The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-20 00:00:00

THE BRITISH INSTITUTION,

The Exhibition for the present season at the
British Institution is, we regret to say, very consi-
derably below the aversge. As usual, numerous
works are displayed upon the four walls ',of
the noble suite of three apartments constituting the
gallery. Minos drawings, both in size and merit,
are hung non the screens. There is the customary
diversity of landscape, animal life, histories_
scenes, genre pictures, fruit, flowers, winter, spring,
summer, and autumn views, sea-pieces, and so forth;
but among them all, while there are very few really
good paintings, there are a great many utquestion-
ably bad, while the vast majority are beyond all
question na-,:tzt, indifferent. A single gem alone
attracts 'the eye, scanning, no matter whether care-
ful!..y or cursorily, the contents of this art-casket—
that eo:itary chef-d ceuvre being 68, " W.:.11-bred
Sitters that never say they are Bored"—the
said sitters being a ten collie and a black re-
triever, painted as dogs can alone be painted by
Sir Edwin Leadseer. The retriever holds erces-
wise in his mouth one of the artist's camel-hair
brushes. A pheasant and sore pigeons—as speci-
mens of dead game—are littered in the front
part of the picture. There are, besides this, other
more usual appurtenances of a studio—odds and
ends introduced, it would seem, almost hap-hazard.
Every detail touched with the easy, careless, mar-
vellous touch of the great master. The expression
of the doge' countenances being the central interest
of this new masterpiece of Lendseer's.

SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY,

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The 450th concert of this society was given last evening,
on which occaaion Handel's magnificent composition,
"Israel in Egypt," was selected for performance. The
attendance of company, in the great hall, was by uo means
inferior to that which invariably assembles on every per-
fermance of " The Messiah," although the oratorio under
notice is remarkable for the subordinate parts allotted to the
soloists. In "Israel in Egypt" the great weight of the perfor-
mance is thrown upon the choristers, and to this circumstance
must, perhaps, be attributed the comparative non-success
which invariably attended its performance during the life••
time of the illustrious composer. To us of the present time
it seems remarkable how the massive and splendid choruses
could have been listened to without creating the utmost
enthusiasm, bat certain it iE, an extraordinary change has
happily taken place and for this improvement in our musical
taste, the Sacred Harmonic Society and Mr. Costa deservethe
unanimous gratitude of every true lover of music in its beat
and loftiest form. The soloists were Madame Rudersdorff,
Madame Sainton-Dolby, Miss Banks, Mr. Santley, Mr.
Patey, and Mr. Cumming. The list of instrumentalists
embraced the name of nearly every performer of merit, and
the unrivalled chorus of the society were on this occasion
divided into two separate and distinct choirs, placed at either
side of the noble organ. The opening recitative was sung
by Mr. Cumming with care and intelligence, and then fol-
lowed the chain of remarkable double choruses that grandly
demonstrate the power of sound. It will be quite unneces-
sary on the present occasion to do more than reiterate the
praise we have invariably given this incomparable body of
choristers, at the same time remarking that never have
They given the Hailstone Chorus, as it is familiarly called,
and the sublime composition, "The waters overwhelmed
them," with greater precizion and effect. In the former
the rest previous to the two concluding bars was a perfect
miracle of power and discipline. It is almost needless to
remark that both were unanimously encored. In the second
part Madame Rudersdorff sang " Then didst blow," and
the introduction to the final chorus, " Sing ye to the Lord,"
with the greatest purity and effect. Madame Dolby was,
as ever, majestic and tender in the beautiful air "Thou
shalt bring them in,' and Mr. Cumming highly distin-
guished himself in the tenor war song. The duet. " The
Lord is a man of war," was sung 1 y Mr. Santley nod Mr.
Patey, and of coarse elicited the usual encore. " Judas
Maccabeus" is to be the nest oratorio performed.

Miss Grace Egerton's Entertainment.

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Mies Grace Egerton's (Mrs. Goorge Case) entertainment
at the Polygraphic Hall, King William-street, will be
found wcll deserving of patronage. The present ido.► is to
limit its duration to one month ; but if real merit is consi-
dered, it ought to become one of the permanent entertain-
ments of the metropolis. The abilities of Miss Egerton as
a public entertainer are remarkable,. and her assumption of
the different characters of which her pretty entertainment
is made up, will bear comparison with any hitherto seen in
London. Mr. Case agreeably gives a variation to the even-
ing's amusements, by some very cleverly executed solos on
the violin and concertina ; and to those wishing amuse-
ment for a coupe of hours, we cordially rec,mmend a visit
to the Polygraphic ail!.

THE RUBENS OF FEANCi.:.—On Tcesday last the
numerous works of the late EuOue D,:lacroix, were exhi-
bited in the Rua D:uot. There seems no style watch M.
Delacroix has not attempted and adorned—mythological
pictures, such as " Aclasan Chang-Al into a Stag ;" his'o-
deal works—for instance, " Louis IX. on the Bridge of
Taillebourg;" religious insirations, as " Christ iu the
Garden of Gethsemane ;" pictures from Byron and GOethe;
and finally compositions of fruit and flowers. The works
offered for sale will fetch great prices, for France is very
proud of her artist.

SO LIKELY !—Greco and his eccomplices having
been examined yesterday at the Concicrgerio by M.
Davienne, the president, who named M. Allon to defend
Greco, Trabucco, and Scaglioni as they declined to appoint
counsel, Signor Mazzini has been invited to appear, but
" come and be killed" was not less attractive to the his-
toric ducks than auch a summons to Itr_zzini, who will
suffer judgment to go by default, and punishment also.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

LREITTER'S TELEGRAMS.]

AUSTRIA AND THE LONDON TREATY,
VIENNA, FEB. 20.

TLe Austrian Goverment addressed a circular
despatch on the 13• h inst. toall the members of the
German Confederation. The following is a RIM,
mart' of the document :
"It is admitted that the London treaty is not
binding upon the Federal Diet.
"A vote on that treaty, taken by the Diet, in
conformity with the propositions of the committee,
wenn not be decisive with regard b that question,
but might possibly induce the non-Gorman Powers
to make counter declarations in favour of the
treaty, thereby aggravating the critical state of
affairs. Austria, therefore, requests the German
Governments not to assent to the different proposi-
tions of the. Committee, bai to instinct that body to
make a fresh report, which shoule treat solely of
the succession question."

Movements of the Niels Juel,

PLYMOLTH, FEB. 20.

The Danish frigate Neils Juel is reported to have
been seen yesterday evening off the Deadman near
Falmouth. When observed she was under close
reefed topsails, and lying close to :he land awaiting
arrivals.

THE INVASION OF JUTLAND.
COPENHAG EN, FO3. 19, 2.16 pan,
It is cffi;ially announced that all was quiet at
Duppel at 11 a.m. to day.
In consequence of the circuitous movement of the
enemy the Danes were compelled to evacuate Kol
ding in Jutland.
A cavalry eng,.gement subsequently took place at
Gudsoe, without result.

HAMBURG, FEB. 20, 10.31 a.m.

Advices from Flensburg state that several iron-
clads, among which were the Esberne-Snare and
Absalom, appeared on the 18th inst. on the Flens-
burg Fiord, and exchanged shots with the allied
artillery.
It is stated that a Prussian garrison has pre-
vented a larding of the D.:VES to the north o!
Friederichsort, which had been attempted in the
boats of the Esherne-Snare and Thor.