The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-19 00:00:00

VER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

Owing to the illness of Signor Giuglini, "Il
Barbiere" was given instead of " I 1 Trovatore" on
Saturday evening. The Rosina was Madlle. Tre-
belli, who sang so well as materially to increase the
favourable opinion induced by her previous per-
formance of Orsini in " Lucrezia Borgia." Madlle.
Trebelli kept more within the meaning of the
composer than many Rosinas of the present day,
and where she varied or embellished, the general
character of the music was not lost sight of. Madlle.
Trebelli sang the florid passages which Rosina has
so lavishly bestowed upon this part with brilliant
fluency, and further exhibited her command over
the bravura style by executing with rare skill and
effect some new variations upon the old air, " Sul
margine d'un rio," written expressly for her, we
believe, by Signor Alary, and which were intro-
duced
into the "lesson scene." Madlle. Trebelli's
acting, full of vivacity and point, was as successful
as her singing. Signor Zucchini, who made his
debut in England on this occasion as Don Bartolo,
made on the whole a favourable impression, and
seems likely to prove useful to the management.
Signor Bettini acquitted himself satisfactorily as
Almaviva, and the Barbiere of M. Gassier was in
every respect a most admirable performance. After
Rossini's opera, one act of "Lucia di Lammermoor"
rw.as given, its attractive feature being Madlle.
fitiens' rendering of the grand scena, the so-called
" mad scene."

Foreign pipers speak favourably of "Il Menes-
trello," by Signor do Ferrari, as a charming comic opera
which is making the tour of Italy.
Herr Abert's new opera, "King Enzio," which
has just bet n represented at Stuttgart, is described as show-
ing a real advance upon his first musical drama, "Anna
von Landskron." Herr Mangold has treated " Abraham"
in the form of an oratorio, which work is to be shortly, if
it has not been already, performed at Ratisbon.
Professor Sterndale Bennett has presented to
Sainton the manuscript score of his Ode writ,n for the
opening of the Exhibition, elegantly bound, as an expres-
sion of his sense of the great care and ability with which
M. Sainton conducted the peeforruane9 of his work, on the
emergency caused by the refusal of Signor Costa.

CHARLES DICKENS'S READINGS..

The popularity
,of Charles Dickens as a Reader
vies, so far as that is in any way possible,
with his popularity as a Writer. And this
latter—it can in no respect be invidious to
assert—is, if not unrivalled, certainly unsur-
passed. Whenever Mr. Dickens is announced
to give one of his "Readings" the Hall selected for
the occasion is, as a matter of course, crowded in
every part. Directly he makes his appearance
upon the platform he is received with acclamation.
For two hours, as accurately as time could be
marked out by Shrewsbury clock—with a midway
interval of ten minutes by way of breathing-time
—he keeps his audience upon the alert, with the
greatest ease to himself, and with quite unmis-
takable evidences of delight to his hearers.
The more frequent among these tokens of delight
being—breathless silence and uncontrolable bursts
of laughter. The less frequent among them being
—occasional rounds of applause, given at intervals
few and far between, as if grudgingly, on the part
of an audience especially unwilling to interrupt
their entertainer.
On Saturday evening, at St. James's Hall, the
customary scene in this way was witnessed by
about as many as that noble structure could hold
conveniently. The Selection set apart for the
Readings on Saturday being unusually varied, and
for that reason perhaps more than ordinarily at-
tractive. Nicholas Nickleby at Air. iSqueers's
School, in Four Chapters, to begin with. An inter-
lude, in the shape of that famous little Christmas
story of Boots at the Holly Tree Inn. And, to com-
plete all, like a roaring farce after an elegant little
comedy—Bob Sawyer's Party from Pickwick.
There is one invariable source of disappoint-
ment, however, to us, in all these delightful Read-
ings by our great novelist. It is the crumpled
rose leaf, of course—we are never satisfied in this
world—there is a discoverable want everywhere :
and all that ! Yet, at the risk of apparently carp-
ing idly, it does always appear to us matter for
regret when, one after another, a series of " good
things," in passages that we know absolutely
by heart, cannot but be missed with a sense of some-
thing very like disappointment. For example, in
" Bob Sawyer's Party from Pickwick," not a word
is read about the anecdote partially told by the
"prim personage in cloth boots:" in fact, the whole of
the preliminaries up to the very point of the joke—
which the narrator has unhappily forgotten! Again,
in the description of Nicholas's supper that first
wretched night at Squeers's, the uncut pie
is, in the Reading, passed by without men-
tion. However, when we have said this in the
way of exception, we have said everything. Be-
sides—in the very eliminations themselves that we
are carping at, we do not fail to recognize the hand
of the consummate artist. What is left, moreover,
is just—read to perfection. Not read so much
either, as—impersonated. That rascally Squeers,
the one-eyed schoolmaster—poor jaded, worn-
out Smike—and, best of all, that glorious incarna-
tion of the burly, warm-hearted Yorkshireman,
John Browdie : one after another they live and move
and breath before us, as the creator of them
reads on with his plastic features ever varying
in expression and his voice sounding less like
that of a Man than like that of a Chorus.
It is something alone to hear John Browdie's
laugh ! The most exhilarating and contagious
sound in the way of laughter surely that one
could well listen to anywhere—a laugh some-
what resembling the description given by Mr.
Dickens himself of the laugh of Scrooge's
Nephew--" If you know anyone with a better,
introduce him to me, and I'll cultivate his
acquaintance." The charm of the whole evening
to us, however, was, beyond a doubt of it, the im-
personation by Mr. Dickens, in look, in voice, in
manner, of that delightful fellow—(own cousin on
the father's side, we cannot but feel certain, to
Sam Weller)—Boots at the Holy Tree Inn ! And
the impersonation here—perfect though it is, as

were, to a hair, to the inflexion upon a syllable—is
accomplished throughout with such inimitable ease!

