... . IT is impossible to do justice to this interesting book-- every article in which is worthy of special notice-- in the space at our disposal; but there is little in it to provoke criticism and much that deserves praise, and the latter is more susceptible of compression than the former. Mr. Elliot is to be congratulated on the successful accom plishment of what must have been though evidently ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. BECKET. I SUPPOSE that I should bo committed for contempt forthwith were I to suggest that Becket, as wo have it at the Lyceum, is less a tragedy than a very mild melodrama. Still, I must venture to think that were we ignorant of Tennyson's share in it we should be disposed to regard it as the effort of some beginner in dramatic poetry deriving his inspiration from the ...

... . A very neat little plot is that devised by the collaborators who write as Richard-Henry for their new one-act piece now presented before The Bungalow at Toole's. This piece, which is called Adoption, is not exactly a farce and not exactly a burlesque, but may perhaps be most accurately classified as a comic domestic drama of the old-fashioned school enlivened by the humour of modern ...

... . AS usual, the subjects of sport aud drama have not appealed in any large number to the hanging committee, for we must assume that pictures on these most effective themes have been numerously painted. There is, indeed, a wonderful hunting picture, Casualties in the Hunting Field (1,004), surely one of the most wonderful ever seen! Mr. Sidney Cooper's age does not excuse him for sending this ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. ESTHER SANDRAZ. MRS. LANGTRY'S performance in the part of the heroine goes for everything in Esther Sandraz; and, indeed, so it ought to, for there is literally little except the leading character in the piece. I am not aware how far Mr. Grundy was master of the matter and manner of his adaptation. But, at all events, he has given the actress-manageress enough to say and ...

... . fillip would speedily effect a change. CONCERTS of any importance are still few and far between, and Mr. Arthur Chappell's Popular Concerts practically hold the field. On Monday night they were honoured with the presence of the Princess of Wales, who was attended by Lady de Grey and Miss Knollys. It would be well if a little more Royal patronage were possible for these Monday Pops, as the ...

... OUR CAPTIOUS CRITIC. PETER THE GREAT. HISTORY is only made to be falsified-- although it would not be well that every one should know it; for why should folk worry themselves about Fame-- which the first-coming literary aspirant is licensed to knock into a cocked hat? Mr. Laurence Irving is, I am sure, a most deserving young man; and when he has lived a little longer in the world will, I ...

... TI1E WOODLANDS HALL STUD. Oub engraving, illustrative of what we believe is theNorthern- most breeding stud in England, contains portraits of its sultans, as represented by Macgregor, Olaremont, and Argyle, all horses of some oharacter on the turf. We shall not readily forget Johnny Daley's coming with Macgregor out of the Abing don Mile bottom, on the Two Thousand Guineas day, when he made ...

... . We give pictures from this show, of which we gave par ticulars in our last. There was scarcely a class in which a worthy subject for illustration might not have been found. Our artist has been compelled to restrict himself to the following 1. Mr. W. J. Crip's Italian greyhound, Fly II. 2. Miss Violet Cameron's King Charles spaniel, Conrad; 3. Mrs. E. M. Monck's Yorkshire terrier, Silk 4. Dr. ...

... . IT is not very probable that Mr. Carton, in occupying the Folly Theatre during the absence of Mr. Toole, really expected to succeed in an undertaking which that well known and popu lar lessee had proved himself unwilling to attempt. Mr. Carton, that is to say, did not open the Folly for the month of August with money-making as his chief object. He was most likely anxious, and that most ...

... Billiard Match for £1,000 A match, 3,000 up. for £300 a -side, took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, between William Cook and William Mitchell, on one of Cox and Yeman's ordi nary tables. Mitchell, who was in fine form, was, on the con clusion of the first evening's play, at 1,300 to Cook's 770-- the game, according to the conditions, being suspended when the half total had been reached. At the ...

... . Pictures of this exhibition and full description will appear in our next. ...