Star.
London, England, 1830-04-22 00:00:00

DIORAMA.

The views at the Diorama are again changed, and France and
Switzerland are once more placed before our eves without our en.
countering the nausea of crossing the Channel, the roguery of con-
tinental innkeepers, and all the other innumerable and indescribable
miseries of foreign travel. 1 hanks to the contrivances of modern
ingenuity, the " long drawn aisles and fretted vaults" of the Cathe-
dral at Rheims are now fixed snugly in the Regent's-park, and the
rocks of Mount St. Gothard, torn from their old foundations, are
reposing quietly in the same vicinity. All this is owing to the
magic pencil of Messrs. Daguerre and Boston, who, if they have
not given us the realities of these magnificent objects, have at least
given us imitations of them so wonderfully minute and vivid, as to
appear more like the illusions of enchantment than the mere crea-
tions of art. On entering the parterre, the tint object that
presents Itself is the Cathedral at Rheims, as viewed from
behind the choir ; the back only of the great altar is to be
seen; this is in the form of an ancient tomb; upon it are
placed the cross, and six candelabras presented to the Cathe-
dral by Charles X. previous to his coronation. This ancient and
celebrated structure, in which the Kings of France are always
crowned, was built by order of Alberic de Humbert, Archbishop of
Rheims, was. 1211. It was almost totally burned by an accidental
ire in 1481 ; was restored, as it now stands, by Charles VIII.
for his coronation. Its dimensions are 400 feet in length, 100
in breadth, and 160 in height. The great window is 124 feet
high. The noble simplicity of the interior is most happily imi-
tated by the artist, M. Daguerre. The numerous stained glass
windows, mingle their vivid hues and refiexions with the tesselated
marble floor of four colours, the whole combined in broad and effec-
tive masses of light and shade, presents one of the most agreeable
scenic deceptions that we have ever seen. To this succeeds
the Alpine Pass up the acclivity of Mount Saint Gothard,
at the well known point called " Le passage aux Roches," in the
" Val Levantine" from Faido, the principal town In this district.
The view is taken from this station ; the road fs seen traversing one
of the bans of St. Oothard, called " Mount Ptotino." This nar.
row way was formed by cutting through the rocks at a vast expense ;
travellers on it are thenfore charged a trifling toll. The river Terein
rolls its precipitous and murmuring course under the single arch,
which is thrown boldly across the deep chasm that separates
the two mountains. It looks like the work of enchantment,
more than of mortal hands. The rocks on the right are part of
Mount Piotino ; to the left are the blue summits of Val Bendutto.
In the back ground is seen towering to a stupendous height the
summit of " St. Oothard," covered with perpetual snow. We think
it would not be possible to find in the vast range of Alpine scenery,
a subject containing a higher degree of romantic grandeur than the
present representation ; for along with the great physical forms, the
magical effect of elder° oscuro is so happily united, that the combi-
nation forms one of the most powerful and complete deceptions we
ever yet beheld. There was a great deal of company in the rooms,
amongst whom were many persons of distinction.

The Paris papers have letters from Madeira, indicative
of a conspiracy in that island iu favour of the young '
Queen. According to these journalists, the dread of an
attack from Brazil is so strong at Lisbon, that defensive
fortifications are erecting on the banks of the Tagus.
Works begun by the French twenty years ago to ward off.
British men of war, are now to be completed to repel in-
vasion from Terceira.

A Dublin paper, criticising a paper war between Mr.
Harry Grady and the attorneys of Lord Donegal, takes
occasion to lament that such exalted individuals should
have any difference between them.

Metro STEEPLE CHASE.—On Monday last five horses
ran over a steeple chase course on the plains of Mayo,
with six five-feet walls, for the M'Donnell Stakes. Lord
Clanmorris's horse, which was rode by his Lordship,
came in first, and was closely followed by Joseph M'Don-
nell's, Esq. of Caranacun. Lord Clanmorris's horse
baulked at each leap except the last; but Mr. M'Don-
nell's, which was rode by Mr. Brannick, never baulked
at either. Some altercation arose as to the probability of
Mr. M'Donnell's horse not having got fair play, or he
would win the race. It was left to a number of gentle-
men present, who decided in favour of Mr. M'Donnell;
accordingly, it was agreed that both horses should run
the same race on Wednesday, when Mr. M'Donnell's
was the winner. On Monday a young woman incau-
tiously stood so near the way the horses ran, that one of
them came in contact with her and almost left her lifeless
on the plain; she has since expired. Tuesday's running
was very numerously attended. Lord Clanmorris's horse
was the winner of the Blake Stakes on that day.—Free-
man's Journal.

LLGACY UNDER BONAPARTE'S WILL....•SeverSI of
the bequests under Napoleon's Will have given rise to
law-suits in France, and the papers received yesterday
have added another to the list. The public man who was
first struck with the talents of the future Emperor was
Gasparin, Deputy from the town of Orange to the Na
tional Convention, and who, according to the usage of
the time, was stationed with the army engaged in 1793
in the siege of Toulon. The General who commanded
this army was Dugommier, a direct and straight forward'
character, who, without possessing any great share of dis.
crimination, became prepossessed in favour of Bonaparte,
as well by his activity and resources, as by the re-
commendation of Gasparin. Dugommier fell in the field
long before it was in the power of Napoleon to reward
him ; but a short codicil, affixed at St. Helena to the
Ex-Emperor's will, " bequeathed to the son or grandson
of General Dugommier the sum of four thousand poundal
sterling, as an acknowledgment of the friendship which
that intrepid officer had shown to him." The money, it'
seems, has not yet been paid, in consequence of the un-
defined terms of the bequest, and of contending claims onl
the part of the heirs of the General, one of whose sons
claims the legacy, but is opposed by the widow of another
son. The case was brought on in Paris on Friday, but
adjourned for a week, a very usual course in civil suits
in France.

FIRE ESCAPES.—TriaIs were made of various descrip-
tions of fire escapes yesterday afternon, in front of the
National Repository, Charing-cross. A large concourse
of people, notwithstanding the incessant rain, assembled
to witness the experiments, which were attended with
indifferent success. Bags hoisted to the windows by
ropes and pullies, let down by the same means, were
first exhibited, but much improvement is necessary in
this plan before it can be ventured in cases of danger.
At present the attempt to escape from the flames would
be merely to exchange one peril for another, an idea
which no doubt suggested itself to the men who yes-
terday embarked their persons in these conveyances.
Their utmost activity and strength were requisite to pre-
serve themselves from prematurec ontact with the ground;
the balance indeed was duly kept in very few instances,
and much merriment was excited among the crowd by
the descent of the airy navigators in a ludicrously horizon-
tal and supine position. The plan which appeared most
likely to be adopted with efficacy was that of a basket
attached to the top of an instrument which we can liken
to nothing more similar than a huge telescope, and by the
gradual lengthening of which it was raised to the windows.
Its movements, however, were considerably too slow. Ce-
lerity in these matters is the great desideratum, but con-
trivances which require much arrangement on the one
side, and the utmost coolness, deliberation, and pre-
sence of mind on the other, we can never hope to see
used with effect in the moment of danger. The plan is
nevertheless a creditable one to the projectors, and any
further attempts to bring it to perfection will merit pub-
lic gr.ititude, whatever may be their ultimate success.
One accident ,only occurred during the experiments of
yesterday. In consequence of the breaking of a wooden
bar to which the rope was attached, one of the men fell
to the ground from a height of about thirty feet. He
was of course severely hurt, though fortunately no limbs
were broken.