The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-23 00:00:00

Foreign Courts.

PARIS, Oct. 21.
A Council of Ministers was heid yesterday at St.
Cloud, the Emperor presiding.
The King of the Greeks was present at the Opera
Comique last night, to witness the representation
of the "Domino Noir."

M. Drouyn de Llauys, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
gave a grand dinner yesterday to the King of the
Greeks. The Ministers, several members of the
Diplomatic Body, of the Senate, of the Legislative
Body, and of the Council of State were present.
" We are assured," says the Nation," that the
Emperor has offered to Marshal the Duke de Mala-
koff the place of Governor of the Invalides, but that
the marshal has declined the honour, preferring to
retain his present position."

BERLIN, Oct. 20.

The King will leave Berlin on the 26th inst. to
open the Pomeranian Railway. His Majesty will
be present at a banquet at Stralsund on the occa-
sion, and afterwards will proceed by sea to the
Island of Rugen, where he will pay a short visit to
the Prince of Putbus.

THE RETURN OF HER MAJESTY TO WINDSOR.
—Her Majesty the Queen and Royal family, accom-
panied by the members of the Court, are expected to arrive
at Windsor Castle from Balmoral next Wednesday. Yes-
terday the Hon. Mr. Ponsonby, the Controller, visited the
Castle, where everything is being prepared in readiness for
the arrival of the Queen and Royal family.

The Duchess of Hamilton (nee Princess Marie of
Baden) and Lady Mary Hamilton arrived last night at
Hamilton House, Arlington-street, from Paris.
The Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, Bart., MX.
and Lady Emily Peel, left Whitehall-gardens on Tuesday
morning for Dublin, where they intend passing several
weeks.

The Earl of Chesterfield is expected to leave
town to-day or to-morrow for his residence at Newmarket.
The Marchioness of Ormonde arrived at Kil-
kenny Castle, Ireland, a few days ago to pass the winter.
The Marquis of Exeter left his residence in
Grosvenor-square, yesterday afternoon, to join the Mar-
chioness and Lady Victoria Cecil at Worthing.

The Earl of Harrowby and Viscount and Vis-
countess Sandon arrived at the family mansion in Gros-
venor-square yesterday, from Sandon Hall, Staffordshire.

SUDDEN DEATII OF GEN. MAcNEIL.—We regret
to announce the sudden death of General Roderick
Macneil, Colonel of the 78th Regiment of Foot, who ex-
pired shortly after eleven yesterday forenoon, at his house
in Hyde-park-gardens. The deceased general was a Penin-
sular and Waterloo officer. He was at the battle of Corunna,
and subsequently served in the Walcheren Expedition in
1809. After seeiag active service in Swedish Pomerania
and Holland in the years 1813 and 1814, he took part in the
campaign of 1815, including the battle of Waterloo. For
some years he held the command of the 78th Highlanders,
with which regiment he proceeded to India. In recognition
of his long and meritorious services, the deceased general
was in 1855 appointed colonel of the Bth (King's) Regi-
ment of Foot, and, on a vacancy occurring in the 78th, he
was transferred to that regiment. He entered the army as
ensign in March, 1808. and obtained the rank of general in.
December last year. _ _

THE ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN is fully resolved to
go to Mexico, it the majority of the inhabitants of
that country will consent to accept him as their Sovereign,
and matters have been so skilfully managed by Marshal
Foray that they are likely to do so. The relations between
the Emperor Napoleon and the Archduke are extremely
intimate, and it is said that the former has promised his
enterprising protegd to leave 5,000 French troops for a cer-
tain number of years at Acapulco and some other place oa
the west coast of Mexico. The Archduke Ferdinand Maxi-
milian is a goodnatured man and clever withal, but he is so
ambitious and vain that he is not a favourite in Vienna. For
some years his Imperial Highness has had very little per-
sonal communication with his brother, the Emperor, and
the public attribute his Imperial Highness's rare appearance
at this Court to family dissensions.

MR. W. PERRY, of North Audley-street, has just
carved out of a piece of an old oak beam of Shakespeare's
house at Stratford-on-Avon a bust of the poet, with con-
siderable success.

