The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-22 00:00:00

PRINCESS'S THEATRE.

Hamlet is unquestionably Mr. Kean's greatest
part, end we have never seen him to higher advan-
tage—more successfully mastering the immense diffi-
culties of the character, and more judiciously develop-
ing its salient peculiarities, preserving at the same
time with consummate skill the peculiar tone which
should prevail throughout—than in his impersonation
of the Danish Prince last evening. With Mrs. Kean
as Ophelia, and the minor parts in such highly
efficient hands as those of Harley, Addison, Meadows,
&c., it is not surprising that this splendid perform-
ance is sure to draw a bumper house. Last night
not a seat was left unoccupied, and many were dis-
appointed of admission. The pantomime, moreover,
is in the zenith of its popularity, continuing to afford
immeasurable enjoyment to all classes of spectators
evening after evening. "The Lily and the Bee"—
to inappropriate title for la belle Leclercq and Core
mack, the accomplished representatives of Columbine
the Fair and Harlequin the Active—contribute their
sparkling aid with unwaning brilliancy to the
general triumph. Flexmore gives to some ex-
tent a new reading (so to term it) of the
Clown. That degree of lubberliness which
used to be considered a necessary , ingredient
in the cha ratter, he entirely discards, assuming, too,
en attire of a new and superior description, that gives
biro a singularly light appearance, excellently suited
to the agility and rapidity which characterise every
feature in the performance of this admirable artist.
His Clown is;a sharp, humorous, rascally scamp;
adroit, unscrupulous knave and cozener; in lightness
end activity "feathered Mercury" in disguise; but
be never illegitimately resorts to any of those mounte-
bank feats, the introduction of which upon the
boards is properly allowable in a professed posturer
alone, and many of which may be daily seen done
'very cleverly by street tumblers. The Pantaloon
Wants rubbing up ; a dose of joint oil, or stirrup oil,
or something to infuse into him a little more supple-
ness and animation, Taking the entertainment on the
Whole, both as regards the introductory and comic
Portions, Harlequin Billy Taylor may fairly lay claim
to the first honours of the 5F aeon.

ST. MARTIN'S HALL.
Mr. Hallah last night opened the second season of
his monthly concerts; and the entertainment, although
of a nature not by any means popular, and helped by
310 particular adventitious aids, attracted a large and
attentive audience. The staple of these concerts, as
our readers are aware, is music (partly sacred, partly
Secular) of an elaborate and ambitious class, performed
by a small but well-selected orchestra, a good corps of
soloists, and a chorus selected from the members of
Hullah's upper school. The general effect, of
Course, resembles Exeter Hall, on a small scale. But
'Without venturing upon the great oratorios, there is an
ample field for Mr. Hullah's labours in the interpre-
tation of that class of minor hut stillimportant works
which , under the names of cantatas, !operas, &c.,
have been given by the greatest musicians to the
World. These concerts, too, afford an eligible means
for the introduction to the world of works by young
composers aiming at a high and serious style of
art. Several compositions of this class havein-
deed been already given. The programme of last
lught presented no novelty, with the exception
1W sacred song, "By the waters of Babylon,"
by
ir.Wayley, and sung by Miss Alleyne. The com-
position is a tolerably flowing minor melody, the treat-
ment aiming at that of Mendelssohn. The first part
of the concert included that great composer's Ninety-
fifth Psalm, with which Mr. Hullah's audiences are
Well acquainted, and Mr. Leslie's promising work,
Produced last season, " A Festival Anthem." The
solos were given by Miss Birch, Miss Alleyne—whose
great nervousness materially impairs the powers of a
avveet and flexible voice—Mr. Swift, who in several
passages threw more animation into his music than
;"7.,e have ever before heard Lhim exhibit, and Mr.
Frank Budda. The psalm was steadily and
(evenly executed, and the grand chorus,
Come, let us sing to the Lord," with its mas-
sive and impetuous strength, went with great effect.
In the Festival Anthem, Mr. Leslie appeare to us to
have been uncommonly unhappy in his choice of
Words ; and the fact has naturally re-acted against
the composer. What possible musical idea, fur in-
stance, could be eliminated, even by Handel, from
such phrases, long dwelt on, as t' Great was the com-
P.any of the preachers," and " They of the household
divided the spoil ?" The second portion of the con-
pert was entirely devoted to a spirited and interest..
Is,_g rendering of Handel's famous St. Celicia ode—
the well known and manifold beauties of which can
sever pall upon either a musical or popular auditory.

