The Press.
London, England, 1858-01-09 00:00:00

when first attempted. So brilliant a career upon the
stage was not without material advantages. Mlle.
Rachel in a few years realised an enormous fortune,
and, to her honour be it said, she provided mag-
nificently for her parents and relations. In Paris
she herself lived in exquisite luxury. Andersen in
his " Story of My Life " gives the following pleasant
personal reminiscence of Rachel at home:—

At her house everything is rich and magnificent, per-
haps too recherché. The innermost room was blue-
green, with shaded lamps and statuettes of French
authors. In the salon, properly speaking, the colour
which prevailed principally in the carpets, curtains, and
bookcases was crimson. She herself was dressed in
black, probably as she is represented in the well-known
English steel engraving of her. Her guests consisted of
gentlemen, for the greater part artists and men of learn•
ing. I also heard a few titles among them. Richly-
apparelled servants announced the names of the ar-
rivals. Tea was drunk and refreshments handed round,
more in the German than the French style. Victor Hugo
bad told me that he found that she understood the Ger-
man language. I asked her, and she replied in German,
" lch kann es lesen ; ich bin ja in Lothringen geboren;
ich babe deutsche Bucher, sehn Sie bier !" t T can read
it; I was born in Lorraine. I have German books : look
here) ; and she showed me Grillparzer's Sappho, and then
immediately continued the conversation in French. She
expressed her pleasure in acting the part of Sappho, and
then spoke of Schiller 's Maria Stuart, which character
she has personated in a French version of that play. I
saw her in this part, anl she gave the last act especially
with such * composure and tragic feeling that she might
have become one of the best of German actresses ; but
it was precisely in this very act that the French liked her
least. "My countrymen," said she, " are not accustomed
to this manner, and in this manner alone can the part
be given. No one should be raving when the heart is
almost broken with sorrow, and when he is about to take
an everlasting farewell of his friends." Her drawing-room
was for the most part decorated with books, which were
splendidly bound, and arranged in handsome bookcases
behind glass. A painting hung on the wall, which repre-
sented the interior of the theatre in London, where she
stood forward on the stage, and flowers and garlands were
thrown to her across the orchestra. Below this picture
hung a pretty little bookshelf, holding what I call " the
high nobility among the poets "--Goethe, Schiller, Cal-
deron, Shakespeare, &c. She asked me many questions
respecting Germany and Denmark, art and the theatre ;
and she encouraged me with a kind smile around her
grave month when I stumbled in French, and stopped
for a moment to collect myself, that I might not stick
quite fast. " Only speak," said she. "It is true that
you do not speak French well—l have heard many
foreigners speak my native language better—but their con-
versation has not been nearly as interesting as yours.
understand the sense of your words perfectly, and that is
the principal thing which interests me in you."
From this life she has been prematurely snatched.
Never of a strong constitution, Mlle. Rachel
gradually found the arduous labour of her profession
to affect her health, and at last to lead to the illness
which has now cut off this great actress in the
thirty-seventh year of her age. Her place will not be
easily supplied in Paris. Her loss will be felt
throughout Europe.

Nom Sarket Rub tztg Intrilignut.

FRIDAY' EVENING.
THE return of the Bank of England for the week
ending Wednesday last, the Bth inst., being the first
for the year 1858, shows the following changes com-
pared with that for the week preceding :
Increase in Circulation
Decrease in Public Deposits
Decrease in Other Deposits 227,094
Increase in Government Securities 223,818
Decrease in Other Securities 1,638,749
Increase in Bullion

Increase in Rest

47,297

Increase in Reserve 1,004;797
Bullion in both Departments .... 12,643,193
Circulation, including Bank Post
Bills ' 20,319,02.5
The great additions to the stock of Bullion and to
the Reserve of notes place the Bank in a highly
favourable position, the more especially as the
Private Securities will continue to run off and larply
add to its available resources. The Bullion next
week will exceed 13,000,0001., but the Reserve will
be temporarily diminished by the dispersion of the
dividends, the payment of which commenced this
morning. Still both are at a point that, under ordi-
nary circumstances, would justify the adoption of a
comparatively low rate of discount. Most of the
changes shown in the comparison are important, but
the chief interest of the return lays in the Bullion,
the Reserve, and the Private Securities, all of which
are every day becoming more satisfactory. The
Public Deposits show a slight decrease arising from
the payment of salaries, and the Private Deposits are
lower because bankers and others have been taking
out their money to buy Consols and Exchequer Bills.
Heavy arrivals of specie have been reported during
the week. They amount to about 500,0001., and
about 900,000/. Australian gold is now en route to
this country. The Bank of England has absorbed