The Sun.
London, England, 1866-05-14 00:00:00

interesting scenes. The sequel to the romance of
the Princess Amalia is of so startling a character
that it could hardly have been adventured on by any
sensational narrator, and the author does well to
cite his historical authority for the incident which
he has very cleverly introduced to give additional
pathos to the climax of his love-story. Before quit-
ting this work we must say something of the King.
Here is a description of the first arrival at Sans
Souci

Before them was a marblo bason, ornamented with ex-
quisite statues of alabaster ; behind these were six terraces,
planted with orange-trees, whose delicious perfume seemed
to be borne by the morning air, as it greeted the king on
his arrival.

At the summit of those terraces, and surrounded by
groups of alabaster, and several cascades, rose the simple
little palace, on the centre dome of which was the royal
crown glistening in the sun. Everything was buried in
stillness ; the cascades gently dropping their sparkling
streams ; the leaves of the highest trees scarcely rustling.
Now and then the stillness was broken by the song of a
bird ; no discord, no busy sound of the world, disturbed
this holy calm of nature.
It seems as though they had shut out the world, and had
entered into a new creation. They soon gained the sum-
mit, and looked down on the wonderful panorama which
lay at their feet ; and which, with itb luxurious beauty,
its artistic designs, its rippling streams meandering through
the green fields, presented an exquisite picture.
"Is not that beautiful ?" asked Frederic, and his face
beamed with delight. "Here we shall be able to escape
from the troubles and bustle of the world."

"It is a portion of Paradise !" exclaimed the Marquis.
" Heaven grant that my King may be happy here !" he
continued, raising his eyes.

" Happy ?" repeated Frederic. "Say rather satisfied,
Marquis ; I thinlittast is the highest aim to which a mortal
may aspire !"
Taking his arm, Frederic led the marquis along the
lower terrace, to the glass door which opened into the
saloon.

He hurried through the other reception-rooms, which
were all beautifully furnished; hardly giving d'Argens
time to look at any of the paintings which hung on the
walls, and which had been bought by Gotzkowsky, whom
the king had sent to Italy for that purpose —nor at any of
the statues, which had been brought from the Poniatowsky
Gallery, and for which he had paid four hundred thousand
dollars.

" You must see my study first," he continued ; " and you
may look at all the rest afterwards."
He then opened a door, and led d'Argens into a charm-
ing library, which had but one kind of ornament, the
highest of all—the ornament of books! They were ranged
all round this Temple of Wisdom : even the very door wag
converted into a bookcase.

"You see," said the King, closing it, "he who has once
entered this enchanted room cannot escape ! Neither do
I wish to do so. A new existence begins for me from this
day, and when I have crossed this threshold, the past

fades away like a flower !"
The name of the new palace is thus suggested—
" Look yonder," answered Frederic, leading d'Argens to
the window, •' what do you see exactly opposite ?"
" Does your Majesty mean that beautiful statue ?"
" That is what I mean. What do you think it is mar-
quis ?" .

" What it is ?" repeated d'Argens. "It is a statue of
Flora, reposing."
"No, my friend; it is my tomb !"
"Your tomb, Sire ?'' said the marquis, shuddering.
"And you have placed it exactly opposite your favourite
room ?"

" Yes, that I may never forget death," replied Frederic.

" Come, we will go and examine it."
Ho led d'Argens into the gardens. "Here, under this
statue, is a vault, in which I shall one day rest. I began
by making this grave, and charged the builder of the
Palace to keep it a profound secret. Do you do the same,
Marquis, for have a sufficient dread of death without being
spoken to on the subject!"
D'Argens' eyes had filled with tears. " A.h, Sire ! may
it be long before that statue be removed from her place,
and the grave opened beneath her !" cried he.
The King shook his heads " Wherefore do you wish
that ?" he asked, pointing towards the grave ; "quandje
serai la, je serai sans souci."
" Sans soud !" repeated the Marquis, in an undertone,

looking at the monument.
The King extended his hand to him. "I will endeavour
even during my life to be sans souci, and in token of the
same I -will henceforth call this retreat—SANS :ma !"
—(Nicolai, " Anecdoten von Friedrich II.,") ii. 303.
Some interesting chapters record the visit of Vol-
taire to Sans Souci, and his conversations with the
King. The memoirs of the Marquise de Crequi
have furnished some delightful tales and anecdotes.

