The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

Raleigh, it is said, had founded a kind of regular club at
the Mermaid before the close of Elizabeth's reign ; and
perhaps the most brilliant days of the Club were during
the latter years of that reign and the first of James's, while
Shakspeare was still in town to niake one of the company.
But even after Sbakspeare had retired on his fortune to
Stratford-on-Avon, the meetings were kept up with spirit
by Ben and the vest of the fraternity. Nor, when Shak-
speare came up town, as he did at various times on busi-
ness, would he fail to slur,/ his face in the well•known
place of tryst. Any time, in fact, between 1603 and 1616,
we are at liberty to fancy those meetings in the Mermaid,
at which, over a board covered with cups of Canary, and in
a room well filled surely with tobacco-smoke (for had not
Raleigh founded the Club, and was not the weed already
sold in seven thousand shops in London ?), the seated gods,
with Ben among them, exchanged their bolts and flashes.
Ah ! what evening: were these ; and how Ben and Shak-
speare betongued each other, while the others listened
and wondered ; and how, when the company dispersed, the
sleeping street heard their departing footsteps and voices,
and the stars shone dawn on the old roofs!

The article on hotels is most agreeably written, and
contains a great amount of good sense, though we
find it impossible to agree with the writer in his
main point, which is the expediency of adopting con-
tinental manner 4 in regard to ladies. He thinks
that man and wife would be more kept together if
there were more places of public resort, whether for
refreshments or amusement, where they could be
seen together. But is this the case on the Continent?
In regard to cheapness, all habitues of London
know very well that capital plain dinners, with all
the appurtenances of linen and plate, may be had in
numerous places for 2s. or t2A. 01 a head. Iu reality,
we believe the introduction of the table d'hôte into
England to be perfectly unnecessary. Nor can we
further agree in the doctrine that in a public place of
this description the " appearance of propriety " is
all that is necessary. A broad line of demarcation
should be kept up between " the objectional persons"
spoken of by the writer, and the rest of the sex.
Tait's Edinburgh .117ga:ine contains a large
assortment of articles, suitable to a variety of tastes.
There is nothing that calls for special notice, except,
perhaps, the essay entitled "Tangled-talk." which is
certainly a break in the even mediocrity of the rest,
though whether above it or below it is a doubtful
matter. The strictures on the character of the
House of Commons are simply ridiculous—the senti-
ments of an old woman expressed in the language of
a child. The " Literary Register " contains some
fairish reviews, though not of very important books.
Mr. Wilberforce's "Brazil" is one of the best.

The February number of the Train is much the
same as the January number—neither better nor
worse. Tjiat the writers possess a considerable
share of comic power no one would be found to deny,
but we fear there are indications of a lack of ability
of a different order. A magazine should not be all
facetiousness. The article entitled " Flimsy," is in
our opinion the best in the number. It is a descrip-
tion of the penny-a-liner, wonderfully humorous and
lively. Here is an instance of his blunders when
aiming at brevity :

Yesterday morning. at an early hour, loud screams were
heard to issue from the house of Mrs.—, at No.—,
street, which has unfortunately resulted in loss of life.

The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine is of a
totally different character from any of the above.
The second number bears even more than the first
unmistakeable marks of high literary genius. The
eloquence, the thought, and the critical ability dis-
played throughout convince us that this magazine
will soon rise to the front rank, if not to the very
highest place, among its contemporaries. The con-
tinuation of the essay on Tennyson, and the article
on Shakespeare's minor poems, are admirable exam-
ples of two different styles of criticism ; while the
two tales, one called "A Story of the North," the other
"The Two Partings," exhibit a power of language and
a warmth of imagination which few living writers
could equal. "The Churches of North France" is
written in a style most excellently adapted to the
subject. There is a subdued eloquence and re-
strained enthusiasm in the author which carries us
along with him without any fear of being carried too
far.

PUBLICATIONS RECETVED.—FEn. 7.
BOOKS.

The ?donetons. A Novel. Susanna Moodie. Bentley.
Foxglove Bells ; A Book of Sonnets. T. Westwood,

Gilbert Brothers.
Spirit-Rapping, and Table-Turning. Ridgway.
Mere and There in Portugal. Hugh Owen.
Bell and Daldy.
Krion-Girai, Khan of the Crimea. Hon. William G. C.

Eliott. Murray.
Dairy Farming, the Rearing and Feeding of Dairy Stork.
Ruricala. L. Reeve.
A Manual of Zoology. M. Milne-Edwarda. Renshaw.
The Fear-Book of Pacts for 1856. John Timbs, F.S.A.
Bogue.
Men of the Time; Biographical Sketches of Eminent Lining
Characters. Dines.

SATURDAY,

ate 9rama.

