The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

THE FRENCH THEATRES,

LYRI4I7E.—The extraordinary reputation of M. Gounod's
last opera, " Faust," which appears to be making the tour
of all Europe, attracted a very unsual degree of attention
to his new opera just brought forward here, entitled
"Mireille.'' We have"never seen a more crowded or more
excited audience, or one more desirous to be pleased, than
that assembled at its first representation. But whether it
was that public expectation had been too highly raised,
or from whatever other cause, certain it is that
though the new opera was favourably received it
did not create the same undivided admiration as
its predecessor. Not that there was any want of
enthusiasm ; on the contrary, there was too much, for the
opinions of its supporters seemed to be rather the expres-
sion of passion than judgment. How the world will even-
tually decide a little time will determine. For ourselves,
without undertaking to pronounce an opinion after one
uneasy and agitated hearing as to whether the fanatics of
the more discreet moderados were right, we are at present
disposed to believe that the majority will be found among
the latter. The libretto is founded upon a pretty and touch-
ing legend of Provence, written in the patois of that poetic
part of the country, and prettily versified by M. F. Mistral,
in a little poem somewhat resembling in style Bishop
Percy's old English ballads. It may be rougly sketched
in substance as follows :—Mireille, the heroine, is a vir-
tuous and gentle village girl, whose hand is sougkt by two
suitors—one of them a man of substance, but of violent and
bratal character; the other named Vincent, his contrast in
person, character, and purse. Mireille prefers the letter.
His rival, irritated at being refused, waylays Vincent at a
pass on the mountains, an encounter ensues: and Vin-
cent is thought to have fallen by his hand. Mireille, deeply
distressed at her lover's supposed death, undertakes a pil-
grimage to pray for him at a celebrated shrine [in those
parts, but on reaching the end of her long journey she is
overjoyed to find Vincent waiting for her, having escaped
the attempt of his formidable rival. Unfortunately this
happiness comes too lato. Overpowered by fatigue and
suffering she has been struck by a coup de soleil, and ex-
pires in her lover's arms. We could not help thinking
that this coup de soleil, introduced by the poet to ac-
count for her death, was quite superfluous under the cir-
cumstances, and one of the audience suggested it should
be called le coup [do " grace." The first act was very
warmly applauded, particularly a chorus, " Chantez,
Charles:Magnanarelles I" vehemently encored. The second
act, though not so much distinguished by the favour of the
public, came in for a due share of approval. In the third,
a long baritone solo of a gloomy or religious character found
few partisans, but in the fourth a charming cantilena,
Het elm Petit Berger, sung by Mine. Carvalho, united all
suffrages in its favour; it is a gem of the first water.
This lady never displayed her talents to greater
advantage, and Madame Fare Lefebvre seconded her most
admirably. The scenery and general appoint-
ments are in the usual style of this house—that is to say,
not easily surpassed in any theatre. The customary up-
roarious enthusiasm followed the descent of the curtain, in
the midst of which the names of the composer and writer
were honoured with ovations loud and long enough to com-
pensate for any deficiency of warmth exhibited during the
representation.

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 O'CLOCK.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.
NORTHAMPTON RACES--THIS DAY.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STAKES.

Dollar
Lord Zetland
Loiterer
Eighteen ran.
TRIAL STAKES.

Wendusk
Lord Burleigh
Sda King-

Six ran.
WHITTLEBURY STAKES.

Soumiso
Blousley
Eleven ran.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

DURHAM RACES-MONDAY.

The Trial Stakes of 5 sous each, with 25 added; weight
for age ; certain penalties and allowances. T.y,c.

8 subs.
Mr Jackson's Lady Louisa, 6 yre, 9st Glb (Doyle) 1
Mr Sidney's Chicquot the Jester, 3 yrs, 7st 101 b
(Snowden) 2
Mr T. Dawson's Madame Patti, 2 yrs, 7st 41b
tarson) 3
Mr R. Chilton's Little Duchess, 3 yrs 7s (M
11b
'(Whiteley) 4
Mr Turnbull's Tarlatan, a yrs, ist 111 b (Colpitts) 5
Betting-2 to lon Lady Louisa, 4to 1 each agst Little
Duchess and Chicquot the Jester, 10 to 1 agst any other.
Won by two lengths; the same between second and
third ; a length between third and fourth.
The Elemore Stakes of 10 soya each, h ft, with 100 added,

for two-yr-olds ; colts, Bst 10Ib; fillies and geldings, Bst
Gib; winners extra; allowances. T.Y.C. 21 subs.
Mr J. Osborne's King Arthur, Sat 101 b (Whiteley) 1.
Mr 'imley nd Club Queen, 9st (Harrison) 2
Mr Fobert's East Lynne, 9st 41b (Snowden) 3
Mr Jackson's Side Wind, Sat (Doyle) 4

