The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-30 00:00:00

LES BOUFFES PARISIENS.

GREAT has been the success of Offenbach's little
troupe at the St. James's Theatre, peculiar as the per-
formances are, with an amount of Parisian slang not
generally understood by English audiences. Both
in a dramatic and moral point of view, the pieces
must be accepted as extravagances essentially
calculated to provoke laughter. In the first instance,
only a portion of the company appeared, but the
reception has been so favourable '..hat the rt mainder
from the Theatre des Bouffes, in I'aris, will arrive
next week.

MUSICAL DOINGS.—Mr. Cusins has commenced a
series of pianoforte performances at Willis's-rooms.
Miss Stahbach, a pleasing vocalist, has given her
annual concert at the Hanover-square Rooms.
Rubinstein, the pianist, was summoned to Osborne
yesterday, there to remain until the arrival cf the
Grand Duke Constantine.

COLOGNE CHORAL UNION.—The last evening
concert by this distinguished society will be given
on Thursday evening next at Exeter-hall.

CARDINAL WISEMAN ON THE FINE ARTS.
CARDINAL WISEMAN last week delivered at the
Marylebone Literary Institution the first of two
lectures for which he was announced, "On the
manner of collecting and arranging a national gallery
of paintir.gs." The Cardinal was attended by a
gentleman, apparently a priest, who curried t!ic
manu-cript lecture and other papers, which he un-
folded and laid upon the reading-desk. The greater
part of the address was, however, given extempore,
without reference to notes, and the Cardinal delivered
it with great earnestness, with considerable action,
and was at times very eloquent. He commenced by
noticing the influence of art on people and on nations,
anti adduced several historical instances to show
that the successful cultivation of the fine arts had
been coincident with the greatest degree of national
prosperity and greatness. This connection between
the prospects of a nation and the admiration of the
fine arts, he said, was illustrated at the present day
by the magnifi.rent collection of art treasures a
Manchester, the greatest centre of manufacturing
industry in the world. Adverting then to the
principle which should guide the collection of
paintings for a national gallery, he said it hit.l bten
admitted by the witnesses examined belore the
parliamentary committee on that subject that the
collection in the National Gallery of this cotuAry
had been guided by no principle whatever. Car. tinal
Wiseman then proceeded to state the leading circutn-
stance3 which had regulated the collections of paint-
ings on the Continent, and to show that the same
principle which guided the formation of those
collections are inapplicable to the present condition
of this country :
In different parts of Italy, and in Spain, it had been the
object to collect the finest specimens of the schools of art
conneJted especially with each locality, and this local
feeling of pride hail served as the guiding principle. But
in England, where there has been no distinguished school
of painting—where art may, in fact, be considered iu its
infancy—there requires altogether a different principle to
guide a national collection. Such a collection should
comprise all schools of art, and should for the most part

MAY 30, 1857

consist of the commonplace productions of the various
distinguished artists, the masterpieces being reserved for
a select collection.

I knew at Rome (said the Cardinal) a Scottish artist
who had attained to great power of discrimination, and
who used to affirm that among artists there was as much
difference in the manner of making their pencil-strokes as
there was among writers in making strokes with their pen
on paper. This gentleman, Irving by name, was believed
to be able by this test alone to allot to its author a picture
by any one of the scholars of Raffaelle. The late Mr.
Pugin caught sight, from the window of his cab, of an
Albert Darer displayed for sale as he was rapidly hasten-
ing to catch the train, and without a second view of the
picture effected its purchase by letter, and afterwatds found
it to be a genuine work.
The painting of the reclining Magdalen, by Cor-
regio, the property of Lord Wart, and now exhibited
in Alatiehester, was alluded to as an apposite instance
of the accuracy with which good judges can detect
the touch of well-known artists. That painting was
exposed for sale in Koine for a very low price, every
part of the original having been painted over except-
ing a small portion of the hand. An artist who well
knew the touch of Corregio concluded from that
small uncovered spot that the painting must have
been done by that great master. He purchased it,
and having removed the surface colouring, lie was
delighted to see the perfect original beneath.
In the next lecture, to be delivered on the 3rd of
June, the second part of the subject will be con-
sidered.

• , 4

_ ,

To show in how small a degree the existing
National Gallery comes up to the condition of exhi-
biting specimens of the different schools of art, Car-
dinal Wiseman stated that the Italian paintings
comprise seventeen distinct schools, and upwards of
600 distinguished artists ; whilst our National
Gallery contains only fifty-one specimens, and several
of those are by the same artist, so that the number
of different artists, represented in that gallery does
not amount to more than one-half of those of the
Florentine school alone. Cardinal Wiseman alluded
at some length to the difficulty of ascertaining the
genuineness
of any painting, and he mentioned
several curious instances of artists themselves having
been deceived by copies of their 0111 paintings :

