The Press.
London, England, 1854-03-25 00:00:00

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284

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the axe. Happily she has discovered a father in the
person of the Jesuit Redclife, and, as the curtain
falls, resolves to devote herself to filial duties for the
rest of an otherwise solitary life. The characters of
Anne and Ruth were admirabl reresented Murray
Miss
Woolgar and Madame Celesy te. p Leigh Murray
looked handsomely and acted heroically enough for
Rokewood; and Mr. Webster carried the ideal Jesuit
through some rapid changes of costutne and charac-
ter, as a Quaker, a brigand, and a Hanoverian clergy-
man, in most effective style. The drama, we need
hardly add, was applauded to the echo on its first
performance, has been repeated every night since,
and is now established for a prolonged run as a
genuine " Adelphi success."
OLYMPIC.
The Wrong Box, produced at this theatre on Monday
last, is a very neat translation of La Nuit aux
Souillets, which some years ago was a favourite piece
at the Palais Royal Theatre in Paris. A Lox on the
ear administered to Hercules 111., a young Duke of
IFerrara, by his chief favourite, the Count de Candolle,
is the turningpoint of the plot ; and this incident,
,with a certain admixture of love, intrigue, and jea-
lousy, is worked up by the skill of the dramatist into
a very satisfactory and amusing little play. On the
whole the acting is good. Miss P. Horton is very
effective as the Duke, though she by no means por-
trays, or even attempts to portray, the folly and
licentious idiocy which were the chid features of the
part in the hands of its original representative, Le-
vasser. The Count de Candolle is excellently played
by Mr. Wigan, but the first act is not so well suited
to his peculiar talent as the second, where, finding
that a terrible death is to be the fate of the man
who has boxed the Duke's ears, he exhibits an
abject fear and intensity of suffering which, though
rendered somewhat comic by the situation, are
thoroughly real and admirably rendered. Miss
Wyndham, in the small part of Helen d'Orbignac,
displayed remarkable intelligence. This is the
second time this promising young actress has within
these last few days succeeded in an original part.
Miss E. Turner looked very pretty and was charm-
ingly impudent as Carlotta ; and Mr. F. Robinson's
first appearance at the Olympic was very successful.
The costumes are very beautiful and excellent, but
we cannot commend the scenery, which is badly de-
signed and ill-painted.

Ni
first

• , •
-Sim, UM.
r - -
t L
DM HARMONIC SOCIETY.
THE programme of the second concert, given on
Monday last, was as follows :
PLaT I.—Sinfonis iu C, No. 1, Beethoven—Scene, "0, 'tie a
glorious right" (Oberon), Mr. Sims Reeves, Weber—Concer•
tante, No. 2, Two Violins, Mr. Sliilltoll and Mr. Tilagrove tipohr
—Duet, "Ti veggo" (Proserpina), Miss Stabbed) said Miss
Poole, Winter—Overture, " Euxyanthe," Weber.
I'ART 11.—Sinfonis, No. 3, Idendelesolin—Trio, " Even as
they broke the cane" (Jessonda), Miss Stabbach, Miss Poole,
and Mr. Sims Reeves, Spohr—Overture, Zaubertlate, Mozart
The instrumental portion of this concert, though
containing no work with which the subscribers and
musical public are not familiar, was judiciously se-
lected. Beethoven's symphony, No. 1, would seem
(though the fact is questioned by some German cri-
tics) to be the composer's first symphony, written be-
fore he had acquired the power of embodying those
.marvellous thoughts and inspirations which consti-
Fte his title to pre-eminence over all musicians. In
Writing the various movements of this symphony,
eethoven appears to have had the forms and phrases
his predecessors, Haydn and Mozart, constantly
present to his imagination ; and, though the work is
in every respect original, it labours under the disad-
vantage of a certain constraint of style which renders
it, certainly not the less beautiful, but at all events
less characteristic than the master's later works of the
sante class. The execution throughout was excel-
lent, and the brilliant playing of the violins in the
scherzo was the subject of general approbation. We
do not ever remember to have heard Mendelssohn's
symphony, No. 3, with more satisfaction : it formed
an excellent contrast to Beethoven, No. 1, and was
beautifully executed. To our mind, this work is the
best that has been written since the time of fleet-
haven. The beautiful and touching andante, the
spirited scherzo movement, the brilliant finale, and,
withal, the poetic inspiration which pervades the
whole, combine to render this symphony a per-
fect work of art. Spohr's duet for two violins gave
great satisfaction to the audience, and served ad
mirably to display the qualities of the two great vio-
linists to whom its int"rpretation was entrusted. The or-
chestras of Europe may, indeed, be safely challenged to
produce a pair of artists who shall compete successfully
with the two principal violins of the Philharmonic band.
Nothing could be more unsatisfactory than the vocal
music. The improvement which the present direc-
tors have effected in shortening the length of the
concert should be followed by a total reform of the
vocal department. Better abolish the singing
altogether than year after year torture the ears of the
subscribers. We omitted in our account of the first

THE PRESS.

concert to notice that the concert-rooms have been
rearranged and repainted since last season. The new
decoration is in the worst possible taste. The wax
candles have been abolished, and the celebrated pic-
ture of " Britannia blowing her nose and the British
lion scratching his" has been removed to make way
for a circle of gas, more suited to a hippodrome than
a concert-room.

r PHILHARMONIC SociETv.—Our notice of the
nicert is unavoidably postponed till next week.

fort* art, Sittnturt, c.

