■'1^7. 
 
 f(iJU-C^ 
 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 BEQUEST 
 
 JAMES McCALL 
 Class of 1885 
 
 iUSIC 
 
 1944 
 
ML 410.M42A2""'™""' '■"'™^ 
 °'°B»,.?.'fS!F!!k.,!yMs.or.t.he sonos 
 
 3 1924 022 224 343 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tlie Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022224343 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH,^ 
 
 JWytrds of the SongSt Ballads, 4*c., 
 
 op THE COMPOSER AND VOCALIST, 
 
 "JEEMS PIPES, OF PIPESVILLE.' 
 
 ■i/Vt 
 
 •VritWL OPI!VIOIV(9 OF THE PKESS 
 
 ON HIS ENTERTAINMENTS IN ENGLAND, CALIFORNIA, 
 
 OREGON, AUSTRALIA, THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, AND 
 
 THE EAST INDIES. 
 
 . »»« 
 
 1858. 
 
 All Mr. Stephen Massett's Compositions to he had at Wm. Hall <?• Sons, 
 No. 239 Broadway, New-York. 
 
 PRICE TEN'<:!ENTS. . 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH, 
 
 Words of the Songs^ Ballads, 4*c., 
 
 OF THE COMPOSER AND VOCALIST, 
 
 I 
 
 'JEEMS PIPES, OP PIPESVILLB." 
 
 WITH OPINION.'^ OF THE PBKSS 
 
 ON HIS ENTERTAINMENTS IN ENGLAND, CALIFORNIA, 
 
 OREGON, AUSTRALIA,THE SANDWICH ISLANDS, AND 
 
 THE EAST INDIES. 
 
 Neto*S"oi;ft: 
 
 18?8. 
 
 All Mr. Stephen MasseU's Compositions to he had at Wm. Hall <f Som, 
 No. 239 BroadwaVf^MemiZBrk. ' 
 
 PRICE TEN CENTS. 
 
7-^ 
 
 z~ 
 
 y4f^?^^-^^ 
 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 
 
 •r 
 
 MR. STEPHEI MASSETT, 
 
 ("JEEMS PIPES OP PipEsviLLE.") 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett, the subject of our present 
 sketch, or, as he is known in the literary world, 
 " Jbems Pipes, of Pipesville," is an Englishman by 
 birth, but has passed the greater portion of his life 
 in the United States. 
 
 Mr. Massett is the composer of some of the most 
 popular songs in America, among them are, " When 
 the Moon on the Lake is Beaming," which has reach- 
 ed several editions ; "The Love' Knot," "You're 
 all the World to me," " IHl Look for thee, Mary," 
 and the Scotch Ballad, " Take back the Ring, Dear 
 Jamie," the music composed expressly for Madame 
 Anna Bishop, by him, and sung by her with great 
 success in California and Australia. 
 
 His career has certainly been most varied, strange, 
 and eventful ; and it would seem that it is only quite 
 
recently that he has found out the proper channel for 
 the exhibition of the talent and genius with which 
 nature has endowed him. 
 
 We propose to give a very brief history of Mr. 
 Massett's journeyings, from the time of his first ap- 
 pearance in public as a Vocalist, to his last perform- 
 ance in London. 
 
 In the suhimer of 1842, he first visited Charles- 
 ton, S. C, and sang in the concerts of the " Segu- 
 ins," and also in those of Mr. John Sinclair, the 
 celebrated vocalist. These gentlemen were very 
 enthusiastic iii their praises of the young singer, and 
 the papers of that city were loud in their plaudits of 
 his beautiful voice. 
 
 It was here that Mr. Massett first sang and intro- 
 duced in America the favorite ballad of Mr. Frank 
 Romer, " Oh, would I were a Boy again." He 
 sang it frequently, and was invariably encored. "J.s 
 I View now," from Sonnambula ; " The Light of 
 other Days," and " Black Eyed Susan," were also 
 among his selections. It was in this city that he 
 composed the words and music of his celebrated 
 song, " When the Moon on the Lake is Beaming," 
 which is universally known throughout the United 
 States, there having been over fifty thousand copies 
 of it sold, and the copyright now bringing in a hand- 
 some yearly income. Our friend, however, being 
 dissatisfied with musical matters, entered the Secre- 
 tary of State's Office in that city, for some months 
 He shortly after left for New- York, where, at the 
 solicitation of many, he made his first appearance 
 
on the stage, in Rooke's Opera of " Amilie," as the 
 Count, and performed it for sixty consecutive nights. 
 He was nightly encored in the song of " My Boyhood's 
 Home ;" and the press of the city were universal in 
 their praise of the beauty and effectiveness of his 
 rendition of the music of this charming composition. 
 
 The writer of this has seen extracts from the 
 "Albion," "Anglo-American," " Heral^," " Tri- 
 bune," "Pathfinder," "Corsair," "Knickerbocker," 
 " New "World," " Musical World," and many other of 
 the papers of the day, in which they. speak of the 
 beauty of his voice, and the feeling and expression 
 with which he sings. 
 
 At the conclusion of the operatic season in New- 
 York, the subject of our sketch accompanied Mr. 
 Greorge H. Hill, commonly known as Yankee Hill, 
 on a tour through the State of Maine, where they gave 
 their entertainments together. After a brief visit to 
 New- York, he left Boston in the summer of 1843, in 
 the " G-eorge Henry," bound for Malta,- Smyrna, and 
 Constantinople. From these famous cities, and other 
 points of interest, Mr. Massett commenced writing 
 his celebrated letters to the " New- York Spirit of the 
 Times," over the signature of " Jeems Pipes." He 
 also visited Ephesus, Sestos, Abydos, and many 
 localities of interest in and about the Bosphorus, 
 traveling some distance up the Black Sea. Return- 
 ing to Boston in the winter of 1844, he appeared in 
 Mr. James Gr. Maeder's Opera of the "Peri," pro 
 duced at the Melodeon in that city, in the bass 
 part of the " Wizard," achieving the highest honors, 
 and receiving the most enthusiastic applause from 
 
6 
 
 large audiences. Here he sang also at the concerts 
 of the celebrated Signer De Begnis, who urged him, 
 as did also Mr. Charles E. Horn, to go to Italy and 
 study, saying that his "voice" would realize for him- 
 self a fortune. The subject of our sketch did not, 
 however, profit by their friendly advice, and left for 
 New- York, where he bade farewell once more to 
 public life, and entered the office of Mr. James T. 
 Brady, in that city, as a student of law, where he 
 remained until the breaking out of the " California 
 Gold Fever," in 1849. He arrived in San Francisco in 
 April, 1849, and received an appointment in the office 
 of Col. J. D. Stevenson, and was one of the first "Nota- 
 ries Public" appointed by Brigadier- General Eiley, 
 then acting as Governor ; he likewise held the re- 
 sponsible office of " Alcalde" of the Colonel's new 
 city of " New -York of the Pacific." In June of this 
 year, Mr. Massett gave his first concert entirely alone, 
 at the Old School-House, Portsmouth Square, an 
 account of which appears in the " Annals of San 
 Francisco." The night's receipts were over $500, 
 and the tickets $3 each. Our friend then visited Sa- 
 cramento City, where, at the suggestion of many, he 
 entered into commercial life until the visit of the 
 distinguished Pianist, " Henri Herz," to California, 
 when Mr. Massett was induced to accept $200 a night 
 for singing two songs, and giving a short recitation 
 at his concert. 
 
 In January, 1851, he became joint owner with 
 Mr. R. H. Taylor, of the " Marysville Herald," pub- 
 lished in Marysville, California, and remained as one 
 
of its editors and proprietors atout one year, when 
 having been tendered (as will be seen in the coming 
 pages) a Complimentary Concert by his friends in 
 Sacramento, Marysville, and San Francisco, he re- 
 turned to New-York in 1852, and in 1853 sailed for 
 Europe. Mr. Massett visited London, Liverpool, 
 Paris, Lyons, Marseilles, Creneva, crossing the Alps 
 to Turin, and stopping at Genoa, Leghorn, Pisa, and 
 Rome. In England he visited Newstead Abbey, 
 Kenilworth and "Warwick Castles, Stratford-upon- 
 Avon, &c. From all these places, renoAvned in song 
 and story, Mr. Massett wrote most interesting ac- 
 counts to the paper before referred to, the " Spirit of 
 the Times," and established himself as a faithful and 
 efficient correspondent. 
 
 The letters were read with great interest, and 
 ' Col. Jeems Pipes' " effusions were widely copied. 
 
 Mr. Massett, returned again on his second visit to 
 California, in 1853, remaining (with the exception 
 of his trip through the mines and Oregon) in San 
 Francisco until his departure for Australia, in 1856, 
 where his career and success was one complete tri- 
 umph, giving his entertainments nightly to crowded 
 houses, in the principal cities of Victoria, New South 
 Wales, South Australia, and Van Dieman's Land 
 (now Tasmania), and throughout the gold mines, 
 reaping a rich harvest, and winning " golden opin- 
 ions from all sorts of men." Mr. Massett then 
 sailed for India, giving his -Concerts and Readings in 
 Bombay, Calcutta, and other places, . with the most 
 marked success ; and his tour, but for the then trou- 
 
8 
 tied state of that country, would have extended 
 throughout the Indian Empire. From Calcutta Mr. 
 Massett took the overland route to England, stopping 
 at Madras, Ceylon, Aden, crossing the Desert to Cairo 
 and Alexandria in Egypt, visiting the Pyramids, and 
 staying for a short time once again at Malta and 
 Gibraltar, and finally landed at Southampton. Here 
 and in London, before crowded and fashionable 
 audiences, he gave his " Reminiscences of Travel'" 
 with great success. • In the coming pages we have 
 compiled some extracts from the London Jour- 
 nals as well as those of Australia, California, 
 Oregon Territory, the Sandwich Islands, the East 
 Indies, in which it will be seen that they have been 
 unanimous in their praise of his interesting and in- 
 tellectual performances. In conclusion we would 
 call attention to the fact, that Mr. Massett's Enter- 
 tainment, unlike almost any other of the present 
 day, is entirely divested of all the appliances and 
 adjuncts of theatrical representation, and has been 
 extensively patronized by the clergy in the various 
 countries through which he has travelled, who have ' 
 in many instances placed at his disposal their chapels 
 and school-rooms, for the delivery of his popular 
 Musical Lecture, which will in itself be a sufficient 
 guarantee for the total absence from it of anything 
 that could offend even the most fastidious. 
 
 C. J. P. 
 London, England, May, 1858. 
 
SONGS, BALLADS, Sec. 
 
 The following songs and ballads, written and composed by 
 Mr. Stephen Massett, have been introduced by him in the 
 course of his Musical Evenings, with marked success : 
 
 THE BOY AND THE HOLY IMAGE,* 
 
 AS OKIGHfALLT RECITED BY STEPHEN MASSETT. 
 
 Among green pleasant meadows, 
 .j3l in a grove so wild, 
 " Was set a marble image 
 
 Of the Virgin and the Child : 
 
 There oft, on summer evenings, 
 
 A lonely boy, would rove. 
 To play beside the image 
 
 That sanctified the grove. 
 
 Oft sate his mother by him, 
 
 Among the shadows dim. 
 And told how the Lord Jesus 
 
 Was once a child like him. 
 
 " And now from highest heaven 
 He doth look down each day, 
 
 And sees whate'er thou doest, 
 
 And hears what thou doat say." 
 
 Thus spoke his tender mother ; 
 
 And on an evening bright. 
 When the clear bright sun descended 
 
 Mid clouds of rosy light. 
 
 Again the boy was playing ; 
 
 And earnestly said he: 
 " Oh, beautiful child Jesus, 
 
 Come down and play with me I 
 
 " I will find thee flowers the fairest, 
 And weave for thee a crown ; 
 
 I will get thee ripe, red strawberries. 
 If thou wilt but come down I 
 A translation from the German, found by Mr. Massett, in Genoa, 
 
10 
 
 " Oh holy, holy mother, 
 
 Put him down from off thy knee, 
 For in these silent meadows, 
 
 There are none to play with me 1" 
 
 Q^hus spoke the boy so lonely, 
 
 The while his mother heard -; 
 But on his prayer she pondered, 
 And spoke to him no word. 
 
 That self-same night she dreamed, 
 
 A lovely dream of joy ; 
 S^e thought she then saw Jesus 
 
 Playing with her boy. 
 
 " And for the fruits and flowers 
 Which thou has brought to me, 
 
 Rich blessing shall be given 
 A thousand fold to thee. 
 
 " For in the fields of heaven 
 
 Thou shalt roam with me at will. 
 
 And of bright fruits celestial 
 
 Shalt have, dear child, thy fiU !" 
 
 Thus tenderly and kindly 
 
 The fair child Jesus spoke ; 
 
 And full of careful musings, 
 The anxious mother woke. 
 
 And thus it was accomplished ; 
 
 In a short month and day, _ 
 That lonely boy so gentle, . 
 
 Upon his death-bed lay. 
 
 And thus he spoke in dying, 
 " Oh ! mother dear, I see 
 
 The beautiful child Jesus 
 A coming down to me ! 
 
 " And in his hands he beareth 
 
 Bright flowers as white as snow. 
 
 And red and juicy strawberries — 
 Dear mother let me go !" 
 
 He died ; but that fond mother. 
 
 Her sorrow did restrain. 
 For she knew he was with Jesus, 
 
 And she asked him not again 
 
11 
 
 " 'TIS SWEET AT NIGHT I" 
 Words and Music hy Stephen Massett. 
 
