The Express.
London, England, 1857-10-13 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

" Baron de Bach, Minister of the Interior," says
a Vienna letter of the 7th, "having just returned
here from his leave of absence, several important
measures are looked for. The communal regula-
tions will be the first ; and I can inform you posi-
tively that the laws on usury will be abolished,
Failures among commercial men continue here, and
the crisis is far from ceasing. Money is exceedingly
scarce, and the charge for discounting bills is so
high that the very best paper pays 7 or 71 per cent.,
and bills of excellent houses, though not first-rate,
will not be taken at all."

The project of a new state bank to be established
at Trieste is at present, the Austrian journals affirm,
under the consideration of the Emperor.

VISIT TO THE GARDENS OF SOLOMON.

We translate the following pleasantly-written
ertiele by M. Louts Mostar, from the Paris Monitekr of
Saturday lut

"To reed a poet on the spot from which he derived his
inspiration has ever been to mo one of the greenlet pleasures
of a literary life. I seem then to find something of the
water himself; in fancy's eye his spirit is in en esp..
dal manner present there more than in other places
have Leen deeply moved to hear the Psalms
of David sung et the Convent of Mar.Sabs, on the
barks of the brook Kedron. I have reed Moses on the
shores of the Deed See, Elise on Mount Carmel, and Homer
between Xanthus end Simois in lonia. I have heard the
brilliant master of the Athens School lecture upon Sophocles
on the vary site of the theatre where Sophocles' choruses
were sung in the olden time. I made a journey to Sicily
for the repress purpose of translating there Theocritus' Idyll
of Polyphemus and Galatea. From Virgil's tomb—(Por-
thesope ore tend)—to the birthplace of Oedan amidst the
rooks of Glencoe, I have made pilgrimages to poets' tombs
with the devotion of a true believer. It is true that I have
now and then met with dinippointinents. The brook
Kedron is at this moment a dry bed, and the royal
penitent could no longer say Do tortoni* iw ota Itibet. Siceds,

• [The Prases, however, suggests a doubt whether this
clause is applicable, because the late Corps Letdslatif sat
during six toll sessions, although it was dissolved before the
end of eix ran from the time of its election.]

which formerly rolled to the me the bodies of Oreeks sad
Trojans in its troubled waters, rolls nothing mall now a-days
The laurels of Hymns have been cut. Polyphemus is suc-
ceeded on his rock bye Neapolitan custom-house officer, sad
a trattoria sells fried potatoes at the door of the Sybil of
Conan. These ere the little myetifleatiose which travellers
moat expect. Bat the most cruel deception of the kind which
ever betel me was at the gardens of Solemon--as celebrated
In the annals of profane Oriental history as in Holy Writ-
Every one must remember the delicious poetry of the nag of
sem" In which, under the flgure'of the Sbuleedte woman,
the poet-king celebrates the future church, the chaste spouse
of hem Christ, and the raptures of their eternal nuptials.
" ' I am black but comely, 0, ye daughters of Jeruselme,
is the tante of 'leder, se the curtains of Solomon. Look
not upon me bemuse I em black, bemuse the sun bath looked
upon me. • • • A bundle of myrrh ls my well-beloved
unto me; he shell lie all night betwixt my braille My be-
loved is unto me es a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of
En-gedL • • • I em the rose of Sharon and the lily of the
valleys.rds the lily among thorns, eo is my love =wag the
daughters. • • • A garden enclosed is my sister, my
spouse; • spring shut up, • fountain sealed. Thy A.ms
are en orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; cam.
phire with spikenard. Spikenard and saffron; calamm and
cinnamon, with all trees of frankincenre; myrrh and aloes,
with all the chief orlon a fountain of gardens, • well of
living waters and streams from Lebanon. Array 0 north wind
and come thou south; blow upon my garden that the spices
thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden
ended his pleasant fruits. • • • Thou art beautiful, 0
my love, as Tlreeh, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army
with banners I Torn away thine eye' from me, for they have
overcome me; thy hair is as • flock of goats that appear
from Oiled. • • * Who is she that looketh
forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear
es the sun, and terrible al an army with banners P I went
down into the garden of nuts to see the fruits of the valley,
end to see whether the vine flourished end the pomegranates
budded. Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the
chariots of Ammioedib. Return, return, 0 Shulamite; re-
turn, return, that we may look upon thee. • • • I am my be-
loved's, and his driest' toward me. Come, my beloved, Inns
go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages. Let us
get up early to the vineyards—let us am if the vine flourish,
whether the tender grape appear and the pomegranate bad
forth! There will I give thee my love,. The taandrakee
give a smell and at our gates are ell manner of pleasant
fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, 0 ray
beloved.".

