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

SPORTING NOTES.

A FRESH MAN.

CITY BETTING—SATURDAY.
GREAT NORTHERN HANDICAP.
6to 1 agst Major (taken)
Bto 1 agst Wingrave (taken)
Bto 1 agst Caller Ou (taken)
10 to 1 agst Greville (taken)
10 to 1 agst King Charming (taken)
10 to 1 agst Trust (taken)
15 to 1 agst Fontenoy (taken)

THE DERBY.
11 to 2 agst General Peel (offered)
15 to 1 agst Paris (taken)
20 to 1 agst Blair Athol (taken and offered)
25 to 1 agst Ely (taken)
25 to 1 agst Baragah (taken)
50 to 1 agst Major (offered)

Anecdotal Recollections of Meyerbeer,

The death of the great 111 eyerbeer, says the Court
Journal, has come upon the musical world like a
thunder-clap in the midst of a brilliant summer
day. Not one amongst us, not even those whe stood
around his bed an hoar before the sad event took
place, had the smallest idea that death could be so
near. We, restless, pre-occupied with great anti..
cipations as usual, only a few days ago. He was
relating, with sparkling eyes, vivid voice and
gesture, all the delight he had experienced while
listening to Rossini's Mass at Pillet Will's soiree.
We were contemplating with tie most intense
admiration all the play and varied expression of his
thin but energetic countenance. The certainty of
long life and continued labour was inscribed in
every line of that marked forehead ; and as he
followed in memory the musical phrase which had
pleased him most, waving his finger in the air, and
humming the notes with delight, so greatly was he
carried away by his enthusiasm, that he actually
paused to clap his hands at the ingenious turn of
one of the phrases. "Ce diable de Rossini !" ex-
claimed he as he threw himself back in his arm chair
gathering the folds of his dressing-gown over his
thin legs ; " who ever would have imagined he would
become one of the Fathers of our musical Church ?"
The life led by the great composer for the last
20 years has been that of a studious Benedictine
monk. He was wont to rise at six, and to work
without ceasing until noon, seldom taking other
nourishment than a cup of coffee, which his servant
used to place on the edge of the piano without a
word, merely contenting himself with rattling the
spoon and cup until it attracted an impatient nod
from the composer, thus forcibly arrested in his com-
binations. Sometimes the coffee would, however,
remain untouched the whole day long, and then the
despair of the attendant would be at its height. He
would enter under every pretext—to stir the fire,
to open the window, to consult the clock—and each
time would rattle the cup and saucer as if by acci-
dent, flying from the room in alarm at Meyerbeer's
impatient gesture when roused from his deep study.
He never took more than one meal a day, and that
was late. It was not till this had been accomplished
that he sought for amusement or distraction in the
world.

He was a most assiduous frequenter of the Opera,
never missing a single representation. For Italian.
music he cared but little, declaring that it was to
German science what the graceful painting of
Watteau is to the stupendous compositions of
Rubens. His impression of sudden death and his
dread of being buried alive must have been vivid.
In a letter he begs than his veins may be opened,
evidently with a view of preventing a catastrophe
upon which he was wont to dwell with great
horror, and not long ago he was arguing with great
interest upon the most probab'e sensations expe4
rienced by an individual on first awaking from the
lethargy during which he has been buried, and
finding himself in the solitude and darkness of the
tomb. The document bears no date, and as the

clause above mentioned Is added subsequently to
the rest, it is possible that it may have been the

result of reflections induced by the conversation

alluded to. Meyerbeer's fortune amounted to
£20,000 per annum. Ia Berlin his family occupies
the finest position; but even there, while his wife
and daughters, from their fortune and station,
were receiving the elite of society in his splendid
mansion, he was content to inhabit a small set of
rooms upon the uppermost story, where—his only
companions his harpsichord and music-desk—he
planned and rehearsed the vast musical concep-
tions which have rendered his name celebrated
throughout the world. His will not being known
as yet, anticipations are free, and the general im-
pressious inParis is that he has left the copywright
of the " Afriosine" to the Conservatoire of Paris.
France was the country of his adoption, and he
loved to be mentioned as the " great German com-
poser of Freno music." By a singular contradic-
tion of all preconceived ideas, he always declared
that in Paris alone could an opera be rehearsed

with sufficient perseverance to enable it to be pro.

