one year, that I should vacate my stronghold the next for ever. Accordingly, at the end of the season following the introduction of the second little Scribble, there appeared in "Bell's Life" the following heart-rending advertisement

"To be sold, on Monday next, by Messrs. Tattersall, a grey Mare, by Grimaldi, dam by Molly Carew; a perfect hunter, well known in Leicestershire, the property of a gentleman declining hunting from ill-health."

"Ill health! "Heaven save the mark!" I wish my temper had been half as good. I was weekly increasing in bulk at an average of 4 lbs. However, there was the mare and there was the advertisement; and in due time both of them disappeared together.

So

The mare was gone, and, more than that, a four-wheeler was bought, and the bay horse was put into it; but I don't think they took much by their motion; for if he was hunted on Monday, he couldn't go into harness on Tuesday; on Wednesday he might have a mile or two in the heavy machine, but not more; and he couldn't be driven on Thursday, because he was to come again on Friday at Scratch'em Thorns. the female party grumbled more than ever. To do Mrs. Scribble justice, I believe she sighed for the old gig back again, and knew the use of nursemaids too well to wish me to keep a carriage for their convenience; but she said nothing; and Providence ordained that I should soon have a proper, steady, stout, respectable-looking horse, instead of a neat, quick, wiry-looking hunter.

It came about in the following manner. Having given up professional hunting, and only going occasionally to cover as a sort of " muff," I had dismissed an excellent groom, and taken to myself a soft, puddingheaded, white-faced, red-waistcoated, tea-boy; servant-of-all-work, knowing nothing whatever of any; still less (if possible) of a stable than of a silver tea-pot. Mrs. Scribble, three of the children (my family having much increased), her mother, her sister, and the aforesaid teaboy as coachman, having one day managed to squeeze themselves into the carriage, ventured upon a drive of seven miles to call upon a friend. The day was hot; the horse had a cough upon him; the visit was a long one; the dinner-hour was approaching, and coachce pushed home again at about the pace of a trotting-match in a light cart. Ilis avocations were numerous; so he took out his horse, left him in his stable with a thorough draught upon him, and a bucket of cold, dirty water within reach. Teaboy laid his cloth, waited at table, cleaned his silver, brought in tea, and then for the first time thought he might as well see whether his stable-management had succeeded in getting his horse cool. But what a sight presented itself! The poor animal-my little bay horse, that had been groomed so well, and looked so sleekwas standing with staring eye, limbs stiffening, coat bristling, and sides panting.

"Please, sir, I think Rufus be ill, sir!"

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"Ill! what's the matter with him?"

"I doan't know, sir: he be all over stiff like, sir."

Stiff like! you don't mean dead, stupid, do you ?"

"Oh no, sir, not dead: only just like Susan was when she was took with heppilexy."

X

Out I rushed, and found poor Rufus, true enough, not "took with epilepsy," but with rapidly increasing inflammation of the lungs.

Away went tea-boy for the vet. None nearer than three miles; but he was at home. (How seldom they are, when wanted!)

66

Well, my lad. What's the matter with the horse?" "He's took with heppilexy, sir.'

"With what? Oh, you don't know anything about it, I see! Tell Mr. Scribble I'll be over directly."

But he didn't come for five hours, and then he might have saved himself the trouble. The reason of the delay in his appearance was accounted for by tea-boy, who was just leaving the house when he heard the scraps of a dialogue

"Whose horse?"

"Mr. Jones's, sir."

"What! that nice young brown horse?"

"Yes, sir: we've had rather a hard day with the squire; and the young'un isn't just as he ought to be."

Oh, tell Mr. Jones I'll come to him first: it's only that machiner of Mr. Scribble's; so of course it can't signify with them sort of horses for a few hours sooner or later."

But it did signify; for by the time this worthy vet. arrived, Rufus had given up the ghost.

That was my last horse. I have now an animal, big, heavy, bony, straight-shouldered, quiet, and perfectly sound; but he isn't a horse in my sense of the word,

MORAL.

To all country parsons, sporting doctors, and idle married men with large families and little incomes, if you keep a hunter, do it; and if you keep a four-wheeler, do it; but never attempt to combine the two, for it will not answer.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS.

The greatest theatrical representation in the world commences annually in London about the Ides of March: we speak, of course, of the opening of the ITALIAN OPERA, an establishment which centres in itself the talent that at other times, spread over the whole civilized globe, makes the glory and delight of the spot whereon, for however brief a period, may shine one bright, particular star of the dazzling galaxy. Brilliant as these anniversaries have ever been since the first day of their institution, the present season was understood to be destined far to surpass all its predecessors. The preceding had been marked by great success, and left the director with both funds and incitement for a mighty effort.

