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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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d these evils , natural philosophers ought themselves to be familiar with aV muchmathematics as to be enabled to apply them to physics ,, instead a 1 aving ¦ ' the app lication :-to simple mathematicians , destitute of true physical lde Smte—whom I have been following almost verbally—adds , that the ices rendered by Mathematics to Physics have been immense . They jfve given to / Physics that admirable precision and perfect co-ordination hich always characterize their employment . But still , he remarks , they W ^ ess app licable to Physics than to Astronomy . In the former , we have , ^ nre or less , to overlook the essential conditions of the problem , and in so l nature of the h
f to alter the actua penomena , in order to permit the use f analysis ; while to ensure correctness and reality in physical studies , it . egsary to have recourse both to experiment and analysis , checking and filing the latter by the formeri without subordinating the one to the other . It will be unnecessary for me , with so much material lying still before e to enter into the reasons assigned by , Comte for the position he gives to Physics in the hierarchy of Science . From what has already been said in previous papers , the reader may easily appreciate them . In my next , I will follow him into the more interesting discussion of the direct action of Physics upon the ensemble of our intellectual system . *
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MADAME DE LA GRANGE . " Another blaze of triumph ! " How many more am I to witness , and , havmg witnessed , to condemn P If my readers have a watchful memory , they will recal numerous examples of works and artists , whose appearances have been hailedwith intense columnar enthusiasm , with jubilant bravos and bouquets , ( so 'that the public might really believe in the " triumphj" ) to all of which . I have been forced to oppose a cold negative , a decided protest , or , at the besf » , but lukewarm and qualified praise . Had not these blazes of triumph been mere rushing rockets , followed by profound darkness ,- —had not these works , and these artists , swiftly disappeared into obscurity or contempt , and so justified my criticism , I should appear to nave adopted the small and easy system of nil admirari , as easy , and less generous , than the other system of ^ discriminating eulogy . ^ r •— _ . A more unpromising dttMt than that of Madame De La Grange at Hee Majesty ' s , on Saturday , I have not seen for some time . It was a " -blaze of triumph ; " but I call upon the reader to watch , the duration ot this fervour . The opera was Imcia . The debtibante created such a " sensation as genius alone could justify . I stand , therefore , in a minority ; but 1 am not the least concerned as to the result . As far as I understand acting , Madame De La Grange is one of the worst actresses on the stage ; as tar as I understand singing , she is the least agreeable prima donna we have . The sentence is severe : let us await the verdict of a few weeks . Her voice is worn , unsympathetic , and , in its high screams ^ painfully resembles the sound of whistling through a key . As a set-off against tins , let me add that her execution is often marvellous , especially in staccato passages , which she accomplished with a precision and delicacy that deserved the applause that saluted them . But , although to deny her great to Hiugmg
skill would be to deny evidence , ± return my position , mum * uur is decidedly not agreeable , because unmusical : for the delicacy and intensity of expression demanded by music , I can accept no substitute m the way offioriture . _ . Ferlotti was the Enrico , Here is another " artist' whom I sternly refused to accept . Does any one accept him nowP Gardoni was the Mdffardo , and , although his physique unfits him for the part , he sang with agreeable expression , and , when not taxed beyond his powers , produced a real effect—a musical effect . al The new Spanish dancer , Pepita Oliva , produced no effect . She appeared ; went through immense displays of crinoline and castagnets ; smiled with determined provocation at the pit : but all to no purpose : her dance ended , the curtain fell , without a sign of approbation or dislike . The other new dancerEegina Forldmade a decided impression : sne is
, , Hcht , buovant . graceful , and . with those ( they are countless ) who are light , buoyant , graceful , and , with those ( they are countless ) who are ecstatic about French dancing , a thing only tolerable by me when the dancer is a Taglioni , a Carlotta , or a Cento , Eegina Forl 6 will be a favourite .
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I PURITAN ! . Mario was not dead , but sleeping , His voice—that sweet and tender voice , so delicate , so voluptuous , —that voice which we all thought had lost its bouquet , made itself felt the other night in JPumtam with all its pnstino beauty , and a crammed audience rejoiced in the discovery , mat was a " blaze of triumph" —that was singing ! . f When I look back through the crowded years , and recal Puritam as 1 hrst heard it , some fifteen years ago , with Giulia Gnei , Kubini , Tamburim , and Lablaohe in the plenitude of their glory , withfrosh voiccb , an adoring public , and an orchestra that did not prevent their being heard , it seems to mo as if the day of opera was irrevocably gone * as if never ugain could four such singers unite to make one opera perfection . Gnsi is atiU Mvtra ; » wfc , wonderful creaturo as sho is , sho is not what she then was-the fiynosuro of beauty—the divinest voice in . "Europe . Mario m this part *™ bo accepted for Rubini . Bonconi , consummate artist , is not oquai to L amburini as a voice , and the character of Mccardo admits of no display ;
while Marini in place of Jupiter Tonans , Lablache the IMJagnificent- — oh ! oh ! On Thursday we were to have had Angiolina Bosio in II Barbi&re ; but " indisposition" unkindly balked our expectations , and Castellan played the part instead . What was the consequence P To a large public admiring Castellan the change mattered little ; but to me , who cannot bring myself to listen to her with more than extremely tranquil pleasure * it was sufficient excuse for staying away . When . Angiolina Bosio plays the part you shall hear from me . Meanwhile I rejoice to hear that Marao redivivus was again the delicious and "fascinating JLlmaviva , and Konconi still the unapproachable Figaro .
