"PRINCESS IDA."

Although it may seem a sacrilege to many that Gilbert has taken the material for his new comic opera Libretto from Tennyson's poem "The Princess," yet it can scarcely be wondered at in this busy age, when even Shakspere cannot escape being travestied by popular playwrights. Early in his literary career Gilbert wrote a burlesque of the Princess for one of the leading London theatres, and it is merely this burlesque, remodeled and polished up, that has achieved a success in London, and that comes before a Boston audience on Monday evening next, under the name of "Princess Ida, or Castle Adamant." The plot of the opera is nearly the same as that of Tennyson's poem, and may be briefly described as follows: Prince Hilarion, the son of King Hildebrand, has been betrothed in boyhood to the Princess Ida, the only daughter of Gama, a neighboring monarch. When the Prince is of age, King Hildebrand sends to Gama and claims his daughter's hand for his son. King Gama replies that he would be only too happy to bring about this marriage, but unfortunately the Princess has fallen under the influence of two female blue stockings, the Ladies' Psyche and Blanche, who have persuaded her to found a new college for female philosophy, and in consequence the Princess scorns all ideas of matrimony and has retired to the impregnable castle of Adamant.

On hearing this news, King Hildebrand is highly wroth, and is about to declare war on the Princess and bring her by force, but is persuaded by Prince Hilarion and his two friends Cyril and Florian to allow them to go to the castle and attempt to turn the Princess from her stern resolve. The king not only gives his consent but agrees to go with them, and the four set out to capture Castle Adamant by cunning. The next act is at Castle Adamant, and after several vain attempts to enter the castle the four wanderers dress themselves up as "girl graduates" and in this way gain admittance within the sacred precinct. Once inside they attempt to influence the Princess, but are discovered and cast from the gates in disgrace. This second act is full of clever satire and bright dialogue, showing Gilbert at his best, and the music also is brisk and catching. Burning with rage and shame King Hildebrand sizes upon Gama, the Princess' father, and declares war against the "girl graduates." The learned maids, true to their theory, array themselves in armor, and aided by Arac and his brethren,-relations of the princess, offer defiance to the opposing army. All ends well, however, and the Princess, giving up philosophical pursuits, consents to marry Prince Hilarion, the opera ending with Tennyson's beautiful lines:

WE WILL WALK THE WORLDYork in all exercise of noble end!

And so through those dark gates across the wild

That no man knows! In deed I love the come!