The author of this romance has shown marvellous

skill in collecting and selecting his materials, and
forming them into one complete and very delightful

whole, which will amuse and interest at once the
lover of truth and fiction.

HE BOMBARDMENT OF VALPARAISO,

- ~-

The New York Times of the 2d gives the follow-
ing resume of the position of affairs :
" In a military point of view the bombardment of
the city of Valparaiso by the Spanish squadron, of
which we have accounts this morning, did not
amount to much,theSpanish squadron consisting of
six ships, only four of which were actively engaged
in the work of bombardment. The bombardment
lasted for three hours, from 9 in the morning
until noon. Only one or two persons who were in
the streets were killed. The damage to property
was confined to a few public buildings and half
a dozen private houses, and eight million dollars
are the outside figures of the losses incurred.
It is evident, from the buildings mentioned as
being specially and steadily aimed at, that the
Spanish commander attempted only to destroy Go-
vernment property ; and we can well believe the
statement that the damage done outside of this arose
mainly from the bad artillery practice of the Spanish
fleet. The Spanish commander gave the Chilian
authorities four days' notice of his purpose, and
notified also the foreign Consuls and the naval
vessels of other Powers that were in the harbour.
In a diplomatic and international point of view the
bombardment of Valparaiso was a matter of some
moment, and came very near to having highly im-
portant bearings and issues. After the Spanish
commander had given notification of the forth-
coming event, protests against it were entered by the
representatives not only of the four ' allied Govern-
ments' of South America, but by those of every
American Power, from Brazil to the United States,
and by those of every European Power, from Great
Britain and France to Denmark and Sweden. Our
own Minister to Chili (Gen. Kilpatrick) and our
naval commander (Rodgers) in the harbour of Val-
paraiso were especially active in their efforts to pre-
vent the bombardment and to induce a settlement
of the dispute between the belligerents. Gen. Kil-
patrick proposed a method of settlement of an appa-
rently very just and comprehensive character, and
made so much progress that he induced the Spanish
commander to express a willingness to accept all
the fundamental conditions. But on one point—and
that, as was natural for a Spaniard, a point of eti-
quette—her Catholic Majesty's representative, who
unites in himself both military and diplomatic powers,
was inflexible. He insisted that Chili should salute
the Spanish flag, and should offer the first salute.
All efforts to effect a compromise on this point
failed. It was natural enough, therefore, that
there should have been considerable indignation at
the obstinacy of the Spaniards, and it appears it
even went so far as a very strong desire on the part
of the English and American officers to adopt for-
cible measures against the Spanish Commander.
Commodore Rodgers,' we are told, ' who com-
mands- the special American fleet in the Pacific,
was ready to prevent the bombardment, even had
he been. obliged to blow the Spanish fleet out of the
water ;' and it is unquestionable that it would have
been a very easy thing for him to do it with the
four 500-pounders of the monitor Monadnock alone.
'lt further appears,' we are told,-' that the British
Admiral had promised the support of his vessels in
this work.' The temptation on all hands was cer-
tainly great. There was great indignation on the
part of the foreign, and especially the British residents,
as well as on the part of the Chilians, at the policy
of non-intervention that was actually pursued. Like
so many other struggling nationalities' the Chilians
expected outside support, and especially of course
from the Americans. On the whole, however, we
must consider it fortunate that the instructions of
our Government to Commodore Rodgers agreed
with those given to the British commander--to
pursue a strictly neutral course towards the belli-
geients. We should be in endless wars were our
officers in such cases allowed to determine their own
course, or were we to be guided alone by impulse.
On the same ground that we should forcibly inter-
vene between Spain and Chili now, we might have
intervened, or we might yet intervene, in a hundred
wars. Our Government may exercise its officers in
the matter, but the only duty of our officers is to
obey their Government."