The Royal Academy Dinner, last Saturday, was distinguished -chiefly by
the extreme skill and elaboration of Sir Frederick Leighton's numerous speeches, of which we have said enough else- where. Lord Granville may, perhaps, have been understood by some of the guests as reflecting ironically on the too artistic manipulation of the ceremony, when he described Sir Frederick Leighton as descending into the arena of public speaking as an amateur, and "putting completely out of the field us poor professionals, who, some for a quarter, and others, I am afraid, for nearly half a century, have been hired and paid for this particular work." Mr. John Morley, in answering for "Litera- ture," aptly observed that the growing love of pictorial art had, perhaps, injured literature, by inducing literary writers to make their style more pictorial than language can ever be made with advantage ; and Professor Huxley, answering for "Science," made an amusing attack on some imaginary Perseus of the Press, clad in the cap of invisibility, and armed with the Medusa head of vituperation, who is always striving to deliver the Andromeda of Art from the jaws of the Dragon of Science. We do not know who "the Perseus of the Press" aimed at may be, and quite agree with Professor Huxley that towards the Andromeda of Art the Dragon of Science shows himself a very debonair monster, and quite devoid of any blood- thirsty intent. Probably they not only understand each other -very well, but are friendly enough with Perseus, too.
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