The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-08 00:00:00

IHE SCA, WM ON, IVIONOA Y E v ENING, OCTOBER 8, 1866.

saved a great deal of loss and annoyance. To-day
the formalities for handing over Venetia to General
LEBEUF will commence, and they this week will
witness an important era in the history of Europe.
Hungary will be the bete noire of the Vienna Gover-
ment, and in respect to its relations with that country
they have shown themselves most ignorant and in-
competent. Nothing can eradicate from their
minds the desire to be absolute in their policy
instead of proceeding in company with the spirit
of the age. The recent complications of the war
render it more than ever difficult to rule Hungary
after the old fashion, and the question is, can or
will the Imperial Governmenb adopt another and a
better course? Hungary will no doubt seek to obtain
a totally 'separate Government of its own, and to
this the EMPEROR is not likely to agree ; then, again,
some have proposed a middle course to be taken,
and this might eventually prove the safest means of
settling the knotty point, but then difficulties pre-
sent themselves to this. It is to be hoped, ere it is
boo late, that the Vienna Government will not fall
into the fatal error of resorting to force should per-
suasion fail. It will not be a real triumph if the
power of Austria be again arrested by the success of
an appeal to arms, and we trust that more wisdom
will have been gained in the high places of Vienna
than permit so suicidal a step to be taken, for it may
prove the beginning of the end- respecting Austrian
power in Europe.

Dieu, a fact which has excited much attention among
the medical men of that establishment. At twenty
they will have hair as white as snow. This white
hair is the chief characteristic of the Albino, but
they have other peculiarities,—great transparency
of skin, and such weakness of sight that their eyes,
which are red, cannot support the daylight. Ac-
cording to African travellers the negroes have a
superstitious dread of Albanos ; they lie concealed
in caverns while the sun shines, and only go out at
nights like wild beasts.
There have been two murders near Marseilles.
At St. Pierre in a dry ditch the body of a young
man, about 20, has been found with his hands tied
behind him. There was a deep wound in the sto-
mach, and the head was nearly smashed to pieces.
Almost at the same time another body was found;
that of a man who had evidently been assassinated.
The police have not yet been able to discover any.
clue to the circumstances of these murders.

The wife of a Prussian Colonel residing at Sau-
vigny, in the Haute Saone, was a short time time
ago confined, and had three children at a birth. A
letter was sent to the husband with the news, which
he received just as he was about to mount his horse
and place himself at the head of his regiment in
Bohemia, the evening before the battle of Sadowa.
The Colonel, in a hurry and excited, and perhaps
thinking that the births referred to a favourite bitch
which he had left at home, said to a comrade, write
and say, "Keep the handsomest. Drown the other
two."

'l he Prefect of the Seine has decided that the bust
of Henri the Fourth, and the tablet in black marble
recording his assassination by Ravaillac, which was
on a house in the Rue de la Ferrarerie, which has
just been demolished, shall be bought by the city
and sent to the new Municipal Museum.

M. Victorien Sardou has read a new piece to the
actors of the Vaudeville, and it is said that there
will be an innovation :respecting it, and that it will
have no title, but be merely announced in the bills as
" A Comedy, in Five Acts."
A very curious relic is about to be presented to
the Emperor—the head of Richelieu. During the
revolution of 1792 it was stolen from the Sorbonne
by one of the persons employed there. It went
into the possession of several persons, but by the
researches of M. Duray, Minister of Public Instruc-
tion, it has been traced to M. Armez, an honest
mercer of Paris, who gladly surrendered it. The
violators of the tomb of Richelieu cut the head into
two parts in order to conceal it more easily. The
face is the colour of mahogany,
and the white teeth
still remain. The moustache and the pointed beard
on the chin call to recollection the portrait of Phi-
lippe de Champagne.

As at present arranged, the Emperor, Empress,
and the Imperial Prince will leave Biarritz in the
course of the week, and after a short stay in Paris
will go to Compiegne. There is no truth in the
report that the Emperor intends to visit Spain.

