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Evening Star, Issue 3459, 24 March 1874, Page 2

A self-constituted executioner, has set himself up in a new line' of business connected with the ‘ Guardian ’ newspaper —a sort of literary Jack Ketch, whose profession is to whip poor players—so we judge by his sign-board “ Hiafcriomastix. ” We suppose his business must pay, as he has latterly extended it and ventured to lay the lash upon the 4 Evening Star’ on account of the following remark, which he seems not to have understood ~ e . m ber seeing Braham, Mario, Lablache, Grisi, and others of less note at Her Majesty s theatre, and observing that those whose .acquaintance with music, as a science, was the highest, were, as actors, the least effective. This morning, after a flourish of his cat-V----nine-tsils, down comes the stroke thus : -■ Again, $ critic informs me that dramatic ability should not he insisted upon in the case of operatic singers, and cites Mario and Grisi in proof. Out of his own mouth do I desire to condemn him. I can remember a whole audience at Covent Garden “ rising,” as it is called,

/>’at Mario for his superb acting in “LaFaiyonta, ’where he announces allegiance to his itymarch and flings his sword at the foot of the throne. Mario was not then in his best voice, but his dramatic powers carried him through. And who that has “ seen ” Griffs Norma will talk; of her* hot being an actress ? ■ The fitness of this literary executioner for. his office may be judged of; by the.ihanher in which he has jumped at a cotiolundpi. We, never said that either Mario or tirisi could not act, but wa do say neither Lablache nor Brabam were even tolerable actors; while Braham, as a thorough musician, knew more theoretically and practically than the other three put together, and Lablache more than Mario and Grisi. Histriomastix! take counsel : and only whip poor players who cannot answer for ttiemselves, and-have no one-tp defend them.- That*s your work.