in very bright dresses (illuminated from behind),
and with faces all expressive of delight and
wonder, and the balloon in the middle—
a practicable balloon, not attached to the
canyas. We could see it swaying as the men
ve to hold it. I remember the describer's
words to this hour: " At last, all being now
ready, Mr. Green, the intrepid aeronaut, and
his companion entered the car, and having taken
farewell of his friends, gave the signal to cast
off, and in a moment the balloon rapidly
ascended." At the same time cheerful music
behind the baize, "The Roast Beef of Old
England," I think, struck up, and the garden,
wondering spectators, trees, all went down rapidly,
the balloon remaining stationary. The effect
was most ingeniously produced. I never shall
forget the interest with which that voyage
was followed. We had the clouds, the stars,
the darkened welkin, all moving slowly by (to
music). The crossing of the Channel by night,
and the rising of the sun—wonderful effect!
Plenty of rich fiery streaking well laid on.
Then the Continent, and terra firma again;
and how ingeniously was a difficulty got rid of.
Necessarily, the countries we were to see from
Mr. Green's car could only be under faint bird's-
eye condition, and " so many thousand feet above
the level of the sea," which would make everything
rather indistinct and unsatisfactory. We
therefore took advantage of the interval between
the first and second parts to get rid of our large
balloon which blocked up the centre of the
canvas, and changed it for a tiny one, which was
put away high in the air, in its proper place,
where it took up no room, and did quite as well
as the other. However, at the close of the
performance, when we had travelled over every-
thing, and wished to see Mr. Green coining
down, we took back our large balloon, and
were very glad to see it again, and the wondering
faces of the Germans.

There is one scene which the dioramic world
seems inclined not willingly to let die. At least
it somehow thrusts itself without any regard to
decent dioramic fitness upon every kind of diorama
indiscriminately. Any student will know at once
that I allude to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
at Jerusalem. This seems to have a sort of
fascination for the painters. I never knew a single
show that had not this church "lugged in"
head and shoulders, or rather porch and pillars,
either at the beginning or at the end. I am
afraid this is from no spirit of piety or veneration,
but simply from the favourable opening the
church presents for changing from a daylight
view to a gorgeous " night effect." They know,
too, that the good are among the audience in
strong force, and that is touching the true chord.
We know by heart the clumpy Byzantine pillars
and the Moorish arches, and the stairs down
to the right, and the round globes of white
light lamps burning, and the men in turbans
kneeling.

Suddenly we hear the harmonium behind, and
the voices of Mr. George Harker, the admired
tenor, and Miss Edith Williams, the (also)
admired soprano, attuning their admired voices
together in a very slow hymn; and gradually
the whole changes to midnight, with a crypt lit
up with countless lamps and countless
worshippers. A dazing and dazzling spectacle,
the umbrellas of the good and pious becoming
deafening in their approbation. Taken as
an old friend, that I have seen in every town
in the kingdom, I have an affection for this
crypt and its transformation; but still I
know every stone in it by heart. Where was
it that I saw the DIORAMA OF IRELAND, with
"national harps and altars," "national songs
and watchwords," " national dances and
measures," all in great green letters, made out of
staggering round towers and ruined abbeys?—
appropriate songs and dances by Miss Biddy
Magrath. Where but iu an Irish town rather
towards the north. I recal the lecturer, a very
solemn man, who preached a good deal as the
canvas moved on to music—it is a law that
canvas can only move to music; and a city with
bridges, &c., and a river would slowly pass on,
and stop short when it was finally developed.
Our lecturer would say, sadly, as if he were
breaking a death, " LIM-ER-ICK! the city of the
vier-lated te-reaty!" The result of this announcement
in the northern town was a burst of hisses,
with a counter-demonstration from the back
benches. The grand scene, however, was when
a bright and gay town came on, and was
introduced as "DERRY, THE MAIDEN CITY!" Then
there was terrific applause, and even cheers, with
a counter-demonstration from the back. It will
be conceived that this state of things did not
conduce at all to the success of the diorama, and
it was very shortly withdrawn from its native
land, and exhibited to more indifferent spectators.
And yet Miss Magrath's exertions, both
in singing and dancing, were exceedingly arch,
and deserved a better fate.

The lecturers are always delightful. What
were they —I always think while waiting for the
green baize to be drawn—before they took to
this profession? Is it a lucrative profession?—
by the way, it certainly must be a limited one.
How he must get at last absolutely to loathe
the thing he described, and yet he always looks at
it as he speaks with an air of affection; but in
his heart of hearts he must loathe it, or be dead to
all human feelings and repugnances. For only
consider the "day performance" at two—the
night one at eight. Yet he always seems to
deliver it with an air of novelty, and an air of
wisdom, too, and morality, which is not of the
pulpit, or forum, but simply dioramic. It
is only when he descends to jests and joking
that he loses our respect. A little story of his
goes an immense way, especially anything touching
on love or courtship. "There," he says,
speaking of the prairies, " the vast rolling plains
are covered with a rank lugsurious and rich
verjoor. There we can see the solitary wigwam, with