The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-28 00:00:00

MAY 28, 1853.

is worthy of the name of a satire which never hits one
tit' the abuses of the original ; and the author has
taken so little pains to acquaint himself with the
spirit and peculiarities of his subject that ho leaves
untouched all the numerous salient points of attack
which the character and conduct of the English legal
profession unquestionably present to an enemy of
even moderate ability anti power. To ;;ire one in-
stance out of twenty. 'the universul nepotism of
at wrneys, and the obstacles they present to any 'liven
communication between the barrister and his client,
is at the present day a subject of much discussion
and animadversion ; and the construction of the piece
affords a fair opportunity for the expression of the
author's opinion upon this question, which is undoubt-
edly one of some public interest. In the place,
however, of any solid or tangible suggestions we find
nothing but the wildest impossibilities. We are in-
troduced to a perfect phtrnix in the person of a brief-
less barrister, the only relative of an attorney in large
business, who, moreover, iu the sacred precincts of
Westminater, communicates directly with his clients in
a manner which would effectively ensure his exclusi,
from all practice. Mr. Lawrence should also learn that
the legal term "pleading" refers to writing and not
speaking, and that important mistatementa of fact
" in pleading " would in all probability prove fatal to
the best cause that ever made its appearance in
Westminster-hall. We should also advise a little
more attention to correctness of costume. visit to
Westminster-hall would satisfy Messrs. F. Matthews
and Baker that they never could he mistaken
for grave and learned serjeants. The character of
Settle, the old attorney, was played by Mr. Cooper
with propriety and feeling ; and Miss Robertson, as
Mrs. Bickering Brown, was very pleasant to behold.
ADELPIII THEATRE.
MR. WEBSTER has found it necessary to reproduce
Jack Sheppard and The Green Bushes this week.
The failure of The Merry Wives Windsor is a
great proof of the good sense end discrimination of
the Adelphi audience, and has, we trust, taught the
manager a useful and practical lesson.
FRENCH I'LAYS.
Le Mari a la Canspagne was produced for the first
time this season on Wednesday last, on the occasion
of Mr. Mitchell's benefit ; M. Regnier, Mlle. Brohan,
and M. Lafont sustaining the principal characters.
Although the cast embraced names of some distine•
tion, the play was very slowly and lifelessly acted,
and, if we had not on a previous occasion had an
opportunity of seeing M. Reguier play the hen-
pecked husband, we should have scarcely thought
MS impersonation of Colombet so remarkable a per-
formance as in fact it really is. In these days, when
remarks are so frequently made to the prejudice of
English actors and actresses, especially with re
faunae to stage costume, it is perhaps consolatory
to *etch the French artists occasionally tripping. We
40 not pretend to propose any standard of Quaker sim-
plicity, or to lay down what is precisely the correct
ess of a Paris devoti; but we will nevertheless
venture a confiaent opinion that the scarlet robes in
which Madame Thibault enacted the part of the
tyrannical mother-in-law, Madame Aigueperse, were
entirely out of place. Mlle. Brohan, ton, who
surely ought to know better, considerably marred the
effect of her part by the want of contrast which the
handsome dress she wore, as the serious lady, pre-
sented to the magnificent toilette which announces
her conversion (some people might post. ;illy call it
perversion) to the worldly tastes of her husband. We
were sorry to see so thin a house; the smallness of
the audience was no doubt attributable to the in-
fluence of Ep_som races, rather than to any want of
respect fqa* Mr. Mitchell.

usit.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.
Tat production of Neyerbeer's Roberto ii Diarolo
aq 3londay last is deserving of notice so far only as
it shows that the subscribers and the public should
fie ever w►►tchful lest the manager of a theatre, which
is a mere speculation, and under no G overnment super-
vision, should, by advertising the names of a fa Iv first-
rate singers, and by the occasional production of a well-
mounted opera, find an excuse for the const ant appear-
ance of moderate talent and a systematic neglect of de-
tail upon the greater number of ordinary subscription
nights. We must enter a protest against the en-
gagement of Mme. Julienne, which might, with ad•
vantage to all parties, be immediately cancelled.
This lady, a singer of some celebrity in France, is
totally unfit to sustain the character of
a prima donna on the Covent Garden boards. Her
voice is of a disagreeable quality, her school of ►sing-
ing vicious, and, though she occasionally produces
certain effects which may be popular with foreign
audiences, she never can become a favourite with
opera-goers in this country. She is, monover, a very
indifferent actress, and her appearance as Alice, in a
modern peignoir and a common " wide-awake," will at-

THE PRESS.