DEATH OF Sin WILLIAM OGLANDEB.—This Tenet..
able Baronet died en the 17th inst. at Parnharn ; he was son
I)foth fifth B4ronet as born at Parnham, 1769 married,
1,?10,e eldest daughterw of fourth Duke of Grafton ; ; succeeded
father in 1806; was a Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset, and
represented Bodinin in Parliament trom 1807 to 1812. He
succeeded by his son, now Sir Henry Oglander, born in
aill, and married in 1845 the ycungest daughter of the late
lr George William Leeds, Bart.:.
bdissing—and has not been heard of since the 2d of
'December last—the spirit of the French nation.—Punch.
GRAY's INN, JAN. 21.—At a pension of the Hon.
"eciety of Gray's Inn, holden this day, Terence Hughes,
44N , was called to the degree of barrister-at-law.
THE MUMMY.—Since the discovery of the mummy
In the crypt of St. Stephen's, a great number of perons
visited, by permission, the spot where the relic lies. It is
stated that the remair,s will not be removed for fear they
should by being disturbed become entirely destroyed. It is
Idtendedthey should remain in their present resting place,
and that the wall should be so rebuilt as to admit of the
curious in such matters having a view of the ancient relic.
dgeneral opinion prevails that several other bodies will be
scovered in or near the crypt, and the speeulative suppose
that treasure of a more substantial and lucrative nature
must also be deposited in the vicinity of the ancient dead.
Mr. Crompton will, it is stated, be the new Judge
tti place of Justice Patteson.
The vacant Mastership in the Exchequer has been
'tied up by the appointment of Mr. Chatfield, a solicitor.
T he Liverpool Standard says—Mr. Paget, of the
Northern Circuit, has been appointed private secretary to the
'-'crd Chancellor—salary 1,5, 01. per annum.
OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND IN oLVERHAMPTON
t_RTENSIoN TO LoNDoN.—A numerously-attended meeting
Of the town of Uxbridge and its neighbourhood, called by a
Provisional committee of landowners, was held yesterday at
ptaking
the Public Rooms, Uxbridge, for the reose of mea-
sures for establishing a railway -- •
communication between that
district and the metropolis, by means of the Oxford, Wor-
cester, and Wolverhampton Extensiirof T. Fto London ; Mr.
Christopher Towers in the chair. t
F. Clarke moved
that, in the opinion of this meeting, the town
and neighbour-
hood of Uxbridge were not supplied with accommodation by
the resolution,
adequateo
M W
railway with the metropolis adequate, Or nearlye
ltion,
With its wants. Mr. W. F. de Salts seconded
which was carried unanimously, Mr. Parson (a u
shareholder in the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhamptonae
Company) then described the plans of that company for
affording the required accommodation; and Mr. J. N. Hilo-
sert moved, "That this meeting having heard the state-
ments made with respect to the lin4. proposed by the Oxford,
Worcester, and Wolverhampton Railway passing close to
this town, and joining the South-Western near Brentford, is
of opinion that such a communication was highly desirable,
4a,4(1 this meeting would therefore support such a project with
the utmost cordiality." This was seconded by Blr. Hilton,
and carried unanimously. A committee was afterwards
appointed to watch over the railway communication of the
district.

" Aed
BRISTOL AND EXETER RAlLwar.—The es4.,11111.
,expense of constructing the new deviation line to Yeovil 15
<3,50 /., bring a reduction of about 2,4001. on the original
estimate.
LONDONDERRY AND ENNISKILLEN RAILWAY.----
-,he expense of constructing the proposed extension line to
Enniskillen and other works, with subscription towards the
cohatruction of a new bridge over the Foyle, is 152,0001.
EXAMINATION OF A WIFE AGAINST HER HUSBAND.
the course of an argument in the Court of Chancery
Yesterday, the Lord Chancellor took occasion to state the
circumstances under which the difficulties with respect to
this question had arisen. His Lordship observed that when
the Bill was before the House of Lords, he moved that the
clause which gave the courts of law the power cf examining
thef Wife be struck out, and it was struck out accordingly.
In the body of the Bill, and in another clause, there was,
rever, a power given fur the reception of the evidence of
Wife in certain cases, and in the trial of criminal. offences.
That 'clauAe by an oversight, and in consequence of the late
elat which the Bill was discussed, had been permitted to
48Ant,,►ain, and one of the learned judges, seeing that the evi-
v'eowas receivable in certain specified cases, assumed that it
_as),receivable in all, although the generally clause had been
nieit out. That view of the matter was, his Lordship
added, not one that was generally adopted.
SCOTTPII MIDLAND RAILWAY.—We understand
that the referee has awarded 1,6001, to this company as the
nn al sum to be paid by the Post-office for the conveyance
the mails on this line to Aberdeen.—Dundee Advertiser.
The Great Northern Railav Companies have
Provided. 4,f00t warmers" in the first-class through trains.
tIeTUE LATE DR. LINGARD —A few Protestant gen-
Eu,,en, to mark their sense of the high literary attainments
Erie deceased historian, and of his private worth, intend to
erect a monument to his memory, in the parish church of
ab?rutll3Y, near Lancaster, in which village the doctor resided
ar t half a century. His remains, it will be remembered,
interred at Ushaw, in the county of Durham,—Preston

