The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-22 00:00:00

DINING AT GREENIVICIL

A lively article appears in the Daily News, describing a
dinner at Greenwich in April. The writer is enthusiastic
in praise of early whitebait and dinners before the crush-
ing season begins. There is no crowding in April, no
apologetic speeches from host or manager to the effect that
your telegram was received late, that the best rooms are
occupied, or that the greatest dinner of the season is about
to take place upstairs. The choicest situation in the house,
the most ysiduous attention, the warmest welcome, are
all yours. Your company is evidently expected, and
the interest you awaken is lively and concen-
trated, not wandering and diffuse. The very waiters—
who
seen to have been wrapped up in lavender in
their solemn black and white cravats at the close of last
season, and to have been exumed directly the first white-
bait was caught in tbis, so unaltered are they—regard you
with sympathetic approval as men and women of taste.
They know how beautifully fresh, how deliciously crisp
yet melting is their sacred fish at this present time of
eating, and they have but a poor opinion of the political
insight which can delay the close of the session, and so
defer the Ministerial dinner until delicacy is sacri-
ficed to size. Some confidential whispers as to
the various wines to be ordered, a sweet in-
terval of anticipation spent on the balcony, some
passing gossip in which those present try to impose
on each other by talking of indifferent topics, while
whitebait, and whitebait only, is in their hearts, and then
—The Dinner. That the souches are as plentiful and as
good as ever ; that the whiting pudding still recalls a
poetical batter ; that the curries, the stews, the boiled,
the fried, the roast, the grilled fish were all more or
less good, it is needless to say. Happy was
the young person who dinned at Greenwich for
the first time, happy in the pleasant compulsion
which made him partake of every dish, thzice
happy in the constitutional vigour which made
compulsion unnecessary but delightful. Older diners
find an unfailing solace in contemplating the opposite
bank of the river during the discriminating pauses
they think it right to make. That cattle browsed where
warehouses and factories now cluster, and that where that
long line of buildings stand was marshy pasture land,
when you, when we, when most people were young, is an
announcement frequently and judiciously made ; for it
reminds the eaters of the mutability of all eal tidy things,
and that the present only is theirs. Not less wise is the
command that the banquet shall not be hurried. An
exquisite course should not be executed like commercial
orders, " with promptitude and despatch." A decorous
dallying heightens the joys of anticipation, and makes
fruition ecstacy. The waiters think so, and regard those
issuing this mandate with increased respect. Whose fault
it was that the salmon cutlets before referred to should
have been served tepid it is too late to ask. The blow
was felt keen:y at the time, and not even the addition of a
hot relay of the same dish removed the sense of injury.
For, as was remarked with much acumen, salmon with
hot pickles is the turning point in a fish dinner. The
mingled piquancy and richness stimulates the palate,
titillates the appetite, and cheers the diner on. It is dis-
tressing that when, as in our case, these cutlets are flabby
instead of firm, sodden instead of sharp, and of a
temperature which is neither hot nor cold. Let the hotels
look to it ; let their patrons be on the alert. Call it by
what name you will, the admixture of salmon and pickles
should be regarded as a crucial test of excellence,
and should be refused unless it has been brought
direct from the kitchen by express. It would
be deceitful to deny that a temporary blight
fell upon the party at this failure ; and that
nothing but the supreme excellence of the three
courses of whitebait could Lave restored their spirits.
With respect to these, description fails to convey the
sweetness of the first, the rougher merits of the second, or
the more fiery pleasures of the third. One wooed the
affections coyly, the ethers had different methods of taking
them by storm. Whitebait au naturel is like an
ingenuous maiden who wins all hearts by her innocence and
timid grace ; while the successive varieties of "black
devilled" and " red" are grades of matured beauty, in
which art supplements nature, and artificial graceconipel
the devotion you rejoice to pay. Perhaps the "black
devilled" may be held to form a half-way stage, combin-
ing some of the attractions of the two others, and so enlist-
ing the special sympathies of all moderate diners. There
was a tender glow from the setting sun which played
softly about the waiters' heads as they handed the
last-named dish round, and made them, as they put their
heads on one side to whisper to those they served, like
animated pictures of mediaeval saints. This gave a beau-
tifully serious tone to our employment, and after the
whitebait stage it is perhaps well to draw a veil. Other
articles come and go, and are discussed with apparent
vigour. In particular there is a spring gosling which is
agreeably succulent and rich ; and some iced gooseberry
fool which wins unstinted applause. But the event of
the day is over when the last tiny " bait" has disappeared.
