at least at this favourite house, where mirth-moving farce and soulstirring tragedy should form the staple entertainment. Wallack's Brigand is, as it ever was, a bold, masterly, and powerful picture, perfect and complete in all its shades and colourings. In melodrama there is not an actor who can approach the unrivalled delineations of James Wallack. The Queen has lately visited this theatre to witness Othello," with the characters reversed." Start not, gentle or restless reader, at this announcement, which is not intended to convey the fact of the dramatis personæ having turned their backs upon their sovereign, but merely that the parts in the tragedy were differently cast on this occasion. Mr. and Mrs. Kean's Othello and Desdemona are so well known and appreciated, that it were idle to dwell upon their several beauties and blemishes at this period. Wallack's Iago is undoubtedly an improvement upon his Othello. The change in the cast did not display Miss Addison to equal advantage, her Emilia being most assuredly in many points inferior to her Desdemona. Wigan's Roderigo, like all the impersonations of this very talented performer, is thoroughly artistic. Mr. Webster has novelties of most dazzling description in store for Easter. Planché having written the burlesque of "The Seven Champions of Christendom" for the approaching holidays for the LYCEUM is a guarantee that the entertainment of the visitors of this well-conducted theatre will be amply provided for. Undeniable success has attended the production of the new pieces of "The Romantic Idea," and "Hold your Tongue!" the former affording excellent scope for the lively acting of Charles Mathews, and the latter giving Madame Vestris an opportunity of displaying her versatile powers to advantage. It has been advertised that the season of M. Dejean's really unrivalled equestrian performances being arranged to commence in the Cirque des Champs Elysée at Paris on the first evening in Easter week, the Cirque National at DRURY LANE must close in the course of a few days. This announcement we have read with unaffected regret, for we, in common with every one who has ever visited M. Dejean's establishment, must acknowledge that we have invariably derived the sincerest gratification from the performances of his matchless company; and at the same time that we wish them all that success which they so richly merit in their native land, we cannot help expressing a hope that they will soon find themselves on English soil again; for until they return we despair of witnessing in London any hippo-dramatic entertainment which can be contemplated by a man of taste with other feelings than those of weariness and disgust. M. Dejean has spoiled us for all other performances. The artistes of ASTLEY'S, and the gentlemen who, attired in flesh-coloured drawers, tumble in the streets for the especial delectation of smug-faced little boys, and stand upon their heads to excite the enthusiasm of costermongers and cat's-meat-men, are useful no doubt in their generation, and worthily fulfil their mission. The denizens of the New Cut have as good a right to their temple of enjoyment as any other class of the community; and if they can manage to extract pleasure from the maniacal evolutions of the individuals who undertake to perform, and most faithfully fulfil their engagement, "unparalleled feats," in Westminster Road, they deserve pretty much the same description of praise as we award to the bee which sucks honey from the hemlock. The smug-faced little boys and the enthusiastic cat's-meat men, to whom allusion has already been made, are also entitled to their peculiar kind of recreation; and if they cannot afford to pay to see a gentleman rolling in the saw-dust, there is no sufficient reason why a gentleman should not gratify them by performing the same writhings and contortions in the gutter. But that is no reason why entertainment suitable to their taste should not likewise be provided for the more refined and better educated section of the public, and such elegant pastimes we fear we have but little prospect of enjoying until we are favoured with another visit from M. Dejean's unrivalled troupe. THE FRENCH PLAYS and Opera Comique on every representation elicit gratifying tokens of approval from audiences chiefly consisting of the most prominent leaders in the fashionable world. Mademoiselle Charton's La Catarina, in Auber's "Les Diamans de la Couronne," is a charming impersonation. Mr. Mitchell is as assiduous as ever in his endeavours to cater for the amusement of his aristocratic subscribers. It is to be hoped that his exertions will not be unrewarded. Mr. Maddox rests his claims on public patronage on what he terms "the astonishing feats of dexterity," performed by a M. Klare, on a globe. As the manager's anxiety to turn into a hall of wonders that which was an opera house is so apparent, perhaps he could contrive to draft from the many suburban fairs a few of the most diverting monstrosities from the leading booths? "The Hop-pickers" is an ADELPHI drama from beginning to end; abounding in "startling situations," attended with "extraordinary effects." Apropos of effects, does the gentleman who compiles the bills of mortality ever calculate the effect upon suffering humanity produced by the atmosphere inhaled in this hermetically-sealed cage between the Strand and Maiden-lane? It is not too much to assert it to be a