Certain it is, that Mr. Lumley has succeeded to the very fullest extent in "setting his house in order;" the interior of this noble edifice having been completely renovated. To accomplish this, thousands have been liberally expended by the assiduous lessee. Copies from Guido adorn the ceiling; whilst around the lower tier of boxes,

paintings of classical subjects fail not to please the most critical of eyes. Apropos of the fittings up, the colour of the hangings is decidedly anything but favourable to the complexion of the gentler sex; still, upon the whole, the decorations impart a most gorgeous and dazzling effect, seldom or ever witnessed. The "Nabuco" of Verdi was the opera selected for the opening of the campaign. The continental favour this pleasing composition has so deservedly experienced will, we opine, be greatly enhanced by the enthusiastic reception it has been greeted with in this country-a reception its lyrical merits richly deserve. Signora Sanchioli gained an encore in the part she sustained in the trio "Prode Guerrier." By the way, this lady is a débutante of exceeding promise. Fornasari, as Ninas, both performed and vocalised in a manner that called forth loud and deep demonstrations of applause, as well merited as liberally bestowed. The other artistes acquitted themselves, although perhaps in no extraordinary, yet withal in a perfectly satisfactory manner. On the first night, at the termination of the Opera, the whole house sent forth a perfect hurricane of approval. Of the ballet, we regret we cannot record a very favourable impression. It must not by any means be characterised one of Perrot's saltatory gems. "Catarina; ou, la Fille du Bandit," is the title. Catarina is delightfully impersonated by Lucille Grahn, whose costume is far beyond the compass of human imagination. The good St. Anthony would experience no trifling difficulty in guarding his visual organs from being riveted on such a form, instead of continuing to keep his eyes "firmly fixed upon his book," as narrated. Perrot, as Diavolino, was himselfmore cannot be urged when he played the very devil!

At the ST. JAMES's, Mitchell, the indefatigable and most enterprising of metropolitan managers, is literally carrying everything by a coup de main. On the evenings devoted to the performance of the French plays, this favourite house of amusement presents quite an elegant series of pleasing tableaux-a constellation of beauty and fashion enough to satisfy the greatest gourmand of the beau monde.

Monsieur Felix is quite happy (save the pun!) in his delineation of the character of Victor de Stelvel, in "L'Homme et la Mode;" and the various phases he passes through in the progress of this amusing comédie-vaudeville are equally well sustained by this versatile artist. The other picces have consisted of "Deux Filles à Marier" and "L'Image"-in the latter Madame Doché shines conspicuously.

On the "off nights," the Ethiopians continue as attractive as ever. We make no " bones" in asseverating-Hic NIGER est.

"A Beggar on Horseback" is the latest novelty at the HAYMARKET. We regret that our extremely limited space will merely allow us this month to record its most unequivocal success. Of its merits more anon; sufficit it to mention that the laurels of authorship are due to Mr. Sullivan. "The Irish Post" is the title of an amusing vehicle for the humour of Mr. Hudson, who is quite at home in the part assigned to him. Morton has brought out a laughter-exciting farce, yclept "Lend me Five Shillings," the hero of which is personated by Buckstone, who enters into the character con amore. The many difficulties that obstruct his endeavours to acquire the loan of five shillings are pourtrayed in the quaint manner so truly

Buckstonean. The other performers have but little to do, the whole weight falling on the shoulders of Buckstone; and we are pleased to state that he carries it through so well, that we are enabled to declare that LEND ME FIVE SHILLINGS has been crowned with undeniable

success.

The PRINCESS's has had the attraction of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Mathews during the past month. Madame has been very successful in "A Speaking Likeness;" Mr. Mathews has also succeeded in creating a favourable impression in his old character, in " He would be an Actor" and "Patter v. Clatter;" and just the reverse in a new farce termed "Mathews and Co.," which is not very likely to keep possession of the stage for as many weeks as the two other pieces have done for years. This is not, we regret to mention, the only failure that has attended the fortunes of this well arranged but badly ventilated theatre. The "Ruins of Athens was resuscitated at this house, dressed up in that garb, that Oxford-street audiences were sorely puzzled in elucidating such a heterogeneous affair. We have never heard of any one who, after witnessing this jumbling farago of mummery, could furnish a key whereby information might be gleaned of the meaning. The latest novelty-we must not omit to make mention of—is styled a comic drama, the title of which is the "Dreamer," a personage who appears to impart a sympathetic feeling to the audience, who, under this strong mesmeric influence, bob their heads about similar to the never-varying motion of a mandarin. This caputian movement of some sixty or seventy unfortunate witnesses of dramatic imbecility is not responded to in a proper spirit by the Dreamer-a performance, sooth to say, of no great shakes.

