The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-05 00:00:00

Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race,

OXFORD, Friday Evening.
A visit to the banks of the Thames below Nuneham this
afternoon has increased the opinion we formed some time
back of the excellence of the Oxford crew, who rowed down
to Abingdon and paddled back to Sandford, attended by a
numerous guard of horsemen, including several representa-
tives of the sister University. Arrangements had been
made for a race between the crew and picked eight, but at
the last moment it fell to the ground, having been post-
poned until Tuesday in next week. This will perhaps be
the last time of the crew going over the long course, as they
intend migrating to the London water about Wednesday,
when the " knowing ones" will have an opportunity of
judging for themselves of the merits of the " dark blue."
We understand that the price of steamers to accompany the
race have been raised 20 per cent., so that the usual over-
crowding to witness the race is likely to be discontinued.

SOMETHING LIKE SUGGESTIVE MUSIC I.—A
Polonaise by Weber, writes a lady critic, has
chords that fall upon the earslikeia them,rattlingtheshe writes, she
of swords just
drawn from their scabbard
almost hears " the wild and distant neighings of the steeds
of tee desert, as they toss the
pawing
long
manes around their
haughty heads, impatiently the ground, with their
lustrous eye beaming with intelligence and full of fire, while
they bear with stately grace the trailing caparisons, em-
broidered with torquoise and rubies, with which th© Polish
seigneurs loved to adorn them." i'his, she says, is a
polonaise by Weber. The polonaises by Chopin,
she proceeds, taking up her parable from llerr
Liszt, are even more suggestive. They repre-
sent " the heavy resolute tread of men bravely
facing;all the bitter injustice which the
most cruel and
_ re-
lentless; destiny can offer," " While the music proceed_s 8
,
she says, 4, wo see passing at intervals before us brocades
of gold, velvets, damasked satins, silvery soft and flexible
sables, hanging sleeves gracefully thrown back upon the
shoulders, embossed sabres, boots yellow as gold or red
with trampled blood, sashes with long and undulating
fringes, close chemisettes, rustling trains, stomachers em •
broidered with pearls, head-dresses glittering with rubies
or leafy with emeralds, light slippers, rich with amber,
gloves perfumed with the luxurious attar from the harems,
As the paternal mind becomes more and more disturbed
with an idea that his beloved child is losing her wits she
informs him that Chopin's polonaises are nothing at all
to his Funeral March, which she offers to play
him, and which she assures him is " the cry of a
nation's anguish mounting to the very throne of God ; the
appeal of human grief from the lyre of seraphs. Neither
cries, nor hoarse groans, nor impious blasphemies, nor
'furious imprecations trouble for a timment the sublime
sorrow of the plaint; it breathes upon the ear like the
rhythmed sighs of angels. The antique face of grief is
entirely excluded. Raising itself from the soil wet with
blood and tears, it springs forward to implore God ; and
having nothing more to hope from earth, it supplicates the
Supreme Judge with Prayers so poignant that our hearts in
listening break under the weight of an august compassion .'
THE FASHION OF FURNITURE.—It is not too
much to say that there is hardly an article to be
found for sale in a modern uphholsterer's shop which will
bear evidence of even the commonest principles of good I
design. The individual merits of Gothic or classic art are
rot here questioned. Our furniture has no style at all, The
wonder is, who supplies the patterns for this endless variety
of absurdities; who is responsible for the '° shaped" backs
of sideboards
and
scat 3 which washing-tables, and the bandy-legged
,we Occupy. No doubt there are many " lead-
in ss firms" who Lstter themselves that the contents of their
warehouses are exceptions to the general rule ; and, indeed,
if high prices and Round workmanship ensured good taste,
Vlere would be no lack of the latter. But, unfortunately,
of furniture which is—to use a trade expression.sskept
on
stock, the more expensive it is the uglier
it is sure to ho.—
Corniiig 4109a;;(74.

TIIE LAST EIGHT NIGHTS.
GRACE EGERTON (Mrs, George Case),
at the POLYGRAPHIC HALL, King William-
street (her THIRD SEASON in London), in her New and
highly successful Characteristic and Musical Entertainment
entitled " A DRAWING ROOM TO LET." EVERY
EVENING, at Eight (except Saturday).
Saturday Mornings at Three.
Stalls, as. ; unreserved seats, 2e. ; area, is.
Last performance March 12.