The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-20 00:00:00

MISCE,

NEWS.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)
PARTS, April 16.
Paques, Paques, Paques, Paques Dieu, as Louis
the Eleventh used to say, nothing but Paques.
CEufs de Paques, gingerbread de Paques, Jambous
de Paques always, by the bye, underdone when
brought to table, for it is a remarkable fact that,
whilst excelling every nation on the face of the
globe in refined cookery, the French are remark-
ably deficient in plain. Thus let a beefsteak be the
last thing that the intelligent reader ventures upon
at any hotel or restaurant in Paris, for the chances
are a hundred to one that it will turn out a small
piece of entirely lean meat, fried in butter, and if
he requires it underdone, raw three-fourths through.
The Corps Lcgislatif aux vacances, the ouvriers
doing nothing, but creole experto, who sit in our new
office gazing wistfully at the pretty paper destined
to decorate its interior, and at the as yet unpainted
windows, which permit, through their lace curtains,
all the world to stare at and distract the attention
of your unhappy correspondent. The fairs, how-
ever, progress merrily, and I certainly never
thought to see in Paris, the • capital of the
civilized world, those faded glories of antiquity,
times of the defunct Richardson, so carefully
reproduced and preserved, and that too in such
manner as to beat Donnybrook and make Green-
wich grow pale. In a previous number I spoke of
having witnessed an extraordinary specimen of
puffing, extraordinary even for the present age,
when you hardly dare to take up. a newspaper and
engage yourself in details, the pathos of which
Dickens might envy, for fear of landing in an ad-
vertisement of Warren's blacking, and of having to
lay down the journal with a surreptitious glance to
see who are looking at you ; circumstances which
constitute the misery of a critic for the press, for
he hardly dares venture an honest opinion for fear
of the accusation of puffing. For instance, if I were
to express my candid belief that our friend
Blanchard and McKean are going to wake up
the good folks of Paris and attract especial
attention at the Havre Exhibition; if I were

