The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-11 00:00:00

OUR PARIS LETTER.

THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OF THE
FRENCH AT THE OPERA HOUSE BALL.
(PROW OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, SUNDAY EVININO.

The Emperor and Empress, although they
started for Orleans at 10 o'clock this morning,
were up to half-past 1 in the morning at the ball
given at the Opera House under the patronage
(principally) of the Princess Metternich, for the
benefit of the " killed and wounded by land and
sea of all nations." This ball has been advertised
as the " most attractive of the season." I doubt 1
whether the general verdict of the company
there would vote that the programme was'
fulfilled. It was no doubt a very pretty sight,)
especially to novices. The hothouses of the city of
Paris at Passy were emptied of their choicest
exotics to adorn the staircases and ball-room, and
a very large proportion of the best society in Paris
was there. But a theatre is not well-adapted for •
ball. There is no unity in a society the greater
part of which is packed in tiers of boxes looking
down upon a crowd of promenaders beneath.
There was scarcely any dancing at all. The Princess
Metternich opened the " quadrille of honour "
with the Count de Solms, just as the air of the
Reine Hortense, played by Strauss's band, an-
nounced that their Majesties had entered their
box. The other parties to the quadrille were Lord
Lyons, who danced with the Countess Pourtales ;
Count de Goltz with Madame Canrobert ; M. Mon
with Madame de Moltke. All the rest of the
evening Strauss's band served little other purpose
than to interrupt conversation. Scarcely any ladies
known to society danced at all.
There is by no means unanimity of opinion as
to the propriety of this ball, and it is not clear
what is the destination of the funds raised by it.
General Dix refused to have anything to do with
the affair, and I am assured that Count de Gotta
privately said he thought it • foolish thing. The
Inumerous trophies of guns, blunderbusses, swords,
and pistols looked more like a warlike demon-
stration than the emblems of a charity. It was
observed that if war were not considered
imminent, the necessity for providing for the
wounded might very well have been postponed till
pressing necessity would have urged some much
more efficacious provision.
There is no telegraphic news yet from Orleans.
Their Majesties set out in a heavy shower, but the
afternoon has been fine.

It was stated yesterday in the Salle des Pas
Perdu' that an attempt is to be made to upset
the will of M. Comte, the famous apostle of
" positive philosophy," on the ground that he was
not of sound mind. Although the will has been
already " proved " and acted upon, it may yet be
attacked, because the French period of limitation
in such cases is fifteen years. M. Allon is re-
tained for the parties defending the will.
The Moniteur states that Mgr. Chigi, the Pope's
nuncio, yesterday paid a visit to the Prince
Imperial to congratulate him on his first com-
munion, and made a little speech to him, in the
course of which he said " Love the church and

Franoeserve Clod and your country—be a
great Christian and a great Prince, and may the
benediction of the Holy Father be ever with you,
and ensure your happiness for time and eternity. 7
This is quite natural language for an agent of the
Romiah church to use to any prince who will listen
to it. It is scarcely more objectionable than' the
motto of an old tory weekly paper, which, for
aught I know, may exist in London to this day :
"For God, the King, and the People." The only
thing is that modern times rebel against the notion
that the third party alluded to in this order of pre-
cedence is as subordinate to the second as the
second is to the first