The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-13 00:00:00

EVRNTIN7C;)r, APRIL 13, ISg2.

tilde, Ysonde, Yolande,,Odette, Renne, Blanche, and
Mazhilde.
The fair Melusine, the leading character in the
piece was represented by Miss Carlotta Leclercq, of
whom we may at once say that no artiste on the
boards could possibly have acted the part better, or
have looked it so well. In addition to her personal
attractions,. the brilliant lightness of her dancing,
her expressive pantomime and clear delivery, and
the bedoming elegance
_of , her _ several dresses,
reedered- 'Miss Leclercq
the . mest 'delightful em
bodiment'ithaginable of an enchanted and enchant;
iog heroine. of, fairy romance. If anything were
wanting to constitute her an established favourite, it
was fully supplied by her performance of last even-
ing, and-we feel much satisfaction in coutributiog
Mir giatulations to the triumph achieved by a very
charming and meritorious young actress. In. Ulf,
the faithful and disinterested foster-brother of
Melusine, Miss Robertson displayed not merely a
singularly' pretty
figure, but a feeling and energy in
her acting Which elicited frequent applause. (These
are' the two ladies of whose " manifest insuffi-
ciency" a certain profound critic writeth!) The
utelrtirmibaletelyMcaonndsirgagn:r
i
s
trayed with imposing malignity by Mrs. Winstanley-
et
o' ewt ehronina l owr gh
oh ot ede), ugaZ e noeueri
Miss Marshall (a recent and valuable acquisition to
the establishment) did the part of Wittikind cleverly,
as she does everything, and Miss Murray was the
happy King of Avalon, who, if poetical justice were
rigidly carried our, ought to have found less favour
in the eyes of Melusine than the affectionate and
gentle Ulf. Harley had a part that precisely fitted
this favourite and rejuvenescent comedian; a swag-
gering, consequential major-domo faithfully holding
discretion to be the better part of valour, cringing to
the mighty and bullying the mean ; and Meadows's
make-up as the hapless King of Marchenland was
admirable. The enchanted owl fell to the lot of
,
Flexmore, who looked a very grave and reverend
fowl, blinking and hissing with ornithological pro-
priety,the proverbial gravity of
the bird of Pallas by getting helplessly inebriated at
feeding time, to the great enjoyment, however, of
but sadly belying
the spectators. Flexmore's genuine talent was
a small part so promi-
nent, for in any other hands it would have been all,
but lost. A most agreeable surprise was afforded
(there having been an inadvertent omission in the
strongly evinced in making
bills) by a ballet in the fete scene in the second act,
in which Madlle. Auriol executed a pas with a vigour,
grace, precision, and firmness, that brought down
most deservedly cordial plaudits. We Save rarely, if
ever, seen this admirable danseuse to greater advan-
tage than in this scene, in which she contributed one
of the brightest gems of the entire entertainment.
The scene-painters have done themselves infinite cre-
dit,scene, which we hold to be
unequalled especially in
exquisite ael ffect,even with the fear of
Beverley before our eyes ; and in the flight .of
Melusine over the sea, in which Miss Leclercq is the
for
prominent form of beauty. The innumerable cos-
tumes, on which the outlay must have been
enormous, are not merely rich and varied,
but superlatively tasteful; Miss Marshall's attire
is the perfection of stage dress. The orchestra,
which is considerably increased, was led by Mr.
Robert Stopel, who furnished the music of the piece,
which is generally good. A chorus by Melusine and
in the Seven Princes,' in the first act, is.a very pleasing
composition, and was unanimouslY encored. There
may be a little pruning, especially in the earlier por-
tions of the piece and in the music, but we trust no
paring to the quick.
The re-appearance of Mr. Charles Kean, after his
recent illness, was greeted with the vehement cor-
diality due on such an occasion to the best of managers
and actors. Mr. Kean bore no traces of indisposition
in his unrivalled performance of the twins of Corsica,
" within which circle none dare walk but he." The
house was crowded to the ceiling, and the boxes filled
with fashion. The success of the magnificent after-
piece (which by the way is '" a fairy tale," not a
burle,que," and written by Mr. Tom Taylor) was,
it is unnecessary to say, unequivocal.

