and then Bunthorne makes confession in a little song, and the twenty love sick maidens kneel about .him admiringly—“. Mystic. poet hear our prayer.” In reply he reads his poem, “ the ;.wan, weird fleshly thing,” called “ Hollow,, 1 hollow, hollow.” The ladies inform the indignant, dragoons: that early engagements, ; are impossible. Bunthorne has changed everything. “You are not Empyrean, you are not Della Cruscan, you are not even Early English—roh 1.-be Early Eng lish ere it be too late !” It is easy to be Early English ; “ there is a cobwebby velvet, with a bloom like cold gravy,’’ &c. The soldiers are insulted, sing a song with a chorus-expressive of their perturbed condition of mind, and go. off angrily. Bunthorpe, left alone, tells in recita tive and song that he is an “ {esthetic sham,” and explains the process of success in his peculiar line. As the song. ceases • Patience enters, and a very bright dialogue begins. The rriyitic poet confuses and frightens the milk maid ; it is the first.stage of initiation. An gela enters, and explains the mystery, some thing further, and they sing a duet which is one of the most popular numbers of the opera.- Archibald Grosvinor now arrives. He. is a rival poet of the idyllic school, and the Apostle of Simplicity, whose “ hideous destiny” it is to be madly loved by every woman who sets eyes on him. He initiates Patience , into the be ginnings of his creed. They think for a while they may love, each other, but find it incom patible with reason. Following this ludio rously pathetic scene, the entry of Bunthorne, crowned with roses and hung about with gar lands, is perhaps the most grotesquely absurd of the whole play. “ Heartbroken at her bar barity,” he despairs of winning. Patience, and.puts himself .up to be raffled for by thi assthetic maidens. These latter, on being dis placed by the penitent Patience, throw them selves into the arms of their military admirers, from whom they, however, .tear themselves away to prostrate themselves at the feet of Grosvenor,.whose cursed “comeliness spreads hopeless anguish and distress.” In this scene a taking sestette is sung— ,0. / ,t / •>. 1. / • ; j I h**r the soft not# of trie eoliolng voice, 1 Of an old, old love long dead. 