READY.

THE PROPERTY OF SIR JAMES FLOWER, BART.

ENGRAVED BY J. SCOTT, FROM A PAINTING BY A. COOPER, R.A.

The prettiest in look, the merriest at work, and the evenest in temper, equally in place at the fire or the brook side, equally prized by Lord and Lady, what more shall we say of that ready and steady, both faithful and favoured good servant, the Spaniel? What more of one who hunts up to his game with a dash and an earnestness, with a half suppressed challenge and a gradually increasing im portance, that makes shooting almost as exciting as hunting?-of one who, if he does occasionally, in his energy, sin against the strict law and letter of the field, still errs on the right side; and who takes his correction so humbly, and then goes to work again as cheerfully as if nothing had happened? How can we indeed speak but approvingly of them, one and all, with old Fan looking up at us, so significantly-of a breed of dog, we will say, that enjoys more general favour than any other, and that for excellence of disposition, power of perception, or ability of execution, owns no other variety so worthy of it? There, now, down! get down, old lady, get down with you! for we could'nt make the puff stronger than that, if we tried all day.

"Of the water-spaniel," says Mr. Youatt, in his new but already standard work on the dog, "there are two varieties-a larger and smaller, both useful according to the degree of range or work; the smaller, however, being ordinarily preferable. Whatever be his general size, strength and compactness of form are requisite. His head is long, his face smooth, and his limbs, more developed than those of the springer, should be muscular, his carcass round, and his hair long and closely curled. Good breaking is more necessary here than even with the land-spaniel, and fortunately it is more easily accomplished; for the water-spaniel, although a stouter, is a more docile animal than the land one. Docility and affection are stamped on his countenance, and he rivals every other breed in his attachment to his master. His work is double: first to find, when ordered so to do; and to back behind the sportsman, when the game will be more advantageously trodden up. In both he must be taught to be perfectly obedient to the voice, that he may kept within range, and not unnecessarily disturb the birds. A more important part of his duty however, is to find and bring the game that has dropped. To teach him to find is easy enough, for a young water-spaniel will as readily take to the water as a pointer-pup will stop; but to bring his game without tearing is a more difficult lesson, and the most difficult of all is to make him suspend the pursuit of the wounded game, while the sportsman reloads."

So says Mr. Youatt, to illustrate whose ideas of perfection we have had to borrow again from Sir James Flower. Ready, from all we hear and see of him, comes as near up to the mark as can be. "Head long, face smooth, docility and affection stamped in his countenance; limbs muscular, hair long and closely curled" &c. &c., bring the pen and the paint-brush quite pat to each other. Thus much for appearance; while as to character, "obeying the voice, taking to water, and (especially) in that most important of all his duties, finding and bringing game that has dropped," the attitude he is given in might of itself answer. "With respect to his qualities as retriever," writes a gentleman who has often shot to him, "I can only say that I never saw a better in the field for all kinds of game: whether for snipe, partridge, pheasant, or hare, he is a very first-rate animal." More we don't want; a first-rate character from a first-rate sportsman, either for horse, dog, or man, should surely be sufficient; and that once attained, we take off our hat, open our pages, and bow in the distinguished one to immortality.

To make the return quite complete, pedigree and performance all included, we may add that Ready was bred in 1842, by Mr. Robert Postle, at Nottingham, and got by Dick, a black and white Yarmouth water-spaniel of Sir James Flower's, out of Mr. Postle's brown bitch Flush. Flush, a liver-coloured bitch, bred by Henry Gilson Dawson, Esq., of Geldeston, Norfolk, was got by a smooth pointer out of a rough Yarmouth water-spaniel, and is spoken of as possessing the best qualities of both parents. The distinction we now award to the son, was allowed a year or so since to the mother in the Sporting Magazine, where her praises are thus summed up:-" Her extraordinary prowess in recovering wounded game has been allowed by first-rate judges never to have been excelled; keeping directly on the line of the fallen bird in spite of whatever fresh game may arise before her, and ready to shake a rat to death one minute, and bring a jack snipe alive the next." This is a good sort surely, and " Ready" a good specimen of it.

THE FINE ARTS.

