The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-02 00:00:00

wonder and admiration. It can hardly be a fault
but for general purposes it is too costly and magni-
ficent, and there are such fanciful articles connected
with this branch of industry that it is puzzling to
tell for what purpose they are designed. For in-
stance, in the Pavilion du H.anovre there is an article
of furniture in ebony, the value of which is esti-
mated at 400,000 f. or £16,000 sterling. Of course
the wood, however expensive, forms but a small
item of the cost. The polish, the ornaments, the
decorations, the gold and silver, the imitation of
precious stones, and the time, labour, and taste
displayed in the manufacture must be paid. The
French furniture in the Galerie Mobilier is marvel-
lous,and must convince every one that France is en-
titled to take a high if not the first rank in this
branch of manufacture. Furniture to be seen here
is not a mere specimen of manufacture. Art and'
taste in all their forms are called into exercise iii
its fabrication. Several of the Paris papers sup-
port this view of the French furniture by directing
attention to the magnificent articles exhibited by
M. Grohe", manufacturer to the Emperor. The
English inspect them also, for M. Groh6 is not
unknown in England, as he obtained a prize at the
1862 Exhibition. All the furniture in this section
is remarkable. Last Sunday the number of visitors
to the Exhibition was 70,000, although the weather
was very unfavourable.
The pavilion erected for the Emperor in the
avenue opposite the Pont de Zena is nom nearly
completed. It is of Algerian form, and is divided
into three parts. It is one of the most striking and
beautiful buildings of the whole Exhibition. The
grand salon is magnificently ornamented. The
carpets, which represent allegorical subjects, were
manufactured at Neuilly. The arch of the dome
is richly decorated with paintings and devices in
the style of Louis XIV., the style which pervades
the whole building. The two smaller saloons are
hung with rich Lyons silk. A balustrade of
coloured marble encircles the paVilion. M.
Lehmann, the Government architect, superintended
the erection of the building. The paintings on
the ceiling and pannels were executed by M.
Voillemot.

A large establishment at Harre intends to give
successively to all the persons whom it employs a
holiday for five days, and a present of 100 francs
to enable them to visit the Exhibition.

Music will be triumphant in July. The various
societies who will compete for the prizes will* form
a band of 4,000 instrumentalists. The vocalists
will be more numerous. Four prises will be
awarded, the first a gold medal and 5,000 francs ;
the second, a medal of 3,000 francs ; the third a
medal of 2,000 francs ; the fourth, a medal of 1,000
francs. Each corps will execute two pieces. The
jury will be composed of eminent French and foreign
musicians. The competition by the military bands
of Europe will take place at the Palais de l'lndus-
trie on the 21st of July. The guards will represent
the French national music. Military bands are to
come from Spain, Belgium, Holland, the Grand
Duchy of Baden, and Austria. Austria
intends to
send Marshal Benedek's regimental band. The com-
mission, which provides for everything, imagining
that by possibility some of the members of this har-
monious legion may not have a credit on Rothschild,
has arranged that they can have beds at a shilling
a night, and be boarded at the rate of one franc for
each repast, good and abundant.

This morning was lowering, cold and stormy, but
towards the afternoon it became warm and beauti-
ful, and ushered in appropriately the " Merry
month of May." The consequence was that the
Exhibition has been very much crowded, and the
gardens, park, and indeed the whole establishment,
have presented a scene of great animation and plea-
surable excitement. Within a day or two increased
facilities have been given for visiting it. Hand-
some and convenient omnibuses go from the Valais
Royal at frequent intervals, and the charge is only
six sous. For the same small sum you may go from
the remote suburb of Bercy by the Seine.

In the mouth of May there are many curious and
interesting fetes in France, and on this day, the
Ist of May, commences au epoch—observed with
veneration by the religious world—the Mois de Marie,
or month of the Virgin Mary. At this period in all
the churches the altars are decorated with flowers,
incense is burnt, and various imposing ceremonies
take place. At the church of St. Philippe the sea-
son was inaugurated to-day with much religious
pomp and fervour. In the provinces of France
various ceremonies dating from olden times are pb-
served. In Provence, on the fete of May, a young
girl decorated with flowers forms a prominent object
in a procession. In la Bresse shepherds bearing
flowers also join in a procession, where a young
girl, called la Belle de Mai, surrounded with leaves
and flowers also appears. In the villages which
border the Rhine a young girl is borne in procession
on a dais ornamented with garlands, bearing a
sceptre of flowers, and crowned with white roses.
She is called the rural Queen of May. In former
times it was the custom to salute her with a kiss,
Nmbuistneow a
e is small
apipecreeeoefasimononeef children with the
Queen of May. She is seated in the public square
on a chair ornamented with roses, and the childreny is presented. At
sther
ask for a little money to add to her marriage dowry.
The records of France are replete with striking
events which occurred in the month of May.
Bryden died on the Ist of May, 1701.
It was on
the Ist of May, 1472, that the Angelus prayer was
instituted, in consequence of the alarm with which
the Turks inspired Christianity. On the 3d of May,
1324, the floral games were instituted at Toulouse ;
and it was in May, 1609, that Jansen invented the
telescope. It was on the sth of May, 1821, that
the first Napoleon died. On the 7th of May, 1717,
the Czar Peter the Great came to Paris ; Joan of
Arc delivered the city of Orleans on the Bth of
May, 1429 ; Louis XV. died on the 10th of May,
1774 ; the French gained the victory of Fontenoy
on the 11th of May, 1745 ; the deaths of Heloise,
Voltaire, and Ravaillac took place in the month of
May. In that month, too, Troy was captured by
the Greeks.

The striko among the tailors is over, and the
masters have reopened their shops.

The Grand Central Belgian Railway Company
will shortly open the traffic on the line, which is
now in course of construction, to give direct com-
munication between Antwerp and Douai. This
line will enter France by Conde, and proceeding
from thence to Anzin it will join the line from
Anzin to Denain and Somain. The Anzin and
Somain Railway belongs to the important Coal
Company of Anzin. At Somain a branch line will
communicate with the Nathan line near Douai, and
near Cambray
with St. Quentin. Thus an im-
portant facility will be
given to the railway com-
munication between France and Belgium.
A German paper states that Count Bismark has
-
purchased a beautiful estate in Pomerania from
Count de Blumenthal, where the great diplomatist
passed the Easter holidays. The sum paid for the
estate was 3,750,000 f.