moral impossibility for the best-tempered man in the world to be "cool" on his emerging from the Adelphi. Mr. Shepherd announces changes of an important character for the commencement of the Easter campaign at the SURREY. That he is a manager of spirit and enterprise there can be no second opinion; and his determination to give an improved class of entertainment to visitors of transpontine theatres is much to be commended. Mr. Shaw is lecturing at the POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION, on natural magic. His powers of legerdemain rank higher than his powers of eloquence; indeed, it would be a decided improvement were he to practice the former without exercising the latter. The directors of this admirably-conducted institution, ever zealous in providing recreation for their fellow citizens, are preparing novelties for the approaching holidays; which doubtless will be found to be seasonably instructive and amusing. As the season of exhibitions is commencing, we cannot do better than direct the attention of our country friends to the panoramas now open. BURFORD'S Switzerland is remarkable for its extreme fidelity. BANVARD'S Panorama, at the Egyptian Hall, we have already stated, and we repeat, is a picture that should be viewed by those who are anxious to see a correct representation of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The painting of the same subject now being exhibited at the AMERICAN HALL (late Miss Linwood's Gallery) should also be seen. That it is a faithful representation there can be no question; as we have no mean authority on the subject, that is no other than Catlin, who has certified to the accuracy of Mr. Smith's painting. STATE OF THE ODDS, &c. John Scott has once more astonished the ring with one of those thunder-claps he was wont, a few years since, so often to act as the Jupiter Tonans to. By the aid of public running we may reasonably look for change, as the almanacs say, about this time. The advance of Nunnykirk, however, from thirty or forty to eight or ten to one, had nothing to introduce or account for his elevation, beyond a well circulated report, that he was dead lame! The feeling, so far, has run on without any symptoms of a flash-in-the-pan finish to it. He promises fairly to be "the horse of all horses" over "the two thousand," at any rate. Of course the rest of the company have suffered from this though placed more "in abeyance" than anything else-Uriel especially, who early in the month had a very rising look, coming to a halt on his march; and the quiet craving for the mare (Escalade) being more easily satisfied than of late: of the stable, still, she weathers it by far the best, with a strong hold on her admirers yet, though at a little more liberal price. Barring this interesting incident, the Derby would read, if possible, flatter than ever. The flying Dutchman, on a kind of negative donothing showing, has rather a worse appearance than we left him with last month-an unfavourable tone heightened, perhaps, by the steady and increasing desire to get on Tadmor, who can be reported very favourably of, all through. When we add that Chatterer and Westow have also been in request, we dispose of a Derby list unusually scanty in all ways, considering how the race is drawing on. For the Chester Cup, speculation has been equally limited. John Day's declaration of Joc-o-'Sot for this, and The Tartar for the Northamptonshire, remaining quite undisputed till the decision of the latter. Of course we shall now have a fresh favourite-Halo, Blucher, and Chanticleer are handy and all in good odour; but beyond these three, we can point to nothing yet bidding for the place. If the Danebury stable is still to be respected, we should not pass over Cossack, the least talked of, but, to our eye, the most likely horse for such a course in the string. A few whimsical alterations have attended the several discussions of the Metropolitan, the ring being ready to give way to the slightest demonstration. Do-the-Boys, Peep-o'-Day Boy, and Dacia, have had the best of it, though Lugar has kept his lead, while Canezou, Flatcatcher, and Loup Garou have been occasionally backed, but not to the tune they once threatened. The event of the month has been the Northamptonshire, a race of great temporary interest, and chequered with some rise and fall that it is scarcely now worth while to chronicle. The Oaks and the Newmarket Handicap both defy remark. For the Two Thousand, despite the immense force of Nunnykirk, the premiership is still left with Honeycomb; they seem now to be at him all for this, and nothing for the Derby; and as, according to Dick Bezzand, "that there hill ain't this here flat," no doubt they are wise in their generation. NEWMARKET HANDICAP.-2 to 1 agst. Fernhill, 4 yrs., 6 st. 10lb.; and 5 to 1 agst. Canezou, 4 yrs., 8st. 7lb. THE DERBY, 1850.-10,000 to 200 agst. Hardinge, 10,000 to 200 agst. Sea Serpent, 5,000 to 100 agst. Mildew, 2,500 to 50 agst. Tordesillas, 1,000 to 15 agst. Brington, 50 to 1 agst. Pontifex, 50 to 1 agst. The Old Commodore, 50 to 1 agst. Sidus, 50 to 1 agst. Windhound, 50 to 1 agst. Pitsford, 50 to 1 agst. Paul, 50 to 1 agst. William the Conqueror, 50 to 1 agst. Cyprus, and 50 to 1 agst. The Knight of Avenel. EMBELLISHMENTS. CHANTICLEER-WINNER OF THE DONCASTER CUP, 1848.- SPORTING INCIDENTS AT HOME AND ABROAD (FROM THE MS. LIFE OF THE HON. PERCY HAMILTON).-COMMUNICATED |