LITERATURE.

EXCELSIOR; or, The Realms of Poesie. By
Alastor. Second Edition. William Pickering.
Graceful as this little .volume is, even in its external
appearance, it can scarcely fail to prove attractive to
the enthusiast about poetry, by reason cf the very
pseudonym (Alastor) which the author has selected
from Shelley, and of the very title itself (Excelsior),
which he has borrowed from Longfellow. In its
general character the work is essentially discursive.
It abounds throughout with criticisms upon the fa-
vourite poets of the writer, and with allusions to his
own more cherished dreams upon the diviner myste-
ries of existence. Everywhere in the pages of
"Excelsior" it is impossible not to recognize the deep
and devotional fervour with which it has been penned,
Alastor betraying in every sentence the earnestness of
a very impassioned temperament. The moat con-
spicuous fault in the book is that of exuberance. Its
desultory manner might be regarded as not only
excusable, but even allowable, from the very nature
of the subjects unfolded—but with the exuberance of
its style, it is unquestionably otherwise. Among all
blemishes, however, in an author manifestly young
and inexperienced, this is as unquestionably the most
entitled to forgiveness. Better surely to witness in
his earlier effusions a prodigality of metaphor that
can be pruned down, or an extravagant abundance of
language that can be in time corrected, then to observe
the evidences of a feebleness which no practice can
invigorate, or of a sterility that defies cultivation. Wel-
come, thrice welcome, therefore, to us are initial volunaes
replete with errors of the description here indicated,
errors which practice. cannot fail to overcome, and
which are consequently preferable to the stunted
merits of a puerile and faultless mediocrity. Ac-
cording to Plutarch, the popularity of Alcibiades was
in the first instance attributable to the squandering of
his wealth among the Athenians. Nevertheless the
blandishments of a correctly balanced and adroitly
selected diction are too important of their kind not to
be sought after at the outset with the most sedulous
attention of the student.
In verbis etiam tennis cautusque serendia,
Hoc met, hoc sparnat promissi carminis &actor.
As with metrical, so a!so, though in a lesser degree,
with prose compositions, more especially, should those
compositions,as in the example under consideration, have
reference to criticisms upon poets and upon poetry.
Alastor wins the confidence of his reader at once by
his evident acquaintance with his subject, and not
only his acquaintance with it, but his profound and
burning admiration for it likewise. Poetry, the study
of poetry, it may be also the writing of poetry, is
clearly enough his vocation. His reverential regard
for that divinest among the Fine Arts is visible in
almost every chapter, but more particularly so in those
chapters which relate exclusively to its consideration.
Immediately after his " Invocation" he adventures,
humbly but earnestly upon a "Definition of Poesie."
He considers her to be the "beloved handmaid and
faithful servitor" of the Divinity. Fantastically, but
beautifully also, he says that "at her girdle she wears
the golden keys of Time, Space, and Eternity." The
close of the definition is not the least eloquent gen.•
tence in the volume, where the writer exclaims
" That poetry is alone true, grand, and sublime,
which takes man from his wormlike crawling in the
dust, and plumes his soul with angel wings of aspi-
ration, which shall soar upwards and upwards until
they rest on the glorious footstool of God."
Throughout the principal part of the " Excelsior" we
discern the same generous blending of rapture and
adoration. The writer has manifestly a yearning for
that loftiest employment of human existence which
he has attributed in such noble words to Gilfillan—
that of " loving as a child, but worshipping like a
seraph," that " mighty God" to whom all our energies
should be dedicated. Having somewhat ingeniously
mapped out what he designates " the Four Quarters
of the Poetic World," Alastor glances at the various
poets (principally living ones) who are numbered
among his more peculiar favourites. A fanciful
semblance is thereupon traced by him between Byron
and the Sun, Keats and the Moon, and Shelley and
the " dim mysterious starlight"—referring with
justice the misanthropy of Byron to his misfortunes,
speaking of Keats in a tone of gentle and genuine
affection, and repudiating with a scorn that cannot
but prove infectious, the charges of unmitigated cul-
pability directed against the beautiful and elevated me-
mory of Shelley. As affording the readiest means of ena-
bling the reader to estimate the nature of "Excelsior,"
we shall at once, however, illustrate our remarks upon
it by quotation. Imparting an immediate interest,
moreover, as they do to the pages of the volume, our
extracts shall be restaicted to those passages which
relate to writers now living, beginning not inappro-
priately with Alastor's allusions to the Poet Laureate.
These are the opinions pronounced by him upon
TENN YSON.