Even the initiate seem serenely satisfied then, and though
the remaining dishes are accepted as appropriate, all ,
fervour is at an end, and the gzatitude evinced becomes
of a retrospective rather than an active kind.

The Herald, in discussing the Irish land question, is of
• opinion that Lord Clanricarde's measure of itself could
effect but little, if any, good. To reduce the stamp duty
on leases and sender them cheaper, must, as a matter of
course, form a part of any measure which may be here-
after introduced for the arrangement of the land question.
But we have never known disputes arise concerning the
tenure on which land was let, or the rent stipulated to be
paid for it. The real objection to granting leases on the
part of landlords is simply that they only tell in favour of
the tenant, and throw unjust obstacles in the owner's way
when he seeks to recover possession of his land from
a non-paying occupant. Every one conversant
with the management of Irish estates knows that,
when "times become bad," the landlord is obliged,
as a matter of prudence, to grant abatements ;
while, when prices largely improve, the lease, which still
remains in existence, stops his right to raise his rent in
proportion. To talk of enforcing violated covenants, by THE CASE OF SIIEFITARD.—It IS stated that a
distress for the penalties agreed upon, would be a farce—
few days before Sheward made his first confession his
. no person would dare to purchase either goods or cattle—
attention wascov called accidentally to a work relating
ery
and then comes the final loss of at least two years' rent
to the discovery of long-hidden murders. I-le was at
and costs before the law will oust the dishonest or insolvent
the shop of a Mr. Boston, a pawnbroker, at the time,
tages to the contracting parties must be equal; by all
holder of the farm. To make leases the rule, the advan-
and Itee was observed to be much affected, and left rather
means give perfect security and a fair tenure to the
hurriedly.
tenant or. the punctual discharge of his liabilities; but, on THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH.—The Lord
the other hand, enable the landlord, in case of his default, Justice-General of Scotland was on Wednesday installed
to recover his property by an inexpensive and prompt Chancellor of the Edinburgh University, amidst enthu-
proceeding. The effect of such laws would be tostitnnlate Siastie demonstration& Numerous academical degrees
the tenant to industry, because lie could not count on pro. were conferred, and the new chancellor delivered
tection from litigation, while they would induce the en inaugural address, returning thanks for his
owners of estates to give fair tenures which could election, and entering upon the questions of univer-
be quickly terminated on the default of those to whom city patronage, the prospects of the Edinburgh University,
they let.
1 and the necessity for additional chairs, besides that already
The Post complains that recently and frequently lan- established of engineering, to meet the demands of new
_ page has been held upon the Irish land question which professions.
has been sometimes stupidly impolitic, and sometimes, it CHEAP MUSICAL BOXES.—We have just received
is to be feared, designedly mischievous. It is an untoward a letter from a victim of the "musical box " swindle,
fact, of which Lord Grey has truthfully and disagreeably whose experience may be of value to intending purchasers
reminded us. But among all the utterances which have
of the cheap musical boxes advertised in
some American
and Canadian papers. The advertisement offers for sale
been scattered forth we cannot call to mind any more
calculated to create the difficulties which he de-
, "musical boxes" warranted to play eight tunes, and the
precates than those enunciated by the noble ein+ price asked varies from one to three dollars. Our core
eespondent sent fur one of these, inclosing the requisite
himself. We do not expect, as some people appear
to do, that the Irish Church legislation will turn funds, and received by return a twopenny
mouth organ
out to be a harlequin's wand, and will change with a with eight holes. This advertisement our correspondent
single flourish the condition of men's minds and the whole thinks "a sharp Yankee dodge.''—Toronto Moles.