MAR

ters than a Ministerial reply gives an explicit answer
to the interrogirory of an opponent. Funky Franky,
with whom the audience is most immediately con-
' cerned, labours under the impression that his half-
brother will be his own, and that a kind of mesmeric
or electric telegraphic sympathy or communication
exists between them. The cleverly-arranged. super-
natural appearance of Fighting Franky, and a
tableau or vision, in which he is having a " mill"
with an antagonist, strengthens_ the -fears of Funky,
_
and leads to the expectation;that an interesting., it not
extraordinary, denouement will follow. At the close,
however, of, the first act Mr. Albany Brown, of
Marionette reputation, is drawn forward on a string,
and, after a dissertation on the aucient and modern
drama; apologises alike for what has preceded and
what is to come, and asks his good-humoured bearers
to fill up all gem blanks, and incongruitiee by the
aid of their imagination--a request as necessary as it
was modest. This bit at the _Marionettes was one
of the most amusing events of the evening.
The living actor dressed ass doll to perfection, and
his movements appeared to he entirely at the mercy
of the string above, which of course was not so skil-
fully managed as at the Adelaide Gallery. The se-
cond act consisted chiefly of a series of adventures by
a few swells at Cremorne-gardens. Fighting Franky,
the supposed severed half of Funky, forms one of
the notable body, and the only perceptible reference
to the pathetic opening is the fulfilment of the pre-
diction in the fighting tableaux, by his en-
gaging in a prolonged contest with a boast-
ing and belligerent Irishman rejoicing in the
name of Pat O'Runo, and whom he uitimately
spiflicates. Mr. Shalders enacted the part of
the Irishman with great humour and genuine Tippe-
rary brogue. The other characters were well sus-
tained ; but, notwithstanding the exertions of the
actors and actresses, the production was rather dull,
and its success questionable. Too much praise cannot
be awarded to the scenery and dresses, which were
extremely beautiful. The view of Cremorne-gardens
by night on the occasion of a bal masque, with innu-
merable variegated lamps, was as fine a piece of
scenic design as we have seen at any theatre. The
extravaganza wound up with a Terpsichorean display,
illuminated byfiarames de Bengale. The Merchant
of Veniceommenced the performances, but the only
noticeable part in the was that of Portia, which
was taken by Mrs. Walter Lacy for the first time at
the Olympic. Her acting throughout was charac-
terised by considerable taste and feeling, and easy and
graceful action.

STRAND THEATRE.
A new piece, by Mr. C. Reade, described as " an
illustration of our country homes," and bearing the
title of a Village Tale, was the opening performance
here last evening. The Village Tale is in three acts,
and the scene laid in Berkshire. The incidents all
occur in the house of Farmer Hathorn (Mr. IV. Att-
wood). In the reaping season, Corporal Patrick (Mr.
E. Stirling) and his daughter Rachel' (Miss Maskell)
are employed by the farmer to assist in getting in the
harvest. When the reaping is all over, and the cor-
poral and his daughter are about to quit the farm, the
latter suddenly encounters Richard Hickman (Mr.
Moreland), a young farmer of somewhat idle and
roving habits, and between the two there appears
to be some mysterious connexion, of which all
that is learnt at first is, that Rachel had some
four years before become the mother of a child,
of which Hickman was the father. In the mean-
time the farmer's son, Robert Hathorn (Mr. J.
Rogers), becomes enamoured of Rachel, whose conduct
while reaping had pointed her out as a person supe-
rior to her occupation, and makes several overtures
to her, which she treats very slightingly. This at-
tachment is viewed with great dislike by the farmer,
but his wife, won by Rachel's behaviour (Mrs. Charles
Selby), is not so averse to it. In the development of
the plot appear two other characters, Mrs. Rose
Mayfield, a widow (Mrs. W. R. Copeland), and
Mr. A. Priori (Mr. Moore), a retired tradesman. The
former of these is a sort of village flirt, being alter-
nately courted by Mr. Priori, by Richard Hickman,
and for his son, by Farmer Hathorn. Hickman
appears to have the best chance of winning her,
but she at length begins to look upon him with
distrust, and he, to spite Rachel for a supposed
disclosure to the widow of his real character, hastens
the denouement by aspersions on the latter. Such
being the relative positions of the several parties, the
corporal and his daughter are taunted by the farmer,
in order to break off the attachment of his son, with
• a reference to Rachel's past history and implied mis-
conduct; when the corporal admits the birth of a
child, but defends his daughter's character by stating
that Hickman had married her, that she subsequently
discovered that he had a wife living at the time, and
that in order to save him from the consequences, she
had consented to conceal the fact. The widow
now generously renounces her pretensions ;
to Robert Hathorn, who had all along clung to the
notion of Rachel's innocence, and becomes a mediator
for him to his father; Rachel rejects an offer of
marriage from Hickman, now a widower, and, to re-
move the lingering repugnance of old fathom, in
the very nick of time the maligned and virtuous suf-
ferer is discovered to be the owner under the will of
an aunt of 3,0001., and the very farm occupied by
HiCkman. To complete the retributive lesson, the
self-denyitig Mrs. Mayfield becomes Mrs. Priori.
The piece was well received, and will doubtless have
a good run. It was succeeded by the rattling extra-
vaganza, Antony and Cleopatra, by a ballet diver-
tissement entitled La Vivandiere, and finally, by The
Ragged School, all of which met with a cordial re-
ception.