"All these beautiful and stirring metaphors were deeply
Impressed upon my memory. I carried them with me to
Bethlehem. After, therefore, having man the plan when
the star appeared, and %jetting the sanctuary of the Nativity,
and the excavation of the rock in which the divine cradle

was placed, I inquired for the gardens of Solomon. I was tint
Olen conducted to the sealed fountain, the symbol of the
spouse mentioned in the canticle. The entrance Is literally
sealed by two large stones, When these are rolled away—
a task which requires some effort—you descend s Mai/vase of
fifteen steps to two large subterranean vaults, supported
by arches of great antiquity. This is not the source of the
spring, which Is far away In the mountains, but the
water comes down and Is collected in these
capacious reservoirs, and is thence =ducted to Jerusalem
by pipes. The water was formerly consecrated to the use of
the temple. Into this fountain the last Arab enchanter,
when about to die, thinking the world no longer worthy to
power such a treasure, threw Solomon's seal
and ring, whirls had the magical property of
ruling the elements and evoking spirits. At a
ahort distance from the reservoirs are the celebrated
gardens.

They extend along a valley which runs from El-
Ilourrsch to Bethlehem. It is the most charming spot in
all Palestine. Solomon was a good judge in more muse
than one. There are murmuring etreams winding through
verdant lawns; there are the choicest fruits and flowers; the
hyacinth end the anemone ; the fig-tree and the vine. Towering
high above the garden and contrasting grandly with lie soft
mimed are the dark precipitous rocks of the neighbouring
mountain, around whose summits vultures end eagles inces-
santly scream sod describe spiral circles in the air. The
rare plants and flowers which the great enchanter
of the east oollected within three gardens were protected
from the north wind hy the mountain. Every gust of
the math wind was loaded with perfumes. With the first
brans of spring the fig tree put forth its fruits, and the
doss began to blossom. It was, in the words of Scripture
• 'garden of delights.' The vegetations of the north and
the south were intermingled. One part of the garden
was called the Walnut Tree Walk (or, as the
English scripture bunalation hasit, the garden of nate).
I Another is the bed of spices. 'My beloved is gone down
into his garden to the beds of apiece, to feed in the gardens,
end to gather Vile": There is the hill of myrrh and the
mount of incanse. The cypress and epthenard trees
bad their place apart, and not far from them
were the broad-flowering pomegranates the Egypr
den saffron the cinnamon and the glee. The
palm-tree relied high in air its golden fruit, end near the
sroniatio cave the Balm of Gilead shed every morning
its perfumed teen. The turtle dove and the blue
pigeon flattered among the broad leaves of the Man-
dragora, The Mandragora of Solomon wee doubt-
less the Mandragora of the poets—the Mandrsgore
that sings I In this garden of delights Solomon built
magnificent pavilion for his beloved. The pillar/ were of
cedar, the walls of fragrant ewer. The king's bed was
made of woad from the forest of Lebanon. It was lined with
massive gold. The purple hangings had been twice dipped
in the Tyrien dye. Canning workmen had carved
beautiful images upon the silver colones. Over
the heeds of the spouses floated a canopy of
white Emotion linen embroidered with gold. On
the bed and on the floor around it slaves strewed fresh
flowers every day. In the morning the spouses might be
seen in the garden, he the fair and fresh coloured more active
then the fawn, his black hair floating in the air like a raven's
wing, hie eyes pure as those of a dove; sometimes wearing
the diadem with which his mother crowned him on hie wed-
ding day, sometimes a simple purple band—but always a
king! When he spoke the soul of his televed melted at the
sound of his voice ; but she, walking always near to him,
lwee as a lily among thorn., harmonioue as • chorus of music