THE THACKERANAN PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE.—Wa
all know what that philosophy is. It might be summed up
in the brief formula—" Man is a humbug. There is nothing
but insincerity and disappointment in the world. Life is a
sad dog, and therefore let us make fun of it." The said
fun,' one need hardly remark, is no fun at all, but rather
a despairing defiance of the death's-head which we aro con-
stantly bidden to contemplate. The merriment of an ancient
Egyptian in presence of the same memento marl set on the
festive table, or of roysterers in a city stricken by the
plague, must have had very much of this character. We
are at a loss to see the benefit or the pleasure of such
" philosophising." It is neither true nor fascinating.
THE BLUE BOAR, AT ITS LAST GASP.—A relic of
Old London is now fast disappearing—the Blaa
Boar Inn—or the George and Blue Boar, as it came to be
called later, in Holborn. For more than two hundred years
this was one of the famous coaching houses, whence stages
went to, and where they arrived from, the North and Mid-
land Counties. It is more famous still as being the scene--
if Lord Orrery's chaplain, Morrice, may be credited—where
Cromwell and Ireton, disguised as troopers, cut from the
saddle-flap of a messenger a letter which they knew to be
there, from Charles the First to Henrietta Maria. They
bad previously intercepted a letter from the Queen to her
husband, in which she reproached him for entering into a
compact of reconciliation with Cromwell and his party.
This letter was sent on, and now they intercepted the reply,
in which Charles spoke of them as rogues whom he would,
by-and-by, hang instead of reward. According to Mors
rice, this sealed the King's fate. Such is the legend, con-
nected with the Blue Boar, Holborn, which is described, in
Queen Anne's reign, as "situate opposite ' Southampton.
Square.' "—Athenaeum.
HUNG BEEF.—A bullock came by its death a
short time since in the fields hereabouts in a very remark-
able manner. It appears that the animal was grazit ig by
the aide of a ditch, over which were growing some withey
trees, and while nibbling the leaves off a tree, with its head
between two branches, the bank on which its fore feet Vera
resting gave way, and the beast's head became fixed in the
fork of the tree. When discovered it was quite dead, having;
accidentally hung itself.—West Sussex Gazette.
MR. BRIGHT AND THE WAR IN AMEBIC A.—
The following extract from a letter of John Bright,
EN., M.P., to a gentleman in New York, dated Rochdale,
Sept. 26, is published in the 11ew York lierald:—"l need
not tell you how much I rejoice in the prospect of a ter•
urination of your grievous War, and how mach I hope
that your independence of the slave power is nog" secured.
There is much angry feeling on your aide agahast this
country, and there is cause for it. Nevertheless, our Go.•
vernment has stood firm against the propositions for znedia-
tion or recognition from France, and its conduct in, some
respects contrasts favourably with that of the Emperor of
the French, and this I hope your people will not forget.
Tho iron-clad ships are not allowed to go out on. their
piratical career, and Mason, the Southern envoy, bas left
London in disgust. I hope this will show you that every'
thing is not bad in England."

OUR MODERN PLAYGOERS, according to the
Saturday Bellew, love poetry after the fashion of a WY
described in one of those humorous papers wit;.: which, iv,
their day, the brothers Smith enlivened the m age.zines.
In the days of courtship, the lady has professed to be an
adorer of poetry, and on the faith of this profession her
husband, a few weeks after marriage, reads Milton'O
" Lycidas." She finds the effusion tedious, but when re-
proached with inconsistency she bravely defends herself by
asserting a predilection for something. " funny," and asking
her husband to read " Peter Pindar " or the " Tour of
Doctor Syntax."

MRS. TROLLOPE'S NOVELS,—Tho following is
list of them :—" The Refugee," " Jonathan 2:effer'
son Whitlaw," "The Romance of Vienna," "The. Vicar
of Wrexhill," "The Widow Barnaby," "Michael` Arra°
strong,"
" The Factory Boy," " One Fault." 64 TO
Widow Married," a continuation of "The Widow Bar-
naby," and "The Barnabys in America," " Chesterfield
or, the Youth of Genius," " Hargrave," " Jessie Phinil3s,:
" Lauriston," " Tremordyn Cliff," " The Robertses on their
Travels," "The Blue Belles of England," " The Ward °I
Thorpe Coombe," " The Attractive Man," " Petticoat
Government," " Father Eustace," " Uncle Walter," " The
Clever Woman," "The Three Cousins," "Mrs. Math ewest,,
Gertrude,. ' and "Fashionable Life in London and Paris.
QUEEN MAB. By JULIA KAVANAGH, AuthOro
of " Nathalie," " Adele," &c. Three Vols.--It 1
some little time since we have had to welcome a novel Ira:
Miss Kavanagh, and it is gratifying to find from " Que_e,
Mab" that her pen has lost none of its power to chart,-,.0.
Queen Mab is likely to prove one of her most popular virluci
The story is at once interesting, original, and touching' of
Miss Kavanagh's well-known skill is. the portrayseeo
character has never been more vividly exemplified.
Mab herself, the heroine. is an exquisite creation, a" bat
charm all readers, while Mr. W
r. O'Lally and John and of
Ford are hardly less successful sketches among the °
well-drawn personages of this remarkable tale,