" Not exactly cypress, but a wreath of weeping wil-
low, should encircle his name. He is enamoured with
ideal beauty and purity of soul, and ho sings the praises
of holy and exalted friendship more than the warmest
passion of love. He may be characterised as an elevated
philosopher with a poet's expression, which a delicate
perception of the beautiful and true has given him.
" His harp is not strung with strings whose wild loud
notes shall first awaken, and then petrify the world,
but with silken, silvery, gossamer chords, whose fairy
melody is heard only by the delicate spiritual ear.
" Yet keeps he perhaps too close to the shores of
Time, and dares not, or will not, sail the mighty oceans
of mind, and bring as like golden fruit from beyond the
distant shores, sublime and inspiring ideas of futurity.
do keeps his wings too closely furled, when we consider
his poetical powers !
" May Time give him courage and bear him happi-
ness;—root up the willow which points, with its thou-
sand drooping and nerveless arms, to the cold EARTH,
and transplant the poplar which ever points, with its one
firm giant fingers, to the bright, glorious, and joy-inspir-
ing HEAVENS.
Having thus gracefully symbolized his estimate of
Tennyson, the writer turns to the consideration of.
BAILEY.
" This is, perhaps, the greatest poet of the preeefit
generation, inasmuch, as in his Festus,' he has endea-
voured to display the boundless aspirations, thoughts,
and feelings of a young enthusiastic spirit, deeply im-
bued with a love of Nature, man, and God, yet wanting
the greatest and most comforting doctrine of Faith,
from lack of which spring all the uncurbed and bound-
less, but broken, aspirations of youth, and the feelings
and excesses attendant thereon.
"He has nobly dared to do all this, and the world has
not let him go unrewarded.
" His last work ' The Angel World,' shows, however,
an increase of faith and humility, consequent upon his
having exhausted the more wild and passionate feelings
of his heart.
" Long ere we knew his name,'whilst the hot ferment
of youthful thought made us desperate, we had formed
many similar ideas to those propagated in Festus,'
amongst many others still wilder. W e thank God that
a most humble and confiding spirit is now at work
within us, and we trust that by our works we may never
sow one seed of doubt relative to these revelations,
which are the only hope and comfort of myriads. Still,
we are determined to put the most kindly and Christian-
like construction upon them, and to look more at their
general spirit than at isolated passages.
"Now that Bailey has exhausted all phases of un-
belief, we look for the highest poetic blessings from him.
He will know how to administer relief to minds in
similar miserable mental states.
" All phases of mental suffering must have been en-
dured by one who seeks to enlighten the variously-
framed minds found in the human family.
" Baileyyvvished to become God's poet-priest, which
faith and humility will yet constitute him—(this was a
favourite aspiration of our own from boyhood).
" He approaches the nearest to our ideal of a poet,
for he boldly seizes many problems that perplex and
deeply interest the world's mind, and endeavours •to
solve them. His heart is one mass of religious feeling,
and he sees every object through an elevating and divine
medium. He knows well enough that everything created
bears the stamp of divinity; and is thus full of deep
spiritual meaning.
" As for the beautiful and gorgeous imagery, which
lies as thick on his pages as moonlight snow on the large
leaves of yonder winter's evergreen, we will only say—
that it was never surpassed, and that never were the
riches of a wealthier mind displayed to the world."
Almost
immediately afterwards the author thus
speaks of

