having been educated in Europe, and having lived constantly under European influence, he has unconsciously imbibed the political ideas of our age. But, on the other hand, being in his private life under the influence of family traditions, and basing his rights upon wornout ideas, he has naturally conceived, with modern notions,

others which would better suit the seventeenth than the nineteenth century. In the etiquette he likes to observe at his wandering court, and in the titles and court charges he distributes, these weaknesses of his come very clearly to light. As an individual he is very brave, very kind-hearted; he is an excellent father; he is polite and amiable with everybody. He likes to sleep much, and to smoke much, and he is rather henpecked' by Doña Margarita, Princess of Parma, whom he married in February 1867, and by whom he has two daughters and a son, the eldest, Infanta Blanca, being five years old, and the youngest, Infanta Elvira, two years. His son, Infante JaimeCharles, who, according to his parents' belief, will have some day to play the role of Charles VIII., was born on the 27th of June, 1870.

Doña Margarita has the reputation of being a very clever woman; handsome she is certainly not, although in her stature, fair hair, and blue eyes there is, on the whole, something rather attractive; but no one would certainly take her for a Queen of Spain. She looks much more like a German or an English middle-class lady of one of those slight and delicate constitutions which are so often to be met with in northern countries amongst women who marry at an early age, and have more children than they ought to have. Being a year older, and much richer

than her husband, and of a much more settled turn of mind, she exercises, undoubtedly, great influence over Don Carlos, and if she had not been herself, at times, under the influence of a number of Jesuits and petty courtiers, her advice and views would probably have had upon Don Carlos a salutary influence. At all events, she reads much more than her husband, and is far more accomplished.

Up to about a year ago she was almost invariably living near Geneva, in the château called Bocage, but some of the over-zealous Carlists having compromised her by the storing of arms in her residence, she was ordered by the Swiss authorities to leave the country, and had to seek a refuge in France. When Don Carlos entered Spain she took up her residence at Bordeaux, and all the reports about her having crossed the frontier were utterly destitute of foundation. On her mere intention to remove to Pau, where she took a house a short time since, .the French Government intimated to her that she could not be allowed to reside in the vicinity of the Spanish frontier.

It was in the isolated château of St. Lon, in the Landes, that I first saw Don Carlos, in April 1873. He was then hiding himself and family from the French police, and changing his abode almost every week, under the protection of the legitimist landed proprietors of the south of France. I had then an opportunity to talk politics with him, and the opinions he expressed seemed to be different from those which are usually attributed to him. He assured me that he never intended to carry out absolutist theories. That if he came to reign, he would reign only with the advice of a freely-elected

Cortes; that though he greatly respected the clergy, he did not like their interfering in lay or political matters; that the solemn promises he has made to the northern provinces of Spain, of re-establishing their ancient fueros, was the best proof that he meant to revive decentralisation and ancient provincial and municipal liberties; and this he said he had declared in several of his manifestoes. But I do not believe that some of his most influential adherents will, when they once come into power, allow him to carry out all of these brilliant intentions.

Not

As with every young man who finds himself in a position like that of Don Carlos, he is very sanguine about the chances of his success, and when he crossed the frontier into Spain in the middle of July, he was quite overpowered by the joys and hopes that rose within him. Of the manner in which he was received, no one can form an idea unless he knows the temperament of the Basque people. only were the houses decorated in every village he passed through, and thousands and thousands of people assembled everywhere on the high road; not only did cries of Viva el Rey! and Viva Doña Marguerita! give a headache to every one who had to pass through the ordeal of listening to them; not only every man, woman, and child got perfectly mad in attempting to kiss anything belonging to Carlos Setimo, from his hands down to the tail of his horse; but as soon as he crossed the frontier there remained scarcely an ablebodied man in the whole of the northern provinces who had not joined the Carlist forces, imploring for some sort of arms to make him able to defend the beloved king.' And in this way, within a few months, had been formed over thirty battalions out of the few

bands which were scattered about the Navarre mountains in the spring of 1873.