 ' Tis sweet at night when the stars are bright, 
 
 And the moon rides thro' the sky. 
 To list to the words of the one we love, 
 
 And gaze on that dear one's eye : — 
 Though the heart may wither thro' years of pain, 
 
 'Twill revive 'neath affection true, 
 As the flowers refresh'd by the dews of night, 
 
 In the morning bloom anew ! 
 
 There'a kindly eye, whose beams can shed 
 
 Glad light on my darkening soul ; 
 There's a voice, whose sweet and gentle tone 
 
 Can my stormiest moods control — 
 Oh! who would not.linger thro' years of pain. 
 
 To hear that dear voice awhife ; 
 While the spirit shone 'neath that dear one's glance. 
 
 And was blest with her sunny smile ! 
 
 « I NEVER GAVE THEE CAUSE 1" 
 Words and Music by Stephen Massett. 
 
 I never gave thee cause to break 
 
 Thy vow so freely given — 
 I never thought that thou would'st make 
 This heart so desolate, or shake 
 
 My soul's belief in heaven ! 
 
 I never thought thou would'st be one 
 
 To blast me with a look of seorn ; 
 What to thee have I ever done 
 To turn thy very heart to stone. 
 
 Or plant in mine a thorn 1 
 
 What have I done ? that thou should' st wring 
 These tears that will unbidden start ; 
 
 Is Ihere no balm to heal the sting, 
 
 That thy cold look will always bring, 
 And chill the life blood of my heart ? 
 
 No ! but in after years, when I 
 
 Shall be forgotten, thou shalt see 
 From other realms beyond the sky. 
 My spirit, from its home on liigh, 
 
 In visions bright watch over thee I 
 
12 
 
 "LIFE^," 
 Wcrds and Music by Stephen Masseit, 
 
 Life is like a summer's day, 
 
 As sweet and brief ; 
 Quickly doth it pass away. 
 
 Like autumn's leaf. 
 
 Merrily the hours fly, 
 In youth's bright morn ; 
 
 The rose-bud blossoms but to die, 
 And leave the thorn 1 
 
 Manhood comes upon us last. 
 
 And childhood dies ; 
 The rosy tints of youth are past. 
 
 And so time flies. 
 
 Moving onward still towards death, 
 
 "We crawl on — 
 The signal given, and our breath 
 
 Is quickly gone. 
 
 We die — the body turns to dust — 
 
 Thus ends the strife ; 
 The spirit mingleth with the just 
 
 In endless life. 
 
 "I'LL THINK OF THEE." 
 Words and Music hy Stephen Masseit. 
 
 I'll think of thee, I'U think of thee. 
 
 Though for a time we part. 
 Thy image, love, shall ever be 
 
 Engraven on my heart : 
 And fliough the glance of other eyes 
 
 May gladly beam on me, 
 'TwiU transient be as sparkling light ^ 
 
 Of moon-beam on the sea I 
 
 I'll think of thee, I'll think of thee. 
 
 Oh ! can I e'er forget 
 The many bright and sunny hours 
 
 We've pass'd since first we me) ? 
 
13 
 
 Oh 1 no ; home, friends, and kindred too. 
 
 Shall all forgotten be — 
 E'tr this fond heart shall cease to turn. 
 
 In fondness, love, to thee 1 
 
 "THE WANDEEER'S EETUEN." 
 Words and Music hy Stephen Massett. 
 
 Dedicated to bis friends in New-York City. 
 
 Thro' many lands, o'er many seas, 
 
 I've wandered long and lone. 
 Prom burning Ind to Austral clime. 
 
 From north to southern zone ; 
 And many a band has kindly pressed 
 
 The stranger's fev'rish palm, 
 And words of greeting oft have brought 
 
 To his lonely heart a balm. 
 
 The rich, the noble, and the brave, 
 
 - Have listened to my song, 
 
 And many a beauteous eye has beamed 
 
 From beauty's own bright throng ; 
 Yet my heart ne'er ieat so wild with joy 
 
 As now I cease to roam, 
 And greet once more right lovingly, 
 
 My faithful friends at home 1 
 
 « I SIGH FOE THE HOURS THAT ONCE WEEE 
 MINE." 
 
 Words and Music hy Stephen Massett. 
 
 I sigh for the hours that once were mine. 
 
 In childhood's happy day : 
 Eor the eyes that would brightly o'er me shine 
 
 With hope's fond cheering ray. 
 Yet memory will recall the past 
 
 As darker years roll on, 
 And like the Evergreen leaf will last 
 
 Though joyous summer's gone 1 
 
 For the days of our'youth the heart will pine. 
 
 As we journey on alone. 
 And the light of past joys will sometimes shine 
 
 Though the merry days have flown ! 
 
14 
 
 Then give me those days, those happy days, 
 
 We never can forget — 
 For through life's dreary wandering vrays 
 
 There memory lingers yet 
 
 "TAKE BACK THE RING, DEAE JAMIE." 
 Words hy James Linen, Esq. 
 
 MUSie BT STEPHEN MASSETT. 
 
 Take back the ring, dear Jamie, 
 
 The ring ye gae to me, 
 An' a' the vows ye made yestreen. 
 
 Beneath the birken tree ; 
 But gie me back my heart again — 
 
 It's a' I hae to gie, 
 Sin' ye' 11 no wait a fittin' time, 
 
 Ye canna marry me 1 
 
 I promised to my daddie. 
 
 Afore he slipp'd awa, 
 I ne'er wad leave my minnie, 
 
 Whate'er sud her befa' ; 
 I'll faithfu' keep my promise. 
 
 For a' that ye can gie : 
 Sae, Jamie, gif ye winna wait. 
 
 Ye ne'er can marry me 1 
 
 I canna leave my minnie. 
 
 She's been sae kind to me 
 Sin' e'er I was a bairnie, 
 
 A wee thing on her knee. 
 Nae mair she'll kaim by gowden hair. 
 
 Nor busk me snod an' braw ; 
 She's auld and frail, her een are dim, 
 
 An' soon will close on a' ! 
 
 I maun na leave my minnie : 
 
 Her journey is na lang ; 
 Her held is bendin' to the mools, 
 
 Whare it maun shortly gang, 
 Were I an heiress o' a crown, 
 
 I'd a' its honors tine, 
 To watch her steps o' helpless age, 
 
 As she in youth watched mine I 
 
15 
 LILY BELL. 
 
 BALLAD. 
 
 By Stephen MasseU. 
 Fairest lily of the valley, 
 
 Fairest flow' ret of the vale, 
 Fairer than when sun-beams dally, 
 
 Round the primrose meek and pale — 
 She was fresh as May's first blossom, 
 
 And her sweetness none can tell, 
 Gentle as the summer's breathing, 
 
 Was the voice of Lily Bell. 
 
 Light upon the grassy meadow. 
 
 Light amid the flowers of Spring, 
 Light as morning's early shadow 
 
 When the flowers their incense bring. 
 Was her gentle footstep gliding, 
 
 'Mid the flowers she loved so well. 
 Flowers that mirror'd back the beauty 
 
 On the cheek of Lily BeU. 
 
 Fading was my .own sweet blossom. 
 
 Fading are earth's hopes away. 
 Fade my heart in earth's cold bosom 
 
 Till again I hear her say : 
 " Come away from earth to heaven 
 
 With angels there to dwell 1" 
 Hush'd is now the heavenly music 
 
 Of the voice of Lily Bell. 
 
 MY MOTHER 1 CANS'T THOU SEE ME NOW ? 
 
 BALLAD. 
 
 By Stephen MasseU. 
 My Mother ! eans't thou see me now. 
 
 From the far-off realms of light ? 
 Canst thou in spirit come again. 
 
 And bless me with thy sight ? 
 Oh ! I can see thee, when these eyes 
 
 Are closed in balmy sleep, 
 And, revelling in happy dreams, • 
 
 We sweet communion keep ! 
 
 Years, years have passed, and life to me 
 
 Has been but as a dream, 
 Yet often have I yearned for thee. 
 
 As sailing down its stream ; 
 
16 
 
 Fond MEMORY brings thee back again, 
 
 As thou wert once to me, 
 When nestled in thy arms I lay, 
 
 Or crept upon thy knee ! 
 
 And when I saw thee in that sleep 
 
 Prom which there is no waking, 
 And felt, as then I gazed on thee, 
 
 My very heart was breaking : 
 Oh 1 can it be that in that land 
 
 Where there is no more pain. 
 We may once more united be. 
 
 Never to part again ? 
 
 And shall we meet as we" have met, 
 
 And be as we have been, 
 And shall I see thee smile on me. 
 
 As I have sometimes seen? 
 God ! if this it is to meet 
 
 In Heaven's own land of light, 
 lUume my path, direct my feet, 
 
 And guide my steps aright ! 
 
 "WHEN THE MOON ON THE LAKE IS BEAMING." 
 
 Words and Music hy Stephen Massett. 
 
 When the moon on the lake is beaming. 
 
 And the night is calm and still. 
 And the stars in their bright light gleaming, 
 Shine forth on some distant hill — 
 Wilt thou come, love, come ? 
 
 Oh, come with me. 
 And I'll give thee a happy home. 
 Where a true heart waits for thee I 
 
 When the vesper bells are ringing 
 
 Their evening melody, 
 Or maidens sweet are singing 
 Their simple minstrelsy — 
 Wilt thou come, love, come ? 
 
 Oh, come with me, 
 And I'll give thee a happy home, 
 Where a true heart waits for thee I 
 
 The popularity of this song in the United States of America 
 is unbounded ; over 50,000 copies have been sold. 
 
17 
 
 THE TUBA RIVER. 
 
 Words and Music by Stephen Massett. 
 Yuba ! by thy golden stream 
 
 I have wq,tched the bright red glow 
 Of the sun's retiring beam, , 
 
 Gilding thy waters as they flow ; 
 While from thy gay enamelled banks 
 
 The soft wind drinks the rich perfume, 
 And bright-winged birds send up their thanks, 
 
 E"rom flowers of richest, purest bloom 1 
 
 Yuba ! by the bright moonbeam, 
 
 That steeps in light the verdant lea, 
 tVhile trembling stars of silver gleam, 
 
 I love to list thy minstrelsy ; 
 Then thoughts of other days arise, 
 
 And mem'ry weaves a chaplet fair — 
 While softer, brighter seem the skies, 
 
 And balmier the perfumed air I 
 
 Yuba ! by thy golden stream 
 
 I shall wander nevermore. 
 But often in some happy dream. 
 
 Will fancy paint the days of yore ; — 
 Thy flowery banks will not array 
 
 Their spring-time bloom again for me, 
 Yet, though in other lands I stray. 
 
 In day-dreams bright I'll come to thee ! 
 Maetstille, Dec.^23, 1851. 
 
 LADY! TAKE THESE BUDS AND FLOWERS. 
 
 SONG. 
 
 Words and Music by Stephen Massett. 
 Oh ! lady, take these buds and flowers 
 
 And twine them in thy nut-brown hair. 
 And I will weave for thee a wreath 
 Richer than any queen could wear. 
 For thou shouldst have a coronet 
 
 Not glittering with costly gem : 
 The primrose and the violet 
 Shall be thy queenly diadem ! 
 
 The jessamine bank shall be thy throne, 
 ■ The hawthorn blossomings for-thee 
 Shall breathe their fragrance, while the song 
 Of nightingale and hunmning bee 
 
18 
 
 Shall be thy music, and the shade 
 Of leafy bower and myrtle green 
 
 Shall yield for thee a sanctuary 
 Where thou shalt dwell in peace serene. 
 
 Tten, lady, take these buds and flowers, 
 
 And twine them in thy nut-brown hair, 
 And I will weave a fragrant wreath 
 Richer than any queen could wear. 
 For offerings of gold and gems. 
 
 Lady, I would not bring to thee ; 
 But weave a wreath whose blossomings 
 May blpom in immortality ! 
 
 "A SABBATH SCENE." 
 Music ly Stephen Massett. 
 
 WOEDS FROM THE "HOME JODBNAI,." 
 
 The old man leaned on his friendly staff 
 
 With a tottering step and slow. 
 As he picked his way, of a Sunday morn, 
 
 To the church where he loved to go. 
 
 His hair was white, and he scarcely knew 
 
 A friend as hepassed him by ; 
 So feeble and frail was his memory now, 
 
 And so dim was his clouded eye. 
 
 He sat in a home-made chair at church. 
 
 In front of the preacher's stand, 
 And listened, as if in a pleasant dream, 
 
 To the words of a better land. 
 
 The sunlight fell on his silver looks, 
 And his white hair turned to gold, — 
 
 And I fancied a sunlight shone from heaven, 
 On the heart of that pilgrim old ! 
 
 But the autumn leaves have fallen now, 
 
 And the'old man sleeps below — 
 We never shall see him pass again, 
 
 With his tottering step and slow. 
 
 I'LL LOOK FOR THEE MART. 
 By Stephen Massett. 
 I'll look for thee, Mary, when the pale moon hath shed 
 Her soft silver light o'er the hill-top and dell. 
 
19 
 
 For full well I know, by thy thoughts I've oft read. 
 That thy casement will open at love's magio speU. 
 
 My Mary ! my Mary ! I'll watch at that hour, 
 For silence and beauty will hallow the scene. 
 
 And then in thine ear impassioo'd 111 pour 
 
 Vows constant as Heaven's own unchanging sheen ! 
 
 Nor will I forget thee, my own Mary dear. 
 
 If the night is all moonless, and starless the sky; 
 For fnll well I know that love's listening ear 
 
 Will teU thy fond heart that thy lover is nigh I 
 Though darkness may veil thy fair face from me. 
 
 Its image for ever illumines my heart ; 
 And whispers of love will tell truthfully 
 
 My Mary ? my Mary ! we'll meet ne'er to part '. 
 
