In the _Contemporary_ Mr. WILFRID MEYNELL gives an interesting Memoir of the great Cardinal and his contemporaries, and Mr. RUDYARD KIPLING writes a tale entitled _The Enlightenment of Mr. Padgett, M.P._--of which more when I've read it. * * * I have read it. It isn't a story, so I was disappointed, and about as interesting to a story-seeker as _The National Congress_, of which it treats, to the majority of the Indian natives. But the dialogue is instructive and amusing, and will enlighten many Padgetts. B. DE B.-W. * * * * * "UN PETTITT-HARRIS COMPLIMENT."--AUGUSTUS DRURIOLANUS and his colleague in the authorship of the new piece at the National Theatre are to be congratulated. As might have been anticipated from the title, "there is money in it." * * * * * VOCES POPULI. AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM. IN THE SCULPTURE GALLERIES. _Sightseers discovered drifting languidly along in a state of depression, only tempered by the occasional exercise of the right of every free-born Briton to criticise whenever he fails to understand. The general tone is that of faintly amused and patronising superiority._ [Illustration: Refused Admittance.] _A Burly Sightseer, with a red face_ (_inspecting group representing "Mithras Sacrificing a Bull"_). H'm; that may be MITHRAS's notion o' making a clean job of it, but it ain't _mine_! _A Woman_ (_examining a fragment from base of sculptured column with a puzzled expression, as she reads the inscription_). "Lower portion of female figure--probably a Bacchante." Well, how they know who it's intended for, when there ain't more than a bit of her skirt left, beats _me_! _Her Companion_. Oh, I s'pose they've got to put a name to it of _some_ sort. _An Intelligent Artisan_ (_out for the day with his Fiancée--reading from pedestal_). "Part of a group of As-Astrala--no, As_traga_--lizontes"--that's what _they_ are, yer see. _Fiancée_. But who _were_ they? _The I.A._ Well, I can't tell yer--not for certain; but I expect they 'd be the people who in'abited Astragalizontia. _Fiancée_. Was that what they used to call Ostralia before it was discovered? (_They come to the Clytie bust._) Why, if that isn't the same head Mrs. MEGGLES has under a glass shade in her front window, only smaller--and hers is alabaster, too! But fancy them going and copying it, and I daresay without so much as a "by your leave," or a "thank you!" _The I.A._ (_reading_). "Portrait of ANTONIA, sister-in-law of the Emperor TIBERIUS, in the character of Clytie turning into a sunflower." _Fiancée_. Lor! They did queer things in those days, didn't they? (_Stopping before another bust._) Who's that? _The I.A._ 'Ed of Ariadne. _Fiancée_ (_slightly surprised_). What!--not young ADNEY down our street? I didn't know as he'd been took in stone. _The I.A._ How do you suppose they'd 'ave young ADNEY in among this lot--why, that's antique!