The Portland daily press., 1875-12-03

iugton, Franklin, Patrick Henry. John Adams,
Benedict Arnold, Lafayette, Andre, martina
Washington, and May Arnold.
The following story is told of Barry Sullivan
during his recent engagement in Providence.
He called to him the actor who was to play the
First Murderer in Macbeth" and said, "Are
Won to play the First Murderer, sir?' 81 am"
was the reply. 'sWell, sir, L don't want you to
play it in red scratch wig black 81 le-whiskers,
and a blue dominor' "Wby, sir, 1 never played
it in such costume in my life" perhaps not,
perhaps not; but you look capable of it,
Miss Clara Morris has been obliged by i'll
health to cancel her engagement at the Fifth
Avenue Theatre. 1t is understood that her
Esther, in "The New Leah" was comparative
ly failure The New York public is unusual
ly capricious in its fancies. A short time ago,
Agnes Ethel. another oldtime favorite, ap-
peared for season of only two weeks at the
Brooklyn Theatre. and was glad to get back
again to her comfortable home in Buffalo.
Americans who have ever visited the CALLER
les and libraries in Florence will appreciate the
magnitude of scheme now on foot to unite them
all in one vast museum, on the scale OF the
Louvre, with a thoroughly radical reorganization
in accordance with modern methods OF classl-
fication and distribution. This will put an end
to the neculiar splendors of the Uffizzi and Pit
ii palaces, and the unique special collections
with which Florence is enriched. Whether
the new consolidated arrangement will ever
give as much enjoyment as the separate CALLER
les and museums have given is problem. The
scheme is fully described in recent interest,"
ing letter from James Jackson Jarves, and is
in the direction of the centralizing tendencies
now going on throughout Italy.
A theory was propounded some little time
ago by an eminent French physician that the
practice of playing on wind instruments was
beneficial rather than otherwise to the health.
The accuracy, however, of this opinion appears
open to doubt if the statement is correct that
che band of the regiment of Butts, now sta
toned at Calcutta, has lately been broken up
owing to the discovery on medical inspection
that no fewer than fifteen of the twenty-five
members of the band were unfit, sowing to the
ssate of their hearts, to play wind instruments.
On the other hand, the Calcutta Englshman
believes that two only of these afflicted must
clans had complained of any distress from
their exertions, and that the rest are in better
condition than when they joined the band, and
"are much surprised and disappointed at the
prospect Of being relegated to regimental
duty" II is to be hoped that no effort will
be spared to ascertain the real state of the
case, for the question is of some importance to
the members of brass bands generally.
Lucy Hooper writes from Paris, 81 visited
AZ, ;cb nf Gucf Huot the
celebrated heraldic designer and eugraver on
metals and precious stones. He is seal engravel
by brevet 10 the king of Italy and the shah Of
Persia. His work is very beautiful and
thoroughly artistic, he being painter Of con-
siderable eminence and pupil of Cognet
His aim is to revive the artistic metal and gen
work of the sixteenth century and the period
8 of the Renaissance A copy of the 'Descen,
from the Cross by Annibal Caracci by him
executed in rep0uSse work in iron, very mar
vel of expression and fidelity of detail, was
exhibited at the Exhibition of Industrial Art
medal. This beautiful work was executed by
means Of blows from small hammer struck
on the back of the iron plate after the original
method as practsed by Benevenuto Cellini and
his contemporaries; the figures are afterwards
polished and finished on the right side of the
plate. Some exquisite articles of jewelry
were shown me, and amongst them pair Of
sleeve buttons designed for the Prince of Wales,
the pattern trophies Of steel inlaid in gold A
magnifying glass was necessary in order to
fully appreciate the varied excellence of that
fairy.like workmanship. The most beautiful
objects probably were the seals, one of them,
which was engraved with figure of Venus
rising from the sea, being peculiarly exquisite
The seal Of the Shah of Persia was shown me.
1t has the figure of lion holding branch in
one paw and a rising sun visible behind him.