The Doncaster St. Leger commenced as a Sweepstakes of 25 guineas each, p. p., for three years old; colts 8st., fillies 7st. 121b.; two miles. In 1790 the weights were altered, colts carrying 8st. 2lb. and fillies 8st.; in 1826 they were further increased to 8st. 6lb. for colts and 8st. 3lb. for fillies; and in 1839 again changed, 8st. 71b. for colts and 8st. 2lb. for fillies, at which standard they remain at present. In 1832 the stake became one of 50 sovs. each, half forfeit, of which, in 1835, the second horse received a hundred, and in 1843 two hundred, while the third was allowed his stake. In 1846, according to a resolution passed at the last meeting, an increase in these allowances will be made the second to receive 300 sovs., and the third 100 sovs. 408 THE ANNUALS FOR THE YEAR 1845. HEATH'S BOOK OF BEAUTY, with beautifully-finished Engravings, from Drawings by the first Artists. Edited by the Countess of Blessington. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Long mans. THE KEEPSAKE, with beautifully-finished Engravings, from Draw- A great deal hath been said, thought, and written against the unfortunate class of books called Annuals. Even those who usually write in their praise do it somewhat churlishly, as with a reservation; or yet worse, merely to fulfil a task imposed, or discharge a debt of friendly criticism. But the large social classes for whom they are so elegantly compiled-what say they? When that season returns which brings to most the desire to knit closer the links of the family chain, by loving deeds of remembrance and generosity; which opens the heart to charity, and shuts the door upon cold and inclemencywhen Christmas, the knell and festival of the year, returns, with its grave warnings and domestic yearnings, would not parents, godmothers, aunts, brothers, sisters, and friends, look about with black and discontented faces did they miss the books of engravings, the soft landscapes, and the bright portraitures of the beauty of the land, where women are endowed with privileges greater than they possess in any other spot under the sun? Could a ribbon, lace, or trinket speak so much for the kindly thought in the winter's gift? Could they tend to refine the taste equally with a beautiful engraving after Vandyke, a study of Cattermole's, a soft feminine face of Grant's? Even the epigram, sonnet, and tale that fixes or explains such work of art, though slight and unlaboured of construction, has its theme in the beauty daily met-its incident in the foreign travel of the yearits story told gently of gentle authors' gentle experiences no high order of talent, but altogether a pleasant furniture of a lady's table. Most unjust, then, are those who carp at these pretty baubles, enshrining, as they do, works of art that have occupied the genius of the first artists of this and other countries-specimens of the art of engraving, that are the admiration of the nations of Europe. The reappearance of the Annuals is hailed by us in a double sense-for their intrinsic value as what the children call them, "those pretty picturebooks," and for the thoughts of absent friends, remembered beautiful scenes, or well-known faces, they so often pleasantly recall to our recollection. THE BOOK OF BEAUTY opens with a charming frontispiece indeed -a delicate engraving of Thomson, of the portrait of the Marchioness of Douro, by J. R. Swinton; it is a highly-finished picture of a highly-finished work of Nature's-a face full of ideal beauty. Another lovely thing of Thorburn's is next in succession to it-Lady Craven's portrait. Lady Chesterfield's is a strikingly characteristic likeness; and Baroness le Despencer's the gem of the book. The next in beauty is, to our thinking, that of Mrs. Knatchbull, a charming specimen of womanly loveliness. On the mere score of beauty, perhaps no face in the collection could pass uncriticised; but all are pleasing specimens of the pleasant sex. The literary merit of this volume is beyond the average of the preceding year's. There is a delightful conversation, too full of profound philosophy, alas! to be aught but imaginary, by Walter Savage Landor; a good tale by Miss Camilla Toulmin, entitled "The Other Side of the Wall," a story in two chapters; some comic lines, written on the envelope of a bottle of Tyrian hair-dye, found on a lady's toilet, by Mr. Bernal, cleverly apt to the subject; a really beautiful scrap of poetry by Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton called "Youth's Dirge ;" and an amusing paper on epitaphs by Mr. Monckton Milnes. What more could you have, fair of pleasure and idlesse? Trifles clever and elegant as these, to while away a tedious hour, are surely valuable. THE KEEPSAKE, besides an exquisite portrait by Grant, of Mrs. Alfred Montgomery, and a frontispiece