a

From the point of view of military operations, the presence of Don Carlos in Spain is rather a drawback than otherwise, and that is the reason why his generals objected to his entering Spain before the army was quite organised. His presence with a large ridiculously large-staff, increases the expenses and paralyzes the military operations, since a considerable body of troops must be detached for his escort. Knowing but little of the country from a military point of view, and not being a military man himself, he can of course be of no use in the war councils, and the only result of his entry into Spain was that of arousing the enthusiasm of the population, and thus increasing the facilities of both getting volunteers and provisions from the country which has borne already more than a year the heavy burden of civil war, and which might otherwise have got tired of it. The presence of the Pretender is thus a kind of compensation to the exhausted Navarre and Basque villagers. It has made it possible for the Carlist commander-in-chief, General Elio, to become master of the whole of the northern provinces, with the exception of a few large towns like Pampelona, San Sebastian, and Bilbao. Α good portion of Catalonia is also under the dominion of the Carlists, and the Carlist successes in those parts of Spain have provoked similar movements in Arragon, Murcia, and Valencia. The intense religious feeling of the Spaniards was so much against the Federalist republicans, that they easily threw themselves into the arms of absolutism.

The cause of Carlism is nowhere popular in Spain except in the

northern provinces; and Don Carlos himself, being born and brought up abroad, is perfectly unknown to Spaniards, and consequently very little popular amongst them. But the fearful state of disorganisation and anarchy which prevails everywhere gives him a fair chance, if not to ascend the throne of Spain, at all events to remain for a long time the perfect master of such parts of the country as he might choose to occupy. The general belief spread in England that the Carlists cannot have success because they have not got money was right a short time ago, but it is wrong now. The money was sadly wanted in the beginning, when there were no arms for the volunteers, and when rifles and cartridges had to be purchased for ready cash in the London and Birmingham markets. At the present moment, however, somehow or other, such a number of Carlist volunteers have been armed that the republican government will scarcely ever be able to bring an equal force into the field. What the Carlists want now is drill and avoidance of any internal discords, always to be feared in Spanish parties. But if they use properly the winter months for drill, and do not break to pieces from petty internal squabbles, they will have a fair chance to cross the Ebro and march into the interior before the spring returns once more. Money will come then; for the Carlist volunteers will pretty soon collect in advance the very same taxes of which the republican government cannot get even the arrears; and European money-dealers always anxious to open their purse to people who seem likely to have success-will also come forward.

But to get to Madrid and to remain there are two different things. There can be no doubt whatever of the intense republican

feeling spread all through the large cities of Spain; and if Don Carlos ever reaches the capital, he is sure either to be assassinated, or to undergo the fate of Maximilian in Mexico. As soon as the probability of his reaching Madrid becomes evident the divided republicans all over Spain will unite to march against the Pretender, and will then deal with him just as the Mexicans dealt with the unhappy Austrian prince. Else he will be despatched into the other world like Prim was, simply with the help of a revolver or a poniard. But there is another reason for believing that the Carlist hope of ultimate success will be greatly frustrated. Señor Figueros, a man who knows Spain thoroughly, and who, from having occupied the post of the president of the republic, has had an opportunity of still better studying the real state of Spanish affairs, told me himself that he believed two rules only possible in Spain-either a federal republic, or a conservative monarchy, and that the conservative monarchy meant Don Alphonso. He pointed out that all the generals who now served Don Carlos were officers in the army of Isabella, and that they joined the Carlists, not because they were opposed to her or to her son, but because they did not wish to serve either a republic or Amadeo, who was a stranger. 'At present,' said Señor Figueros, ' Elio, Dorregaray, Lizarraga-all the leaders of Carlism, probably honestly believe that they are fighting for Don Carlos; but in reality they are simply fighting for a Spanish king against a republic; and as they can have no objection whatever to the young Don Alphonso, and as their own safety would dictate to them to prefer him to Don Carlos, I should not be astonished at all if-should they be successful, and the republic

overthrown-they find themselves at the head of troops bringing to Madrid Don Alphonso instead of Don Carlos, lost somewhere halfway.'

Yet all these apprehensions do not seem to occur either to Don Carlos or to any of his generals. They undergo daily and nightly all sorts of hardships; live upon stale bread, bad mutton, or kid, and bad pig-skin-smelling wine; sleep anyhow, and anywhere, and fight almost daily the sort of little moun

tain skirmishes which do not give a man even the moral satisfaction which the participation in a great battle gives. And about half a dozen unlucky English newspaper men were compelled, all through the summer months, to follow the Carlist bands, to undergo the same privations and dangers as they, and to write at night to the British public, when the Carlists went to rest, what they had seen in the day-time.

