well the crumbs that fall from the rich man's table, will furnish forth many a feast for multitudes of the labouring. The affluent shall drop their gold, and the industrious gather in its rich harvest; while all classes of society are for awhile thrust together, without amalgamation, circle traversing circle without end.

The Utopian era for SPORTSMen, in every sense of the word, has commenced. What more can the gentle hunter after enjoyment desire than a good run in the forenoon, the Italian Opera and French play at night? The programme of the Opera is sketched out: may it worthily be filled up. Expectancy is at full stretch for Verdi's operas, for the new ballets, for the Lisbon high soprano, Madame Rossi Caccia; the Madrid favourite, Rita Borio, also a soprano singer; and for Baroilhet, the superb baritone of the French Académie. The thirty-six danseuses Viennoisses, Mario, Mariani, Fornasari, Lablache, Madame Anaide Castellon, and Grisi the superb; Taglioni, Cerito, Carlotta Grisi, Lucile Grahn. What delectable names, enriched by charming memories; what hopeful novelties, delightful in anticipation, crowd on the opera-goer! ther day, and we shall know something of all this: of Perrot's ballet of "La fille de la Dryade," with Pugni's music; of this corps of danseuses, reputed so astonishing; and we shall judge of the Spanish taste by Rita Borio's first appearance in this country.

Ano

Mr. Mitchell's endeavours to render the French Theatre, in St. James's-street, an object of yet greater attraction than in preceding seasons, seems likely to obtain signal success. Lafont's début is followed by that of Lemaitre's triumph. Mademoiselle Elisa Forgeot (so well liked here for her lively archness), with the staple corps of efficient second-rates, form, altogether, a good groundwork for the "stars" to illuminate in their rotatory visits. We wish hearty success to the proprietor of this elegant little house.

THE PRINCESS's theatre, always marked out by the enterprise of its lessee, displays at present quite a new phase of attractions. The squallini's are partly exiled, and tragedies "are all the rage." This change shows judgment, at a period when so many will enjoy the first fruits of the Italian Opera. Mr. Edwin Forrest's re-appearance in England, with Miss Cushman's début, both at the Princess's, are wonderful hits of the manager's. Forrest is so much improved by seven years' practical study, as to have become almost unrecognisable. His style is totally altered. His redundant declamation has given place to a somewhat laboured, but careful slowness of enunciation, and he is evidently determined to seal his American reputation with the applause of our metropolitan arbiters of histrionic merit. His bursts of energy, as Othello, are now impressive, and contrast with the general, forcible, but quiet dignity of the Moor's character. Miss Cushman gives a promise we hope to see realized, of becoming a great actress. In person, she is plain-the lower portion of her countenance has some resemblance to that of Macready. The style she has adopted appears to owe its origin to a deep sense of the natural in acting. Thus, in the part of Emilia, the conscientiousness by which she is impelled to state the truth, would carry conviction with it, even in a court of justice. With careful cultivation, surely the

rare gift of comprehending and acting up to nature will render Miss Cushman a great actress.

COVENT GARDEN has been prolific of interest under M. Laurent's superintendence. Besides the staple attractions of the plays of Shakspere and the Greek tragedy, we have had a drama dressed up Chinese fashion, with a capital name, and promising better fun than it gave us, although that was not altogether bad. The title is "Shadows on the Water:" the plot too complex to be easily detailed. "The cleverest man in China" undertakes to overreach the Emperor by a sort of wager with the latter: of brains versus power. The hand of the emperor's daughter is to be the reward of success : this he obtains, and the grand spectacle of the "feast of lanterns" concludes the piece.

DRURY LANE still displays "Les Danaides" as a pleasant foil to the interminable duets-Balfe's operas of "The Bohemian Girl” and "The Daughter of St. Mark." How can the patience of an audience last their length?

The theatre royal HAYMARKET continues its steady career, its company of the best actors and actresses always ensuring its proprietor a satisfied attendance The new three act piece," The Sheriff of the County," produced here a few days ago, was a hit: we shall speak of its details next month.

The LYCEUM is by no means a pleasant resort just now. Why do not lessees follow the example set them by Mr. Mitchell in his theatre of St. James's, and render the cleanly decoration of a play-house a matter of course? What can be more dismal and deplorable than the aspect of dirt and neglect observable in the dingy hangings, torn drop-scene, and begrimed floors of the Lyceum? Nothing! save the character of the domestic dramas there put upon the stage. Dirty dresses and unwashed faces are by no means pleasant things in real life; but are quite unendurable with the accompaniments of lamp-oil, stage-paint, and all the odours incident to an ill-ventilated enclosure.