to say that I think my friend Mr. Charles
Rudy, President of the International Association
of Professors, who trots about Paris with the newest
doctrines of Confucius in his pocket, in the original
Chinese, one of the cleverest men to be found
therein ; if I were to say that me judice John Manby
and Co. have got the best stock of English and
Scotch goods possible to be met with ; if I were to
express my gratitude to Roberts and Co. for mend-
ing instantaneously for me the other day a finger
crushed in a door, by means of some ethereal es-
sence calculated to put life in a dead man, and
evidently a variety of that celestial balsam spoken
of occasionally in Homer, and of whom they have
perhaps by intermarriage obtained the secret ; if, I
say, I were honestly and simply to do or say all or
any of this, I should fear to incur the suspicion of
puffing ; but what will the reader think of the fol-
lowing painting, decorating the perambulating esta-
blishment of a chiropodist, who dignifies himself
with the-title of Corn-cutter to the Emperor. The
tableau represents the artiste engaged in operat-
ing upon the Empress, who holds in her
hand a billet for 500 francs ; the Emperor, the
Prince Imperial, and whole Court resplendently
arrayed in costumes of I hardly know what century,
stand around lost in silent admiration ; whilst
Monseigneur, the Archbishop of Paris, with ex-
tended hand invokes a blessing upon the successful
operator. However I think I have said enough
upon this head, and albeit political news is
very unimportant at the present moment I may
not altogether pass it over. Some journals discuss
their political opinions under dialogue, but I do
not hesitate to make myself responsible personally
for all I venture to say on that head ; nevertheless I
feel bound to confess that I receive much illumina-
tion from a friend, who exercising his metier of
cobbler in one of those niches so frequently found
in Paris, and which resemble the niche of Medor in
Paul Duval's romance of the "Bossa," better known
in England and America by the title of the Duke's
motto, does me the favour de temps en autre
of discussing the political aspect of Europe gene-
rally. I call my friend a cobbler, because he is in
reality such, and, although one of the best work-
men in Paris, would esteem himself to have lost
caste if he undertook to make a new pair. Once
to oblige me he consented to do what is techni-
cally termed "new footing" a pair of decayed Welling-
tons, but time passed on, and, after no end of
excuses, he one morning based his defence upon the
ground that it would be more advisable and advan-
tageous for me to order a new pair. There was
much prima facie reason in his argument. 1 looked
at the boots ; we looked at each other ; that mutual
glance was sufficient. But I perceived to-day the
heel of one of my boots a little out of order,
and I paid my friend a visit during the operation,
for I invariably mount guard over my friend until
it is finished. We spoke, as usual, of politics.
zi I see," said the cobbler, " that the Pope has
employed the ex-Queen of Naples to terrify the
Empress of Austria, who has in her turn terrified
the Emperor Francis Joseph to such au extent that
he has consulted M. Beust as to the probable
effect that a retrogression in the present liberal po-
licy as regards the law of marriage would have
upon the Austrian nation. " And what was the
advice of his Excellency ?" said I. •" That it would
produce a refusal to pay the taxes and a revolution,"
replied my friend. "And in Italy," said I, " the
tax on the grinding ?" " Bad," said the cobbler ;
" never touch the food of the people if you can help
it." I nodded. " Have you seen about Ireland,"
said I, " and the probable separation of the Protes-
tant Church and State, a separation perhaps to be
initiated in England ?" He nodded in return.
" Well," said I, "supposing your religion had to be
religion,he re
supported by voluntary contributions, what would
you do ?"
and T
religious
mmaatntyersa,l3uses in regard to
" said my friend,
oracularly ? " but I think I should pay
what I
could afford." Rather a loose margin, thought I
as I handed my friend a franc and left the
shOp. I should like to read all the various
speeches that are likely to be made before this ques-
tion finishes ere I make up my opinion. Passing
from political subjects; I observe that his Highness
the Prince Imperial left the Western Station this
morning, whither he was accompanied by his
august parents, for an excursion into Bretagne.
The Prince will, it is said, visit Cherbourg, from
whence he will leave for Brest by the yacht the
Reine Hortense, being accompanied by the entire
squadron of armour-plated vessels, under the special
orders of his Excellency M. Rigault de Genouilly,
Ministre de la Marine et des Colonies at Brest. The
Prince will visit the Arsenal, the barracks, the educa-
tional and maritime establishments, preparatory in
all possibility to a visit to Havre at the ap-
proaching Exposition. Active preparations are
making at Brest in order, if possible,
launch the immense armour-Plated vessel the
Ocean during the Prince's visit. After a short stay
at Brest the Prince will leave by rail for Rennes,
in order to visit his relative the Princess Baciocchi,
after which he will return to Paris. The races at
Vesinet Bois de Boulogne came off on Sunday last
under the most pleasant auspices. Of the six races
the Prix du Cadran, 10,000 francs, and 300 francs
entry, was won by Longchamps from the stables of
the Count Lagrange, beating by a neck Fervacques,
the winner of the 100,000 francs prize. The Prix
de Guiche fell equally to the same stable, being
gained by Ponapier, Mortimer second. In the race
for the Prix de Lutice, however, the celebrated tur-
lite was not so fortunate, inasmuch as, whilst Mor-
timer was endeavouring to make the running
for Ouragan (the favourite) both were beaten
by the Petit Corporal ; the same ill-fortune con-
tinued its persecution in the race for the purse,
in which Sarah was beaten by Mon Cousin,
from the stables of M. Delatre. The Prix de
Chantile was gained by Ferragus, the property of
Major Fridolin, the dissolution of whose racing
partnership a short time ago astonished every one ;
Turco, the property of M. Delatre, a bad second.
The Prix de la Grotte was won in considerable
style by Angeline beating La Mouche by a neck;
the whole field well up
and together. The Handi-
cap was won by Queen of the Harvest beating Vio-
let and Metilla. In addition to the ordinary races
two special handicaps for gentlemen riders were got