DRAMATIC NOTES.

THE London theatres that are "in Society," that is to say, those whose doings are considered worthy to be chronicled by the critics of the daily journals, amount in number to about a score; and of these every one but the Adelphi, St. James's, and Queen's, is now in full swing. The St. James's and the Queen's are unlucky establishments, but it is probable that one or both of them will be opened before Christmas. As to the Adelphi, the fact of its being shut up, is perhaps the most astonishing circumstance we have to record; and it is a proof that melodrama, of which it was the constant provider, finds no place just now in the affections of playgoers. Every dog has his day, and the Adelphi, which for more years than we can count, was the favourite resort of town and country mice, is now deserted, for the smaller houses in the Strand and the Alhambra. Much as the conscientious critic might mourn over the plays and players of late presented at the Adelphi, the profound depth of vulgarity and dullness arrived at at the Alhambra, was never reached by the older theatre. The version of La Belle Hélène provided for the Alhambra by Mr. Burnand, is inconceivably, unspeakably dull; the manners and gestures of the actors are intolerably vulgar; the unhappy spectator finds himself alternately a prey to sleepiness and irritation, and the one acting on the other, a state of mind is produced unfavourable to calm criticism.

It would naturally be imagined that, as so many theatres are open, there would be fine opportunities for writers of plays. But an examination of the programmes will show that living dramatists are represented at very few theatres, and new ones nowhere at all. There is such a constant change of performances that we do not pretend to speak of what is going on in the last few days of October. But take a theatrical paper of Sunday last (they are all published on Sunday, to provide a fitting entertainment for the morning), and it will be found that the works of deceased dramatists, from Shakspeare to Robertson, are being given at Drury Lane (Antony and Cleopatra), the Lyceum (Richelieu), the Vaudeville (School for Scandal), the Royalty (Honeymoon), and the Prince of Wales (School). Mr. Charles Mathews and Mr. J. S. Clarke are appearing in old plays with which they are identified. Of living dramatists, Mr. Tom Taylor is represented by two revivals, Still Waters Run Deep and 'Twixt Axe and Crown, and by one new play, Arkwright's Wife; Mr. Byron by Old Soldiers, and a new play, Sour Grapes; Mr. Gilbert (if he is the author disguised under the name of Tomline) by the Happy Land, and a new farce, the Realms of Joy; and Messrs. Palgrave Simpson and Herman Merivale by a new play,-Alone.

It will be seen, by the reader who has had the patience to wade through the foregoing list, that the new plays of the month are only three in number. Mr. Byron's Sour Grapes, which was produced on the first night of Mr. Neville's management of the Olympic, is new and original only in its title, and the names of the dramatis persona. The plot is ridiculous, and is, as usual with Mr. Byron, a stringing together of incidents and situations that have become well worn in the service of stage writers. It would be difficult to name a play of Mr. Byron's in which somebody did not listen from behind window curtains, or a long lost individual turn up, either personally or by report, to loose the knot into which the characters had managed to tie themselves. It is probable that Mr. Byron thinks that he can always clothe the bones of his old models with sufficiently new and fresh clothing to please friendly audiences; and all audiences are friendly to Mr. Byron. He therefore pays scant attention to his plot, and fills up the acts with a never-ending stream of dialogue--now witty, now sententious-which is spoken by personages who have no connection with the story. Mr. Byron may urge in defence, that he is following the example of Sheridan and the older comedy writers; but those dramatists put their good things into the mouths of their principal characters, whilst Mr. Byron has two sets of puppets in Sour Grapes and others of his plays, the one set to carry on the the plot, the other to say rude things to one another, whilst the first is taking necessary rest at the wings. Each of his acts commences with a talkee-talkee, which is carried on for a quarter of an hour, by subordinate characters. These then retire, and the real actors of the story are allowed to develope the plot for ten minutes. After that a time-honoured situation is introduced, for the purpose of concluding the act with éclat, and when all this has been carried on for about two hours, Mr. Byron brings in his long lost one, and the play is at an end. There is a passion for the moment, not only with Mr. Byron, but with most of his contemporaries, to subordinate plot to dialogue. This may, perhaps, be derived from a too close study of the French stage, where, to the delight of English critics, portentously long dialogues are carried on with a ceaseless flow, that does credit to the memory of the actors. But we doubt whether English audiences will long be content with this wearisome "yarning," for it is not Englishlike, nor even natural, any more than it is for a man to dine off sauces. We are aware that many persons like, or affect to like, curry, garlic, and other nasty things better than the substantial food they are intended to add a zest to; but these are possessed of vitiated tastes, and are luckily unable to impose their fancied predilections on the community at large. Mr. Byron, in Sour Grapes, and Messrs. Simpson and Merivale, in Alone, are as a host who would offer to his guests a slice of mutton in a basin of onion sauce. We ought perhaps to apologise for naming so objectionable a vegetable, but there is a rudeness, and aggressiveness, and strong flavour about the cut and thrust dialogue in both plays that makes a

