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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 453, 14 February 1867, Page 2

Theatre.—Last-evening (Wednesday), another performance took place in the Masonic Hall. The great French drama of “ Plot and Passion” opened the evening’s amusement. The piece was well played, and elicited throughout the warm applanse of the audience—which, by the way, was very good, notwithstanding the caprice of that mythical individual, the Clferk of the weather. The burlesque of “William Tell" wound up the performances, and “told” well —Mrs. Newton (as Albert Tell) being very much admired, and heartily encored in the song of “ Finigarfs Wake” and the Irish jig. We cannot close this brief notice without mentioning the re-appearance on the stage of an old friend —we refer to Mr. G. L. Seymour, who took the part of the Marquis de Cevennes in Plot and Passion, and did it justice. But if his efforts to please in that part were successful (and of that we have no doubt), they were niuch more so in his performance on the pianoforte during the travestie. Air. Seymour had arranged the music for William Tell some time ago, auclthe success of the burlesque on this occasion was no doubt partly attributable to this gentle* man’s effective playing on the pianoforte.

Mb. and Mrs. Poole!—A rich treat is in store for the good people of Napier. An advertisement appears in another column announcing that Air, and Mrs, Charles Poole will shortly arrive. We shall be very glad to see them, and, what is more hear them too. ’

Concert of Sjched Mrrsrc.— On the evening of Monday last a concert of Sacred Music was given in St Paul’s Church. The. attendance was very large, and the building was nearly filled. The pieces were all’ sang and played in a very effective manner and the performens were loudly applauded’ Before the last piece was BUn g, his Honor Mr Justice Johnston came forward and affer some very appropriate and feeling remarks, read a farewell address presented to P. Barclay, the minister of the church on his leaving Napier. At the conclusion of the address he presented Mr Barclay with a purse containing IfiO sovereigns, whxch had been collected in Napier, for the purchase of a suitable memor al.' Mr Barclay, in replying, Said that tho address and the gift were quite unexpected, and (hat it would give him the greatest pleasure to use the raon ey in the manner which they had indicated. After a few more remarks during which he seemed much affected, he bade f rewell to his congregation and gave them his blessing

The “ Secoitd Beast.”— A new competitor has appeared in the field to dispute with Mr Baxter his interpretation of Revelation. The author of a sma'l book published anonymously contends that the second beast is neither the Romish hierarchy nor Louis Napoleon—that it is not any man, nor indeed any system, but I that it is a power that is to appear on the earth, and that this power is nothing else than modern physical science. Science he says, is the great enemy of revelation and is therefore properly compared to a beast. It is based on the knowledge of matter, and is therefore symbolised as coming up out of the earth. The two twins are the two powers of reason and experimental research, corresponding to the two natures—Divine and human—of the “ Lamb. It speaks as a dragon, because it is subtle and deceptive, like the old serpents. Its great wonders are the modern triumphs of mechanism and ■ chemistry. It maketh fire to come down from Heaven by means of lightning conductors. Its deception is the rationalism produced by science. The speaking of the image of the beast is the modern Press. The restriction of buying and selling to those that have the mark is the dominance of political economy. The number 666 is meant to intimate human tion, which would be represented by a trinity of sevens. The subject is not a suitable one for discussion in our columns, and so we cannot undertake to refute the authors theory. But those who think there is any intrinsic probability in it can j consult the book, which is brief, and which lis not written in the oracular dictatorial and anathematising style assumed by some [of the modern prophets,—Sydney "Morning Herald, 28th dan.