tragic characters. Miss Lyons, who appears to have migrated from the Olympic, produced a favourable impression as Desdemona, but is as yet rather an inexperienced actress, and perhaps too tame in her impersonations. Mr. Phelps's Brutus was finely conceived and supported throughout the whole of "Julius Cæsar," but the other characters were not sufficiently studied. We intend to notice the production of " Cymbeline" at this theatre in our next.

HAYMARKET.-Mr. Macready is just commencing his final series of performances, prior to leaving the stage. Let all lovers of the drama give him that reception which he so well merits, remembering, not only what he still is, but what he has been.

Shakspeare has also been represented at the Strand and Surrey Theatres: at the former, a new actor, Mr. Butler Wentworth, has been impersonating Othello and Hamlet.

THE COLLEGE.

IN noticing the Societies of the College, we have again to express our regret that they are too numerous, and that the efforts of many to effect a union between those societies that are of the same character have hitherto proved ineffectual. By the junction of the two Discussion Societies, there would at once be formed a numerous and well-organized body, all having the same end in view-the acquirement of knowledge.

The state of the Medical Department is extremely gratifying; a very large number of new students joined its ranks at the opening of the session. They have all entered on the studies of the winter term, and engaged in competition with more than usual of that activity which in general characterizes the proceedings of a medical student at this period of the year. The progress of the Medical Society keeps pace with that of the medical department at large. The introductory meeting was very numerously attended. Dr. Farre presided; the Principal, the Dean, and several of the medical professors and old friends of the society were present; to all of whom the members feel gratified for the kind aid and encouragement which they have continually afforded. We regret, however, to announce that the society has lost the services of two of its ablest members, Mr. Pardey, who has accepted the Medical Tutorship at Queen's College, Birmingham; and Mr. Hardwick, now Curator of the Chemical Laboratory at this College. The vacancies thus caused amongst the officers have been properly filled. The subject for the prize essay, granted annually by this Society, will probably be decided before the appearance of our next number.

We regret to state that the Discussion Society is more than usually depressed. At the first meeting of its members, so small was the attendance, so reduced was it in point of numbers by the departure of the majority of its most active and influential members for the Universities, that its revival seemed utterly hopeless. But by the unremitting efforts of its most zealous supporters, and by a timely alteration in some of its

laws, difficulties apparently insurmountable have been overcome: its numbers are rapidly increasing, and we have strong reason to hope that ere long it will resume its original standing. On Saturday, October 19th, a discussion on the propriety of abolishing the African Squadron took place, and on Saturday, October 26th, an unusually warm debate ensued on the question, "Is the State bound to support the Poor ?"

We are pleased to be able to record the continued progress and success of the King's College Literary and Scientific Union. Although a great number of its old members left at the conclusion of the last term for the universities and professions, still, owing to the accession of many of those students who are just entering on their college career, its numbers continue undiminished. The various advantages to be derived from such a Society as this by the students of the General, the Medical, and the Applied Science Department, will, we doubt not, secure for it in future the firm footing which it at present possesses in the College. Since our last, Papers have been read on the Architecture of Rome, the Manufacture of Percussion Caps, and on a new mode of making Photographic Paper, there being on each occasion a large attendance of members and visitors. On another occasion, a spirited debate took place on the question, "Does Literature conduce more to the cultivation of the mind than Science ?" We are also glad to find that this Society, in conjunction with the Engineering Society, intend to hold another Conversazione, as appears from an advertisement in our columns. This will be the second opportunity which it has offered to its members, and other students of the College, of meeting their Professors without the necessary restraint and formality of the Lecture Room. And we are glad to see that the Professors consent so readily to meet the students in this way: and further, that the students on their part are not backward in availing themselves of the advantage.

The Engineering Society have held one meeting only, but that was a most interesting one; the paper read was "On Suspension Bridges," and was illustrated by numerous models and experiments, which rendered it peculiarly adapted to a Society whose object is the pursuit of practical science. The proposed amalgamation of this Society with the Union fell to the ground; the cause being a few important differences in the laws of the two Societies, which could not be adjusted to the satisfaction of the members.

We are happy to state that the Meetings of the King's College Athenæum have been well attended, and much interest has been taken in the discussion of the following questions :-" Ought Sunday Labour in the Post Office to be abolished ?”—“ Was the Deposition of Charles the First by the Parliament justifiable ?"-"Ought Secular Education to be supported by Government?"

LONDON: WICKHAM AND YELLAND, PRINTERS, 163, STRAND.

On the day when this number of the Magazine is ushered into the world, the year eighteen hundred and fifty shall have ended, and the year eighteen hundred and fifty-one commenced. There is something pathetic in bidding farewell to an old friend, in laying aside an old hat, and perhaps the world has not gone so ill with us all, that we may not feel some regret at the departure of an Old Year. England, however, is far too busy to look much on the past; there is a future before her, and the immense structure for the Great Exhibition is raising its head in Hyde Park. Millions of people are already anticipating the pleasure and instruction which they are to receive from their journey to London in the Spring, the trumpettongue of rumour has made the world ring with the reports about the Exhibition, and innumerable hosts of Germans, Parisians, Russians, Turks, and Americans, are preparing to invade the city of the world. The humble mechanics in our great manufactories have also for many months saved a shilling a week from their wellearned wages, and many a poor labourer at the forge and mill is exulting in the prospect of once at least seeing London before he die.

With such an exciting spectacle approaching, it is not surprising that the Old Year should be suffered to depart unlamented, and the new one be enthusiastically greeted. We do not intend to moralize at this spectacle. We do not intend to repeat old scraps of poetry, talk about to-morrow and to-morrow, and say with Ulysses, that the new comer is always received with smiles, and that the old one

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