The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-19 00:00:00

THE EMPRESS EITGENIE.

The Reason for Her Majesty's Mission into

Spain,

The departure of the Empress for the Mediter_
ranean, at the moment the Emperorandnhis son set
give
out on their return to Paris, has rise tlo. a
variety of rumours, not erectly among the
but in some of the Paris salons. Importantipub and
pressing business, it was said, could only explain
why the Empress chose such a time to make atour
along the coast of Spain; and it was given out that
her Majesty had a mission of such moment that it
could not be entrusted to anybody but herself.
There were a thousand conjectures as so what that
mission could be. Was it about the Mexican Em-
pire in posse, the Archduchess and the 40,000 sol-
diers that lurked in her " incomparable eyes" (see
M. Debranz's despatch), the Pope, Cardinal Ante-
nelli, Garibaldi, Victor Emmanuel, or President
Davis ? A few whispered that the mission intrusted
to her was to use her influence at the Spanish Court
to prevent a rumoured matrimonial alliance between
some princely house and the family of the Duchess
Montpensier, the Queen's sister. They who repeated
this version forgot that, whereas the Empress's sup-
plications failed to save the life of the unfortunate
Ortega, shot for rebellion, it was not likely that
Queen Isabella would be more pliant in a question
relating to her sister.
It is, however, true that there was a mission—
not political, but strictly personal. The Emperor
and Empress usually pay a short visit to a frontier
town of Spain when they happen to be at Biarritz.
They drive to Irun or toFontarabia ; the excursion
by sea is to San Sebastian. On these occasions, of
course, every honour is shown to a foreign Sove-
reign on amicable terms with the Spanish Crown.
The Alcaldes, first and second, the Captain-
General or General Commandant, as the case may be,
all starred to the utmost, the Civil Governor, the
corregidors, the alguazils, and pipe and tabor play-
ers, dressea in their best, are present to welcome the
strangers. The church bells are set a-ringing, and
the military bands strike up "Partant pour la Syrie"
and the "Royal March." The Emperor is so oblig-
ing as to inspect the troops of the garrison, who go
through the "Concha manoeuvres," which the Em-
peror, smiling, pronounces to be incapable of im-
provement ; he lavishes high praise on the generals
before him, as well as on the formidable number
contained in the columns of the Guia. He visits the
town-hall, amid much acclamation ; refreshments
are presented, which the Emperor and the Empress
most graciously accept. They admire the large pic-
tures in the grand hall by a native artist, represent-
ing an act of heroism of a renowned sea captain, and
they promise a Sevres vase of much value as a sou-
venir to the Ayuntamiento. Their Majesties do not
fail to visit the church, where they perform their
devotions. At length, enchanted and enchanting,
they retrace their steps slowly to the quay, embark,
and return to Biarritz. This has been done by the
Emperor and Empress together, or by the Empress
alone, several times. Strange, however, that such
persistent civility has not been responded to by
Queen Isabella. True, whenever the Emperor is in
the neighbourhood the military authorities hasten
to compliment him in the name of their Sovereign,
and the duty is not the less readily gone through,
as it sometimes ends in decorations. But all this
is official, commonplace, and cold. What was de-
sired is that Queen Isabella should profit by their
Majesties' sojourn so near her territory to visit
them. Hitherto the Queen has been obstinate
on this head; all argument, all entreaty was useless,
when she was in the province of Santander not
long ago, in inducing her to visit the Emperor, who
was then expected at Biarritz. The fact is, Queen
Isabella, with or without reason, never had much
liking for the Montijo family ; and such as it was,
with time, it has, I fear, diminished. Her Majesty
is as intensely Spanish as her father was. She
perhaps remembers too keenly that et the time of
the Emperor's marriage it was ostentatiously pa-
raded in Paris how certain members of that family
had been, during the war between the two countries,
on the side of France. This was impolitic and un-
necessary. A man who sides with those who are
the enemies of his native country is not likely,
however valuable his services, to be greatly admired
even by those he serves ; and how he would be
viewed by his own countrymen it is unnecessary to
say. The epithet of Afrancesado has not lost, even
in modernised Spain, any of its bitterness. It is to
be feared, also, that the great qualities of the Em-
peror have not quite removed the exaggerated pre-
judices which a Spanish Bourbon may cherish
against the name of Bonaparte.
A flying visit to the frontier towns has not pro-
duced the desired result; but the presence of the
Empress in any place within a few hours of the
capital could hardly pass unnoticed without the
appearance of premeditated slight. Once the
Empress was at Alicante, or Valencia, where the
last accounts left her, after her visit to Cadiz,
Seville, and Malaga, there was no alternative. We
hear from Madrid that the Counts of Altamira and
Villafranca have been despatched to Alicante to re-
ceive her former subject, now Empress of the French.
She was expected in Madrid the end of the week,
and was to remain there five days, lodging in the
house of her brother-in-law, the Duke of Alba, and
there was to be offered an apartment in the Royal
Palace. The papers tell us that the Empress was
to maintain the" strictest incognito" during her stay
in the capital.
It is easy to imagine the feeling of her Majesty in
revisiting, after 12 years' absence, a place she once
knew so well. She will doubtless miss the dear old
Puerto del Sal as it was when she knew it;
but she
will probably see with pleasure the faradnite Plaza
,
del Angel, the I'rado, with ,ne7s an
foun-
tains, the Recolitos, the plan de .tors, the Retiro,
and the Fuente Castellauo• lier incognito will
enable her to see the suburb of Caramanehal, where
her mother, Madame Montijo, had a villa, which
very probably has not fallen into
dkecay, dwell on her
leaving those scenes which she new so n
she may find that the wonderful
times gone by
change in her fortunes, withits state, its ceremonial,
and its etiquette and its attendant cares, has not
brought forgetfulness of the independence and free-
dom of earlier, if not happier days. One satisfac-
tion, indeed, will remane—she will have been, for
however short a time, the guest of her former Sove-
reign. It remains to be seen whether Queen Isa-
bella will return the visit next summer at Biarritz.

