The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-15 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Major-Gen. Sir Richard Dacres, K.C.8., Com-
mandant of the garrison at Woolwich, returned yes-
terday from leave of absence and resumed the duties
of the garrison, performed in the interval by Col.
Sir David E. Wood, K. C. 8., commanding the Horse
Brigade.

A battery of 40 pounder Armstrong guns was de-
spatched yesterday morning from Woolwich, to be
given over to the charge of the officer commanding
at' Aldershot.

Gen. Bloomfield, accompanied by Col. Cuppage,
R.A (commanding South-Eastern district) and Ma-
jor Teesdale, R.A., arrived at Eastbourne on Mon-
day for the purpose of inspecting the new works at
the Redoubt and to witness the practice with the
Armstrong guns which have recently been mounted
on the sea front. The practice with tin. Armstrong
guns was brought to an abrupt conclusion by one
of the 110. pounders being dismounted at the first
discharge. The gun was served with the usual
charge of powder and a solid 1101 b shot. From
some reason or other the recoil was so great that the
gun ran back to the end of the slide and then reared
on end and fell backwards, carrying with it the
carriage. Fortunately no one was injured.
The iron screw troopship Megmra, 6, Commander
Henderson, from Portsmouth, arrived at Plymouth
yesterday morning at 8.30 with the first battalion
of the 2d Royals, which will be quartered in the
Raglan Barracks, Devonport.

The Bridal Gifts to the Princess of Wales.

The desire of the public to examine those testi-
monies of affection and respect which have been

sent to our young Princess, not only from most parts
of Europe, but from almost every county in Great
Britain, will be gratified for the first time this even-
ing in the exquisite new court of the South Ken-
sington Museum, and we venture to say that for
once popular anticipation has rather undervalued
their attractiveness. Much of the effect of the dis-
play is no doubt due to their beautiful arrangement,
much also to the pleasant memories connected with
the gifts themselves; but even allowing for these
minor advantages the collection itself remains a
noble series of gifts, worthy the young Princess and
the great nation which has lovingly tendered the
greater part of them for her acceptance. The pre-
sents, as we have said, are shown in the new North
Court of the Museum, which was built for the ex-
hibition of sculpture and monumental objects of

Italian origin, especially such as were designed to be
placed in the open air. By great efforts, and by
_ _

the adoption pf certain provisional arrangements,

some of which still remain, it was opened for a time

during the Exhibition. But in the interval which
has since elapsed it has been entirely re-arranged

according to the original intention, which was to
provide a covered place, with light as nearly as pos-
sible like that of the open air, so as to produce a gene-
ral effect similar to that of an Italian coy tile, open to
the sky and surrounded by cloisters in subdued
light. Here, among the works of Brunelleschi, the
magnificent enamelled ware of Della Robbie, or the
lustred majolicas of the great master Giorgio, are
shown the bridal gifts in a kind of interior court,
the walls of which are fluted to represent white
satin, decorated with festoons and wreaths of bay
leaves. In the centre of the court are two lofty
Venetian banners, the noble bases of which are
copies, in electrotype, of the standards in front of
St. Mark's, Venice. From these hang silken pen-
nons, most effectively decorated by Mr. Grace with
arms of the Prince and Princess. In this interior
court the cases containing the presents have been
so arranged by Captain Fowke as to allow the
greatest number of persons to see them at the same
time, while the contents of the cases themselves
have been grouped by Mr, Redgrave, R.A., into the
most effect colour combinations we have ever seen
accomplished. Between the angles of the cases are
small groups of exotics and flowering ferns, and the
railed-in space in front of the cases allows visitors to
enter and circulate freely round them in one con-
tinuous direction till all has been seen, and, of course,
admired. Here are brought together, probably for
the first time, all the bridal cadeaux which the young
couple have received, from the simple little gifts of
children up to the regal offerings made by our own
Queen, by the Prince himself, or by Continental
Powers. Not a single gift made has been omitted.
Shawls, laces, dresses, cloaks, all are here, and all
of them lent without restriction as to time ; in fact,
for as long a period as the public show the interest
they excite by crowding to see them.
The gifts are divided into five classes—that is,
jewelry and goldsmith's work, silver plate, porce-
lain, textile fabrics, and miscellaneous; but, except
in the matter of jewelry, no actual division is at•
tempted, and the plate and china, shawls, laces, and
works of art, are, as we have said, grouped together
with beautiful effect as to form and colour. The

jewelry makes a magnificent display. There are
whole suites of gems, with bracelets, rings, brooches,
lockets, and even tiaras, for almost every day in the
week. The most magnificent of these are, of

course, those given by the Prince himself, by her
Majesty, and by the King of Denmark. The latter ;
is a truly Royal gift—a gorgeous necklace of five
rows of brilliants and pearls, terminating in the
centre in an enamel fac simile of the famous Byzan-
tine ornament—the much-revered cross of Dagmar,
beautifully executed. Copenhagen claims to be the
Athens of the Northern countries, and certainly
this specimen of its taste and skill in fine jewelry
would seem to show that it has strong
grounds for its high assumption. Unquestionably,
however, the most beautiful and the most tasteful
specimen of jewelry is the parure presented by
the Queen in the name of the late Prince Consort,
and made from a design drawn by his Royal High-
ness himself. The setting of these famed gems—
opals and brilliants—the beautiful forms chosen for
all the ornaments, show how perfectly true was
the late Prince's taste, that he could thus, in his
few leisure moments, draw designs at will which
might serve as models to the whole trade of
jewellers. Of the same kind, in another part
of the collection, will be found three drawings of
noble groups of silver-gilt plate, now making at
Messrs. Hunt and Roskell's, but not yet ready for
exhibition. These drawings represent gifts made
by the Queen in the name of the Prince Consort,
and executed from the Prince's own designe. The
centre group will be a noble and most lofty tazza,
the base surrounded with a large group of figures
representing Edward I. presenting the first infant
Prince of Wales to the Welsh chieftains. The two
vases which are to accompany this Royal gift are
of Etruscan form, so graceful in shape and ornamen-
tation that even our greatest modellers might feel
proud of their conception. But to return to the
jewelry. In one case is shown a suite of Indian
ornaments, consisting of corsage, pair of bracel •
and diamonds, the gift of the 9lee
n;11 the jewels
indeed " barbaric gold and gems,
for
re
of course in
and armlet, entirely composed of pearls,lelimeesrealadrsc,
having been cut and set in Indtiasaay,
emeralds are
thhoeleosfl;nein fact, though
the diamonds
oilt by
the pure Oriental style—that is
present must be very great it
the value of this adrreinfleadttznrc,.ulgri:ldesssp
is much more curious than beautiful, and the
jewels as much resemble common glass as it is
in the power of such rich and rare gems to do.
Near it are a superb pearl and diamond necklace and
, earrings, the gift of the Prince to his bride,
and one of the most costly of them all. The
most costly, however, is the grand diadem of fine
brilliants, also given by the Prince to the Princess
the day before the marriage. It is impossible to
avoid mentally calculating the great costliness of
this royal gift, especially when one can guess at it