Our readers will derive much amusement and no little instruction in the perusal of this interesting work, whose pages, light and sparkling as champagne, may serve to counteract the depressing influences of our foggy and dreary season. "WESTERN WANDERINGS; OR, A PLEASURE TOUR THROUGH THE CANADAS." By William H. G. Kingston. Chapman and Hall, Piccadilly. It is long since we have taken up so delightful a work as Mr. Kingston's: it is a most faithful delineation of Canadian life, written in the pleasantest vein imaginable; and the lithographs, with which it is profusely illustrated, are very correct and beautiful. The author does not confine his tour alone to the Canadas, as he visited New York, Boston, and other towns in the United States; and being armed with letters of introduction to the historian Prescott, to the poet Longfellow, to Wills, Mrs. Sigourney, Professor Agassiz, Dr. Howe, the Hon. Abbot Lawrence, and to many other literary and influential persons engaged in mercantile pursuits, or moving in the world of fashion among the "Upper Ten Thousand," had an opportunity of entering into the best society in America. And this privilege Mr. Kingston has not abused; his remarks on the New World and its inhabitants are replete with gentlemanlike feeling, good taste, and acute judgment. No writer has ever given so graphic a description of the mighty cataract as the one whose work is under notice, and he prefaces his remarks with the following sensible statement : "My wish is to make my readers understand what Niagara really is, as far as pen and pencil can do so, rather than to fly into ecstatic raptures, and to utter oft-repeated notes of admiration on its grandeur and sublimity, or to enlarge on our own sensations of wonder and awe." Mr. Kingston then proceeds to enlarge upon the magnificent scenery of the "falls," and, to borrow a not inappropriate simile, stands as regards other authors upon the same subject, as superior as the great rush of the Transatlantic waters is to the sluggish flow of our own soot-enveloped Serpentine. The work throughout evinces a manly feeling of sentiment, sound judgment, elegant diction, racy humour, correct delineation of character, descriptive powers of the highest order, and a truthfulness which cannot be mistaken; and we have read nothing connected with Canada or the United States at all to be compared in point of interest and important information with these volumes, which we venture to prognosticate will ever occupy a distinguished place in all standard libraries. Messrs. Chapman and Hall deserve the thanks of the literary world for their discretion in selecting this work on a subject somewhat hacknied, but rendered fresh and vigorous by the able pen of Mr. Kingston, for their liberality in illustrating it so cleverly and correctly, and for their public spirit in undertaking to publish it in the good old style of clear type and fine paper, instead of rendering, as in some of the modern productions, spectacles indispensable. By Alex "THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY; OR, ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF OUR GRANDFATHERS." ander Andrews. Chapman and Hall, Piccadilly. There is a charm in the title of this book which brings before us a world of pleasant things connected with the "sayings and doings" of those who lived in the days of our ancestors, and even within the memory of the middle-aged. In this most agreeable mélange we find racy anecdotes of all the celebrities, the worthies, unworthies, the famous and the infamous, of the reigns of the two last Georges. To an everlasting fund of rich and varied anecdote, is combined much valuable information, rendering it, as the bibliographer Dibdin said of Arrian's work on Coursing, "a book that will delight, and which may be consulted again and again with instruction and amusement." Original notices, gossiping stories, curious matter, are happily blended with quaint writing, racy humour, artistic touches, and exuberant fancy, and together form one of the most interesting and readable volumes we have had the good fortune to meet with for some time. No library should be without a copy of this most attractive work, which for high literary merit will take its stand amongst the best productions of the age. PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS. "I belong to the unpopular family of Telltruths, and would not flatter Apollo for his lyre."-Rob Roy. Talk of the entente cordiale being disturbed indeed! why it would be difficult to mention a period when this country was so intent in taking a leaf out of the book of our lively neighbours as the present—that is, az far as the stage is concerned; the principal theatres just now presenting piece after piece from that prolific source, the French boards. First, there is an old friend with a new face at the LYCEUM, “Le Docteur Noir," under the title of "Fabian," Mr. Dillon personating the hero in a manner which has been extravagantly lauded by the chief commentators on matters dramatic. With all this, sooth to say, the character as represented by the manager is but a type of maudlin melodramatic personification, claborated to a rather painful degree. "Save me from my friends !" he may well exclaim, after wading through the fulsome comments passed upon his recent performance. Of course it would be ungenerous to attribute motives to any one; but it must be observed that the system of managers receiving