The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-23 00:00:00

Commence at 7.

P OYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough.
THIS EVENING, THE LAST OF THE PIGTAILS;
Messrs.C. Selby, J. Bland, J. Clarke, &c.
After which THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE.
Followed by THE BONNIE FISH WIFE.
And MT AUNT'S HUSBAND ; Mr. Swanborongb, Mrs,
Selby, Miss Ternan.
Commence at 7 o'clock.

ASTLETS ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE,
Westminster-road.
Sole Lessee, Mr. William Cooke.
The New Tarn' :
Dress Circle, 3s. ; Upper Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, ls. ; Galleries, 6d.
Great and Extraordinary Sensation produced by the new and
brilliant Decorations—Splendid Act Drop—Magnificent
Chandelier—Appropriate Scenery.
During the week the new and successful drama of
THE BATTLE OF BOTHWELL BRIG.
With THE SCENES LN THE CIRCLE, comprising the
evolutions and equitations of the first Professors in the world
and their unequalled Stud of Horses.
To conclude with THE POST OF HONOUR.
No fee for booking.
Stage Manager, Mr. R. Phillips.

CANTERBURY HALL, Westminster-road.—
OPEN EVERY EVENING.—The following Company
of Vocalists are engazed for the performance of Selections
from all the popular OPERAS, MADRIGALS, CHORUSES,
GLEES, DIfFITS, Ac., viz.:—Miss Russell, Mrs. Badsey,
Miss Brunell, Miss Ray, Madame Bartoletti, Miss Montague,
Mrs. Lawrence, and Mrs. Anderson ; Herr F. Joneimans,
Mr. Renshaw, S Jones, J. Barker, W. Melling, Senor Antonio,
k. L Hime, Mr. Badsey, Senor Tiroli, Mr. Cozens, Mr. Bell,
Mr. Barnard, and Mr. St. Albyn. Mr. John G. Fords,
Mr.
Hicks
E.
Taylor, and E. W. Mackney. Pianoforte, Mr. Cecil
—Harmonium, Mr. Courtna7 —Director, Herr F. Jonghmans.
Commence at 7 precisely. Suppers, Am., until 12 o'clock.
NOTICE.—The Proprietor begs respectfully to announce
tnat
Tilt FINE ARTS GALLERY,
now in course of construction, will be thrown open on
Wednesday next.

THE WEATHER.-SuN OFFICZ, OCT. 22.

THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
59—highest since noon yesterday.
48—lowest this morning and during the night.
.58—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.10.
Wtxr, Easterly ; light, with dull weather.

THE SUN.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1858.

The Manchester Athenaeum meeting on Thurs-
day evening was the epitome, in its way, of all the
oratorical assemblies we have recently had the pri-

vilege of reporting. It was in furtherance of the
advance movement. It was for the promotion of
social science generally—for the development of
the self-education of the masses—for their moral

improvement, their intellectural elevation, and the
amelioration of their condition, physical and mental,
by the diffusion more and more widely, among all

classes, of that knowledge which is at once the
pioneer and the handmaid of Civilisation.
One of the most amiable and respected of all

the great Whig nobles was in the chair—Lord
STANLEY of ALDERLEY. And on his right hand
was seated, incomparably the most distinguished
among them all—Lord JOHN RUSSELL. Both of
these personages spoke, as befitted them, in their
character of Whig noblemen—in terms expressive
of abstract sympathy with the more generous
aspirings of the population.
Professor AYTOUN followed in a vague but ear-
nest speech, during the delivery of which he in-
sisted so strongly upon the advisability of
poets reading their own poetry in public—ac-
cording to the custom of the old heroic times
—that we suppose Sir WALTER'S Lay of the Last
Minstrel ought to be regarded henceforth as an
anachronism. For surely Mr. AYToUN cannot,
with any -dr gree of consistency, do otherwise, after
all he has said, than begin wandering over the
country, giving a series of readings of his popular

" Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers." Can we no
now quote against him, until he satisfies our curi
osity in this way—" It is only through the human
voice that poetry of the highest kind can have its
most perfect and highest exponent." Besides, we
cannot but remember with lively satisfaction the
assurance given a few years since by Professor
AYTOUN, of his own peculiar powers in this way,
when he delivered his brilliant course of lectures
on Poets and Poetry. Let him, therefore, as speedily
as may be, prove true to his own argument. Did
he not distinctly utter these very words on Thursday ?
" CHARLES DICKENS, reading his 'Christmas Carol'
and Chimes' is an example"—a remark greeted with
cordial applause on Thursday evening at the Man-
chester Athenfrum. Is it so? Then follow it—last of
the Scottish Minstrels ! celebrant of the Duke of
Montrose ! bright-eyed Bon Gualtier ! T. Percy
Jones ! or whatever else may be the alias in
poetic literature ! We warrant the " Spasmodic
Tragedy" would elicit in one of those readings many
a hearty and wholesome burst of laughter—that
the famous " Ballads" would set the gravest table
in a roar as surely as ever did the voice and waggexies
ofYorick—that beyond allthis the "Lays" would win
yet wider admiration by the audible sound of their
thrilling music. We put it to Professor AYTOUN.
Let him follow himself the " example" he so wisely
admires—that of one who, besides being the
greatest humourist, is also beyond a doubt the most
incomparable elocutionist of his generation.
After the pleasant speech of Prefer -qr Av-rorN
came a delightful harangue from another great
wit and wag ; an " honourable" and a " judge"____a
capital judge of fun—to wit the immortal SAMUEL
SLICK of Slickville, otherwise the Hon.
Mr. Justice HALIBURTON. It was surely worth
a journey all the way down to Manchester
if only to hear SAM SLICK'S most Slicklike delinea-
tion of our own Sleepy Hollow down at West-
minster. " There is a place," said SAM, "in Lon-
don not put down in the show books to be seen by
a stranger, but which," said he, nevertheless, " is
well worth visiting. It is called Downing-street,
and contains the Government offices." Then fol-
lows a description as literally true and real as the
most faultless specimen of photography. Quoth
SAMUEL SLICK—" Here arc a number of old build-
ings tottering and propped up. The front is
what was formerly the lawn, but is now
covered with bricks and rubbish, the
whole being fenced in with rough boards.
Here," continued the speaker, " you will find

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