TABLE TALK. Mostly About Pictures, People and Plays.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 282, 18 July 1888, Page 6

TABLE TALK. Mostly About Pictures, People and Plays.

Preois. Wiiitsuntidb-Mr Donnellys Reception— Politely Ignored by "Society" — The Cryptogram — What Labby Said — Another Vigorous Speech From tiie G-. O. M.— TnE Duke op Westminster and Mr Parnell— No More Invitations to grrosvenor house— long runs— what is the " City of a Dream?"— Tite Picture ok the Year— Revival of Macbeth at the Lyceum— Ellen Terry as Lady MacbethMrs Bandmann— The New Gaxlery— The ' Private View— Burne-Jones's Pictures

' • London, May 16. Tins weather is so fine and summer-like that wo are all looking forward gleefully io the Whitsuntide holidays, which commence to-mori'Ow. Parliament rises this afternoon, and there will then bo a general exodus, and a lull in the London season of, perhaps, ten days, after which comes the turmoil of Epsom and the inevitable annual conundrum (would I could solve it successfully) — " What will win the Derby ?"' The situation in which Mr Donnelly, of " Baconian Cryptogram " notoriety, finds himself must be galling, to &ay the least of it. He came over here in full anticipation of being par excellence the "lion" of the London season. Boston and New York had alike assured him this would be so. The Shak&perian. Society, if not shaken to its foundations, -was to be deeply moved by and interested in Mr Donnellys discoveries, and savants of all sorts and conditions were to talk the great cryptogram into a burning question. Alas, for poor Ignatius ! London has refused to be bored by the cryptogram Even the Royal Society have gently pooh-poohed it. Mr Donnelly attended thoir conversazione the other evening, willing, nay anxious, to say a few words about his "mission of exposure." Had he been a fine-looking man with a dignified presence, his fate might possibly have been different. As it was, people merely wondered vaguely what on earth " little bald-head " was talking about. The two thick volumes on the cryptogram published la&t week by Sampson Low fell completely Hat. Sotherans, who are the principal vendors of this class of literature, have nob sold a single copy, and many libraries are not even taking the book. The flash of public interest excited by the fuss over the matter in America, and the articles in the " Daily Telegraph," must have died out almost at once— killed, I suppose, by ridicule. Said Lab by to Mr Donnelly, when a mutual friend introduced them, " I believe in the cryptogram." "No?" replied the delighted Ignatius, flattering himself he had secured a powerful ally. '" Yes," continued Labby, 1 ' but I draw altogether different conclusions from it. Give me five minutes, and I'll prove to you by your own arguments that it is far more likely a clever man like Shaksporc wrote that stupendous old humbug Bacon's works, than that Bacon wrote Shaktpere's." Poor Donnelly was speechless. Mr Gladstone made another grctt hit lasL -\\eck. Somehow the G.O.M. is in immense form this session, though he nc\er seemed further from office than he does now. But his own confidence in the future begets confidence in other people. To quote an ardent follower, " It is Gladstone's tine, cock&uie. winning-hand&-down spirit which makes the ' Times ' leader writers writhe in their boots and curse, through miles of clum&y Johnsonese, the impertinent old man who will not die when it suits them. For Mr Gladstone, who could about equal the combined ages of Mr Chamberlain and Lord Hartington,has twenty times their enthusiasm, a hundred times their force, and a thousand timoti i.linh" belief in the righteousness of the cause." Ho knows he is going to win, just a.s they know they are going to lose. And it is this gvand self-confidence that impicscs and rightly impresses the country. We look to our leaders for the note of decision •which clears the moral atmosphere, helps us to plain issues, and generally relieves the strain of the present situation. The Duke of Westminster seems a quiet simple, un offensive gentleman, altogether without the inordinate piide and selfimportance his actions appear to indicate. His Grace's la&t octisc (I really don't know what else to call it) has excited considerable amusement in Gladstonian circles. The Duke was once a profound admirer of the G.0.M. , but when the latter took up -with Parnell and the Irish party he not merely metaphorically but practically fchut the door of Gi-osvenor House in Mr and Mrs Gladstone's faces. It was, however, surely going too far to cut little Bobby Spencer (as Mr llobcrt Spencer is called) for dining with. the Eighty Club when they banquetted Parnell. Mr S., it seems, had been bidden to dinner at Crosvcnor House on a certain date. After the Eighty Club re-union, however, lie received a note from the Duke cancelling the invitatian, and declaring that he could not break bread with nnyone who as&ociated with the Irish leader. " " Dorothy " will be played for the 600 th time at the Prince of Wales Theatre this evening. The hou&e is crowded at every performance, and the piece goes better than ever. " The Old Guard "is well on towards its 250 th night, and " David Garrick " will to-day week reach its 300 th performance. The latter is perhaps the most conspicuous success of all, depending, as it does, entiielyon Charles Wyndham's fine acting in the title r6le. By the way, &ix of the successful plays now holding the London boards are dramatic versions of popular novels, and another, "Mr Barnes of New York," is on the verge of production at the Olympic Theatre, where it was recently played at a matinee as "To the Death." Till Mr Lecky, in his speech at the Royal Academy banquet, referred to Rob'eifc Buchanan s " City of a Dream ' as " a poem destined to take a prominent placo in the literature of our time," very few people had even heard of that great work. On Monday morning there was a general rush to the booksellers' to purchase it, and investigate " the pictures of Greek mythology, worthy lo compare with those with which Sir Frederick Leigh ton has delighted us." At the same time, the question of what is the picture of the year par excellence was settled by the Duke of Cambridge publicly conferring royal approbation on Alma Tadema's wonderful " Roses of Heliogabalus," which I recently described to you. Mr John Aird, the contractor, is the possossor of this chef d'witvre, the price paid being, on dit, 6,000 guineas. Agnew, the dealer, openly stated ho would gladly have given 8,000 guineas for it, and considered his bargain a good one. Mr Irving has, after much consideration, resolved to revive " Macbeth " in September next. Ellen Terry will then, for the first time, essajr Lady Macbeth. Mrs Bandmann -Palmer's matinee performance of "Macbeth" the other day proved a 'success financially, the Olympic being crowded with kind-friends of the beneficiaires, and critics anxious to sco how Willard acquitted himself as the Thane of Cawdor. Mrs Bandmann-Palmer's Lady Macbeth is a comfortable, matronly party, very much of tho CJ greymare,"ahdWillard,asMacbeth,

