The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-22 00:00:00

DECORATIONS OF THE LATE DUKE OF

WRLLINGTON.

The various orders and decorations of the late
Duke of We'Hostas, which were exhibited at the lying in
state at Chelsea Hospital, will be en view at Messrs.
Gerrard's, Penton-street, Haymarket, in the course of this
week. The decorations will be exhibited in a large glass
case, upon black velvet, the batons being placed in front.
At the top is the unpretending-looking Order of the
Garter, and near this is a decoration which is unique,
being the only one of the kind ever conferred, the
Collar of Victory, presented to the Duke by George the
Fourth ; it is of massive gold, and on the medallion shields
which are interspersed among the other ornaments are
inscribed the names of the several victories won by the
Duke. In a corner on the right, almost too small to be ob-
served, is the Duke's favourite badge, the Waterloo medal,
which he wore on meet public occasions, and which is pre-
cisely similar to that worn by the common rank and file of
the army. Below hangs • brood blue faded-looking ribbon,
to which many interesting associations are attached, as the
relic of a dynasty long passed and almost forgotten. It is
the celebrated condor bleu of the Bourbons—the Order of
St. Esprit, the star and badge of which, set in diamonds, is
valued at thirty thousand pounds. Another interesting
decoration is that of St. George of Russia, with its
black and orange ribbon. The baton of • Ramjet'
held marshal, which was also presented by the Emperor
Alexander to the duke, is a very gorgeous affair in frosted
gold. sledded with large diamonds. The ribbon of the
Garter, which the duke wore more frequently in this
country than any other, is quite dety and faded, and who-
vet may be the Inheritor of this distinction will eiertaitly
require • new one. The Spanish ribbons and decorations
are among the mast showy and brilliant of the entire.
The Order of the Sword of Sweden is • tiny little
affair, although the representative of great achieve-
menu, and the visitor cannot look without emo-
tion
upon the two small decorations on the left
—one of which is the Indian medal with three clasps, which
indicate the early achievements of the duke' and the Penin-
miler medal with nine clasps, which give it the appearance
of • lady's modem bracelet, and which records the number
and eatent of the deceased warrior's victoria in Spain
and Portugal. We can merely glance at the names of
some of the remainder. Prussia, in addition to a baton,
conferred upon him no less than five orders, those of
St. Andrew, St. Alexander Newsky, St. George, the
Black Eagle, and the Red Eagle of Brandenburg; Ha.
the order of the Guelphs, with its cross, ribbon,
and star; Austria, the much-prised decoration of Maria
Therm, which is equivalent to our Order of the Garter.
From the Netherlands there is the Order of Wilhelm of
the Netherlands ; and from Portugal • field-marshal's
baton, with the Order of the Tower and Sword. From
Denmark, the Danish Order of Merit, with its riband and
star, and the Order of St. Januaris of the Two Sicilia.
The Order of the Crown of &tory, the Order of St. Fer-
dinand of Sicily, the supreme Order of the Annunciade of
Sardinia, the Order of the Lion d'or of Hesse CUM], the
military Order of Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria, the Order
of Fidslit4 of Baden, the Order of Military Merit of War-
temberg, and the Order of the Lion of

ST. PAIH:s CATHEDRAL—By peroliesion of the
Dean end Chapter of St. Paul's, the pablia will be ad-
mitted to view the fittings of the interior OW cathedral
this day, and during the remainder of the week. The boon
of admlssioa to-day will be from 12 till 8 ; a the remain-
ing days of the week from 8 till 8 ; sad, to panes specify.
inn the hours between which they desire to be admitted,
lichen will be delivered, on and after Wedgy, from 8 a.m.
till 8 p.m., at the Nadas-dice, Broad, street, and at the
stores of the Commissioners of her IlLejesty's Works and
Buildings, in fbnith•street, Westminster. No person will
be admitted without a ticket, and the camber of adraimions
will be limited to 700 within each hour.

TIM Ft:MAUL CAE.—Upon the ram of the
funeral ear heat Bt. Paul's it was taken to Marlborough
House, where it now ssataim. It will, beeureer, in a few
days be sent to Oholoas Hospital, where arseesements are
Wing mode for Its resegeiss, that the palls say have an
onereasiat el seek, Mem tat, le ill 'kw the drelehte
I. -width tie body of the late Das et lldliegtea maul der
several d•ys, Although the ear was thendled et wry et
its trappings on its return, we understand that when pissed
in Chelsea Hospital all the etabelliahawsla Hat oduestl It
will be replaced; and that, with the IM-plea et the
eaten, it will be la pretty nearly the sane sestatias
which it was when it owned along to et. Paul's ea Thus-
day last.

GRAND DIPLOMATIC BANCICET.—Lord Malmo,-
bury, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, gave a grand
dinner on Saturday evening, at the Foreign-office, Down-
ing-street, to the distingaiithed officers sent by the respec-
tive governments of Spain, Portugal, Russia, Prussia, the
Netherlands, Hanover, sod Brunswick, to represent them
at the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. Spain was re-
presented by the Duke d'Osuna, Portugal by the Duke de
Terceira, Russia by Prince Gorteltakoff, Prussia by
Count Hostile, the Netherlands by Baron d'Omph4,
Hanover by Sir Hugh Dalkon, Brunswick by Ge-
neral Ehrischen. The Earl of Derby, as Prime Minister of
Great Britain, and Lord Herding°, as Commanding in
Chief of her Majesty's forces, were present to meet the
illustrious guests. M. Isturits, Minister of Spain ; Count
de Lavra.lio, Minister of Portugal ; Baron de Brunnow,
Minister of Russia ; Chevalier Bunsen, Minister of
Prussia ; Baron Bentinek, Minister of the Netherlands ;
Count Kielmenseggr. Minister of Hanover ; and the fel-
)owing officers, accompanying the principal military
representatives of their respective governments, were
also present at the banquet. numely, Colonel de
I Torres, Colonel de Calvet y Laza, Count de Villa
Real, Dan Manuel de Souza Coatinho, Count Benkendorff,
Colonel Tehernitaky, General do Bebe/oohed, General de
Maslow, Captain Tindal, Captain Givers, Colonel Poen,
Colonel Mayenholts, and Colonel Baum. Colonel Cornwall
and Captain Stopford Clavcrnititt, specially appointed to I
attend the foreign military officers during their stay in
England, were also present, together with Lord Stanley,
M.P., and Mr. Addington, the Under Secretaries of State
for Foreign Affairs. The above distinguished military offi-
cers have been invited by Lord llardinge, Commanding-in-
Chief the British Forces, to a grand dinner on Tuesday
neat.

