The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-09 00:00:00

DRITRY-LANE THEATRE,

We have much pleasure in stating that His
Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and suite will
honour the performances at this theatre to-night
with their presence, The visit of his Royal
llighness cannot but be looked upon as highly
complimentary to the management of Messrs. Fat.
toner and Cha!L.rton, as, since the reign of
Macready, royalty has not honoured Old Drury
withits cheering presence.

The Emperor of Russia and Prince

Gortschakoff.

The Emperor Alexander has addressed to the
Vice-Chancellor of the Empire, Prince Gortschakoff,
the following letter, dated April 19, 1864 :
" Prince Alexander Michaelovitch,—ln constantly
urging you, according to my directions, to strengthen
on solid bases the amicable relations of Russia with
foreign Powers, you have not ceased to completely
justify the confidence I placed in you, and the im-
portant services which you have rendered to the
State have more than once called forth the expres-
sion of my sincere gratitude. You have now ac-
quired new claims in this respect. When, during
the year which has expired, the political complica-
tions provoked by the Polish rebellion menaced the
inviolability of the rights of Russia, and, in com-
promising general peace, might have retarded the
development of the reforms undertaken in the in•
ternal organisation of the country for the prosperity
of the empire, it was necessary that my care should
in the first place be directed to the means of secur-
ing the dignity and the legitimate rights of Russia.
Your experience, your ardent love, and your devo-
tion for the throne and the country, caused me' to
find in you a worthy interpreter of my wishes and
of my intentions. The conflicts which menaced
Russia and the attempts at unjust interference in
her internal affairs having been frustrated, the ob-
ject of the trusts which I confided to you, and of
which you acquitted yourself with zeal, has been
accomplished to the honour and glory of Russia,
which are the first objects of care. In just conside-
ration of these eminent services, and as a particular
proof of my sentiments towards you, I confer on
you my portrait surrounded with diamonds, sent
herewith to be worn at the button-hole with the
ribbon of St. Andrew, and I remain with invari-
able consideration (from the hand of the Emperor),
your sincerely affectionate and grateful ALEX,-
ANDER."

BEETHOVEN'S OVERTURE TO " CORIOLAN.”—The
tragedy for which Beethoven wrote his overture is
called "Coriolan ; ein Trauerspiel, in iiinf Aufzugen, von
Collin. Berlin, bei. J. F. Unger, 1804," 148 pages, Bvo.
It has no connexion whatever with Shalcipere's play of
" Coriolanus." The characters are, with two or three ex-
ceptions, different.—Coriolan kills himself. There are no
mobs, nor comedy—all is tragedy of the most severe kind
Collin (or Von Collin, as he is called in the dedication of
the overture) was Hof Secretair in the Hofkriegs Kanzeley,
at Vienna. Reichardt, the musician, saw him there in 1808,
and heard him read his play of " Bradamante" (after
Ariosto), which Collin stated Beethoven had proposed to
deck with music, if an arrangement could have been made
with the director of the Theatre. Collin was apparently
well known in those days as the writer of certain patriotic
songs for the " Oesterreichischer Wehromanner," and
seems to have been, by position and abilities, a considerable
person. The volume contains a second traged3 by him,
called " Polyxena," and yet another, "Regulus," is men-
tioned. Beethoven's overture may have beeh first played
at an amateur concert at Vienna, in December, 1807, with
the " Eroica" and B flat Symphonies.-4 Correspondent
of the Athenceum.

MR. It. REDGRAVE, R.A., ib engaged in com-
piling a catalogue of all the pictures now forming
the Royal Collections and deposited in the various palaces
dispersed over the country. This work is to be illustrated
by photographs of all the works, executed upon a uniform
scale, and which already amount to more than 1,000 in
number. Mr Redgrave is executing his laborious and
important task in the most careful and conscientious man-
ner. When completed the book will give a history of the
pictures in question. It eontains-1, the name of the
painter of any work-2, if it is signed or dated--3, autho-
rity for any other name-4, description of the subject, and
any other information respecting it-5, size---8, material-
7, state of the picture at the date of the entry-8, state of
the panel or canvas-9, character of the frame, and its size
10, catalogue-marks, a, on the front, b, on the back, c, on
the frame-11, statement of in what known catalogues or
inventories the picture is described, the dates and palaces to
which they refer-12, palace where the picture is at present
placed-13, how the picture came into the Royal Collcc-
tions—plh4o,tnogotreaphsanerdLelT theark date s. The
h last includes
sthe name
of the