TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8482, 13 May 1893, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Thb English papers are full Players at of a performance of "Becket" Court. given by Mr Henry Irving and his company at Windsor Castle "by command of her most Gracious Majesty." It took place on Saturday night, March 18th, in the Waterloo Chamber, which had been fitted up with a stage for the occasion. It is seldom, we imagine, that Mr Irving has performed before bo small an audience, seeing that those present only numbered two hundred all told. What it lacked in numbers, however, it fully made up in distinction. In the front row of the stalls were nine chairs with gilded frames and upholstered in red and gold satiu. In the middle chair, which was a little larger than the others, sat tho Queen. In front of her, and a little to the right, was a small round table upon which she leaned at times. Upon her left sat the Prince of Wales, upon her right the Empress Frederick. The other chairs iv the front row were occupied by the Princess Louise, the Princess Beatrice, Prince Henry of Battenburg, Prince Christian, and Lord Lome. In the gallery were about a hundred servants. The scenery was an exact representation, in miniature, of that used at the Lyceum. There had been most careful rehearsals on the stage of the latter, a portion of it having been marked off to the exact size of that upon which they were to play. As one of the actors remarked, " every tiling for Windsor had to be done in miniature, and whereas on our native heath we had to take three strides, in the Waterloo chamber one and a half sufficed." A final rehearsal took place on the Windsor stage on the morning of the performance, and the latter seems to have been a really magnificent representation.

The company arrived at How they Windsor at noon. There were were omnibuses and carriages Treated. waiting for them at the

station, and on arrival at the Castle they found their dressing-rooms in perfect order, aud every provision made for their comfort. " What impressed us most about the place itself," says the actor from whom we have already quoted, " was the stamp of age that clung about it. We looked at the splendid rooms, and marked the perfection of every arrangement, and over us crept a realisation of the meaning of it all. This, we agree 1, was tho work not of one century, but of many. Even the servants had acquired a proper aspect, and a tone befitting the majesty and dignity of a Royal Palace. A nameless and not to be expressed savour of age and endurance characterised them. Conservatism crystallised is what we called it." At 4.30 the players dined in the Zuccarelli and Vandyke rooms. Tea was served at 7 p.m., and at 9 the performance began. It concluded at a few minutes before midnight, so as not to intrude upon Sunday. The Queen, at the conclusion, graciously sent for Mr Irving, Misa Terry, Miss Genevieve Ward, and Mr Terriss, in order to thank them for the performance. Mr Howe, a veteran member of the company, had performed at Windsor before the Queen and the Prince Consort, shortly after their marriage, and the Queen sent a special messenger to him after the "Becket" performance, with her Majesty's birthday book and % request for Mr Howe's signature. A sumptuous supper was served at 12.30 a.m. The cast were entertained at one banquet, the "supers" at another, and the scene shifters and other work people at a third. Lord and Lady Tennyson and some of the ladies and gentlemen of the Courc joined the players in the banqueting room, and they were royally entertained. Mr Irving made a speech, and they drank toasts. "It was curious to notice," says one of the party, "how the solemnity of our environments affected us. At first we were very quiet, but after the Queen's health had been pledged, at the instigation of one bolder than the rest, a lusty cheer was raised and repeated again and again until the magnificent old room echoed with acclaim." By this time, we are afraid, they had forgotten it was Sunday morning. However, they could not have lingered very long over the repast, as by two o'clock they were once more at Paddington station. It may be interesting to add that £200 is what is allowed by the Court for such a performance. It must have cost Mr Irvinsc over a thousand, but no doubt he considers himself amply repaid by the honour, to say nothing of the advertisement.

The other day a deputation waited on- Sir George Dibbs to ask him to bring in a Bill to tax dairy cattle to raise money for developing the export of butter. They were introduced by a Mr Fuller, M.P., who speedily found himself in the position of being jumped upon and flattened out by the Prime Minister, who was in a highly belligerent mood. Sir George wanted to know if Mr Fuller himself was in favour of such a Bill as that asked for, to which that gentleman discreetly replied that he couldn't say; he should-like to consider it, and so forth. To this the Premier pertinently rejoined, "Do you think that I should be equal to giving an answer to the deputation at once, when you, representing these gentlemen, have not been able to form an opinion?" Mr Fuller was sure the deputation didn't want to hurry Sir George, but Sir George was not to be put off in that way. " I know," he said, shaking his finger at Mr Fuller, " You are prepared to vote against mc to* morrow ii I bring this Bill in, and I am not going to be trapped." Sir George having been good enough to express his opinion that Mr Fuller was " not a fool by a long way," again desired to know what hia views on the butter question really were, to which Mr Fuller agaiu replied that he didn't think he should say. " Then all I can say i»t n retorted the angry Premier, " just you walk out of the room, and I'll deal with these gentlemen alone. You have no views of your own, and I don't want yon here." Thereupon Mr Fuller beat a judicious re* treat, thanking the Premier with bitter irony for his " kind reception" as he retired. "This shows you," remarked the now triumphant Sir George to the deputation — " this shows yon to what party politics are reduced. He afraid to give his opinion because he has not consulted the party, and is afraid to give expression to his views. These gentlemen make party politics even in butter." Sir George Dibbs does not believe in politics in butter; judging by the tone of his remarks to Mr Fuller he does not even believe in butter in politics. If all legislators without any decided views are to be asked to "walk out," however, many gentlemen will find it distinctly embarrassing. If they are compelled to walk out

Party Politics in Butter.

of tho House there will bo a good m&tiy empty benches.

A Romance Thb tongues of English 11 of the society gossips have b«eg 1 Peerage. set wagging over a mar. § riage and birth notice whioh appeared in I tiie leading London papers the other day; 1 They were as under :~- 1 "On the 25th February, 1888, Bertram 1 Earl of Asbburnham, to Emily, daughter rf 1 the lata R. Chaplin, Esq." , * w< * 1 "On the 3rd January, 1890, the Countess I of Ashburnham, of a daughter (Lady M_m» Catherine Charlotte)." ' w ' j What gave rise to comment was the W tbat until these announcements appeared ' everybody believed Lord Ashburnham to be a bachelor, and he is so described in ths latest issue of the " Peerage." His lordshin I is fifty-two years old, and therefore not of &q i age likely to make a runaway match which he would desire to keep secret from hia friends. Nor is it a case of a misalliance since the lady is statod to bo of good poii! tion, and quite in socioty. Why, thon, all the mystery? This is precisely what'ihe gossips have not yet been able to find out It may be of interest to add that Lord Ashburnham, who belongs to an old Catholio family, is a descendant of John Aihbut_. bam, who was the friend of Charles I, and actually has iv his possession the blood, stained shirt in which tho " martyred king" was executed.