YLEB JNE THEATRE.
The entertainments at this theatre last night were
The Tempest, a grand national ballet divertissement,
under the title of Britannia, the Gem of the Ocean,
and Plancbe's burletta The Loan of a Lover. In the
Tempest, which was well cast, Miss Lavine, of the
Theatres Royal Edinburgh and Newcastle, made her
first appearance in London, in the character:of Ariel,
and indicates that she will prove an acquisition to the
company in other lines of theatrical character. Caliban
lost nothing of his glory, growl, or power of cursing in
the hands of Mr. E. Laws; Prospero was well sustained
in those of Mr. Cowie ; and Miranda, his daughter, had
an admirable representative in Miss Grosvenor.
Britannia, the Gem of the Ocean, the Easter novelty,
is an attractive ballet, in which the nations of the
world, in a grand allegorical tableau, pay tribute to
" the. Queen of the Waves." It is a light production
of Mr. W. H. Harvey (of the Italian Opera), whose
dancing was admirably supported by the exquisite
pas of Mdlles. Louise Blanche, Julie, and Kate Kirby.
The Loan of a Lover was a good wind up, and was
well received by " the gods," whose fancy it tinkled
very happily, and who departed, well pleased with
the evening's entertainments.

and the throng of indulgent spectators seemed very
ready to make allowances for the contretemps of a
first presentation, and before leaving joined in con-
tinued rounds of applause.

ASTLEY'S THEATRE.
The introductory piece at this most popular
theatre was a grand historical, equestrian, and mili-
tary spectacle, which has been eminently successful
in Paris, entitled Bonaparte in Egypt, and it is
scarcely necessary to say that it was got up with all
the arts and appliances for which the Royal Amphi-
theatre is go famous. The spectacle, which is full of
bustle and incident, consists of a series of picturesque
tableaux—amongst the most effective of which we
may notice the storming of the city of Alexandria,
and the flight of its defenders before the im-
petuous attack of the grand army. Another
scene which told remarkably well was the grand
entree of Bonaparte through the golden gates
of Cairo, accompanied by his cortege, sufficient in
number to occupy almost the entire stage. The
battle of Aboukir was manfully contested on both
sides, but of course in the end the Mamelukes got
terribly threshed, and were obliged to succumb to the
" infidels." In addition to the general company, Mr.
Frazer made his debut as the great general, and was
ably assisted by Mr. Widdicomb, who enacted the
part of Kleber, and Mr. Craddock, who sustained
that of Colonel Victor. Miss Lydia Pearce, who
personated the character of a servant, promises to be
a considerable acquisition to the company ; and
Master Arthur Leclerq, the son of the stage manager
and ballet master, was well received in a Pas Grecque,
assisted by the corps de ballet. The scenes in the
arena were admirably gone through by Mdlle. Louise
Massolta, M. Franconi, Miss Barraud, Mr. Bridges,
and Tom Thumb the Great; and the evening's amuse-
ment was concluded with the amusing farce of the
Lottery Ticket.

ROYAL MARIONETTE THEATRE.
We had two novelties here last night, the one being
a piece of apropos called Now in Rehearsal; or Confi-
dential Revelation Strictly Public, and the other an old
Easter favourite, Aladdin, and the Wonderful Lamp,
newly trimmed and burnished for the Marionettes.
The audience must, indeed, have been bard to please
that could find much fault with either performance,
for apart from one or two little gaucheries incidental
to first performances, everything was excellent. We
have not space to criticise either piece at length, ncr
is it necessary, as the performances more than sus-
tained the already good name of the Marionette
Theatre. The story of Aladdin was well told, the
libretto was entirely new, and the introduced songs
and duets gave opportunities for displaying the very
creditable vocal talent engaged here. In the intrdnc-
tory brochure, Now in Rehearsal, we had something
after the style of the Critic, with a good-natured
exposure of some of the bickerings and jealousies of
green-room life. We cannot refrain from speaking
in the very highest terms of the scenery and costumes
in the spectacle, for they were truly magnificent, and
this little theatre may successfully vie with its
proudest rivals in the admirable scenic effects pro-
duced. The audience was very numerous, and of
the highest fashion, and were evidently delighted with
their evening's entertainment.
MISCE-

