The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-01-26 00:00:00

Court Xtius,

Her Majesty the'Queen gave on Wednesday evening a
State Ball, to which a party of about 1,100 had the
honour of being invited. The guests comprised the
foreign Princes and Princesses on a visit to the Queen,
the Royal Family, the Diplomatic Corps, the Ministers
and Officers of State with their wives and daughters,
the ladies and gentlemen of the Royal Household, and
a large party of the nobility and gentry. The Ball and
Concert Room, the Promenade Gallery, the Approach
Gallery, the Dinner Room, Yellow Drawing Room,
Saloon, White Drawing Room, Picture Gallery, and
Green Drawing Room were opened for this reception.
The Royal Family upon their arrival were ushered to
the White Drawing Room, where the Queen received
her illustrious visitors. Her Majesty and his Royal
Highness the Prince Consort were accompanied by the
Princess Royal, His Majesty the King of the Belgians,
their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of'
Prussia, the Duke of Brabant, the Count of Flanders,
Prince Frederick Charles, Prince Albert, Prince
Frederick Albert, and Prince Adalbert of Prussia, Prince
William of Baden, and the Duke and Duchess of Saxe-
Coburg, his Serne Highness the Prince of Leiningen, and
his Highness the Prince at Flohenzollren Sigma ringen.
Sarah Bonetts Forbes, the young African Princess who
has been placed by Her Majesty under the care of Mrs.
Behan, at Chatham, for the purpose of being educated,
is to be present to witness the marriage ceremony of
the Princess Royal, by Her Majesty's command.
Lord Palmerston has given a pension of £4O a year on
the Literary Civil List to Dr. John Armstrong, the
author of the "Dictionary of the Gaelic Language and
Gaelic Grammar." _

A brass field gun—one of the most perfect specimens
produced in the Royal Gun Foundry at Woolwich Arsenal
—has been ordered to be prepared for presentation to
the Emperor of the French. The gun is an ordinary
9-pounder, and will be fitted with all the requisite ap-
purtenances with especial care.
The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Frederick
Charles Prince of Prussia, Albert Prince of Prussia,
Adalbert Prince of Prussia, and the Prince of Hohen-
zollern. visited the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House on
Saturday week, whence they proceeded to inspect
the arrangements of the Bank of England; the Royal
party afterwards paid a visit to the Guildhall.
A Berlin letter states that M. de Jasmund, the chief
editor of the Politiches Wochenbla,tt, has been charged
by the King of Prussia to draw up the official account
of the marriage ceremony of his son, Prince Frederic
William, with the Princess Royal of England. This
fact has been much remarked on at Berlin in conse-
quence of M. de Jasmund having been for many years at
the head of the above-named Opposition journal, which
has always defended with great energy the idea of Ger-
man unity and the principles of ultra liberalism.
A GODSON TO PRINCE ALBERT.—There exists in
Germany a very ancient custom by which any subject in
the land to whom three sons are born alive at a birth,
or who may be so fortunate as to become the father of a
seventh son, is allowed the privilege of calling upon his
Prince to stand godfather to the one or the three. This
custom has just been carried out in this country in a
rather singular manner. It appears that his Royal
Highness the Prince Consort and a resident in West
Hartlepool, a countryman of Prince Albert's, being
" native and tothemannerborn,” have fallen into thisre-
markable relationship. The wife of Mr. J. V. Curths,
residing at Fountain-house in that town, presented him
with the 7th son. The idea occurred to Mr. Curths
that in a country where the Prince Consort was of
German origin the old custom might be fairly continued,
and he accordingly addressed his Royal Highness,
requesting the honour. The result was a letter from
Colonel Phipps, private secretary to the Prince Consort,
enclosing a check for £5 as a present to the child, and
the following gratifying testimonial to the father .
" Colonel Phipps is glad to be able to acquaint Mr.
Carths that the information which has been received
respecting him in consequence of the inquiries that have
been made is very satisfactory. Buckingham Palace,
January 15, 1858." This fact evinces a strong attach-
ment of the Prince to the customs of his fatherland, and
a genuine kindness of heart.