—the grace of her steps was enhanced. by the rings of rare
workmanship which she wore upon her ankles. She was
dark, 'Luanne the eon had looked upon her; but her beauti-
ful theeb were resplendent with ornaments, and her flexible
neck wore a necklace of pearla of Opine. Solomon had given
her chains of gold studded with silver; and eo the was alto-
' ther beautiful—beautiful without spot or blemish; her
showed sea stripe of wicket; she carried away all hearts
with a .look. And the king sung their loves, the loves of the
Fly of the valley and the tree of Sharon, of the palm-tree of
the desert and the vine of En-geddi. My guide In Pales-
tine was an Italian, • tolerably welludncated man, who had
lived fur many years in Jerusalem. As we were going along
we convened about the past and the present. ' You are
swore,' said he, ' that the Arabs maintain that Solomon is
still alive. I must tell you, however, that he does not live
in these gardeae, at any rate ; they are let to an Englishman.'
I merely replied that • traveller must be surprised at
nothing. The present tenant, he said, fa Mr. Goldsmith,
of the bOlll/11 of Goldsmith and Son. He is under-draining
the gardens of Solomon on the Yorkshire system. Yon will
be astonished to see how successful he has been. Here is the
bones. I perceived • bright brass knob shining in the centre
of • small square of porcelain let into a white wall. Over
this knob was the following superscription in the English
language—' Ring the bell." This bell seemed to my imagi-
nation rather an anomaly in the gardens of Solomon—but
that is a trifle. We did ring the bell, and we went in. The
See thing that struck my eyes was • quantity of red draining
pipes lying about, and beating the mark of the =make-
turns, Samuel and Co., No. 128, Strind. Mr. Goldsmith
was draining that biblical valley, the dew of which was so
often brushed away by the naked feet of the Shulemite. It
was in the month of September. An American mowing machine
was cutting a second crop of artificial grass on the very
I where the daughters of Jerusalem gathered those lilies of the
field, which were more beautiful than Solomon in all hie
glory. A patent reaping machine was rapidly garnering the
crop of that glebe in whkh the dater' of Ruth and the
daughters of Naomi were wont to glean.
" I asked to en Solomon's pavilion, but, ales! the quer
timber. and the cedar wainscoting had been taken down, and
in their place there is • brick-built cottage, with • roof of
red and run tiles. The entnuacethall is whitewashed;
there is a little parlour with a Birmingham carpet, ad •
drawing-room papered with • red-bordered yellow papers
purchased in Palle, Roe des Id °Meaux. The chimney le
Prussian, and the curtain* aro of Swiss main. Instead of
the servants of the umuse. I fennel two nurserymaids, one
from Park, and too other free Florence. The slave
who peeparea the tents of cedar is now called
' John. He has red whiekere, blacks his master's
shoes, scrubs the floor every day, and varnishes it
on Sunday'. And if some romantic person should inquire—
ea I had the naivete to do—about the dark Shulamite, he
will be shown five sweet little Enclith children, redolent of
cold cream and Windsor soap, as fair as floes silk, with their
hair in corkscrew curls, and wearing pennons boots, b'se
cape, and green pennon. The cinnamon tress hare been
cut down for firewood, and the a/emetic GUM grubbed up'
bat the five little misses do crochet work under the sheds of
a bon ebretien pear tree. Since the Eastern war !dr. Gold-
smith has obtained the custom of the Pasha of Jerusalem for
vegetables. Last year he hod seven crops of potelnee. 01.1'12.
to his wonderful drainage. Return not, 0 dark Shulaunte

CAPTAIN COOK'S 000 D SHIP TILE INVESTIGATOR.'•
This ship, in whkAr the Wel:gated navigator, Captaino:Z
journeyed round the world, and which was formerly
, off Someniet-house as a Thomas polioe-station, is order to
be removed to Deptford Dockyard to be broken up:
dentirg Gazette.

