OF THE WATCHERS ON THE SHORE. In some of the Fishing Villages on the coast of Norway, when the men go out with the boats, the females assemble on the beach, chanting a wild song -a prayer, not for the success of the fishers, but for their safe return: and they do not quit the shore until the boats arrive. "Tis a weary, weary sight, The sky and the ocean lone, And the distance, that solemn mystery, As we cry upon their track,- Husband, and lover, and son, come back, For our hearths are dark, and our souls are drear, Hardy, and gallant, and true, The hearts that for us toil; Right cheerfully every peril brave, From the seas to take their spoil. Well know they where we stand, And their guiding light is the star of love, Ah! what were the hearts or the homes they left, Husband, and lover, and son, Brother and sire, come home! The breeze has strengthened, the sun goes down Sorrow and joy are ours, Beyond what most may share; When at eve, all doubting and danger o'er, By the shores of another sea We shall stand, ere time be past; We shall watch the bark, that may ne'er return, May be first those depths to dare: And we we shall cry no more Brother and sire, come home! We shall look with a higher hope and trust, And our pining souls shall say- For whose cares we have no heart; To flee from darkness, and doubt, and pain, THE ANGEL WATCH; OR, THE SISTERS. BY CHARLES SWAIN. A daughter watched at midnight For five long nights she had not slept, A vision like an angel came, Sweet slumber, like a blessing, fell The angel smiled, and touched her not, And oh! so full of human love The angel-guest half mortal seemed,- Like rays of light, the sleeper's locks In warm loose curls were thrown; The mortal and immortal, each With death's pale face between. The dawn looked through the casement cold, And sadder showed the curtained bed,- "My daughter?-art thou there, my child? "If ever I were harsh to thee, Forgive me now," she cried: The angel kissed her, and her soul A sudden start!-what dream, what sound She wakes-she sees her mother dead, She wakes-she springs with wild embrace, Except her mother's sweet, dead face THE GOLD MINES OF RUSSIA.-Until the recent discovery of the mineralogical treasures of Russia, the supply, as shown by Mr. Jacobs, was below the annual loss by waste and wear; and the Russian mines, from their superior productiveness, having nearly stopped the working of all others, the production of gold, for all practical purposes, at the present moment, may be considered as little better than a monopoly of the Russian Government. One third of the Russian mines belong to the Crown, and the rest are subject to heavy duties, which the Emperor may increase, ad libitum. The time is at hand when this unquestionable fact must force upon the Legislature an inquiry, whether, if the principle of a metallic currency is to be maintained in its full integrity, it will not be at least prudent to return to our ancient double standard (abandoned in 1774), rather than place all the property and credit of the country, as now, at the mercy of the most ambitious potentate of Europe? Silver, unlike gold, is, to some extent, a home product, and to be obtained, at equal cost, in many different parts of the globe. The power over British commerce, which a gold currency, and an enforced limitation of paper issues, when gold disappears, gives to the Emperor of Russia, ought to make a British statesman tremble. It is well observed, in a very sensible pamphlet, by Mr. Enderby, that foreigners, when they buy English securities with gold, do so, like other people, in the expectation of realizing a profit by the transaction. A sum of £2,000,000, invested in Three per cent. Consols, at 80, means £2,250,000 to be withdrawn, when Consols have risen to 90. The Emperor of Russia has now been taught by experience, that the time to buy English securities is after the drain of gold occasioned by a bad harvest; and the time to sell, on the first reaction consequent upon the return of bullion. He may, therefore, easily, with the immense means at his disposal, make enormous profits at our expense, by the simplest possible process; and if disposed afterwards to risk some portion of these profits, for the sake of holding the power of crippling our resources, when we might otherwise thwart his designs, he has only to instruct an agent to keep a "deposit" account with the banking department, and to hold a large sum in Bank of England notes, and then, by the withdrawal of one, two, or five millions of gold, at the right moment, he may paralyze industry, cut off ten or twenty per cent. from the revenue, impede or prevent the negotiation of a new loan, create a belief that we are now too poor to think of helping our weaker neighbors against the stronger, and, in the midst of our distresses and humiliation, buy our acquiescence in his projects with the same money, back again.