comparison between it and the onion not out of place. The joint authors of Alone indeed are more erring than Mr. Byron, for they have only one incident to offer us in three acts of badinage and repartee. Nothing can be more pitiable than the character of Mr. Strawless, in Alone. This gentleman, who is badly named, for he is a thorough man of straw, is set up as a target for the other persons of the play to fire their good things at. Whenever a lady or gentleman feels that she or he has something very funny or rude to say, Mr. Strawless is brought in to serve as a mark. As he is never allowed to retort, the impersonator of the character can only make a deprecatory gesture or movement of his eyebrows, which ought to be a direct appeal to the sympathy of the audience. Another odd point about Alone is, that the villain to whom all the troubles of the play are due is not personally introduced, but merely mentioned. It may be that the manageress of the Court did not wish to spoil the light and pleasant atmosphere of her theatre by the presence of a villain on the stage. In any case, the villain-who in this case is a lady-does not appear, but sends a confession of her crime to be read. We need scarcely say that the unhappy Mr. Strawless has to perform the thankless task of reading this confession to the audience, and the comicality of the incident is heightened by the fact that the villain is his own wife. It will be gathered from these remarks that the character of Mr. Strawless is by no means a nice one for an actor to play, and we have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Clifford Cooper played it admirably. Indeed, the acting is very good all round, and the pretty archness or arch prettiness (both expressions being apposite) of Miss Litton would save from failure many a worse play than Alone.

Arkwright's Wife is to our mind not only the best play of the month, but the best that has been produced in London for some time. This opinion may appear strange to those who watch theatrical programmes, and note with what difficulty Arkwright's Wife holds its place at the Globe theatre. In fact, it retains its place by the aid of the second play of the evening, which exhibits Mr. Montague, and it may soon disappear altogether. If our judgment of the play is correct, the failure of Arkwright's Wife might be considered a slur on the taste of playgoers; but it must be remembered that the Globe is not a popular theatre, depending more on the patronage of stalls and boxes; and that Mr. Emery, excellent though he is, is not a fashionable actor. The first two acts of Arkwright's Wife are admirably constructed, and the dialogue is neither too abundant nor wanting in ability. The story, as our readers may be aware, relates how the father of the wife of Arkwright, suspecting that Arkwright has stolen the idea of his cotton spinning machine from himself, and being thereby mad from resentment, works upon the wife's jealousy, and induces her to destroy the model, just as Arkwright has succeeded in making it known. This situation, which closes the second act, is led up to so cleverly as to bring on that now seldom-felt thrill in the breast which every true playgoer has experienced, as-knowing what is coming, impatient for it to come, and yet sorry for the hero-he sits in a tremor of expectation. The third act is not so good; for, in deference to popular tastes, the author makes the old man, who is grand in his stubborn though unjust resentment, reconcile himself weakly to Arkwright. In thus praising this play we cannot be accused of partiality, for the author is Mr. Tom Taylor, of whom we have had frequently to complain, and to whom has occasionally been imputed the same line of action as that charged against Arkwright in the play by his wife's father. It may be noticed that since the play was first acted in the country, and announced for London representation, the name of Mr. John Saunders has been added to that of Mr. Tom Taylor, as joint author. It cannot be denied however that Mr. Taylor adorns what he touches, and we repeat that, for excellence of construction, and for close compactness of dialogue, the first two acts of Arkwright's Wife are better than any new play of the year.

