And in all hot haste must she be his wife,
Else farewell his good days and farewell his life;
Master Ralph Roister Doister is but dead and gone,
Except she on him take some compassion.
Then chief of counsel must be Matthew Merrygreek,
"What, if I for marriage to such an one seek?"
Then must I sooth it, whatever it is ;

For, what he saith or doth cannot be amiss.
Hold by his yea and nay, be his own white son;

Praise and rouse him well, and ye have his heart won;
For so well liketh he his own fond fashions

That he taketh pride of false commendations.

But, such sport have I with him, as I would not lose,
Though I should be bound to live on bread and cheese.

Matthew then goes on to demonstrate how completely he can turn his respected relative "round his little finger," and he afterwards verifies his words, yet there can be no doubt that he thinks" champaign" of himself at the very least. Stage heroes have ever been the most accomodating of creatures, and just in the nick of time Ralph enters in a most lackadaistical humour-Master Matthew, who if far more of a knave than fool, affects to misunderstand the cause, and asks whether he lacks money, offering to supply him, but at the same time informing us aside that he knows right well he does not, else he had not made the offer. Ralph who is merely in an amorous mood, and laments that God had made him "such a goodly person," explains that he has fallen in love with Dame Christian Custance, a gay widow with "a thousand or more.' It appears however that fortunes in that age were computed in much the same manner with Irish ones of the present, for Merrygreek observes,

An hundred pounds of marriage money doubtless,
Is ever thirty pounds sterling or somewhat less;
So that her thousand pounds if she be thrifty,
Is much near about two hundred and fifty.

But when did the course of true love ever yet run smooth? and in this case there is a rival, in the person of Gawin Goodluck, a merchant to whom Christian is engaged,--but Matthew assures Ralph that this is of no importance to a man of his figure whom all admire, and mistake for Lancelot du Lake, Guy of Warwick, the thirteenth Hercules' brother, Hector of Troy, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, and many other renowned heroes. This consolation is taken in such good part that he promises Matthew a new coat, on the

spot. In the next scene we find Ralph amongst Dame Custance's maids, who are praising the bounty of their mistress, and an animated conversation ensues, at the close of which, Ralph, to keep up his reputation for gallantry, snatches a kiss from the fair lips of the old nurse, Madge Mumblecrust, and having left tete a tete with her, confesses his love for her mistress, and confides to her care a billet doux for Christian. Meantime Merrycheck returns with other two of his retainers, and excites some mirth by pretending to mistake the antiquated nurse for his master's lady-love. Ralph is at first offended, but is at length appeased and departs. The next day he sends "a ring and a token," to Christian, by his man Dobinet Doughty, but Madge, who has been rated for taking the epistle on the previous day, refuses to deliver them. Tibet and Annot, the maids, however, hearing that they come from their mistress's intended husband, at once agreed to do so. Tibet, with genuine female loquacity and glee where so delightful a measure as a wedding is in question, exclaims,

And we shall go in our French hoods every day,

In our silk cassocks (I warrant you) fresh and gay;
In our trick ferdsgews and billiments of gold,
Brave in our suits of change seven double fold.

Then shall ye see Tibet, Sirs, tread the moss so trim;
Nay, why said I tread ? ye shall see her glide and swim,
Not lumperdee, clumperdee, like our spaniel Rig.

In the beginning of the third act, Matthew Merrygreek is sent out to reconnoitre, and learn the reception of the ring and token. He discovers that Christian is ignorant from whence the "love-tokens" came, she not having opened the letter, and the maids having been satisfied with the information that they were from her "intended husband" without enquiring the name of that fortunate individual. Matthew expresses his astonishment that a woman could keep a letter so fong unread, and bears home to his master so dismal an account of the state of affairs that the susceptible Ralph declares himself to be dying and the waggish Matthew affecting to believe him, brings the parish-clerk and four servants to sing a requiem over him.

He recovers, however, and by Merrygreek's advice gives his lady love a serenade;—she enters whilst it is performing and most cruelly returns his letter, which Matthew reads aloud, but with such an alteration in the punctuation, that Ralph denies the production to be his, not recognising it in its transformation.

MARCH 1848.-NO. III. VOL. IX.