 OPINIONS 0T™liLlSH PRESS. 
 LONDON. 
 
 [ From the London Times, Mareh 9, 1858.J 
 Hanover Square Boohs. — An entertainment was given 
 here last night by an American gentleman, who, combining 
 the quadruple accomplishments of " vocalist, composer, imita- 
 tor and elocutionist," has attained considerable fame in all 
 parts of the world. Mr. Stephen Massett's exploits have not 
 been confined to the United States — the Sandwich Islands, Ore- 
 gon Territory, Australia, and British India having been alike 
 favored with his presence, and, by the criticisms we have seen, 
 success has everywhere attended his performances. He was 
 at Bombay during the mutinies, and he gives a thrilling de- 
 scription of two rebellious Sepoys being blown away from guns 
 in that city. At this imposing ceremony Mr. Massett was pre- 
 sent, and his graphic verbal account is illustrated by a diagram 
 in the shape of a descriptive pietare, painted on the spot. H& 
 sings sentmiental songs infinitely better than Mr. Henry Rus- 
 seU ; he gives a capital imitation of an affected Englishman 
 and a bona fide Yankee ; he mimics Madame Anna Bishop very 
 cleverly in " Home, Sweet Home ;" gives a laughable sketch 
 of Charles Kean, reeites with remarkable emphasis and effeei 
 the " Song of a Shirt," and fairly electrified the audienee with 
 his recital of Tennyson's " Charge of the Light Brigade." 
 Mr. Massett does all this, and much more, and the applause h© 
 received from one of the largest audiences we have ever beheld in 
 these rooms must have been most satisfactory and gratifying 
 to him. 
 
20 
 
 [From the Morning Chronicle, March 9, 1858.] 
 Mr, Stephen Massett's Entertainment. — Last evening 
 Mr. Stephen Maasett, the celebrated American vocalist, com- 
 poser, imitator, and elocutionist, made his first appearance in 
 London in these rooms, before a crowded and fashionable au- 
 dience, in an entertainment, combining song, narrative, anec- 
 dote, recitation, and mimicry. -We rejoice that Mr. Massett 
 has found his vray to the metropolis, and we prophesy from the 
 reception that he met vrith last evening from a large and miscel- 
 laneous auditory, that he will become a universal favorite and 
 a pet with the public. He was one of those whom, though we 
 had never beheld in the flesh, we knew by a sort of intellectual 
 intimacy, having frequently come across him, as a pleasant 
 thought, in the critical corner of sonje Australian or Califor- 
 ijian newspaper, accompanied with praises of his powers of 
 humor and pathos. And now that we have seen him we can 
 bear testimony to the same fact, that he has true humor, with a 
 deep sense and faculty of the pathetic. His entertainment 
 commenced with a beautiful ballad, written and set to music 
 by himself, " When the Moon on the Lake is Beaming," which, 
 being rendered with great expression and feeling in a rich bari- 
 tone voice, at once impressed the audience very much in his 
 favor. Great applause was also drawn from the auditory 
 shortly afterwards, by the clever manner in which he imitated, 
 without caricaturing, the peculiar style in which Madame Anna 
 ThiUon sings " Home, Sweet Home." He gave, however, the 
 best proof of bis mimicry towards the close of the first part, 
 when, with a strange emotion of proud sarcastic pleasure, and 
 a, prompt inventiveness in all the ways of exciting the ludi- 
 crous, he represented a scene of a "Londoner and a Yankee 
 on their TraVels," in which he created considerable laughter by 
 his imitation of a shallow, lisping, coxcombical, and good- 
 humored Cockney describing his adventuresi and mishaps in 
 California. The same acute readiness to apprehend and enjoy 
 the broadly ludicrous was shown in his burlesque recitation of 
 " My name is Nerval," supposed to have been delivered on the 
 stage of a theatre in San Francisco, by a stage-struck youth 
 from the diggings. Another imitation, that of an elderly lady 
 and a German girl, who wished to fill the situations of soprano 
 and alto singers in a church at Massachusetts, was given 
 amusingly ajid with great zest. It was a little overdone, but 
 as it elicited roars of laughter, it was of course entirely suc- 
 cessful. In addition to exciting the risible faculties of his au- 
 dience by his comic sketches, Mr. Massett held them spell-bound 
 by his elocutionary efforts. He gave with great power Epes 
 Sa]rgent'sjne poem on the loss of the steam-ship « President," 
 
21 
 
 and with wonderfitl effect Tennyson's elegy "On the Charge 
 of the Light Cavalry at Balaklava." Here we may observe that 
 though he is accustomed to illumine the public dullness with 
 flashes of mirth, his more deliberate genius is mainly conver- 
 sant with the gloomy and terrible. It is there that he shows real 
 mastery. No spark of inspiration was wanting in his recitation 
 of " The Charge of the Six Hundred ;" and a fitting reading, for 
 its impressiveness, was his relation,in the course of his entertain- 
 ment, of a thrilling incident of the blowing away from the guns 
 of two mutinous Sepoys, as witnessed by himself on the 15th 
 of October, at Bombay. Aided by a sketch by himself, he 
 brought vividly before the audience the scene, the circumstance, 
 and all the details of the story. Among his accomplishments 
 must be enumerated a command of that most popular of all in- 
 struments — the piano, on which he accompanied himself in his 
 songs. In conclusion, we must admit that his fame is well 
 earned, and hint to our readers that only a personal visit can 
 convey an adequate impression of his great and original powers. 
 
 [From the Standard, March 10, 1858.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen MassEtt's Entertainment. — An entertain- 
 ment of a peculiar kind, comprising the vocal, anecdotal, mi- 
 metic, and descriptive, was given on Monday evening, at the 
 , Hanover-square Rooms, by Mr. Stephen Massett, an American 
 gentleman, who, if we accredit the Transatlantic journals,.ha8 
 reaped the highest renown wherever he has appeared. Mr. 
 Stephen Massett's talents, to say the least of them, are ex- 
 tremely varied. He composes songs and sings them, and both 
 compositions and vocalization exhibit decided musical instinct. 
 His pretensions to elocutionary powers are by no means of an 
 inferior order; and, from the few specimens he gave his audi- 
 ence on Monday'night, we have no doubt he is an admirable 
 mimic. Indeed, we cannot now call to mind any artist who 
 combined in so eminent a degree the qualifications of composer, 
 vocalist, mimicj and elocutionist. 
 
 The programme of Monday evening's entertainment was of 
 a most varied and novel kind. The same bill of fare, or some- 
 thing akin to it, had already been presented in California, Aus- 
 tralia, and the East Indies. Mr. Massett may have recourse to 
 the pathetic, not only with impunity, but with the most satis- 
 factory results, as exemplified in Tom Hood's "Song of the 
 Shirt," the reading of Tennyson's poem, " Tte Charge of the 
 Light Brigade," and Hood's ballad, " I remember." Mr. Mas- 
 sett's singing is excellent. He possesses a tolerably powerful 
 
22 
 
 and sweet low tenor or baritone voice, and uses the falsetto ef- 
 fectively. Besides the ballad just mentioned, he sang a very 
 pleasing song of his own composition, " When the Moon on 
 the Lake is beaming;" the Irish melody, "L^e's Young 
 Dream," and a new version of " The Irish Emigrant's Lament,' 
 with much applause. 
 
 The comic portion of the entertainment was perhaps the 
 most acceptable to the hearers. Mr. Massett has a fund of 
 genuine humor, and was most successful in all his comic anec- 
 dotes, descriptions, and imitations. These are too numerous 
 to mention. We may, however, instance the description of a 
 visit to the State of Maine, introducing imitations of an elder- 
 ly female and a German girl applying for situations as vocal- 
 ists; the imitation of Madame Bishop s singing, " Home, Sweet 
 Home;" and the sketch of a "Londoner and Yankee on their 
 travels," both of which were excellent. 
 
 On the whole, the entertainment was very successful, and 
 appeared to gratify the audience, which was numerous. 
 
 [From the Morning Advertiser, March 9, 1858.] 
 
 Hanover Squake Rooms. — Mr. Stephen Massett, a very 
 amusing and a very clever gentleman from the other side of the 
 Atlantic, made his first appearance last night in the Hanover 
 Square Rooms, and indeed, in England, as a vocalist, composer, 
 imitator, and elocutionist, in all of which he was eminently 
 successful. His voice is sweet and full of pathos, and, as an 
 imitator, his version of " Home, Sweet Home," after the man- 
 ner of Madame Anna Bishop, was so comically accurate as to 
 produce peals of laughter. His description of a scene at a 
 theatre in the diggings in Australia was lively and animated, 
 \though somewhat exaggerated ; but his rendering of Claude 
 Melnoite, as he witnessed it played on the occasion, was exces- 
 sively amusing, and, with the exception of his sketch of a Lon- 
 doner and a Yankee on their travels, the best part of the en- 
 tertainment. His " Irish Emigrant's Lament," as published 
 in America by Dempster, is, whatever its beauties may be with 
 our Yankee neighbors, far inferior to that so well known in this 
 country. There is a sweetness and pathos in the melody of 
 that beautiful air which, it should be remembered, is in itself 
 essentially Irish, that no foreign composer can ever hope to excel, 
 or, perhaps, to equal. Mr. Massett, in addition to his othermodes 
 of entertainment, gave a thrilling description of two mutinous 
 Sepoys in Bombay being blown from guns, which, as he was an 
 eye-witness, must, of course, be accurate. Mr. Massett was 
 
23 
 
 loudly applauded by a numerous assembly of ladies and gen- 
 tlemen ; and we have no doubt, that his success in this country 
 ■vrill be commensurate with his varied and novel attainments. 
 
 [From ihe Era, March 14, 1858.] 
 Hanover-Squake Rooms. — Mr. Stephen Massett's En- 
 tertainment. — A shrewd and intelligent traveller, who has 
 seen the world and known how to profit by his observations, 
 with an abundant stock of anecdote, and a happy mode of 
 turning it to the best conversational account, forms as delight- 
 ful a companion as any one need wish to encounter of a long 
 winter's evening. That Mr. Stephen Massett, who presented 
 himself before a London audience for the first time on Monday 
 evening, at the Hanover-Square Rooms,possesses aU these qualifi- 
 fioations for making his companionship agreeable we believe ; 
 and the material that he selected from his stores of travel and his 
 reminiscences of books, display his abilities to fuU advantage. 
 Announcing himself as the " celebrated American vocalist, 
 composer, imitator, and elocutionist," he introduced to Eng- 
 land that " new and varied monologue entertainment " which, 
 in various quarters of the globe, met with the most flattering 
 reception, and achieved the most brilliant success. Mr. Mas- 
 sett appears to be a gentleman of about 30, is of medium sta- 
 ture, and has a face of pleasing and handsome expression, 
 slightly bronzed by foreign climes. Coming before his au- 
 dience in strict evening costume, with no other accessories than 
 a reading-desk on one side, and a piano on the other, he prefaced 
 his story of adventures with a few observations that were utterly 
 divested of assumption, and well calculated to predispose the 
 company in his favor. He stated that he should merely en- 
 deavour, without the aid of costume or scenery, to engage their 
 attention for a short time, by telling them what he had seen 
 abroad, and if they could be entertained with that, all that he ex- 
 pected would be realized. At this point some noisy interrup- 
 tion took place from the clamorous crowd at the back, who, 
 having paid their money, and rejecting the proffered return, in- 
 sisted upon having places found for them. In this dilemma, as 
 an instantaneous enlargement of the room was manifestly im- 
 possible, the lecturer adopted the only course available, and 
 threw^the entire area open to the purchasers of unreserved 
 seats, which, as it gave alarge portion the advantage of the stalls, 
 effectually quieted the malcontents, and the entertainment was 
 suffered to proceed. A pretty song, " When the Moon on the 
 Lake is Beaming," which he sang with a rich baritone voice, 
 accompanying himself on the instrument, and which displayed 
 
24 
 
 the lecturer in the additional capacity of author and composer, 
 further allayed the turbulent spirit that had been raised ; and 
 his succeeding imitation of Madame Anna Bishop in " Home, 
 Sw«et Home, created much amusement and applause, though 
 the fidelity of the mimic had to be tak^ on trust by a large 
 number of his hearers, as some twelve years have elapsed since 
 the lady quitted these shores. The- description of a theatre at 
 I the Australian "diggings," vrith a preliminary account of Bal- 
 larat, that the lecturer stilted had when he left a population of 
 100,000, and that supported four newspapers, was well received; 
 and his imitation of an actor and actress in The Lady of 
 Lyons, the Claude being a caricature of an exaggerated 
 Charles Kean, and the Pauline a lady whose voice recalled re- 
 membrances of a feline chorus, produced a hearty burst of laugh- 
 ter. Then -followed a sketch of the writings of Thomas Hood, 
 evidently only introduced to show the speaker's elocutionary 
 powers in declaiming with strong dramatic effect the famous 
 "Song of the Shirt." The more comic sketch illustrative of 
 a fashionable Londoner on his travels, and a rough Yankee, 
 brought the first part to a close, and was the most effective 
 portion of the whole. The foppish peculiarities of the travel- 
 ing exquisite were most successfully delineated, and the blunt- 
 ness of the Yankee interlocutor made the audience roar with 
 laughter. Mr^Stephen Massett will soon take the position of 
 vocal lecturer that Mr. Henry Kussell seems to have vacated. 
 As may be conjectured, from the interruption that took place, 
 . the room was fiUed in every part. 
 
 SOUTHAMPTON. 
 
 [From the Hampshire Adrertiser, Feb. 13, 1858.] 
 