If the creatures of his imagination stand thus vividly
before his mind's eye while he is writing about
them, no wonder Charles Dickens has peopled our
literature with beings as real and actual to every
one of uv, in filch. all but tangible individualities,
as any among our own living flesh-and-blood con-
temporaries !

At first the great and prominent attraction of the
public at large to these Readings, was—as a matter
of course, and, under the circumstances, not at
all unnaturally —to catch a glimpse of the
Great Author whose name has so long been a
cherished " household word" in so many homes
throughout the land. That attraction, with a very
large part of the multitude, still remains, of course,
undiminished. But, added to it, beyond the mere
gratification of an amiable curiosity, there is that
higher and more enduring attraction still—the
knowledge that, while Charles Dickens is one of the
most delightful Writers, he is also, and quite as
indisputably, one of the most delightful Readers
in the world.

It is expected that her Majesty will leave Bal-
moral on her return south about the 28th inst.—Court
Journal.

Preparations are commencing at Osborne for the
approaching marriage of her Royal Highness the Princess
Alice with Prince Louis of Hesse. We believe the cere-
mony will take place about the 9th of June, though the
state of the health of the King of the Belgians may have a
considerable influence in determining the exact date, as it is
understood to be her Majesty's wish that the Ii ing should,
if possible, represent the late Prince Consort on this occa-
sion, and give the Royal bride away.—Court Journal.
We believe that Lady Victoria Scott, the daughter
of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, is destined to the
honour of being ono of the bridesmaids of the Princess
Alice. Lady Victoria has not yet been presented at Court,
but, had her Majesty held a Drawing-room this sea-
son, her ladyship's debut would have been for every
reason a marked one in the beau monde. Lady Victoria is
goddaughter to the Queen, and this may be one of the
reasons why so marked a distinction has been conferred on
her previous to her presentation.—Court Journal.
CRYSTAL PALACE CONCERTS.—The concert of
Saturday last was rendered specially interesting by the
performance, for the first time in this country, of the
march composed by Herr Me 3 erbeer for the coronation
of the King of Prussia. It is every way worthy of the
authhor's fame—a work thoroughly characteristic of his
melodic genius and masterly use of modern orchestral
resources. The performance, under the able direction of
Herr Manns, was admirable, and at its termination Herr
Meyerbeer, who made one of the audience, was summoned
to appear by the delighted visitors and heartily cheered.
The concert was altogether of unusual excellence. The
universally celebrated Sisters Marchisio contributed some
of their duets with the greatest possible success.
Sir John Trelawny, on the 27th, will bring for-
ward a bill to allow certain persons to make affirmations in
all cases where an oath is or shall be required.
• Lord Henry Scott intends to move, as an amend-
ment on the second reading of Education (Scotland) Bill,
" That this house is of opinion that legislation as to educa-
tion in Scotland is inexpedient, until Parliament shall have
been put in possession of more full and accurate informa-
tion with regard to the state of popular education in that
part of the United Kingdom."
THE JAPANESE MISSION.—On Friday several of
the Japanese suite, in company with Dr. Chambers, visited
the writing, drawing, and mathematical classes at King's
College School, and examined the mode of teaching in those
departments. They requested that a half holiday might be
given in memory of their visit, to which Dr. Major kindly
consented, and thus gave our Oriental friends an opportu-
nity of hearing some hearty cheers from 400 or 600 school-
boys' throats. They then went over the Blind School in
St. George's-fields, and were presented by Mr. E. Johnson
with specimens of printing for the use of the blind, cipher-
ing types, basketwork, &c. They remarked upon the loss
of sight which so frequently follows smallpox, and stated
that in Japan compulsory vaccination had been rigidly car.
ried out with excellent effect for the last 10 years. They
then went to the workshop of Messrs. Whicker and Blaise,
the cutlers, and saw the process of making razors, surgical
instruments, &c. The swords of the party (each gentle,
man carries two) were inspected with much interest by the
workmen, and pronounced equal, and of similar make, to
the best Damascus blades, The steel has the curled grain
so much admired in the latter. It may be remarked that
these famous blades are only to be found in private hands,
being costly heirlooms, often of great antiquity; one of those
examined had a Japanese cutler's mark, showing it to be
more than 200 years old,
A ROMANCE OP THE PEERAGE.--An advertise.
ment in a recent number of the Melbourne Argus (Aus-
tralia ) seeks for information concerning Viscount Guilla
more, who was last heard oi under the name of Dennis
Grady, as a stock-keeper at one of the remote cattle stations
of the colony, Information was earnestly requested to be
directed to the superintendent of police at Melbourne. Paget
Standish O'Grady, fourth Viscount Guillamore in the Irish
peerage; born ill 183 j) succeeded his brother hi 1860.