anLlTLietNEmOnljanSumE......XT/IhleßlTchlioefNoSb, j
e&ecte.
of
THE B
attraction for the numerous visitors to this establish-
mentgigantic
yesterday were the
sculptures lately
arrived from Nineveh, and only deposited in the Mu-
seum a few weeks ago. These works consist of two
winged human headed lions, and two bulls, likewise
winged and human-headed, which formed the portals
to the temples of the Assyrians. The bulls are of
enormous size, being no less than 14 feet 5 inches in
height, and of proportionate bulk. These objects are
placed in the Ga lery of Antiquities, near the en-
trance, in a species of transept, which, though spa-
cious and lofty, is scarcely sufficiently so to allow of
their being seen to proper advantage. They are such
extraordinary productions of the art of sculpture and
of such extreme antiquity that it is no wonder they
excited the admiration of all who looked upon them.
PICTURE GALLERIES.—The National Gallery,
Trafalgar-square and the Vernon Collection of pic-
tures, at Marlborough House, received, as usual, a
great accession of company yesterday. The different
exhibitions of paintings now open also received their
share of public patronage :—That of the Society of
British Artists, in Suffolk-street, which, though not
first-rate, is still particularly interesting on account
of the variety it displays both in the selection of sub•
jects and in style of execution ; that of the Britis
Institution in Pall-Mall, which includes among its
contents some creditable historical pictures and some
fine landscapes ; and Mr. Grundy's Winter Exhibi-
tion of Water-Colour Paintings and Sketches in oil,
in which are to be found several excellent works by
the leading artists of the day.
THE COLOSSEUM.—This old-established and popular
haunt comes forth this Easter with a new face. For
some time past it has been in the hands of the im-
prover and decorator. The principal change is in
the Glyptotheca, the inner walls of which are now
lined with mirrors, set in elaborately gilt frames
which reflect the statuary on the opposite side. By
this devise the hall seems to have increased in size,
while the figures appear to be multiplied upon the
same principle. The whole of the embellishments
have experienced renewal, and the ensemble is now
lustrously and delicately beautiful. The other at-
tractions of the place remain unaltered, though they
have all undergone the process of revivification. The
conservatories, the stalactite cavern, the Roman anti-
quities, the aviaries, &c., are replete with interest, as
they always must be, for the cost which they have
occasioned in forming, and the grace and beauty of
the several effects, are too obvious and remarkable
ever to be overlooked. The Colosseum, in a word,
with its two elaborate panoramas of London and
Paris, is a sight among sights, in which the best con-
trivances of art have been associated with the highest
refinements of taste. As a refuge for the idler, and a
repast for the sight-seeker, it surely can have no
equal. The Cyclorama will re-open shortly, with a
moving diorama of the Crystal Palace.
MR ALBERT SMITH'S ASCENT OF MONT BLANC.
—One of the most attractive of the Easter exhibitions
is this, which not only contains a series of charming
paintings by Mr. William Beverly, illustrative of an
excursion between Paris and Chamouni, but is further
enriched by the viva voce descriptions of Mr. Albert
Smith himself—a tourist of great observation, and a
lecturer of the most agreeable vivacity. His narra-
tive of a journey to the foot of the celebrated Mont
Blanc is replete with comic gaiety, while his sketches
of the personages whom he has met with are given
with an apt sense of the ludicrous, and with much
versatility and address. We need not remind our
readers that Mr. Smith actually accomplished the_shs-e•
in a pleasacinhticompa"
cent of Mont Blanc in the autumn of last year. =1:
second part of his lecture deals solely with adven-
ture.this
He tells the spectator,
conversa-
tional manner, of the difficulties
thin
a practical
nions encountered while prosecutingba a
undertaking; and his descriptions receive._
Mr.
Beverly,
reality from the several portraitures of f
stage, and by
which sink perpendicularly his hazardous
sisn
nunnpmreocreedetnhtaedn
hatsholaugeothowlyihtihisustructive, but ex-
eaTiunifisou
entertainment
treardtuaiiinl
maesncetnstinucpe
tthheis
sides
saossr
the
eggmensat
ntthaeinic.l
it has been opened
amount of patronage,,sAna;YLLE Rooms.—The public
was predicted, for it
quisitely amusing.
proprietors of
LAURENT'S CASINO, ..-- .
this esta-
blishmentt? the
admirable '
manner in
owe no slight thanks
for the adnur, which they
have raised it to one of the recognised public amuse-
us, Propriety and
meats of the nietropo.•decorum, SO
such places, are hereshown •
easily violated in
with to be in
'
accordance enjoyment and
perfect pleasure • and,
from the
if we may judge
the crowds which nightly fill
public ap •
this elegant room,appreciate to the full
the very excellent manner in which the arrangements
here are carried out. The orchestra is one of the
most numerous and best conducted in the metropolis,
and as the music played is of the newest and most
select description the musical dilettante, as well as
the lover of the mazy dance, - will find a treat here
which will well repay him for a stroll into Windmill-
street.

Sr. GEORGE'S GALLERY.—The diorama of Jeru-
salem, painted under the superintendence of Mr.
William Beverly, from sketches made by Mr. Bart-
lett during his long sojourn in the East, has been one
of the most popular of the picture exhibitions. In
solemnity of interest it has no rival, for the scenes
which it depicts are thoso of grave and momentous
peculiarity. The scale upon which these views are
painted is vast in comparison with other works of the
same class with which the metropolis abounds, the
measurement being the same as that required in a
full-sized theatre. This great extent of surface adds
considerable grandeur to the pictorial effect, inasmuch
as it has enabled the artists to embrace wider ensem-
bles, and treat the most remarkable localities with a
breadth due to their individual importance. The
diorama contains views of the Mount of Olives, Mount
Hor, Mount Sinai, Bethiekem, Nazareth, and other
places of like holy suggestiveness.
Dionsmi. OP THE HOT..y LAND.—Tbis diorama,
exhibiting at the Egyptian Hall, is similar in plan
and purport to the foregoing, though not painted
upon so magnificent a scale or so elaborately. The
views professedly illustrate the same localities, which,
it is said, were " daguerreotyped" for the purpose.
Most of the scenes are, however, taken from different
points of view to those which are to be met with. at
the St. George's Gallery, and hence the two ,__
ramas, although dealing with the same therri to es,"inve
separate specialities, and can scarcely be said
terfere with each other.
; Ens of Hin-
DIORAMA OF HINDOSTAN.—The Dotical Air. Louis
dostan, painted by Mr. Philip Philitils: been on ex-
Haghe, which for some months Pe
hibition at Madame Tussaud's es
isloalishrnent in Baker-
street, affords an instructive glimpse of the external

