Science, Art, And The Drama.

Science , Art , and the Drama .

SEDAN CHAIRS . ( Continued . ) Chairs made their first appearance in Paris about the same time that kineham ' s unpopular use of one had attracted public attention in T don but the French were some years in advance of us in supplying hVs for public hire . A small association , or company , as we should- now n it was formed in Paris in 1617 , which obtained the sole right of supply-• chaises a porteurs on hire in all the cities of the French kingdom .

'" rnilar parents were obtained later by other individuals , and , in the time f Louis XIV ., chairs were extremely fashionable , and were often most 1 xuriously up holstered . The palmy days of the sedan chair in England re the earlier decades of the 18 th century . In 1710 there were 200 iTckney chairs in London , and the number remained much the same until the reign of George III . Besides these public chairs there were very many and elaboratelcarved and

hich belonged to private owners , were y | uriously fitted . In Dublin sedan chairs were taxed for the benefit of one oTthe hospitals ; and from registers still extant it appears that in 1787 there , ere no fewer than 257 private chairs , owned by wealthy people , from dukes down to rich commoners , in the Irish capital . The tax in 1798 broug ht the fortunate Dublin hospital as much as £ 54 . 7 . The Iiierature of the century especially that of its earlier half , is full of references to the

, hackney chairs and the chairmen , who seem to have been rather a disreputable class of men . Gay , in his most interesting poem on the " Art of Walking the Streets of London , " speaks of their crowding the doors of taverns , and warns passengers against some of the dangers of chairtravelling . " When the sudden gale The drunken chairman in the kennels spurns ,

The glasses shatters , and his charge o'erturns . In those days the footpath was - only distinguished from the roadway by a line of posts , which afforded some slight protection to pedestrians , and chair-men had no right to pass within the posts . Gay warns his readers against the rudeness of these men" Let not the chairman with assuming stride , Press near the wall , and rudely thrust thy side ;

The laws have set him bounds ; his servile feet Should ne'er encroach where posts defend the street . " Many years later , when Jonas Hanway courageously set the example of carrying an unfurled umbrella in the streets of London , the chair-meri , who , like the worshippers of Diana at Ephesus , saw their craft in danger , were among the loudest and most daring of those who vainly tried to intimidate

the bold innovator by jeers and sarcasms , and even threats . As the iSth century neared its end , the number of chairs began to decrease , while the number of hackney coaches was largely increased . The use of Sedan chairs , however , died hard . In many country towns they remained in use until a period well within the memory of men still comparatively young . In Peterborough , for instance , they were used down to at least 1 S 60 ; and 10

years later one solitary survivor might have been seen in Exeter . At Newcastle one was still extant in 1 S 85 , and at Bury St . Edmunds in 1890 . Sir Walter Scott , in his " Diary , " mentions using a Sedan chair in February , 1 S 31 ; and about the same time Lady Salisbury , who died four years later at the age of 85 , was in the habit of going to evening parties and other assemblies in her old-fashioned chair . Sedan chairs were still in common

use in Bath in the early years of the last century , and extremely useful and convenient they were for invalids . The chair could be entered in the ball of the hirer's own home , and being borne to its destination , was carried right into the house , where the hall doors being shut , the chair could be opened , and its occupant step forth into as genial an atmosphere as he or she had left . With carriages , or bath-chairs , invalids were always

endangered by the exposed transit between the door of the carriage and the house door . Some six or seven years ago , there were rumours of a possible revival of the old chairs at Bith . In some places abroad they are still in use . Mention is made of such conveyances at Genoa in 1882 ; in 1888 the Archbishop of Seville was carried forth in one . In the streets of Bahia , in

Brazil , sedan chairs borne by stalwart negroes may be seen in use at the present day . A few years ago , it was said that some speculator was having chairs of the old type built in London , with a view to an attempted revival of b y-gone fashion j but they have not yet made their appearance in the streets of the Metropolis , and it is tolerably safe to prophecy that if they do appear , their renewed term of existence will be extremely short .