THE CAVALRY COLLEGE, RICHMOND.
Om Monday afternoon the foundation-stone of an
institution long needed in the British service was
laid at Richmond, under the most favourable
auspices. The object is one which almost speaks
for itself—to give a sound practical knowledge to
suc:► gentlemen as intend to enter the cavalry service
as a profession, and to supply that knowledge the
absence of which during the late war made the chi-
valrous courage of our mounted troops almost a
synonym for waste of life. The new college close to
Richmond green is founded under the most distin-
guished patronage, including, of course, all the leading
cavalry officers of the day and a large number of the
aristocracy, who take a warm interest in all that
relates to the efficiency of that branch of the service.
Among others present on Monday were the Duchess
of St. Albans, the Earl of Essex, the Ladies Pelham-
Clinton, Lieutenant-General Lord Downes, Lady
Raglan, Viscount and Viscountess Combermere,
Colonel Douglas, and upwards of 304) general visitors,
specially invited to assist at the ceremony.
Lord and Lady Combermere having inspected the
lecture-hall and spacious riding-school already
erected in the ground round the college, the noble
visceuntese was conducted to the site of the new
building, and the ceremony of laying the first stone
took place amidst a flourish of trumpets and enthu•
siastic cheers. Before the stone was laid Mr.
Stocqueler read an address to her ladyship, which,
after referring in high terms to the military achieve-
ments of the field-marshal, pointed out the necessity
which existed for the institution about to be founded.
Lady Combermere briefly replied, and as soon as
the ceremony of the day had taken place, thevisitors
partook of a sumptuous dejeuner. The usual
loyal toasts were given and enthusiastically received,
and in responding to the health of Lord and Lady
Combermere the field-marshal said that he most
cordially approved the principle of the Cavalry Col-
lege, and knew that it was thought of horefully at
bead-quarters. He trusted that its beneficial effects
in the service would be, soon evinced and lasting in
their operation, and he considered it as of vital im-
portance that professional occupation should fill up
the time that elapsed between young men leaving
school and entering the service. He trusted that
infantry officers who looked to being majors and
adjutants would attend the college, if only to learn to
ride.

After the dejeuner quadrille parties were formed
in the lecture•hall and under a marquee on the lawn,
and dancing was prolonged with much spirit till an
advanced hour of the evening.
From the drawings of the new college it is evidently
intended to be a handsome and spacious building, in
the Romanesque style. Mr. Broadbridge, the archi-
tect, hopes to have the centre portion (which will
accommodate fifty pupils) finished by September.

T HE PRESS.

HER MAJESTY'S BIRTHDAY.

THE celebration of her Majesty's thirty-eighth birth-
day having been fixed for Tuesday last, the day was
observed as a general holiday at all the public
offices. The household troops were inspected by the
Commander-in Chief on the parade•ground, St.
James's. The troops at Aldersliott were inspected
by General Knollys, and at noon the usual royal
salutes were fired by the Park and Tower guns in
London, and at the different fortresses and garrisons
throughout the kingdom. The inspection at Alder-
shott promised to be the most attractive event, but
the foul weather considerably marred the pleasant-
ness of the day, and induced the General Command-
ing to alter the arrangements from a sham fight to
less important evolutions.
A little before two o'clock the troops in camp were
under arms, and after the usual parade inspection
in front of their huts, upwards of 14,000 men of all
arms began to move across the common towards the
long valley. With the exception of the usual camp
guards from each corps there were out two com-
panies of the Royal Engineers, three field batteries,
two troops of Horse Artillery, the 15th and 7th
Hussars; two companies of the Grenadier Guards;
Ist battalion of Coldstream Guards; the Rifle
Brigade, Ist, 2nd, and :trd battalions; the 22nd, 54th,
66th, 19th, 88th, 20th, and 97th Regiments, with
some of the Ist battalion of the Military Train. An
immense concourse of spectators had by that time
collected, and were fast pouring in from the sur-
rounding neighbourhood.
As usual the most picturesque feature of the day
was while the troops were en route to the long valley ;
the dense sombre columns of the Rifles contrasted
finely with the bright hues of the Line Regiments,
Guards and Cavalry, while the long trains of
Artillery on the flanks seemed like a massive frame
to the bright picture in the centre. All the in-
fantry marched to the ground in open columns of
companies—the cavalry and artillery in troops, and
troops of batteries. The whole moved across the
long valley and formed for a short time in the slope of
the long hill in close column, looking at the distance
as if rich pastures had suddenly sprung into bloom
across the barren heath. When General Knollys
came upon the ground the columns were deployed
into a line two deep and nearly a mile and a half in
length, tapering away into a distant streak of red
which twinkled with the glitter of bayonets. In the
centre of the huge semicircle a double line was
formed by the Guards, Cavalry, and Horse Artillery,
with the field batteries, in front of all. The latter
having fired the usual royal salute, the Minks of
the whole force rose into the air as if by magic, and
the feu de joie commenced, at first with a confused
hoarse rattle, but gradually swelling into one tremen-
dous roar, which filled the air and seemed to make
the very plain vibrate and throb beneath its thunder.
ing din. Three times was this imposing volley
given, the echoes of one scarcely dying away ere
another was commenced, the royal salute of the
day—the men's }warty cheers—winding up the
whole.

The inspection in St. James's park took place at
an early hour (ten o'clock), and was soon terminated.
At Woolwich the garrison was under arms, and the
various regiments were paraded on the common
before the General Commandant, Sir William
Williams ; at Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth, Ply-
mouth, and Stonehouse the troops were all paraded
by the Commandant, and royal salutes fired from
the forts and ships of war.
In the evening, the usual official dinners were
given by Viscount Palmerston and her Majesty's
Ministers, and principal officers of State.
The illuminations were more general and brilliant
than usual. They were. not confined to her Majesty's
tradesmen, nor to the great thoroughfares of the
West-end, but were extended to districts where the
Royal Arms are rarely to be seen. The principal
scene of attraction was of course St. James's-street
and Pall mall, but Regent-street, Piccadilly, and
Oxford street, Sze., offered great attraction to the
thousands of persons who thronged the streets to a
late hour.