The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-21 00:00:00

A RECOGNITION.

On the .23d of January, 1796, Madlle. Guimard re-ap-
peared it'a performance given for the benefit of aged and
retired artists. A number of veteran connoisseurs came
forward on this occasion to see how the once charming Ma-
deline looked at the age (459. After the ballet an old habitue
of Louis the Fifteenth's time called for a coach, drove to
his lodging, and on getting out proceeded naturally to pay
the driver the amount of his fare.
"You are joking, my dear Count," said the coachman.
" Whoever heard of Lauragais paying the Chevalier de
Ferriere for taking him home in his carriage ?"
" What I is it you r' said the Count de Lauragais.
"Myself I" replied the Chevalier.
The two friends embraced, and the Chevalier do Fer-
rier° then explained that, when all the Royalists were
concealing themselves or emigrating, ho had determined to
do both. He had assumed the great coat of his coachman,
painted a number over the arms on his carriage, and emi-
grated as far as the Boulevard, where he found plenty of
customers, and passed uninjured and unsuspected through
the Reign of Terror.

Another operatic revival witnessed a curious sight.
On the reproduction of " Thetis et Pelee," in 1750,
Fontenclle, the author of the libretto, entered a box
and sat down just where he had taken his place
sixty years before, on its first night. " The public
delighted, no . doubt, to see that men could live so
long; and get so much enjoyment out of life, ap-
plauded with enthusiasm. The changes of public
opinion are curiously evidenced in the treatment of
Mozart
And Rossini. To this day, according to our
author, the Italians do not appreciate the divine
'melodies of "Don Giovanni." Owing to the strong
prejudice existing against Mozart, and the envy of
cliques, thig splendid work of genius failed on its
first apkwince at,yienna, as was also the fate of
"Le Nozkrdi -Figaro." Of Mozart, the first of
melodist.
,our author expresses unbounded admi-
ration. Of his chef dceuvre, he speaks as follows

DON GIOVANNI.
There is absolutely no excuse for managers mutilating
"Don Giovanni ;" not even the excuse that in its original.
form this inexhaustible opera does not draw. It has al-
ready lived, And with full, unfailing life, for three-quarters
of a century. It has survived all sorts of revolutions in taste,
and especially in musical taste. There are now no Em-
perors in• Germany; Prague has become a third-rate city.
That German opera, which Mozart originated with his
" Entfuhrung aus dem Serail," has attained a grand deve-
lopment, and among its composers has numbered Beetho-
ven, Weber, and the latter's follower, and occasional imita-
tor, Meyerbeer. Rossini has appeared with his seductive
melody, and his brilliant, sonorous orchestra. But justice
is still—more than ever—done to Mozart. The verdict of
Prague is maintained ; and this year, as ten, twenty, forty
years ago, if the manager, of the Italian Opera of London,
Paris, or St. Petersburgh, has had for some time past a
series -of empty houses, he takes an opera seventy-four
years of age, and which, according to all ordinary musical
calculations, ought long since to have had, at least, one act
in the grave, dresses it badly, puts it badly on the stage, and
with such scenery as weuld be thought unworthy of Verdi,
and hazardous for Meyerbeer, announc, s "Don Giovanni,"
and every place in the theatre is taken I

Another proof of the occasional injustice and ab-
surdity of popular decisions was the cold reception
given to Rossini's ever-fresh and delightful " Barber
of Seville." The expressions of disapprobation
were so loud and numerous as to create quite a dis-
turbance. It was at Rome where the audience, ono
would think, might have been better judges. Ros-
sini took the affair very coolly, and went home
quite calmly. Ile was certain of its ultimate
success, and did not care forjhe temporary failure.
As Mr. Edwards observes—" Rossini's ' Barber'
has now been before the world for nearly half a
century, and we all know whether it is old-
fashioned; whether it is tedious; whether the
power of the concerted pieces and of the grand
finale leaves anything to be desired; whether the
instrumentation is poor; whether, indeed, any of
the criticisms and complaints of that day would be
tolerated in this. The reforms which Rossinia ss
assisted i
in-
troduceds t's d
intoetvheel
development."
m ent. Mozart had
tof op erah
anticipatedave greatl
the resources adapted by Rossini, but to Rossini
belongs the merit of having brought the lyric drama
to perfection on the Italian stage." We commend
these light and pleasant volumes to all lovers of
musical and dramatic art, assuring them they will
find ample entertainment in their animated pages.

It is said that insurances are being effected daily
on ships and cargoes about to run the blockade of the
Southern ports. The highest premium paid is 15 guineas,
the ship being entitled to select any port. In some instances
the risk to a single port of easy access has been as low as
.10 guineas. Nearly all the vessels so insured are steamers
of about 1,500 tons burthen.

The fate of the contractors
in
acquirement of im-
mense
fortunes the Federal States
who have been envied for.,t
their sudden
present not to be without some
alloy.
kept out of their money on the
plea that they can afford to wait, but they ate also assailed
Not only are seemsthey
arter by the most unqualified denunciations.
irrnheev q
Albany
u
_Evening Journal, after recapitulating some of
the frauds developed before the Investigation Committees
at
,ashi,agton, remarks—" If the cause of the Union fails
—which
God forbid I—the shame and the guilt must rest,
not so much with the army of Jefferson Davis at the South,
as with the army of plunderers at the North."
Among the items of taxation contemplated by
the American Congress to provide for their war expendi-
ture of 160 mi4ns sterling per annum is a duty equal
to three halfpence sterling on every telegraphic mes-
sage. A return of the annual number of such messages
has accordingly been prepared, and the total is found to be
2,805,000. The amount to be derived from this new source
of revenue would, therefore, be £17,531. The best mode of
taxing newspapers and other periodicals likewise continues
to be actively discussed, and the .IVetv York Commercial
Advel tiser frankly admits that in the present urgent neces-
sity " there is no reason why so large an interest as the
literary publications of the country should be entirely
exempt." It condemns, however, the idea of imposing
rates on packages sent by rail, and also that of imposing a
stamp on each publication. A tax upon the manufactureode
of paper is accordingly suggested as the simplest
dm of
4, the
effecting the object. By this method, it is observde
impost would be levied at the fountain head, and all
streams would be made tributary. Not only Id
cantile
periodicals, pamphlets, circulars, handbills,he
t measure in
papers thus pay tribute, but all books, costlyanodmr'omotherwise,
and domestic correspondence," Indeded
finance, and
in finance,
as if it were
proportion as it comes to be examdi:lecoves:yeln_
regarded in. America almost as
date
it might almost make
the words employed with regarhe
y recently refused to defer
to retain so beneficent an
the British public regret th;,totrds
to the wish of the Houseof
remembered," continues the journal
engine. "When it is
reprehensive would be such a tax,
"how comprehensive
distributed, how simple and in-
in question,
how equally and uniformly
collection, and how large the revenue to be
think it must appear to any candid and_
expensive its c
4towbee the wisest and most just way of attain-
rdeefirieveetidngfrommani
ing the desired end,"