We have left ourselves little space to discourse on general matters. The success of the Happy Land has, as we predicted, turned the attention of managers and authors, who are nothing if not imitative, to the composition and production of political squibs. Kissi-Kissi followed the Happy Land, and then the author, or part authors, of the last conceived the idea of the Realms of Joy. There is a French farce, Le Roi Candaule, of which the scene is laid in the lobby of a theatre. The plot turns, amongst other things, on the adventures of two husbands who have, unknown to each other, brought each other's wives to see a questionable play. The Realms of Joy is an adaptation of this farce, and the play supposed to be seen is the Happy Land: but the idea of any man forbidding his wife to see a political burlesque, or of any wife having a desire to see it, is too monstrous to be funny. The fun of the thing on the first night was the "sell" perpetrated on the audience at the Royalty. Now, the first play of the evening was the Honeymoon, which was good; but as everybody came to see the Realms of Joy, incited thereto by dark managerial hints of official hostility, the Honeymoon was not listened to. At half past ten, amidst long pent-up excitement, the curtain went up for the Realms of Joy, and it was found to be-what it is; not funny, not political, but an indirect advertisement of the Happy Land. The latest production in this line is Richelieu Redressed, at the Olympic, but the early publication of these Papers has prevented us from seeing it. Opera-bouffe has not yet quite lost its popularity. La Fille de Madame Angot has been produced in English, at the Philharmonic Theatre, but as there is a good deal more said than sung in the dialogue, and as one does not go all the way to Islington to see weak farce, acted by secondrate performers, the entertainment is slightly disappointing.

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

The Westminster Papers.

1st DECEMBER 1873.

THE CHESS WORLD.

"The whisperings of our petty burgh."

A THIRD match between Messrs. Bird and Wisker was commenced during the past month, and is now drawing to a conclusion. Originally intended to be a match for the winning of seven games, the players afterwards extended the conditions to ten, and the score, as we go to press is,—Mr. Wisker eight, and Mr. Bird seven and three draws. Both gentlemen express the opinion that the games in this match have been played with greater care and "steadiness" than those in either of the other two, and their judgment will, we think, be confirmed by a perusal of our selection from the games played, which appear in another part of this number.

The Congress of East Anglian Chess-players, as announced in our last number, was opened at the Town Hall, Ipswich, on the 5th ultimo, the Mayor presiding. It is not now so difficult a matter to organise these gatherings in country towns as it was only a few years ago. We have a lively recollection of being concerned in one, wherein it was thought necessary to ask every man to bring with him all the paraphernalia of the game, if he was possessed thereof, and those unhappy persons who were not so furnished scoured the neighbourhood, beseeching bewildered householders, who knew not of Chess or Chess Tournaments, to lend, for the occasion, the loo tables upon which the sixty-four squares were so uselessly and wastefully depicted. Now a-days however any number of boards and pieces can be hired, and the advantage of the system-for which we are indebted to Mr. Morgan, of 67 Barbican--was made signally apparent in the goodly show of highly polished Chess boards and Staunton pieces ranged along the splendid room in the Town Hall set apart by the Mayor of Ipswich for the Congress. The meeting was a most successful one in all respects, no fewer than thirty players having entered the competition, and most of the matches having been brought to a conclusion within the assigned limits of the Tourney. The players were divided into three classes, and four prizes were contended for in each. In the first class, the first prize of £15 was gained by Mr. Pindar, with a score of 5; the second and third prizes have yet to be decided, between Messrs. Gocher and De Soyres, who each scored 5; and the fourth prize fell to Mr. Vulliamy, with a score of 3 The other competitors, and scores in this class, were Messrs. Crooke (3), Gossip and Caske (2), and Cobbold (1).

The Essex Herald speaks in the highest terms of praise of Mr. Blackburne's blindfold performance against eight adversaries simultaneously. He won six games, and drew two.

A handicap tournament has just been arranged amongst the members of the Bath Chess Club. The prize is a silver cup, presented for competition by W. C. Steward, Esq. of Whitehaven, a friend of the President, and sixteen players have entered the lists, including the chief amateurs of the game in Bath.

"Cæcilius," in the St. James's Chronicle of the Sth ult., reproduced Mr. Belden's balloon problem, from our last number, in his "Adversaria."

