Science, Art, And The Drama.

Science , Art , and the Drama .

SOME NATIONAL AIRS AND THEIR ASSOCIATIONS . ( Continued ) . Of the martial songs , more particularly connected with the various neriods of storm and stress in Get many , one of tho most celebrated is that if the Rhine , composed by Bicker , and answeied by Alfred de Musstt in other well-known verses . The " Wacht am Rheiii , " by Max Schnoskenbureer was composed about the same period as the Rhine song , but attained its widest oopularny during the war of 1870 . Unlike Becker s « , onsr i * cannot baast of having been set to music by 70 composers . The ^ tnrtic son-r rf " Deutschlmd , Deutschland , ubir alles , " was the work

of the popular wriler , pott , philologist , and historian , August Holtman , who was born at Fallersleten in the year 1798 . For a time we find htm acting as librarian , and later , as professor , at the University of Breslau ; but the liberal tendency of some of his writings caused him , in 1838 , to be deprived ot his professorial chair . For many years he was librarian to the Dukeof Ratibor , and died in this sheltered pot in 1 S 74 . The German national anthem , " Heil Dir im Sieger Kranz , " was written , originally , for

the birthday of Christian VIL , King of Denmark , by a Hoi * in clergyman . The wotds were written to the air of " God save the King , in 1790 , and a few years later were modified for the use cf Prussia . The national airs of America have some curious assertions . The " Sar-spangled Banner , " was written by Francis Scott Key , on boatd the ' rgate Surprise , during the bombardment of Fort McHenry by the British , in 1 S 14 . Key , the story oneshad eone to release a captive friend , but was not permitted to return to

, Baltimore . He witnessed the engagement all night , and , at dawn , when he saw the star-spangled banner was still floating from the ramparts , wrote the verses which , on his return to Baltimore , he had printed with the direction that they should besung tothetuneof " Anacreon in Heaven . " Thissonghadbetn many years previously adopted by the Society of Amateur Musicians called the Anacreontic , which htld its merry meetings at the " Crown and Anchor " Tavern in the Strand . A certain President of the Society—Ralph Tomlinson bv name—wrote the words of this somewhat Bacchanalian song , while

lohn Stafford Smith set them to music , lhe strains ot the " bt-ir-spangled Banner " are supposed to have been first heard in a tavern near the Holidaystreet Theatre , Baltimore . Like so many more songs it arose in stirring times , and from a somewhat obscure origin , ultimately developed into one of the most popular of the American national songs . " Yankee Doodle " is probably a tune of English origin , not older than the middle of the last mention of it is said to be contained in the Boston

century . The earliest Journal of the Times for the month of September , 1760 . It informs us " that the ( British ) fleet was brought to anchor near Castle William that nig ht .... those * passing in boats observed great rejoicings , and that the Yankee Doodle song was the capital piece in the band oi music . '' The original name of the song is " The Yankees return from the camp . " In the middle of the last century General Amherst had under his command

an army of regular and provincial troops . Among the former was a Dr . Shuckbutgh , to whom the air is traditionally ascribed , though it is probable enough that the words only are to be attributed to him . The colonial contingent seems to have presented a rather sorry appearance—its ill-fitting and inccmplete uniforms , and , like our own militia in the last century , formed a continual butt for the humour cf the regular troops . Thus Dr . Shuckburgh was but falling in with the prevailing vein of pleasantry when he recommend * d the tune lo the colonial officers " as one of the

most celebrattd airs of martial music . " Thus , once Egain , a song that may almost be called the American national anthem , owes its origin not to any lofty conception of a national destiny , but to the efforts of a worthy doctor to enliven the tedium of routine in a provincial camp . Of the other popular song , " HaU ! Columbia , " little of interest can ba said . It was written in theclosingyearsof tht last century by Judge Jos .

Hopkinson , and was adapted to the music of the" President s March . the words had been written for the actor Fox , and are said to have been first sung by him in a Philadelphia theatre in 179 S , from which time the song began to rise in popular favour . One of the most beautiful of national anthems is that of Austria , entitled "Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser . " It is said that Hajdn , during his visits to this country , had often envied the English

" God savi / . tlie King ; " and the outcome of his desire to provide the Austria ?! p _ opb with an expression of fidelity to the throne in the days of the French revolutionary war was the celebrated hymn , for which Haschka —a somewhat minor poet—wrote the words . To Von Zedlitz , a belterknown writer , we probably owe the words as now sung . On the Emperor ' s birthday , 12 th February , 1707 , the air was sung , simultaneously , at the

National Theatre in Vienna and all the principal theatres in the provinces . Haydn is said to have regarded this anthem—often used in England as a hymn lunt—as his favoutite woik ; and , towards the close of his life , to have often consoled himself by playing it with great expression . Not much remains to be said concerning other national anthems of Europe , which are mostly of comparatively modern origin . Thus "La Braban ^ onne ' j" dates

from the Revolution of 1830 , when Belgium became an independent country , both the words and the music being composed during the struggle . The author of the words—Jenneval , a well-known actor on the Brussels stage—was killed in one of the actions near Antwerp . The Russian national anthem was composed three years after " The Braban-Vonne " by Alexis Fwoff , who , besides being a violinist and musician of note

at the head of the Imperial orchestra in St . Petersburg , held the honorary rank of general and adjutant to the Emperor Nicholas . The air met with an enthusiastic reception in Russia , the Czar , on its appearance , giving ordere for its performance at concerts and theatres . Gounod has written a fantasia on this air , and it is also a leading theme in Rubenstein ' s La Russie .

