The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-07 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.

macille. Johanna Wagner repeated the character of
Romeo in the Capuletti ed i Mordecai, on Saturday
night, exhibiting throughout that fine dramatic talent to
which we have already called attention. She has not
played the part more effectively than upon this occasion,
nor has it been watched by the.patrons of the house with
greater sympathy and interest. The occupancy of the
Royal box by the Queen and Prince Albert gave, too,
'an additional prestige to the event, inasmuch as it was
the first time this season her Majesty had deigned to
honour the establishment with her presence. The illus.
trious party, which also included the 'King of the Bel-
gians, the 'Princess Charlotte, and the Count of Flan-
ders, arrived at the theatre about nine o'clock, attended
by Lord Camp, the Hon. Miss Macdonald, Lord Chas.
Fitzroy, and Colonel Seymour. The appearance of the
Queen in her old place imparted a refreshing zest to the
enjoyment of the evening, for it at once demolished the
ally rumours which had been circulated as to the inten-
tional charauter of the absence of the Court from the
house which specifically bears her Majesty's name.
Among the fashionables present were the following—
The Duchess of Montrose' the Doke of Wellington, the
Duke of Leeds, Earl and Countess of Westmorland and
the Hon. Georgina' Fane, Countess of Gleogall and Lady
Margaret Butler, the Countess Villiers, the Earl and
Countess of Rosebery, the Earl and Countess of Howth,
the M trquis and Marchienega of Anglesey, the Earl and
Countess of Staniford and Warrington, Lord Gordon,the
Eail of Galway, Lord Naas, Lord Ward, Viscount Curzon,
Lord C iftoo, Lady Eiizabeth de Roe, Lady Ann Becket,
Vise ,nntems Maynard, Lord Robt. Dundas, Lady Georgi-
ana Cedrington, Lord and Lady Charles Wellesley,
Lady Hayes, Lady Bradford, Lady Bellew, Lady Lon-
desborough‘ Earl of Malmesbury, the Earl of Cardigan,
Earl of Pomfret, Sir Matthew and Lady Wyatt, Sir
John Lowther, Bait, Sir William Price, Bart., General
Sir AlautederWn6dford, Bart., Sir Henry Webb, Bart.,
Lord and Lady Rolle, Sir A. Campbell, Bart., the Hon.
Mrs. Fremantle, Sir John Lester -ltaye, Bart., Col.
'Lookyer Freestun, M.P.,. and Mrs. Lockyer Freestua,
the Hon. Admiral and Mrs. Rous, Admiral Collier,
Major Pole, Mr. and Mrs. Swan, Mr. and Mrs. Lock,
Mr. and Mrs. Porter, Mr. and Mrs. Bell, Mr. and Mrs.
Jenkins, Mr. and Mrs. Salamans, Mr. and Mrs. Sey-
mour,' Mr. and Mrs. Gosling, Mr. and Mrs. Carden,
'Capt. and Mrs. Dickson, Mr. and Mrs. Gibbs; Mr. and
Mrs. Brandt, Mr. and Miss Severn, Mrs. Colon'el Hall,
'Mr. C. and Mrs. Davidsou, Mr. and Mrs. G-oding, Ma-
jor Graham,' Mr. and Mrs. Atkinson, Mr: and Mrs.
Chaplain, his Excellency the Swedish Minisier, Mr.
;Munday, Mr. and Mrs. Thornhill, Mr. and Mrs. Tudor,
Mr. C. J. • Palmer, and Mrs. James Palmer, Mr. and
Mrs. Lennox, Mr. Vansittart, Mr. and Mies Duff,
.Capt 'Sttirt, Capt, terry, M.r. and Mrs. Todd, the Hon.
B. Disraeli, M.P., the-Hon. Mrs. Oust, Mrs. Wheeler,
Mr. Gilbert, and Mr. and Mrs. Trelawny.

THE NATIONAL GALLERY AND THL
"ADORATION OF THE MAGI."