Nothing More and Black Duchess also ran.
Betting-5 to 4 agst East Lynne, 2 to 1 agst Ring
Arthur, 3 to 1 agst Club Queen, 5 to 1 agst Side Wind.
Won by a length ; a neck between second and third ;
good fourth.
The Durham Handicap of 60 soya, added to a sweepstakes
of 10 soya each, 5 ft, and 2 if declared, &c. ; winners extra;
second to save his stake. One mile and a half. 17 subs.
Mr T. Masterman's Honest John, 4 yrs, Bst 121 b
(Snowden) 1
Mr Fobert's Wisdom, 3 yrs, Est 111 b (Marson) 2
Mr J. Osborne's Mantrap, 3 yrs, 7st 111 b ..(Whiteley) 3
Mr Bowes's Theobalda, 3 yrs, 7st (Sellers) 4
Also ran Hypermenstra and Hospitality colt.
Betting-6 to 4 agst Mantrap, 2to 1 agst Theobalda, 3
to 1 agst Honest John, 6 to 1 apt Hospitality colt.
Won by a neck ; twc lengths between second and third.
The Stand Selling Stakes of 5 soya each, with 25 added ;
weight for age, with selling and other allowances.

T.Y.C.
Mr Walpool nd. Lizette, 4 yrs, (£3O), Sst 3113*(Snowden) 1
Mr W. I'Anson's Little Hannah 1111 y, 3 yrs (C3O), Tat 81b
(Robinson) 2
Mr 3". Robson's Dick Swiveller, aged (f.,30), 9st lib
(Harrison) 3
111 r J. Osborne's Vatty colt, 2 yrs (L3O), sst 10lb
(Crawahaw) 0
Betting-7 to 4on Lizette, 3to 1 agst any other.
Won by six lengths ; the same between second and third;
Vatty colt bolted.

Ths Durham Hunt Plate of 50 sow, weight for age ;

allowances and penalties. Two miles. 32 subs.

Mr W. H. Scott's Fly-by-Night, aged, h.b., 12st 41b
(Mr Wilkinson) 1
Mr W. Cowen's White Socks, aged, list 131 b
(Mr Smith) 2
Mr Robertson's nd. Sir Charles (Mr Skeene) 3
The following also ran :—Little Thought Of, The
Queen, Maid Marian, Romeo, The Roguish Lawyer, Lady
Collingwood, and Little Tom.
Betting-2 to 1 agst Fly-by-Night, 4to 1 agst White
Socks, 5 to 1 agst Sir Charles, 8 to 1 agst any other,
Won by two lengths; a bad third.

TATTERSALLS'.-LAST NIGHT.
NORTHAMPTONSHIRE STASES.
100 to 30 agst Lord Zetland (taken)
sto 1 agst Gardener (taken and offered)
10 to 1 agst Costa (taken)
11 to 1 agst Fairwater (taken)
100 to 8 agst Wingrave (taken and offered)
20 to 1 agst Gibraltar (taken)
20 to 1 agst Dollar (taken)
20 to 1 agst Blondin (offered)
25 to 1 agst Touch-and-Go (taken and offered)
25 to 1 aget Alabama (taken and offered)
50 to 1 agst Lapidist (taken)
EARL SPENCER'S PLATE.
4to 1 agst Soapstone (taken)
Bto 1 agst Lady Clifden (taken)
CITY AND STIBURIIAN.
100 to 6 agst Voluptas (taken)
16 to 1 agst Liston (taken)
25 to 1 agst Mail Train (taken)
THE DERBY.
Bto 1 agst Scottish Chief (taken)
100 to 6 agst Forager (taken)
1000 to 35 agst First Flight (taken)
1000 to 35 agst Ely (taken)
33 to 1 agst Birch Broom (taken)
40 to I agst General Peel (taken)
50 to 1 agst Baragah (taken)
50 to 1 agst Jack Frost (taken)
1000 to 15 agst Balornock
1000 to 15 agst Jupon

