The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-03 00:00:00

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Colburn's New Monthly presents a fair table of
contents. In the first article, a summary is given
of Dr. Karl Koch's " Travels in the Crimea." Lord
John Russell's" Memorials of Fox," as far as they have
appeared, are ably reviewed; but the reviewer con-
siders that whatever the noble lord's qualifications
may be as a politician, they are considerably very
second rate as a literary man. A chapter upon the
4 Incidents of the War " contains one or two new anec-
dotes, and some good introductory remarks upon the
state of feeling in the army—and, indeed, in the
country very generally—previous to war being de-
clared. The original tales are amusing and clever.
Bentley's Miscellany, among much excellent matter,
contains a good article upon the "Resources of
the Anatolian Shores of the Black Sea." Every one
is so anxious to master the position and resources of
the allied armies that had we space we should make
no excuse for quoting from this article. It is evi-
dently written by one perfectly acquainted with the
locale, and the numerous advantages which are
here shown to be within easy reach of our army
suggests reflections upon the sad mismanage
meat of our commissariat in the Crimea. The
whole of the country, and its varied resources
in horses, cattle, and wood, are practically reviewed,
and the writer considers the selection by the autho-
rities of Sinope as the head-quarters of the commis-
sariat, about to be established in Asia Minor, is very
excellent no doubt in many respects, but wanting in
the " one thing needful"—intercourse with the in-
terior, of which, he asserts, it has little or none.
Thomas De Quincey and his works are favor-
ably reviewed, and for light matter we have another
chapter of " Aspen Court," a good story in the
" Parson's Oath," an amusing sketch of the late
frost in London, and a concluding article upon
" The Conduct of the War," which supports the
view we have taken of the operations of the cam-
paign. The Russian relieving army must be de-
feated, Sebastopol regularly invested, and the
northern forts destroyed, before we can boast of the
success of the expedition. Of the present Ministry
it is forcibly said it presents notable deficiencies in
the War Department. Instead of an able active War
Minister, we have " a chronic invalid" of some poli-
tical repute, but of little administrative experience
and strong partisan feelings, while one of the most
persevering obstructives of the red-tape school is ap-
pointed the Under-Secretary.
Tait this month is above the average—" The
" Copper Works of Swansea," the " Life of
" James Montgomery," the " State of Hungary," and
the " History of the late Arctic Expeditions," are
all good readable articles, while those upon politics
are not less deserving a glance.
In the Biographical Magazine we have the Lives
of Cowper, Lamennais, Marlborough, and Miss
Mitford, wel and concisely written, as far as the
very limited space allows.

*** We have not room for the letter of Mr. Timbs
this week, but it shall be given in our neat.

USXC.

DRURY LANE.—LETOILE DU NORD.
Tiir production in the country of a new opera, by Meyer-
beer, is an event, under any circumstances. It has suited
certain critics to declare that a work of this composer, pro-
duced at Drury Laue, is unworthy their notice—that it is
impossible to judge of its merits after such performance--
and they ask, if Covent Garden last year confessed itself
unequal to the task, how Drury Lane could have the im-
pertinence to attempt it. This is just a sample of the
spirit of the day, which is fast ruining our musical plea-
sures, to say nothing of the damage to our knowledge.
We have gone on repining till the production of any work,
according to our estimate, is only just possible—we ruin
our managers by forcing them to give ruinous sums to the
singers—or ruin the singers by teaching them airs and
impertinences which are scarcely tolerable to anybody
and intolerable to those about them—and, in consequence,
one-half of these people will not sing at all, because ma-
nagers cannot pay thousands and receive hundreds; and
the other half favour us with their sweet voices, as an
especial favour, just. for a dozen performances or so, and
then leave us to make the best of their absence.
Judged according to the preposterous standard we have
just' set up, Meyerbeer's opera, on Monday, offered much
which the critic could find fault with. It would not
require a visit to the theatre to say that the principal per-
formers were weak, and the first half-hour would have let
him know that the choruses were incomplete, and the
really excellent band, under the circumstances, somewhat
overpowering. But, judging according to a more rational
standard, we can declare the performance to have been a
fair one, capable both of affording reasonable pleasure, and
giving the general public a good idea of the style of the com-
poser. The deficiencies, after all, lay more in the acting than
in the singing. It is in our experience that no opera written
for the Paris Opera Comique ever yet obtained a permanent
success in England. A thousand experiments have been
tried, from the Domino Noir and Hawke, through the Val
d'Andova, down to M. A dolphe Adam, but none have been
successful. The reason is evident to any one who knows
Parisian theatricals, where the underplan, the smart change
of action, the piquancy of retort, require, in the first place,
a spirit trail French, and, in the second, that very populist

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