Had Sir ARTHUR written the music for The Mountebanks, and Sir BRIAN DE BOIS GILBERT the book of Haddon Hall, both might have been big successes So, however, it was not to be, and Sir ARTHUR chose this book by Mr. GRUNDY, which labours under the disadvantages of being original, and of not owing almost everything to a French source.  It isn’t every day of the week that Mr. GRUNDY tumbles upon A Pair of Spectacles in a volume of French plays.  The period to which the very slight and uninteresting story of Haddon Hall belongs is just before the Restoration, but the dialogue of “the book” is spiced with modern slang, both “up to date” (the date being this present year of Grace, not sixteen hundred and sixty) and out of date.  The “out-of-date” slang, which is, “I’ve got ’em on"—­alluding to the Scotchman’s trousers—­has by far the best of it, as it comes at the end of the piece, and enjoys the honour of having been set to music by the variously-gifted Composer:  so that “I’ve got ’em on,” with its enthusiastically treble-encored whiskey fling, capitally danced by Miss NITA COLE as Nance, with Mr. DENNY as The McCrankie, may be considered as the real hit of the evening, having in itself about as much to do with whatever there is of the plot as would have the entrance of Mr. JOEY GRIMALDI, in full Clown’s costume, with “Here we are again!” Of the music, as there was very little to catch and take away, one had to leave it.  Of course this seriously comic or comically serious Opera is drawing—­["Music,” observes Mr. WAGG, parenthetically, “cannot be drawing"]—­and will continue to do so for some little time, long enough at all events to reimburse Mr. D’OYLY CARTE for his more than usually lavish outlay on the mise-en-scene.

  [Illustration:"Christmas is comin’!”
  The McClown of McClown dancing. 
  The Reel Hit of the Opera.

In the Second Act, the mechanical change from the exterior of Haddon Hall to the interior, must be reckoned as among the most effective transformations ever seen on any stage.  It would be still more so if the time occupied in making it were reduced one-half, and the storm in the orchestra, and the lightning seen through black gauze on stage were omitted.  The lightning frightens nobody, only amuses a few, and in itself is no very great attraction.  Even if these flashes were a very striking performance; no danger to the audience need be apprehended from it, seeing that Mr. CELLIER is in front as “Conductor.”  Perhaps Mr. D’OYLY CARTE, noticing that Mr. GRUNDY calls his piece “a light Opera,” thought that, as it wasn’t quite up to this description, it would be as well if the required “light’ning” were brought in somewhere, and so he introduced it here.  If this be so, it is about the only flash of genius in the performance.

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[Illustration:  POST-PRANDIAL PESSIMISTS.