INDIAN MUTINY ItZLIEF FUND.
••••11...

We understand that this fund has received a very
welcome augmentation by the trine/mince to its account of
3,6821., the balance of the Timer' Crimean Fund. The ap-
plication of this amount to an object so closely snalegous to
that for which it we. originally rained will be viewed with
mind amishrtion. At the same time it mem. obvious to
%quire whether there et, not in existenoe balances of other
funds which ere lying unappropristod, and which might with
(goal propriety be applied to the mine purpose. This I.
• matter of greet importance, for although the appeal that
hes been ma& to the humanity of the British people Yea
been met with • hesrty reeprinee, which bee been esoonded
by the generous co--operation of other countries, yet it is evi-
dent, from the appliceliona already before the committee, that
any amount whlcia may be *cal at their disposal will be
required to meet all the demand' which the cs/smides of
India mint entail on the charity of this country.
Ten thosesesd pounds were trenemitt:d to the Relief Caw
mimes of Calcutta by the mad which left cm the 10th id.
At the mime time the home committee sent the farther sum
of 1,0681. to Sir John Lawrence in Add of the Male of the
Leerence Asylum. This institution was established by br.
late Sir Henry Lawrence, who subscribed 1,0001.
to its support. It has sloe received support from the SNIP
lati36olll sad donations of civil end military Mhos In
lads, Many of them sources of income have bra
roily, and many more finally, dried up by the
which have recently ocennwL The hem theehd
Euro. re, in the Lower ranges of the n 1 Ile
object fa to supply maintea•nce awl edemeticale
of British soldiers who have lost .ether 41.11 or boa of Iledr
posits.
The Time. observes of the shows avpreal rf • parties of
it Crimean Fund W. hew .see .d dam the Mars
with whom the Fund was lodged that the berme I. ark
hands moan* with interret, to 10901 e. lb. N. Of Ole
elm we propose to heed over 3,647/ ifs 00. to the Cam
mattes for AdminiMering the Indian Relief Fend, who the
Meraritterstairdias that three-Martha of it ran be ego
o the relief of the widows sod orphans of soldiers vise
iliertll in the pretest war, or of wounded or hrehtled
soh
who have so other term of rapport. The reeselerlim
of the balsam we propene to assign to the governors of the
new Military Hospital et Ne 11.7, for the purpose of pre-
=gLee auxiliary had he the general purposes of the

Tb• following im • copy of a letter from Count
Heathy= to Mr. H. Wailiartna Valiance, a member of the
Court at Coined, the original of which, together
with a cheque he 601., had been forwarded to the Uri

"JB, Broarrick-terrace, Brighton, Oct. 11, 18t57.
" Ity dear 81r,—I hem just arrived from Timm sad
Perk, sad regret to see in the kedlag article of this day's
Atintswg Art that the so-called wsfaral. of Cirdinel Willi-
am sad Dr. Callon have indeed • certain number of
who call themselves Chrtmisas, to refrain from joininsg'=
kiiaw Christiana as well as charitable Jews, in relieving dr
orders In India. litedentmarling ion are on the Inaba
Bind Committee, I beg to enclose nay cheque for 504, sad
lira that I moot do more at present. Although •
embolic weal, 'should be vary sorry Dray friends, and others
Included, am those bigots who withh46hl rich aid as
theyonattord Lam their fellow-cresturee, ender the Jesuitical
preteat a their realise religions feebler. Pray, thirter*,
We ray name sad mbscription mibliehed, se s protest
against • seeterlas hypocrisy,' sad believe me faithfully
1 taPed) "B•rtIiTA.VT.
7D. Wellington S enemy, Esq."