PAINTERS AND OTHER ARTISTS IN THE REIGN OF

JAMES I . { Continued ) Someof the notes recorded by Stone in his pocket book are so curious that we subjoin a few : "In June , 1614 , I barga ' ned with Sir Walter Bu ler for to make a tomb II ? * ' oi ^ "lond , and to set it up in Ireland ; for the which I I ad KMlV Pai < * ™ - £ 100 ' '" har . d , an * ** £ ? r when the wotk was set up at

Science, Art, And The Drama.

" 1615 . Agreed with Mr . Griffin for to make a tomb for my Lord of Northampton , and to sett it in Dover Castle , for the which Lhad £ 500 well payed . I made Mr . Isaac James a partner with me in co irtesy , because he was my master three years , that was , two years of my prentice , and one year journeyman . "

" In May , 1615 , I did set up a tomb for Sir Thomas Bodely , in . Oxford , for which Mr . Hackwell , of Lincoln's Inn , payed me ^ 200 good money . " " In November , 1615 , Mr . Jansen , in Southwark , and I , did sett up a tomb for Mr . Sutton at Charterhouse , for the which we had ^ 400 well payed , but the little monument of Mr . Lawes was included , the which I made and all the carven work of Mr . Sutton's tomb . "

"July , 1616 , I was sent into Scotland , where I undertook to do work in the King ' s chappie , and for the King ' s closett , and the organ so much as came to ^ 450 of wainscot-worke , the which I performed and had my money well payed , and £ 50 was given to drink , whereof I had £ 20 given me by the King's command . "

" 1616 . A bargain made with Mr . Chambers for the use of the Right Honourable Luce , Countess of Bedford , for one fair and stately tomb of touchstone and white marble for her father and mother , and brother and sister , for the which I was to have £ 1020 , and my lady was to stand at all charges for carridge and iron and setting up . " ( Lucy Harrington was a

great heiress , wife of Edward , Earl of Bedford , whose fortune and her own she wasted . She was a great patroness of the wits of that age , and was much celebrated by them , particularly by Dr . Donne . May dedicated his Litcan to her . At Woburn there is a picture of her , in a fantastic habit , dancing ) .

" 1619 . A bargain made with Sir Charles Morison , 01 Cashiobery , in Hertfordshire , for a tomb of Alabaster and touchstone only . One pictor of white marble for his father , and his own , and his sister , the Countess of Sussex ( Bridget Morrison , wife of Robert Ratcliffe , Earl of Sussex ) , as great as the life , of alabaster , for the which I had well payed , £ 260 , and four pieces given me to drink . "

THE DEMOISELLE CRANE . The Demoiselle Crane is one of the handsomest and most graceful of its family , of which there are some 16 members , all easily distinguishable from each other by their different size or plumage . The general colour is of a bluish-grey , the wings being slightly darker , with some of the feathers much elongated and black at their extremities . These , when the wings are folded , completely hide the tail , and look themselves exactly like that

appendage . The crown of the head and upper part of the neck are slate colour , but the under surface of the neck is black , the . lower feathers being much elongated , and forming a hanging frill . Behind the eye , on each side , is a tuft of white silky plumes , about three * inches in length . The eye is crimson , and the bill and feet greenish horn colour . The demoiselle crane inhabits three continents , viz ., Europe ,

Asia , and Africa , and breeds in all three of them , being , in this respect , unique amongst its own kind . It was well known to the ancients , and the early writers gave it a variety of names , amongst them being actor , dancer , and comedian , which were , no doubt , derived from its wonderful dances and attitudes , and its supposed imitation of the actions of human beings .

Although it frequents , as a rule , swampy places and the neighbourhood of rivers and lakes , its nesting haunts are in the open plains , where it makes a depression in the sand , lined with grass and pebbles , for the reception of its eggs . Both the male and the female take part in the incubation of the eggs , one of them usually standing sentinel while the other is on the nest . The number of eggs laid is two .

LYCEUM THEATRE . With "Louis XI . " Bro . Sir Henry Irving concludes his present series of revivals , " The Merchant of Venice " being put on for a matinee only . " Louis XI . " has been revived pretty frequently at the Lyceum . In 1885 it enjoyed the services of Mr . George Alexander as Nemours , and Miss Winifred Emery as Marie . In 1 S 90 Miss Kate Phillips was the Martha ,

and Mr . Macklin the Cottier , Mr . Haviland and Miss Coleridge being also in the cast . In 1893 the piece was performed at one matinee only , this time with Mr . Frank Cooper as Jacques Coitier . Louis ,, of course , dominates the play , but he does not monopolise it , and there are plenty of good opportunities for the representatives of most of the other characters .

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