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service to his party. He was a steady opponent to the war with France, and his name is to be found among those who opposed Grattan's address to Earl Fitzwilliam in 1795, offering him the support and confidence of the house in that undertaking. He never sat in the Imperial Parliament, being defeated at Newry, in the North of Ireland, for which place he was invited to stand by the Liberal electors, the only time for which he sought for a place in it. Nor is it probable that this caused him much disappointment, to judge from the following passage in the speech delivered by him on that occasion, and in which he gives his ideas on the great question of the union, pretty freely. "A word or two upon your actual position; and what upon that subject but a word of sadness-what but the monumental inscription upon the headstone of our grave? all semblance of national independence buried in that grave, in which our legislature is interred. Our property and our persons are disposed of by laws made in another clime, and made, like boots and shoes for exportation, to fit the wearers as they may. If you were now to consult my learned friend here, and ask | him how much of your property belonged to yourself, or for what crime you may be whipped, or hanged, or transported, his answer would be, It is impossible, sir, to tell you now, but I am told the Packet is in the Bay.' And again you have been robbed of all influence on the vital question of peace or war; all has been brought within the control of an English minister."

Curran obtained a silk gown under the rule of the Duke of Portland, never obtaining any other distinction, until, by an arrangement made with Sir Mich!. Smith, with which he, however, had nothing to do, to retire on a pension, he succeeded him as Master of the Rolls. It was said at the time, that he was disappointed at not being created Attorney-General, as a step towards becoming Chief Baron. This office of Master of the Rolls he held until, owing to failing health, and his unhappy domestic circumstances, he himself retired in favour of Sir William Mc Mahon, obtaining, in doing so, an allowance of two thousand seven hundred a year. From that time until his death he was almost entirely absent from Ireland, spending his time chiefly in travelling about in France and England, the last year of his life being spent altogether in the latter country, where he died after a few days' illness, in the presence of his two sons and his daughter Mrs. Taylor, at 7, Amelia-place, Brompton, on the 13th of October 1817, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. His funeral was deferred until his family could obtain his will, which was in Ireland, thinking that in it they might find some directions as to his burial; but there were none, so they laid him quietly in Paddington church-yard, only a very few intimate friends attending his funeral. Although, owing probably to an early necessity for economy, his habits were of a very saving species throughout his entire life, at his death

he was not found to be very wealthy; still, he left his family, three sons and two daughters, fairly provided for. His daughter Sarah, so celebrated as the object of poor Emmett's attachment, died before him. To the young men of his profession he was always kind and encouraging; and in speaking of him, one of them says, "His How do you do, counsellor? or A glass of wine with you, counsellor, often served to encourage a young barrister, almost too timid in his presence to feel he had any claim to the title at all."

We have purposely abstained from giving in this paper any of the specimens of Curran's humour, which are so plentiful, but which have been so often retailed, that they have long since become hackneyed, even those which are genuine; while others which have been attributed to him are so poor, as to be palpable fabrications, and so unworthy of notice. Those who met him during those "Attic nights," to which he himself, on a memorable occasion, so feelingly referred-who saw him in the habit and cowl of the jovial monks of the screw, and heard him exchange the brilliant flashes of his intellect with such brother-monks as Grattan, Flood, Yelverton, Charlemont, Ogle, Keller, Father Arthur O'Leary, and others, or sat with him in his favourite home, The Priory, to the realization of his idea of perfection in a dinner, namely, "two dishes and five o'clock," have all declared over and over again, that to have even a faint idea of his wit, you should personally know the man. The very servants, we are told, waiting at table, shook with suppressed laughter at his stories; and magnificent though imperfect as are the reports which have come down to us of his speeches, all his cotemporaries agree in saying that no one could form a conception of what they were in the delivery. "Pleading," one says, as Curran did, not on the floor of a shrine, but on a scaffold, with no companions but the wretched men who were to be plunged from it, hour by hour, and no hearers but the multitude who crowded anxious to that spot of hurried execution, and then rushed away glad to shake off all remembrance of scenes which had agitated and torn every heart among themit is this which puts his speeches beyond all estimate of the closet." He used to say himself it took him " a half an hour longer than a handsome man to get at the hearts of his hearers ;" but that he did succeed in reaching them, it need scarcely be told here. One more extract from the critic already quoted, and we have done: "It has been our fortune to hear some of these speeches, and repeat it, that to feel the full genius of Curran, he must have been heard; he was a man not a statue. His elocution, rapid, exuberant, and figurative in a signal degree, was often compressed into a pregnant pungency, which gave a sentence in a word. The word lost, the charm was undone. But his manner could not be transferred, and it was created for his style. His eye, hand, and figure, were in perpetual speech. Nothing was abrupt to those who could see him-nothing was lost except

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when some flash would burst out of such sudden splendour, as to leave them suspended and dazzled too strongly to follow the lustres that shot after it with restless illumination."