 Mr. Stkphbn Massett, the popular American vocalist, on 
 his way to London, gave his first entertainment to an English 
 audience, at the Victoria Rooms, on Friday evening last. It 
 was one of those drawing-room entertainments that are now 
 become so popular, in which song and anecdote are so pleasant- 
 ly mingled; and Mr. Massett is not only gifted with g, fine 
 voice, but his taste and elocution will obtain for him a high 
 station in public favor. His recitations and anecdotes were de- 
 livered- with a forcible energy, that made their way into the 
 hearts of his audience, and this first "hasty notice of his first 
 appearance in England may be remembered when his fame has 
 been established in the metropolis. 
 
25 
 
 '' Mr. Stephen Massett, the popular American vocalist, 
 composer, &o., gave his musical and recitative entertainment 
 at St. John's House, on Thursday evening, under the patron- 
 age of the Mayor (J. Dowling, Esq.), when there vpas a very re- 
 spectable audience, who were much delighted with Mr. Mas- 
 sett's versatile talents, and who rewarded him with hearty ap- 
 plause. 
 
 [Prom the Hampshire Independent, Feb. 13, 1858.] 
 Mr. Massett's Entertainment. — Mr. S. Massett — ^the 
 " Jeems Pipes of Pipesville," of the American Press, gave an 
 excellent entertainment, comprising songs, sketches of charac- 
 ter, reminiscences of personal adventures, recitations, &c., 
 &c., at the Victoria Rooms, yesterday (Friday) evening, and 
 notwithstanding the unfavorable state of the weather, we were 
 pleased to see that there was a very fair audience assembled on 
 the occasion. The hour at which we are compelled to go to 
 press being so near to the close of the entertainment must be 
 our apology for not giving any lengthened critique upon Mr. Mas- 
 sett's abilities, but it is sufficient to say that his description of 
 scenes in various parts of the world, and his excellent singing, 
 highly amused and instructed his audience ; and we have no 
 doubt that when the character of his entertainment, and bis 
 own versatile talents as a vocalist, composer, imitator, and lec- 
 turer come to be better known in the country, they will make 
 him as deservedly popular as he was in California, Australia, 
 India, and various other parts of the world. Of Mr. Massett's 
 liberality in his profession, we mentioned a very pleasing in- 
 stance last week, in the concert he gave on board the P. & 0. 
 Steamship Colombo, for the benefit of the Infirmary, and judg- 
 ing from that and many similar traits in his characters which 
 have come to our knowedge, combined with his artistic accom- 
 plishments, we feel convinced he will become a great favorite 
 vrith the British public. 
 
 WINCHESTER. 
 
 [From the Hampshire Chronicle, Feb. 13, 1858.] 
 An excellent entertainment was given on Thursday evening, 
 at St. John's House, by Mr. S. Massett, an American author 
 and vocalist, who has just arrived in this country from India. 
 It consisted of ballads, recitations, and mimiery of extraordi- 
 nary and comical characters. The songs were exceedingly good, 
 and efi'cctively sung, with a pianoforte accompaniment ; but 
 
 2 
 
26 
 
 his readings were of a most finish ed character, some of the more , 
 pathetic pieces being delivered in a style adding new beauties 
 to the authors, (T. Hood, Tennyson, &c.) and producing a 
 thrilling and visible impression upon the feelings of the audi- 
 tory. Mr. Massett will shortly pay another visit to Winches- 
 ter, Mr. Conduit having made arrangements for his appearance 
 here in a few months- time. He possesses those rare gifts 
 which are sure to make him a favorite with the English public. 
 
 Massett — the American reciter and singer — gave an enter- 
 tainment at St. John's House, on Thursday evening. Mr. 
 Massett has recently arrived from Calcutta, and gave some de- 
 tails of the rebellion there, and his performance gave great 
 satisfaction to a good audience. 
 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 [From the San Francisco Golden Era, Sept. 21, 1856.] 
 
 The Farewell Concekt op Mr. Massett. — Musical Hall 
 was crowded with a brilliant audience on Monday night, a very 
 large proportion being ladies, upon the occasion of Mr. Mas- 
 sett's last Concert in California. The performance was very 
 attractive, having in its selections that which would please the 
 taste of the most fastidious. It is not an easy task for one 
 person to engage the attention of an audience for an entire 
 evening. Yet Mr. Pipes was quite successful in interesting and 
 entertaining his auditory from the first song of " Robin Ruff, and 
 his thousand a year," to the ludicrous ballad of " Villikins and 
 his Dinah," which, by the way, was dressed and sung laugh- 
 ably, and convulsed the listeners with merl-iment. Mr. Massett 
 sings his ballads with great expression and feeling. His songs 
 of the " Old Arm Chair," and " I'm Sitting on the Stile," are 
 perfect gems of vocalization, and we think Balfe's song of 
 " The Heart Bow'd Down," was never rendered better. We 
 should judge Mr. Massett's voice to be a baritone of very great 
 sweetness, and we think that when he shaU be in full practice, 
 he will find it acquire greater power and strength. He has 
 with this a very fine falsetto, which enables him to give very 
 comical imitations of female voices, as for instance, " The Old 
 Woman and German Girl," in " Home, Sweet Home,'' and the 
 
27 
 
 " Bohemian Girl." The Readings of Mr. M. are admirahle. 
 His delivery of the "Young Grey IJead," and " Galgano," 
 was masterly, and the audience testified their pleasure by their 
 breathless attention ; and the " Old Oaken Bucket," by 
 Woodworth, was encored — every word told, and Mr. Mas- 
 sett did full justice to this little gem of American litera- 
 ture. We commend Mr. Massett and his pleasant budget of 
 fun and sentiment to the public, and our brethren of the press 
 in Australia, or wherever he may travel, assuring them and 
 everybody else, that they will find him a gentleman, in every 
 sense of the word, whose genial and pleasant nature cannot 
 fail to make him troops of friends wherever he may go ! 
 Good luck attend thee on thy voyage, Pipes I 
 
 COMPLIMENTARY CONCERT 
 
 GIVEN TO 
 
 MR. STEPHEN MASSETT, 
 
 BY THE 
 
 CITIZENS OF SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 ON HIS DEPARTURE. 
 
 October 5, 1856. 
 Stephen Massett, Esq., 
 
 Dear Sir : We regret extremely to lean} that it is your in- 
 tention to leave California. It is fresh in the memory of your 
 friends that you were the first to give a musical entertainment 
 in this City, in 1849, and as a slight mark of our high regard 
 and esteem for you, and as a souvenir at parting, we request 
 you to name an evoningj when it will be agreeable to yourself 
 to receive from us a Complimentary Concert. 
 
 Very truly your friends, 
 
 John Bigler, J- Neely Johnson, Meeker & Co., 
 
 Samuel Purdy, James Van Ness, Arrington & Co., 
 
 C. K. Garrison & Co., John T. Doyle, Palmer, Cook & Co., 
 
 Milton S. Latham, William Barber, Newhall & Gregory, 
 
28 
 
 L. A. Blrdsall, 
 W.J.Pardee. 
 George Gordon, 
 H. P. Hepburn, 
 Eugene Musson, 
 C. D. Judah, 
 P. Ewer, 
 F. D. Clayton, 
 Jas. H. Gardner, 
 B. W. Dorr, 
 "Wm. W. Shepard, 
 P. Mason, Jr., 
 L. Pickering, 
 Edwin Bell, 
 E. W. Leonard, 
 A. G. Abell, 
 Thomas Bennett, 
 Wm. Lane B>ooker, 
 J. E. Body, 
 George Aikiu, 
 Samuel Hermann, 
 
 Eitchie, Osgood, & Co., 
 Wm. T. Coleman & Co., 
 Porbes & Babcock, 
 Lecount & Strong, 
 
 C. P. Beale, 
 T. W. Freelon, 
 Hall McAllister, 
 Eugene Casserly, 
 B.,,B. Coit, 
 Davids. Turner, 
 Felix Argenti, 
 John K. Hackett, 
 Delos Lake, 
 Samuel Brannan, 
 S. R. Thockmorton, 
 
 D. Chambers, 
 Edward Pinnex, 
 Wainright, Randall & Co. 
 Robert Mackintosh, 
 
 G. W. P. Bissell, 
 Selover, Sinton & Co., 
 
 Prank Soule, 
 George Seger, 
 Smiley, Yerkes & Co., 
 Joseph Grant, 
 Alex, Campbell, 
 M. H. Purman, 
 Jos. B. Biddleman, 
 R. B. Hampton, 
 John Satterlee, 
 Alfred J. Ellis, 
 James T. Boyd, 
 Geo. H. Howard, 
 Gregory Yale, 
 Macondray & Co.,. 
 John Nugent, 
 Redington & Co., 
 Edward Pollock, 
 ,C. B. Polhemus, 
 Jos. T. Atwill, 
 P. W. Tan Winkle, 
 
 San Feancisoo, Oct. 2, 1856. 
 
 Gentlemen : I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your note 
 of the 5th instant, and to thank you for the kind suggestion it 
 contains. Although nearly seven years have elapsed since I 
 first appeared before the public, and far better and abler names 
 than mine having during that period left their impress on the 
 memory, it is gratifying to me to find that my former humble 
 efforts are not yet entirely forgotten. I gratefully accept the 
 invitation you offer, and in the course of next vreek I will, 
 pursuant to your request, designate the time and place of the 
 proposed entertainment. 
 
 1 am, gentlemen, your obedient servant, 
 
 Stephen Massett. 
 
 To Messrs. John Bigler, J. Neely Johnson, James Van Ness, 
 Milton S. Latham, John X. Doyle, etc. 
 
 [From the Daily True Californian, August 3Ist, 1856.] 
 An Incident in the Lite of a Poet. — When William 
 CuUen Bryant wrote, thirty-six years ago, what is esteemed to 
 be his masterpiece — " Thanatopsis," and in which poem he 
 speaks of the magnificent river Columbia — or as it was then 
 called, " Oregon,'' he little dreamed that it would ever be read 
 in a public assembly, on the very spot (Astoria) where first 
 the axe of the woodman broke the stillness of the wilderness 
 and forests of those shores. Yet such is the fact ; as we see 
 by the Oregonian papers, that Mr. Stephen Massett has been 
 reading there, with marked favor, in his selections from dif- 
 ferent authors, this gem of the great American poet. 
 
29 
 
 [From the Sacramento Union] 
 
 Ballad Concert. — Stephen Massett, pioneer conoertiser of 
 Sacramento, poet, and by no means unknown to fame as the 
 author of many humorous effusions over the signature of 
 "Jeems Pipes, of Pipesville," is to give a grand ballad con- 
 cert this evening. The programme is brim-fml of variety, con- 
 sisting in part of comic and serious readings, songs, selections 
 from the poets, recitations, representations of amusing scenes 
 and characters, &c., &c. The versatility of talent possessed 
 by Mr. Massett is an undoubted guaranty that the entertain- 
 ment ■will be attractive. Mr. M. is contemplating a tour 
 through all of the mining and agricultural sections of the State, 
 and has resolved to devote himself for the future exclusively to 
 this profession ; and none who know the man will for an in- 
 stant doubt that it is the one for which he is in every respect 
 fitted. The concert is to be given in Kev. Mr. Benton's church, 
 and tickets, which have been placed at the low price of one 
 dollar, are to be obtained at the music stores, hotels, and the 
 door. 
 
 OREGON. 
 
 [From the Beligious Expositor, Corrallis, August 16, 185G.] 
 
 Concert. — ^We were gratified last evening in attending the 
 concert of Mr. Massett, alias "Jeems Pipes, of Pipesville." Mr. 
 Massett contrived to get off some excellent things, and " piped " 
 up considerable sport for a couple of hovirs. We do not know 
 of a more agreeable Way of amusing one's self than by attend- 
 ing such entertainments. We left with the same idea as the 
 Englishman of which Massett spoke, viz : that " this is the 
 greatest country in the world.'' We are not in the habit of 
 making violent threats, but if he ever has the temerity to give 
 a second concert in our Vicinity, we shall certainly — go and 
 see Mm again ! 
 
 PORTLAND. 
 
 [From the Oregonian, August 10, 1856.] 
 
 Mk. S. Massett's Concert. — The first concert of this 
 gentleman in Oregon called together the largest and most fash- 
 ionable audience we have yet seen in our Territory. The new 
 hall of Keith's Metropolitan Hotel was filled to overflowing 
 very soon after the doors were opened — ^the ladies turning out 
 
30 
 
 in great numbers. The varied, amusing, and interesting en- 
 tertainment was listened to with th« greatest attention, and the 
 comic portions, and imitations of different persons, including 
 the new and original readings from the "Lady of Lyons," con- 
 vulsed the audience with laughter. The ballads, " The Old 
 Arm Chair," '' I'm Sitting on the Stile, Mary," and Hood's 
 charming song, " I Remember," were most beautifully sung, and 
 carried us back to the days of our boyhoojJ. Bryant's '' Tha- 
 natopsis," in which he refers to our own land, "In the con- 
 tinuous woods where rolls the Oregon !" was recited with very 
 great effect, and made quite a sensation. Mr. Massett has cer- 
 tainly the faculty of enchaining his auditory, and his powers of 
 fascination, whether in his recitations or by his admirable bal- 
 lad singing, is certainly very great. He has made a "hit" 
 with our people, and will always find a hearty welcome here. 
 He returned his acknowledgments to the audience in a neat 
 speech, and said that he would appear here again on his return 
 from Oregon city and Salem. 
 
 SANDWICH ISLANDS. 
 
