq. Webster and C o' THE PRESS. Pusit. EXETER-HALL—The season of the Sacred Har monic Society commenced on Fridsy, with Spohr's Last Judgment, and Beethoven's " Service in C," the vocalists being Mme. Rudersdorff, Miss Dolby, Mr. Lockey, and Mr. Thomas. Both oratorio and mass are sufficiently well known to preclude the necessity of a detailed description, and the execution of the first reflects the highest credit on the exertions of M. Costa, and the members of the orchestra and chorus. The choruses, especially the solemn open ing one, the " Holy, Holy, Holy," and the tremendous "Destroyed is Babylon the mighty," were given with full effect, and toe two beautiful quartets" Yes, every tear," and "Blest are the departed," were sung by the principal vocalists with consummate taste and feeling. In Beethoven's mass, from the excessive difficulty of some of the choruses, there was at times consider able uncertainty, which greatly marred the effect of the magnificent work. On the whole, however, the performance of both was highly satisfactory. THE LONDON SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY Com menced its season on Monday last with The Messiah. The performance of this well-known oratorio was certainly not satisfactory upon this occasion. Since Mr. Surman's secession from the elder association, he has contended successfully against many difficul ties, but his orchestra, though powerful enough now in point of numbers, is yet in execution below the standard of excellence required for the correct per formance of an oratorio. Some of the choruses on Monday night were marked by singular indecision and imperfect execution ; but these failings must be overcome, or no one will care to hear a per formance of The Messiah by this society. The solos intrusted to Miss Dolby, Mr. Lawler, Mr. Cooper, and Miss Stabbach were the best part of the performance. Mr. Cooper, a debutant with a ques tionable tenor voice, feeble in the lower register, and scanty in volume, may yet show to better advan tage when the nervousness of a first appearance is entirely absent. In "Comfort ye my people," his voice was harsh and inflexible to a degree. Miss Dolby was as effective a contralto as usual, while Mr. Lawler in the bass showed' marks of progress. From a reduction in prices, the hall was well filled, and Mr. Surman warmly received upon his appearance. The seventh annual report of the society has appeared, and we regret we cannot con gratulate the directors upon the satisfactory state of their financial condition. THE SOCIETY OF BRITISH MUSICIANS commen ced their series of chamber concerts at Erat's Harp Saloon, in Berners.street, on Thursday evening. Mr. J. E. Williams sung a romanza by Mercadante with great taste and feeling, while a trio from Mozart, played by Messrs. Westlake, Melhish, and Webb, and a ballad by Miss Palmer obtained an encore. But the pieces de resistance of the evening were two compositions for the harp by Parish Alvars, played by Mr. John Cheshire: the sweetness of the etude and the brilliancy of the fantasia were rendered with astonishing feeling and execution by the player. The applause was unanimous, and the success of the young harpist creditable to the society which educated him. The concert was highly successful. MnILE. CECILIA MARES gave ber introductory con cert at Hanover-square Rooms on Thursday evening. The selection of music was excellent, commencing with Mendelssohn's quartet in B minor, extremely well performed by Messrs. Sainton, Reynolds, Lucas, and Mdlle. Coulon, followed shortly by a solo on the violin by M. Sainton, played with exquisite feeling, and encored rapturously by the whole room ; while in the solo by Mr. Moriatt on Mr. Pask's improved cornopean, the applause was divided between the perfect execution of the player and the beautiful tone of the instrument. Mdlle. Mares, who sang several favorite airs and duets from the operas of Verdi, Mozart, and Donizetti, made the most favor able impression in a MS. ballad, entitled, " Tho' the rose on thy cheek." Her voice is a pure, fresh soprano of considerable compass, and though ex tremely nervous on her first appearance, her style, execution, and expression in singing produced a very favorable impression. She was encored in the ballad, and we have no doubt, with practice and hard work, will succeed in obtaining a very forward posi tion in the musical world. Mdlle. Coulon played Listz's " Patineurs " with considerable execution and energy, while the remainder of the concert, agreeable without being tedious, consisted of vocal music. The room was fully attended, and the performances throughout gave great satisfaction. MISS CARPENTER'S REFORMATORY SCHOOL at Kings wood, near Bristol, bas been the subject of a very influential meeting in that city. Resolutions were carried that the school was worthy of public support, and a liboral subscription was entered into to extend its means of usefulness. SATURDAY, Ett i:ilma. HAYMARKET THEATRE. THE comedy of The Provoked Husband was revived here on Monday, the character of Lady Townly being supported, for the first time, by Miss Cushman. It is certainly a most grotesque exhi b iti on , as odd a caricature iu its way as her Beatrice or her Rosalind, her marked peculiarities of voice, manner, a n d feature rendering her almost entirely unfit for