-Westminster Review. SUMMIT OF THE ISLAND OF ASCENSION-A few minutes more brought us to the house, and the fact that we were at our journey's end afforded us no small satisfaction. The house, itself, is a decentlooking cottage, and answers the purpose for which it was built extremely well, which was for the residence of the officers of the garrison stationed there, while Napoleon was at St. Helena, when a force was kept at Ascension, in case his friends should attempt to possess themselves of it. There is nothing particular in the building itself, but the situation is beautiful in the extreme, and amply repays the trouble of the ascent, for no one could possibly form the slightest conception of so pretty a spot existing, by the appearance from below.. Shrubs, trees and flowers, all arranged with taste, and much in the manner of an English garden, with long walks winding along the brow of the hill for some distance, and the whole so thickly planted as to shut out from the view the dreary-looking waste below, with its plain covered with gigantic cinder-heaps, which, looking upon them as we did, from an elevation of nearly 3,000 feet, appeared precisely as if this island were the dust-hole of the world, and that every nation had some particular part of the plain, on which they were allowed to shoot their cinders.-Five Years in the East. A CATCH.-The following description of a catch, by Dr. Calcott, is given in the Musical World. The words run thus: "Ah! how, Sophia, can you leave And more than she, I fear have part." Now, in reading the above there is nothing particular to be seen; but when they are sung, as Dr. Calcott intended they should be, there is much to hear; for one seems to render the first three words thus: "A house a-fire," repeating ". phia, phia,” with a little admixture of cockneyism, "fire! fire!" Another voice calls out, lustily, "Go, fetch the engines, fetch the engines;" while a third coolly says, "I'm but a lodger, I'm but a lodger," &c.; consequently he does not care whether the house be burnt down or not. This elucidation will give a pretty good idea of the real meaning and character of a musical catch. THE LATE PRINCESS ADELAIDE OF ORLEANS. | came to join her. The town of Schaffhausen offer -In our second edition of last Saturday we gave ing little security, they were soon induced to leave the intelligence, received by express, of the death it, and proceeded to Zurich, which they were soon of Madame Adelaide, sister of the King of the obliged also to abandon to go to Zug. There, unFrench, on the 30th of December. The deceased der the name of an Irish family, they were enaPrincess had been for some time suffering from bled to stay for a month. Though the life they led asthma and disease of the heart, which slowly was exceedingly retired, and seemed likely to wore out her strength, but nothing proclaimed escape public notice, they were recognised by that her dissolution was so near at hand. A few some emigrés, and it became necessary to seek days before her death she was attacked by the in- another asylum. This was made doubly painful, fluenza, which aggravated the affection from which as it involved a separation between the Duke de she had been previously suffering. On Thursday, Chartres and his sister, he by his presence subthe 30th ult., she appeared better, though weak, jecting her to the severities of Governments and and got up. She received visits from the King their police. Their perplexity was great, but a and the Royal Family, and spoke of being present, lucky circumstance solved their difficulties. Genbut "sitting," at the reception on the jour de eral Montesquiou was at that time in Switzerland, l'An. In the evening she slept for some time in and had done certain services to the Government her arm-chair. Her sleep was easy, and her respi- of Geneva, which had caused him to be generally ration was light and natural. The King entered looked up to in that canton. By his intervention the room whilst she was in that state, and went Mlle. Adelaide and Mme. de Genlis obtained leave out again without awaking her. Some time after to enter the convent of Sainte Claire, at Bremgarher medical attendant, distrusting her prolonged ten, and remained there until the 11th of May, insensibility, approached, and, on carefully observ- 1794, when she retired to the house of the Prining her, saw the approach of the death struggle. cess of Conti, her aunt, in Hungary. From thence The Royal Family were summoned, and the King, she went to join the Duchess of Figueras, in Catathe Queen, the Princes, and the Princesses sur-lonia, where she remained till 1808. The Spanish rounded the arm-chair of the deceased lady as she war then commenced, and being obliged to fly, she expired. commenced a wandering Odyssey in search of her brother, whom she found, after many vicissitudes, at Portsmouth, just about to embark. The delight of both at meeting is easily understood. They promised never to separate from each other, and this promise was religiously kept. In January, 1809, the princess and the duke left for Malta, and some time after she had the joy to witness the marriage of her brother and the