The Press. — London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS. SEPTEMBER 3, 1853. However, 110 sooner did we get into smooth water again, than all his confidence returned, and he called the Captain "a lubber :" the reason of this was, that the Captain had suggested the " taking a reef in"—on which Lord JOHN remarked, " Take al reef in! Who the deuce would bring a reef on board? 'We want to avoid reefs!" Everybody being struck dumb by this, his Lordship looked round with triumph. We hear that he will certainly take command of the squadron which is intended to conciliate the Russians ; and there can be little doubt that, if so, the Ministry will sustain the reputation which they have acquired ! ATHENIAN ABERDEEN. Oh ! Shade of CHATHAM, look with scornful eyes OIL the weak hand that dares to grasp thy rod ; See how th' emasculate dotard spirit dies, Trembling and palsied 'neath a despot's nod. Thus Athens once, in her declining years, Before the Macedonian bowed in shame, And found, too late, her vacillating fears Had cost her all, except her ancient fame. The friend of Philip paved an easy road, To drag his country 'neath the tyrant's goad; The friend of NicnotAs, remembering Greece, Improves the notion for a c►aven peace, And, more Athenian than his models grown, ♦Yrecks other realms while he betrays his own. THE FIRST OF SEPTEMBER. Ova correspondents generally coincide that, owing to the rain, and the large proportion of uncut corn, the birds had the best of it on their great anniversary. Irrespective of these natural impediments to sport, we have heard of others, in individual instances, unfavourable to the game bag. Captain OSBORNE was it by a perverse tendency to hang lire on the part of his doe Manton or Miller (we are not accu rately informed as to the designation of his gunmaker); and Lord ABERDEEN, in the absence of other sport, actually missed a Turkey at which he aimed when it was on the ground. Lord Jolts, at Roseneath, did his best to justify his sporting joke at Lord DERBY'S Ministry that " they were like partridges, not to be killed till September;" but we are intOrtned that such a mist came over his vision that no partridges would have reached his larder, unless his eyes had been continually wiped by the gamekeeper. The most singular incident befel Mr. GLADSTONE. His dog commenced by pointing the village " stocks," but as the game would not rise, though the CHANCELLOR of the Ex cnr.ouEn to-ho-ed lustily, after getting out of temper and thrashing his pointer, he proceeded to look for game elsewhere, us it was plain that he was the sole game in .his instance. Singular to relate, wherever he went his dog pers.sted in pointing inditferent objects, such as church doors, pumps, pigsties, etc. When another dog was brought him, it turned tail and ran home. A third persisted in pointing his own gaiters; and it was only late in the day that it was discovered that there was an understanding in the kennel to render him no assist ance, fur certain reasons connected with the (log tax. It is said that he is shortly about to make a communication to the Naturalists' Jour ►ral on this striking instance of canine sagacity. It should be added that he remarked that his gaiters were unusually wet, but he attributed this to the moisture on the turnips. THE DEVOTE!) OF WESTMINSTER. APROPOS OF " SIR ARTHUR O'KELLYN." Oh, what has become of Sir JOHN VILLIERS SHELLEY? Oh, what may the fate of that Baronet be ? As thin as a lath, and as weak as a jelly— Completely pumped out by the session is he. 421 PRESENTATION OF A MEDAL TO LORD ABERDEEN. IT IItIVIIII,Z been understood in polities) eireles that Lord ABERI)IS:F.X had, with a fmnkness not his habitual failing, expressed some dis satisfaction that a demonstration should have been made in favour of a nobleman whom the Viscount is pleased to eonsider, or at least to designate, as a subordinate member of his O►►vernment, an intimation was given to the representative of the Turkish Court that the interests of his Sovereign would be promoted by some little attention being publiely manifested to the Premier. The hint occasioned eonsidemble embarrassment t 4) the Ambassador of the Ottoman Porte, and his Ex- celleney got through a great number of pipes before he could make up his mind to meet the exigency of the cr►s►s. Ilut, ultimately, seal for the interests of the Sultan prevailed over the Ambassador's personal feelings, and he sent for a