The other characters in the opera were as well
sustained as could be reasonably expected. M.
Formes appears to great advantage as Bertram, and
it would be difficult to find more efficient representa-
tives for the parts of Isabella and Roberto than
Mute. CasteMut and Signor Tamberlik. We cannot
admit as any excuse for the slovenly manner in which
this opera has been put upon the stage that it is not
a meetly, or that the scenery and appointments lune
been maid before. The direetors of Co% cut. Garden
must he judged by their own professions, and, if they
cheese to produce a work which requires elaboration
of detail. they are bound, under any ciremnstanees, to
do their best to ensure a satisfactory result. The
scenic effects, as well as the general stage manage-
ment, throughout this opera, evinced great l'arPleag-
ness and want of ability. The manner in which
the nuns were resuscitated would have thrown
discredit upon a country theatre of any moderate pre-
tensions and certain gentlemen habit.d in tow and
red calico, who appeared on the stage with the red
fine as the curtain was about to descend in the third
act. reminded the spectator of Bicha.dson's booth and
a country fair rather than the Royal Italian Opera.
We have often heard the question asked, why the
ballet at this theatre is so unreasonably bad? The
non-existence of a school of dancing in England is no
sufficient answer, for the managers of the Lyceum
and the Princess's produce ballets more than respecta-
ble. If economy be the "cause of this defect," let the
management take warning by the fate of Mr. Lumley,
and remember that the true way to avoid competi-
tion is by ensuring, so far as is practicable, at least
respectability of talent in every department.
This evening Signor Bellotti is to make his first
appearance at this theatre, in the opera of Ernuni.
The engagement of this excellent artist ought to be
a source of g.eat satisfaction to the subscribers : it is
a matter of regret he, should have been so long ab-
sent from this country. The Huguenots is announced
for newt week. Why is this opera not produced upon
a subscription night ?
QUARTErr ASSOCIATION.
THE fourth performance of the Quartett Asiewiation
took place son Thursday last. The programme was
as follows :—Quintetto in E flat, op. '2s—Gebel ; Orand
Trio in F minor, op. 47—Mendelssohn ; Quintett in
E fiat—Beethoven ; Solo, contrabass°. Performers :
Violin, Messrs. Salmon and Cooper ; Tenor, Messrs.
Webb and Boileau; Violoncello, Signor Piaui; Con-
trabasso, Signor Bottesini ; Pianoforte, Mrs. Jewson.

MILE. PAULINE VIARDOT gave her farewell cone
at St. Petersburg on the Bth inst. The Hall of the
Nobility could scarcely contain the audience.
A tam GRAND OpEns, entitled Sakounta/a, by the
Baron de Perfall, a young diUetante, has been re-
cently produced at the Grand Theatre in Munich, the
author himself appearing in the orchestra as con-
ductor. The work was received with the greatest

applause.
OLE the renowned violinist, continues to
give concerts in the United States. According to
letters recently received in Norway, his native
country, he has purchased 125,000 acres of land in
Pennsylvania, which he is again selling to those of
his countrymen, or Swedes or Danes, who are willing
to colonise it, at three dollars per acre. The number
of colonists at present. amounts to about 700, two.
fifths of whom are Germans. In the laws of the
colony it is provided that every drunkard shall bo
melled, and the property he may have acquired he
shall sell within a given time.

PROFESSOR AYTOL'N'S CLOSINU LECTURE.
Tut marked popularity of Professor Aytoun as a
lecturer will probably suggest the publication of his
lectures. When before us in a revised literary nom,
we will carefully consider his opinions on " Poetry."
In the meanwhile we may here record the persunal
pleasure we experienced in listening to him. He
His tone was genial and manly, and the hearty fresh.
ness of his enthusiasm for those branches of poetry
which he specially appreciates was very gratifying to
persons wearied with the mechanical cant of criti-
cism. As a reader of Scotch poetry he is unrivalled;
he feels what he recites, and his sympathy gives a
quickening force to his del;very, not to be attained
by the trick of the elocutionist. Since the days of
Sir Humphry Davy and Sydney Smith at the Royal
Institution, we do not believe that any lecture ever
addressed a more brilliant and fashionable audience
than that attendant on Professor Aytoun. He has
had the credit of introducing the Muses into the pre-
cincts of Almack's, and has thus taken away fora
the imputed "exclusiveness" of the Graces.
On Tuesday last the learned professor delivered
his closing lecture of the series. The subject was
"Modern British Poetry ;" but, with the exception of
a graceful compliment to Mr. Rogers, the lecturer
made no comments on living poets, using, we think,
a sound discretion. He took occasion to state, that
in his opinion young poets should on their first ap-
be kindly treated, and he deprecated that
• of which