TUE AMERICAN AND CANADIAN MAIM—LITER
POOL, SATOILDAT.-At liftean minutes put two o'clock
this afternoon the Cunard steamship Europa, Captain N.
Shannon, took her departure from this port with the United
States and Canadian mails, which were under the care of
Lieut. Lewis, R.N., Admiralty agent. Is addition to •
larziraeral carp of mershandieCon freight the Europa
oat about !meaty parosagon.

DRAMA.
HAYMARK E r.
The little two-set comedy called " Masks sod
Fame," produced at this theatre on Saturday evening, is •
production of considerable merit, and met with Ammo!
success. It is announced as "entirely new sad original,"
though we are not sure that this last epithet L'WAIF
exact, as the piece seemed to have some ainularig, in sub-
jut at least, to a French drama, of which we do not at
present remember the title. But be this as it may, the
pies is English in its characters, manners, and style. As
eta conclusion, the audience were informed that it was the
joint work of the authors of " To Parents and Guardians,"
"The Ladies' Battle," and some other popular prudes.
Lions; namely, Mr. Taylor and Mr. Rude.
The plot is somewhat complicated, and not always else.
Among the characters are some of our stage esisteltiss Of
the early part of the last century.. A young waft gm-
dames named Vane, having visited London, is smitten
with the charms of the famous Mrs. Wallington, and pays
his addressee to her, though he has left a wife in the
country ; and the actress, believing his attachment to be
honourable, rejects on his account another suitor, 801
Charles PoMander, one of the fine gentlemen of the day.
Meanwhile Vane's young wife, uneasy at her bar
baud's absence, resolves to follow him to town.
On the journey her coach meets with an accident
from which she is extricated by Pomander, whose escort to
town she accepts. Pomander, having been invited by Vane'
to a dinner of theatrical people. brings home Mrs. Vane, se
the perty are assembled. Vane is astounded at the sight of
his wife, and Mrs. 'Vele:upon is indignant to and that bee
lover is married. Mrs. Vane, however, remains in the
dark ; she does not know who Mrs. Woffusgton and bee
companions are, but supposes that her husband (to whom
she had written almanac nag her arrival) has invited a party
of friends to meet her on her arrival. Still things- look
suspicious; and at lee eh Mrs. Vane discovers that her
arrival was unitapeetedAMt her husband had not even opened
her letter, and that he is in love with Welfiegton. The
young wife's distress at these cruel discoveries closes the
first act. The second act introduces us to the mineable
neewege of Triplet, a poor post, who, in the midst of his
starving family, is segaged upon a play. He is a painter
besides, and is painting a portrait of Wellington, who
comes to alt to him that he ma: finish it, having asked some
of her critical friends to come and give their opinion of it.
Triplet, unable to make a satisfactory likeness, dashes his
knife through the picture, afraid to encoanter the expected
critics. We/Puke, to show him the value of criti•
cism, cuts out the face from the canvas and sub-
stitutes her own: the judges arrive, and criticise the portrait
unmercifully. Mrs. Vane is now announced she has come
to appeal to her rival in her husband's affections. She is
shown into the room In which IVoifington, now alone, is
concealed with her face in the picture. Mrs. Vane, seeing
her rival's lovely features, breaks into an impassioned burst
of grief. She a astonished to see the expression of the pic-
ture change ; Mrs. IVorengton comes from behind it, and,
after a scene of considerable feeling, she engages to endea-
vour to cure Vane of his misplaced passion ; an object
which she effects by some contrivances which it is needless
to detail ; and the .upshot is that the husband
returns to his wife, under the impression that his
mistress is an intrigante, who has endeavoured to deceive
him—not a very satisfactory dent mewl.
The plot of this piece, indeed, is its weakest point. Tim
nominal hero, Vane, is a poor creature, weak as wall r
wicked, who excites no interest whatever, and does net
deserve an amiable and loving wife. The principal figure
is Mrs. W 411.0401, who is admirably drawn, and
charmingly represented by Mrs. Stirling. The character
is a delightful combination of grace, wit, spirit, nobleness
of nature, and generosity. But this ideal Weft:Won is
just such a creature as the a ill more celebrated Mrs.
Clive was in reality; while Kitty Clive (who is also one of
the dramatis persona), plays an insignificant part. Trudet,
the poor denizen of Grubstreet, is an excellent
sketch, embodied by Mr. Webster in that artistic and mas-
terly manner for which he is distingui,hed, with fine touches
of homely pathos. Miss Rosa Bennett, as Mrs. Vane, had
nothing remarkable to do: she looked very pretty, and
acted with sweetness and feeling. .leir Charles Pomanckr,
the cool, nonchalant, fine gentleman, has found a perfect
representative in Mr. Leigh Murray. The dialogue of the
piece is easy and elegant, and altogether it is deserving of a
permanent place on the stage.