member of into of the leading firms of jewellers, and desired that a book of patterns and models of testi menials might be submitted to him. Several subjects were presented to his Excellency. One was a salver, ornamented with designs from the Elgin marbles; but the Secretary to the Embassy luul accidentally found HAYDON'S auto biography upon the table of his club, and he suggested that, consider ing Lord AnKaDEEN's old opinion upon these relies, the present might be misunderstood by a nobleman not celebrated for his rapidity of perception. A cup, formed of a Homeric group, was next proposed, but a visitor to the Ambassador fortunately recollected that the Noble Viscount did not believe in Homan, and considered that the poems, which the world is infatuated enough to ascribe to a single mind, were the work of a sort of Coalition of bards, who had worked upon no one principle, but had endeavoured to beguile the public of their day with a series of traditional fictions dressed up with flummery and verbiage to suit all tastes ; the alleged blindness of Ilosma being, in Land ABIZDEEN'S upiuion, a mere myth. indicating that the Coalition in question had no straightforward views, and were actuated solely by the desire of feeling their way as they went on. A presentation of plate was next thought of, but this was negatived ou the consideration that spoons might painfully remind the Noble Viscount of several of his colleagues, while the fiddle pattern might. be deemed a gratuitous insult to a Scotehman. Finally, his Excellency thought that, us medals had been presented to Lord PALIISRSTON for his exertions in preserving the independence of Poland, the best course would be to present Lord AUERDEEN with a similar testimonial, in acknowledgment of his efforts for maintaining the independence of Turkey. The device fur the medals occasioned even greater difficulty ; but, Mr. LAYARD happening to look in to take a quiet ekibutaque with the Ambassador, the Honourable Member for Nineveh was enabled to afford his Excellency the benefit of his advice. A winged bull was first recommended, but the extreme sensitiveness of the Irish Members of the Cabinet was remembered, and it was feared that they might recognise in such a device an insult either to the Pope or to Ireland. It would hardly do to have Mr. SADLEIII 1111t1 that valuable lot resigning a second time. Then a subject representing England, armed, holding out her hand to Turkey, was mentioned, but the joke was considered too strong even fir Lord A eliaos:EN. One of the told servants of the Embassy, hearing the discussion, produced out of his turban a mass of old Greek and other medals, of which he had become possessor, vile et mons, and one of these, a Greek type, appeared to the Ambassador to be just the thing required, but the silversmith stated that it was too much worn to be available as a medal, the only word he could make out being something like EIIKAPIOT. At last await decided that a medal having the head of her Majesty on one side and a Turkish inscription on the other would be the most suitable, and was accord. ingly agreed upon. Lord ABERDEEN had unfortunately left town, but the medal has been forwarded to him, and he has acknowledged the receipt with timid. gratitude which lie is in the habit of expressing fir the very smallest iiIVOUII4. Unluckily, the Secretary to the Embassy had written to supply a translation of the inscription which occupies the reverse of the medal; and Lord AnminExx, with the caution which belongs to him, has contented himself with saying that he is much flattered at finding himself undeservedly favoured with the countenance of his Sovereign, and expresses a belief, in which he is not singular, that it may not be long before he is able to dilate upon the reverse. RD The voice that last summer was lively to hear — Which the Potboys of Westminster loved next to beer, A CARD. Has been tried on the Commons so often in vain, AT the risk of offending one of our most respected contributors, That we doubt if we ever shall hear it a g ain. we consent to state that Mr. RALPH OfiltoHNE is not the " Silent Mem- ber" who occasionally writes in our columns. Mr. OSBORNE is really a But what must be must, very amusing person when he has time to refer to the late Jossru He is going to dust, MILLICR. But his official duties at present deprive him of that spiritual And the " Chamber of Horrors" will have his bust. advantage. • . „ I U