_~ ~

character of Indian scenery. Derived fro :401,4f0V-7 4.
'l*.
taken on the spot by Colonel Luard, lon a :re-sicretiP-4 '''otrc.4 go,
in those districts of the vast country wb b t.l'§',*'. V. 14t-tili
norania undertakes to illustrate, the 4-....*.v i "4:,
, ..1--.., '
fifty views which pass successively
bl'ilitifirs 4.
eye may be accepted as authentic.
mencing at Fort William, the traveller ascends
Ganges, the principal localities of which are depicted
with great great and striking effect, while the customs,
costumes, and public and private ceremonials of the
natives are incidentally delineated. The artists to
whom the town is indebted for this interesting tran-
script of scenes, in which we may be said to feel a
national interest, have amplified the original drawings
of Colonel Luard very ably, while perfect vraisem-
blance has been secured by the personal supervision
of the colonel himself.

HUNGERFORD HALL. - The well-known diorama
of the Chevalier Bouton, that of St. Mark's Church,
has been transported to the exhibition-room of Hun-
gerford Hall, where it is 1.10 071 view with a variety
of contrasted efrect2, the re3Ult of the dit;ramic W
pro-
cess, which it illustrates as beautifully, probably es
any of the numerous pictures which have at various
times been submitted to the public at the old esta-
blishment in the Regent's Park. The ecomomical
rate of admission established at Hungerford Hill
places, it may be observed, this wonder of pictorial
ingenuity within the inspection of all classes of so-
ciety.

MADAME TIISSALTD'S.--Tfle gallery of Madan-3O
Tussaud does not seem to abate one jot of its cele-
brity. It has outrivalled, and consequently outlived,
many other collections of a similar kind, simply by
its great superiority in the facts of portraiture and
by its brilliancy and gentility as a promenade.
Among th 3 most recent additions, a figure of Kos'
suth is the most prominent, besides a Bloomer or t
in proper brevity of costume. A model of the Rua-
Sian giant, Loushkin, is now on view—a worthy be-
tween eight and nine feet high, a downright Brobdig-
nagian,
a man, indeed, of most fabulous proportions;
But there he is, in his dress as drum-major in the
Imperial Regiment of Guards, of which he must be a
monstrously conspicuous member.

GREENWICH FAIR.
Yesterday's sun shone forth in earnest, and chal-
lenged the votaries of rural delights to join the joyous
groups that rushed to the railway or the river in
search of health and recreation. Great was the throng
even on the highway of carts, gigs, carriages, and
pedestrians. The fair might be said to begin at the
Bricklayers' Arms, where for a mile the road was a
perfect mart
,of toys, gingerbread, and other " com-
bustibles, ' as Mrs. Malaprop bath it. Thousands of
pedestrians footed all the way to Greenwich, nor felt
the way tedious. Indeed, it is many years since so
many people passed down the road to an Easter fair.
All were agog for fun, and the cry resounded on all
sides, " What's your game ?" To which the ex-
pected reply was promptly given, " All serene."
For the origin of this military or civil
sign and countersign, we confess we have con-
sulted the authorities in vain. Every one knows the
story of the statesman, who said " Give me the
songs of the mob on my side, and I shall laugh at
opposition speeches in Parliament." The temper of
the times showed itself in pictorial allusions to in-
vasion, caricatures of John Bull waiting for the as-
sault of a long .visaged grim personage in uniform ;
caricatures of the condition of Englishmen and
Frenchmen, the latter sabred, shot, or deported to
the colonies. Groups were collected to hear a song,
which was popular all day, a verse of which runs
thus :