aspect of things in Ireland ; but we are persuaded that all Higgs does not seem to be without present imita-
company has ruse
other legislation would have failed in effect, unless the tors. It is stated that the chief clerk ina well-known
ground bad previously been cleared for it by dealing and hitherto flourishing London cemetery
teriously disappeared during the last few days, and his
primarily with the great Church difficulty. Those, there- i
fore, who have sufficient power of self-denial to postpone 1
party strategy to patriotic considerations, will cease to sudden exit has impelled another employe in the same
endeavour to induce in the Irish mind an idea that their , company to follow the example of his superior officer.
interests are made subordinate to those of the Administra- ' Simultaneously with the departure of these it has been d is-
tion in their character of the managers of a parliamentary
majority. covered that the sharsholdeis have been seriously de-
frauded, and that the defalcations extend over a consider-
The Daily News. declares that the Bishop of Peter-
borough must have forgotten the date. this protest able period. The total amount has not yet transpired. For
against the " voluntary system " belongs to the period many years past the shateholders have regularly received
beforeucceeding the first Rtheo second. It s true that hisefrm Act, and is an anachronism in the a high dividend, and the cc noiney has been regarded
days s i
on as one of the best managed in London. The board of
endowed principle Wednesday cheered him when he saad, " Upon the
it was Felix who sometimes trembled directors includes a well-known member of Parliament and
before Paul ; upon the voluntary system it was Paul that several gentlemen o;high commercial standing. As a meet-
was for ever trembling before Felix ; but Churchmen innof the company will shortly take place a full,. true, and
generally will read the speech with amazement. is
P`
Felix lie was an endowed
preacher, at least in mated to the suffeiing shareholders.
lo mit en ts • and
the Bishop's sense of pecuniary en( ,
mails
FERE AND BACON. -The Ilislorical Manu-
-1 endowments of a Paid are certainly Ir 3
the spiritea
days to tbe ye eteeial endowments scripts Cemmission, which was appointed on the recoru-
not attached in these
~, ....
il .
believe that
even of a bishopric. But most comic, menu,. mendation of Mr. Duffus Hardy to search for the historical
, ~ ~,,ern the new lie of the numb, and
MSS. that are still concealed in private collections, has dis-
the voluntary a, v is
' the layman ought to cower
they (lo not believe either "that.
ss system makes the covered a book, apparently the note-book of a student of
before tile priest, or thet the voluntary .
and .- to- ' • ' ' during the t'when
inist•-r " the slave of the fanaticism, passions, elei, Gray's-inn senn tithe Bacon was a bencher of
ranee of his flock." In this a true description of t
•tf Bacon, and it contains the outlines of many of those ,e ! the society. It is earlier in date than the published works
voluntary Churches of England? Is it even like enough :
to be a caricature of thrking of the voluntary system:
in the Chtuch itself '0 That voluntary support in-' thoughts which Bacon afterwards elaborated in MA essays
terests the laity -as well as the clergy in Church l and other of his works. The curious fact that no link of the
affairs is
affairs can be true
considered as belong ; - butt the time ising to the c gone by
lergy when-alohro! tsee.
slightest kind has hitherto connected togetherShakspereand
h. 'll trious contemporary Bacon, has been frequently sub-
g•ata. depends on -or its is t us
The one thine the Church of En 1 1 f
future is, that the laity should identify themselves with it. je,et of comment ;but on the inside of the cover of the this book,
They can only Le brought to do this as their voluntary
among many scribbings, the name William Shakspere occurs
not
zeal
want Is calthe minister to
out and theirl
inflnderuencthem, but they will not , four times. e recognised. l'hey do
This signature is not thought to be Shaksperee
ee u
be snider the minister. Their widing gifts are the awn. It appears as if the book belonged to a youth eelio
Church's beet endowments, and ifltlioao gifts are spurned ' had taken notes of lectures delivered by Bacon, and had
for fear they should make '‘`` the clergyman the mere slave , .
scribbled during intervals of inattention the name of some
in things temporal of those to whom he was to be the l scrl
teacher and pastor in things spiritual," the Church will I man of note, or possibly of some companion. For the
not gain the permanent material endowments for which information of those curious in the suliect, we may say
the bishop longs, and may lose those whom it 4014 eis written as we have given it "Shakenere."
the name - shepherd and teach in spiry tlAinge. . - --- ---