The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-15 00:00:00

[STAMPED Id. ADDITIONAL.] ONE PENNY.

judges are frequently deceived, and the man who
pays largely for a yearling does so liter.illy on
chance. Nor are the circumstances under which
these pretty animals are sold such as to make dis-
interested observers view extravagant prices with
favour. The most generous hospitality is some-
times misunderstood; and when a public solo is
by a champagne luncheon, when
trientelhe bidding, delicious but potent iced com-
pounds are freely handed round by those whose
horses are being sold, and as freely im-
bibed by those who it is hoped will buy them,
111-natured people will always be found to
perversely confuse cause and effect. It is a
censorious world, and when unreason appears to
reign, and thousands aro given where hundreds
have been paid, the wine-cup is sometimes credited
for effects which have perhaps been produced b
the eloquence of Mr. Tattersall. But it would
have been impossible for the least charitable of
critics to evolve any such injurious theory oat of
Saturday's prooeedmgs. The seductive stimulants
were as plentifully supplied and partaken of, but
neither impulsiveness nor excitement could be
traced amon,g those who drank. We do not pro-
fess to be nunutely informed on racing matters,
but we believe rt is notorious that out of

the horses which brought" in smelt mar-
mous sums a couple of years back, but
one has in any way fulfilled the supposed
promise of its youth. The calm and staid bidding
on Saturday seemed to come from men who were
fully cognisant of this and of every other fart con-
nected with racing, and the absence both of igno-
rant rashness and extravagant speculation ; the
striking falling off in • ; and the open laments
at the lack of spirited and long-pursed youth,
formed a commentary upon the tunes which he
who runs, as well as he who trains, may read.

if USK'.

CRYSTAL PALACE.
Friday's rehearsal for the Handel Festival was
followed by the introduction, in the programme of Satur-
day's Opera Concert, of a feature especially appropriate to
the associations of the coming week's performances. As
these will be occupied with the grander and graver works
of the great master, it was highly interesting to precede •
them, at the close of the past week, by the production of
one of three lighter pieces which were thrown off with
such rapidity and ease by a composer whose variety and uni-
versality of power were far greaterthan the public of our day
are generally aware of. Both Handel' s "Fireworks-Misic"
(composed in 1749) and hiseartier and better-known "Water..
Music" (1716) were produced for fugitive occasions ; the •
former having been specially composed for performance)
at the rejoicings in celebration of the peace of Aix-la-
Chapelle on the 27th of April, 1749, when a display of
fireworks took place in the Green-park ; " 500 feet from
his Majesty's library," according the Gentlemeto's Maya-
:lee of that month, which also says—" After a grand over-
tura of warlike instruments', composed by Mr. Handel, a
signal was given for the commencement of the fireworks,
which opened by a royal salute of 101 brass ordnance," be.
" The Fireworks-Music " consists of an overture and five
following shorter instrumental pieces; comprising a ,
" Bourree," " Largo alla Siciliano," " Allegro," and two
minuets; in all of which the hand of the great master is more
or less apparent. These pieces were doubtless performed
at intervals during the pyrotechnic display already alluded
to; the indications in the original score of "La Pair.,"
attached to the "Siciliano" movement, and "La Rejouts-
since" to the second " Allegro," being supposed to refer
to the exhibition of transparent devices. The "Fireworks.
Music" offers an illustration of Handel's command of
orchestral .effects to a far greater extent than is popu'arlj
supposed—a subject to which we have already referred in •
our notice of Friday's Festival rehearsal. The score,
in Arnold's edition, comprises, besides the usual
stringed instruments, oboes, bassoon, three horns,
three trumpets, and drums; and these instru-
ments were very largely augmented in number
in the original performance. The overture begins with a
pompous and majestic opening movement, followed by as
Allegro, in which the brass instruments are repeatedly and
prominently heard, giving a military character in ap-
propriate keeping with the occasion for which it was pro- •
duped. Of the following movements the bourrde and the
•
minuets are especially noticeable for that quaint grace
which both Handel and his :contemporary, Bach, infused
into these and other of the many old dance forms which
they so frequently used in their instrumental music—oven
the English Hornpipe being found in some of Handel's
pieces, his Water-Made -for instance. In Saturday'. per-
formance of the Fireworks-Music the instrumenta-
tion was very skilfully enlarged for the occa-
sion, some portions by- Mr. Manna, others. try
Mr. Arthur Sullivan, combining the effects of the grand
orchestra usually employed at the opera concerts with the
excellent military band of the Coldstream Guards. The
music so effectively given was received with evident
pleasure by the audience, although occurring at the end
of a selection of a much more modern and popular elm.
racier. The directors would do well, we think, at this
period of general attention to the works of Handel, to
give the composer's " Water-Music," which is more im-
portant in extest, and perhapssaperior in merit to the "The- •
works-Music" The selection which preceded the perform-
ance of this piece on Saturday consisted almost entirely of
extracts from well known operas; the special features
being Mdlle. Titiens' excellent singing of the brilliant
cavatina, "Ernani involami," from Verdi's Luau, and
the beautiful air "Und ob die wolke," from Der Feels-
eholz; Signor Mongini's effective rendering of the re-
manes " M'appari," from Marta, and the barcarolle from
re Ballo, and Mdlle. Bauernseisler's neat execution of
"Come per me" (Soosioniorda). There were also vocal
performances by Madame Do Meric-Lablache, Signori
Fiorini and Ferensi, and Herr Rokitansky, and some
capital singing by the choristers of her Majesty's Opera,
who gave the chorus "A fusee cielo," from La Sonoma-
bolo (encored), and the " Rataplan," from Les Ileyemott
with excellent effect.