As among the host of gifted sons of his unhappy country, none ever loved Ireland more

sincerely than John Philpot Curran; so must he ever be remembered in her history as her unflinching advocate, as one of the most incorruptible of her patriots, and as the most brilliant of her forensic orators, whose eloquence has never been equalled in modern times.

OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT.

MY DEAR C,

What a lovely month of May we have had! quite the month of May that poets sing. Not one of those months of May that we have had in Paris of late years, cold and rainy, as if the sun regretted his return on our gay capital, and sulked with us for being forced to give us a ray of warmth and light. No, he has been all smiles and gladness, and has rendered Paris charming in her verdant spring garment. It seems, however, that in the country rain is very much wanted; so much so, that in the South several "Notre Dames" have been dislodged from their niches, and carried about by the clergy in procession, for rain. The local papers announce with great solemnity, as a proof of the urgency of the case, that such and such a Virgin had not been forth for ten or twenty years; fancy what concession! I wonder that it did not pour down immediately; but no, Our Lady is not to be cajoled in that way, in spite of the old ball dresses and glass diamonds they array her in for the occasion.

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The heat, however, has not prevented the Parisians dancing, almost as if we had been in full carnival ever since Easter, the Empress giving the example every Monday in what is called ses petites recéptions," and to which it is a great honour to be invited, the happy few alone being so distinguished by our gracious sovereign, who receives her guests on these occasions, in what is called her "petits appartements-private apartments," and is always very simply dressed, cordial and familiar. But the great event at court has been the first communion of the Prince Imperial, to which all who approach the throne, far or near, intrigued to be present, but few were admitted. The chapel at the Tuileries is small, and the Imperial mother, wishing her son to have nothing to attract his attention from the great religious ceremony he was about to accomplish, resolved that the Imperial family alone and the Imperial household should assist at the first Christian act of her child. She herself presided at the preparations, and, on the morning of the day appointed, inspected the chapel before the commencement of the ceremony. A crimson velvet and gold chair, with a "prie Dieu" in front of it, was placed in the middle of the choir for the young Prince; on either side, a court stool for

his Imperial Highness's governor, General Froissard, and his spiritual governor, L'Abbé Deguerry. Two armchairs on the right of the Prince were placed for the Emperor and Empress. The rest of the Imperial family and court had chairs to the right and left of their Majesties. A pew apart was prepared for that part of the family Bonaparte that has no rank at court, according to the decree of the first Emperor. The Prince had had a repetition of the ceremony the day before, how he was to approach the communion table, to present his mouth for the reception of the wafer that contained God, and which he must not let his teeth touch, so that he went through the ceremony to the satisfaction of all. His demeanour was very simple and natural. The Empress's face, as ever, glowed with happiness, and the whole scene was pronounced to be very effective and touching. The rest of the day was spent in play with the Prince's young friends, until five o'clock, when he again entered the chapel to renew his baptismal vows, and to receive the confirmation-ceremony that always follows the first communion in the Roman Catholic Church. When the Prince was born, the Emperor and Empress expressed their desire to stand for all the children born that day in France. At the Prince's first communion, the Empress ordered all those children to receive the first communion. On the same day, she also sent a present of 50 francs to each child. There are three thousand Imperial god-children, therefore a hundred and fifty thousand francs from their Majesties' pockets.

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Let us return now to the vanities of this world. The quarrel of long and short dresses is causing quite a commotion in the "monde éle gant.' Madame de Pourtales, who it seems has pretty feet, has undertaken to dethrone entirely long dresses; she gave a grand ball the other night, where trains were in great minority; but in revenge, say the gentlemen, such a display of ugly feet, it was quite heartrending to see such pretty faces thus afflicted at the extremities-particularly there where the imagination had placed, under long dresses, "des pieds si mignons." The moral of this story is: short dresses for pretty feet, long ones for ugly ones. The worst of it is, that ladies are generally better judges of their neighbours' personal

defects than of their own, and may not exactly | Empire, because he published in the beginning know when a long or short dress is most be of the reign of Napoleon III. a choice selection coming to them. of flattery in verse to the then rising sun. Of course he is no friend of England, and is very ingenious in his ways of showing it. The other day, he proposed in a committee where finances were discussed, they being low just now, to demand 65 millions of England, debt that she has owed France ever since 1815. He pretends to have made a very eloquent harangue against perfidious Albion to the committee; but the committee declined the proposition. We are only half-satisfied at the success of English arms in Abyssinia; many even deem it absurd of a government to spend so much money, and cause the death of a king, because two or three Englishmen were imprisoned; they judge of course from a French point of view. Theodorus is to be the hero of a new piece, announced at the theatre le Chatelet, under the title of "Theodorus roi d' Abyssinie." A pamphlet is also on the eve of appearing-" Theodorus et Jaurez."

