The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-07 00:00:00

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HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, Nov. 6,
Their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena and
Princess Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Bar-
rington, and Colonel H. F. Ponsonby, went to
London yesterday evening and honoured the per-
formance at the Adelplai Theatre with their

presence. ___
Her M ajesty the Queen drove out in the after-

noon.

The Prince and Princess of Wales.

SANDRINOHAM, Nov. 6.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, his
Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Prussia,
Major Teesdale, and Count Furstenstein went out
shooting yesterday at Wolferton, till the rain,
which was very heavy, put an end to the sport.
Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales and
the Crown Princess of Prussia, attended by the
Countess of Morton and the Countess Hohenthal,
drove out.

Mr. Odo Russell arrived at Sandringham yester-
day afternoon.

The Prince of Wales and the Crown Prince of
Prussia, with Admiral Seymour, Major Teesdale,
Count Furstenstein, and Captain Leucadon, went
out shooting to-day. The Princesses drove out.
The Prince of Wales will not spend his birthday
at Windsor Castle, but will entertain the members
of the royal family and, it is believed, the Queen,
at Sandringham.

A large party are expected to arrive by special
,rain to-marrow.

The tenantry and school children will partake of
,he hospitality of the Prince of Wales on Monday.

The Duke of Argyll, accompanied by the duchess
and family, is expected to arrive in town on Tuesday from
Inverary Castle, N.B.

The Duke of Sutherland arrived at Stafford
House, St. James's, from Tat bet, N. 8., yesterday, The,
duchess and family have arrived at Lilleshall Park, Salop.
The Duchess (Dowager) of Sutherland is daily
improving in health.

The Marchioness of Salisbury and Ladies Cecil
have returned to Hatfield House, Herts, from visiting Mr.
Hasting Russell, ALP„ and Lady Elizabeth Russell at
Oakley Park, Beds.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury have
arrived at their residence in Pall-mall from Savernake Park,
near Marlborough, Wilts.

We are informed that there is no foundation for
the statement that the Countess Dowager of Tankerville is
suffering from indisposition.

Lord Brougham is expected to leave Grafton-
street today or Monday for Paris, on his way to Cannes,
whero ho will pass the winter.

Count Merlin and M. de Bonville have left the
Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Brussels.
Mr. and Lady Charlotte Watson Taylor and
family have arrived at their residence in Grosvenor-square
from Erlestoke Park.
General and Madame de la Veire have arrived
at the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, from Paris.
The Earl and Countess of Lincoln's departure
for the Continent has been prematurely announced. The
countess has been indisposed, which has delayed the in-
tended movements of the family.
The Earl Brownlow and Lady Marian Alford
have arrived in town from Ashridge Park, Herts, and on
Monday go to Southampton. They will embark on the
following day for Madeira, where they purpose to reside
about six months.

The Earl and Lady Constance Grosvenor have
arrived at Calverley Park, Cheshire, from visiting Sir Ed-
ward and Lady Caroline Kerrison, at their seat in Norfolk.
The Earl and Countess of Darnley have arrived
at Clifton Lodge, county Meath, from England.

