Reviews.

question , Avhich is generall y folloAved by a tirade of nonsense more apt to bring religion into discredit , than to lead the erring man to seek for repentance through the medium they point out , from the terrors Avith Avhich they surround it . The writer truthfully says that it Avill , no doubt , astonish many Freemasons " to he told that they are members of a religious Orderand one

, which teaches doctrines distinctly opposed to Christianity "—an assertion Avhich every Freemason ICUOAVS to be untrue , as he is directly informed , from the first , that his duties to his lodge are not to be alloAved to interfere Avith his " moral , social , or religious duties , " alL . that we ask being mutual toleration of the opinions of others .

The writer then says , "Indeed , as far as teaching goes , Masonry might be deemed one of the most admirable institutions ever devised by man , " but , in fact , it "is one of the most artfully devised snares ever invented by Satan ; " aud , in a similar strain , he proceeds , through tAventy-three pages of print , to prove that redemption is alone to be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ ,

charitably supposing that every Freemason is devoid of that faith ; and concludes by observing that if Ave do not forsake Masonry to seek salvation through that faith only , God ' s mercy will never reach us . "Take your fill of worldly pleasure , make the most of it , the time is short . The Avriter no longer urges with you a Avord against Freemasonry—enjoy its honours and its banquets . These cannot last many years , and then . . . . " Eeader , do you understand the full force of that last

sentence ? if not , Ave pity you as Ave pity the writer of this compound of intolerant fanaticism and stupidity . If , in commerce , the Eothschilds , the Barings , the Gurneys , the Montefiores , the Giyns , tho Lubbocks , and such as they , are permitted to meet on one common platform , Avithout forfeiting anything of their OAVII opinions on religious or other subjects , surely Ave maj' do the same in

Freemasonry , or at our banquets , as the writer would urge , Avithout subjecting us to all the miseries which he predicts will be launched on our devoted heads . If we have alluded to commerce , apparently Avithout cause , we answer that Ave have the author ' s example to justify us ; inasmuch as , in the course of his ravings , he goes out of the Avay to direct attention to various

tracts upon the second coming of Jesus " to set up His millennial kingdom , '' which he assures us is near at hand , and especially to one , of Avhich he is probably himself the Avriter , and to Avhich he , therefore , gives the puff direct , as a matter , even shall AA"e say in such hands , of temporal business .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA . If simplicity be the greatest merit in the plot of an operabook , then is the "Desert Flower" libretto , by Messrs . AVilliams and Harris , music by Mr . AA allace , produced on Monday evening for the inauguration of the " eighth and last" English opera season , entitled to the highest praise , for nothing more simple could well be imagined . Captain Mauricean officer in

, the Dutch service ( Mr . W . Harrison ) , on duty in Guiana to quell an Indian revolt against Batavian rule , falls in love with Oanita , the " Desert Flower , " queen of the tribe of Anakowtas ( Miss Louisa Pyne ) , who is destined to reciprocate his passion . He being an invader of her country , and she bound specially to protect it , of course they are quite at variance in the beginning ; but anon mutual love springs from mutual hate , and

Oanita offers to save Maurice's life by marrying him when he has fallen into her hands as a prisoner of war . The young Dutchman joyfully accepts ; until , finding he cannot become an Indian king without bowing to Indian idols , abjuring his native land and his religion , he at ence resolves to die rather than espouse Oanita . Accordingly he is condemned to the stake , but the " Desert Flower " contrives to set him free , and is about to take his place on the pyre as an expiatory sacrifice ivhen Maurice

returns with his troops , slaughters or drives away the tribe of Anakowtas , and saves his Oanita . The other characters are a foolish and cowardly person , one Major Hector Van Pampernickle ( Mr . H , Com ) , sent out to command the Dutch forces , and whose peculiarities are to tremble like a leaf at every thought of danger , and finish every sentence he utters with " really ; " a treacherous Indian warrior , Casgan ( Mr . AA . H . Weiss ) , who is in love with his queen , and disguises himself as

a "trapper" during the early scenes to watch the movements of the colonists , and is ultimately shot by Captain Maurice ; Sergeant Peterman , a blunt soldier of the ordinary type ( Mr . Oynsley Cook ); and Eva , a young Creole ( Miss Susan Pyne ) , who seems at first to he the sweetheart of young Maurice , but eventually drops out of the piece without being much missed . The verses are for the most part sensible and smoothlywritten , the dialogue spirited and to the purpose . Some of

the situations are exceedingly effective , both in dramatic and musical sense . That , for instance , at the end of the second act , where Maurice is seized by the Indians while keeping his assignations with Oanita , whom he accuses of treachery , which she dares not disown although innocent , the Indians having been secretly brought upon them by Casgan . That , too , which occurs in the last act , where Maurice refuses to do homage to the idols placed before him , despite the sufferings of Oanita , and the dreadful alternative offered to him .

The music of Mr . Vincent Wallace is not elaborate , and needs no elaborate criticism . Of the characteristic element presented by the " Desert Flower" he has naturally taken advantage , and thus Indian marches , dances , & c , abound ; but the utterances of the solo-singers , Oanita and Casgan , are but slightly tinged with this quaint and musical colouring . Probably Mr . Wallace felt the somewhat grotesque tonal dialect an encumbrance in moments of passion or in hihl-wrought

gy dramatic situations , and therefore wisely abandoned it . In the finale to the second act , one of the most striking ensemble pieces in the opera , the chorus certainly has some characteristic phrases ; but the solo of Oanita , broad and charming in melody — a continuation , indeed , of Maurice ' s—has no couleur locale at all . Neither has the scena of Casgan in the last act , nor the aria d'intrata of Oanita , which resembles slightly a piece

of a similar character in Mr . AVallace ' s "Amber Witch . " In short , as a rule , we may say that the composer has dropped the Indian tone when dealing with his principal characters , and used it only in choruses aud instrumental pieces . This mav seem like a contradiction , or at least inconsistency , but it would scarcely have been possible to maintain that quaintness of style throughout the opera . In the finale to the first act Mr . AA allace has displayed all his wonted ability . It is thoroughly dramatic from first to last , abounds in melody , and in constructed with the ingenuity of a skilful musician .

Of the performance generally we can speak in very favourable terms . Rarely indeed has there been so satisfactory a first representation in this country . Miss Louisa Pyne , though not in good voice , and thus unable to take the high notes which occur frequently in her part without considerable strainingand difficulty , sang Avith her customary energy and musical sentiment . Her happiest effort was the rendering of the ballad , " AVhy throbs tins heart with rapture new ? " which was

quite perfect in its way . This elicited a rapturous encore , but was not the only piece so honoured , for Mr . AV . Harrison and Mr . W . AVeiss won equally hearty redemands respectively for the ballads " Though born in woods" and " When wand ' ring through the forest drear . " Other pieces were likewise repeated , to the apparent satisfaction of the entire house . Mr . Harrison acted and sung as he has done for many years past , and

materially contributed to the success of the opera by his histrionic ability and long musical experience . Mr . AV . H . Weiss ' s noble and beautiful voice was heard to very great advantage in the music of Casgan , which for the most part is admirably suited to his artistic means . Mr . Henry Corri was quite out of his element as the absurd Dutch major , and the part conseeaiently made no impression at all upon the

audience . The band and chorus , under the direction of Mr . A . Mellon , sustained their old well-earned reputation ; the scenery is exquisitely beautiful ; the costumes and appointments new , appropriate , and magnificent . In short , the management has done everything possible in the way of mise en seine for Mr . AVallace ' s new opera , which was unequivocally successful , and . will doubtless have a " run . "