AZAMAT-BATUK.

MRS

RS. ROUSBY was fortunate enough or unfortunate enough, as it may be considered -to have her advent heralded by puffs of the most carefully considered and effective nature. We have no hesitation in saying that the expectations thus raised have not been justified; and, despite the good notices' of her performances which the lady has obtained from various journals (not all of the highest class), we think there are good grounds for asserting that she is not regarded by intelligent playgoers as an actress even distantly approaching the first rank; for what has she done that could not have been done quite as well by many other ladies on the English stage, and better by not a few? Mrs. Rousby would make a very agreeable walking lady,' and perhaps might be taught, in time, to play some character parts nicely; but to prop her up by newspaper notices, and try to make her out to be a leading actress, is altogether ridiculous. There is as

much difference between Mrs. Rousby and a great actress as there is between "Twixt Axe and Crown' and Hamlet.' This lady has learned that emotion is not only exemplified by modulations of the voice, but also by the expression of the face; perhaps some day it will occur to her that arms, and hands, and attitude generally, have something to do with the thorough portrayal of a character, and that these by no means contemptible aids to effect must be brought into requisition by actresses who wish to exhibit different sensations thoroughly. If Mrs. Rousby would go and study the business of the ladies we have named, and of several whom we propose to name presently, and note how they'suit the action to the word, the word to the action,' it would well repay her time and trouble. Mrs. Rousby gesticulates and postures; but what does it all mean? Close your ears and watch the movements of a great actress: her meaning is clearly conveyed by

her actions. Close your ears and watch Mrs. Rousby: of course you can tell whether she is in distress or terror, but beyond these broad facts you cannot understand her intention in the least. There is no subtlety, none of those delicate nuances which are of such inestimable value to the perfect rendering of a character, and have such irresistible effect on the spectator. That Mrs. Rousby is very far from being at home in the delivery of blank verse was evidenced by her Cordelia, when 'King Lear' was played some time since at Drury Lane. A strange notion obtains amongst many people, both on and off the stage, that it is impossible to speak blank verse and be natural: not only that it must be recited in a formal and stilted manner, but that a natural look or gesture would altogether destroy the grandeur of the speeches. Mrs. Rousby repeats her blank verse as though she felt that it was blank verse, and wished to impress that truth emphatically upon her audience; but still with a certain amount of intelligence, as though she had been taught the speeches by a talented person who had trusted something-too much--to her instinctive artistic feeling.

Of course outsiders cannot tell the circumstances under which plays were written; and very likely authors frequently have some satisfactory way of accounting for what appears incomprehensible to the observer, and for what he often condemns in undue haste; but it is marvellous to us that in 'Joan of Arc' the author should have missed one of the very best acting points that was ever within easy reach-absolutely in the way of a dramatist. Joan (Mrs. Rousby) believes that mysterious voices in the air speak to

her and urge her on to save her king and country. Were there ever finer acting situations, since the drama was first invented, than those in which Joan's attention is suddenly arrested, and she stands listening spell-bound to the weird utterances which reach her wondering ears? How a great actress would have revelled in so magnificent an opportunity, and what an effect she could not have failed in making! But for some reason, which to us is utterly inexplicable, the skilful and accomplished dramatist- -as every one must admit Mr. Taylor to bemakes Joan explain to the audience when she hears these spirit voices; cruelly spoiling an unequalled situation. Mrs. Rousby does explain (in blank verse), and puts herself into a pleasing attitude to listen; looking less, however, as if she were receiving counsel and instruction from heaven than as if she were posing to the operator of some photographic company. 'Griselda,' at the Princess's, is a terribly monotonous play, and therefore it is not surprising that the heroine should be a terribly monotonous personage; indeed, we hope and believe that we have never yet seen Mrs. Rousby at her best, and are sincerely desirous of doing so, for, indubitably, in her proper place she would be a very valuable acquisition to a company; but not to play Joan of Arc, or Lady Elizabeth, and assuredly not Cordelia. Doubtless in time she will find her level; and then, by patience and industrious study, may eventually become a very useful actress.

Mrs. John Wood is a treasure, and in a certain range of characters stands absolutely unrivalled. There is, we think, some similarity between this lady and Mrs. Alfred Mellon-the Miss Woolgar