A FIRST-RATE HOTEL, which will be the only one
in the city commanding a view of the Alps, is about
to be erected at Berne. It will be called thn Grand
Hotel de l'Europe, and the funds for its completion
are to be raised by means of 5,000 shares of 4/. each.
THE DIRECTORS OF THE SWISS TELEGRAPHS, MM.
Brunner and Hipp, contemplate the publication of a
daily telegraphic bulletin of the rates of the Paris,
Vienna, Frankfort, and Augsburg exchanges on the
day of their appearance, together with the political
events designated by the press as causing the various
movements in the commercial world.
MLLE. RACHEL is expected in Paris from St. Pe-
tersburg next month.
THERE have been lately discovered in some
gardens near Nerac (Lot-et Garonne) a considerable
number of Roman mosaics representing birds, fruits,
fishes, flowers, and arabesques. They are considered
to belong to the era of Julius Caesar, and are supposed
to have been used in the palace of one of his proconsuls.
A local tradition, however, declares that they were
discovered a first time in the thirteenth century, and
employed by the Templars in a magnificent comman-
dery which they had built on the site now occupied
by the gardens mentioned above. Thatbnilding, the
traditions state, was burnt down in about a century
after, and human skeletons, charcoal, and burnt
matters of various kinds lately found on the spot
where these mosaics have beon discovered, seem to
give some probability to the story. A part of these
mosaics were purchased by a gentleman residing in
the neighbourhood, to adorn his country seat, and the
rest are offered for sale.
IT results from some experiments recently made
at Brest with the terrible boulets asphixians, that
have been so much talked of, that they may, under
certain circumstances, be very dangerous to the
troops using them as well as to the enemy. A
building containing a number of cats, dogs, and other
animals, was fired at, and on inspection all of them
were found to be dead from asphyxia ; but it happened
that the shots were fired against the wind, and,
although the distance was great, the poisonous
vapour was rolled back with such effect that several
of the artillery men were nearly choked, and some of
them fainted.
THE STREETS OF PARIS have been lately inundated
with songs calculated to stir up the warlike spirit of
France against Russia. The Czar and the Cossacks
are held up as demons, and Nicholas himself is
painted in colours which might make him be taken
for his namesake. The whole of these songs are
sanctioned by the Minister of the Interior, and each
copy bears the stamp of his office.
AN INCIDENT CONNECTED WITH THE DRAMA has just
occurred in Paris, which is exciting some interest
among persons connected with theatricals and with
the press. It appears that a lady, who formerly
belonged to the theatrical profession, was induced, in
consequence of the absence of Mademoiselle Rachel,
to appear last week at the Theitre Francais in one of
the characters in which that great tragedian appears
to great advantage—that of Hermione. The attempt
did not meet with the success anticipated. On the
contrary, strong signs of disapprobation were mani-
fested by the audience at the failure. Monday being
the day on which the Paris papers publish their
theatrical feuilletors, it was naturally expected that
the failure of the Francais would be noticed. To the
astonishment of the editors, an order, emanating from
it is said Ministerial authority, was sent round to
the papers, forbidding them to insert any observations
on the failure in question, to write, in fact, as if no
such occurrence had taken place at all. The Consti-
tutionnel accordingly appeared without any feuilleton.
M. Jules Janin in the Dibats, alluding to Hermione,
speaks with enthusiasm of Rachel, and of what she
would do if she were present, but does not give one
word in allusion to what was really done. The de-
butante, it seems, came out as Mlle. Danes, but her
real name is Ledru, and she is the wife of the ex-
avocet. It is to the protection of M. Fould, the Mi
nister of State, that she owes this official interference
to prevent her fiasco becoming public.
ANOTHER CASE OF EXCITEMENT has stirred the
literary world in Paris during the past week, in the
sudden appearance and equally sudden disappearance
of a pamphlet entitled " Revision de la Carte de
l'Europe." This brochure is quite understood to be
the production of the highest personage in the State.
On Saturday it was sent officieusensent to the Slide

fri

and the Journal des Debate, And these journals were
authorised to publish it. The work is only sixteen
pages, and is published by M. Plon, the publisher
of the Emperor. The Siècle had already printed (but
not published) this pamphlet, when an agent. from
the Minister of the Interior arrived with counter-
orders. He at the same time seized upon the only
copy of the pamphlet in the possession of the editor,
directed the printed matter to be distributed, and
destroyed all the proofs. He then proceeded to the
printing office of M. Plon, seized all the copies of the
pamphlet printed, and directed the composition of
the pamphlet (for it was yet in type) to be destroyed.
The meaning of all this is very mysterious. It
appears that, by the plan laid down in this work,
Lombardy was to be given to Piedmont; Moldavia
and Servia to Austria ; the Crimea was to be given
to the Porte; Poland was to be reconstituted, tinder
the euzeraineth of Prussia; and Finland was to be
restored to Sweden.