Princess Marie Amelie, who, in marrying an exile, little thought he would become King of France. The following memoir is translated from the Constitutionnel : which the Restoration seemed to coalesce against herself. When, in 1830, it became necessary for the Duke of Orleans to declare for the acceptance or refusal of the crown, Madame Adelaide bravely engaged for her brother, and offered to come to Paris first to share the dangers of the Parisians. Since then she has not ceased to share in and serve the fortunes of the King." "Madame Adelaide, sister of the King of the French, was born in Paris on the 23d of August, 1777, and was the daughter of Louis Philippe Joseph of Orleans, and Louis Maria Adelaide de Bourbon Penthievre. This princess, whose character was ever remarkable for firmness and wit, has not figured officially in any political events, and yet her part has not been an unimportant one. The King loses in her not only a most intelligent "With the Restoration a little repose was oband devoted friend, but an invaluable adviser and tained for the existence of Mlle. d'Orleans. The a useful mediator. Mme. de Genlis first superin- faults of the Government then caused the Duke of tended the early education of Princess Adelaide Orleans to play a distinguished part, and obtained and her twin sister, who died young. She incul- for him an influence which the revolution of July cated the ideas of Rousseau on education, which gave fuli effect to. Mlle. Adelaide did not a little then prevailed, and the politer arts were not for- contribute during the fifteen years' struggle to rally gotten. The influence exercised by Mme. de Gen-round her brother the divers political influences lis overr he pupil, and her brothers, excited the jealousy of their mother, the Duchess of Orleans, who, after somewhat violent altercations, caused her to be dismissed. This was the cause of such profound grief on the part of the Princess Adelaide, that her health suffered, and it became necessary to recal Mme. de Genlis. This lady, unwilling to submit to daily bickerings with the duchess, had the art to obtain permission to travel with her charge in England, and it was thus that the princess first became separated from her mother. The events of the revolution were destined, however, to dissurb the course of an existence which seemed out of the reach of all injuries of fortune. Mlle. Adelaide was placed on the list THE EARL OF DALHOUSIE'S PASSAGE THROUGH of emigrés. But her father, who was himself EGYPT AND THE DESERT.-The Hon. East India threatened, soon obtained the revocation of the Company's steam-frigate Moozuffer left Suez for measure. The princess had scarce, however, en- Madras and Calcutta on the 11th ult., having on tered France with Madame de Genlis than she re- board the Earl of Dalhousie, the new-appointed ceived an order from Paris to leave the capital Governor-General of India, the Countess of Dalwithin twenty-four hours, and the country within housie, and suite. The Earl of Dalhousie, whe three days; and the Duke of Chartres, her brother, landed at Alexandria on the 4th, left on the followhearing of the extremity in which she was placed, ing day in one of the Viceroy's steamers for Cairo, came from the army to her assistance, and brought where his Excellency arrived on the 6th. One of her to Tournay. It was some time after this that the finest palaces in Cairo, belonging to Abbas the young exile and her governess settled at Schaff-Pacha, situate on the banks of the Nile, and richly hausen, in Switzerland, where the Duke of Char- fitted up for the occasion, was placed at his disposal. tres, who had in the meanwhile also been exiled, On the 7h, the Governor General was formally The deceased princess has divided her estate between her nephews, passing over the Duc d Aumale, as sufficiently provided for. Madame Adelaide was generally considered to have been privately married to General Athalin. of eloquence turn to page 277, and for beautiful simplicity see the horn movement in Semiramide, page 280. His greatest work is "Moses in Egypt," which is cast upon a scale of grandeur too formidable for imitators. The duetto "Paria" is a fine specimen of this style of writing for two voices, and is unlike everything that ever preceded it. De Begnis and Madame Randi, both of the Bolognese school, must have contributed to the gaiety of his operatic style, by the inimitable spirit with which they sang his duettos. Nor need we doubt that Madame Pasta's electric brilliancy imparted much of that sparkling effect which we find in his song. presented to Mehemet Ali, who received His Excellency in state, and sent his own carriages to convey him from Abbas Pacha's palace to the citadel, escorted by a guard of honor of cavalry. Lady Dalhousie accompanied the Governor General, and, after the presentation, smoked a pipe with the Viceroy, though His Highness, noticing that Her Ladyship did not relish it, did not press her to smoke if she were not accustomed to it. Several of the officers of the