R

Ꭱ

In the next act Sim Stresby, a servant of Gawin Goodluck, is sent by his master to greet Christian on his arrival at home, and whilst delivering his message, Ralph Roister Doister and Merrygreek approach, Ralph giving orders in a very high key to make ready his arms in case of need, doubtless with the humane intention of forewarning the intended victims of his wrath, and giving them an opportunity to escape. Sim hearing him address Custance as his "wife," reports to his master that she has been unfaithful to him during his voyage; and Christian, grieved at being as she imagines defamed for ever, with the assistance of her servants attacks Ralph, who runs, with many a threat of return. This was too good an opening for fun to pass unimproved, so Ralph privately informs Dame Custance that his master intends to return to punish the late insult, and that he has only assisted him throughout for his own amusement, and the laudable desire to make a fool of him. Christian determines to "pitch a field against him with her maids," and Matthew urging on his master brings him to the encounter armed with the kitchen utensils and in the confusion which ensues contrives to lay many a sly blow upon the shoulders of his worthy general, who is at length ingloriously vanquished and forced to retreat after a good "mopping."

Poor Christian is now accused of infidelity by Gawin Goodluck, and after vainly protesting her innocence, in her affliction meditates

O Lord how necessary it is now-a days,

That each body live uprightly all manner ways;

For let never so little a gap be open,

And be sure of this, the worst shall be spoken.

How innocent stand I in this for deed or thought,

And yet see what mistrust towards me it hath wrought,

Of course in the end the lovers are reconciled, and Ralph being humbled and repentant is invited to the wedding. Thus ends the play, and it will be seen there is much sprightly humour in the plot, as well as a very clever delineation of character, Ralph and Merrygreek being excellently conceived and executed.

(To be continued.)

CUPID'S BOW AND DART.

BY GEORGE WILSON.

'Twas in the vernal month of May,
When Phoebus ushers in the day,
Amid the violet and the rose
Young Cupid found a sweet repose—

His quiver, with his bow unstrung,
Behind his back was careless flung,
And Zephyr with his beauteous hair
Played wantonly whilst sleeping there.

His flowing tresses spread the ground;
Whilst thus reposing he ever found,
Three lovely nymphs unconscious strayed,
Close to the spot where he was laid.

A dart from out his quiver drew,
Each maid-then back the quiver threw-
A lock from off his golden hair,
Sufficed each, though plenty there.

The maidens laughed aloud for joy—
The noise awoke the sleeping boy;
Swift he regained his bow and dart,
And lodged a shaft in either heart.

And thus I point my simple tale ;
If you would over love prevail,
Young maidens, just this warning take,
Secure the bow (beau ?) ere love awake.

G. W.

EXHIBITION AT THE BRITISH INSTITUTION,

PALL MALL.

THIS exhibition, the annual precursor of the various Institutions for the exhibition of works of art, is now open with a collection of Pictures above the average of merit.

To us, the Direction of this Institution has always, (at least of late years) appeared ill calculated to promote the object for which it was founded,-unless indeed the general term, Promotion of the fine Arts, can be understood to mean exclusion of Historical Art.

At one time premiums were awarded to artists who produced works entitling them to such distinction. Several of these pictures are now to be seen in the Naval Gallery at Greenwich Hospital but this plan has been abandoned for some years, and old pictures purchased instead, by way we suppose, of encouraging modern art.

The small size of this gallery annually produces a great amount of disappointment and anxiety to the rising talent in art ;-for the British Institution being especially the offspring of royal and aristocratic patronage, is much sought after by all artists, it being, except the Royal Academy, the only exhibition wherein works by the Academicians and their nameless brethren are found together, and all crowding to prefer their claims to the long list of nobility and gentry whose names appear as supporters of this Institution. With such aids of wealth and power, with the "Woods and Forests" almost at command, we still find the Directors of this Institution content to proceed in the old way, with the gallery of the same limited dimensions as when the Institution was founded forty-two years ago, and not one tithe of the talent nor the number of artists was in existence; consequently, an artist not being fortunate enough to have a Director for a patron, or an academic appendage to his name, may have his works hung out of sight, or rejected year after year.

We have been informed that a very large number of pictures were rejected this year, and apologetic announcements by the Directors have been made at various times, regretting that want of space! compelled them to reject works of talent.

When a family has increased in size beyond the accommodation afforded by its residence, the most obvious remedy for