 [From the Polynesian, Honolulu, .lunefl, 1850.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett, the American Vocalist. — This 
 gentleman's first appearance at the Hawaiian Hall, last even- 
 ing, was attended by His Majesty, King Kammahamalia, and tha 
 principal English and American residents, who appeared qujte 
 delighted with the rare and intellectual treat afforded them. 
 Mr. Massett was waited upon at the close of his performance 
 by a nnmber of influential gentlemen, who requested him to 
 deferhis departure for a few days, to enable them to. enjoy are- 
 petition of his ballad entertainment 
 
 AUSTRALIA. 
 
 SYDNEY. 
 
 [From the Sydney Empire, May 19, 1857 
 
 Stephen Massbtt's Entertainment. — Mr. Massett made 
 his first appearance in Sydney last night, at the School of Arts, 
 before a highly intellectual and critical audience. He divided 
 
31 
 
 his performances into two parts, reserving for the last some of 
 his best specimens of singing, elocution, and mimicry. He 
 possesses a fine baritone voice, and uses his falsetto with great 
 judgment and skill. His audience were lavish in approbation, 
 and he has reason to be satisfied with such success on his first 
 appearance. His ballad singing was especially good, and we 
 scarcely know whether to praise most, Tom Hood's touching 
 song, " I Remember," or Lady Dufferin's "Irish Emigrant.'^ 
 In both he displayed deep feeling, and evinced a thorough ap- 
 preciation of the sentiment. In the reading of " Galgano," a 
 beautiful Italian love story, he held his audience in a " chain 
 of silence " whilst he delivered it. It was most artistically 
 rendered. Amongst the various amusing imitations, that of 
 an elderly female and German girl, who wished to fill the situa- 
 tion of soprano and alto singer in one of the churches in Mas- 
 sachusetts, was decidedly the best ; the German girl's " I 
 Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls," was essentially Teu- 
 tonic, and the lengthened cadence at the end of the verse was 
 given with great power and wonderful effect. As a reader, 
 Mr, Massett occupies a very high position, capable, as he is, 
 of thoroughly identifying himself with the subject he illustrates. 
 The fine poem he recited on the loss of the steamship President, 
 produced a great sensation. The crowning feature of the even- 
 ing was his delivery of Tennyson's poem on " The Charge of the 
 Six Hundred." In this elocutionary effort he exceeded all the 
 descriptions we had read, — of his power to electrify an audi- 
 ence, — and did indeed hold before his hearers a vivid picture of 
 that charge " into the jaws of hell." His delivery of the words, 
 " rode the six hundred !'' was a vivid personification of the 
 velocity with which the Light Brigade rushed on to death. It is 
 a proof of large ability for any man to be able to hold an audi- 
 ence in breathless suspense, or to rouse them into enthusiasm 
 by B mere elocutionary effort, and Mr. Massett did both these 
 things. The Cockney and Yankee on their travels elicited 
 roars of laughter, and was the best comic sketch of the night. 
 This talented performer received the heartiest applause in the 
 whole of his entertainment, which proved decidedly successful. 
 
 [From the Sydney Morning Herald, May 19, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Entertainment. — The many tes- 
 timonials from the American and Australian Press certifying 
 to the varied ability of Mr. Massett, caused us to expect a 
 treat neither ordinary nor common-place. The performances 
 of last evening, before a numerous and highly respectable 
 
32 
 
 ludienoe, at the School of Arts, fully realized our expectations. 
 Saving the late Mr. Charles Mathews, and Messrs. Albert 
 Smith, Woodin or Philips, few parties are in possession of 
 qualifications sufficiently influential to afford, single-handed, 
 pleasure and delight to their friends and patrons. As requi- 
 sites necessary to produce such results, the aocomplishiftents of 
 the vocalist must be blended with the talent of the orator. 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett is the possessor of these essentials, and 
 the substance of his entertainments, music, mimicry, and anec- 
 dote, is enlivened and subdued with moments devoted alter- 
 nately to the ludicrous and the pathetic. Mr. Massett's voice 
 is that of a rich baritone, and his manner and style occasion- 
 ally reminded us of Henry Philips. The vocal selections were 
 happily chosen, and rendered with earnestness, great expres- 
 sion and feeling. The " Charge of the Light Brigade '' was 
 received with much enthusiasm, and his imitation of Madame 
 Anna Bishop in " Home, Sweet Home," was extremely clever, 
 and fully appreciated by her numerous admirers. Mr. Mas- 
 sett's entertainment is one in which all classes of our commu- 
 nity may enjoy an amusement, musical, aneedetical, comical, and 
 literary. 
 
 [From Bell's Life in Sydney, May aS, J857.I 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett. — On Monday evening this distin- 
 guished gentleman (whose advent from California we long since 
 noticed) made his first appearance before a Sydney audience at 
 the School of Arts. Whether we look upon Mr. Massett as 
 an elocutionist, a singer, or a mimic, he excels in each. His 
 performances bear the impress of very great talent and skill, 
 and with the nice taste and judgment with which be is possess- 
 ed, his displays become both instructive and pleasing. His 
 ballads he delivered with much feeling and expression. " The 
 Irish Emigrant,'' and " "When the Moon on the Lake is Beam- 
 ing " particularly, were given in a manner placing him in high 
 estimation with his audience. His reading also was marked 
 with various excellencies, which would command admiration 
 anywhere, while his comical imitations afforded great amuse- 
 ment. Although, howe\ er, we allude to this gentleman's 
 varied abilities, we must place him entirely in the ascendant 
 when noticing his elocutionary powers ; for in his wonderful 
 delivery of Tennyson's poem on "T^e Charge of the Six Hun- 
 dred," the audience became quite entranced, and seemed spell- 
 bound by the graphic description so magnificently rendered by 
 Mr. Massett. The comic sketches excited, in a high degree, 
 the risible faculties of his listeners, who left the lecturing hal 
 
33 
 
 ■with a hope that shortly -would he afforded them an opportu- 
 nity of again spending an evening with " Massett at Home." 
 
 [From the Sydney Era, May 23, 1857.1 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett. — We attended a ballad concert and 
 readings from the poets, given hy this talented gentlemen on 
 Monday evening at the lecture-room of the School of Arts, It 
 was numerously and respectably attended. His songs, ballads, 
 and imitations were all very successful. Some of the songs 
 were of surpassing beauty ; we may particularly mention his 
 own " When the Moon on the Lake is bearaing," " Constance," 
 "I Remember," and the "Irish Emigrant." It would be un- 
 just to mention the other portions of the programme, without 
 devoting more space than our limit wiU allow; suffice it to say 
 Mr. Massett's entertainment was one of the most pleasant thSt 
 has been given in Sydney for a long time past. 
 
 MELBOURNE. 
 
 [From the Melbourne Argus, Deoemlier 23, 1856.1 
 
 Mr. Massett's Entertainment. — Mr. Stephen Massett 
 gave an entertainment last night at the Mechanics' Institute, 
 and the attendance was more numerous, and comprised a 
 larger number of the elite of Melbourne society than we have 
 seen assembled within those walls upon any similar occasion 
 for some time past. A more clever, versatile, and amusing 
 mimic, vocalist, and elocutionist has not yet visited these colo- 
 nies. Mr. Massett sings and reads with equal taste and feel- 
 ing ; his comic readings are really comic ; and he can be 
 pathetic without verging upon the Emits of bathos. He suc- 
 ceeded in exciting and retaining the attention of the audience 
 for two hours, and the manifestations were frequent and hearty. 
 His xjomic readings from "The Lady of Lyons," his descrip- 
 tion of a novice's first appearance upon the stage in the char- 
 acter of Young Nomal, were the most successful of the 
 humorous portions of the entertainment ; and Tennyson''s 
 " Charge of the Light Brigade," and the well-known ballad, 
 " The Lament of the Irish Emigrant," obtained the greater 
 share of the commendation bestowed upon- the professedly 
 serious items of the programme. Altogether the entertain- 
 ment was as agreeable as it was unexceptionable, and can 
 scarcely faU to become very popular in the provinces, 
 
34 
 
 LFrom the Melbourne Herald, December 23, 1856.] 
 Mr. Stephen Massett, who made his first appearance be- 
 fore an Australian audience last evening, at the Mechanics' 
 Institution, fully justified the flattering testimonials he brought 
 with him from America. lie amused bis audience from the 
 opening song to the final sltetoh ; and to please a mixed au- 
 dience for two hours without any assistance but that of a 
 pianoforte, requires a variety of talent seldom found in a single 
 individual. The appearance of Mr. Massett's diversified pro- 
 gramme led to the opinion that he considered himself equal to 
 anything; his execution of it went far to confirm the opinion. 
 Prom any one kind of entertainment being almost sure to 
 prove tiresome, the performer generally contrives to vary it; 
 but the variety is seldom charming. If it is a ballad enter- 
 tainment, and a comio-song or two to be introduced, they are 
 probably the most serious part of the business ; and if it is a 
 comic entertainment, any sentimentality introduced will likely 
 sound ridiculous. Without an exaggeration, Mr. Massett ac- 
 quitted himself well in all. He has a good voice with a clear 
 falsetto, and he sang the ballads in the programme with taste 
 and expression. His best comic performance was a dialogue 
 between a Yankee and a Londoner, at Morley's, Trafa^ar 
 Square, just after their arrival from San Francisco. His de- 
 lineation of the Londoner was particularly good, with his as- 
 sumed forgetfulness, his affected smiling, and his crescendo 
 style of finishing his sentences. Of the readings, the most 
 successful was his recitation of Tennyson's " Charge of Six 
 Hundred," which threw the audience into a state of enthusiasm, 
 though the result was, of course, partly owing to the subject of 
 the poem. Mr. Massett, however, is an admirable Teader, as 
 was fully evinced by his reading of "Galgano," in the first 
 part — a poem which, notwithstanding its dramatic style, few 
 persons could have given with equal effect. The entertain- 
 ment concluded with a description of a "Yankee Town Meet- 
 ing;" not so amusing as the sketch above noticed ; but which 
 afforded Mr. Massett a good oppoitunity of showing the com- 
 mand which he possesses over his features, a qualification which 
 heightens the drollery of all his imitations, especially as he 
 very seldom makes any change in his 'dress to distinguish the 
 character which he is illustrating. The audience last evening 
 was numerous and distinguished, and appeared to be well 
 pleased with their entertainment. 
 
 [From the Melbourne Age, Dee, 23, 1856.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's entertainment at the Mechanics' In- 
 stitution on Monday evening, was well attended, and appeared 
 
85 
 
 to afford general gratification to the audience. Mr. Massett's 
 voice is naturally a good baritone, which tells fairly onough-in 
 the class of songs he affects ; but in our opinion he will do well 
 to introduce his falsetto much less frequently, and to confine 
 himself to his genuine tones. He sang his,own ballad, " When 
 the Moon on the Lake is Beaming," "The Old Arm Chair," 
 and " The Lament of the Irish Emigrant," with great feeling, 
 and impressed ua very much in his favor. His oomio songs and 
 readings were a little overdone — otherwise they were possessed 
 of considerable merit. His recitations pleased us most. He 
 has a distinct and correct pronunciation, a judicious regard to 
 what we may call coloring, and appropriate action. His " Gal- 
 gano, "from Blackwood's Magazine, and Tennyson's "Charge 
 of the Light Brigade " at Balaklava, were gems in their way. 
 To our mind his depictions of London and Yankee peculiari- 
 ties both suffered from over-acting, but to judge from the shouts 
 of laufibter they elicited, they were entirely successful. We 
 shall Im glad to hear of Mr. Massett's continued success. His 
 entertainments are decidedly novel, and very well worth hear- 
 ing. 
 
 [From the Melbourne " Note Book, " of Ifarch 21, 1857, a Literary Journal 
 published in that city.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Ballab Entertainment. — Hu- 
 mor, pathos, mimicry, a fine rich voice, and the command of 
 that most popular of all instruments-^the piano — characterize 
 Mr. Massett's entertainments. I have lived long enough to 
 learn, though I by no means claim it as a discovery, that the 
 same mental constitution which confers the power to feel wha t 
 is intensely pathetic, communicates also an acute readiness to 
 apprehend and to enjoy the most broadly ludicrous. "What can 
 more completely illustrate this power than the two readings of 
 " A Londoner and a Yankee on their Travels," and " The 
 Young Greyhead '' ; the one moves us to convulsions of laugh- 
 ter, the other finds us vainly endeavoring to repress the heart's 
 overflow, which involuntarUy forces its way in spite of our ef- 
 forts to assume the stoical. Mr. Massett himself /eeZ« what 
 he reads and sings, and therefore his audience feel it too. With 
 them he laughs at the lisping, drawling, shallow, but not ill- 
 natured Cockney, who describes his adventures and mishaps in 
 California, and he has a tear of regret for the ill-fated little 
 creature who perishes in the swollen brook. The moving elegy 
 that Tennyson has written upon the brave men who fell in the 
 memorable charge of the Light Brigade at Balaklava, he chants 
 
36 
 
 rather than reads, with an enthusiasm, a fire, a fervor, I might 
 say a frenzy, almost beyond mere histrionic display; and he gives 
 the burlesque recitation of " My name is Norval," -with the 
 same comical terror and io/" as Mr. John Stagestmck himself 
 may be supposed to have exhibited. So, too, the tale of Gal- 
 gano he read with an impressiveness which brought before any 
 mind's eye the scene, the circumstance, and all the details of , 
 the story. I could see the good old Cotmt Satvaiore ; I pic- 
 tured his quaint costume, hi^ white hair, and his flowing beard; 
 I beheld distinctly the balustrated terrace of his marble palaz- 
 zo, from which he saw the lady-slaying Galgano with hawk on 
 wrist. I instinctively looked upward as I heaM the descrip- 
 tion of the mid-air death struggle between the falcon and his 
 quarry, and I saw the frown upon the old Count's face when 
 he spoke disparagingly of Galgano. Vivid, too, was the pic- 
 ture of the midnight love passages of the faithless JBe/amana 
 and the gay gallant who had overcome her loyalty to her lord, 
 and when he suddenly starts, inspired with new-born ^tuous 
 resolve^ declaring he would not do the wrong his passion and 
 the occasion prompted, the tableau was as complete as though 
 it had not been a " bodiless creation." I do not doubt that 
 Mr. Massett's imagination furnished him with a like succession 
 of pictures as were presented to my own fancy during the de- 
 livery of the poem, and that the energy of his manner was but 
 the natural expression of his feelings. 
 
