Leth-bridge them over.

THE RIVAL "JARVIES."

J. M-RL-Y. "DRIVE ON, McCARTHY!—IT'S YOUR JOB!"

HUNTING SKETCH.

THE LOST SHOE, OR LATE FOR THE MEAT.

CANDOUR IN COURT.

[In Savell v. the Duke of Westminster, Lord ESHER, Master of the Bolls, said:—"It was the demands for interrogatories and discovery of documents and commissions in cases of this simple nature which had made the practice of the Common Law so expensive, and caused the public to fly from Courts of Law as from a pestilence. This oppression must be put down."]

KING JOHN AT OXFORD.

The Oxford University Dramatic Society have acted another Shakspearian play with conspicuous success. To say that the O.U.D.S. have acted a play of SHAKSPEARE is to say nothing, seeing that they are compelled, under fear of the most dreadful punishments known to the University Calendar, to confine their histrionic efforts to the drama as SHAKSPEARE wrote it, with an occasional excursion into the dramatic verse of BROWNING. A great many, however, of the most influential members of the Hebdomadal Council are said to view any such departure from SHAKSPEARE with alarm, as calculated to impair the discipline and sap the morality of the tender nurselings confided to their charge, and it is doubtful if the experiment will be repeated. Long live the legitimate drama, say I, and so say all of us. But, after all, it may be questioned whether those who can listen unharmed to the broad, and, if I may say so, "illegitimate" humour of Faulconbridge in King John would take much damage from SHERIDAN, or LYTTON, or TOM TAYLOR, or even—though I make this particular suggestion with bated breath—from the performance of such burlesques as the A.D.C. at Cambridge from time to time offers to its patrons.

All this is, however, by the way. We must take the O.U.D.S. as we find it, and I must confess I found it in a very strong and flourishing condition during the performance of King John. The audience is not an easy one to act to. Not that it errs on the side of over-criticism. Rather it is too painfully friendly and familiar with the actors. Here is a stray example culled from the Stalls:—

Enter King PHILIP, the DAUPHIN, and attendant Knights.

Undergraduate in the Stalls (to his Neighbour). Halloa! There's old Johnnie in chain armour and a helmet. Did you ever see such a rum 'un? Let's make him laugh.

[They do, and the unfortunate Knight infects his fellow Knights at a moment when a specially stern demeanour is required.

Or again, as here:—

The DAUPHIN places his arm round the waist of the Lady BLANCH, and conducts her to the back of the stage.

Voice in the Dress Circle. Look out for the Proctor!

[General laughter.

But in spite of these and similar exuberances, the play went well from first to last, and the enthusiasm of the audience was unbounded. It was stated on the programme that Mr. HENRY IRVING had lent the chain-mail and the tapestries. I have come to the conclusion that he lent himself as well, and then went and pretended he was his own son. At any rate, while Mr. HENRY IRVING (stated to be of New College) was declaiming as King John, I could have sworn that the impersonator of Shylock and Macbeth was walking the stage. Voice, gesture, and even mannerisms were there, toned down, of course, to suit the academic atmosphere, but manifest to all who know and love the great original. My hearty congratulations to the actor, whoever he was, on a most carefully studied and dignified rendering of his difficult part. Mr. ALAN MACKINNON, who grouped and arranged the whole of the play, was vigorous and spirited as Faulconbridge. He delivered his insults with immense force and go. The letter "r" is not an easy one for him to pronounce, but he struggled manfully with this obstacle, and after a time I got perfectly accustomed to the bold tones in which he ordered Austria to "hang a calf-skin chround those chrechreant limbs." King Philip's legs were, perhaps, too much inclined to independence, and never quite seemed to have made up their minds where they would settle down, but when once they were fixed the King was every inch a King. Little Miss MABEL HOARE made us all weep copiously as Arthur. I have kept Hubert to the last, in order to emphasise my opinion that Mr. CLARK, of New College, who acted this tender-hearted Chamberlain, carried off the chief honours of the performance. For consistent and restrained force, it would not have been easy to match Mr. CLARK's impersonation. Lady RADNOR's band was delightful, in light-blue and pink bows.

The fight in the Second Act was tremendous. Never have I seen such dreadful blows delivered with such immense vigour on any other stage. A very polite French Knight who had taken part in the combat accorded me the honour of an interview afterwards. I congratulated him, and suggested that so realistic a battle must have been long and carefully rehearsed. "Rehearsals!" he laughed; "not a bit of it. We just lace into one another's heads as hard as we can lick." For the benefit of Mr. D'OYLY CARTE and other fighting managers I have given these admirable words as they were spoken.

I had almost forgotten the ladies. There were three, Miss FFYTCHE, Mrs. CHARLES SIM, and Miss DOWSON, and they were all good—especially Mrs. SIM as Constance.

And so farewell, for the present, to the O.U.D.S. and to Oxford. I may mention, by the way, that hospitality is as extensive and port wine as abundant as ever in the neighbourhood of the High. Experto crede. Yours to a turn, A VAGRANT.

A South-African Sentiment.