Sidon who accompanied the Earl of Dalhousie to Cairo were at the presentation in full uniform. On the 8th the Earl and Countess dined with Mehemet Ali at his palace in the Citadel, where a sumptuous repast was prepared for His Highness's guests, among whom were the highest Rossini's compositions are full of beauty and functionaries in the country, the European Consul- sentiment, glowing with the gayest colors-a flowGenerals, and several persons of distinction at pre-ery path so light and cheering that it gives birth to sent in the capital. On the 9th the Governor- a new set of feelings in the musical science. General and Lady Dalhousie dined with the Hon. ing very little of the dark shades of the Germans, Mr. Murray, the English Consul-General in Egypt, we are lured into the gayest bowers of fancy. His from whose house they started on the same even- compositions, though highly ornamented, possess ing for Suez in a comfortable English britzska, a simplicity of thought intelligible to the most drawn by six horses. They arrived at Suez on the untutored ears. His style is full of voluptuous following day, having occupied sixteen hours in ease, and brings with it a relief from the cares of crossing the Desert; and, after resting that night at the world. This great man awaits the nimbus the hotel at Suez, they embarked on board of the that will fall upon him when he is dead, as the Moozuffer on the 11th, when they left for India, founder of a distinct school in the art, and since both being doubtless gratified by the courteous at- the death of Beethoven, he ranks as the greatest tention shown to them by Mehemet Ali, and the living composer.”—Gardiner's Sights in Italy. facilities afforded them in their passage through Egypt. ROSSINI.-In passing to the Picture Gallery, we met Rossini, who resides here. I should not have known him, though he looks as fresh and well as when I saw him in England; for he wears a wig, which disfigures every man, but in him utterly destroys that romantic air which belongs to this extraordinary genius. I was solicitous to know the reason why he had not published his monody upon the death of Lord Byron, which he had shown me in London in 1824. It was a most elaborate score of twenty-eight different parts. I heard it rehearsed, and thought it worthy of him. Unfortunately, he had forgotten every word of English, and as I could not speak Italian my curiosity remained ungratified. and "It appears to me extraordinary that such a genius in the art can contentedly live in this city, so incapable as it must be of appreciating his wonderful powers. Born at Pesaro, he began his studies here, and it is said that he is attached to the school where he received his first lessons under Mattei. Now he courts ease and economy, perhaps there is not a city in Italy where you may live so cheaply as in Bologna. The citizens have built him a noble mansion, adorned on the outside with musical devices in honor of his unrivalled talents. But from some cause or other, he declines living in it, and lets it to others. Passionately attached to his art, as he is well known to be, it is to be lamented, that an indisposition to exertion should prevent him from pursuing with more vigor a science, which above all others has given the world unspeakable pleasure. "Those who are conversant with the compositions of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, must be struck with the new thoughts which occur in this gay and brilliant author. All his works are original, in accent, rhythm and melody. Bellini and Donizetti have closely trodden in his steps, and have produced some prettinesses, but the pinions of their melodies are too light to carry that weight of harmony used by the Grand Master. For a specimen Hav SHAKESPEARE'S NAME.-Mr. Hallivell has illustrated his instructive "Life of Shakespeare," just published, with a number of authentic old documents, relating to the great bard, his ancestors, and different members of his family. The varieties of spelling the name of Shakespeare in these papers are so many that we have made a collection of the several forms of orthography employed in them : DANTON'S PROPHECY.-A singular anecdote is told of the Duke de Chartres, now the King of the French, which can hardly have been published without the warranty of that high personage. Some business having brought him from Dumou rier's army to Paris, soon after the massacres of September, Danton sent for him, and informed him that he had heard that he ventured in conversation to speak too freely on that subject. He told him he was too young to judge of such matters, and added, " For the future, be silent. Return to the army; do your duty; but do not unnecessarily expose your life. You have many years before you. France is not suited for a republic; it has the habits, the wants, and the weakness of a monarchy. After our storms it will be brought back to that by its vices or its necessities. You will be King! Adieu, young man. Remember the prediction of Danton."-Edinburgh Review. |