" One of obuter.ilatest p
oe
s. RENT.
His classical expression,
the delicate
of expressiveylaot his thoughts, and his great com-
mandthe trio of classically-nngutuage, hint that he will complete
Keats are already membeurr:l poets, whereof Shelley,and
ii He has already given 'us
of Mythology,' and other minor'Aletheia; or, the Doom
in the purest and most crystal poems,u, whichf arc 'teepee
imbued with the deepest love and mostat- - Po sir, and:are
delicate percep-
tion of the beauties and operations of
titled ' Orchestral,' wig think one of nature.mo One en-
graphic and imaginative gems of modern poetry.36"quisit°
" Here is the germ of one of the truest poets, who shed
a lustre on any age, draped in the waving folds of classic
grace and elegance.
" We hear some critic has dared to call Kent a voluP
Wary, when criticising' Aletbeia: If richness of stns_
fiery, fulness of expreslon, and ripeness of natural affec-
tions, constitute voluptuousness, then, and then only,
is Kent guilty of the charge. Let us remind such critics
that a filthy mind sees everything, through its own me-
dium, and to it, even purity herself sums unclean.
" Whets we survey our small, but illustrious band of
living poets, with such names as Bailey, Atherstone,
Longfellow, Tennyson, Mackay, and Kent, as their
leaders, who shall dare affirm that the rPeent age will be
a blank in the poetical annals English I - l'?"
of the auguaf,.-
Cordially and earnestly
may we commend the justice
of his subjoined panegyric upon

LONGFELMW.
" A fleeply•heloved American poet, who, however,
sighs a little too much after the Past, which seems to
him as a setting sun; the Future appearing but as a small
star of the seventh magnitude, with uncemin, twinkling
light.
" Ytit is his soul a gem of the purest ray serene,'
which also, cFrtaiLly, ' the dark unfathomed caves of
ocean' (the deep oc,iin of thought) have borne; nor has
he yet forgotten those dark caves cf gloom.
Perchance he may yet flash back more strongly the
cheering rap of the Sun of hope, and rutty yet enliven

as well as exalt mankind—the latter of which he has al-
ready done.
" The world's face is amply suffused with tears; it is
the poet's duty to wipe away a few—not to add more.
" He has read of, and, perhaps, believed too
impli-
citly the glories of the Past; which, alter all, if vio,wed
MlCRO—instead of TELE—scopically, would have shown
far more defects than beauties, and far more misery than
happiness.
" One would be led to fancy that he had Written many
of his poems under the dense gloom of a pine forest (to
which same sombrous trees he is deeply attached). He
is, however, a bard of deep love and warmest sympathy,
of the purest heart, and most elevated and enlightened
Christian feeling. The elegance and deep sentiment of
his poetry (and prose likewise) are unsurpassed in any
language.

"May God prosper him, and throw a few more sunny
gleams of Hope through the shadowy forest of his mind,
and chow more brilliantly to the world the clustering
tufts of hopeful.eyed flowers and blossoms under its
gloom!

" His grand Psalm of Life' must neither be forgotten
by himself nor the world!"
These sentences of eulogium upon Longfellow we
can find it in our heart to approve to the very utter-
naost, even in spite of the disappointment experienced
very recently on the perusal or his " Golden Legend
—scarcely less impious than incoherent. Willis the
American, and Larnartine the Frenchman are names
subsequently brought from beyond the Channel, and
from beyond the Atlantic, to be classed among thecata-
logue of Alastor's especial favourites. For Charles
Mackay and Eliza Cook he acknowledges his predi-
lection ; in regard to the latter, he says she is,
" through her weekly journal pouring a flood of sim-
ply beautiful thoughts through the mental veins of
her beloved country ," while, in regard to the former,
he vows that "he who loves him not as a brother must
have the dry heart of a mummy." Sir Bulwer Lytton
is subsequently mentioned in terms of profound admi-
ration, tnough we do not conceive that the writer has
to the full appreciated the genius of that remarkable
and comprehensive intellect—one of the most remark-
able and comprehensive in the range of our national
literature. Fully ar.d entirely applauding the tribute
next offered to the " true poet's heart" of Dickens,
we would gladly witness the realisation of' the hope
expressed in reference to that matchless delineator
of character. The following sentences will be agree-
able, inasmuch as they relate to a celebrity as po-
pular as