The marriage of the Prince Achille Murat with the Princess Mingrélie, a very rich young Russian, was celebrated at the Tuileries, a week or two ago, in one of the state rooms. The Pope is said to have forbidden the performance of the religious ceremony in a Roman Catholic Chapel-I suppose because the lady is of the Greek Church. The Prince Achille Murat is a very elegant man, but over head and ears in debt, without, they say, any inclination for a wedded life; but his creditors becoming exacting, and he happening to dance in a cotillon with the young Princess of Mingrélie, who, he was told, was the possessor of millions, suddenly the mischievous god sent his dart, and the young Russian lady dazzled the Prince with the power of her charms. Obstacles, however, intervened: the young lady's brother heard of the pecuniary embarrassment of the Prince, and being of a business-like disposition, requested his sister's suitor to send him the amount of his debts, which was done. The brother found the price his sister was about to pay for a husband rather dear, but not succeeding in dissuading the princess from the match, paid, and the marriage is accomplished. This gentleman is one of the best horsemen in Paris; he has a bet now on hand with a Monsieur de Vésin, the king of "velocipedists," who is to measure in swiftness his machine with the Prince on horseback. Monsieur de Vésin went the other day from Angers to Paris on this new mode of travelling.

Races of all kinds are now in great vogue, and attract innumerable multitudes every Sunday, with such toilets! Can human imagination go any further? A lady of the demi-monde, wishing not only to distinguish herself in dress, but also by her "turn out," appeared, one day, in the Bois de Bologne, in a carriage with all the panels in glass, and so disposed that the sun was so reflected that her horses took fright, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the police succeeded in getting her home in safety. It will be impossible to use her carriage when the sun shines.

The theatres are almost deserted, several indeed are closed. At the conservatory last week there was a representation, organized by the Princess de Beauveau, for the benefit of the poor. The operette given on the occasion was greatly applauded. "Les horreurs de la guerre" was extremely liked by the fashionable ladies present, and there were many of our queens of "bon ton." A gentleman observed to one of them, that the music was very pretty, and the words witty: "it was a pity they were so indecent." "Oh!" replied the lady, "but that ought to be (Oh! mais il faut cela)"-the gentleman felt inclined to blush for having blushed. Do you know Monsieur de Belmontel? No, I think not. Monsieur de Belmontel is, however, a celebrity here; he is called the poet of the

We are now assisting at a struggle between two parties, represented, one by Monsieur Rouher, and the other by Monsieur Pinard, and every act at court forms a point for us to comment on; and it is doubtful whether the clerical or the liberal party will predominate in the sequel. The new law on the press is now in force, and the private life of French citizens walled up within their houses. The reception given to the Prince Napoleon at Florence astonished us; it seems the people of Florence loaded the Prince of Prussia with enthusiasm every time he appeared, as if to show the contrast. Prince Napoleon, they say, forced his wife, the Princess Clotilde, to return to France with him before the end of the marriage fêtes. The Italians must have done this to express their feelings towards France, for the Prince in person has always sustained their cause here.

The Archbishop of Algiers is at discord with the governor of that country, and is now in Paris to plead his cause. It seems that during the late terrible famine amongst the Arabs, several hundred children were taken into the asylums. The governor has ordered them to be sent home, as soon as the crisis is passed. The archbishop, on the contrary, insists on keeping them in the asylums, in order to bring them up as Roman Catholics. I imagine the Emperor will decide the question, in ordering the children to be sent to their respective tribes.

Their Majesties' visit to Orleans was very short; they only remained a few hours, just the time to give the prizes. The Beauce farmer, Monsieur Thibault, who received the first prize, a cup worth two hundred pounds, appeared to be very much troubled by the presence of their Majesties. When the Empress expressed a desire to examine his cup, after the Emperor had given it to him, he seemed as if he scarce knew whether he was on his head or his heels, or whether her Majesty might not have the intention of keeping it. General Fleury presented a young officer to the Emperor and Empress, a

descendant of Pierre d'Arc, brother and companion of Jeanne. The Emperor enquired how he could prove his illustrious origin. "By letters patent of Charles VII., recognized by Henri II., Louis XIII., Charles X." "It is a fine name," said Napoleon. "And well borne," added the Empress. "As Jeanne served France and her King," answered the young man, "I will serve your Majesty and France."