whereon the Countess of Jocelyn is depictured very gracefully, engraved after Leslie's portrait of the fair lady, possesses the attraction of some highly wrought general subjects, of which the chef d'œuvre, to our, perchance, uncultivated thinking, is Lord Byron's room in the Palazzo Moncenigo, a work of costly labour and elaborate finish. Cottaau's "Last Farewell," Edward Corbould's "Island Bride," and J. Hayter's "Heiress," are groupings of no common order of subjects, highly pleasing in themselves. In the list of contributors we have high sounding literary cognomens, and the usual number of noble and gentle authors. Landon, D'Israeli, Eugène Sue have not disdained to offer their homage as tributaries to the fair editress. Of that we have read in this pretty and peculiar book we prefer some anonymous lines elegantly penned, the subject, "The Vision of a Picture;" the editor's account of Lord Byron's room-any detail of the poet's whereabouts cannot fail to be interesting-a smartly told tale; the "Island Bride," by W. H. Harrison Esquire; a kind of second-sight revelation, by the author of "Coningsby ;" and the "Soliloquy of a fine Lady," by the Countess of Blessington, which is a gay lifelike enumeration of the ennuis of pleasure. "Ah! little think the gay unthinking crowd" of the nightmares of care, the agonies of starvation, the while they thus buffet with the pale puffy spectre of listlessness. There is a good chapter on the "Lions of Lookistan," and, on the whole, this is a readable Keepsake. CATTERMOLE'S HISTORICAL ANNUAL presents more sterling literary merit, combined with a charming and highly wrought series of engravings, by the most eminent artists, than the mere lady annuals. It is dedicated to a "History in action," of the most graphic reign in our English annals of the martyr king, whose absolutism of government was rendered respectable by the consistency by which it was maintained, and the firmness by which it was advocated, in the midst of unexampled misfortune, in ruin, and to the death. The reverend author has done justice to his interesting subject, and carries the reader along with him to the last. This work will, indeed, form a delightful gift of friendship, and in every sense of the word it will be considered an addition to the library, as well as to the boudoir table. Some little hurry is manifested in the last pages. Some absorbing points of interest being as it were slurred over. This the author comments upon himself in the preface, as unavoidable to the nature of the undertaking. We take our extract from the "Keepsake," the lines of Octogenarius ON THE VISION OF A PICTURE. In a house where grace abideth, Amidst many a pleasant likeness, There is one ...... of thee! Fain would I again behold it, Fain see thee-thou painter's prize! Wilt thou not return and tell me? Ha! she cometh at my beck- On whose eyes her soft eyes linger! So good muse, for once befriend me! Some brave touch of courage lend me! Forward heart! Let others sing Rhymes for conqueror or king. Beauteous queen-all crowned with flowers- We regret we cannot find space for a copious extract from " Cattermole's History of the Surrender of King Charles to the Soldiery at Holdenby." The Almanac tide is at high flood. The FUNNY ALMANAC, embellished by " Phiz," and bon mot'd by other funny fellows, is a work uncommonly characteristic of the day-short, sharp, and to the point. Lover is the publisher, 10, Bolt Court, Fleet Street. This is Lover the second disciple of Momus of that ilk. The ILLUSTRATED LONDON ALMANAC, published by the proprietors of the Illustrated London News, at 198, Strand-price one shilling! This would be cheap at a crown. Such a book twenty years ago would have cost a guinea. PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS OF THE METROPOLIS. "Old Heads and Young Hearts,' the new comedy by Mr. Bourcicault, is the very best which has appeared for years.'"-Illustrated London News. Our past month was one of promise and performance. Dramatic novelties have been brought out, and with success, at almost every theatre in London. Managers have done their best to satisfy the public cry for English national drama. The surfeit of Gallic importations has pretty well reached its height; something more was needed than French jokes, French modes, and French morals (all at second hand) to keep the rational portion of an audience awake, or to tempt it, in the first instance, to a theatrical entertainment. We rejoice, therefore, at the dawn of improvement in this respect, auspicious as it is of the advent of a brighter dramatic era. At one epoch, indeed, we despaired. The failure of Mr. Webster's design to encourage and bring to light the positive talent of his countrymen, signally failed. A wordy, purposeless, vapid, and mawkish play |