and dwell together. Mrs. Simpson is a little green-eyed in her matrimonial views. Mrs. Bromley is a dashing, handsome, unexceptionable creature. Madame La Trappe, a lace dealer (smuggled), catches the two wives at conversation, and unfortunately confesses that she is presenting a bill at Simpson and Co.'s, received from a lady in Harley-street. Mrs. Simpson's eyes immediately be come the colour of peas. She pushes her interrogatories to ascertain that Madame La Trappe had often seen a gentleman (in truth Bromley)-a gentleman below-parading before the Harley-street house. Mrs. Simpson comes down like a forty-pounder on poor Mr. Simpson :---who is twitted by that rogue Bromley for his gallantries. Simpson has Bromley's pocket-book to take care of, and leaving it carelessly on the desk, Mrs. Simpson, supposing it to be her husband's, very prudently probes it, to the discovery of a miniature of the lady in Harley-street, of whom Bromley is in truth a follower, under the name of Captain Walsingham. Bromley had written innumerable letters to the lady, a Mrs. Fitzallan, all of which had been returned. At this time, Mrs. Fitzallan is announced, having been an old schoolfellow of Mrs. Bromley. Mrs. Simpson recognizes her likeness, to the vast life of a humourous scene. Bromley is discovered to be a married man, whom, however, Mrs. Fitzallan, in tenderness to his wife, does not expose. Mrs. Simpson learns her mistake, and the piece pleasantly ends, with casting the blame on Captain Walsingham.

The acting is worthy of the lively construction of the piece. Mr. Terry is mercantile, to the shake of his head, and the correct drag of his features. Mrs. Glover is portentous in her jealousy; and Mrs. Davison graceful still, in Mrs. Bromley. Mrs. Orger, as the Lace-smuggler, would make any wife jealous. We thought Mr. Cooper, perhaps, a little harsh, but he is getting more into our favour lately. If Mr. Elliston would give us many such pieces as this, it would, as Johnson says, be needless to praise and useless to blame. It is, without exception, the smartest production of the day. We do not know the author or adapter.

COVENT GARDEN,

The Pantomime.

The pantomime at this house is, in comparison with that at the other, what Mathews would call " quite the reverse." It is, perhaps, one of the most attractive pieces in point of scenery, rapidity, pantomimic-acting and trick, that ever made Christmas merry. Harlequin and the Ogress, or the Sleeping Beauty of the Wood, tells its own story. But even we cannot describe the magic of the scenery, the exquisite beauty of the combined genius-productions of the painter and the mechanist; we shall attempt, however, to describe the opening plot, which has, at least, the merit of being comprehensible.

The first scene is an interior of an Egyptian cavern, and the Fates are seen spinning the destiny of the Sleeping Beauty. They sing and spin pleasantly enough; and the Ogress, their mistress, comes in attended by four little winged goblins, and carries away the ball of the Beauty's life-thread, intending to have the end of it fastened to her finger, which will insure her nap for another hundred years.

The second scene is a wood, a cedar wood, full of ample foliage, and romantic to the very curl of the leaf. A hunting prince appears, attended by a whimsical follower, and expresses by the usual eloquent action that he has lost his way. Fairy voices strike up alternately on each side, much to the perplexity of poor Grimaldi, Jun. who scampers from: voice to voice, till he fairly becomes confounded. Suddenly, when the prince is despairing of his way, the forest flirts into one of a tinsel-blue foliage, and the fairy Blue Bell comes forward, and offers the prince a flower, which will not only lead him out of the wood, but will awaken the Sleeping Beauty in the Wood. At the motion of the fairy's wand, the back of the forest opens magically, and shows the castle in a beautiful sunlight, with a drawbridge leading to it. The prince enters it with his follower.

The third scene exhibits the portal of the Beauty's castle- and Old Grimaldi, in a kind of burlesque, ty ger-patterned dress, shows himself as keeper, to the vast delight of the audience. The Ogress enters, and

prevails on him to undertake the fixing of the thread on the finger. The apartment of the sleeping lady is beautiful. All are asleep-fast! The butler, cook, waiter, attendants, all! Grimaldi enters, gets a musingly fuddled over a bottle of wine, and drops down without accomplishing the task committed to his care. The prince enters, awakens the princess-and at the very moment, the room turns from pink to blue, and the Ogress and Blue Bell confront each other. The usual changes take place, and the pantomime proceeds.

Several beautiful scenes follow, and much mirth is kept alive by the two Grimaldis. It is curious enough to see the son grinning at the grin of the father. The Harlequin is extremely good--and so is Pantaloon. Columbine is too much of a real woman; we wonder what her weight is.

There are but few tricks. The coach-building, by Grimaldi, at Brighton, is ingeniously contrived, and Joe puts together his odd materials with his old quiet humour and busy intensity. No one can be at a loss like Grimaldi. No one can suddenly hit upon a remedy like himself. He really seems never to have had a notion before how he was to make his carriage, but appears to build on the inspiration of the moment.