"SLY BOOTS;" alias the Fox's head. Spooner, 377 Strand. We know few subjects more common, and yet none more difficult to portray effectively, than the head of a thorough-bred English fox. The varied and altogether peculiar features of bold reynard would seem to require far more study than the majority of artists are inclined to give them; the result, consequently, nine times in ten, is anything but a flattering, or even tolerably true, portrait of our old friend. Some hit him off with a gnashing of teeth, and a grand ferocity of countenance, that little short of a cross with a Bengal tiger could make him own to; while others, again, allow a placidity of appearance, a milk and water, deadly lively, sort of look, which shows at once

their copy was the tamed pet of an inn-yard, or the close prisoner of some peripatetic Zoological. The clever engraving now before us is free from either of these faults; it has all the oily cunning and quiet rascality the fox is so famed for, without any exaggeration or fancy touchings to help it out; the head, in fact, of a cover-bred, naturereared, English fox in a state of repose, that any man may tally-ho the moment he sees it. To Bateman-prolific in works, and improving as he proceeds-we have to award the merit of the original sketch; a design that has been treated by the engraver (Davey) in a style allworthy of it. The different shades in the colour of the coat, the expression of the eye, and indeed every individual characteristic, have been marvellously well preserved in the black and white-so well, we should imagine, as to induce the engraver to persevere in the line (or rather mezzotint) he has thus commenced in. The great, if not the only objection to the plate is in the title-" Sly-boots"-cui bono, to whose credit we can't say, but almost enough, until he gets a sight of it, to damn the subject in the opinion of every true sportsman. A flash christening occasionally we by no means object to; but then we must keep clear of nursery rhymes and Cockney lingo in obtaining it.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS.

The London season is generally the harvest time of lessees of the temples devoted to dramatic entertainment, and of the multitudinous professionals whose vocal attractions are duly chronicled in the various programmes of the several concerts given at this period. The parting month has formed no exception to bygone anniversaries, both in point of attraction held out, and of the golden results reaped therefrom.

Two great events have occurred, since our last number, at the ITALIAN OPERA. The first was the production of Verdi's " Lombardi alla prima Crociata," which has received the unanimous appro bation of overflowing audiences. The lessee has most unquestionably bestowed great expense in the mounting of this lyrical gem; and we rejoice to say the unqualified success that has crowned his efforts proves that his vast resources have not been used in vain. Grisi, Mario, and Fornasari gave the music of this charming composition of Verdi in exquisite style. We predict a long run for this opera. The second event we alluded to above is of a stormy description, and having broken out at her Majesty's Theatre, is termed an émeute: peradventure if the same occurrence had transpired at the Pavilion, it might have been designated "a row," such being the difference of expressive phraseology current in the butcherian purlieus of Whitechapel and the courtly precincts of the Haymarket. Strange as it may seem, yet true it is, because Cerito fell sick like any other mortal, the aristocratic habitués of this leviathan establishment expressed their great displeasure in sibillations both loud and deep. So

much for sympathetic feeling, as evidenced at her Majesty's Theatre, for professors of the poetry of motion, in the year of grace 1846.

DRURY LANE has not exhibited any novelty of late, the lessee contenting himself with occasionally favouring the public with the opera of the "Bohemian Girl;" we forget how many nativities this young lady can coast of certain it is, like others of her sex, her admirers do not seem to increase as her years progress.

The Wizard of the North has taken his departure from COVENT GARDEN, whither Jullien will shortly exhibit himself-we mean his band of "unrivalled musicians." This successful caterer for the public intends to spare no expense in the engagements he will enter into, or in seasonably decorating the house for his series of "Concerts d'été."

Mademoiselle Rose Cheri has made a very promising début at the FRENCH PLAYS: the favourable opinion entertained by the Parisian public of the performance of this clever artiste has been fully borne out by the satisfactory fiat of a London audience. Her impersonation of character in "Jeanne et Jeanneton," and in "Genevieve," was admirable, and well deserving of the vehement demonstrations of applause elicited. Her Majesty and Prince Albert frequently honour these performances with their presence, as indeed do all the nobility and gentry in town, rendering Mr. Mitchell's theatre quite a fashionable rendezvous.

