Performance Of The Agamemnon Of Aeschylus At Balliol College, Oxford.

conception of Cassandra ' s part . There ivas no attempt at A'iolent frenzy . Cassandra ivas quiet and gentle throughout , as though half in a dreimi , but the pathos of ber situation Avas admirablj * conveyed , and the contrast between ber manner and tbe fussy , foolish remarks of the Argive elders was sometimes A-ery effective . Her disappearance within the palace was the signal for a hearty

burst of applause from the audience , and , we suspect , for a few' tears from tbe more tender-hearted . Tbe death-cry of Agamemnon is now heard from within , and the Chorus consult together in great confusion , talking very fast and all together , one , who at last gets a beaing , giving tbe sage advice " to clo something . " They are suddenly hushed by -the appearance of Cltemnestra from

withinbrany , dishing a blood-stained axe , and exulting in vengeance for Iphegeneia . She has now thrown oil the mask ; and the savage glee with which she swings the axe to SIIOAV bow the deadly blow was struck , ancl the cold heavtlessness with which tbe stands gazing on the bodies , were rendered by Mr . Benson with startling impressiveness ; though ei'en here ho seemed hampered by imperfect knowledge of bis part . Cltemnestra draws a curtain ancl discloses the bodies

y of Agamemnon and Cassandra ; and a long scene of recrimination betAveen her and tbe Chorus ends with the appearance of / Egisthus ; who , in turn , exults in vengeance for Atreus' crime against his father Tbyeshis . Tbe Chorus attack him ivith reproaches and threaten blows ; and tbe scene closes amid their angry recriminations , which Clytemnestra urges / Egistbns not to heed . Tbe part of iEgistbus offers but little scope for histrionic talent , but what bad

to be clone was ivell done ; and there Avas enough of the villain about his looks to give a fair conception of the traitorous friend who robbed his lord of Avife and life . The Chorus then file off the stage , singing a few lines from the Choephora , which appeal to the Fury of Retribution and presage the vengeance to come at the hands of Orestes , with which vengeance the second part of the Tiilogy is concerned . We trust wo have given a fair idea of this enterprising attempt . No one who saw it can possibly have been disappointed ; no one eA'en AVIIO did not understand a word of Gieek could well have been bored .

To the undergraduates who conceived and carried out tbe idea ( Messrs . Courtney and Bradley being tbe only graduates of tbe party ) all praise is due for their taste and persei'erance ; and tbe highest praise tbey can desire is that they have not unworthily represented iEsch ylus . The Master of Balliol , the Dean of Christ Church , and most of the leadingmen in Oxford were present ; Dr . Butler from Harrow , Mr . Newton , Professor Jebb , of Cambridge fame , with Mr . Robert Bi-OAvning ancl Mr . E . Morshed ,

among translators of tbe Agamemnon , and a contingent of Eton masters , shelving the interest taken by others . The number of applications for admission were so numerous that a second performance was given on Friday ; but in the afternoon , as so many of the actors , being JSTOAV College men , were engaged that evening for their college ball . At this second performance tbe piano was almost suppressed , and minor defects in the acting were remedied .