The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE

The Era Almanack for 1868. Dramatic and
Musical. Conducted by Edward Ledger.
Although appearing unpretentiously among a
crowd of others, priced like itself, " One Shilling,"
The Era Almanack is not only, to our thinking, the
best of all the Shilling Almanacks for 1868, but the
most carefully compiled and entertaining almanack
we remember to have ever met with. Extending to less
than 100 pages (to be precise, to 84 exactly) it com-
prises within it a good deal of delightful reading,
and an extraordinary amount of curious (some of it
very out of the way) information, all of which has
been admirably arranged throughout. And it is
observable that the conductor takes occasion to
disclaim, in a very marked way, anything like a
monopoly of credit to himself in regard to the
manner in which The Era Almanack has been
produced. He does this by availing him-
self of the opportunity to acknowledge " the
valuable assistance rendered him by Mr.
E. L. Blanchard, who has given the work
continuous attention, and compiled the most com-
plete Dramatic and Musical Calendar ever brought
before the public." So far as our own experience
enables us to form an opinion upon the matter,
we should unhesitatingly say, that in speaking
thus, Mr. Edward Ledger is speaking distinctly
within the mark as to the unrivalled excellence of
the Calendar thus compiled by Mr. Blanchard. Only
one item we are bewildered at—for we have ex-
amined this Calendar, we would say very search-
ingly indeed before pronouncing our opinion upon it
thus emphatically—bewildered we mean as to
the reason for Mr. Blanchard's fixing upon the 13th
of March as the precise date upon which " Tyrone
Power [was] lost in the President on his return from
America, 1811," the loss of the President at all upon
any day in 1841 being to this hour purely conjec-
tural. Otherwise than in this single and certainly
w e must confess very minute instance,the labour and
compilation lavished upon this Calendar has been
admirably well, and almost we would say conscien-
tiously,applied throughout. "The Playgoers' Port-
folio" is another delightful contribution to The Era
Almanack by Mr. E. L. Blanchard —one of the
choicest morceaux
.in which is the unique playbill of
the first appearance of Charles Mathews on Friday,
the 26th April, 1822, at the English Opera House,
Strand, now the Lyceum. Charles Mathews being
then exactly eighteen years and four mouths old
The pieces performed being Charles Lamb's damned
farce " Mr. H.," " Le Comedien d'Etampes," and
another damned piece, " The Sorrows of Werther."
Among the interesting Biographical Memoranda of
living Dramatic Authors, we miss any mention of
Mr. John nollingshead, who, although he has writ-
ten but one farce, we believe, has written that one
farce so admirably that he might claim his place by
right henceforth among dramatic authors—just as
Single Speech Hamilton (to whom Mr. Hollings-
head was likened a day ox two since by the limes
critic) claims his among Parliamentary Orators.
From this Section of The Era Almanack we learn
among other evidences of the prolific inventive, or
adaptive powers of living dramatic authors, that
Bayle Bernard has written more than 100—E. L.
Blanchard also more than 100—Dion Boucicault
upwards of 150—J. B. Buckstone fully as many—
(that is, 150) and so on. Among the curiosities of
stage literature, in this way, it is here noted that
Mr. Nelson Lee has written more than 200 Panto-
mimes•! Under the natue of the author of " Box
and Cox"—John Maddisou Morton, to wit—we find
a very carefully compiled and apparently complete
list of his dramatic pieces, chiefly farces, and panto-
mimes. As being among the noblest dramatic
works of the age, all honourable mention is here
made of Lord Lytton's six celebrated five-act plays
—and what plays they are, three among them more
especially—The Lady of Lyons—Richelieu—and
Money ! Enough, however, has hero surely been
said
yin evidence of the value and interest of The
Era Almanack.

George King of Hanover has just taken his
treasures to Vienna. The plate comprises a valuable ser-
vice in gold and another in silver. The cabinet of relics
is composed of church utensils and of objects brought in
1172 by Duke Henry, the Lion, from the Holy Land, drc.
The collection of coins numbers nearly 22,000. The pic-
tures, library, Sm., remain for the present in Hanover.
A FALSE ALARM.— On Friday night great excite-
ment was occasioned in Shrewsbury, and especially in the
crowded neighbourhood adjoining the railway station, by
a rumour to the effect that a Fenian plot had been
discovered for blowing up the station. It is not easy
to arrive at the precise character of the information
upon which the authorities acted, but it is certain that on
Friday evening they received an intimation which had
the effect of inducing them to take prompt measures
for defeating the alleged conspiracy. Two large sewers
underlie the station, one being accessible from the
river side, and the other from the town side, and it was
stated by the informer that five barrels of gunpowder had
been placed in these sewers, and that on Friday night
means woald be taken for exploding them. A gang of
platelayers was at once set to work, and the outlet of each
of the sewers was securely blocked up with railway
sleepers. A guard was also organised within the station,
and a strict watch was kept throughout the night, but
nothing of a suspicious character is reported to have tran-
spired. There is a proportionately large number of Irish
among the population of Shrewsbury, but they have never
manifested any Fenian proclivities, and it is difficult to be-
lieve that the whole affair was otherwise than a hoax.
Special constables have been sworn in, and precautions
taken for the safety of the militia arms which are stored in
the town.

EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY.—James H. Stirling,
Esq., M.D., LL.D. (Edinburgh), author of the "Secret of
Hegel," and translator of " Schwegler's History of Philo-
sophy," and author of many other critiques on philosophy,
is candidate for the chair of Moral Philosophy, now vacant
in the university by the lamented death of Professor Mac-
dougall.

ACCIDENT TO THE HON. H. N. LAWLEY.—We re-
gret to learn that the Hon. Capt. Lawley, brother to Lord
Wenlock, had a serious accident on Monday last. He was
on a visit at Escrick, near York, and was out shooting,
w4ela ho fell and fractured his thigh. The hon. gentleman
is progressing favourably, but from the nature of the ac-
cident some time must elapse before he recovers from its
effects.-- Yorkshire Post.

THE REPRESENTATION OF WESTMORELAND.—Mr.
William Lowther, second son of the late Col. Lowther, is
the only candidate for the vacant seat in Westmoreland.
The election is fixed for Wednesday next. In the course
of the past week the candidate has been visiting his con-
stituents in the various market towns.

SALMON IN THE OLDEN TIMES.—At the installa-

tion of Abbot Balphe at Canterbury, in 1309, wheat cost
7s. a quarter, capons and hens lid. each, and sheep 3s.
The bishop's salmon, ten for Bs. 4d., or 10d. each, are so

cheap compared with two trouts bought by him at 16d.
each in the same year that wo must suppose him only to
have paid the fishermen for taking them in his preserves,
as they also took pike and bream from his stews. At the
enthronisation of Archbishop Warham, at Canterbury, in
March, 1504, fresh salmon were 7s. each, and barrels of
salted salmon 28s. each. We have not lighted upon any
other case where the price of single salmon is given,
though we have come iu the course of our search across
more than one fourteenth century receipt for cooking the
ileh.—Land and Water.