Arouse up, Britannia, or coon wo shall rue;
The French are all coming to beat us quite blue.
In France there's been lately the devil to pay;
Come, rouse up, Old Nosey, and show us the way; -
We'll not be conquered, boys, don't be afraid;
John Bull will protect his women and maid,
And if we get wounded whilst blazing away, f,
Queen Victoria will give us three halfpence a day.
With sounds and sights like these, we beguiled the
way to the great scene of action, and struck into the
glorious park to gaze:upon the vast landscape that pre-
sents itself, into four counties, and a circuit of some
70 or 80 miles, from the summit of the Observatory
hill, now called Flamstesd House, and devoted to as-
tronomical and scientific observation and research.
During the dynasty of the warrior kings of
England, when the crown sought by all means to
strengthen itself against rivals and the turbulent
insolence of powerful nobles, who had each a little
standing army of his own at command, the present
site of the Observatory in the park was selected on
account of its lofty and commanding situation as a fit
spot to be fortified. The famous Humphery, Duke
of Gloster, raised upon the summit of this hill a
castle which had in those times, when parallels of
approach and battering trains of heavy artillery
were unknown, the character of being a place
of great strength. The extensive chase of Black-
heath then extended far beyond Eltham Palace, which
the Norman race of monarchs, including Richard
Coeur de Lion, his son, and his brother King John,
cherished as the stronghold of Royalty, as well as
the secluded retreat where they could, unobserved,
indulge in wild wassail feasting, and every excess.
There was under the protection of the fortress on the
hill, and close to the river side, another palace. On
its ruins the Merry Monarch Charles IL raised that
wing of Greenwich Hospital which has often been
the scene of his pleasant orgies, and upon which every
gala-day now floats, in imperial pomp, the Royal
standard.

______
The fair street, terminating at Deptford-bridge,
presented nearly the same aspect as usual, and its at-
tractions is the way of shows were the never-failing
gorgeous glories of Richardson, who still, after the
manner of the early Greek players, carries all his
attractions in a waggon or two. lie has this year
polished off a Warren's jet black band for the occa-
sion, and well and " gently they do their spiriting,"
impostors though these sable minstrels be. rho far-
famed Wombwell and his splendid men agerie,we regret
to say, are not amongst the attractions. Indeed, there
were no wild beasts to be seen, whether biped or
quadruped, at the fair—an improvement which will,
doubtless, encourage timid mothers to bring their
tender nurslings to-day to witness the gilded glories
of gingerbread-row.
There were not wanting lures for allg aclasses—rifles
d
for our future volunteers—slwaminbgss, fhoerahaisg_bflsaynedrs—dloiEkgse.
gullible ' b •
allo ' s
s,
o r lotteries,ts
o f
preternatural and ttiwr nwiat
tibltohfusoi tgrseu, i
tfesoe for the
otrhl
like
etkhee
Russian terriers, with t.,ihiskteheforreezplart of their bodiesmo •
seiiNrl3‘ attract
Fives
a
wonderfulPipigs--cats
hcatcsol with
iol eagle's claws,
m handsons-
airorshnsareonoftphaetirrolniesagdse.
Atloai
.i
fromt
luordescaei kstpmt
mons-
trosities, South
ghuseko—nirt
eprctypydaaA:::thnaigirc:ue:Aoalo lacroi (I:kits:so: t
Court has established a
fashion stripped and belaboured
until their where some would-be sprigs of
tinguishdbaetihyi
booth for sparring,
. each other about the
hnuosmebalne
Thee
induced great These
s.:aesetaheagrrtesatceorunidumnbeetrdisei
admission,e-erinso.oms, at two and threepence per head
than usual, and the keen bracing air
fbaloelarinutc..
numbers, even at an early hour, to sport
a fantasticotfoAe tol not-indifferent music. The endless
those at mann
ball-room of
for its vast. area, its excel-
lent occupies its usual place, and defies
yenotfs,ouorr aLbonaandonotfheneautsr:ecsi.ans, superior to
There is in every popular meeting something pecue
liarly in vogue. The crowds that entered the pretty
little studios of the portrait-painters betrayed the
prevailing feeling, and might with propriety license
us in naming this spot " Vanity Fair," there seemed
to he so general a rage "to be taken from life," or
rather we should call it, to live after death in a flat-
tering resemblance. These varied agremens occa-
sioned the fair to be crowded to excess all day, al-
though the town itself was thronged with thousands
of visitors. The park, too, though divested of foliage
and even of verdure, through the long-continued
drought and perishing north -east winds, was well
frequented, and there was a great profusion of at-
tractive goods spread alone the gravel walks which
have been laid down since last year, with good discre-
tion, by Prince Albert's order, as well es a fine wide
carriage-drive from the river-gate to that at Black-
heath. The racing down the hill was carried on with
great spirit, notwithstanding the interference of the
police, who got mobbed and pelted with oranges and
apples for their pains. " Kiss in the ring"—a time-
honoured sport—had its votaries in a remoter part of
the park ; where, also, there was a frequent cowed*
tation held by simple swains and lasses with t 139
weird sisters, the tawny daughters of Egypt, who
deal with fate and fortune, and—
" Like foul and midnight hap,
Do a deed without a name.
"n the dig.
The Heath, with its surrounding hill" •-
tance and handsome villas grouped around
margin and embosomed in groves of evergreens,
cannot quite
itswhrs
within
turesque wildness awakens those
the human breast that even a long durance vile"
sure to be a source of general
gaetntriaacl,t?eo_ealinglsts pied
ewithinrad
Naturam expellss (urea, tamen usque recurret,
with a friend, or his
Et mala perrumpet fattym fastidie, Victrix.
The presence of these kindlyl
eradicate.
Naturam e dread bills of mortality
feelings does not render
greensward on a Jerusalem
e a donkey cart. lie
pony, or ' . , can join here in a
match at criceet, emulate the a •
ohdesiffrte,reanctrtoossa
the
ecia ride
practice for the future defence ancient archers of Kent
Or rifle
ishnwimderealwing the long bow, prepare himself by
.
ence of his country, with-
out dread of ridicule, or feelin of rnauvoisc
saturnalia—thehon-
in his yearly toil ,
a momentary
zestwLich renews his energy and giv
The
tent of sport to a life of severe labour.
s were active when we left
break and interval.edi
ly progressing
the scene, and
preparations made, and the excellent arrange..
meat and dispatch from the aspect of the place, the exee
cate, that
as the weather promises well, this fair will
be the best E of the trains, we must prognostie
aster ilk on record.