pieces from those who are engaged in passing judgment upon the productions of the stage, is one fraught with evil. To pass on to the getting-up of the drama, in every respect it is well placed upon the stage; some of the effects being particularly striking, and well contrived. Number two from the French is a farce called "Doing the Hansom;" in itself nothing whereof to boast, but made amusing from the acting of Mr. Toole and Mr. Calhaem, Number three is visible at the PRINCESS's, under the guise of "Our Wife," dressed up by Mr. Morton, but certainly not in his customary dexterous fashion. Mr. Ryder, Miss Leclercq, Mr. Harley, Miss Murray, and Mr. Fisher, have parts in it; but the last-named never shone to less advantage. Fourth on the muster-roll appears "A Family Failing," at the HAYMARKET; and were it not for the acting of Mr. Buckstone, the farce itself would partake of the title. All the fun is practical, such as the smashing of vases, with a general "skrimmage" from end to end. How different the means to effect the same end in the comedy which precedes the farce! In "The School for Scandal" the genuine wit of the author is as keenly relished as ever, and this despite the drawbacks in the cast. The Charles Surface of Mr. Murdoch is the very worst personation yet of his in this country: in fact, he is in every way unsuited for the part; appearance, voice, manner-all being against him. On the other hand, if fine feathers make fine birds, never was there such a Lady Teazle as Miss Reynolds, and never such a luscious-looking Mrs. Candour as Miss Talbot. Last of all these importations, both as regards date and merit, is a trifle at the OLYMPIC, which, even with the advantage of the acting of Messrs. Robson and Rogers, has but one redeeming point, and that is in the title of "Jones the Avenger." The exception to the French invasion is to be found at ASTLEY'S, where a notion is taken from Brother Jonathan, by giving Mrs. Stowe's "Dred" all the honours of Mr. Cooke's stud. The transition from Shakspeare to Stowe is certainly rather violent; but where so many tastes are to be studied, perhaps the domestic drama may form an agreeable change from the historical. In matters musical the Italian performances are continued at DRURY LANE with every success as far as the singers are concerned, but the orchestra will persist in militating this as far as it is possible. Different at JULLIEN'S, where the instrumentalists are deserving of every notice; but the selection this season is not to be named with the past, the French quadrille, for instance, not being worthy of Jullien. For dancing, perhaps, nothing could be richer than the Frenchman's imitation of John Bull's mode of doing the Polka as represented by Mr. VALENTINE VOUSDEN in "The Unity of Nations." There is "stuff" in him, there is no doubt; but Mr. Vousden would do well to let it ooze out in dialogue more modern and epigrammatic than that of his present entertainment. STATE OF THE ODDS, &c. SALE OF BLOOD STOCK. By Messrs. Tattersall at Newmarket. In the Houghton Meeting : The Galliot, 2 yrs., by The Flying Dutchman out of Pergama.... G8. 100 53 26 25 24 20 At Hyde Park Corner, on Monday, November 10: Gruyère, 5 yrs., by Verulam out of Jennala........ Ralph, 2 yrs., by Jack Robinson out of Decrepit. 75 50 Viaur, 2 yrs., by Jack Robinson, dam by Charley Boy out of sister to Clare 42 30 27 134 Snug, b. yearling c., by Jack Robinson.. At Hyde Park Corner, Monday, November 17 : .... The Fair Geraldine, 3 yrs., by Footstool out of Arethusa Test, by Touchstone out of Tarella...... Euxine, 2 yrs., by Thistlewhipper out of Passion..... Victress (late Infringe), by The Provost out of Misfortune...... At Hyde Park Corner, Monday, November 24:- ........ ........... The Fleet, 2 yrs., by The Flying Dutchman out of Lady Littlecot At Newport Pagnell, for their keep :- .... ........ Mr. Robinson has sold Absolution into Quinton's stable, and Chatteress has been bought into Cliff's for 15gs.; Milton is sold to Mr. de Martin to go abroad, and Sirocco to Mr. T. Benson, bound for Palota, near Pesth; Leo goes into Darby's stable, and Madame Clicquot into the Danebury string. Lord Exeter has purchased Noisette for the stud. Mr. Josh. Arnold, a well-known member of the ring, and confederate of Mr. H. Hill, died at Andover early in the month. What Derby betting we have to report is chiefly to the credit of M.D., a well-merited compliment to his Newmarket running. Arsenal has also been in demand; he has just now a very rising look while Scheidam and Colonist have in the next degree the best of a bad business. LIST OF THE HUNTSMEN, &c., OF THE PRINCIPAL PACKS OF FOXHOUNDS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM DECEMBER 1ST, 1856. Mr. O. Stubbs Edward Owen, Joseph Mason, John Babbage, John Jones. Thomas Clarke, George Whitemore, The Master, James Cockayne, Mr. H. W. Deacon Mr. R. G. Luxton (the master), Mr. D. R. Scratton Essex and Suffolk Charles Barwick, Richard Hortin, James Babbage. Edward Kingsbury, Thomas Rance, William Snaith Daniel Berkshire, John West, James Stracey, jun., Witherley, near Ather stone. Badsworth, near Pon- Thorpe Perrow, near East Austrey, Devon. Reepham, near Lincoln. Tubney, Abingdon. Badminton, Tetbury. Charlton Horethorne, wade. Redcar. Cottesmore, Oakham. Crawley,near Horsham. Sedgefield. Abbot's Hall, near Brushford, near Wemb- Danbury, Chelmsford. Little Bromley Hall, near Colchester. Eastbury, Lamoourne. |