The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-11 00:00:00

THE OCEAN YACHT RACE,

CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE DUKE OF
EDINBURGH AND KR. BF.NNETT.
The New York papers publish the following cor-
respondence between the Duke of Edinburgh anti Mr.
Bennett, jun.

Of Cowes, Dec. 31, 1866.

Your Royal Highness,—At Lord Lenn ox's dinner, on
Friday last, you were pleased to match your yacht the
" Viking " to sail the " Henrietta" around the Isle of
Wight, next August, for a cup worth lOW. I would not
say so then, because I was bound to make the match pro-
posed ; but, in fact, this arrangement will somewhat
interfere with the disposition which I had determined to
make of my yacht in case she should win the
ocean race. I beg that you will accept as a
new year's gift to an English yachtsman from
an American yachtsman, the Henrietta, as she now
lies in perfect order off Cowes, and I have instructed Cap-
tain Samuels to hold her subject to your orders. The un-
bounded hospitality with which the American yachtuten
have been received by all classes in England will always
be remembered in the United States with the warmest
gratitude, and I sincerely hope that you will not deprive
me of the opportunity of acknowledging this most cordial
reception by presenting the winning yacht to the repre-
sentative of English yachtmen.
I have the honour to remain very respectfully yours,

J. CI. Brzartrr, jun.
Clarmoe•house, Jan. 22, 1567.

Dear Mr. Bennett,—l find it difficult to express how
gratefully I appreciate the kindly feeling which dictated
your letter of the 31st ult., as well as the splendid present
which you offer to my acceptance, but most of all the deli.
may with which you seek to diminish the personal obliga-
tion under which you would lay me by giving to you!
generous offer an international character. It in, indeed,
this last consideration only which has led me to hesitate
in replying to your letter, for personally it would have
been impossible for me to accept en costly a present, but I
felt bound fully to consider the question in the light in
which you were good enough to place it ; and if on full
consideration I feel compelled to decline your generous
offer, I trust that neither you nor your gallant competitors,
nor your countrymen at large, will believe that the yachts.
men of England less appreciate, or less reciprocate the
feeling of good fellowship which prompted the offer. The
Henrietta is a vessel which any man may feel proud to
possess, and I trust she may long continue in the hands in
which she has accomplished so triumphant a mom.
We must try to find a rival to her, and do our beet in
common with all Englishmen. I sincerely hope that such
friendly rivalry may be the only description of contest in
which our respective countries may ever be engaged. It
has given us great pleasure to offer a cordial reception to
you and your companions in England, and I feel assured
that if my professional duties in command of one of her
blajesty's ships should ever take me to your shores, I
should there meet on the part of my brother seamen with
• reception not less hearty than that which we have been
happy to afford you here.
Believe me yours, sincerely, ALPIIID.

KO ram a.

ST. JAMES'S.

Holcroft's Road to Ruin—a comedy that has
been more or less popular for three-quarters of a century—
was revived at this house on Saturday night with perfect
success. It is some years since it was performed at the
Haymarket Theatre, to give Mr. Alfred Wigan an oppor-
tunity of appearing in the character of Goldfinch—a part
now represented at the St. James's Theatre by Mr. Walter
Lacy. The original cast at Covent-garden in 1792 stood
thus :--Goldfinch, Lewis ; Old Dorntou, Mundeu ; Harry
Dornton, Holman ; Silky, Quick ; Sulky, Wilson ; Mil-
ford, Harley ; Mrs. Warren, Mrs. Mattocks ; Sophia,
Mrs. Merry; and Jenny, Mrs. Marlowe. The prologue,
on its first representation, was spoken by Fawcett, who
&boob six years afterwards played Goldfinch, when the
comedy was first produced at the Haymarket Theatre.
Holcruft, essentially a "self-made man," was an actor
amongt many other things, and knew the stage and its
capabilities ; hence the success of this, the best of all his
numerous plays. The present cast at the St. James's is
very effective. Mrs. Frank Matthews has no equal on the
stage as the Widow Warren ; Mr. Walter Lacy is a dashing
Goldfinch, a character that has lost more by the lapse of
time than any other part in the comedy ; Mr. Stoyle is an
excellent Mr. Silky, Miss E. Balton is full of girlish sim-
plicity as Sophia, and Mr. Henry Irving would be an ad-
mirable Harry Dornton it his action was less restless, and
his acting showed leas apparent effort. Mr. Frank
Matthews and Mr. Charles represent Old Dornton and
Milford.