Benedict's opera of the "Crusaders" at DRURY LANE continues its prosperous career, heightened as it unquestionably is by the powerful efforts of the principal vocalists of the establishment. The dulcet tones of the tenor would not be less acceptable were they entirely divested of that peculiar nasality imparted by Mr. Harrison in those passages which so imperatively require a clear intonation. The pantomine-mirabile dictu!-is still served up to the public, whose discernment certainly protests against the drawing out of even Mr. Gulliver to such an interminable length.

The fortunes of poor COVENT GARDEN continue in the same shattered state as of late. Occasionally this noble edifice is hiredwe should say lowered-for masquerading purposes, by some itinerant dealer in seedy tunics and cast-off togas, who, by way of letting his motley apparel at the best price to be obtained of aspiring individuals, who are in ecstacies when they can "strut and fret their hour upon the stage" in the habiliments that once graced the form of some second-rate Julius Cæsar or a be-tinselled Don Cæsar de Bazan, converts what was once an arena for the first histrionic talent of the day into a disgraceful scene of gross improprieties and indecent orgies: "to this complexion it has come at last.'

Webster's house in the Strand continues to be nightly crammed. The cachinatory powers of an ADELPHI audience are strongly tested by the administering, on the part of the manager, of a powerful provocative to laughter, entitled "Did you ever send your Wife to

Camberwell?" The "Phantom Breakfast" has not disappeared from the bill of fare; the comicality of Wright alone is a rich repast; Miss Woolgar contributes her share to the entertainment by personating a pretty little milliner so naturally, that pleasant visions of Kensington Gardens, assignations, little pink bonnets with undeniable contents, fail not to flit across the fervid imagination of-but there, Miss Woolgar's fascinating looks act as a most powerful Adelphi conductor. At Easter it is the intention of Mr. Webster to open "Rodwell's Umbrella," both at this house and the Haymarket: showers of applause, we trust, will insure it a long reign.

The manager of the LYCEUM, it appears, differs from the poet that "man wants but little here below, nor wants that little long," inasmuch that he has entered into an engagement with General Tom Thumb, after that public character has been paraded about all parts of the metropolis, provinces, and continent. This little abortion made his bow to a Lyceum audience in a piece termed a burlesque-on the lucus a non lucendo principle, we imagine. " Hop o'my Thumb" lacks all the attributes of the species of entertainment above alluded to; and the sooner such unmitigated nonsense ceases to find a "local habitation and a name" in the affiches of the establishment, the better for the play-going portion of the community, and for the manage

ment.

The equestrian monarch-the never-tiring Batty-has been honoured by a "royal command." We are well pleased that the exertions of a manager of a theatre, so well conducted as ASTLEY'S, should not be altogether unrewarded. Her Majesty was alike gratified and entertained with the equine amusements; and we understand that the elephants and Widdicomb were not altogether omitted in the eulogistic remarks of royalty. The "Rajah of Nagpore" will speedily give place to the novelties so liberally offered to his patrons by the lessee at Easter.

"The Sea King's Vow" is the main feature of attraction at the SURREY, where crowded audiences testify their delight in anything but the subdued tone. There is no gainsaying that uproarious guffaws convey more impressive evidence of satisfaction than the suppressed titter of an anti-choke-with-laughter-ite.

Our latest transpontine intelligence relates to one of those eruptions that so constantly keep the lovers of the scientific on the qui vive one of the itinerant venders of heated murphies, together with his steam apparatus, received on a late occasion a most tremendous shock whilst meandering down the purlieus of the New Cut. The cause of combustion we believe to have resulted from the tremendous force of the dialogue in a new "domestic drama" at the VICTORIA, in which the hero and heroine were personated by the "acknowledged" ones-Osbaldiston and Vincent.

The POLYTECHNIC and the ADELAIDE GALLERY are daily and nightly filled with ardent admirers of these cheap and amusing exhibitions. At the former our victories in the East are nobly commemorated. The campaign on the Sutlej is to be mentioned as worthy of observation. The lectures on abstruse sciences are delivered by competent professors; and a working model is exhibited, to the great gratification of the many visitors of this favourite institution. Pro