Painters And Other Artists In The Reign Of James I.

PAINTERS AND OTHER ARTISTS IN THE REIGN OF JAMES I .

( Continued . ) The first painter who seems to have arrived after the accession of James was Paul Vansomer , 1576 —1621 . He was a native of Antwerp . The accounts of him are extremely deficient , no author of the lives of painters mentioning him but Carl Vermander , who only says that Vansomer was living when he wroteand then resided with his brother Bernard at

Amster-, dam . Yet Vansomer , as a painter of portraits , was a very able master . 1 ' ne picture of the Lord Chamberlain , William , Earl of Pembroke , half ' engtn , at St . James ' s , is an admirable portrait , and a whole length at Chatsworth , of the first Earl of Devonshire , in his robes , though ascribed to Mytens , there is no doubt was painted by the same hand . Mytens was much colder in his colouring and stiff in his drawing . Mytens , however ,

"improved so much in his later portraits , that this character must be read with 2 Howances , and on study ing moreof his works . I n general the portraits by Van - sorner and Mytens , when at wholelength , may be thusdistinguished . Vansomer commonl y placed his on a mat , Mytens on a carpet . The portraits of Vansomer are bold and round , and the chiaroscuro good . TheEarlof Devonshire is equal to the pencil of Vandyck , and one of the finest single figures seen .

"i what year Vansomer came to England is not exactly known ; certainly , as early as 1606 , between which and 1620 he painted several pictures . We Mention but a few that are indubitably his , from whence , by comparison , "is manner may be known . James 1 . at Windsor ; behind him a view of "' hitehall . Anne of Denmark , consort of James I ., with a prospect of the east end of St . Paul's Cathedral . The same king at Hampton Court , armour

Painters And Other Artists In The Reign Of James I.

lying by him on the ground . Dated 1615 . His queen in a blue hunting dress , hat and feather , with her horse and rive dogs ; this is also at Hampton Court , with a . view of the palace at Oatlands . This picture is imitated in the tapestry at Houghton . Lord Chancellor Bacon and his brother Nicholas at Gorhambury . Sir Simon Weston , brother of Lord Treasurer Portland , a whole length with a pike in his hand , 1608 , cct . 43 . This piece

was in the possession of the Lord Chief Justice Raymond . Marquis of Hamilton , with the white staff , at Hampton Court . In addition , upon competent authority . Thomas Howard , Earl of Arundel , and his lady Alathea Talbot , at Worksop Manor . The Earl is represented as sitting in the Statue gallery , which he formed at Arundel-house , London , of which it is an exact representation . He is dressed in black , with the Order of the

Garter , and points to the statue with his marshal ' s baton . The Countess , likewise , is sitting in the gallery of pictures , and holds a handkerchief , very richly embroidered with gold . Each of these pictures is marked " P . Vansomer , 161 S . " Lord Arundel claims a particular distinction as a patron of art . A double portrait of Henry Prince of Wales . A portrait of Robert , second Earl of Essex , afterwards the

Parliament General ; a youth is kneeling before him ; each of them having hunting horns . Behind the prince , who is dressed in green , and drawing his sword to cut off the stag ' s head , is a horse . On the boughs of a tree the royal arms , and his own , in two escutcheons , hang upon them . This picture is at St . James ' s Palace . The same subject , with slight variation , is at Wronton Abbey , Oxfordshire . The prince is represented as cutting

the throat of a stag . The Harrington arms are introduced as belonging to John , second Lord Harrington . Vansomer died about the age of 45 , and was buried at St . Martin's-in-the-Fields , as appears in the register , 5 th January , 1621 . Paulas Vansomer , pictor eximius , sepitltus fecit in ecclesia . Vansomer ' s partraits were deservedly admired for their elegance , and remarkable resemblances . ( To he continued . )

The Zoological Society.

THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY .

