The Lord Mayor, satiated with Ministers, Mayors, and foreign Sovereigns,
has been pleased to recognise Literature and Art by a banquet at the Mansion House. The names of those who attended are not published, the names of those invited being alone given, as at a Royal Concert ; but Lord Houghton was spokesman for Literature, Sir Francis Grant for Art, the Marquis de Caux for Music, Mr. A. Wigan for the Drama, and Mr. Sala for the Press, which, the Lord Mayor observed, " possessed the power of a giant, and used it with the dignity of a giant,"—rather a funny illustration, unless his lordship was thinking of Gog. The dwarf of the Norse mythology, who forges the weapons of giants, would be nearer the mark. Nothingwas said of much interest, though Mr. Sala gave a catalogue of the literary surroundings of the Mansion House, which, like all his catalogues, was most amusing ; but the dinner must have been a success, for Mr. Disraeli, who ought himself to have been there, as the most sucessful litterateur in England, said next day he hoped it would be an annual ceremonial. If not, perhaps the Stationers' Company may take the Lord Mayor's place, and " recognise" the chief middlemen between themselves and their customers.
