square, with its combined attractions of fountains, monuments, public buildings, public baths and wash-houses – similar institutions to which Mr. Brett had a desire should be established in Hastings. Then skipping away to the Punch-renowned Leicester square, with its “Great Globe”, Burford’s Panorama, and the newly decorated Alhambra – the introduction of “drink” into which was strongly condemned, Mr. Brett conducted his “followers” to Her Majestys Theatre (Italian Opera), and via club-house and courtly London, to St. James’s and the Green Parks, noticing Carlton terrace and Carlton House, St. James’s and Buckingham Palaces, Admiralty, Horse-Guards, Treasury, and other public buildings; Whitehall, Westminster Abbey (at considerable length, with a glimpse of the printing-press which Caxton first set up there); the two Houses of Parliament, with their splendid river-front and giant towers; Westminster Hall, St. Stephens, and away over Vauxhall bridge to Vauxhall Gardens. The trip home on the river enabled our Metropolitan Guide to discourse of Lambeth Palace, Whitehall Gardens, Hungerford, Waterloo, Blackfriars and Southwark bridges, and “the celebrated central taxation depôt”, Somerset House. The reading concluded amid loud applause, with some appropriate advice to intending visitants to London – especially in view of the coming Exhibition of ’62 – as to the benefits and advantages which they might obtain by previous consultation of maps and books in planning out the objects to be seen, and by which their days or weeks might be spent to far greater profit than could be the case if such information was sought on the spot; the lecturer observing that Londoners themselves were not well-informed on this subject – in proof of which he related a circumstance to show that he had himself seen more in one week than another person who had been living in London a quarter of a century. – Much credit is due to Mr. Brett for the information conveyed in these readings.
“The Cabinet of Curiosities” was produced by Mr. W. S. Woodin at the St. Leonards Assembly Rooms on the 21st and 22nd of August with thorough success, the room on both occasions being inconveniently crammed, and many persons turned away.
Grand Entertainment at Beauport. – This elegant mansion – once the seat of Sir Charles Lamb, Bart., having come into possession of Mr (now Lord) Brassey, very extensive alterations and improvement were effected during a period of about nine months, and when completed, Mr. and Mrs. Brassey sent invitations to nearly 400 ladies and gentlemen of Hastings, St. Leonards, Battle and other places, and these assembled in the mansion and on the beautiful grounds as an inaugural event, on Friday, July 12th. The company continued to arrive from about three to five o’clock, during which time a special train brought 100 persons from London. The whole of the splendid suite of rooms were -
