Mr. ELLIOT is excellent as the _Hon. Montague Trimble_; nothing better, apart from Mr. HARE's eccentric characters, has been seen on the stage for some considerable time. I hope the author is of the same opinion. Mr. FRED THORNE is capital as the Irish Member; and as _Mrs. Hooley_, an obtrusively Irish eccentricity of Thackerayan extraction, Miss ALEXES LEIGHTON is very good, for the character, as drawn by the author, _is_ obtrusive, and is so meant to be. The _Mrs. Egerton Bompas_ of Miss FANNY BROUGH is _the_ woman to the life, and, in my humble judgment, Miss BROUGH's impersonation is well-nigh faultless. Whether, if the part of _Egerton Bompas_ were played as high comedy, this would still improve Miss BROUGH's impersonation of _Mrs. Bompas_ or not, it is difficult to decide; but I am inclined to think this would be the result. What does the author think? Most likely he will continue to "think"; it is the wiser course. Mr. HENRY V. ESMOND makes the lad, _Howard Bompas_, unnecessarily repulsive; but if, in doing so, he is only exactly carrying out the author's idea, i.e., "Master's orders," then he is no longer responsible for the overcharged colouring. The probable fate of this unhappy pair, an impulsive uneducated kind of Irish orange-girl married to a contemptible young sot, is not a pleasant termination to the story, nor is the anticipatory sadness felt for the future of this ill-assorted couple in any way dissipated by the stereotyped and perfunctory offer of marriage made by the young London Journal Nobleman to the daughter of the utterly crushed snob just before the Curtain descends. Why the piece is called _The Times_, remains a mystery. _To-day_ would have been better; that is, if by _The Times_ is only meant "The Present Day." And if it doesn't mean this, what meaning has it? For alliterative advertisement it may be useful; e.g., "Times at TERRY's." The dialogue generally is easy, natural and telling. Yours, PRIVATE BOX. * * * * * FOLLOW THE BARON! ["Such characters as he should retire into fiction, they are too exaggerated for real life."--_"Times" on Mr. R.L. Stevenson's Sad Maron of Samou._] Oh, most excellent true! How I thank thee, great _Times_, For teaching that phrase! 'Tis delicious! Fiction! The haunt of mad follies, crass crimes, Fads futile, and tastes meretricious. Oh, joy, to transport to that Limbo of Fools, Upon trial and honest conviction, The plagues of our Parties, our Churches, our Schools, Who ought to "retire into Fiction." When WINDYWHAME, M.P., goes spouting about, His flatulent madness and malice; When SLUDGE, after years of dogmatical doubt, Finds Faith's Wonderland worthy of _Alice_; When POPINJAY airs his effeminate Art, And DOBBS sputters dirt in choice diction, Ye gods, there'd be joy in Church, Forum, and Mart, If the fools would "retire into Fiction."