seemed downright afraid of her. Moreover, blank verse doesn't suit him ; he is more at home in melodrama. Extraordinary interest is being taken in the production of the dramatic version of. Hall Caines " Deemster" at the Princesses to-morrow evening. I tried in rain to secure ,a , reserved seat of some sort, though the house is one of the largest in London. * Report speaks of Wilson Barrett's Dan Mylreai which should certainly bo a great performance if he understands the character thoroughly. The opening of the ''New Gallery," as Messrs Comyns-Carr and Halle have christened a very handsome suite of rooms in Regent-street, has, after all, proved a severe blow toitheGr^qsvenor. The Private View on Tuesday was'thesmartestaf ternooi^ conver&azione of the Reason so f ar-j* and', the/show, as a' show, is far in front-of the Crros\ vcnor, and not far behind the Academy. Burne-Jones's pictures alone would attract all London there. "The Rock of Doom" and "The Doom Fulfilled" are the two best. The former represents an adorably beautifully -made Andromeda chained to the rock on a lonely shore. Perseus having just removed his helmet of darkness has become visible to her, and is on the point of effecting her deliverance. In the " Doom Fulfilled" Perseus, in full armour, is writhing in deadly conflict with the monster imaginatively conceived as a huge serpent. Andromeda, with her back to the spectator, looks on. Watts has also a great picture here, called " The Angel of Death." In idea it is not unlike his " Hope." But, really, there's no use in attempting to de&cribe pictures. One never conveys a right impression. Mr Labouchere is, I am sorry to hear, in very far from good health. Something has gone wrong with his heart, and he ought to keep quiet and do no work of any kind. But of course he won't listen to advice, and keeps his friends sadly nervous.