The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1851-06-03 00:00:00

COURT AND FASHION.

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The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, attended by
Mr. Birch, visited the Exhibition on Wednesday.
The Queen gave a concert on Wedneiday evening at
Buckingham Palace, to which a party of upwards of 300,
comprising the Royal Family, foreign princes, the diplo-
matic corps, and a urge circle of the principal nobility
were invited.

The Queen held a levee on Wednesday in St. James's
Palace. The Court was more numerously attended than
any levee for several years past. The Queen wore a train
of white watered silk chenee with gold and green and
silver. The train was trimmed with tulle and white satin
ribbons, and was ornamented with diamonds. The petti-
coat was of white satin and tulle, with satin ribbons to
correspond. Her Majesty's head-dress was formed of
emeralds and diamonds. Some rich dresses of Eastern
costume were worn by natives of the East attending the
levee. The Earl of Roden presented an Address, signed
by 50,000 Protestant subjects in Ireland, against Papal
aggression, and praying that any measure adopted for
Great Britain on the subject may be extended to Ireland.
Also to the same effect from the Dean and Clergy of
Ardagh, and from a public meeting held at Belfast. The
Earl Nelson presented a petition, signed by 2,000 clergy
and laity of the Church of England, praying that all ques-
tions touching doctrine, arising on appeals, or in her
Majesty's temporal Courts, may hereafter be referred to
the spirituality of 'the Church of England ; and, further,
that her Majesty will be pleased to remove the impedi-
ments which now obstruct the exercise of the ancient
synodical functions of the Church.

At her Majesty's levee, on Wednesday last, the following,
among other presentations, were made .—Mr. Henry
Grenfell, by his father, Mr. Charles Pascoe Grenfell, M.P. ;
Mr. J. Leyland Fielden, by Mr. James Heywood, M.P. ;
Sir J. Kay Shuttleworth, on being created a baronet, by
the Duke of Argyle; Mr. T. Percival Heywood, on being
appointed High Sheriff of Lancashire, by the Earl of Car-
lisle.

DRAWING-ROOM.—Her Majesty held a drawing-room,
on Saturday, at St. James's Palace, on the occasion of
her birthday anniversary. Her Majesty arrived at St.
James's Palace, with her usual punctuality, precisely at
two o'clock, and was received, on her arrival at the
garden gate of the palace, by the band of the 2d Life
Guards with the National Anthem. The first proceeding
after her Majesty's arrival was the reception of the bishops
in the royal closet, when his Grace the Archbishop of
Canterbury, as-tile spiritual head of the National Church,
delivered, on behalf of his episcopal brethren and him-
self, a congratulatory address on the auspicious event
which the day was set apart especially to celebrate, and
which was most graciously acknowledged by her Majesty.
The Prince of Leiningen and Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar, then entered the Throne-room, and took their
station in front of the throne. Her Majesty's dress was
white, the material silk, beautifully embroidered with•
silver; it was trimmed with silver blonde, and ornamented
with diamonds. The petticoat was of white satin, with
tulle and white satin ribbons. The head-dress was
diamonds and feathers, and a wreath of blue corn flowers.
In all the state receptions this year the Queen has gene-.
rally worn some flower or blossom which was either an
emblem of the season or is bloom at the time; and at
this, the last and crowning state reception of the season,
the blue corn flower was worn by her Majesty, and this
flower was not only worn as a wreath for the head-dress,
but also ornamented the train.

The Queen has signified her intention of accepting the
invitation of the Lord Mayor of London to a grand ban-
quet, to be given in the Guildhall on the 2d of July.
AMATEUR THEATRICALS AT DEVONSHIRE HOUSE.—
The second amateur performance for the benefit of the
Guild of Literature and Art took place on Tuesday, at
Devonshire House. On this occasion Sir Edward Bulwer
Lytton's play of " Not so Bad as we Seem" was re-pro-
duced, and received with the applause which it deserved,
by a numerous and fashionable audience. As on the
previous occasion, the scene in which Mr. Dickens, as.
Lord Wilmot, personates the features of the publisher
Curti was most admired, and certainly the author of
" Pickwick" showed wonderful versatility of talent in
changing the intonation and manner of Lord Wilmot to
that of the vulgar and greedy publisher. This versatility,
however, was still more wonderfully shown afterwards by
Mr. Dickens, in the farce of " Mr. Nightingale's-Diary,"
a trifle which had been produced for the occasion by the
joint efforts of himself and Mark Lemon. Mr. Costello
acted the part of Mr. Nightingale. That gentleman has
been married to a lady twenty years ago, and separated a
year after marriage, and though his wife has been dead
for several years, he continues to pay her allowance to the
lady's brother, who has not thought fit to reveal
the death of his sister. Mr. Nightingale, proceeds to
Malvern for his health, and keeps a diary of the symp-
toms which affect him—symptoms which he hopes to get
rid of by the water cure. At the watering-place, how-
ever, he is preceded by Gabbleteig, the suitor of Miss
Nightingale, who deplores the obduracy of the fathers in
general, and of Nightingale in particular, who has the
audacity to refuse him the hand of his daughter. Night-
ingale's reason for refusing Gabbletvig Mies Nightingale's
hand is that Mr. Gabbletvig talks too much and too well,
and does too little. Gabblewig, however, redeems his cha-
racter at Malvern by spiritedly countermining the attempts
of the late Mrs. Nightingale's brother, who, under
various disguises, endeavours to impose on the fears and
gullibility of the old gentleman. Gabblewig, by a series
of disguises, defeats all the successful swindles that are
invented against Nightingale, who consents at last to the
union of his daughter with her lover. Mr. Dickens, in
the divers disguises he assumes during the farce shows how
well he can assume different characters, rivalling Levas-
sor in varying his features, Matthews in the glibness of
his speech, and Bouffe in the mode of imitating age.
Mark Lemon as the " do" was admirable, and Mr. Cos-
tello capital as the quack. A ball followed the perform-
ance,. which delighted all present.