 As a mimic, too, Mr. Massett's powers are much beyond the 
 common. He gave an imitation of Madame Anna Bishop's 
 singing of " Home, Sweet Home," and without at all carica- 
 turing the peculiarities of style of that very estimable lady, it 
 amusingly reminded me of them. Mr: Massett told ua he had 
 given this imitation in the presence of Madame Bishop herself, 
 and that she hai been as much diverted as anybody else. This 
 I can readily credit, for I believe that lady to be singularly free 
 from the small vanities and the over-sensitive self-love, which 
 I regret to say so frequently belong to public performers. 
 
 His Excellency and Lady Barkly were present, and they ap- 
 peared to relish the performance exceedingly. I believe Mr;" 
 Massett's arrangements are such as to preclude the possibility 
 of his appearing again before a Melbourne audience. There 
 is to me something especially interesting in the progress of a 
 man of his genius through the world. Wherever he goes he is 
 the creator of enjoyment, and when he leaves any place regrets 
 follow him. It is no disparagement of him to say that he makes 
 his'talents profitable to himself. I do not see less reason why 
 a man who sings well, who writes poetry with feeing, who tells 
 an amusing story with zest, should derive an advantage from 
 
37 
 
 the possession of such powers, than why an author should be 
 benefitted by what he writes. I regard as world-benefactors 
 those men who make suflfering less, or the sum of pleasures 
 greater; and I ieel, in consequence, a kind of gratitude to them. 
 Mr. Massett has my best wishes that he may make many thou- 
 sands wherever he goes, as happy as he made me during the two 
 hours that I had the pleasure of listening to him on Monday 
 
 night. 
 
 GEELONG. 
 
 [From the Geelong AdTertiser, Jan. IS, 1857.] 
 Mr. Stephen Massett introduced himself to the public of 
 Geelong last evening, in his ballad concert, interspersed with 
 readings from the poets, comic and serious, imitations of vari- 
 ous comic characters, &c. The audience was very select, in- 
 cluding his Worship the Mayor, and many of the merchants, 
 bankers, and professional men of the town. Before commen- 
 cing the concert, Mr. Massett apologized for the difficulty in hear- 
 ing which, he feared would be experienced by some present, in 
 consequence of the reverberation of sound owing to the faulty 
 architecture of the Town Hall. However, Mr. Massett's pre- 
 cision of intonation and carefulness of execution (he accom- 
 panying himself on the pianoforte) conquered to a great extent 
 the often insuperable difficulty of making one's self heard in the 
 Town Hall of Geelong. The first song of the evening, " When 
 the Moon on the Lake is Beaming"' (the words and music be- 
 ing both Mr. Massett's own composition), was sung with ex- 
 quisite tenderness and effect, and drew great applause from the 
 auditory. The next performance was a reading from " The 
 Lady of Lyons," with an imitation of a celebrated actress and 
 actor, who suited "the word to the action, and the action to 
 the word." This performance was exquisitely comic, as was 
 also the "description of Mr. John Stagestruck's first appear- 
 ance at the New-Orleans Theatre, as young Norval, assisted by 
 the prompter." At the comicality of the finale to this last 
 morceau, the audience burst out in the appropriate applause of 
 irrepressible laughter. The sketch of the experience of the 
 Cockney and Yankee in California, was highly amusing. Mr. 
 Massett's reading is by no means the least attractive portion of 
 his oUa podrida. His reading of " Galgano" (a tale of Gio- 
 vanni Florentine), by an anoymous writer, was very telling. 
 The poem itself is also of very high merit. The ballad, " Take 
 back the Ring, dear Jamie" (the music composed by Mr. Mas- 
 sett for Madame Anna Bishop), was iung with great pathos, and 
 
38 
 
 ■with that of " The Lament of the Irish Emigrant,", was much 
 applauded. But the gem of the whole performance was Ten- 
 nyson's poem, " The Charge of the Light Brigade at Balakla- 
 va," in Mr. Massett's reading of which he displayed an elocu- 
 tionary ability, and an appreciation of his subject, which gave 
 him the right to an ordinary rank as an actor, so far as a high- 
 ly finished rendering of the thoughts of his author goes towards 
 the making of the character. The passage — 
 " Into the jaws of death, 
 
 Into the mouth of hell, 
 
 Kode the six hundred," 
 was delivered with an intonation and expression that must have 
 thrilled through even the coldest heart in the hall. We regret 
 that space will not admit of our dilating at any greater length 
 upon last evening's entertainments, which otherwise the very 
 superior character of the whole performance would have de- 
 manded at our hands. Mr. Massett, at the conclusion of the 
 concert, mentioned that he was about to proceed to Ballarat, 
 and should visit Geelong a second time on his return from the 
 western gold-fields. 
 
 SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 
 
 AHEWjAIDE. 
 
 [From the Adelaide- Times, April 4, 1857.] 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Entertainment.— Mr. Massett is 
 undoubtedly the first gentleman who has succeeded, unassisted, 
 in entertaining an intelligent Adelaide audience. Indeed, pro- 
 fessionals of the highest celebrity would scarcely be such a 
 continuous source of interest as a musician and actor of Mr. 
 Massett's range of impersonation. Each successive piece pre- 
 sents an agreeable surprise to the audience, the more so from 
 their total dissimilarity. During the evening were introduced 
 many of the songs- and pieces for which this gentleman has 
 justly become so celebrated. They were chiefly imbued with 
 the comical vein, a few of them being exceedingly choice and 
 racy. Their general efiFeot upon the listener was at first to 
 cause an inquiring look of surprise, rapidly followed by an in- 
 voluntary smile, and terminating in an uncontrollable burst of 
 laughter. As an instance may be mentioned, — " The first ap- 
 pearance of Mr. John Stagestruck as young Nerval." It was 
 a rare treat. In the more musical department, Mr. Massett's 
 rendering of Balfe's charming melody, " The Heart Bow'd 
 Down," was very fine and artistic, his rich deep-toned voice 
 being peculiarly adapted for it. It also deserves to be men- 
 
39 
 
 tioned, that Mr. Massett gives his performances a vitality and 
 freshness, which may be said to be unmatched by any former 
 concerts given in this city ; for, in connection with most of 
 his pieces, he offers some witty and well told explanation after 
 the style of Albert Smith. 
 
 [From the Adelaide Register, April 1, 1857.3 
 Mr. Massett's Entertainment. — Mr. Stephen Massett 
 made his dehut before a South Australian audience on Tuesday 
 evening, at White's Room, in the complex character of vocalist, 
 mimic, and elocutionist. There was a very large and fashion- 
 able attendance. The entertainment consisted of several songs 
 and ballads, in which Mr. Massett accompanied himself with 
 considerable skill on the pianoforte ; readings from the poets, 
 and comical imitations of characters, real and fictitious. The 
 imitation of Madame Bishop was a decided hit, and was well 
 received. Several other very amusing songs and recitations 
 were given during the evening. His vocal powers are rare and 
 somewhat peculiar, combining a powerful falsetto voice with 
 the tones of a rich baritone — the upper notes of the former, and 
 the lower of the latter, containing the greatest fullness of vo- 
 lume. As a jpader, Mr. Massett pleased us greatly, both by 
 the richness and variety of his tones, and by his entire freedom 
 from that plainful mannerism which is so constantly met with 
 in public readers ; indeed, the beauty and flexibility of his 
 voice, and the simplicity with which he is content to render 
 the simpler portions of his subjects, make him altogether the 
 most finished reciter we ever heard. Among the songs, the 
 gem of the evening was Hood's ballad, "I Remember;" the 
 music by Mr. Massett. This was rapturously encored. It was 
 sung with admirable taste and feeling. It is seldom we have 
 more thoroughly enjoyed a two hours' entertainment than we 
 did on this occasion ; and we cannot too highly commend the 
 versatility of Mr. .Massett' s powers, and we strongly recom- 
 mend those who have not heard Mr. Massett, to lose no time 
 in doing so. 
 
 VAN DIEMAN'S LAND. 
 
 HOB ART TOWIV. 
 
 [From the Hobatt Town Courier, June 27, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massbtt's Entektainment. — This gentle- 
 man gave his pleasing entertainment last evening at the Royal 
 Assembly Rooms, in the presence of his Exeellencj» the Gover- 
 nor-General, Sir Henry E. F. Young, Lady Young, Sir Valen- 
 
40 
 
 tine Fleming, Lady Fleming, Lady Campbell, many of the 
 officers of the 12th Regiment, and a considerable sprinkling of 
 the elite of Hobart Town, and at once established himself in 
 the opinion, pretty freely and generally expressed, of his au- 
 dience, as the best male singer and elocutionist who has yet 
 appeared in Hobart Town'. His comic imitations were inimit- 
 able, especially thgse of Madame Anna Bishop in " Home, 
 Sweet Home," and a comic sketch of a "Londoner and Yan- 
 kee." The songs of the evening were " When the Moon on the 
 Lake is Beaming " (Massett), " I Remember " (Tom Hood), 
 George Linley'a "Constance," "Old Arm Chair" (Eliza 
 Cook), " Lament of the Irish Emigrant," and John Parry's 
 version of " Villikins," and they were all executed in admirable 
 style. The audience were enthusiastic in their ajrplause. Mr. 
 Massett is a composer of ability and great promise, and is gift- 
 ed with an organ of wonderful compass, power, and sweetness; 
 and it is somewhat difficult to account for the superior organi- 
 zation of his vocal powers, when we find that his imitative 
 faculty is so great as to embrace every imaginable complication 
 — inversions of tone which would seem to render it impossible 
 that he could revert to pure melody again. Rut even after his 
 most difficult mimicry of extreme cha.racter, when he returns 
 to his piano, he is as pathetic, as melodious, ^ expressive as 
 ever. A s an elocutionist Mr. Massett may be content to stand 
 alone upon his reading of Thomas Miller, the basket-maker's 
 wonderful poem of " Young Grey Head." The poem itself is 
 remarkable for its delineation of humble virtue and affection, 
 and is interspersed with deep and genuine feeling and impulses, 
 which Mr. Massett rendered in a very rfemarkable manner. 
 
 It was a fine piece of elocution as regarded the just and 
 graceful management of his voice, countenance, gesture, and 
 action, and made a profound impression upon the audience. 
 
 [From the Colonial Times and Tasmanian, July 23, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Populak Entertainment. — This 
 gentleman gave the.firstof a series of his popular entertain- 
 ments last night at the Royal Assembly Rooms. The musical 
 portion consisted of some beautiful songs and ballads, sung 
 with great feeling by Mr. Massett, who accompanies himself 
 in a very artistic manner on the pianoforte. 
 
 As an elocutionist, Mr. Massett's powers are of a high order. 
 His recitation of the loss of the ill-fated steamship President, 
 by the American poet, Mr. Bpes Sargent, was most telling. 
 The reader evidently had befere his mind's eye the scene so 
 
41 
 
 graphically described by the poet. During the reading— so 
 truthfully was it rendered — one might easily fancy the depar- 
 ture of the gallant ship, her colors gaily fluttering in the breeze, 
 and her guns thundering forth a parting salute, as she steamed 
 on to the ocean, homeward boundfor "merrie England." The 
 scene then changed, and the anxious watching of those who 
 had relatives or friends on board, whom they were destined never 
 more to see, but who, clinging to every possibility, Boped even 
 against hope, until at length their intense agony settled down 
 into the calmness 'of despair, was given with a truthfulness so 
 terrible, that the remembrance of it haunts us even when we 
 write. Again the scene changed ; and the probable fate of 
 the noble ship was depicted with terrific fidelity, and for a 
 while we forgot the declaimer and the place, in commiserat- 
 ing the fate of those who, crushed by an avalanche of ice, were 
 hurled in a moment into the abyss, or wan and ghastly on a 
 frail raft, found, one by one, a grave in the mighty ocean, there 
 to repose until the sea shall ^ve up her dead. The breathless 
 silence with which Mr. Massett was listened to throughout this 
 recitation, and the burst of applause which marked its close, 
 sufficiently showed that it was felt and appreciated. 
 
 Mr. Massett's comic illustrations and recitations convulsed 
 the house with laughter. 
 
 In bringing this brief notice to a close, we cannot but eoo- 
 OTatulate this talented artiste on the success which has attended 
 his first entertainment in Tasmania, and hope that his future 
 success will be as great as his merits deserve. 
 
 LAUNCESTON. 
 
