Our London Letter

Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2406, 6 December 1877, Page 2

Our London Letter

(jf .literary, social, x hjsal kluab, axd Sporting News. LONDON, October 15. DEGRADED TONE OF SOCIETY. THE morale of our town mobs now-a-days appears to be about as bad as possible. The convicts, Benson and JKurr, men who boast of having been guilty of nearly every known crime except murder, are daily greeted with uproarious cheers by the intelligent crowd outside Bow-street. There are also loud rejoicings over the reprieve of those monsters, the Penge murderers, and we are told that the people would have attempted to rescue them if they had not been let off. Again, yesterday, Mr Bignell, the proprietor of that den of iniquity, the Argyll llooms, after receiving a renewal of his license from a full bench of Middlesex magistrates, " retired from the Court amidst congratulatory applause." Truly this is a nice state of things, and speaks volumes for our nineteenth century and civilisation. LITERARY ITEMS. Mr Archibald Forbes, the representative of the " Daily News," and the best of the war correspondents, has been obliged to return home in consequence of having been prostrated by the fever which is so prevalent amongst the Russit-ns. His letters have always been graphic, vigorous, and reliable, and will be greatly missed. He is now in Scotland recruiting. Mr Delane is retiring from the editorship of the " Times." He will be succeeded by Mr Chenery, who has been for many years on the staff._ Some sensation has been caused in literary circles by a very -scurrilous attack on the " World," which appeared in the " Contemporary Review," and is supposed to have emanated from Mr Robert Buchanan, the poet. As Mr Yates, the editor of the " World, " was the first man to help Mr Buchaaan on in life, and absolutely saved him from starvation on one occasion, the conduct of the latter in attacking _ him personally without cause or quarrel is inexcusable. THE THEATRES. During, the last month an unusual number of new pieces l^ve been produced at the London theatres. At Drury Lane we have a spectacular drama entitled "England," by W. G. Willis, which is founded on the •' Peveril of the Peak." It is not very highly spoken of. The Court Theatre opened with* a posthumous play called the " House of Darnley," four acts of which were written by the late Lord Lytton, and a fifth by Mr Coghlan, author of "Lady Flora." The piece is magnificently put on the stage, and though scarcely worthy of the author of the " Lady of Lyons," will nevertheless draw good houses for a long time to come. The chief characters are pleasantly performed by Mr Kelly, Miss Ellen Terry, and Mr Hall. Mr W. S. Gilbert, whose comedy of " Pygmalion and Galatea" will be known to Aucklanders, has written a funny three-act farce tor the Haymarket called "Engaged." The scene of the piece is on the borderland between England and Scotland, and the complications turn on the Scotch carriage laws. Mr George Honey plays the principal part with great unction. For the Olympic Theatre Mr Wilkie Collins has adapted his novel of the '"Moonstone." People who have read the book do.not think much of the play, but, like all the other pieces I have mentioned, it will reach the colonies soon, and you will be able to form an opinion on it for yourselves.