COVENT Giuncx.—Mr. Anderson is determined to
signalise his short lease of this house• by giving
more varied entertainments than any other theatri-
cal manager. No sooner is Rob Roy ( without his
red hair) brought out, than we have that lively little
personal farce in which Mr. Leigh Murray was so
excellently good; and now, before we have quite had
time to recover our breath between "Magic and
Mystery," Rob Roy, and Mr. Leigh Murray, we
have Mr. Anderson himself treading in the foot-
steps of T. P. Cooke, and coming out as William
in Mr. Douglas Jerrold's drama of Black-Eyed
Susan, which is said cot to have been performed
for twenty-seven years. Those who have seen
Mr. Anderson's Rob Roy will understand what
qualities would be most apparent in his perform-
ance of the part of William. The same phy-
sical energy and manly boldness, with an addi-
tional spice of characteristic dash to suit the jolly
tar, are the leading points in Mr. Anderson's con-
ception of the character. But Jack, though brave as
a lion, is as often gentle as a lamb, said in his rough
heart possesses more real tenderness than he usually
obtains credit for. This tenderness is not Mr. An-
derson's forte. Here he is too artificial, and rather
overdoes his part. Yet the performance is highly
creditable to him, and none have ever come so near
the inimitable performance of that favorite Mr. T. P.
Cooke, and the audience were especially delighted.
The hornpipe, that choice morceau in sweet
William's part, we are happy to say is wisely given
over to the flexible Mr. Flexmore, who dances it to
perfection, possible better than would ever be seen
danced on a forecastle. The other characters are all
tolerably well supported. Miss Gordon is a judi-
cious and careful Susan ; Mr. Shalders a very good
imitation of the hard-hearted landlord ; while Blue
Peter and Gnatbrain were equally well supported by
Messrs. Perren and Pearson ; and Mr. Hudspeth is a
tolerable Jacob Twiq. The house, we are happy to
hear, has been se-engaged by Mr. Anderson for
another month, during which time we are promised
a restoration of the English opera. Mr. Ander-
son's promises have hitherto been well kept, and we
have no doubt an English opera will be seen to its
best advantage at Covent Garden.

AnEurif.j-An unsuccessful attempt has been
made this week to dramatise one of the stories in
the Christmas number of Household Words. The
Boots of the Holly tree Inn has been skilfully worked
into a one-act piece, and brought out ; but there is
so little incident in it that, in spite of its clever con-
struction and capital acting throughout, we fear it
will n..t find favour with the Adeiphi audience. They
do not appreciate refined humour, nor care to com-
prehend those delicate touches of childish grief
which are sr, prominent in this tenderly touching
story. Mr. Webster's Cobbs, the boots at the York-
shire inn, is perfect for its truth to nature—the pecu-
liar dialect, the shrewd humour, and the quaint
loquacity of the character are rendered by Afr. Web-
ster with real power and thorough artistic) finish.
His make-up, too, is excellent. In the child lovers,
Miss Walmer and Miss Craddock show great ability,
and act with perfect feeling. The scenery, too, is
admirably well painted and put together. The out-
side of the inn in a snowstorm is one of the best
snow views exhibited at the Adelphi. At the fall of
the curtain on the first night the audience were sin-
gularly apathetic.

GALLERY OF ILLUSTRATION.—Mrs. German Reed has
removed her popular entertainment to this building
for the season. With regard to her clever delinea-
tions of life and character, her powers of mimicry,
her talent for hitting off characteristic peculiarities,
and her clever make-up upon each and every
occasion, there is little to be said more than we
have observed on former occasions. Her enter-

tainment at present opens with characteristic delinea•
tions of some of ose every-day people we all meet
with in the course of our lives, and whom Mrs.
Reed especially meets upon a country visit. First
there is Mrs. Myrtle, one of those genuine, coarse,
good-hearted, country housewives whose affections
vibrate between their children and their preserves—
then we have an old maid of remarkable acerbity—
then a charity boy, who is subjected to an examina-
tion—then a dandy baronet, who under his foppish-
ness conceals something good—and then an insipid
young lady, who appreciates nothing in life but her
pillow. These aro mostly the different visitors at
Mrs. Myrtle's house upon the occasion of Miss
Myrtle's wedding, which is detailed to us in a capital
song between Mrs. Reed and Mr. German Reed,
who throughout takes the subordinate part at the
piano. As soon as the breakfast is announced a
capital specimen cf a bridal speech is given by a Mr.
Honeysu-kle, who drags in every unconnected sub-
ject to give force to his meaning, and results in
the most malapropos conjunctions. A few more
characteristic sketches are then given ; and a clever
dialogue between two old women, Mrs. Recd simul-
taneously sustaining both characters, terminates the

I

first part. The second includes the "Enraged Musi-
cian," which is already familiar to the public ; the
conscientious maid-o!-all-work, the poor Italian boy,
the loquacious old landlady, and the French singer
are all personated by Mrs. Reed with peculiar skill
and talent. In the last character she gives "Robert
toi que j'aime" with her magnificent contralto voice
with such power and execution as to cause regret for
the loss of so fine a voice from its proper sphere.
The first part of the entertainment has been entirely
rewritten by Mr. N. Brough, and is exccedingly
clever, while the second is too well-known and too
popular to need remark. The rooms have been
crowded every evening, and Mrs. German Reed's
success at the Gallery of Illustration is already
assured.