FRANCE.
The Moniteur has the following relative to the new
• •
copper coinage :—" The Bill which is now before the
1 egislative Body opens a credit to the Minister of
l'inance of 7,560,000 f. for all the expenses attendant
on the calling in of the old copper coinage, and the
coinage of that which is to replace it. Persons who
may read the Bill without the preamble may con-
_= ider this operation as onerous to the Treasury, but
such is not the case ; the Bill, as it was presented by
the Government to the Council of State, contained no
demand for a credit. The combination propo.sed
withdraws from circulation 10i millions of kilo-
grammes of copper. The coins which will be struck
off instead of them will only employ five millions of
kilogrammes of metal, and will only cost with the
expenses of coining, the above-mentioned sum of
7,560,000 f., and that expense will be more than
made up by the sale of the 5i millions of kilo-
grammes of copper which will remain at the disposal
of the State. The receipts will therefore at least
cover the expenses. If the Council of State, while
adopting the Bill of the Government, has modified
its wording, it is in order to conform to the rigid
rules necessary in the accounts which compel the
expenses and the receipts to be entered separately.
It is only a measure of order. It fie therefore evi-
dent that the substitution of a convenient and better
struck coin for the rough and heavy ones which
disgrace our monetary system will in no way affect
the budget."
By the Senatus-Consultutr, which allows the Prince
';'.'reeident twelve millions a year, and the national
„alaces, that of Compiegne, &c., with their dependen-
eies, the right of hunting and shooting in various
forests is reserved to him. We understand that the
forest administration has ordered about two hundred
workmen to clear the rides in the forest of Compiegne.
It is said that Louis Napoleon is to pay a visit to
Compiegne in the month of May.
The large equestrian statue of the Emperor Napo-
leon, modelled by M. de Neuwerkerke for the city of
Lyons, is to be cast in bronze at one operation, by
MU. Eck and Durand, next week. The pedestal of
this statue is for the present placed in the court-yard
of the Invalided.
As the President of the Republic was the other
day returning to the Elysee, a very old woman loudly
expressed her wishes for hie prosperity, and at the
same time threw a small garland into his carriage.
The Prince handed a piece of gold to a man who was
within reach, saying, " It is for the good woman who
threw me the garland." The man to whom the
money had been given refused to give it up, saying
that it was meant for himself. Some persons present
remonstrated with him, he assaulted them, and it was
necessary to call the guard, by whom he was taken
before the Commissary of Police, and afterwards to
the Prefecture.
For some time past it has been contemplated to erect
an equestrian statue of the Emperor in some open
part of the Champs Elysee, and the magnificent and
unrivalled avenue that stretches away from the Place
de la Concorde to the superb arch of triumph of the
Ilarriere de l'Etoile, is to be adorned on both sides
-with statues of the great men of the past—from the
times of Charlemagne to him who vainly wished to
restore the era of universal dominion—from the 9th
century to the 19th. It is doubtful, however,
whether the contemplated project of crowning the
arch with a triumphal chariot, similar to that of
the Place Carrousel, will be carried into effect.
In addition to the, chariot it had been proposed
to adorn the four angles of the summit with allegorical
statues in marble. It has, however, been found that
the monument, massive as it is, would scarcely suffice
to support such a weight. It was, however, part of
the original plan that it should be surmounted by a
group in bronze, representing France in an antique
car, surrounded by the genii of the nation. But then
the arch was raised higher than intended ; and this
was objected, when in 1835 it was proposed to place
a gigantic eagle on the top, with outspread wings.
All these colossal statues and enormous cars may
endanger the safety of the magnificent monument.
The erection of a new theatre, to be called Theatre
Napoleon, capable of containing 6,000 persons, is
also spoken of. The Place Carrousel will probably
before long assume a more imperial title—La Place
Napoleon. A file is proposed to be given by the
army on the occasion of the Grand Review for
the distribution of the eagles, and for which each
officer will contribute two days pay—all the more
readily, no doubt, as numerous promotions are ex-
pected to take place on the same occasion.

