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Leader (1850-1860), 19th January 1856, Edition 1 of 2, Page 67, Untitled Article

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      quotations , jokes , allusions , emitting occasional corrustfations of satire , some of which are telling and some of which are not . Necessarily his perspective is not deep , since he was checked by tbe tether of " leave ; " but he ranged the Brazilian coast , saw something of every class of the inhabitants , sketched men , women , and manners as be went , and picked -up numberless varieties apropos of slave suppression . Perhaps on this part of his subject he writes with more freedom than responsibility ; if anything is meant by the satire , it is scarcely justifiable ; if nothing is meant , it is disagreeable . It is not tolerable that gentlemen who have left the navy , probably because they were not qualified to remain in it , should from their retreat fling satires anil calumnies at the profession they have deserted . In this book insinuations are directed against the service , which are at once out of place , and improper , Mr . midshipman Wilberforce has followed the lead of Mr . midshipman Marryat , who , if he was not so smart , was not so frivolous . Mr . Wilberforce , too , would have done well to have contented himself with his sea panorama—lively and picturesque as it is—of Brazil . His political definitions are sadly out of place . Here is one : " Democracy is the despotism of the many over the few . " In some sequestered vale of Dorsetshire this might pass as a keen and original saying . In- London it comes late , and to repeat it is a proof of simplicity .

      The Niger , Tshadda , and Binue Exploration . By T . J . Hutchison . Longman and Co . Mr . Hutchinson and his companions may be ranked among discoverers . They penetrated , in the Pleiad , to a part of Africa in which no European had hitherto been seen . The voyage was successful , nearly as far as the confluence of the Binue and Faro rivers , which had been designed the ultima thule of the expedition . A few miles below the confluence , however , the failure of supplies and the intricacies of the navigation compelled the steamer to turn on her downward route . But Mr . Hutcliinson ' s narrative takes the reader over much new ground . It is brightly coloured and varied , " and interesting . The geographical results of the exploring Voyage were important .

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      A NEW ENGLISH HISTORY . A Popular History of England . By Charles Knight . "With upwards of One Thousand IlLastrationson . Steel and Wood . Part I . Bradbury and Evans Every one recollects the observations ** which Lord John Russell made at Bristol , in October , 1854 , on " the Study of History ; '"" and still more likely are we to remember the remarks of the 2 'imes , to the effect that " we have no other History of England than Hume ' s , " and that , " when a young ; man of eighteen asks for a History o > f England , there is no resource but to give him Hume . " Upon tbis hint Mr . Knight has spoken , and has given us the first Shilling Number of a New English History , which shall he not onW a history of manarchs ami of public actions , but of

      the people ; . a record of the slow degrees b } which the strength and dignity of the English nation has been built uj > to its -present height . The design , Mr . Knight assures us , has been long entertained ; and in the " Pictorial History of England , " published by Mr . Knight himself , and written by Mr . Craik and Mr . MacFarlane , it was partly carried out . But the present historian specially guards his readers from supposing that his book is to be an abridgement of the Work just alluded to . " As the publisher of that valuable history , " says Mr . Kniglit , " I had cause to regret that its limits went beyond what , as its projector , I originally contemplated . The present work will be far less voluminous . But it will neither follow the arrangement of ' Tb e Pictorial , ' nor use its materials , except as they are common to all histories /'

      To publis"h a new History of England side by side" with Macaulrvy , is a bold enterprise . But Mr . Knight ncetl not feat . He appeals to another audience * and he occupies somewhat different grounds . His antiquarian and literary studies peculiarly fit him for . the composition of a history which shall trace thenational life ° ns exhibited in manners , eo > tumes , superstitions , domesticities , arts , and intellectual culture ; ami in this firs . t number we find evidences of the same vivid spirit of identilication with by-gone forms of existence , which was exhibited by him and his fellow-labourers in their " London , " and which rendered that work the most vital account of the metropolis ( with the exception of Leigh Hunt ' s ) that had ever been published . The History , also , is profusely illustrated . Some of the woodcuts , it is true , we have * met with before in other of Mr . Knight ' s periodicals j but they will bear repetition .

