On Tuesday His Majesty ga...
The Times, 1824-01-02T00:00:00

On Tuesday His Majesty gave a dinner at Brighton, and afterwards received a numerous evening party. There was no person of very high distinction, either pulitically or in point of rank. The Duke of York held a levee on Tuesday as Comn- mander-in-Chief, at his office in the Horse-Guards, which was attended by about 20 militarv officers. Yesterday morning, at 4 o'clock, the Duke of York left his residenee in Stable-yard, St. James's, on a visit to the Earl of Westmirrland, at his seat at Apthorp2, near Valmnesford, Northamptoinshire, on a shooting excursion. WINDSOR, Dec 31.-On Monday her Royal Hi-dncss the Princess Augusta and suite left Frogmore on a visit to the Duke and Duchess of Glocester at Baashot PaTk. Yes- terday the 34thregimenit nmarchedin here from Brenttfornl. Mr. Secretary Canning was so tar recovered from his at- tack of the gout as to transact business at the Foreign Office, Downing-street, on 'I'uesday last. Viscount Melvitlc transacted business at the Foreign Office yesterday. SINGULAR UNION OF OFFIcFs.--MI. de CaStelbajac, who has acted for some time as Director-General in the admi- nistration of the Royal Studs in France, has, as it appears by the J1onitker of Friday last, been likewise nloniinated as Director-General of " Commerce, Arts, and Manufac- tures." In thislatter capacity, the arrangements respecting the exhibitions in the Louvre, as wel'as the conduct of other establishments for the promotion of the fine arts, will be under his direction. The union of two offices apparently so remote from each other as those of state groom and i state connoisseur, in the person of this git'ted individual, puts one in mind of an inscription placed on the Royal Academy of Berlin, by Frederick the Great. That mo- narch having assigned the Academy apartments in the rpyal stables, thoughlt himself enititled to celebrate the double use of the builling by inscribing onvr ihe great gate, "MuVf?sis et .lfulis," EXTRAORDINARY PFaaCAUTION.-At the end of -bon Juan there is ati airsung by the Don, in embraciun one of his fair-ones. In this air occur the words1 '" Viva la Li- berta," not, of course, in the sense of politics, but in the sense of gallantry. It was thought dangerous, hownver, by the dramatic censors at Paris, to allow a viva to be raised 'to liberty, -even in an Italian song; and the actor was order- ed to substitute the wvords " Viva la Hilarita," against all the rules of sense and metre. In this manner it es always inow sung, to the great amusement of the sensible dilettaidi, who know the liberty taken with the original. A prolix pamphlet, entitled " Cato to Lord Byron on the imzmorality of his writings," has just appeared. The public need not be told that Lord Byron, though one of the most highly-.gifted, js also one of the most loose.-prin- cioled men of the age; and therefore thebook mighthave been spared if it is intended. as general warning. If it is intended to make LordByron wince, we apprehtend it will be still less effective: such talents, and such proud con- sciousness of them as his Lordship possesses, will be a vall of niore than tesple brass against the feeble assault of this seIf-nSmed Cato. Fo use the language of the pugi- list5, Cato strikes round, like a girl; and never gives one str'aightfborward body blow. The author is either a very young or a very olsi nan: he has no tact, no point: he writes-mere twaddle. The Duke of Sussex) itn bis capacity of Grand Mlaster of Etngland, is about to Teaeve atother fattering but deserved ma=*of resp6et from the Masonic fraternity in thisand the adjoining county. His birth-day is, we und&rstandi to-be celebrated by a grand M2a- sonic meeting, at whiLh the ceremony of installing Sir Matthew W1 hite Ridley, Bart., as Provincial Grand Master for Northumber- land, .will take place.-ANewcaste paper. Sportsmen comnplain-much this season of the scarcity of partridges in the Highland districts, and assign as a reason for it the uncommon severity of last.winter, and heavy rains which-felldur- nig the summer months, which are* supposed to have destroyva a number oF tbe young brood. ''he-grouse on the high mountarns in the-interior of Scoand re said- -to .have coUected into imtninse flcks towards the end of?he shooting season-n circum?tatice which, in the opinion of old people, indicates an early and savere- winter.- 15diaurgh' Qbservc,'. -