WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5156, 1 October 1877, Page 3

WHAT THE WORLD SAYS.

Under this heading, “ Atlas” contributes to the World of July 18 the following items of London gossip:— Acting under the advice of Mr. Washburne, General Grant has given up his idea of going to Paris. This will disconcert many plans of the people who intended to avail themselves of his presence to provoke a manifestation against Marshal MaoMahou. A tourist writes to me, that when passing near Lausanne last week he noticed a white flag waving on the top of the Castle of Voyon, and thereupon asked a fellow-traveller if that was the residence of the Comte de Chambord. ■ “ No,” was the answer; ££ that castle is a prison, and the white flag is hoisted to certify that there are no prisoners there, which is of rare occurrence ; just as in England, when there happens to be no cases to try, the Judge is presented with a pair of white gloves.” The Countess of Cardigan has not been fortunate in her re-entry into matrimonial bonds, and barely four years after throwing off her widowhood, is under the sad necessity of announcing to all whom it may concern that no responsibility will be accepted for any debts incurred, retrospective or prospective, by her liege lord. Very unpleasant this for her spirited ladyship, and ■ very unpleasant also, the Comte de Lanoastre is probably of opinion, for the spouse so prominently proclaimed a pecuniary incubus. Mr. Sims Reeves’ benefit at the Albert Hall was, I am informed, quite the biggest thing of the season. The audience numbered 11,075 persons, all of whom paid for admission ; the total receipts were nearly £ISOO, and the expenses a fraction over £IOO. It is said, though with how much truth I am unable to affirm, that Mr. Sims Beeves contemplates one more concert of the same kind prior to that final retirement from the concert-room which his friends have warned him must, before long, be inevitable. The New Yorh World has had the good fortune to find some new, letters and journals of the poet Keats. They, were in the hands of his brother’s family, who lived in Louisville, Kentucky,; and there is a good deal in them which future editors ©f Keats will have to read with care. In one of his letters the poet expresses his opinion that “ Paradise Lost,” though a great work, is a “ corruption of our language. It should be kept, as it is unique, a curiosity-—a beautiful and grand curiosity, the most remarkable production of the world ; a Northern dialect accommodating itself to Greek and Latin inversions and intonations.” These contributions to the memorials of Keats have been appropriately given to his admirers by a journal which has for years exercised great literary influence throughout the United States. . . Everything possible is being done to hush up the unfortunate results of the march from Aldershot to Windsor and back for the review ordered last week by the Queen. From the division of little more than 14,000 troops more than 660 , fell out unable to march. This is the number of authenticated cases, and does not include the men who rode on baggage waggons, bread waggons, and other transport vehicles. If I thought any good would be derived from concealing this, I would hold my toim-ne ; but it is far better that the nation should know of what stuff its ono solitary division is composed ; and I hope that the reports of the medical officers upon the condition of the men on their return to Aldershot will be asked for in Parliament. If all that I hear is true, the production of these reports would burst the bubble of “ successful recruiting” so often floated before our eyes.” People have been greatly exercised in their minds on account of the defeat of Petrarch by Snail iirthe Liverpool Cup, and hard and ungenerous words have been spoken of Custance, who.rode the former. Everybody had felt so sure that Petrarch would win, that the result hits our judgment very hard, to say nothing of our money. As we do not like to confess ourselves in the wrong, we seek to make excuses ; and the last statement is that Petrarch near home put his foot in a hole, stumbled, and so lost the race. All I can say is that the Messrs. Topham were half-amused and half-indignaut ■ at this when they heard it. They know nothing of any “ hole” on Aintree course, and would be glad to have it pointed out to them. I believe in one thing, and that is, that if Petrarch could have discovered a hole big enough in which to get himself, he would have done so. Why he was beaten was because he simply ceased to struggle when Snail g t to his head. Men who saw the Leger last year should have thought twice before they so unjustly accused Custance of bad riding. A more unfounded charge was never made. The peaceful inhabitants of the neighborhood of Woolwich were startled out of their first sleep one night recently by the noise_ of firing, a salute of twenty-one guns having been fired when the Prince of Wales left the mess of the Royal Artillery, where he had been dining. This was the third royal salute fired that evening—the first on his arrival, about 9 ; the second when his health was drunk, about 10 ; and the third on his departure. Yet there is a well-known rule that no salutes are to be fired after sunset. A dinner involving three royal salutes, fired at Government expense, can scarcely be looked on as a private party, and therefore I do not mind repeating what is common talk at 'the Horse Guards, that the few noisy subalterns who sang “He’s a jolly good fellow” when the health of the Duke of Cambridge was drunk, would have shown better ta&te and been less offensive to his Royal Highness had they held their tongues, as nine-tenths of the officers dining did. I will not repeat all I have heard of two elderly field-officers dancing a can-can, and a subarltern singing inferior music-hall songs, beoairse I cannot bring myself to believe that it is true, or that the Royal Regiment of Artillery could have found nothing better than this to amuse the Heir-Apparent to the Crown of Great liritain on his first honoring them by a visit.