It will now be asked, what had the Direction of Her Majesty's Theatre in London been doing during the several years that the great capitals of the Continent had been enjoying the marvellous gifts of Countess Rossi? The fact is, that as regards distant things, no great foresight or vigilance could be expected from those who formerly directed this institution. The engagement of Madlle. Sontag was too far-fetched an effort: whilst she was at Vienna or Berlin, affairs at home absorbing too much of the time and attention of the unfortunate lessee for the time being. Her Majesty's Theatre--specially established by royalty, and the chief amusement of the successive sovereigns and their illustrious guests--liberally supported by the greatest aristocracy in the world--for thirty years presented the most disorderly and disgraceful aspect which ever characterized any theatre of such pretensions. Instead of being governed by general principles of equity, and with a view to general results, it was alternately subjected to the caprice of a coterie, or to the passions of an artist. The stage was looked upon as a resort of gallantry, enlivened by the envies, jealousies, and battles of the _prima donna_; and the audience part of the theatre, where the greatest personages of the land habitually appeared, headed by Royalty itself, was frequently turned into a bear-garden, for uncouth exhibitions of temper and unseemly rows. Needless to add what was the fate of the successive lessees--at one moment compelled to live under the foot of a favorite dancer, at another to be at the beck and call of an imperious _prima donna_; to pay them whatever they asked, and sacrifice to them whoever or whatever they pleased--"_Stet pro ratione voluntas!_" was ever the order of the day. Not astonishing, that whoever took the helm--a great and liberal nobleman, like the Earl of Middlesex and other personages, whose mishaps Horace Walpole has so wittily portrayed--a sublime composer, like Handel--a rich banker, like Chambers--a librarian--an Italian _impresario_, or a clever actor--let the theatre be governed by a single individual, or by a committee--ruin was sure to ensue. To seek a _prima donna_ of German extraction at Berlin, might, at some moment, when an Italian "_assolutissima_" was reigning, have been considered as high treason, and exposed the perpetrator to the highest punishment her admirers could inflict. However, when Madlle. Sontag came to the _Italiens_ in Paris, the lessee might venture, without risk of such dire punishment, to wish to vary and increase the amusement of the public and his own receipts. Mr. Ebers, who has recorded with unanswerable data the absurd caprices and consequent losses of which, under this system, he was for seven years the victim, was then the lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre. Mr. Ebers was naturally anxious to make an engagement with a lady, the renown of whose talents and beauty was the constant theme of conversation amongst the