The grand display of fireworks which closed the Crysts/
Tame entertainments on Saturday offered another tribut3
to the memory of Handel in the shape of a special device
in his honour.

The Railways (Ireland) Commissioners met on
Saturday, the 13th instant, at 2, Victoria-street, West-
minster. Present: Sir Alexander Y. Spearmsa, Bart,
Mr. John Mulhollsnd, Mr. John Fowler, Mr. C. E. Sey-
mour Clarke, and Mr. Christopher Johnstone. The secre-
tary, W. Neilson Hancock, LLD., was also present.
At the sitting of the general assembly of the
preebyterian church in Ireland at Belfast, on &turday,
a letter was read from the Rev. Henry Henderson, deny.
ins that he used anything to warrant the statements con-
tamed in a report which lately appeared in the Timm to
the effect that a majority of the assembly bad stood boldly
forward in defence of the established church. A resole.
tion expressing ratification at this was passed.
ROYAL BOTANIC SOCIETY, B onir 'e Etex.—At
a meeting of the Fellows of this society, held on Satur-
day, Mr. Charles Robert Turner in the chair, the names
of the following candidates for the fellowships were
read :—The Marquis of brietol. Marehionms of West.
=mak, the Right Hon. Lord Londesborough, Hee.
Calthorpe, Sir Almaden Nears, Bart., Mr. De.
Duarte, Mr. F. Silva, Mr. Samuel Spicer, Mrs.
Lambert, Mrs A. Watson, Mrs. Entwine, Mr. Aimed=
Grahame, In addition to eighteen elected on the same day.
DISEASED Fise.—Mr. W. B. Towne, the Clerk to
the Irebeiongers' Cowpony, has presented to the Court of
AsessAants an swoon( of the dal seised in the month of
May by the fielensterenamaelppointed by the
bo rd company, at and
tzra,Bairguilliregowing war °le numbers oats irgelehtill:"
42 ; cod, 406-; cougar eels, 7 ; crabs, 980 ; dabs,
14,160; eels, 6; son 60; garnets, 2,040 ; haddocks,
5,400; h • 12,326; , 7; lobsters, 68; mackerel.
906 ; perch, 5; *aim, 6, 13 ; roach, 220; salmcin, 3 ;
skate, 38 ; soles, 803. thorn. harlot 25; trout, 41;
69; turtle, 8' and whiting, 46,167. There were also
14 bushels of periwinkles, 1.336 gallons of shrimps, 62
beishelCof whet s, and 628 gallons of whitebait
ClifffeffAL PALACE. FITE AIRILLING DAT 4•-•
fistnatisx, June 13.—Admiseion by meson tickets, 1/,6214.
dine, on payment, 6,450 total, 17,028.
Walk.er'e Half-Guinea Rats equal in appearance
and durability those geoesally sold at lac 4.1. each at the usual
pew] Wawa Walker. batter. 411. Cranford-GUI*, Mandeteas.-.
[Adttatlaesaaat.)