At ASTLEY'S, the "Fox Hunt" and "Johnny Gilpin," have had a long run of their unwearied round. The former, as we have already had occasion to say, is quite an Olympic hit. The latter, we beg to observe, for the information of all those it so immediately concerns, was the only good pantomime we have had this year. The burlesques at the "Lane," and at the "Garden," and at the "Market," had their bits, in which was recognised the ancient flavour; but the treat which Mr. Batty spread for his young visitors was, to the letter-all very racy. Without intending anything disparaging by inference, it is fit to say that, at the present moment, Astley's is making rapid strides. towards the high excellence achieved for it by poor Ducrow. The stud is vastly improved indeed. Let the proprietor remember that therein lies his strength, and that the scenes of the circle are the tableaux on which he must rest for attraction. We wish him every success in his endeavour to deserve public patronage.

"The Green

The little ADELPHI pursues its wonted career. Bushes; or, a Hundred Years Ago," draws tears from its romanceloving audiences. A host of other novelties there are, which we

have not space to particularize, such as "The Soldier of Fortune," and the "Corporal's Wedding." Mrs. Yates is always good as the heroine of a pathetic drama; and her name, besides, is linked to the Adelphi by many a year of industrious effort. We are always glad to see the name of this meritorious actress in the bills of the house.

Has the reader rejoiced in a hearty burst of laughter this year? If he has not, let him go to the STRAND THEATRE and see "Antigone" burlesqued. His cachinatory muscles will be severely tried if he there refrain. This is the best thing of the sort that the taste for such chimeras has engendered. Perhaps there may be more substantive means to attain the end, in this case, than any other. First, we have the tragedy travestied, and then the music metamorphosed into a marvellous mélange. There may be those who imagine Messieurs. Sophocles and Mendelssohn scurvily used in this affair; but for our poor part, when the chorus serenades Créon in his worst extremity, with "Polly put the kettle on," we could not help thinking what was lost in poetry would be gained in consolation.

MONTHLY MISCELLANY.

THE CHASE. The dispute regarding the Blackmoor Vale Country has lately somewhat subsided, without, however, we believe, any decided or satisfactory result being gained for either party; while, in the mean time, another civil war has broken out in Berkshire, which has hitherto been carried on with quite as much earnestness, if not with so open an avowal of ill-feeling, as characterises the correspondence of Mr. Drax and his opponents. As we intimated a month or two back, we see little in subjects of this nature to invite the pen of the public writer to dilate on; and, though armed with considerable practice over parts of the country in dispute, we shall not enter upon the merits of the matter, but merely offer an opinion as to how it might be settled. We have long thought that the masters of established packs should form themselves into a club, on the same plan and with precisely the same aim and object as the Jockey Club, to arbitrate on all differences connected with the chase, a mode of proceeding to which we are told Lord Gifford would readily submit the present really nice and intricate case. Would that some such tribunal were speedily resorted to! for newspaper notoriety, threatened horse-whippings, executing warrants, and similar ways and means of carrying on the war, can only end in injuring the character of the parties concerned, and, we are almost afraid, the sport itself. One noble lord, indeed, has been particularly unhappy in his voluminous and Pomponius Ego style of letter-writing; while another, and we are glad to name Lord Redesdale, has evinced in every word and line the innate merit of sound argument, backed by the fine feeling of a thorough sportsman and English gentleman.

Mr. Fellowes gives up the Vine, and Mr. Mure the Suffolk, at the end of the present season; the latter, it is reported, has been treated in a very ungrateful manner by some who should have been the strongest to support him. A seventeen years' character is no every day recommendation, and ought to be prized accordingly.

We are informed by a correspondent that in consequence of Mr. Moreland's refusal to visit the Brightwell covers, always a sure find and favourite meet in the Stadhampton country, Mr. Lowndes Stone has allowed Mr.

Selby Lowndes to draw them. What with lending to Mr. Drake, neglecting these, and claiming at Buscott and elsewhere, Mr. Moreland appears to us to be picking and choosing with a vengeance.

EXTRAORDINARY SAGACITY IN A NEWFOUNDLAND DOG.-" O, yes!" says the reader, on glancing at such a heading-“ been performing the part of a postman or public messenger, and executing orders with the utmost punctuality and dispatch, or been aiding the law in apprehending burglars, or breaking it in serving smugglers, or grinding the Polka on a barrel-organ, or dancing it on hot irons, or some such excellence in imitation and instinct." But it is not so-not even that commonest and worthiest of his feats, saving the life of a man, now calls on us for record-but rather a determined and successful attempt at suicide-a rash act which, considering his circumstances and previous habits, there is no possibility in accounting for. It appears that for some days previous, the animal seemed less animated than usual, but on this particular occasion he was noticed to throw himself into the water and endeavour to sink by preserving perfect stillness of the legs and feet. Being dragged out of the stream, the dog was tied up for a time, but had no sooner been released than he again hastened to the water and again tried to sink, and was again got out. This occurred many times, until at length the animal with repeated efforts appeared to get exhausted, and by dint of keeping his head determinedly under water for a few minutes, succeeded at last in obtaining his object, for when taken out this time he was indeed dead. He was the property of Mr. Floyd, solicitor, Holmforth.

