PARS ABOUT PICTURES.

Close upon a hundred years ago, when GEORGE THE THIRD was King, MENDOZA opened a saloon in the Strand, whereat various studies in Black and Blue might be enjoyed.  To-day MENDOZA has a gallery in King Street, which is devoted to studies in Black and White.  You may say, history repeats itself.  Nothing of the kind.  The gentleman of GEORGE THE THIRD’S time devoted himself to the pugilistic art; the gentleman of the time of VICTORIA gives his attention to graphic art.  The one was the patron of fists, the other of fingers—­that makes all the difference.  MENDOZA the Past, closed eyes—­MENDOZA the Present opens them, and, if you go to the St. James’s Gallery, you will find a pleasant collection of Eye Art—­open to all peepers.  It is true it may not be High Art, but you will find it, like Epps’s Cocoa, “grateful and comforting.”

Mr. MCLEAN, who has had an Art-show in the Haymarket since the days of GEORGE THE THIRD, or rather his ancestor had, is “quite up to time, and smiling,” with his present collection (your Old PAR can’t help using the argot of the P.R., and brings COLE, not to Newcastle, but to the Haymarket, in “A Bend in the River, near Maple Durham.”  He shows us the views of BURTON BARBER on “Compulsory Education,” also a wondrous picture of the “Gate of the Great Mosque of Damascus,” by BAUERNFEIND, “A Venetian Brunette,” by FILDES, and many other works that will well repay inspection, but of which there is no space for anything more to be said by yours par-enthetically,

OLD PAR.

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THE GENTLE ART (OF SNIGGLING).

["Whoever walks beside the river (the Ettrick), will observe five or six or more men and boys, equipped with gigantic wading-breeches, busy in each pool.  They are only armed with rods and flies, and thus have a false appearance of being fair fishers....  The truth is that the apparent sportsmen are snigglers, not anglers.  They drive the top part of their rods deep into the water, so as to rake the bottom, and then bring the hook out with a jerk.  Every now and then ... one of the persecuted fishes ... is hauled out with short shrift.”—­Daily News.]

  Oh! the world’s very bad, and our hearts they are sore
    As we think of the errors and wrongs we have got to
  Endure uncomplaining, and oh! we deplore
    The things people do, that they really ought not to! 
  With Courtesy dead, and with Justice “a-bed,”
    When the mention of Love only causes a giggle,—­
  But we’d manage to live and still hold up our head,
    Were it not for the villain who ventures to sniggle.

  With his rod and his hook see him carefully rake
    The bed of the river, and gallantly wading,
  Arrayed in his breeches, endeavour to make
    Of genuine sport but a mere masquerading. 
  You might think him a fool for his trouble—­but look! 
    (And it’s true, though at first it appears to be gammon)
  With a horrible jerk, as he pulls up his hook,
    The sportsmanlike sniggler has landed a salmon!