FETE CHAMPETRE.-For some ...
The Times, 1824-09-07T00:00:00

FETE CHAMPETaE.-For somie timne past a ball fto the ladies of Llertfordshire has been in tic contemplation of the Cricket Club at St. Alban's and the Marquis of Salisburv proposed that it should be a fete of no ordinary dlescription. The motion was se- conded by Lord Hitamilton, and the day fixed wvas the 30th of Au- gust (Alonday last.) On the 28tli a lollow square oin thc plain was iliarked out and fenced in, occupying several acres. In thi centre * temporary room was erected, eightv f'ect in length bv twenty-five. The interior was lined anti decorated vji'h the finest flowers, brouzh, from the hot and succession houses of all the nob'es in the vicinitv, andt the whole were illuminated by a profusion of small globllljr lamps in purple antd white, thius she'ding a mil(d radiance around. At the tipper end of the room was a noble transparency, repre:sent. ittg the insignia of the club, first established in the vear IfMift8 namely, two bats. crossed, resting afainst the stumps, arnt the ball in the air, oak and laurel leaves. This was tuc ball-room. There were stars and festoons on the grouads and the trees were illumi- nated also. It was, in short, a little Vauxh:all, for above 20,000 variegated lamps were used, and they produced an eFfect quite novel in that part of thie country. At half-past eight tile nobility and( gen- try began to arrive in carriages drawn by four 1torses with out-rideri in rich liveries. In a fanciful marquee, at Llic entrance, the band of the IHertford Militia struck up a varicty of' enlivening strains. About half-past nine o'clock, the dancitlg comntenced on the plat. form, when three sets of quadrillers appeared, nostly all aspirants, and among them were the voang Marquis of Abercorni and his bro. thier. The mtsic was excellent, and sent from lindon. About midnight it waq a very gay scene. The ladies were inmgnificently a-tired. At one o'clock supper was atinounce(d in an adjoining room covers were laid for 250. rhIt banquet consisted of every thing su- per-excellent. The ices, fruits, confectionery, and Ronman punch, were alike admirable. It was not a supper at side-tables. for seats wereprovided for all (about 300). and tlhe wines were of it diffcrent orts, all f'oreign, and equally good in their way. The dancing was kept up with great spirit till half:past four o'clock. As the day broke, the-earriares were ifetuzatg- All were delighted with the managers of thei'te. A gtreat itm;ber of nobility atid gentry were present.- Contdy Ch ronielc. Capel Lofff, soniof the lawyer whose death was recently mentiane. as havinz taken place at Rivoli, has just been elected to Kitg's College, in Piedmont, frotIn ELon SClool. POPISH LaEGst)-In a book priintetl at Paris, in 1610, entitled " Le. Pieu:es Recreationis du P. AtLgelin Gaze, dte la Corn- pagnie dfg Jesus, ons'res rentplies de Saintes jtyensuites e divertisse- rnens pouer les fr/et dtevotes," niow re-printed, we read the follorwing narrative :-' A young thouzhtleis devil took it itl his head to lay a bet with an old-experienced devil, and wvagered a hundred blows of a stick, that be would play a trick upon the great St. Do:ninic. The bet concluiied, our giddy devil repaired under the form of an ape to the Saint, and endeavouretl to (livert him from his meclitations bya thousand grotesque atLitudes. St. DlOminic conutinued to write without taking any nGt;es. Thle poor dlevil exhausted himself in grimaces and capers; but inl vain Atlength, seized with imnatience, and tbrwetting all respect, lie jumped upon the table! Thc father then darted on him a withering look, and saidb, ' I command you to remain thsere and t hold my canidle." The unhappy ldevil, comn- pletely astonished, had not tbe courage to stir, and humbly sub. initted to performhtlt office of a candlestick. This clazrined him to the bottom of his soul: he sighied and bit his tongue. Ir. tihe iean tine, the cmndle gbumt on, and the flame began to approach his fingers. ' Oh, oh ! (exclaims fattier Angelin at iis part of the tale), take care, Seignear Diable, thlat you don't burn yourself.' The devil endeavoured to blow out the candle, but t woald not be extinguished. The fire gained upon him, and began to roast the first joints of his fingers. He called Rell to his assistance, but Hell (lid not help him; thie sanctity of the father kept aloof ahllsuc cour* and the voutg devil wavs obliged to ask pardon. At length, St. Dominaic fernitted him tont depart. Tue devil returned to thell wvith his finges roasted; and he received besides the huradred blows of tile stick, vhics taught him, says the Jesuit, never again to med- d'.e wvith the fi thers of our hoJly church." DARING RoBBERY.-On Stn(lay evening, about eight o'clock, the. bedehaniber of M1r. Carr, the p-oprietor of the Union Tavern, Baker-street, Bagtnigge-wells, vwas broken into and from a chest of drawers two 51. notes were taken, as also a valuable gold watch, the property of Airs. Carr. The robberv was comrmiitted during the hurry anti bustle of business, whilst Air. and Mrs. Carr were below stairs attendin? to their custonmers. On retiring to re- pose, they found that the door had been picklocked, and every tlrawer and box opened, anti strewed about the room. The villains, how- ever, issed a cottsiterable booty; t'or in the very drawcr from which they took thie two 51. notes (which were in separate pocket- books), was deposited a small bag, eontainittg a 501 note and 24 .iovereigns. In one corner of tie room was a cupboard, contahiing the whole of llr. Carr's plate, antd in which cnpboard had bden left, only a few days before, upwards of 200L in Bank-totes. The m3aidservant fancied she heard a mise iu the room about the time it happened.