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE SUN.
Sir,—On the 7th of April, in the debate on the estimates
for the National Gallery during 1+356-7, Mr. Wilson, the
Secretary of the Treasury,-. having buckled ou his armour
in defence of "the Adoration of the Magi," amused the
house with the tale " that he had seen a letter from Paris
in which 60,000 francs (2,10014 was offered for that pic-
ture." Now, Sir, I too have seen a document—indeed I
have one now before me, kindred in subject to the famous
letter of Mr. Wilson, inasmuch as both treat of the pecu-
niary pretensions of the same masterpiece. By a coinci-
dence which cannot fail to strike the imagination of so ro-
mantic a personage as our Secretary of tho Treasury, my
doument also is from a French source. An hour has not
elapsed since I received it from a gentleman who attests
the accuracy of its contents from information obtained by
himself, not many weeks ago, in Venice. The 'follosving
is a translation of the document in question :
" In the church of San Silvestro, in Venice, there were
10 pictures by various masters, and, as they were in a very
bad state (en, trey lacturaig (licit), the curate of the church
had been endeavouring for 20'years and more to sell these
pictures, which were useless to him. Nobody bought them.
It was only last year (1855) that a certain "M. Tool i made
the acquisition of the 10: pictures for theamei of 10,000 f.,
and ha had one of them ('the Adoration of the Meg),
which was said to be by Paul Veronese, restored. It was
Tag,liapietra, Restaurateur de l'Academie der Beaux Arts
de Venise, who for the sum of 100 Napoleon restored this
picture, which was afterwards sent to Paris."
The gentleman who gave me this document tog me,
likewise, from information gathered in Venice, that the
payment for the restoration was to be contingent union the
sale of the picture So grateful, however, was Signor
Toffeli to Providence for having led to his door the art
representatives of this gifted nation, that, to 'mark the
epoch of the Divine interposition, he not only paid his re-
storer's bill, but actually distributed, it is said, 500 piastres
among. the poor of Venice.
It will have been seen that the average cost of the 10
pictures, formerly the property of the curate of San Silves-
tro, was 401. Mr. Bowyer., therefore, was not very wide
of the mark when he so shocked Mr. Wilson by stating
that he had been L' tohLthat the picture which had cost
the nation 1,9771," and only " 21. 2s. 2d.," as Mr. Wilson
triumphantly informed the housa for carriage, " was
offered for sale a short time ago for 591., and that that
was about its worth." The difference between Mr. Bow-
yer'a appraitament, and the average cost of " the Adora-
tion Of the Magi" " uurestored," is 25 per cent., a cousi-
derition 'which a personage of Mr. Wilson's towering spirit
might disdain, but for which gentlemen in a humbler line
would pa well satisfied to transact business,
Stich I have good authority for believing to be a true
and unromantic history of the production secured to us, by
the combined connoisseurship of Sir C. Eastlake and the
German travelling agent, who emblazons on his card,
"Expert de la Galerie Naionale d'Angleterre," the daub
which on the authority of our official catalogue, page 207,
could only be had " after much delay, by a Papal decree,
and by an order from the local authorities."—Yours obe-
diently, MORRIS MOORE.
27, Soho-square, July 6.

TBE NATINOAL GALLERY-A PLEA FOR

COUNTRY-FOLK.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sts,--The question of the removal of the National
Gallery from its present site has been debated, so far as
I have observed, without reference to the, convenience
aresideths in the provinces. lam one of many thou-
Sands who daily, more or less, frequently go to town on
busines3. Tho.usands, like me, embrace the opportunity
of a spare hour to visit the collet ion of pictures in Tra-
falgar-square. If situated on Hounslow Heath it would
be about as convenient to all such as it Kensington
Gore ; in fact, the great proportion of country visitors
whom it now instructs and refines would be practically
excluded. Most constituencies will see their represen-
tatives during the recess. Let them be reminded the
NationatGallery is for the use of the nation, and is not
to be moved front a convenient locality to indulge the
caprice of any man, however exalted his position. The
only sufficient reason for removal would be unquestion-
able proof of damage to the pietures. After many years
attention to this subject, I am convinced that a paint-
ing, properly varnished, comes to no more harm in a
London atmosphere than the glass of the windows, and
that settlements upon the surface can, with care, be as
safely removed in the one case as the other.

I am, Sir,
A COUNTRY READER.

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL, NEW CROSS. —The fund for
the erection of a swimming bath at this school has re-
cently been augmented by several additional subscrip-
tione. The amount required is 4501., of which upwards
of 350/. have already been subscribed.

ATEST NEWS.

TURIN, SUNDAY, JULY 6.

The official Gazette of Parma announces the
arrival at Parma on Friday, the 4th of July, of
the Marquis of Normandy, who immediately went

;o wait upon the Duchess.

MARSEILLES, SUNDAY, 7.35 P. M.

The Borysthene has arrived, with advices from
"gons.tantinople of the 26th, and from the Crimea

of the 24th ult.

Despatches leave at 10 p.m.
The liner Napoleon, the frigate Panama, and
the transport Birkenhead have arrived with troops