runs into the stable of Flying Scud, a young race-
horse concerning which the highest anticipations
have been formed by Gosling. Goodge locks the
door upon her and retires, leaving her a prisoner.
Shortly afterwards Meredith approaching the place
listens at the door of the stable, and hearing the
voice of Katey, who thinks him Goodge, and begs
him to let her out, he arrives at the,conclusion she
is faithless to him. IVith other tenants of the late
squire, Meredith goes to the reading of the will, and
finds himself, to his great surprise, the inheritor of
the entire estate, which, originally belonging to his
father, had been lost on the turf, and now, by the
will of the deceased squire, reverted to the family
of its former possessor. The property does not
console him for the supposed loss of Katey's
affection, and lie disconsolately bids Gosling go
to Flying Scud's stable to learn why a marriage with
his niece is now impossible. The second act is mainly
concerned with Flying Scud. Gosling, knowing
his value, has laid on him for the Derby to the
extent of his means. Meredith has also backed
him largely, and though still a " dark " horse, he
is the favourite of the Pig-skin Club. Those who
have betted most heavily against him are Goodge
and his associates, and many attempts are made by
them to get at the horse for the purpose of disabling
him. Thanks to the watchfulness of Gosling, all
these attempts are unsuccessful, and Flying Scud
advances in the betting till the odds are in his favour.
At last Goodge, who knows that for Flying Scud to
win will be entire ruin to the " Quadruped," offers
Gosling £2,000 to be admitted into the stable. Gos-
ling takes the money and distributes it among the
jockeys. Goodge and his associates are admitted
into the stable the night before the Derby. A change,
however, has first taken place in its occupants. Fly-
ing Scud has been removed, and another horse,
closely resembling it in appearance, been substituted.
This animal, accordingly, is doctored, and the con-
spirators, believing themselves safe, lay still more
largely against the favourite. The Derby-day comes
round. The course is seen crowded with assembled
thousands. The conspirators are in the highest
spirits, when they are horrified by the intelligence
that Flying Scud, in perfect health, is among the
intended starters. All now is dismay where a mo-
ment before all had been confidence. A desperate
trick, however, is tried, and succeeds. The jockey
of Flying Scud (Ned Compo) is tempted with a
glass of brandy and water ; he takes it, and imme-
mediately becomes so ill that he is unable to get on
his horse. All now seems lost. Gosling himself
yields momentarily to despair, then regaining
hope, he vows he will ride the horse himself. The
yellow cap and jacket are hastily put on, and Old
Nat, at sixty, rides .his darling Flying Scud to
victory and glory. This scene of Epsom Downs is
a truly wonderful stage illusion, and one altogether
without parallel. The race is seen in the distance,
whilst in the foreground we have all the peculiarities
of the race course. Niggers, tumblers, thimble-
riggers, card sharpers, gipsies, pic-nic parties,
Punch and Judy, &c., &c., all tend to make up
a scene which must be seen to be properly
appreciated. The applause it elicited was extraor-
dinary, but when old Nat Gosling appeared, riding
the winner, " to scale," after the race, the audience
became perfectly frantic with delight, and altogether
a more remarkable performance, actors, audience,
and horse included, has never been presented within
the walls of a theatre. The two concluding acts of
the drama excite but little interest. The conspira-
tors, driven to the utmost shifts, try to re-
gain some money by cheating Meredith at
cards, and by forging the signature of Lord Wood-
bie. Playing, at a club, both Goodge and Davies
are detected cheating by Lord Woodbie, who exposes
them. A duel is consequently necessary, and a
meeting is arranged to take place on Calais Sands.
Goodge, who is a dead shot, determines to kill the
young nobleman, as when he is dead the forgery
that has been committed cannot be detected. Julia,
overhearing the arrangement which has been pro-
jected by her uncle and Goodge, determined to
thwart it. She contrives that Lord Woodbie shall
mistake the hour of meeting, disguises herself in his
semblance, and receives the fire of Goodge, falling
wounded. In the fourth act the allies find that
" the game is up." They endeavour, then, to swindle
each other. The forgery on Lord Woodbie is dis-
covered, and Goodge, to escape punishment, con-
fesses his villainy towards Kate. The other young
lovers are betrothed, and Nat comes. iu
at the finish with a very telling " tag. "
The great part in the drama is that of Nat Gosling,
the old jockey, and in his impersonation of it Mr.
G. Belmore held the feelings and emotions of the
audience as completely at his command as did the
late Mr. F. Robson. It was a performance of first-
rate excellence, and deserved the applause it elicited.
Miss Saunders also is fitted with a comic part of
more than usual excellence (Bob Buckskin), and
she thoroughly enters into it. Miss Fanny Josephs
made a very good Lord Woodbie, and Miss Bessie
Foote (Kate Rideout) and Miss Fiddes (Miss
Latimer) respectively supported their parts with taste
and judgment. We have to compliment Mr. G.
Neville (Captain Goodge) and Mr. G. Blake
(Charles Meredith) for the judgment they displayed,
and, though last, not least, the beautiful filly, " Fly-
ing Scud" enacted her part to admiration.

The scenery of the drama is beyond all praise.
The great illustration of " Epsom Downs," in the
second act, we have already noticed, but the opening
scene of the first act, and Calais Sands in the third,
arc marvels of scene painting. The dresses and
appointments are all in perfect keeping, and the
admirable manner in which the entire drama has
been produced is worthy of the highest commen-
dation. .

Mr. Sefton Parry, Mr. Boucicault, and Mr. G.
Belmore were vociferously called for at the con-
clusion of the play, and greeted with the loudest
plaudits, and altogether the success of the opening
night was as perfect and complete as the enterpris-
ing lessee himself could well desire.