Their Majesties visited St. Germain the other day in such strict incognito, that they were only recognized at the railroad station, on their return. The Emperor having walked on a lady's dress, begged her pardon; the lady, an actress, turned round in a fury at the unfortunate man, who could not see where to put his feet. Smiles immediately replaced the frown, and she cried out, "vive l' Empereur!" What a difference it makes to whom the feet belong, when they walk on one's dress!

In spite of the great heat-and it is atrocious here-the yearly exhibition of paintings attracts a very respectable number of visitors. There is a picture by Gustave Doré, "Le Neophyte," that has a constant crowd around it, and appears to be the most admired one. But few of the best artists have sent anything to the "Salon" this year; several new names seem to promise for the future. The public complains that there is never anything to indicate the sub

ject of a picture in these expositions, and that every one cannot afford to buy a catalogue, so that three-fourths of the visitors are in the dark, and know not on what scene they are gazing. Cham relates that he was there the other day, and saw two honest citizens, man and wife, looking at a marble bust, representing Saint Just of the Revolution.

"Who is that, dear?” asked the wife.

"I cannot say; but here is a 'gardien,' I will enquire of him. If you please sir, who may that be?"

"It is Saint Just."

"Ah, thank you;" and, turning to his wife. "It is a saint-no doubt, for some church." Both walked away perfectly satisfied. There is a Marshal Ney, by Gerome, that excites many comments in a political point of view; but we see politics everywhere-it is our disposition.

Is it interesting to you to learn, if you do not know it already, that "beer" is far from being a modern invention? that some "savant" has found out that the students under the Empire of the Pharaohs drank beer, as the modern English and German youths. It was a drink made from malt, called "hag." There is a papyrus existing somewhere, where an Egyptian father scolds his son for neglecting his studies, and being too fond of frequenting taverns, and drinking "bag."-Adieu. Yours truly, S. A.

THE OPERA AND THE THEATRES.

While theatres in general have pursued the even tenour of their way, without presenting anything calculated to rouse the pleasure-seeker from the ennui natural to, and superinduced by, a premature Midsummer in May, the opera alone has offered tempting fare for those whose Apician tastes can be indulged regardless of the cost. To be seated in a pit-stall, libretto in hand, following the delicious music of "Don Giovanni;" wrapt in the mellifluous strains of this most delightful of operas; dwelling on the cadences of many "sweet voices ;" spell-bound by the harmony with which the chef d'œuvre of Mozart is instinct-this is indeed to participate in a Sybarite's first and purest of enjoyments. The music of " Don Giovanni" is essentially dramatic; sometimes it is tragically expressive it is not of that quality out of which to cull pretty pianoforte songs, and build up amateur fantasias. From the first scene to the last the grand opera is truly grand. We know not that "Don Giovanni" belongs to the category of grand opera in a technical sense : we only say that to us it has ever maintained the character of

the grandest of operas. The key note of the beautiful dramatic music is struck at the beginning of the opera, when Donna Anna is made aware that through a quarrel between the commendatore, her father, and Don Juan, she is made an orphan. Over the dead body of her sire, Donna Anna and her brother Don Ottavio bewail his murder, and denunciate the callous duellist who has taken their father's life, in strains of the most exquisite character to be found in the whole range of lyrical drama. When we mention that Titiens is the Donna Anna, it may be conceived how admirably this music is rendered. Piece after piece of the noble concerted music proceeds-trios, quartettes, quintettes, sestettes-each and all brilliantly expressing the sense of the Donna's wrongs, and the libertine's gay nonchalance and callousness of heart. Don Ottavio is a part well played and sang through by Signor Bettini. Then comes Elvira with her wrongs, whom Don Juan's would "whistle down the winds to prey on fortune." Elvira is all devoted to the Don, although by him slighted for the first

