One may perhaps be allowed to note in passing that 1859 brought with it the first appearance of Henry Irving on the London stage. In the winter season of 1860 Her Majesty's was running English opera with a fine cast, which included Lemmens-Sherrington, Mdlle. Parepa, Reeves, Santley, George Honey, J. G. Patey, and Chas. Hallé as conductor. With 1861 we come to the English _début_ of the greatest star of the last half of the nineteenth century, for on May 14 Adelina Patti made her first appearance at Covent Garden, as Amina in "La Somnambula," amid such enthusiasm as to ensure her the premier place among the operatic artists of her day. And indeed after this memorable date the _diva_ continued to appear for no less than twenty-five consecutive seasons at Covent Garden, her name proving an infallible draw, no matter in what opera she chose to appear. During the same season Grisi gave a series of eight farewell performances, creating an enormous _furore_; moreover, Delle Sedie came over for Mapleson's season at the Lyceum, being afterwards engaged for Covent Garden. At the latter house the autumn season opened with "Ruy Blas," followed later by "Robin Hood," with a cast including Mme. Guerrabella (Geneviève Ward), Haigh, Honey, and Santley, and this in turn gave way to the production of Balfe's new opera, "The Puritan's Daughter," which had a run of no less than fifty-seven performances. The following February, 1862, saw the production of another of Balfe's operas, the "Lily of Killarney," the plot being that of the "Colleen Bawn," which had just had a huge success at the Adelphi Theatre. The artists engaged for the Covent Garden season of Italian opera included such names as Patti, Tamberlik, Mario, Faure, Formes, and Gordoni; while in the autumn of the year Mapleson gave a season of opera with Tietjens, Alboni, Giuglini, and Santley. For 1863 may be writ large the five letters FAUST. Mapleson tells the story of its production in his memoirs. Thomas Chappell had bought the English rights for £40, after seeing it at the Théâtre Lyrique. The music of an opera is worth nothing until the opera itself has become known, and Messrs Chappell opened negotiations with Mr Frederick Gye for its production during the Royal Italian Opera season. The work had not, however, made much impression at the Lyrique, and Gye, on his return from Paris, assured his stage-manager, Augustus Harris, that there was nothing in it but the "Soldier's Chorus," and refused to have anything to do with it. Mapleson on hearing it felt convinced it would be an immense success; and Chappells were ready to pay £200 towards the cost of its production, and to give £200 more after four representations. He therefore engaged his company, and put it into rehearsal at Her Majesty's.