Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA . True to its modern name , this magnificent and comfortable theatre commenced the Christmas entertainments with the second act of Balfe's opera " The Bohemian Girl . " Equally faithful , however , to the traditions which hover around its good old cognomen of " Covent-garden , " it has re-assumed a right

festive and merry appearance , and has evoked the aid of Momus , as well as of another mirth-creating , laughter-provoking being , Mr . H . J . Byron . Be it added here that , both with regard to its operatic music in general , and its present Christmas Pantomime in particular , it has remained thoroughly English—the former having been for several seasons past the production of

English composer- ' , and the latter being the national subject of " St . George and the Dragon . " AVe were please , but not at all surprised , to find the house crowded in every part . So well-founded a reputation for liberality has been acquired by the Lessees , ai ? d Miss Louisa Pyne and Mr . Harrison , even under circumstances w . iich have not always been encouraging , that every one anticipated the

production of a magnificant , yet gorgeous , humerous , and diversified Pantomime , and the expectations thus raised were not disappointed—it is highly artistic , such as Mr . T . Grieve , with the aid of Messrs . G . Danson , Dayes , and Grieve , jun ., knows so well how to paint . Take for instance scei : e the third , On the Banks of the Nile—a highly picturesque one—and the Hall

of Chivalry . Both scenes elicited the hearty applause of the spectators , but the latter scene created a . furore , and , moreover , not a brief one , the cheers beiog "loud and long continued , " intermingled with frequent calls for Mr . T . Grieve , who at last bowed his acknoivlodgments . This grand scene is , in fact , the transformation or . e , and we do not remember over having seen

any which surpassed it in brill iancj and good taste . In this scene , too , the full extent of the stage was displayed , and the gorgeous effect of the coitp d'ceil was greatly enhanced by the appearance of numerous " warriors in real armour . " In conclusion , we may remark that the Christmas Pantomime at Covent-garden is worthy of the old renown of that Theatre , and that it will necessarily prove attractive so long as the Pantomime season continues .

DRURY LANE . Sinbad the Sailor himself always appeared to us to be an estimable character . There may , perhaps , be a sentimental objection to Ins ingenious device for keeping himself alive when in the deep pit by knocking ou the head tbe other gentlemen and the ladies who were let down , and eating their provisions ;

hut this shows him to have beea a man of resources , and the -whitewashes of Richard the Third , Nero , Judge Jeffreys , and other persons who have been thought rather less inclined to love their neig hbours than themselves , tells us , properly , to judge people by the tone of the days in which they lived . With this slight exception—at the utmost a flaw in a brilliant career

( and Napoleon had Ins Jaffa)—Sinbad was a model man . He was brave , enduring , pious , and generous , and particularly ready to give away the most noble presents to any one- who would accept them . That vengeance which he took upon the oneeyed monster was something in the lice of Ulysses' dealings with the Cyclop , but there has been no poet to sing that

" Sinbad was a cunning dog , And made tbe giant cry out ; He ate bis mutton and drank his grog , And then be poked his eye out , " While Sinbad bad been left to comparative obscurity , to deli ght tbe nursery , and sometimes to furnish forth an Easter

Spectacle or a Christmas Pantomine , Ulysses ^ the hero of the educated classes , and his deeds are taught in every classical seminary in the world . Such are the chances of heroes . Mr . E . L . Blanchard has , however , made a noble effort to do justice to an undervalued man , and Sinbad is once more before the world in bold relief , and " with the large utterance

of the early gods . " Harry Boleno andC . Lauri , arethe Clowns ; Barnes and Morris , Pantaloons ; Cormack and Saville , Harlequins ; and the Misses Gunniss , Columbines . AVe have seldom seen a first night go so unflaggingly . A little darling of a child , Master Shapcotfc , played on a drum with all the delightful gravity of four years

old , and a very good thing was a card dance , in which the various suits ( up to tea ) perforin with singular neatness . The tricks went very well , and a Tom King and lleenan appeared iu a tiny ring amid tbe uproarious applause of the house . AVe need not say that Mr . Falconer had to bring on Mr . Beverley to receive a special greeting wh'ch he had earned so well .

HAYMARKET . A crowded house , ia every sense of the word , greeted the re-appearance of Mr . Sothern in his famous character of Lord Dundreary , a character in our " Our American Cousin , " which ho has performed 397 times . The piece in i tself is improved by certain prtm'Bgs and additions . The Christmas Extravaganza then succeeded . Th s annual novelty is entitled - ' King Arthur ;

or , tbe Days and Knights of the Round Table , " It is founded on the various legends of the "blameless King , " and is written by Mr . AA'illiam Brough . The final scene is the Round Table gorgeously spread and presided over by the Spirit of Chivalry . Although there is nothing extravagantly gorgeous in this scene , it is , nevertheless , ore that would amply repay a visit . The piece has been produced under the direction of Miv Chippendale , and the music composed and arranged by Mr . D . Spillane , whose overture was warmly applauded .

OLYMPIC . The exceedingly popular drama of " The Ticket of Leave Man , " represented here on Saturday evening for the 183 rd time , and being yet deemed sufficiently attractive to render unnecessary the production of the philosophical extravaganza prepared for Christmas by the same author , may be considered one of tbe

most original Boxing-night novelties of the season . Although it cannot ho declared that the theatre presented that crowd of struggling competitors for admission which was elsewhere visible even outside the portals , there was a sufficiently numerous assemblage to warrant the policy of the plan pursued , and there was a great advantage in possession of those present through , the absence of those noisy disturbances which attend upon the exuberance of holiday enjoyment .

STRAND . A very full , but a remarkably well behaved , audience was gatheredon Saturday night within the walls of this popular little theatre , wiiere the smallness of size is so literally ludicrous disproportionate to the extent of enjoyment afforded . The Christmas novelty was a new and original burlesque extravaganza ,

written by Mr . H . J . Byron , the long-established Master ot the Revels at this house , and both in subject and treatment it approaches nearer to those mythological burlettas with which Messrs . Dance and Planche were wont to delight an Olympicaudience under the A estris dynasty , than anything that has previonsly been furnished by this author . That the olden love story is told with as much comicality as classicality no one familiar with Mr , Bvron ' s affluence of fun will require to be in-