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to a Saturday Reviewer, as plain as the road from
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talents. The absence of any one of these requisites may
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for himself what he wants to know better than any one can
tell him. It is a race for which a man must train on moral
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HERALDIC DIE SINKING ENGRAVING AND WITH
EMBOSSING.—Time was when these beautiful mani-
festations of the fine arts were almost exclusively confined
to the purposes of the Herald's-office for ye Royal signs
manual to documents, charters, &c. In very early times,
as now, every corporate body of any importance had its en-
graved seal or die, and from the days of the old trade
guilds to those modern corporations under a limited liability
act. Times are now changed. "The ago has grown so
picked the toe of the peasant comes very near the heel of
the courtier." Every body must now have not only a seal,
but a crest is indispensable to Mr. Howard Bugg, should
he have the happiness of a correspondence with
any member of those noble scions of ye Brill!b,.
Aristocracy yclept
.the Smythes and Browns•
s';'
common, indeed, has the arts we refer to become, and
.0:
withal so useful and so economical, that there
as..
respectable tradesmen who do not resort to eacltt or
.70 die
blued for advertising purposes. The merobananlein"
bossed
sunk,giving out his business and his addrieisis,
is
*al to contain
upon his note paper and the envelope
per gives you
in a neat his missive to its destination. The shdroeuvrwed
ildpra
en-
any copper change you may requirbes
name
and address ;
velope, in which is stamped i
this reminder of his politeness anal Mr. Calico's iden-
erryeabouts has thus so
forcibly impressed upon Your._ ogain, Why should not
tity, that you are sure to visit 1311.1
f this means of advertising
every tradesman take advan g° °
complete to do the work entire can be
himself. A machine
ure inspected the old-establi3bed
had for a few shillingvs..
Jones, 246, High Holborn, \\TX.,
manufactory
where you canofg7et,r; e believe, the beg and cheapest machine
either for stamping
moowunr.crest or advertising yourself,
Your.o
as may best suit your