TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14956, 1 May 1914, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

A House of History. Concrete lifeless objects can tell the history of a country or a" city as plainly as any words written with pen and ink. London has its history thus related in the Stafford Houso Museum, usually called the London Museum. This littleknown institution, explains tho London correspondent of the "Age." is an entirely separate institution from tho British Museum, its solo object being to offer in a practical form a history of tho city from the earliest times to the present day. Established only three years ago it has now acquired a remarkable collection of curious and valuable objects. There is a Roman war galley, which was dug up out of the Thames mud three years ago, and as a contrast a hansom cab, which, however, scorns to the modern Londoner to belong to a past almost as remote. There is the gateway of Newgate prison and tho door of the condemned cell through which criminals passed on their way to Tyburn tree. There is, too, a fine assemblage of costumes of ovory age and fashion, including the wedding dress of Queen Victoria and tho Coronation robes of English kings and queens. Ono of the most fascinating features of tho Museum is a collection of jewellery belonging to the early part of the 17th century. Jewellery of an earlier date than th© time of Cromwell is extremely rare nowadays, for during tho Puritan regime nearly all jewellery was consigned to tho melting-pot. The history of this collection is rather a mystery. It consists of 150 pieces, including chains, pendants, rings, brooches, communion cups, and other articles, believed by have formed part of the stock-in-trade of a jeweller of tho timo. Tho whole collection was found sixteen months ago when an old houio was being demolished ; it had been buried by tho owner in a wooden box which, save for tho handle, had entirely decayed. Tho

locality of the and most of the particulars concerning tho find have never boon made public, and it was only a month or so ago that tho news of the discovery found its way into tho papers. Stafford House is a building worthy to house these historical treasures of London. This famous mansion belonged to tho Duke of Suthorland, and it is related that on one occasion Queen Victoria, visiting tho Duchess of Sutherland at Stafford Honse, said, in tributo to tho beauty of the ducal home, "I come from my houso to your palace." Stafford Houso was recently purchased by Sir William Lever, who generously presented it to the nation.

"Hamlet" in Malaysia. It would bo interesting to learu Shakespeare's opinion, if only that wero possible, on some of the many curious styles in which his plays are produced in various parts of the world. One would think that that witnessed by an Australian mining expert at a Malay theatre recently must be almost unique in respect of originality of interpretation. It is to bo feared, however, that Shakespeare's comments would be of an absolutely unprintable nature. Tho play was "Hamlet" (the Malays call it "Omlet"). but a "Hamlet," it must bo understood, which had been very much adapted in order to bring it up to Malay requirements. There were, for instance, a number of unusual and piquant innovations., such as a cakewalk performed by Ophelia, the introduction of revolvers, telephones and policemen, and numerous local "hits" and "gags." Tho play-bill gave a foretaste of the delights to be witnessed. It ran: —"Jovial Opera Company, at Town Hall, to-iiiglit. The most, tragical Shakespeare's play Prince Hamlet, will bo staged. Including Cake Walk by Miss Lola. Clowns: Witty and fimart. Actors: Second to none. Actresses: Most charming. Extra turns! Extra turns!" The play itself, according to tho Australian visitor's description which is printed in a .Sydney paper, was on a par with the advertisement.. There were 30 actors advertised, of whom only 20 appeared on the stage. Their faces wero ''whitened with lime instead of rouged, with the exception of one, who looks as if lie had sdirJc hi.". head in a red-lend pot. and the ghost of Hamlet's father, which was partly white and partly red." A piebald ghost must certainly have appeared a novelty! Hamlet was r.ot as bad as his father's spirit, but "somewhat variegated.'" "The. gravedigger was a clown armed with a rifle instead of a ppndc, and on tho appearance of tho ghost he rang up on an imaginary teiophono to tho polico station. In duo course a policeman arrived and arrested tho gravedigger, sinco ho could not find tho ghost, and made tho audience laugh at his endeavours to hud his notebook to take down what tho gravedigger might say, as evidence against him. Hamlet's mother hypnotised her husband, and then killed him by gouging out his eyes." Apparently Hamlet did not approve of Ophelia's cake-walk, for "ho knocked her down several times, when sho was making supplications to him." The Shakespearean critics would probably be sorely puzzled to know what to say about this extraordinary production.