effect, upon which _Mr. Punch_, in
anticipation of its speedy transmission to England, feels bound to offer
a word of comment. In the third act of the opera, the libretto of which,
be it remarked, is from the pen of M. SCRIBE, a chaise, containing two
of the principal characters, is upset at the door of a tobacconist's
shop in Wales. Of course, the occupants of the chaise are assisted into
the shop, where they sing a duet with, as the French papers say, "A
funny accompaniment of coughing and sneezing." At this we are told the
whole house _"eclata de rire_", and that "_les brouhahas les plus vives
accueillirent ce joli morceau_". If _Mr. Punch_ were not entirely free
from all petty national jealousy, he might, perhaps, insinuate that M.
HALEVY has taken his idea from the brilliant sternutations which the
immortal tenor GRIMALDI was wont to embroider, as the _Morning Post_
would say, upon his grand scena of "_Tippetywitchet_." But he contents
himself with M. HALEVY'S indirect tribute of praise to that great
_artiste_, and rejoices in the conviction that the _belle fioriture_ of
_il povero Guiseppe_, now that they have received the stamp of French
approval, will come into general acceptation with us.

He expects that during the ensuing winter great pains will be taken to
perforate the roofs and walls of our theatres, as managers will feel
that no singer can succeed properly in an air unless she stands in a
draught.

He expects also that his contemporaries will criticise the _debut_ of a
new tenor after the following fashion--

"SIGNOR INFREDDATURA, who made his first appearance last night in
the comic opera of _Il Catarro_, has all the qualifications of a
great singer; viz. a fine person, a sweet and powerful voice,
expressive and appropriate action, and _a bad cold_. He took all his
sternutations with the greatest ease, and in correct time, and in
his grand aria of '_Ah! tu traditrice_,' the audience knew not
whether to admire most, the great power with which he gave the
_Ahchew_--sustaining the '_Ah_' for some seconds, and then suddenly
pouring forth the '_Chew_' in a volume of sound that DUPREZ might
have envied--or the playful irony which he threw into his new and
_spirituel_ reading of the _treechay_. He was, however, but badly
seconded by MADAME TESTACHIARA, who was so nervous as to have no
control over her organ whatever, so that the two pinches of snuff
whi