duced before the public with justice to theooroposer,

AUSTRIA AND THE POLES.—" Austria," says the
Siecle, "continues to give up to Russia the Poles who take
been instructed
refuge in Galicia, but those extraditions no longer occur at
agents—the
th kingdom,
place
and the
hour Russians
a twshaiyt having ;a.: r
the prey. .
Brody, where facts of that nature excite general indigna-
.been previously informed of
Lion; the prisoners are sent off through small villages on
Would be thus driven
notth e frontier. ng ti iveer .n
pTthheerefugees Austrian ai 2
.auteheotiryititeosßhizi
an
Poles are taken to the frontier and forced to enter the
into their nets. This is not called giving up, but removing
Poles were no longer
and thus the semi-official organ, the General Correspois-:
was enabled to dance,
says that in the Senate he "owns nine of
given up to the Russians."
PRESIDENT LINCOLN. AND THE SENATE.—The
asked a gentleman; to whom the President was
tPhreesseindaetnorts and one half of another," " Who owns the
so:krihagalf..?;;Henry AP ilson, of Massachusetts," replied the
chief magistrates.
beforegoing
onbreakfast;
after
it ;" Wilson is for me," says the President
in 1
orvaetsh
me roe
likeg a in
pie
m it
ee during while t
hhis digestion
hours
which
he he spends visiting the various departments and asking kr
places and patronage; and is bitterly my enemy from 7
every
evening until he goes to bed, drops asleep, and com-
mences snoring. Wilson is carrying water on.both shoul-
ders, but I guess he'll get a wetting, and soil his clothes
before he gets through."—New York Gerald.
" Considerable agitation," observes the Debata,
" still prevails in the United Principalities. A.
deep disaccord exists between Prince Couza's
Ministry and the Legislative Chamber. The
Assembly has refused to grant eight millions of
piastres for the formation of a camp on the banks
of the Seretb, and yet the Ministry has not re-
signed: Such a critical situation cannot be pro-
longed for any length of time."

The Botschdafter, of Vienna, in speaking of
England and her conduct relative to the Danish
question, declares that British policy no longer
consists of wise and mature combinations, but of
national fancies and momentary caprices." The
Austrzan Gazette in its turn declares that the con.
duct of EnOand is inexplicable, and that her un-
bounded desire for peace leads her to acts which
are the greatest obstacle to it.

Although all the sporting writers failed to predict the
winner of the Chester Cup, after having selected all the
favourites, besides several others, to beat the field, it affords
me-great gratification that my only selected, Little Stag, ob..
tained the second situation. He was at 12 to 1 last Mon
day, when my letter appeared in the Sun, so that those
who backed him to win and for a place cannot complain of
my advice. It is most absurd for handicappers to give old
horses the same weight as three-year-olds.

The York Spring Meeting commences to-morrow. For
the Craven Stakes Little Stag has only to put in an ap.
pearance to carry it off. In his absence, either Antoinette
or Donnybrook will win. The Great Northern Handicap
will likely be contested by a large field. King Charming,
one of the dead-heaters for the Metropolitan, I do not ex.
pcct will see the starter. Major, the other dead-heater, will
nearly win. Wingrave, from his running with Stradella
and Isoline, must be very dangerous. East Lanca-
shire, from his formward position in the Chestsr Cup,
is bound to run well. Pontenoy, it is said, will not
stay the distance, but I have a different opiniun, and think
if he does not win ho is almost certain to get a place,
Greville is another that must not be despised. Guerilla is
a good sound horse, but I expect Wingrave will beat him
again. Dr. Rooke is a great good.looking colt, with fine
speed, and if he can stay the course, he will nearly win.
The winner, I expect, will turn up in either Wingrave,
Major, or East Lancashire. The Flying Dutchman's
Handicap will be only a canter for Little Stag,