We learn, from the Glasgow Herald, that a handicap tourney, open to all comers, will be commenced at the rooms of the Glasgow Chess Club, on the 6th instant. As we go to press, information has reached us that Sheriff Bell, so long and favourably known in connection with the game in Glasgow, died on the 24th ult. The annual meeting of the Nottingham Chess Club was held on the 14th ult., over 100 members and visitors being present on the occasion. The following account of the meeting is taken from the Chess column of the Nottingham Daily Express :

The proceedings were opened at six o'clock by Mr. Blackburne encountering all comers over the boards, 16 of which were suitably arranged in the Lecture Hall. These 16 boards were constantly engaged, for as soon as one of the combatants succumbed, he was replaced by one of those anxiously waiting to break a lance with the celebrated master of the game. Twenty-seven games were thus played, of which three only were scored against him, being won by Messrs. Hamel, Marriott, and Mellor, after which about 60 of the members adjourned for supper. We are much gratified to state that in this instance the chair was occupied by the Mayor (Mr. Howitt), ably supported by the ex-Mayor, the president (Mr. Hamel), and the vice-president (Mr. Thomas Worth). After the usual loyal toasts, Mr. Hamel, in a complimentary speech, brought out the health of Mr. Blackburne, whom he considered as best entitled to claim the honour of the British champion, on account of the great skill and ability he displayed in winning the first ten matches against all the most celebrated masters Europe could produce at the Vienna Congress. In responding to this toast, which was drank with enthusiasm, Mr. Blackburne declined to accept the honour, as the cup for the championship was held by Mr. Wisker, and modestly ascribed his successes to the fact of the time limit (20 moves an hour), which enabled him, through the rapidity of his combinations, to gain the advantage over his antagonists, who were not so well accustomed to quick play. Owing to our limited space, we cannot enter further on the speeches, which were all appropriate to the occasion, but only mention the toast brought out by the vice-president, "The Visitors," coupled with the name of Mr. Thompson, of Derby,

who responded. Mr. Thomas Hill proposed, in praiseworthy terms, the health of the president, who, in acknowledging the same, gave thanks to the Mayor for kindly presiding. This toast having been received with acclamation, and suitably responded to, in a short but effective speech, the proceedings soon after terminated. On Saturday Mr. Blackburne gave an exhibition of blindfold play.

Mr. Blackburne's blindfold peformance was on this, as on previous occasions, an unqualified success. Against ten opponents he won six games, drew three, and lost but one, after a contest of over eight hours. He came, he did not see, but he conquered.

BLACK.

A correspondent of Land and Water, advocating dual attacks in the solutions of problems, says our acuteness reminds him of the egg of Columbus. We distinctly refuse to believe that our "acuteness" is responsible for so stale a simile. The thought was a natural one in his case, and needed no suggestion from without, for Columbus' problem, like those his disciple defends, can be solved at either end. It is also possible that this writer's recollections of eggs have been derived from another "parlour pastime," the tuition of elderly relatives in the art of sucking them. We have no objection to urge against an extension of his practise to elderly editors, but we venture to think that he has a great deal to learn before he will be qualified to teach the world any thing else. It is worthy of note that our contemporary no longer classes that correspondence under the head of INTELLIGENCE.

"This was the most unkindest cut of all."

We remind our readers that Messrs. W. T. and J. Pierce's Collection of Problems will be published in the course of the present month, and that all who are desirous of subscribing should send their names and addresses to Mr. J. Pierce, Copthill House, Bedford, without delay. The fine problem in the margin is taken from the forthcoming work.

WHITE.

The first number of a new magazine, called the Norvicensian, appeared in November. It is intended to be the special organ of King Edward's School at Norwich, and a record of such events as may happen in that "little School-world." Each number will contain a Chess article, edited by Mr. C. W. M. Dale, who, although yet a mere youth, has already distinguished himself in the Chess arena. The first number contains a problem by Mr. Abbott, and one by the Editor. The little magazine is beautifully printed, on toned paper, and in appearance and contents reflects the highest credit upon the taste and ability of the school authorities and the contributors.

The Deutsche Schachzeitung, for October, contains the first of a series of articles on the problems competing in the British Chess Association Tourney, by Herr Von Schwede. Every competitor should read the able critique of these problems now appearing in the Schachzeitung and La Strategie.

The Chess Record, for November, is issued in connection with the Philadelphia Intelligencer. It is not the less welcome on that score, the contents of the current number being of the usual interesting character. Mr. Ernest Morphy's logic of Chess Openings is continued, and Miron Hazeltine's (New York Clipper) Chess Scrap Book is brought down to volume 10.

Mr. B. M. Neill, a problem composer of known merit, has commenced a weekly Chess column in the Danbury News.