STORM, OR CHEMICAL WEATHER. GLASSES, have
been known for more than a hundred years. They
used to be sold on old London-bridge, They are kept for
sale at this day at most instrument makers' shops, and also
by many country jewellers, Admiral Fitzroy has trecom-
mended their use in his " Weather Book." The composi-
tion of the matter in the storm• glass is kept secret by the
makers; but receipts are nevertheless published. The
composition given in the "Weather Book" is, "camphor,
nitrate of potassium, and sal ammoniac, partly dissolved by
alcohol, with water and some air, in a hermetically sealed
glass vial. Other receipts are given in various works, and
the writer has known a very good storm-glass made by
simply dissolving camphor in spirits of turpentine, and
putting the saturated solution, with excess of camphor, in
a common corked vial." As the uSe of the storm-glass is
so general, and is recommended on so high authority as
that of Admiral Fitzroy as on aid in judging of probable
forthcoming changes of the weather, the recent experiments
upon its action.by Mr. C. Tomlinson have considerable in.
terest and importance. This experimenter has found that
the indications of the so-called storm-glass as to weather
aro totally worthless—that, in fact, the weather has no
effect upon it whatever, except so far as changes of the
weather are accompanied by changes of temperature, the
crystalline appearance in the storm-glass being influenced
by the latter alone.
CURIOUS STAGE DIRECTIONS appended to Dry-
den's perversion of Shakespeare's " Tempest
"The front of the stage," says the copy of 1669, "is
opened, and the band of 24 ♦iolins,with the harpsichals and
theorbos which accompany the voices, are placed within
the pit and the stage. While the overture is playing, the
curtain rises and discovers a new frontispiece joined to the
great pylasters on each side of the stage. This frontispiece
is a noble arch, supported by large wreath'd columns of the
Corinthian order. The wreathings of these columns are
beautified by roses wound around them, and several Cupids
flying about them. On the cornice, just over the capitals,
sits on either side a figure, with a trumpet in one hand and
a palm in the other, representing Fame. A little further
on, on the same cornice, on each side of a compass-pedi.
went, are a lion and a unicorn, the supporters of the royal
arms of England. In the middle of the arch are several
angels, holding the king's arms, as if they were placing
them in the midst of the compass-pediment. Behind this
is the scene, which represents a thick cloudy sky,
a very rocky coast, and a tempestuous sea in perpetual agi-
tation. This tempest (supposed to be raised by magic) has
many dreadful objects in it, as several spirits in horrid
shapes flying down amongst the sailors, then rising and
crossing in the air ; and when the ship is sinking, the
whole house is darkened, and a shower of fire falls upon
'em. This is accompanied with lightning and several claps
of thunder to the end of the storm."

MR. ALEXANDER SAIITH"S DEFENCE OF PLA-
GIARISAI.—(From a paper on " Literary Work," in
Good Words),—" The main body of the poem, or the novel,
or the essay, consists necessarily of ideas which the writer
did not originate—which he found ready made to his hand,
which have, in one shape or the other, been used before;
and his merit consists in the new forms in which he is able
to work up the old material. He calls in the worn,
scoeins
it,ot
thought, melte it down in secret crucibles, and re-issues
bearing a fresh superscription and a new value. Thought
r
gyhotus:sa,
nedvewryobrokdsy
w'
s ith
oisurilitinheoU
new thoughts s
be
butth e teih e artistse
sculptor
h works
with his clays. The world does not need of
artist is not required to provide his own materials. If a
much as it needs that old thoughts re-cast. The
man makes bricks, he is provided with clay ; if a man
finertra ist,tehtue
eistbalelroewieedesigtrteeral emanelvtains,gadnodwnof pigments.old
pfoarnidn
sat
assnoccei::t::
brprraceinnulzthaeksa.ep:Absolute novelty of idea, in a poem for instance,
is felt as a disturbance, because it is devoid of the sweetness
" charmingly
gisl
y si explicit,ple
candid, and cool. The touch of deprecation of novelty of
aidnePch"arinaeteristio. But Mr. Smith not only propounds
his theory, he repeats and insists upon it. Again, he
of acquaintaanpcoeesnhli
says The thought is only a part of the poem or the
essay, and the commonest part. What in a work of art is
really valuable is the art. The statue that is only worth
the weight of its metal is a very poor statue indeed. The
matter does not so much lie in the idea as in the use that
is made of the idea. In literature, the how a thing is said
is of more importance than the thing itself. A thought,
no In'ire than n human being, is independent of this.
Thought, if left to itself, will dissipate and die. Style
preserves it as balsams preserve Pharaoh. Fine phrases
are, after all, the most valuable things."
EXCELLENT PLAN FOR PREVENTING TUE EX-
TENSION OF FIRES IN BUILDINGS, suggested by
Mrs. Lockhart, of Kensington.—Like most good sugges-
tions, it is very simple. The plan is to raise the doorways
a few inches above the flooring, so that when water is
thrown in at the windows of any floor, it cannot run out
of the apartment. In this way the floors above the fire
can be kept fi ern igniting, and the conflagration isolated
in the place where it originates.

MR. ANTHONY TROLLOPE, it has lately been
well remarked by one of our weekly contemporaries,
is one of the few novolists who make us forget the labour
of criticism in our enjoyment of their books. He throws
off his novels with the ease of a man writing to some friend
the latest gossip of his circle ; and seems as much amused
with the foibles and humouts of his characters as if he
were laughing at persons he had seen and heard, and not
et the creatures of his ituaginatioa.