The scene of the Pyramids is fine --and it is whimsical enough to see the rapid scampering clown bolting about in the presence of those tremendous kingly monuments. Water

loo Bridge, by lamplight, is capital; so is the scene of a village near London. But the grand display of scenery is the panoramic view of the King's progress to Edinburgh. The shores pass as they recede from you in a coach; and you really seem to steam away from Greenwich to the braw city. Night gradually comes on (as the music and the shadows plainly tell you), and morning breaks over the Calton Hill bravely. The pantomime concludes with a beautiful scene of the palace of the fairy Blue Bell.

The fault of this pantomime is a deficiency of broad humour; though, to be sure, Grimaldi's face will twist the hardest and sternest countenance, and is a whole pantomime in itself. We miss, however, the racy fun of the scenes in Mother Goose; the real bustle and opulent nonsense of the clown! But we must not be exorbitant.

Artaxerxes.-Miss Paton.

This lady, though evidently very unwell, has appeared in the laborious and difficult part of Mandane. She has execution sufficient for the skilful and exquisite songs of the opera, but her voice decidedly wants fullness and physical power. We were in pain for her during her singing of some of the most elaborate songs, and that is a pretty strong proof of her not being really competent to the task. She looked extremely interesting but she gets thinner, we fear. The recitative of this opera, beautiful as it is, is too much.

AS QUINTUS CALABER is not in every body's hands, (for, if presented to the notice of school-masters or college tutors, he would occasion an inflation of the nostril, an elevation of the eye-brow, and a flickering curl of the upper lip, very unfavourable to the chance of his obtaining a hearing) the reader of the LONDON will, perhaps, bear with him a little longer. Be

sides, he has not yet fully had an opportunity of vindicating his epic pretensions in the knowledge of front and back wounds, and those dexterities of martial dissection which are pointed out to the rising generation as among the most surprising merits of Homer, and are understood as conferring on the Iliad a distinction so vastly superior to the tame and unin

and dwell together. Mrs. Simpson is a little green-eyed in her matrimo nial views. Mrs. Bromley is a dashing, handsome, unexceptionable crea ture. Madame La Trappe, a lace dealer (smuggled), catches the two wives at conversation, and unfortunately confesses that she is present ing a bill at Simpson and Co.'s, received from a lady in Harley-street. Mrs. Simpson's eyes immediately be come the colour of peas. She pushes her interrogatories to ascertain that Madame La Trappe had often seen a gentleman (in truth Bromley)-a gentleman below-parading before the Harley-street house. Mrs. Simpson comes down like a forty-pounder on poor Mr. Simpson who is twit ted by that rogue Bromley for his gallantries. Simpson has Bromley's pocket-book to take care of, and leaving it carelessly on the desk, Mrs. Simpson, supposing it to be her husband's, very prudently probes it, to the discovery of a miniature of the lady in Harley-street, of whom Bromley is in truth a follower, under the name of Captain Walsingham. Bromley had written innumerable letters to the lady, a Mrs. Fitzallan, all of which had been returned. At this time, Mrs. Fitzallan is announced, having been an old schoolfellow of Mrs. Bromley. Mrs. Simpson recognizes her likeness, to the vast life of a humourous scene. Bromley is discovered to be a married man, whom, however, Mrs. Fitzallan, in tenderness to his wife, does not expose. Mrs. Simpson learns her mistake, and the piece pleasantly ends, with casting the blame on Capta Walsingham.

The acting is worthy of t construction of the piece. M is mercantile, to the shake of and the correct drag of his Mrs. Glover is portentous in lousy; and Mrs. Davison still, in Mrs. Bromley. Mi as the Lace-si rler, w any wife jealou. We th Cooper, perha, but he is getti vour lately. give us many would, as Joh to praise and without except duction of the d the author or qui

ore in"

COVENT GARDEN. The Pantomime.

The pantomime at this hous in comparison with that at the ot1 what Mathews would call " G the reverse." It is, perhaps, o the most attractive pieces in poi scenery, rapidity, pantomimic-ao* and trick, that ever made Christ merry. Harlequin and the Ogres the Sleeping Beauty of the Wood, its own story. But even we en describe the magic of the scen the exquisite beauty of the com genius-productions of the p and the mechanist; we shall tempt, however, to describe the ing plot, which has, at least merit of being comprehensible.

The first scene is an interi an Egyptian cavern, and the are seen spinning the destiny Sleeping Beauty. They sin spin pleasantly enough; an Ogress, their mistress, comes tended by four little winged and carries away the ball Beauty's life-thread, intend have the end of it fastened finger, which will insure her another hundred years.

The second scene is a wOL dar wood, full of ample folia romantic to the very curl of : A hunting prince appears, a by a whimsical follower, presses by the usual eloquen that he has lost his way. voices strike up alternately side, much to the perplexity Grimaldi, Jun. who scamp voice, till he fairly Suddenly, w pairing of his to one of a ti he fairy Blue L offers the will not only !, but will y in the e fairy

op