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LE PIANO DE BEBTHE . A pretty woman , in a moment of fond confidence , once began this speech to her lover : " Jules , what I love in you is - " " Ah ! " he passionately exclaimed , " Si vous savez quoi , je suis jperdu !—If you know what it is you love in me , the spell is broken !" I do not know a truer mot . Love is a transcendental mystery : to penetrate it would be to dissipate it ; because , to penetrate it would be to remove it from its real sphere of emotion , and to drag it into the sphere of intellect ; before you can know it you must rob it of its infinity , and . reduce it to the proportions of finite intelligence .
Love being a mystery , one has no right to doubt the truth of Berthe ' s affection for the gay , confident , insinuating composer , who intrudes himself upon her ennui , piques her vanity by criticising her singing , breaks her china , will not be bowed out , meets her frown with a smile , kisses the hand that strikes , looks tenderly into the eyes that flash , interests her by Ms misfortunes , makes her tremble beneath the subtle intonations of his voice , flings his impetuous passion at her feet , and finally crowns his life with her love . This is the subject of Le Piano de BeHlw , a proverb produced on Wednesday for the benefit of that promise-keeping , enterprising , pleasure-givine manager , Mr . Mitchell . Berthe was the mask
worn by Eose Cheri ; but it was carelessly worn , and altogether the proverb was not amusing . Had Alfred de Musset taken up this subject he might have made something of it , for the subject is a suggestive one . Some wet morning I may take it in hand myself . Think of that , beloved reader ! A proverb by Vivian ! A dramatic setting forth , of what may be called the" magnetism" of love . Ah ! if I had but the talent requisite for the stage , what a piece I could write ; unfortunately , I only know : what ought to be , and don't know how to do it . Que voulez vous ? One cannot make silk pu rses out of flannel waistcoats , and a dramatist must be born a dramatist . I resign myself . On the same evening we had an old comedy of Scribe s Yelva , chosen bv Eose Cheri for the display of her pantomimic qualities . Dumb , she iooic io ^
has to be eloquent witn ana gesture ; ana etoqueui . » uc , ugu ^ should prefer her speaking . I only saw half of this comedy—superior fascinations having kept me from the stall of duty—and the half I did see was of mediocre interest , although Scribe ' s bright and p leasant dialogue helped it through . Vn Service a Blanchard gave that admirable Numa a good opportunity to display his dry , natural , queer comedy . INuma is an actor who gains immensely on being known .
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T * May I be permitted again to draw attention "to the Comto BubMrntm Kurd P f huvo onl y to acknowledge 2 » . ( id . iVom A . J . H-, and must ahorfcly close tfio Ut .. lor-» >« 4 w . thoao who Intend coStributing will bo kind enough to < lo Bo rnth as httlo delay ae convoniont .
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VAUXHALL . If only for its old historical associations , Vauxhall will not easily fail in attractiveness . Other and younger beauties may pique a wandering attention for a time , but the French truly say , " On revient toujours a ses premiers Wauccals j" and now that ; " Summer has set in with its usual severity , " as Horace Walpole wittily remarked , Vauxhall becomes a necessity . Oh ! what a charming night was that opening night of W ednes ( jay the Derby night—the hal masque night ! A bal masqui is , as you know , of all things the one most congenial with British vivacity and laisser aller ; our gay and unreserved countrymen shine in these exuberances of fantastic animal spirits . There never were such Greeks as our Greeks ; Wapping itself produces no such tars as our tars ; while for the deep genial humour of our clowns , and the airy pleasantry of our dominos , Europe must be ransacked for parallels . Imagine then , this gay and brilliant crowd of motley gathered in the gardens of Vauxhall , the night when the weather was as bright and genial as their spirits , and you may roalizo just such a picture as " our artist" would draw for an illustrated paper . The rain had been steady , persevering , torrential all day , yet it did not increase the brilliancy ; the atmosphere was heavy , damp , and dirty , yet it did not intoxicate the revellers . Nature and England combined thoir dreariness—I leave you to appreciate the product ! But to be serious , although tlio Bal Masqvd was but a damp orgie , the gardens , as a n ightly entertainment , are vory materially improved since last season , and the Jlotunda now having a flooring makes a Ball lloom of immense capacity ; and when the seasonable severity of our capricious climate has passed into mild and balmy nights , these gardens will bo crowded . And for tho suppera Oh ! those suppers ! V I vIAxh
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KOYAL ACADEMY EXHIBITION . IV . CERTAIN HISTORICAL PI 0 TUKE 8 . Intellectual propositions aro precisely the subjects most unfitted for art . Baphacl had approached tho nearest to a shadow of that Bort m his ' School of Athens ; which is , however , rathor an embellishment , a fanciful grouping of traditionary portraits and of modern portraits arbitrarily associated with tho idea , than the pictorial embodiment of a real subioct . For historical painting tho proper aubjoot is one morally impressive ) or physically striking ; and in tho greatest master of dosign we see that soleotion , and also tho most simple and direct mode of treatment . Whethor wo tako tho cartoon of Paul and Barnabas at JLystra , which .
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Ma * # 1852 ^ 1 ^ HE LEADER . 521
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Leader (1850-1860), May 29, 1852, page 521, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1937/page/21/
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