      Pleasant ^ it to find the veteran champion of popular instruction—the father of cheap literature—commencing the year 185 ( 5 with a new undertaking . We wish him every success .

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      vigorous denunciation of the Spirit-rappers : but , on the whole , the impersonation is manly , intelligent , and agreeable . Baillie NicolJaroie is acted , with a good deal of dry humour by a Mr . Gourlay , but with v scarcely an attempt at an accent ; Major Galbraith is converted into a drunken buffoon , by Mr . Sam . Cowell ; Rashleigh Osbaldeston , as presented by Mr . Stuabt , is tragic and pompous . Frauds dwindles into a light tenor under the care of Mr . George Perren , who has probably studied the dramatic part of his profession from a distinguished Marionette , but whose singing , but for the too frequent intervention of the nose and teeth , would be pleasing . Dottgal is done by Mr . Harry Pearson ( the admirable Harry the Eighth of the and effective

      pantomime ) in $ capital style : " it is broad , vigorous , . Miss Harriet < 5 ordon , from tlie moment she appears , dissipates all trivial fond recollections of the Diana Vernon of the story ; she screams and jerks through the part , with a hard , bold , hoarse , fearless assurance , which tbe audience seems to like , and why should we find fault ? Mrs . J . W . Wall ^ ck gives dignity and importance to the Helen Macgregor of the play , though , her Kemblesque attitudes and maternal embraces remind us more of the Roman matron than of the Highland wife . The drama is very liberally mounted , the supernumeraries have been drilled into as much entrain and enthusiasm as if they lived on mountain dew , and the groupings and the dresses would not discredit the genius of Mr . A . Harris .

      An audacious attempt has been made at the little Strand Theatre , upon the delightful Holly Tree Inn . If any reader is disposed to doubt the impossibility of adapting a set of stories , however dramatic in themselves , to stage purposes , let him pay a visit to the diminutive temple of the drama above-mentioned . Such a hodjie-podge has seldom been perpetrated ; the personages are pitchforked about , through a confusion of exits and entrances , in at windows and out of doors , without the slightest effort at explanation of these impossible movements and rencontres ; the bewilderment of the audience is only surpassed by their good humour , and the falling curtain brings relief to a mental darkness " that can be felt . There are two episodes , however , which even in this shattered and disjointed state , amuse and interest : the two children of the

      immortal Boots' story ( in , spite of the terrible stageyness of their infantine precocity ) , bring tearful smiles to tlie eyes of the " better half" of the audience , who vent their sympathy in tender-exclamations y and the Ostler , converted into , a comic character , excites constant merriment by the recital of his " ill-luck . " A Miss He 3 ibert , who personates the fair-haired murderess in the Ostler ' s story , deserves a word of recognition rather for what slie promises than for what she performs . She has natural gifts ; a lithe and flowing figure , b a ldly cut features , ricli in expression , and a certain grace of gesture . Wi'th care and cultivation she may possibly arrive at a higher position in her art ; her evident intensity will go far , but she has almost everything to learn . / ,

      The Boots' Story is being dramatised as a sketch for the Adelphi , with Mr . Webster as the Boots . This is a very different thing from an Olla podrida of a set of stories , and we see no reason why the sketch should not be very touching and very telling even on the stage . The difficulty is to preserve the naturalness of the children through the severe training ; the only quality in which children of the stage are deficient in is—childhood . We knowenough of Mr . Webster to believe that he will make a life-like sketch of the Jttoots . Professor Anderson announces somewhat tardv reprisals against the

      " Wizard of the Lyceum , " who nightly takes him off , with almost the fidelity of a daguerreotype at ; Drury-lane . He is preparing a farce under the title of "Twenty Minutes lo ' ith an Impudent Puppy . * ' This strikes us as rather violent facetiousness , but we are consoled by the thought that the hostilities may be compared to those of learned gentlemen who , after bandying abuse in court , drown plantili ' ' and defendant in the convivial bowl . Mr . Leigh Murray is studying the part of the Puppy , The Strand Theatre very justifiably caricatures these sham fights of managers in a farce with the appropriate title , " A Plaque on both your Houses . "

