SIR,--I have been about, according to your instructions, and I have come
back with a mixed notion that somewhere in the dawn of history the Queen
of SHEBA, scantily dressed, and attended by her black Chamberlain, drove
out on a four-horse parcel-post van to see an exhibition of paintings on
china at Messrs. HOWELL AND JAMES'S. It is perfectly true that in the
course of my wanderings I had some champagne, but _not a drop of
chicken_. Consequently, I have brought my critical faculty home with me
entirely unimpaired. But to business.
Mr. E. J. POYNTER has painted a noble picture of the meeting of SOLOMON
and the Queen of SHEBA, and Mr. T. MCLEAN exhibits it at 7, Haymarket. I
once saw a picture of this Queen on an ancient corner-cupboard; that was
in early childhood, and the Queen of those days was a very Dutch Lady.
Mr. POYNTER'S is quite unlike that one; in fact, she is extremely
beautiful. But why is she overcome? SOLOMON might have been pardoned for
blushing when he saw her, but he takes it quite as a matter of course.
The black Chamberlain is evidently not a lord, otherwise he would have
been more careful about his Queen's dress. There are harps, peacocks,
golden lions, luscious fruits, monkeys, marble steps, and gorgeous
pillars, to complete the picture. Curiously enough, the other ladies do
not seem to care for the newly-arrived Queen. Bravo, POYNTER! A great
picture!
After this I hurried to the painted China Exhibition at HOWELL AND
JAMES'S; very delicate, very graceful, and very refined. "_A Wild
Corner_" by G. LEONCE, "_Blue Tits_" by Miss SALISBURY--sure to make her
Mark(is),--two landscapes by A. FISHER (who needs no rod) struck me
particularly, but did not hurt me much. And so to the wilds of Finsbury
(14, Castle Street) where Messrs. McNAMARA were exhibiting the Postal
Vehicles to be used at the Penny Postage Jubilee Celebration. I've
already ordered two four-horse parcel vans, three two-horse, and two
one-horse mail-carts for my private use, _and have told Messrs. M. to
put them down to you, Sir_. I couldn't resist it. They said it would be
all right. Please make it so. I am told, that no _females_ are employed
in these vehicles. Another injustice. I should like to ride in a lovely
red carriage for ever. Yours,