The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-20 00:00:00

HAYMLEICIT.

THIS Erzsmo. BACCIIVSANITABIADNL—THE CASTLE
OF ANDALUSIA. Mewl. Webs, Farm, Rnekatone, Compton :
Rim 1.. Keeley and Madame Wetaa—TRIIND WAGGLES.
Mr. Compton. - And A KISS 11.1 THE DARK.

PILINCIMVS.

Tun EVIIINTIOG. BORN TO GOOD LUCE. Mr. D. Murray,
And THE STREETS OF LONDON. Mews. J. W. Ray, David
Fisher. D. Murray, J. Nelson, H. Forrester. and H. Mellon;
Mn H. Marston, Misses Barnett and Gwynn..

EWOMss. THE HARLOTS ?MGM:St.—Singing by
Messrs H. Clifton and Louio Lindsay Madame Pleoa.—Mr. O.
W. later.—Concluding with THE MUTINY AT THE NOEL

HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE.

Tiit6 DAY Morning, 4b. 43m....Afternoon, sb. 4m.
To-monsow Morning, sb. 25m....Attamoon, sb. 4555.

LONDON, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20.

Tarim is not a prettier city in all England, and
there are few prettier in all Europe, than the city
to which, with a very little research, it would be
easy to give several fancy titles, but which, with a
due regard to the patience of our readers, we will
content ourselves with calling simply—Bath.
Nature has done, in the way of scenery, every-
thing for this charming capital of the county of
Somerset, and Art has done something in the
choice of a situation in the bosom of the wooded
bills, in a soft, rich valley, where the winds breathe
gently, and the stream of a quiet river flows
through meadows fat with peace and plenty. Art
has quarried out the delicate stone and garlanded
every brow and shoulder of the hills with a wreath
of terraces. We have heard Bath called the
English Florence, perhaps rather from a certain
general softness in the look and air of the place,
than from any very distinct likeness in form and
features to the Tuscan capital. There is, however,
a certain reminiscence of Italy—of classical Italy—
in Bath, something perhaps of its own Roman birth
and youth ; but the classical Italian is that of a
Pagan temple in a park, and the Roman is terribly
overlaid with rococo. It must, we fear, be con-
fessed that the general effect of Bath in our days is
somewhat dingy, faded, and washed out, like a
coquette who at the age of remorseful virtue and
despair has taken to cards, scandal, and'pulpit-fol-
lowing. Bath, however, has had two long fashion-
able seasons, one at the opening of our Christian
era, and one as late as the last century, in the
days of our grandmothers and great grandmothers.
There was • long interval between these two
seasons of fashion and prosperity a dreary
" glacial period ;" and such are the changes of
the social crust which cities of hot waters undergo
—a second glacial period has succeeded, in which
only one species of animal life—the Dowager—is
found to exist, except for some three weeks at
Easter. To what particular causes this undeniable
desertion of Bath by the marriageable world.
is owing we cannot pretend to say, but unquestion-
atly it would be difficult at this present time
to discover a city more delightful for aged and
invalided residents, or more dull for visitors who '
are not yet sick of life. There is, we suppose, an
ebb and a flow in the social life of watering
places ; Bath has had its turn, and we cannot but
believe itwill come to life again some future day.
Meanwhile the meeting of the British Association
has restored for a moment animation to those
Pompeian streets, and actually awakened the ghostly
echoes of the Pump Room. Nothing could be
more flattering, nothing more graceful and urbane,
than the terms in which Sir WILLIAM ARNISTRONI:
in taking leave of the President's chair, did homage
as a man of the North to the superior attractions
of Bath, though it is true he stated their attrac-
tions in negative quantities, as " less noise, less dirt,
" less smoke" than at Newcastle. And the Presi-
dent of the year, Sir CHARLIS LYELL, both in hie
admirable Address of inauguration, and in his
speech at the banquet, was more than
complimentary to the claims of the fair
city. He spoke of Bath as a place of
" no ordinary interest to the cultivators of physi-
" cal science." Indeed Sir CHARLES conferred
the highest honour on Bath by devoting a
great part of his opening Address to • most
interesting account of its antiquarian and geolo-
gical features and characteristics. How long it is
since the Association met last in Bath Sir Cassias
did not mention ; the Association itself is only in
its thirty-fifth year, and it is some twenty-eight
years since it held at Bristol • meeting the interest
and importance of which have notyet been surpassed.
But it is easy to imagine that a change from the
lopulous and murky Northern centres of manu-
facturing industry to the calm clear air and
leisurely serenity of a city like Bath is wel-
come alike to the workers and the loungers of
the Association. And the selection of Bath has
been entirely justified, not only to the gratification
of all the Members and Associates, but to the
satisfaction of the Treasurer. It was doubly sad
that such a cloud of gloom should have fallen
upon the meeting of the Ass,ciation in the West
country capital, as the cruel fate of Captain
SPEER, the pride of au old Somersetshire family,
and in whose triumphs the whole county claimed a
share. But for this most distressing incident
we should have nothing but congratulations to ad-
dress to Bath. For " if," as Sir Wituam ARM-
STRONG gracefully said, "it were the least eligible
" place in all England for a meeting of the Anemia-
" tion, the presidency of Sir CHAIILDI LYELL would
" confer upon it the highest distinction. There is
" no higher authority than Sir CHARLES on the
" science which will probably furnish the prim-
" cipal subject of the address he is about to
" deliver, and there is no one more competent to
" impart the charm of lucid and elegant language
"to his communication of ideas." How accurately
and truly these words anticipated the admiration
which has since been felt and expressed where-
ever Sir CHARD Larttes address has been read,
and the enthusiastic attention with which it was
received by the audience at its delivery, there is
but ono uuanimous testimony. And yet we dare