      Madame . Jenny Lund Goldschmidt ' s first miscellaneous concert at Exeter Hall last Thursday week was full of variety and interest , and awakened warm recollections of the operatic season of ten years ago . The great singer was in splendid voice , and in the prayer from Der Freisuhutz , as in the Italian seena , displayed unabated power aud exquisite purity of style . Perhaps the most characteristic performance in the concert , was the adaptation of Chopin ' s Mazurkas to tlie voice , accompanied by the piano ; these strange and shattered strains were vocalised by Madame Goldsciiiuidt with a certain wild and wayward melancholy of sentiment and expression which belongs to the music , and the audience seemed to feel its ehamx . lien' Gold-Schmidt proved himself an accomplished pianist , and Herr Keichardt , the favourite German tenor , by his refined and graceful singing , contributed not a little to the success of the evening . Madame Goloschmidt is announced to sing in the Elijah on Monday next , and on Friday in a second miscellaneous concert . ¦

      KOB ROY AT UOVENT GARDEN . Thk Professor has put Rob Roy on the stage very handsomely , with the advantage of those scenes so pleasantly associated with evenings of the Donna del Lago , and Guitfaume Tell . Old playgoers still speak of Mucready ' s graceful and romantic Rob Roy , as one of the most staking and picturesque of his characters , and we know that the not ineffective adaptation of the bust of novels , with its tnoving incidents , and its funiUiur names , has always been a favourite- with the llritish public . The music , too , interspersed with the dialogue sometimes 11 little unconneetodly , is always fresh and full of melody , and some of tho airs have a charm which hats often brought a tear to the British eyelid in distant lands . In the present performance " , a very fair representation has been obtained . Professor Anderson himself , without being a Macready , looks a very sturdy , generous Rob , and gives a stalwart slashing sort of version of the purt . On est tovjours I ' esctave de son premier talent , and there is " a certain shuffle in the Professor ' s walk which mentally suggests the bottle trick , while in hia louder passugoa we are continually collecting u

      Untitled Article

      Jamtam- 19 , 1856 ] THE LEADER . 67

      ( Ft? Jvi&Gt; (Vi \Ffi . Aj^Jj T ^Lll/I.

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      Untitled Article

      Mr . Payne Coluuu and nis Ciutic—Sir Frederick Thesiger , on Thursday , moved , iu the Court of Quoeu ' u ltanoli , for a rulo to show cnuso why a criminal information should not bo filed ngaiuat Johu Ruaaol 1 Smith , publiahoi- ot bolio-Square , for printing nnil publishing a pnmphlot containing a liboloua attack on Mr . IWo ColHor , by imputing that ho hud froudontly " cookocl up tho emendations iu his folio edition of Shulinpoaro , ou woll an tho original prospectus ol Coloriilgo'u leotm-os . Lord Cumpboll » iii < l ho wiw ij . uito certain that Mr . jollier , of who . se friendship ho wivs proud , wan quite nbovo tho moan frauds of which he had been accused , but the nuniphlut wiw a litomry crltioism , Mid could uot come under tho notice of that court . Tho rulo wuh therefore refused , lho pamphlri had beou sont to U » o A thenasuni , but that journal rofusod to iuaort it . lho lauguag < mployoO . was extremely violent ; and diaelosuroa simUiar to those of Ireland , th < Shivkapoaro forgor , wei-o |> romiHod . Jt is plain that tho editor of tho At / tenaun oxoroinod a wino dincretiou iu excluding the . attack . Whether Mr . Collier ' s nov reading bo or bo not genuine , it is mout nnjuat to ocouae that gentleman o fraud in the abwenco of nil proof , and merely to indulge a disbelief in Uli honour .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 19, 1856, page 67, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2124/page/19/