THE SHAH'S JEWELS.—In such a show of gems
as seemed to realise the wonders of Aladdin's lamp, the
eye was too much dazzled and the memory too con-
fused for description to be possible. But I remember
that at the back of all was the Kaianian crown, and on
either side of it two Persian lambskin caps adorned with
splendid aigrettes of diamonds. The clown itself was
shaped like a flower- pot, with the smell end open, and
the other closed. On the top of the crown was an uncut
ruby, apparently without flaw, as big as a hen's egg. In
front of the crown were dresses covered with diamonds and
pearls, trays with necklaces of pearls, rubies and emeralds,
and some hundreds of diamond, ruby, and torquoise rings.
In front of these again were gauntlets and belts covered
with pearls and diamonds, and conspicuous among them
the Kaianian belt, about a foot deep, weighing perhaps 181 b.,
and one complete mass of pearls, diamonds, emeralds, and
rubies. Still nearer to us stood a drinking bowel completely
studded with enormous jewels, a tray full of foreign orders
set in brilliants, and in front of all lay a dozen swords, one
or two of which are worth a quarter of a million each.
Along with these were epaulettes covered with diamonds,
and armlets so contrived that the brilliants revolved and
kept up a continual shimmer. It was difficult among so
many to single out particular gems. Perhaps, however,
the first place ought to be assigned to the famous Darya i
Nur, or " Sea of Light," the sister diamond to our Punjab
trophy, the Kuh i Nor, or " Mountain of Light." It is an
inch and a half long, an inch broad, and 3-Bths of an inch
thick. It:has the name of Fath Ali Shah on one side, and the
inscribing this name reduced the value of the diamond, so
at least says Yahya Khan, "deux millions—mais deux mil-
lions de quoi—de piastres, de francs—quo sail-je P" I was
not prodigiously impressed with this jewel. It is a mon-
strous diamond, but not very brilliant. I could pardon a
rustic who should mistake it for glass. Nevertheless it has
a wondrous history. The Persians say—and, to copy the
Jowettian expression, I partly agree with them—that the
Sea of Light and the Mountain of Light were jewels in the
sword of Afrasiab, who lived 3,000 years B.c. Rustam took
them from Afrasiab, and they continued in the orown of
Persia till they were carried away by Timur, from whom
they descended to Muhammad Shah, King of Delhi, and
Nadir brought them from India ; but when he was
slain,
Ahmed Shah Abdalli carried off the Kuh i Nur, which de-
scended to Shah Shuja, and was taken from him by Ran-
jit Singh. The Darya i Nur remained in Persia with the
greater part of the other gems that Nadir brought flora
India.—.Eastwiek's Journal in Persia.
THE LANCASHIRE COAL TRADE.—WIGAN, Satnr-
day.—Considerable activity still prevails in the
coal trade of this district, and the general aspect of affairs
is quite as promising as can be expected. The stocks in
the hands of some of the firms have not lately been much
reduced, but it is thought not unlikely, now that a difficulty
is felt in obtaining men to work full time, that a consider-
able decrease may before long be apparent. Daring the
late slackness many men were thrown out of employ, or
employed so seldom that they deemed it advisable to leave
the district, in not a few instances the mines in America
proving attractive, and the want of these hands is now be.
ginning to be felt in some quarters. This difficulty cannot,
however, be of long continuance, as the demand will shortly
be checked by the approach of summer. The iron smelting
business is gradually extending in this locality, a new fur-
nace, making the fifth, having lately been erected by the
Kirkless-hall Company. The gradual introduction of this
trade, signs of which are apparent in different parts of the
county, must have a beneficial effect on the coal trade. The
additions to existing works show that the result so far has
been most satisfactory, and there appears little doubt that
in a short time the markets adjacent will be supplied from
the district itself.
The act of Parliament to enable Sir John Law-
rence to receive his annuity of £2,000 from the East India
Company, in addition to his full salary of Governor-General
of India, was printed on Saturday. The Secretary of
State for India is now empowered to pay the full salary,
notwithstanding the annuity of £2,000.
SOMETHING DNS AN ADVEETISEIFENT.—TIA
Surrey managementhas adopted a Love' way of
advertising the popular melo-drarna "Ashore awl Afloat."
They have chartered a good. sized and full rigged man-o%
and bearing a crew of some half-
Laze' mounted
dt sdt r nlmt or wheels,s