7HE CHEPSTOW RAILWAY BRIDGE.
COIEPSTOW, SATURDAY.—Since the floating of the
great tube forming part of this important structure
over the Wye, the second process of raising has been
successfully carried on. This second movement is
one not less important, and of more interest to the
spectator than the first. The tube having been floated,
as previously described, to a point a few feet above
high water mark, between the piers ultimately in-
tended to support it, has, by means of powerful
" crabs," to be raised to a level with the line of rail-
way, about 50 feet above its first position. For this
purpose three seta of cchain-lifting tackle, of immense
power 10 strength, were put in operation. Each
end of the tube is lifted in its turn, and the one end
has now been raised by this tackle to its second eleva-
tion on the rock, on a level with the railway. The
other end still rests on its stage, a short distance
above high water, so that at present the tube rests at
an angle of about 45 degrees. The other end will be
.raised in the course of next week. Ordinary trows
.and steamers can pass underneath it by keeping close
.to the east cliff. When it is raised to its final
destination, a gangway will be suspended from it,
upon which the workmen will proceed construct
the railway, or rather to fix the girders.to
girders, which are ready in the company's yard below,
will be raised in three parts, viz., one girder of 120
feet (the middle one) and two ends of 85 feet each.
'When the centre girder is brought up, the massive
'chains from the tube will be brought down and at-
-tached, and the two ends will also be attached to
chains from tha tube in like manner. The roadway
a"' materials for the permanent way will then be
brought up and put together, and one line will be com-
plete- The present calculation is that this opening
`ln'Y he effected in six weeks or two months, if no
unforeseen accident occurs. This will be a most im-
tirtant consummation, as the mineral and merchan-
w,e traffic, at present excluded from the railway on
account of •
opening of one line gani will. then be introduced The
when this has been of rails will sufh 'cc for this, and
-on the western ha, accomplished the additional piers
the up-line of
rails will
the river for the reception of
sacond tube—now partly
srlill be constructed, and the
below—will be raised?' made and lying in the yard
completed
bridge may be It is hoped that the whole
and that in two months frbefore the end of the year,
be opened for one set of iris.
this time the bridge will

ROMAN
STORY.
N.rithotnal )
(Frorra the LIC
ille Journal)
The young ar.W--
hoth belonging to English families, newly IvieissLgbi—ish—ed
e, and their
in this town, loved each other for ssOmnnoee:t'ilrn-
apovd
wc °enlsoa onlyt
to arenar -
parents, extensive manufacturers,
of the attachment, but were ready to
riage. All at once, for motives which
:into, W— found that his future fathr°t: inquire
treatment of him became quite changed, "altriVaw's
that
he put forward a multitude of pretexts for
post-
poning the wedding to the Greek Ca!ends. Irritated
at these obstacles, the young people resolved to
surmount them. Mr. W --- left for England,
wnere it appears people can get married more
easily than in France, and made the necessary
publications and preparations for a nuptual cere-
mony. On his return he made an attempt to soften
the lady's father, but having failed in it, he arranged
with her to fly with him. In a short time they were
at Calais. They arrived at midnight, and obtained
a permission to embark from the Special Com-
missary of Police by representing themselves to
be husband and wife. At two o'clock they
arrived at Dover, at seven o'clock they
were married by an accommodating clergy-
man, and at nine o'clock they re-embarked for France.
At Calais they had again to present themselves at the
-passport-office. They found the commissarrmuch less
polite than on the preceding night. Ah !it is you,
air,' said be. ' I hare learned that you deceived me
laat night in stating that this young lady was your
wife, whereas she is only Miss G—. I have orders to
take her under my protection, and to arrest you on the
ciYarge of having carried off a minor.' The new
husband, by way of reply, pulled out his marriage
certificate, and said—' Look, sir—this will prove that
lam not a deceiver!' The certificate was perfectly
regular, and was signed by C-..e French Consul at
Dover, and all the competent authorities. The com-
missary, seeing that he was in error, set the young
touole at liberty.
It would appear that the history should end here;
hat alas! no • the newly wedded pair were not ar-
-IY:tat the end of their troubles. Mr. G— and
tno
~rrired at Calais, after having given informa-
c)“,uhzle I,„iice by telegraph of the elopement of his
1144 `c„,,c; Riving been told that the young counie
and i,junatot the railway station they hastened there,
her I,,it 'laughter alone in the refreshment
g-ire. G having gone to see aftla,r the lug-
d lughter who
14't auto greatly irritated,
made his
towards St. Pierre it stc"r, and drove oft' with her
arrived, and learneda "tiler the husband
off. He hastened to st.i,,bis wife had been carried
be took the railway t, ILeZ, but uo one was there ;
there; and then, his heartlai3 bride was not
visited in succession Dunkirk, if: of despair, he
the towns on the coast, but in ellnebrouck, and all
returned to Lille, and waited on ca•z,ilkt length he
General of police. He proved to him thatc'ellspector-
nlarried, and that consequently his wire l';ewas duly
him in spite of all the fathers in the volronged to
Iccordingly demanded and obtained on Id•
rdez fnua