Punch (37.1859)

2 40

PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.

[December 10, 1859.

THE MANNSTER CONCERTS.

November scarcely seems lo
be a November without
Jullien. But as we cannot
have our Mons., we of course
must do the best we can
without him; and the best
thing we can do is to go to
Drury Lane, and hear the
Mannster Concerts.

Readers in the country,
and those from it for the
Cattle Show, may wonder
very possibly what the
Mannster Concerts are, and
will naturally ask Punch for
instruction on the point.
Now, Punch's chief aim and
delight always being to en-
lighten, Punch informs the
world -with pleasure that he
has christened the Mannster
Concerts from the name of
their Conductor. As the
Mons-ter Concerts were so
called because conducted by
the Mons., so Punch names
the Mannster Concerts thus,
because conducted by IIerr
Manns.

IIerr Manns—or Mr. Manns, as he prefers to call himself, showing
thereby a commendable desire to sink the foreigner, notwithstanding
that, as far as concerts are concerned, foreign names strangely tickle
the long-eared British Public—Mr. Manns is a conductor who knows
how to conduct himself, aud moreover knows how to conduct good
music. Whether he can conduct bad music as well as he can good, is
a point which at his Concerts there is small chance of deciding. The
t music there selected is nightly of the best, and the sounds which are
, emitted serve to show that Mr. Manns is a good sound conductor.

To the eye of the philosopher who looks into the past, there is of
| course one shade of gloom upon the Mannster Concerts. It is true the
] brilliant shirt front of our Jullien is absent, and our eyes are no more
! dazzled by his spotlessly white waistcoat. Nor is our bump of vene-
{ ration excited, as of yore, by that sacrifice of kids, w'hicli in his palmy
! days our Jullien had nightly on his hands. But what is lacking now
in brilliancy of waistcoat is made up for amply in brilliancy of music,
j If they appeal less to the eye, they appeal more to. the ear, and this
surely is no fault in a musical performance. There is more music and
less row than in the Jullienic era, and one may hear the Mannster
Concerts without cotton in one’s ears, which is more than could be
said of certain of the Monster ones.

ASTOUNDING NEWS FLOM LOME.

The following terrific announcement appeared last week in the
Freeman's Journal, a great Irish Catholic organ :—-

“ We understand an autograph letter from his Holiness has reached Ireland. W7e
arc m t yet at liberty to communicate the recipient of this momentous document—
for momentous it is, and calculated to produce the most profound effect on the
Catholic world ; but that it lias actually been written by Pope Pius, and transmitted
to this country, we are at liberty to state on very high authority.”

The following soothing announcement appeared three days later in
the same journal:—

“ We regret, to have been led into an error relative to the supposed receipt of an
autograph letter from his Holiness the Pope. We are requested to state that the
document on which we commented did not emanate from his Holiness, or from any
official source, but was a communication from a party resident in Rome, conveying
bis opinions on the present pesture of affairs. We thought the gentleman on whose
information we relied tvas accurate in his statement, but it appeavs he was
mistaken.”

And then these Irish complain that the Saxon does not put implicit
trust and confidence in all they say, or entertain any very high respect
for their way of doing business!

But this is not all. The Freeman's Journal only pleads guilty to
having made an elaborate and extraordinary blunder. Mr. Punch is in
a position to state that the Journal spoke the truth in the first instance,
and that such a letter from the Pope has been received in Ireland, and
| a duplicate thereof has been seen by Mr. Punch himself. And the
j momentous announcement contained in that document is—and we have
I no doubt that it will produce a most profound effect on the Catholic
j world—that

HIS HOLINESS THE POPE IS ABOUT TO ABDICATE, IN FAVOUR
OF YOUNG MORTARA.

The Freeman's Journal was only indiscreet in prematurely publishing
the fact, and was therefore ordered to deny it; but the matter need be
a secret no longer. It is a long time since Rome has had a Jew Pope,
and almost as long since she has had a Christian Pope; but now she
gets both in one. Vice Pro Nono !

HUNTING INTELLIGENCE IN HAMPSHIRE.

A Nimrod of the New Forest forwarded the other day to the
Hampshire Advertiser a highly technical account of a fox-hunt; whereoi
the commencement is subjoined:—

“ Lyndliurst, November 26.

“Three Days with the New Forest Hounds.—Saturday, November 19th, the
meet was at Ilill-top Gate, and punctual to a minute Hawtin and his famous bitch
pack made their appearance, followed shortly after by the worthy master, E. Timson,.
Esq. There was a good muster of red and black coats, among whom were Sir-.
Henry Paulet, Bart., Captains Heath, Timson, and M. Powell, Messrs B.
Powell, Gore, Mudge, St. Barbc, C. and J. Shrubb, Everitt, Palmer, Stride,
Fletcher, Ashby, Carter, Curn, Multis, and Alus.”

It is to be presumed that Messieurs Curn, Multis, and Alus are
local celebrities—mighty hunters in the New Forest. Not for a
moment can we suppose that they are no other than our old acquaint-
ances in the Propria Qua Maribus of the Eton Latin grammar, “ Cum
multis a His,” implying the additional presence of those other well-
known sportsmen and hard riders, "qua nunc perscribere longum estM \
The New Forest Pony must not be mistaken for the Pony of Jerusalem.

The Currency.

Tjie circulation of Punch was 93.456 greater last week than the week
before. The money was paid the moment, it was received into the
Treasury, that is to say, into Mr. Punch's till. It is all. for the.home-
market, not a farthing of it being intended for the. Continent, with the
exception of a French bonnet, which Mr. Punch, in the expansive joy
of the moment, was weak enough to promise his wife.

Impromptu.

On Seeing the two Misses Wilton at the Strand Ttieaire.

How happy could I be wilh Ida,

Were Marie, dear charmer, away!

Not “(T)Rifles Light as Air.”— Our Volunteer Corps, as any
invader will find to his cost, who ventures to consider them as such by
landing on the Britisli shore.