The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-09-02
English Theatrical Gossip.

LONDON, August 81, 1859.
AT touch from the wand Of Fashion the million
peopled city, whose streets but yesterday were
swarming with countless equipages, Is transformed
INTO wilderness Of brick and mortar. ''Londonna at
this present writing Is but another for "Pal-
myra." The tramp Of the bluecoated Bobby
sounds hollow and heavy upon the deserted pave
mens; the sparrow chirps desolatey upon the house.
top, and the Italian organst grinds his instrument
Of torture for the anguish Of kitchenmaids alone.
Everybody who is anybody is out OF town. Being
nobody, remain behind to "watch the wild vicissi.
tudes Of TASTE" an employment which Dr. johnson
classes among the misfortunes OF human life. With
al due Difference to the ponderous philosopher Of
Bolt Court am OF different opinion l am free to
admit had rather be in the Scottish highlands or
upon the margin OF Lake Wndermere or amid
the mountain solitudes OF the Jura, or saunter-
ing near 1.-THE blue gushing Of the arrowy khone;"
but having no such luck, and being where am here
In the village OF London, l find something
10 divert the fancy and gladden. the imagination in
observing the pranks and caprices OF public taste
both on the stage and In real life to remark how
manners change in each, and how in each that
which Ia matter OF admiration to-day Is likely
enough to be viewed with derision and disdain to-
morrow. There was q time-alas the day-when
no play which did not give picture more or less
OF going down with the town. This no longer so.
"The days OF chivalry" are gone exclaimed Edmund
Burke; and as much may be said Of the days OF
"vraisemblance." The mirror now held up TO ma
ture upon the stage Is truthful reflex but rather
magnlying and distorting glass OF the strongest
power Yet the play is not the less literally patron
Ned on that account, but rather the more so. Look
at Mr.. Dion Boucicault's new drama OF "Formosa
or the Railroad to Ruin" now IN course Of trium.
plant representation at Drury Lane. Critics .'scat-
tered like ratsbane up and down the pitt protest
against the monstrous incredullty OF the plot and
angry fathers Of families denounce the piece as per.
nlcous 70 the morals OF their wives and children;
nevertheless they and tner wives and their children
60 to seq 1t in shoals ana despite the sneers or
the cynical and tears or the judcious the play
draws like a magnet. que po,.ex pousp as the
Frenchman says with that inefTable shrug OF the
shoulders possible to frenchmen alone. Reversing
The fate OF taose poetcal productions, OF which IL
was written In the days OF Horace, '1d,tddntur Ell
al0enp'-they are praised and are famlshed-the
sensational dramas OF modern times are scorned
and vilfed; but they prosper. There is no denying
shat the incideAts of "Formosa or the Railroad to
Ruin" $50 called because 1t is all about boat race)
are exceedingly unlike the occurrences OF this
work-a-day world. But say what You will, they are
exciting, and as the characters are well drawn ana
the dialogue Is witty and fluent the play succeeds
and would succeed though you were to burst IN
twain for indignation at It. AS for the outcry
against 1t on the grouhd OF i'm morality such COM
plant comes well from US who listen with delight to
"Medea" and "Travats" and are enraptured with
the escapades OF Nine. Schneider In the "Grande
Duchesse" or verify we Britishers save our
bunQ. The story Is improbable, grant 1t !;
but Is Shakespeare always on the side OF pro-
an IN oil liz xkafa
In the Merchant Of venlce'S Anyhow "Formosa,,
rs mt[a very palpape ht The house is crowded
manager are in glorious spirits, and, confident OF
the patronage Of The public snap their fingers at the
malc0ntents. ''Such Is hc.n saws Mrs, Camp
(which Ii the end OF all tningsn
The Charing Cross theatre is now under the man.
agement OF MISS Fowler, late OF the Galety, who in-
Augurated Der enterprise on Wednesday evening by
the production OF new buresque-as bad one az
with the experience Of bad baflesques / remember
70 have seen. IL Is from the pen OF Mr. r. G.. Ber-
maud, who should have known better than TO asso-
ciate his name With such drowsy production, and
It is called Little Faust aud Thore Mephlsopnees
whether ir is a contortlon OF MN. Cremeux ana
Jacine's "Petit Faust brought last Apr at the
F0llies Dramatiqpes, or whether 1t Is only a new
n0nsensicaj version OF another extravaganza the
same subject and by the same author, brought out
some years ago at ~. James. were little TO the
parPosss 70 nggire; IL nrhs s na s poem
There Is more fun In It tDcIe Is grass IN sahara
or snow beneath the Southern Cross run
1t knows no more OF fun than ihe who dwes
Beneath tue tropics knows OF i,icies.
"our bmlesque writeis,'i observes ono OF the Lon.
d0p critics, "f they are TO have free privilege 10 rae
rouRnshod over Parnassus ought at ksast To DO 50
~ sucn style as like Opln. To provOse the nlrth Oi
me spectators. II tbing VI beauty ~ 10 be JOKE
forever lei tle Joke az all events DO sucB ~ may be
ihuRned a." ] should be sorry 10 be accounted
ntigions..very sorry, indeed. TO be classed ~ tue
same category with the querelous critic mentioned
~ tne "IaIe OF Tub,n who, while admitting that
no e WIS u man Oh some talent yet found ,faut
with him for his utter ignorance OF the doctrine end
discipline OIL the Church OF England; but with every
disposltion TO be good natured, am bound to say
1.-THE memory OF youth Is q dream says the Arab
proverb. Plays there be, and this Ia one of them.
the memory whereof Is a yawn. How on earth the