At the HAYMARKET we have had a new comedy, entitled "Mr Peter Piper at Home," and an amusing farce, in which Hudson creates roars by personating an "Irish Tiger," who, not unlike other Hibernian heroes, is disposed to make the most of a sell, with the exception that the hero of the Haymarket farce is supposed to be somebody else, whilst the principal character in the Westminster farce is taken for himself!

Mr. Webster often treats the lovers of the legitimate drama with some of the good old English comedies, which are put upon the stage with due regard to the costume of the period in which the characters move. The last evening we looked in here, we witnessed the performance of "The Clandestine Marriage;" a comedy the merits of which there are few that are not conversant with. Farren's Lord Ogleby was full of unction. His toilette scene was admirably given; his cries for the drops were painfully true to nature; and, indeed, throughout it was a masterpiece of acting. Mrs. Glover was quite herself as Mrs. Heidelberg, giving all the points in this talented actress's rich and humorous manner, that excludes from the bounds of probability the bare idea of her having any compeer in this range of characters. Miss Julia Bennett and Miss P. Horton sustained the characters of the two sisters Sterling, and we were pleased that the commendable exertions of both ladies met with the applause they so deservedly were entitled to. Mrs. Humby's Betty was the very paragon of soubrettes. In her scene with Mrs Heidelberg and Miss Sterling, you beheld nothing but the secret-loving servant to the life, knowing everything and telling nothing

What the Dickens can induce the LYCEUM management to resusci tate the chirpings of the defunct "Cricket on the Hearth"? Is it a de

sire to witness the state of coma of the audience, which supervenes the administering of so powerful a mesmeric dose? The after entertainment, in a measure, atones for the meagre fare served up as the first course; still it would be a politic step to make the banquet more savoury by adding some more recherché dish to open with. We have no hesitation in pronouncing the new extravaganza to be one of the best produced under the present dynasty. It is a new and original grand operatic, choreographic, romantic, legendary, sylvan burlesque, yclept "Robin Hood and Richard Coeur-de-Lion." It is literally crammed chokeful of puns, quiddities, and facetiæ, none of which hang fire or go off heavily. The passing allusions comprise the very latest popular subjects from Abd-el-Kader rejoicing in the desert, down to the parliamentary martyr, whining in his cellar. Mrs. Keeley as Robin Hood was comically romantic, and facetiously brave, leading her band with as much grandiloquence as Jullien himself. Miss Mary Keeley as Blondel was as lively and

skittish as a "pretty page' invariably acquits himself. Abd-el

Kader, "a character taken neither from nor by the French," was pourtrayed with all that droll dignified pomposity which Keeley alone can impart. Miss Bromley is decidedly an acquisition to the corps. Her duet with Wigan, after the fashion of "Lord Bateman," was droll in the extreme.

"And all the toasts I drink unto you

Is, I wish King Richard as you was mine."

Great praise is due to Mr. Willmott for the manner in which the piece is mounted; a similar vote of thanks must be passed to the scene-painters, for having performed their parts so effectively.

This

The Ethiopians continue their attractive career at the ST. JAMES'S. Their performances on the Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday evenings proving not to be sufficient to meet the extraordinary demand for places, it has been wisely determined by the powers that be, to give, in addition to the evening entertainments, morning perfor mances, which are attended with the most triumphant success. is really as it should be, for we pity the poor, melancholy being that could be found to be proof against the forcible attacks made by these "darkies" on the risible muscles of our common kind. "Lucy Neal" continues to be as popular as ever; Harrington gives this beautiful air with wondrous effect. Pell is as amusing as ever, with his "Get out of the way, old Dan Tucker." His part of the symphony is irresistibly impressive—nil nisi BONUM.

ASTLEY'S is nightly thronged with anxious spectators of the equestrian entertainments liberally provided by Mr. Batty, who never ceases in his laudable endeavours to provide pleasing novelties, some of which, of a gorgeous character, we understand will be brought forward on Whit-Monday, when, doubtless, the holiday folks will be astonished at the daring feats of horsemanship then to be enacted.

"Alas, poor Shakspeare, how dreadfully thou art used!" Such was our ejaculation on witnessing the latest case of mutilation at the OLYMPIC; the youthful lessee of which has been "fretting his hour upon the stage," as Hamlet:" that he should attempt to embody a part