The Oxford and Cambridge Universities decide their eight-oar boat race on the 15th of March, somewhere between Putney and Mortlake or Kew. CHEAP GAME. The game dealers at Stamford have actually eclipsed the butchers in offers of cheap and good dinners, the low figure and luxury combined of course turning the tide of trade right against the knife and steel gentlemen. This, however, is a rage which season alone would soon put a stop to, independently of the many advantages a good sirloin must show in the long run over a dry pheasant or hare, especially to such as enjoy but the Hobson's choice of making their meal off one or the other.

The gentlemen in the habit of hunting with Baron Rothschild have this season subscribed a clear hundred to be contended for across country by horses the property of farmers residing in the Vale, and over whose lands the hounds go; an example of liberality which might be followed in many other quarters with good effect, the sons of the soil being too often neglected till too late.

STATE OF THE ODDS, &c.

The many heavy books opened on, and favourites found for, the Chester Cup, has-just what might naturally have been expectedhad the effect of somewhat deadening, for a time, the usual interest in its more important and more distant rival. The Derby business for the month shows no extraordinary up or down movement, or any exit or entrance calling on us for explanation or further comment in this place. The first favourite, from the first, having recovered the effect of the Newmarket crack's rush, seems gradually getting the better of him again; in the same manner, it will be remembered, he freed himself from the tête-à-tête with Kedger a few weeks since.

The mer, in-de-vy, ww enjoys plenty of support as third on the İS, HOL VELA mi me point of the second; while the next lot really

iemani ær Newsminger (a rising favourite), the Miss Whip ent. Cut England. Percisi, and Mentor-the last of these five being De SDE BAT Even the bot out of Calypso's dam, and under which he has tem hacked win a spins anything at present but advantageous 20 is saturzem panico Aztasdale, a nag who has been sinking proportommely as the other's rise, but who, nevertheless, for all this, is sade and → sure 30 come rain Anti-Repealer, too, is rather out of sors: the Lurie Coekpen is no great feather; and dismissing the rest of the outsiders with this general remark, that they have either been talked overaly or backed triflingly at the prices quoted, we wind 1p car summary of the Derby with a few words on the only bit of an argument just now bearing upon its fortunes. We allude to the disputed calcation of Mr. Hill's Iron-master for the Derby, and Lori G. Bentinck's My Mary for the Oaks, both bred and nominated by Mr. Marshall-out pater aut filius-an unpleasant, or, at any rate, unsatisfactory piece of business, of which we were promised an early settlement. On, however, meeting at the time appointed, the 14th of last month, it appears the Epsom Stewards-" the reason why I cannot tell," they must have a hand in it sooner or later-declined intertering; and, consequently, Lord George Bentinck, who was fully prepared to support his claim, did not think himself at liberty to submit it entirely to the stewards of the Jockey Club without some previous intimation to Mr. Hill, whose position, of course, is precisely similar, and whose interest would be equally influenced by anything definite being declared on either horse or mare. The pair are, therefore, still backed by such who fancy them on "the double event;" and the matter stands over until perhaps a day or so before running, or not improbably will be arranged according to the comfortable method, adopted with so much success last year, running the race as the first act, and declaring who ought or ought not to have gone for it as the second. The claiming parties have, in the mean while, published the merits of their case, which rest principally on the opinions given in their favour by Mr. Martin, Queen's Counsel, who considers that Marshall, junior, would be always liable for the forfeits, and, as a natural sequitur, that the nominations are valid. We beg leave to say that we differ from the learned gentleman in toto. This was only one of many letters written, on precisely the same terms, which the father invariably acknowledged and acted up to as his own word and deed; and we niaintain that, had the elder Marshall lived up to the day of running, he, and he only, would have been the person liable for any forfeits incurred by these said nominations. In support of this view, we call the reader's attention to the following letter from the son to Alderman Copeland, which shows as plain as can be that, despite the ingenuity with which available points have been seized and used, the writer himself never for a moment considered this, more than any other letter on the same subject, as his own bonâ fide direction :

SIR,-I am in receipt of yours, and should have replied by return of post, but deemed it better to hear from Wadlow what they had done at Newmarket.