Public Amusements.

support of the p laygoing public ., the house being crOAvded ni g htly , the orig inal scenery by Mr . P . Lloyds proving- an additional attraction . " The Streets of . London" has been preceded each ni ght by an amusing farce entitled " A Ghost in suite of himself . "

ST . JAMES'S . The programme here during the past week , under the able management of Miss Herbert , has been as folIoAvs;—On Monday and during the remainder of the week , "Love ' s Labyrinth , " followed on Monday and Tuesday by " The School

for Scandal ; " and on Wednesday and followingdays by " Much Ado about Nothin g , " Avith new scenery by Mr . T . Grieve .

SADLER'S WELLS . This theatre , newly decorated , opened for tho season , on Easter Monday , under the sole management of Mr . 11 . 0 . Nation . The company comprises Messrs . T . Swinbourne , G \ Behnore , Bennett , F . BarsbyII . Courtley , C . WarnerNellsonHolland

, , , , Bishop ; Misses Ada Dyas , Lizzie Willmore , Hudspeth , Fanny Gwynne , Ada Harland , Hetty Tracey , Alice Evans , Bishop , Eliza Dorling , Mrs . Bishop , and Mrs . Toynter . The performance commenced Avith the drama of Bcl phegor ; followed by P . C . Burnaiid ' s evergreen burlesque of Ixion ; and terminated

witli the revival oH Gam ' ck ' s Miss in , her Teens . Miss Dyas has been performing for some time past very successfully at the Newcastle Theatre Royal , and has earned the hi gh opinion of ah playgoers in that district . We fully anticipate that the warm Avishes of her northern friends for her success in her metropolitan career will be realized .

Notes On Literature, Science, Music, Drama, And The Fine Arts.

NOTES ON LITERATURE , SCIENCE , MUSIC , DRAMA , AND THE FINE ARTS .

THE ANNUAL FESTIVAL OP THE EOYAL GENERAL THEATRICAL FUND . THE NATUHB AND OBJECTS OP THE FU _ . . Upon the occasion of the twenty-first anniversary festival of this most useful and deserving institution

, celebrated on Wednesday sennight-, at the Freemason ' s Tavern , Mr . Buckstone responded as follows to the toast of " Prosperity to the General Theatrical Fund , " given by tho chairman , the Right Hon . the Lord Mayor : —My Lord Mayor , ladies , and gentleit is Avilh great pleasure that I rise to address you

this evening , to explain the nature and object of our fund , and to return thanks for our right ' lion , cliairman ' s toast ; for although Ave have had illustrious authors , great statesmen , and eminent actors presiding at these dinners , Ave have been remarkabl y fortunate this evening " in obtaining the chief

magistrate of the city for that office . lie is the first Lord Mayor who has so honoured this festival . Sir William Walworth may have killed his Wat T yler ; Dick ' Whittington may , from his good qualities and his good cat , have been thrice lord mayor of London ; the son of Sir Richard Gresliam may have built the

Royal Exchange ; and other lord mayors haA'e doubtless performed many generous and noble actions ; but I am sure all present AVIIO have a love for the drama and an affectionate regard for its professors will alloAv that the lord mayor of to-day having kindly consented to he our chairman on this occasion , that kindnesswill not he placed amongst the least praisewoithy of

any of the generous acts ever performed by him or by his honoured predecessors . On the last lord mayor ' s day I . had the p leasure of being at an open , window in Fleet-street to see and he delighted Avith the SIIOAV , Avhen of course I had the gratification of seeing our chairman in his great carriage well taken

care of and guarded by a Avarlike-looking retainer in a fur cap and bearing a gigantic SAvord . KnoAving our chairman not only to be a friend to our fund , but also a patron of the drama , I was one amongst the thousands assembled Avho gave him a hearty cheer as he passed by in his honourable state . Certainly

therewere no men in armour or ancient knights , as they used to he called in the civic programme , but it Avassaid that the expense was applied to a better purpose , and as at all times these knights were neither verystriking nor very steady objects in the cavalcade , their absence was not particularly regretted . Having alluded to the men in armour . I am inclined to relate an anecdote connected with them and a former lord

mayor ' s show . I once had occasion to represent Richard the Third at the Haymarket Theatre , but being unaccustomed at that house to warlike tragedies ,. Ave had no suits of mail in Avhich to encase tho captains and soldiers of York and Lancaster . In this difficulty I applied to the then manager of Astley ' s . Amphitheatre—not to Mr . E . T . Smith . the present

, one—for the loan of some armour , AA'hen almost immediately aftei-AA'ards a vanload arrived at my stage door . I sent my thanks to the manager for his kind ancl prompt compliance with my request , and experienced for him an indescribable feeling of friendship , mingled Avith gratitude . The only drawback to

this generous action Avas that the armour was very dirty aud required cleaning . To accomplish this my men were occupied for two or three days in brightening it up . The night came for the performance of Richard the Third . The armour was donned by the actors , ivho went iuto battle certainly , but under

difficulties . My Earl of Richmond ( Mr . HOAYB ) on lifting up his arm to strike at Richard , could not get . it down again , but continued in that striking attitude to the end of the play . Catesby aud Eatcliffe wandered about like two animated Dutch ovens , and being , unable to see through their vizors where they were going , came into collision AY ith each other ; some of the helmets having been forced on the heads of some

ot the soldiers , could not be got oft' again till long , after the tragedy was over ; Avhile one disgusted super , Avho had been laughed at by the audience , and had also experienced a tumble or two , was heard to say , "If tins armour dodge goes on I shall leave tho profession . " However , the tragedy Avas played hut two nights , Avhen the manager of Astley ' s immediately sent

his van to fetch the armour away , because the next day Avas lord mayor ' s clay , and it was Avanted for the show . I then discovered the reason ol' my friend ' s alacrit y in lending it to me—it required cleaning , and i had to go to the expense of it instead of him . Gentlemen , I must confess to having a certain feeling