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the musical novelty of the present season at
Her Majesty's will be the production, for the
first time in this country in Italian, of the opera
of "Gustavus, or the Masqued Ball."
English version of the work was a favourite 30
years ago at Covent Garden Theatre, but it is
an opera probably unknown to most of the
present generation.
Having
such length
the lyrical drama, we have left ourselves
small space to review the proceedings of
the drama-proper. We repeated our visit to the
STRAND, to enjoy for the second time the lively
and elegant burlesque of "Darnley, or the Field
of the Cloth of Gold," the latest production of
Mr. Wm. Brough. There are some good
things in this piece, superior to burlesque at-
tractions generally. Among these are, Miss
Lydia Thompson's "topic" song, and excellent
dancing. Miss Ada Swanborough makes up
splendidly for the part of an Elizabethan
"swell," and sings a capital song-" Walking
in the Zoo ;" her foppish manner is an im-
Miss Amy
mensely amusing bit of mimicry.
Sheridan plays a page in attendance on Bluff
King Hal, and looks exceedingly tall and hand-
some, in a very elegant white satin tunic, and
silken hose to follow. Miss Elise Holt looks
saucy, and acts sprightly enough as a young
French page of the "Court of Francis the First."
Mr. David James mimics Fechter closely as
Francis, a part which he otherwise_plays very
well; and Mr. Fenton makes a Bluff Harry
the Eighth; his Queen (Katherine of Arragon,
we suppose) being humourously impersonated
by Mr. H. J. Turner. Little Mr. Robson, son of
the late Mr. Robson of the Olympic, shows a
mine of dry humour in the character of a Dog-
berry of the period. The best thing of a hu-
mourous sort in the burlesque is, beyond all
measure, the "bout with the gloves" between
the two kings, Henry and Francis.
scene to roar at, and it is roared at accordingly,
every night!

village girl the libertine may affect. We learn the character of the "gayest of the gay," the Don of Dons, from Leporello, when that most confidential of servants displays the roll of his masters conquests over the fair sex, and enumerates the victims of the seducer's arts, in musical language so charming to the ear, as Leporello's famous patter song. The Leporello we last saw play the part at her Majesty's Theatre, Herr Rokitansky, we thought, sang the exquisite musical recital with more care than animation of spirit. But Herr Rokitansky is a Pole, and therefore by nationality unpossessed of the mercurial spirit of the gay Italian. For the undue heaviness of the Leporello, let us add that we had full recompence in the sprightly acting, gentlemanly bearing, and above all the fine singing of our countryman, Mr. Santley, as Don Juan: he must feel proud of his foremost position on the stage of Her Majesty's Opera, among such artists and artistes, as Bettini, Foli, Zoboli, Titiens, Nilsson, and Killogg. The Zerlina of Mdlle. Killogg is the most piquant and clever performance we remember since the Piccolomini's. It is after his mock sympathy with the much abused Donna Anna, that the Don encounters Zerlina at the village festival, pours his soft nothings into her ear as a lover, and repulses so amusingly the honest affection Masetto manifests for the girl of his heart, whom he is engaged to marry. Here Leporello has much to do to divert Masetto's scruples, in regard to the Don's "intentions ;" and again Leporello's time-serving qualities are called out in perfection, to drown Elvira's suspicions of the Don's faithlessness. The part of Masetto was well acted by Signor Zoboli. As Elvira, Malle. Nilsson sang magnificently, and acted nicely. It was a rare musical treat indeed, to witness the "Don Giovanni" with such an affluent cast! As our readers should know, the "concord of sweet sounds" culminates in the scene in which Elvira is serenaded by Juan. The music afterwards appears to change somewhat in the style; and few seem disposed to The handsome new theatre called the HOLconsider the lyrical style of the statue-scene and supper-scene equal to the noble strains which BORN, now under the management of Miss have preceded. We ought not to omit mention Fanny Josephs, is following up a successful of the ball room scene with the minuet music, opening, with a succession of sterling novelties, "Foul Play," and the joyous viva la liberta. By the way, the piece of the evening being a powerful melo-drama, founded upon Messrs. it is said that the "viva" is a mere interpola-Charles Reade and Dion Boucicault's sensation. With the mass of the large and elegant tional tale, which has appeared since last winter audiences of Her Majesty's Opera at the present weekly in the pages of Once-a-Week. day, it is the music that is the presiding charm; drama has been well adapted for the stage by showing the growing love of Englishmen for the art. The charms of society are surely only the authors of the novel, and effectually sup secondary to those of fine and noble music, ported by Miss Joseph's company. We must see the piece a second time, before we can enter whatever may be said to the contrary by some eminences among the "upper ten thousand." into detail upon individual impersonations; Moreover, let us remember that the uses of the meantime, let it suffice that the general effect opera, aside from its artistic claims, are various. of the new piece is to produce the intensest interest in crowded audiences. At the opera one meets with refinement in every form: beautiful women, elegance of manners, polite attention, good society, and what perhaps | many of the readers of this magazine are interested in-the latest Parisian fashions! have left ourselves only room to announce, that

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The other new Holborn Theatre, or amphitheatre rather, maintains the attractiveness of its programme by continual additions, and Pereira even outdoes Azella with the extraordinary but dangerous trapese feats and flights.

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