Poetry.

AVINTRY SUNSHINE . The beams that gild the azure skies , And light the laughing hours of May , With all their glories less I prize Than that oblique and struggling ray , Whose fitful influence kindltries

y To cheer and warm a wintry day , And through dark clouds and drifting snows , A transitory brightness throws . For oh ! that welcome radiance seems Like hope's sweet gleam ' midst woe appearing , Or glimpses caught of joy in dreams ,

Griefs troubled slumbers cheering , As we through fortune ' s adverse streams A wayward course are steering , And sympathy , with gentle sway , Charms the dull cares of life away . 1 AGNES STRICKLAND .

Public Amusements.

PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS .

THE HIPPODROME AT ISLINGTON . The morning performances here have been well attended . Mr . Charles Hengler ' s beautiful horse " Ducrow" has appeared , and astonished everyone by his obedience to whatever his master ordered him to do , even ascending backwards a high flight of stairs , and at the top remaining on a small platform as quiet as a Iamb until ordered to descend . It is the most wonderfully

educated horse we ever saw , and be moves about with winning grace and pleasing manner . Frank Pastor , the American rider , is as great as ever , and the three Clowns with him , Messrs . J . Gee , AV . Gee , and J . Thorn , equal , if not surpass , any seen in Loudon for some time . The Contest of the Curriculum , by Messrs . W . Powell , AV . Parish , and J . Gee , on their six barebacked steeds in the true Roman dress , is most exciting ,

and far superior to the Chariot Racing , which does not now take place , owing to the difficulty of turning the corners , where an accident happened ( last week , fortunately causing only the death of one of the horses . The Steeple Chase and Hurdle Races are executed with much spirit and determination . Crockett , the Lion Tamer , went through his dangerous feats with four lions and one lioness , tbo latter a savage brute , which he compels to jump through a hoopas well as over his arm ;

, but instead of doing so a few days since , she caught hold of his arm and gave him a severe bite . The Tournament finishes the programme , aud a most magnificent pageant it is , AVe should say a word for the vaulters , especially Mr . Arthur Barnes , who accomplishes between sixty aud seventy consecutive sommersaults .

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A RAILWAT THEATRE . —The Paris Presse contains the following startling and interesting intelligence , which would appear to show that the canard is still acceptable to certain readers of French newspapers : — "Intelligence from London says that M . Smarthe has successfully tried the experiment of a railway theatre on the Manchester aud Liverpool line . Imagine five long carriages so arranged as to form one long room . The

rounded roof is furnished with chandeliers throwing out a bri ght light . The sides are formed of sounding boards . By these mechanical arrangements all possibility of external noise has been removed . Imagine also a recess in which six musicians with their instruments can play , a . stage raised six feet above the floor of the carriage , and you have a tolerable correct idea of this extemporised railway theatre . The pieces represented are so arranged that a scene finishes at each stationand another

, commences on the way to the . next . When there is a stoppage of a quarter or half-an-hour at any place , the act drop falls . On the 8 th of December , 18 G 3 , M . Smarthe made the first trial of this theatre , with his company composed of twelve performers . A piece very popular in England was represented , and the programme had been handed to each spectator with his railway ticket at the station . The piece was very successful . "

The Week.

THE WEEK .

THE COURT . —The Queen paid a second visit to her Royal daughter-in-law at Frogmore on Saturday , and proceeded by the South-Western train to AVindsor , where she arrived soon after one o ' clock . The Queen returned to Osborne on Monday . The Princess of Wales is rapidly recovering , and the infant Prince remains in excellent health . The Prince of AA ales has printed , for private circulation , a copy of the Papyros which

was discovered during bis late visit to Thebes . This Egyptian document is older than the time of Pericles , yet it belongs to a period marked by the decline of Pharaonic art . Mr . Birch , of the British Museum , has seen it through the press . GENERAL HOAIE NEWS . —A meeting of gentlemen in the City interested in the adornment of tho interior of St . Paul ' s

Cathedral was held ou Wednesday at the Mansion House , the Lord Mayor presiding . It was stated that to carry out the decoration of the interior according to the designs of Sir Christopher AVren would require from £ 60 , 000 to £ 70 , 000 , and that of this sum only about £ 15 , 000 had been raised by the efforts hitherto made . There was an impression abroad that the

dean and chapter ought to find tho money from their corporate funds ; but it was earnestly and repeatedly urged that this was quite" a mistake , that the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had possession of the corporate funds , and that tho dean and chapter , as such , had no fund whatever at their disposal . It was unanimously resolved to make an appeal to the whole country for a

guinea subscription to decorate the national cathedral , but without refusing any larger sums that might be offered . Some projectors have proposed the construction of an arcade from Regant-street to Bond-street , much to the dislike of the inhabitants of the neighbourhood . A meeting of the inhabitants was held on AVednesday , at the Vestry Hall , Piccadilly ,

the Rev . Mr . Kempe , the rector of St . James ' s , in the chair , who stated the moral objections he entertained to the scheme . There was some opposition manifested to the object of the meeting , but the feeling against the scheme largely preponderated ; it was determined to oppose it by all means in their power , and a committee was formed and subscriptions opened for the purpose . The near approach to the Parliamentary Session has set the

papers speculating upon the members in the two bouses who are to take part in the Address . It is said that Lord Richard Grosvenor , younger son of the Marquis of AVestminster , aud member for Flintshire , will move the Address in the Commons , which will be seconded by Mr . Goschen , one of the members for the City . The Rev . E . Harold Browne ^ Norrisian Professor of

Divinity at Cambridge , and canon of Exeter , has been appointed to the vacant see of Ely . At a meeting of tho Metropolitan Board of Works , at which a proposition was made to raise the salary of Mr . Thwaites , the chairman , from £ 1 , 500 to £ 3 , 000 . It « as carried by a majority of 27 to 4 , throe gentlemen declining to vote . We regret to have to announce the death of

Sir AA'illiam Atherton , who , a few months ago , resigned the office of Attorney-General on account of ill-health . The hon . and learned gentleman was called to the bar in 1839 , and choosing the Northern Circuit , soon made himself a good reputation . He first entered Parliament in 1852 ; three years afterwards he was appointed Judge-Advocate of the Fleet ; in 1859 lie

became Solicitor-General , and in 1361 , Attorney-General . His death causes a vacancy in the representation of Durham . Sir Fitzroy Kelly intends to make another effort next session to induce the House of Commons to put an end to the malt tax . Meanwhile , the hon . and learned gentleman ' s friends in the country are doing all they can to fortify his case by public meetinas , denunciatory resolutions , and the preparation