A most interesting exhibit was laid on the table at the last meeting of this society at Hanover-square . It was a corn-like substance growing from the snout of a whale . Similar callosities have been noticed in other specimens of whales , but their presence has not been satisfactorily accounted for . Various conjectures have been put forward by naturalists , but the most feasible appears to be that the eruption is due to the attacks of barnacles ,

which bore into the whale ' s flesh , and that the skin becomes callous and hardened through the animals rubbing their noses against rocks or other obstacles in their efforts to get rid of the parasites , or to allay the irritation caused by them . The " bonnet , " as this corn-like growth is called , is of considerable size , and the specimen exhibited measured about eight inches in depth , 10 inches in length , and 7 inches in width . One curious point

in connection with this exhibition , mentioned in the discussion upon it , was that the barnacles should attack the whale always in the same place , but this was not thought to be very remarkable in view of the fact that many animals have particular ways of attacking their prey , and parasites select certain parts wherein to take up their abode in their various hosts . For instance ,

a ferret will nearly always go for a rabbit s eyes when at bay , and a weasel , when catching a rabbit in pursuit , will almost invariabl y fix on the back of the neck . The attraction of the barnacles to the whale ' s snout might be accounted for in the presumption that the skin is harder at this particular spot of the animal's body , and more suitable to the creatures to bore into than the softer part of the skin .

General Notes.

GENERAL NOTES .

During the 50 years that " God bless the Prince of Wales " has ranked with " God save the Queen " and " Rule Britannia " as a nation's song few people have been aware that the stirring Welsh anthem was the outcome of a chance meeting between its composer , Mr . Brinley Richards , and the

poet , Ceiriog Hughes . The song was originally intended , by both poet and composer , to be devoted exclusively to the Welsh people as their national anthem . But its success was so great that two months after its publication , in 1852 , there was a demand for an English version , which has remained popular ever since .

Next month there will be an auction sale in London of the late Sir Arthur Sullivan ' s musical library . Attractive items in the list are several presentation full scores of works , with the autographs of the donors , usually a distinguished English or foreign composer . A great many sketches , jottings of melodies , and almost complete songs , have been found among Sir Arthur ' s papers , but it is believed that none of these compositions , many of which date back to the composer ' s youth , will be published .

Many people think that a memorial concert at the Albert Hall , devoted entirely to the works of Verdi and Sullivan , would be a worthy tribute to the late Queen Victoria , while doing honour to the names of the two great Italian and English composers , who lived and died in the 19 th century .

Bro . Sir Walter Parratt , " Master of the Musicke" to the late Oueen Victoria , and organist of St . George ' s Chapel , Windsor , is an accomplished chess player . It is said that he was once blindfolded , and , while playing the organ , simultaneously directed the movis of six games of chess .

TUB KINO AND TIIK LORD MAYOR ' BANOUHT . —The great news of the birth of an heir to the Throne of England was first conveyed to the citizens at a Lord Mayor ' s banquet nearly Co years ago , and the fact has never been forgotten by those who assemble year by year within the hospitable walls of the Guildhall on that auspicious occasion . As was stated in the City Press a fortnight ago , the citizens will have every reason next Lord Mayor ' s Day to use to their feet , and drink a health unto his Majesty . The happy combination of circumstances which marks the birth of a King of England and of a new Lord Mayor of London has often been commented upon , but this year it has a special significance . It has been suggested by a most enterprising morning

contemporary that the auspicious coincidence should be signalised by the presence of the King at the mayoral banquet . To say the least , there has been a great deal of haste shown in making the proposition , as nearly nine months must elapse before it can be seriously considered . The citizens earnestly hope that the precedent set by her late Majesty in attending the Guildhall banquet soon after her accession in 1 S 37 will be followed by King Edward VII . Only another word maybe said on so important and delicate a subject , namely , that his Majesty may be trusted to display that consummate tact which has characterised his long and eventful career as the Prince of Wales . — City Press .