The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-16 00:00:00

ROBRINL

W nun( a few hours of the time when the
Stated Make was entrancing yesterday's congre-
gation at the Italian Church in Hatton-garden, its
great composer went to his rest. Full of years
and honours, surrounded by attached friends, and
with a larger circle of public sympathisers than
often falls to the lot of aged public favourites,
the author of Tancretli and Guglielmn Till has
parssed away in the plenitude of hAfame. Rossini
was a Paris institution. His bulk, his good
humour, his repartees, his skill, judgment, and
prowess in gastronomy, his keen enjoyment of
French life, were all dwelt on with relish, and
combined to give him • popularity for which we
have no parallel on this side the Channel.
His face and figure were well known in
places of Parisian resort, as well as in
the comic journals, and many a sly
joke was levelled at the Maestro's preference
—real or supposed—of pleasure to work. What ie
known of hie career is in accordance with the belief
that ROSSINI was no hardworking, self-denying,
student, sacrificing all things to his art ; for he is
said to have renounced study at the Lyceum of
Bologna on casually overhearing his master,
MATTZI, remark that single counterpoint was suf-
ficient knowledge for a composer who only
aspired to write the lighter kinds of music.
" Then." exclaimed &mum " I will learn
"no more, for to write operas is my ambi-
tion," and renouncing his regular course of study
he devoted himself to a course of self-improve-
ment in full accord with his tastes. At twenty-
one he produced Taiscredi, and was at once famous.
Other, but inferior, works followed in rapid sue-
ceeeion, until three years later, when the Barber of
Serilk delighted the society of Rome, and became
established throughout Europe. William Tell did
not appear until its author was thirty-seven, and
closed his career as a composer. "An additional
" success," he in reported to have said, " would add
" nothing to my fame ; a failure would injure it."
Rosana was manager of the Italian Opera at Paris
until 1836, when he retired, as he thought, for life
to his beloved Italy. But twenty years' residence
convinced him that, after all, Paris was the home
of his heart, and be has for the last dozen years
been the cherished favourite of some of the moat
famous coteries in the gay capital. Witty himself,
and the cause of wit in others, Rossm was ever
the first to turn the jest against himself. A some-
what apocryphal story makes him state the origin
of the Stabat Mater to have been a desire to requite
a church dignitary for favours conferred, and to
have spoken of that masterpiece as a forgotten
trifle.

The infant Princess, daughter of the Prince and
Princess of Wales, will (says the a rt Jewrael) be hit in
the care of her Majesty during the absence of bee royal
parents, and on leaving Copenhagen the three ether royal
children will be left under the care of the gases gig Den-
mark until the return of the Prince and Primer of Wales
after their lengthened tour, which it is exported will extend
over lye months. her Royal Michaele tho Princess of
Prussia will spend her twenty-eighth birthday on the 21st
of November with the court in this country, and will
accompan
Princess Christian the Queen to Osborne with the Prince and
in December.

The Lord-Lientenant of Ireland on Friday eon-
hived the honour of knighthood at the Vieeregal Lodge
oa Mt. John Barrington, formerly conservative Lord
Mayor of Dublin, and Mr. Reid, mayor of Derry.
lIAMBET NEW LIFEBOAT.—MT. Jamee Ryder, a
member of the Manchester_ oomorsUm, has just presorted
to the National Lifeboat InsUUtion, through its Manche&
ter branch, a splendid new lifeboat, which left on Satur-
day for its station at Ramey in the Isle of Man. The
boat, which is named The Two Sister.% after Mr. Ryder's
two daughters, is 33 feet long and 8 feet vridriaend pos-
sesses the usual cliarecterimbe of the *elf- ting life-
boat. of the institution. His Excellency 11. B. 0.8.,
the governor of the Isle of Man, Mr. A. Damien. and
other gentlemen have rendered the society every co-ope-
ration in the formation of the Bewley Lifeboat establish_
moat. The Manchester branch has presented altogether
to the parent institution thirteen lifeboats, two of which
are stationed ou the Isle of lb..