 [Prom the Cornwall Chronicle, June 11, 1857.3 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Entertainment. — This popular 
 artiste gave his first ballad concert and poetical readings on 
 Wednesday last, at the Cornwall Assembly Kooms, to a full 
 and fashionable audience. His reception was most enthusias- 
 tic, and his diversified programme was listened to with the 
 greatest attention. With his readings we were particularly de^ 
 lighted, for in earnestness of manner, variety of tone, and 
 beauty of delivery, we have never seen him excelled. In the 
 reading of " Hood's Song of a Shirt," the " Loss of the Pre- 
 sident," and the " Charge of the Brigade," he evinced genius 
 of a very high order. The comic portions of the entertain- 
 ment excited great laughter, and his capital imitation of Ma- 
 dame Bishop made quite a sensation. The ballads, particularly 
 the "Irish Emigrant" and the "Moon on the Lake," were 
 
42 
 
 beautifully sung and enthusiastically received. Altogether the 
 concert was most agreeable, and highly suooeasful. On Thurs- 
 day Mr. Massett gives his second' concert in the same rooms. 
 
 EAST INDIES. 
 CALCUTTA. 
 
 [From the Press, Saturday, December 19, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett. — With the single exception of Miss 
 Catherine Ilayes, no artiste has been more enthusiastically re- 
 ceived in Calcutta, on a first appearance, than was Mr. Stephen 
 Massett on Thursday evening last. His reputation had travel- 
 led before him. Long before 8 o'clock every seat was occupied, 
 and when ^r. Massett made his bow to the audienccj amidst a 
 thunder of applause, so crowded were the centre and adjoin- 
 ing rooms in the Masonic Hall, that there was literally " not a 
 corner for a mouse !" When we state that' the most fastidious 
 could not find fault with the entertainment ; that nothing equal 
 to this intellectual treat has ever been offered to us in Calcutta; 
 that Mr. Massett more than realized the expectations that were 
 formed of him, — we think we have said all that' we oa^isay. It 
 is impossible to convey to our readers any conception of the (to 
 quote Mr. Massett) " original, instructive, literary, serio-comic, 
 characteristic, oratorical, musical, anecdotal oUapodrida." Each 
 must go and judge for himself, and none can be disappointed. 
 As truthful critics, we must observe, that it appeared to us, 
 that in his opening address Mr. Massett was not quite at ease, 
 — but this may have been owing to the slight nervousness in- 
 variably attendant on a first appearance, when an artiste either 
 makes or mars his fortune. However, the song, " When the 
 Moon on the Lake is Beaming," was sung with great confi- 
 dence and pathos, and evidently created a favorable impres- 
 sion. We can assert that few vocalists possess a voice of such 
 exquisite depth, richness, and compass. The words and music 
 of this song, composed by Mr. Massett himself, bear the im- 
 press of musical talents of a high order, and, as the song is 
 short and sweet, we transcribe the words below : — 
 
 When the moon on the lake is beaming, 
 
 And the night is calm and still, 
 And the stars their bright light gleaming, 
 
 Shine forth on some distant hill — 
 
43 
 
 Wilt thou come, love, come t 
 
 Oh, come with me, 
 And I'll give thee a happy home. 
 
 Where a true heart waits for theei ! 
 
 When the vesper bells are ringing 
 
 Their evening melody. 
 Or maidens sweet are singing 
 Their simple minstrelsy — 
 Wilt thou come, love, come ? 
 
 Oh, come with me. 
 And I'll give thee a happy home. 
 Where a true heart waits for thee ! 
 
 The imitation of Madame Anna Bishop in "Home, Sweet 
 Home " was well received — as it deserved to be. The " Scene 
 at a Theatre in the Digging, Australia," was humorous in the 
 extreme ;. — tut decidedly the gem of the evening was " The 
 Song of the Shirt." Nothing equal to it has ever been heard 
 in Calcutta, and had Tom Hood been alive, a single reading 
 by Mr. Massett, of these touching and popular lines, would 
 have called forth the sympathy of the English nation, and 
 driven to the winds the biting cares of poverty. The reading 
 of the " Ode to my Boy, aged Three Years," was most admir- 
 ably done. It was spirited and humorous, and elicited roars of 
 laughter. The lines on " The Boy and the Holy Image " 
 created as great a sensation as " The Song of the Shirt." Mr. 
 Massett did ample justice to the Irish melody of " Love's Young 
 Dream," and to the last song poor Tom Hood ever wrote : — 
 
 * I remember, I remember. 
 
 The house where I was born ! 
 
 The anecdote which preceded the song, attached to it an addi- 
 tional degree of interest. We will, not say what the anecdote 
 was. Let the curious go and hear it for themselves, if Mr. 
 Massett should appear " positively for the last time " — as all 
 artistes do. The " anecdote of a first appearance in Sacra- 
 mento city, at the Eagle Theatre," has never been equalled in 
 humor. The description of the stage-struck hero, reciting 
 " My name is Norval," was supremely ridiculous, and the 
 shouts of laughter indulged in by all present, old and young, 
 grave and gay, bore ample testimony to the inimitable humor 
 which Mr. Massett' possesses. " A Londoner and a Yankee 
 on their Travels," was equally good, and a telling satire on the 
 Haw — Haw Gents of this city. 
 
 Next came Eliza Cook's popular ballad of " The Old Arm 
 Chair," followed by an imitation of an elderly female and a 
 German girl who wished to fill the situation of soprano and 
 
44 
 
 alto singer in one of the churches in Portland ; and then, to 
 counteract the effects of the excessive and unrestrained laugh- 
 ter, the audience were treated with a recitation — " The Miss- 
 ing Ship," which was splendid, and created a profound sensation. 
 The graphic and highly poetical description of the departure 
 of the steamship President,, with her living cargo of hundreds 
 of human souls ; of -the painful and prolonged anxiety felt by 
 the expectant friends and relatives of those who were on board, 
 when the vessel did not reach its destination ; of the loss of the 
 noble vessel, and the shrieks of the hundreds who " sank to rise 
 no more, until the sea gives up its dead," was really superb. 
 " Th& Lament of the Irish Emigrant " was sung with great 
 feeling, and the description of the " Charge of the Light Bri- 
 gade at Balaklava," where, out of 600 gallant souls, only 200 
 returned, was a masterpiece to which Mr. Massett did full jus- 
 tice. Equal justice was done to the autograph letter of the 
 Queen of " our ovm little seagirt isle," and the lines by the 
 poet Laureate on the gallant six hundred made our heart- 
 strings quiver with emotion. - The audience were literally 
 spell bound, " each listener held his breath to hear" — and had 
 a pin dropped on the floor, we should have known it. " Villi- 
 kin's and his Dinah " sent the audience home in good humor. 
 We have never heard anything equal to the treat Mr. Stephen 
 Massett placed' before us. "None but himself can be his 
 equal," and it is impossible within the limits of a single ar- 
 ticle to do justice to his talents, rich and rare. He must be 
 heard to be appreciated; and if he should abandon his intention 
 of leaving Calcutta immediately, he will have no reason to re- 
 gret it. The glowing accounts which the Ethiopian Serena- 
 ders carried to America, of the reception they met with, has 
 induced Mr. Massettt o visit us, and it will be a shame if one 
 who offers us more choice and intellectual entertainment 
 should have to complain of a frosty reception. 
 
 [Prom the Englishman, Saturday, Dec. 19, 1857.] 
 
 Mk. Stephen Massett's PERroRMANCE.— .We were present 
 at the first, though we hope not the only, appearance of Mr. 
 Stephen Massett, which took place at Free Mason's Hall on 
 Thursday evening. There is always an apprehension of a mo- 
 nologue proving tiresome ; but the versatility of Mr. Massett's 
 powers, and the great variety of subjects and styles he is en- 
 abled to place before his audience, made most of his hear- 
 ers regret that the entertainment was so short, and all left the 
 HaU highly gratified . 
 
45 
 
 The centre room in which Mr. Massett performed was filled 
 with visitors — some occupying chairs in the inner room, whilst 
 those who could not find seats crowded the doors of entrance. 
 Mr. Massett possesses a very full and melodious voice, which, 
 in compass, the Italians would term barri-tono ; but superadd- 
 ed to this he has a falsetto of extraordinary strength, neatness, 
 and flexibility. He is a pleasing singer, and performs his bal- 
 lads with considerable taste and judgment. He gave the au- 
 dience a very fair specimen of his powers both as a composer 
 and vocalist, in the song "When the Moon on the Lake," with 
 which his entertainment commenced. His recitation of Ten- 
 nyson's " Charge of the Light Brigade," was given with great 
 power. 
 
 It would be impossible to foUow Mr. Massett throughout his 
 long programme ; but we must not forget to remark, what after 
 all 18 perhaps the greatest charm of one who attempts a mono- 
 logue of this description, and that is, his power of imitation. Of 
 his high qualifications in this respect Mr. Massett afforded many 
 excellent examples, though perhaps the best during the evening 
 was the comic scene between a Londoner and a Yankee. The 
 verisimilitude of the two characters was admirably preserved ; 
 and in describing the rough, abrupt manner of the Yankee, as 
 contrasted with the would-be-polished and priggish style of the 
 Cockney, he was particularly successful. In the vocal imita- 
 tion, he is perhaps still more happy. His " Home, Sweet 
 Home," after Madame Anna Bishop, was inimitable. No one 
 hearing, without seeing him, would have supposed it was any 
 but a lady singing, and must have admitted that she was a per- 
 former of no mean pretensions. Mr. Massett's falsetto is a full 
 clear soprano, perfectly under management, arid capable of 
 great expression and taste. His representation of an elderly 
 female and a German girl, who wished to fill the situations of 
 soprano and alto singers, in one of the churches in Portland, 
 brought out his falsetto voice in comic imitation, in which Mr. 
 Massett was as successful as in its more serious displays. " Vil- 
 likins and his Dinah," an entirely new and original version, 
 concluded the evening's entertainment, and was applauded to 
 the echo, as it deserved to be; for, of its sort, it was as efiective 
 a performance as could well be conceived. We trust that the 
 encouragement which Mr. Massett received will induce him to 
 give us at least one more entertainment. His past success will, 
 no doubt, secure him a bumper house if he should try another 
 soiree. 
 
46 
 
 [Prom the Phrenix, Saturday, Deo. 19, 1857.] 
 
 Mb. Stephen Massett's Entertainment. — A very numer- 
 ous audience welcomed Mr. Massett's first appearance in Cal- 
 cutta, on Thursday evening last, and we must say that his ef- 
 forts to amuse were very successful. The entertainment con-. 
 sisted of ballad, anecdote, and recitation, unaided (which we 
 think an improvement) by paint, dress, or tinsel, as he himself 
 announced in his brief introductory remarks. 
 
 The entertainment commenced by Mr. Massett's singing 
 with much taste, "When the Moon on the Lake is Beaming," 
 both words and music being of his own composition. This was 
 succeeded by an imitation of Madame Anna Bishop in " Home, 
 Sweet Home," sung in very good and even falsetto ; and in 
 pronunciation of the words, and mannerism, certainly remind- 
 ing us of that exquisite songstress. The scene at the Ballarat 
 Tlieatre from BulvFcr's " Lady of Lyons," called forth bursts 
 of mirth, and was very cleverly managed, especially the quick 
 transition from the deep-toned voice of Claude, to'the shrill and 
 piping treble of Pauline. 
 
 We must confess that the reading of Hood's selections, the 
 "Song of the Shirt," and the " Ode to my Boy aged Three 
 Tears," did not please us so much as other parts of the enter- 
 tainment. 
 
 The anecdote of a first appearance in Sacramento City, at 
 the Eagle Theatre, and the soliloquy of Mr. John Stagestruck, 
 assisted by the Prompter, was capital and called forth reitera- 
 ted bursts of laughter and applaiise. Though not original in 
 idea it was well done, and the best version of "My name is 
 Norval," of the burlesque kind, we remember to have heard. 
 The Comic Scene between the Londoner and the Yankee on 
 their travels, which concluded the first part^f the performance, 
 gave Mr. Massett an excellent opportunity of showing the pe- 
 culiarities of each, in his particular style and manner, and was 
 remarkably well received. The second part commenced with 
 the familiar Ballad of the " Old Arm Chair," which was pleas- 
 ingly sung. An imitation of an elderly female and a German 
 girl, as candidates for the situations of soprano and alto singers 
 in an American church, elicited much applause, and the recita- 
 tion of " The Missing Ship" was delivered with much feeling and 
 success. " The Lament of the Trish Emigrant" was sung to 
 anew air composed by Dempster, and was certainly an im- 
 provement upon that more generally in vogue. The gem of the 
 evening was, however, the " Charge of the Light Brigade," 
 composed by the poet Tennyson, upon that memorable event ; 
 this was given by Mr. Massett with a spirit and emphasis which 
 
47 
 
 shovred that the actor felt the 'words he spoke, and proved him 
 capable of the highest flights in dramatic recitation. The ap- 
 plause at the conclusion of this ckef d'ceuvre wns as long and 
 continued as deserved. The autograph letter of Queen Victo- 
 ria relating to the sufferings of the wounded in the Crimea, and 
 the care and attention of Miss Nightingale, and others of the 
 same devoted nature, did credit to the heart of Her Majesty, 
 and was received, together with the beautiful lines which suc- 
 ceeded it, with every demonstration of loyalty. The entertain- 
 ment concluded with a new and original drawing-room version 
 of "Villikins and his Dinah," which called forth roars of 
 laughter, and displayed comic powers of no mean order to be 
 another attribute of Mr. Stephen Massett. On the whole this 
 entertainment was a very pleasing one, and appeared . to give 
 great satisfaction to all present. 
 