the requ irements of the part. She appears to think that the lofty aspirations of her ladyship would be likely to produce, as one of their effects, a walk something like the strut of a peacock with a rheu matic affection of both legs ; and renders visible the slight affectation of the " dashing " woman of rank by carrying her head at a constant angle of at least forty-five degrees with the line of her shoulders. Everything is done in strong daubs, after the style of the most approved models in Oxford-street. It would be unfair to criticise a voice which no amount of management could render ladylike or even femi nine, and we will only inquire, therefore, is it handed down among the sacred traditions of the stage that the first representative of Lady Townly set the fashion of nasal dialogue in the character? If so, of course we bow and are silenced; if not, we should really prefer—though we speak only as a private individual —to hear her ladyship's capital repartees take the more conventional course in issuing from her person and come at once directly from the mouth. Mis s Cushman's practice of sending a sarcasm through the nose certainly has the recommendation of novelty, and in some cases may give an additional pungency to a good "point," but we cannot help saying that we think we have the majority with us in our preference for the established custom in this case. We sincerely admire Miss Cushman's genius, but it is clear that she has mistaken her " mission" in attempting to play Lady Townly. Her high comedy, in fact, produces exactly the same effects as those assigned by Aristotle to the Tragic Muse, viz., pity and terror; we feel pity for the actress, and nothing short of terror at the representation. The rest of the charac ters are fairly supported : Mr. Compton and Mr. Rogers make plenty of fun (such as it is) out of Squire Richard and Tom Moody, Miss Swanborough looks very pretty as Lady Grace, Mr. Chippendale is amusingly stubborn in Old Wronghead, and Mr. Farren in Manly is as much at home as he is in anything. DRURY LAND.—Used Up, in which Mr. Charles Mathews appears in his old and famous character of Sir Charles Coldstream, has been revived this week at Drury Lane with great success. The house is well filled every night, and Nitocris as a spectacle appears to have lost nothing of its popularity. autnors precep of those blunder to permanent de PUB The Poetry of Mitchell. Western Wanderin Two Vols. Family Intetests : The Last of the Two Vols. The Court Album. The Keepsake. The Rhine and its MM and Charlie. The Die and Woe Lessons on Morals Travels in Albani, Two Summer Cru Robert R. Rag French in a Fort, Bow to Detect Ad Hard Words Mid Blunders in Behat Mind Your Stops The Metropolitan A Refutation of th from Lisbon to Notes on lfonetar The British Alma The Army and MI Stooqueler, Es 1111111 THE REPORT ON THE HYDE PARK JULY RIOTS. THE report of the commission appointed to inquire into the circumstances of the July riots in Hyde park has at length appeared. The proceedings of the people and the conduct of the police are com mented on with much minuteness. Having de scribed the composition of the mob, the preparations of the police, and the events of the day both in Hyde park and in Park-street, the commissioners proceed to deliver their opinion upon the several charges made against the police on this occasion. First as regards Superintendent Hughes, they pronounce that the charge made against him of personal violence and improper behaviour may be passed over, but that his orders to the police to use their staves and rush upon the people were indiscreet : - - Weighing all the evidence, however, we think this resort to violence was not warranted. No attack had been made by the people, no combined or serious resistance had been made to the police, the carriages and riders passing were few ; and, considering how many inoffensive individuals were mixed up with the disorderly portion of the crowd, the execution of such orders would almost of necessity be dangerous, and attended with unjustifiable violence. If the order to use the staves had been strictly limited to the clearance of the road, we might have considered it just' liable. There was an obvious propriety in clearing the carriage-Ivey, and we think there should be little sympathy for those who at such a time refused or delayed to quit the road, expecting the police to enter into discussion as to their right of way, or to make exceptions in their favour. But there was not the same necessity to drive the crowd from the railings, and still less to clear the space between the rails and the water of the Serpentine, to which object it is clear the order extended, and it was in the course of executing it that the witnesses Vassie, Maxwell, and others were struck. It also appears that, after orders issued by Superinten dent Hughes, staves were used by the policemen, who passed under the rails to drive the crowd back, and eh° rushed upon the people from time to time, driving them back thirty or forty yards over the grass on the north side of the drive. In the course of these proceedings the witnesses Woodward, Martin, and others, were struck with staves. The object of these movements was frequently unintelli gible to the people, and consequently the acts of the police had the appearance of wanton outrage.