..

AT THE WEEKLY MEETING OF THE SOCIETY OF ARTS
held on Wednesday, Mr. William Bird in the chair,
a paper was read on some of the undeveloped resources
of India, by George Buist, M.D., of Bombay. The
paper stated that India embraced an area of 1,309,2(K)
square miles, surrounded by a boundary of 11,260
miles, or nearly half the circumference of the globe.
Of this, 800,758 belong to England, and 508,422 to
native States. The present number of Europeans
was about 00,000 to about 200,000,000 of natives—of
which about 50,000 are private soldiers, and about
13,000 servants of the Government, of education and
intelligence—or one to every 1,000 square miles.
India yielded about 20,000,0001. of exports annually
and the revenue, affording nearly a similar amount,
formed but an inconsiderable fragment of what might
be realised if proper means were adopted for their
development. The paper for next week will be upon
agricultural statistics by Mr. Leone Levy.

Cittitsiastital.

APPOINTM EN TS.
The Rev. J. C. liolvlatt, M.A., to the Rectory of St. Paul's,
Exeter.
The Rev. Wm. Henry Carwithen, HD., to be a Surrogate fur
the Arclideaeonry of Exeter.
The Rev. Henry Beckwith, M.A., to the Rectory of St. Mary,
Bishoplilii, York.
The Rev. C. Bt. iogys Moxen, LL.B., to the Curacy of 14-
keuham, Norfolk.
The Rev. Henry Howson, M.A., to the Rectory of l ittle
Horsted, near Uckfleld.
The Rev. EL Morgan to the Rectory of St. Athan, Glamorgan-
shire.
The Rev. John Anden. 8.A., to the Curacy of St. James's-hill,
Sutton Cohltield, Warwickshire.
The Rev. Dr. J. B. Mountain to be Chaplain to the High
Sheriff of Bedfordshire.
The Rev. Thomas Sikes,Rural Dean of Dunstable
The Rev. E. F. Bayle, M.A., to the Incumbency of St. Peter's'
Church, liammeremith.
The Rev. Stephen Brown, S.C.L., to the Curacy of Johnston-
arch Steynton, near Haverfordwest.
The Rev. Richard Parrott, 8.A., to the Curacy of Yepytty.
The Rev. George Lewis Coles to the Curacy of Clyro, Rad-
norshire.
The Rev. John Duncan Myers, 8.A., to au Assistant Curecy
tu the parish of Tenby.
The Rev. William Edmunds to the Curacy of Lampeter pont
Stephen.
The Rev. Edward King, 8.A., to the Curacy of Penrith.
The Rev. Thowits Lees, BA., to the Curacy of Kirkby
Thorne, Westmorland.
The lie,. Charles Win. Cox, 8.A., to the Curaey of Allhallows,
near Wigton.
The Rev. Robert Jackson Cuppage, 8.A., to the Curacy of
Heston, Cumberland.
The Rev. Richard Mulcaster, 8.A., to the Curacy of St. John's
Vale, Keswick.
The Rev. F. Caudwell to the Assistant Curacy of St. Stephen's
Church, Devonport.
The Rev. T. R. klusselwhite, 8.A., to the Curacy of Aston-
under-Edgmond, Shropshire.
VACANCIES.
The Rectory of Hilperton, near Trowbridge, Wiltshire; worth
3001. a year, in the gift of Mr. W. Long.
The Rectory of Ilyswen, near Hay, Brecknockshire; worth
2001. a year, in the gift of Sir John Bailey, Bart.
The Rectory of Eaton Bishop, near Hereford; worth 5001. a
year, in the gift of the Bishop of Hereford.
The Rectory of Blymhill, near Shiffhall, Lichfield ; worth 6001.
a year, in the gift of the Earl of Bradford.
The Incumbency of Thornaby, near Stainton, Yorkshire;
worth about 2001. a year, in the gift of the Archbishop of York.


Enibtrsitg 3ititiligtut.

OXFORD.
THE Ray. 3. PRIDEAUI LIGHTFOOT, rector
Pei Wootton,
Northamptonshite, and honorary canon of terborough,
was on Saturday elected to the headship of Exeter College,
vacant by the death of 1)r. Richards Mr. Lightfoot ob-
tained a first class "In Literis liumanioribns " to Easter
term, 1824, and in the same year he was elected a fellow.
In 1827 he was apinted college tutor. In 1833 he
served the office of Junior proctor, and in the same year
was presented by the rector and fellows of Exeter to the
rectory of Wootton.
THE proposal to affix the University seal to a petition to
the House of Lords for leave to introduce a bill for effect-
ing the purchase of land in the parks, in furtherance of
the proposal of obtaining a site for a new museum, was
agreed to at a Convocation held on Saturday last.
Tux candidates who have announced themselves for the
new Latin professorship are :—Rev. G. Butler, M.A.,
Exeter College; Mr. John Conington, MA., fellow and