 [From the Bengal Hurkaru and Indian Gazette, Deoomber 19, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett. — For two mortal hours, on Wednes- 
 day evening, this Protean gentleman kept an immensely 
 crowded audience at the Masonic Hall in roars of laughter 
 and wrapt delight. The 011a Podrida entertainment com- 
 menced with exemplary punctuality at eight, and was brought 
 to a close at ten. Mr. Massett was cordially greeted on 
 his first appearance before a Calcutta community, and after 
 a short exordium, commenced the motley task before him. 
 To such of our readers who have already glanced over 
 the advertisement which appeared in our columns some 
 days prior to the entertainment, it would be superfluous 
 to say that it almost amounts to an impossibility to furnish 
 anything like a detailed account of so very miscellaneous a 
 budget. Indeed, it is one of so peculiar and so racy a charac- 
 ter that, to use the ordinary phraseology in such dilemma, " it 
 should be seen to be understood," — and, we add, thoroughly re- 
 alized. But, malgre, the threat thrown out that this was bona 
 fide to be a first and last appearance, we venture to affirm that 
 those who were absent on Wednesday evening will have an op- 
 portunity soon of judging for themselves as to the merits of this 
 unique entertainment, — for Mr. Massett at the close of the 
 night's fun, informed his audience that he had not quite re- 
 solved on so hasty an exit from the City of Palaces. 
 
 Were we, out of the varied carte, to select at random 
 those morceaux which chiefly suited our own fancy, and 
 seemingly too that of the audience in general, we should 
 give the preference to the unutterably humorous meeting 
 
48 
 
 at Mortey's, of the " London Cockney and the bluff travel- 
 ing Yankee," — the laughable blunderings of "Master Stage- 
 struck and the Prompter," the imitation of the elderly female 
 and the German girl, and one or two others of the prose pieces, 
 all replete with grotesque incidents and unctuous badinage. The 
 Lyric portion again of Mr. Massett's entertainment was touching 
 in the extreme. Possessing a baritone and falsetto voice, which 
 he manages with taste and skill, he succeeded in charming his 
 audience with a very judicious selection of delicious melodies, 
 comniehcing with one of his own composition, and accompany- 
 ing himself on the piano. Poor old Tom Hood's heart-rend- 
 ing and immortal "Song of the Shirt" was given with deep 
 pathos, and so were also " The' Old Arm Chair"' and the bitter 
 " Lament of the Irish Emigrant." The recital, too, of Ten- 
 nyson's celebrated and dashing "Charge of the Light Bri- 
 gade" elicited the cordial plaudits of the audience, whilst a new 
 version of the popular Mr. '•' Villikin's and his Dinah" kept 
 their risible faculties in almost painful activity. But in resj^ct 
 of Mr. Massett we have said our say, repeating only our conviction 
 that he " should be seen to be appreciated," — and that he will 
 suffer himself to be seen again and again before he bids a final 
 adieu to the arid shores of Ind., we not only sanguinely hope 
 but pretty confidently anticipate. 
 
 BOMBAY. 
 
 [From the Bombay Times, October 17, 1857.] 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's last Performance. — ^On Thurs- 
 day night, Mr, Massett gave his farewell concert at the Town 
 Hall, which was fiilled by a numerous and respectable assem- 
 blage of people. As a reader, imitator, and singer, Mr. Mas- 
 sett has achieved signal success in Bombay, as his performances, 
 in every one of these characters, have earned the plaudits of a 
 discriminating audience. His readings of the " Boy and the 
 Holy Image," the trial of " BardeU v. Pickwick," and "A 
 Tribute to the Memory of Eobert Burns," equalled the highest 
 expectations, and his style of elocution was pleasant and im- 
 pressive. Tennyson's " Charge of the Light Brigade," is one 
 of the finest pieces of recitation ever heard in Bombay, and 
 Mr. Massett's rehearsal of it produces a thrilling sensation, as 
 he throws into it all the power of his fine intellect. It is, how- 
 ever, as an imitator that Mr. Massett is particularly acceptable 
 to the majority of his auditors. The ludicrous imitation of 
 
49 
 
 Madame Anna Bishop in "Home, Sweet Home," does not ap- 
 pear to lose any effect by repetition, as it has on all occasions 
 caused irrepressible laughter, chiefly among the fairer portion 
 of the listeners, who appear heartily to enjoy the fun of the 
 thing. The " Stage Struck Yankee " has likewise been well 
 received at each of Mr. Massett's entertainments, the laugha- 
 ble nature of the scene being appreciated by all. The imita- 
 tion of a boarding-school Miss, singing "Shells of Ocean," 
 was the gem of Thursday evening's performance in this line, 
 when Mr. Massett, donning a young lady's bonnet, gave the 
 song in such a serio-comic manner, that he was vociferously en- 
 cored at its conclusion; and on his reappearance in the same 
 whimsical head-dress, he was greeted with a burst of spontane- 
 ous laughter. His " Reminiscence of a London Showman," 
 wherein he made a palpable hit at the vulgar cookneyisms of 
 that class, was excessively amusing, and caused general delight 
 throughout the room. Mr. Massett's power of mimicry were 
 displayed to great advantage in his account of the " Cockney 
 and Yankee on their Travels," in which he exhibited the pecu- 
 liar characteristics of that branch of the genus homo, known 
 in common parlance as " Swells," specimens of whom may 
 frequently be met with even in these tropical regions. The af- 
 fected use of the eye-glass, so common in certain circles, was 
 very happily taken off, and caused much amusement, while the 
 peculiarities of tone were quite overpowering in their effect on 
 the risible faculty of the spectators. The singing of Mr. Mas- 
 sett is exquisite and melodious, and his vocal powers are of a 
 superior order, while his execution on the piano is faultless. 
 The melancholy ditty of " Villikins and his Dinah," which was 
 sung in the drollest tone imaginable, interspersed with remarks 
 of a most humorous kind, created great merriment, which 
 reached its height at the conclusion cf the ballad. On the 
 whole, Mr. Massett's farewell performance was most success- 
 ful, and the large attendance at his concerts and reading seems 
 to denote a degree of refined and intellectual taste, which was 
 generally supposed to be non-existent in Bombay. We anti- 
 cipate that Mr. Massett will meet with a cordial reception in 
 Calcutta, and we are sorry that his stay amongst us is of so 
 short duration. 
 
 [From the Bombay Gazette, October 3, 18S7.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's First Performance. — We men- 
 tioned, yesterday in our editorial columns that Mr. Massett's 
 entertainment of the previous evening had been entirely sue- 
 
50 
 
 cessful, the performances being enthusiastically applauded by a 
 crowded audience. It was quite beyond expectation to see so 
 many people present on a first night, and without the fashiona- 
 ble attraction of a G overnor or other local dignitary in the 
 bills. Both in number and quality the assemblage was very 
 good, and remembering the absence of all meretricious incite- 
 ments in tbe performances, and the refined tastes and senti- 
 ments to which they principally appealed, the fact is highly 
 creditable to the community of Bombay. 
 
 After delivering a neat introductory address, Mr. Massett 
 dashed at once in medias res with a song of his own compos- 
 iiig, both words and music, accompanying himself on the piano, 
 as he did in all his other songs. " The Moon on the Lake is 
 Beaming," is a very pretty song, with a suitable melody ; but 
 we do not think it is so well adapted to the display of Mr. Mas- 
 sett's qualifications as some of the other ballads which he in- 
 troduced. His voice is full, rich, and strong, with a peculiar- 
 ly fine falsetto, and he gives the words of his songs with a dis- 
 tinctness top rare with public singers. The songs sung on the 
 occasion were all of a pathetic rfiaracter, and we should sup- 
 pose that this style is his forte. At any rate he is excellent in*" 
 it • and we cannot imagine Hood's mournfully playful " I Re- 
 member,! Remember," Moore's beautiful Irish melody, "Love's 
 Young Dream," Eliza Cook's ballad of " The Old Arm Chair," 
 and the affecting "Lament of the Irish Emigrant," more 
 touchingly rendered than they were by Mr. Massett. The last, 
 in particular, we observed, occasioned a considerable display of 
 white cambric in various parts of the house. We must not 
 forget in this department the imitation of Madame Anna Bish- 
 op in " Home, Sweet Home," which was at once irresistibly 
 amusing and singularly clever. Nor must we omit to mention 
 under this head the specimen-singing of the old Yankee woman 
 and the German girl. The performance of the latter, " Ich 
 dre-emit zhat leh zwelt-in zhe maribill halls," had the honor 
 of being the only piece encored during the evening, — the au- 
 dience being very properly inclined to be reasonable and just 
 in the particular of encoring. 
 
 We cannot decide whether Mr. Massett's singing or his re- 
 citation is best. They are both excellent. Of the latter he 
 gave illustrations, both serious and comic, and of these, we 
 think the serious decidedly the better. , We are, however, al- 
 most tempted to cancel this judgment, when we remember the 
 fun of the scene from the "Lady of Lyons," as given at the 
 theatre in the Diggings, and " My name is Norval-.-you booby!" 
 as delivered, with occasional interpolations by the prompter, at 
 a "first appearance " in California. 
 
51 
 
 Decidedly, however, the greatest achievements of the evening 
 in the way of recitation, were " The Song of the Shirt," which 
 we never felt so much before, and Tennyson's Ode on " The . 
 Charge of the Light Brigade," which was given with an energy 
 and impetuosity befitting the theme and the words. It was 
 the beau-ideal of a war-chant. Any one who wants to know 
 how much of life, motion, and action may be expressed in four 
 words, must hear Mr. Massett's , 
 
 " K r r r ode the six hundred !" 
 
 The poem of " Galgano," from Blackwood's Magazine, 
 beautiful in itself and beautiful in its moral, was recited with 
 appropriate feeling, but in some parts Mr. Massett was scarce- 
 ly audible to those at a distance. He had got the gauge of the 
 hall better when he came to the " Missing Ship," founded on 
 the loss of the steamer Presidy^t, and this was in consequence 
 very effectively rendered throughout.- 
 
 Of the comic recitations, or imitations, we liked best, as we 
 have already hinted, the " Claude Melnotte " and " Pauline," 
 and " Mr. John Stagestruck's " peculiar reading, with prompt- 
 er's emendations, of " My name is Nerval." We can hardly 
 reckon in this class Hood's "Ode to my Boy aged three years," 
 which, like all Hood's jocularities, has a touch of pathos in its 
 humor, — otherwise we should rank this next. As it is, we 
 will mention the Londoner's description of his Adventures in 
 California, which was comically vraisemble, but run over a 
 leetle too rapidly. Last in this list we must place the " Yan- 
 kee Town Meeting," which, though funny enough, was funny 
 in a style which does not tell so well here as it would in Aus- 
 tralia or in America. 
 
 We must not forget Mr. Massett's " Mouthonicon," a musi- 
 cal instrument of extreme portability, and in his hands (?) of 
 very considerable capability. We fear, however, there is no 
 likelihood of its being purchasable in Bombay at any price, 
 even bow that we have got a special " Music Warehouse " in 
 Forbes-street. The performances were applauded throughout 
 with a warmth unusual (in the scene which we mean) in an 
 Indian audience, and they were really worthy of the approba- 
 tion which they received. Mr. Massett had occasion to men- 
 tion the effects of the reverberation, which interfered prejudi- 
 cially with his delivery, as was indeed obvious-tothe audience. 
 We trust, however, that some means may be discovered of pre- 
 venting this before the second performance, which is to take 
 place on Thursday evening next. 
 
52 
 
 [From the Bombay Telegraph and Courier, October 3, 1857.] 
 
 Mr. Stephen Massett's Entertainment of Thursday 
 evening was most successful. We have seldom seen so many 
 of the elite and fashion of Bombay assembled in the Town 
 Hall. In all his ballads and readings, Mr. Massett was ap- 
 plauded to the echo that did applaud again. His voice is one 
 of great power and compass ; and his execution on the piano 
 shows that he is a perfgot master of music. "The Old Arm 
 Chair," and " The Lament of the Irish Emigrant," were sung 
 with great feeling, and excited a corresponding emotion amongst 
 the audience. His readings were very beautiful, especially the 
 loss of the President and the Balaklava charge. The tones of 
 his voice were exquisitely modulated, and his very flexible fea- 
 tures gave a reality to the whole which brought at once before 
 the mind's eye the scene he so eloquently described. His sud- 
 den transitions from grave to gay were not the least wonderful 
 features of the entertainment ; and we can only congratulate 
 Mr. Massett upon the great success he has accomplished. En- 
 tertainments of this highly intellectual character are quite a 
 novelty in Bombay, and we were glad to perceive that Mr. Mas- 
 sett's abilities were so warmly appreciated. We have no doubt' 
 that his second entertainment will be even more numerously 
 attended than was even his first. It is to take place on Thurs- 
 day, and we are promised an entire change in the programme. 
 We advise all who have not yet seen Mr. Massett to avail 
 themselves of this opportunity; as, we believe, his stay amongst 
 us will be brief. 
 
 "I REMEMBER." 
 
 Words ly Thomas Hood^Musie by Stephen Massett. 
 I. nr. 
 
 I remember, I remember, I remember. I remember. 
 
 The house wherj I was born, Where I was used to swing ; 
 
 The little window where the sun I thiinght the air would rush as fresh 
 
 Came creeping in at morn- To swallows on the wing ; 
 
 He never name a wink too soon, My spirit flew in feathers then, 
 
 Or brought too long a day ; That is so heavy now. 
 
 Yet now I almost widh the night And summer pools will hardly cool 
 
 Had borne my breath away. The fever on my brow. 
 
 n. IV. 
 
 I remember, I remember, I remember, I remember. 
 
 The roses red and white. The fir-trees daric and high — 
 
 The violets and the lily oupa, I used to thinli their slender tops 
 
 Those flowers made of light. Were close against the sky. 
 
 The lilac where the robin built. It was a childish ignorance — 
 
 And woere my brother set ' But now His little joy 
 
 The laburnum on his birthday — To know I'm further off from Heaven 
 
 The tree is living yet ! , Than when I was a boy.