TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Te Aroha News, 15 February 1890, Page 5

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

(from our special correspondent.)

London, December 12, HEALTH OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.

The insistence of the Court newsmen that the Prince of Wales is perfectly well again has no effect whatever on “ society,” which haß somehow become aware that H.R.H. is suffering from a troublesome complaint which with men of his age generally ends fatally. Apropos I may remind you of the well-known Hamilton Palace prediction which has since last year greatly impressed superstitious folk, and provoked some dis* comfort even in the Royal family itself. The prophecy came about this way. In 1877 the Prince of Wales, the late Prince Imperial of France, and the Crown Prince Rudolph of Austria were all on a visit to the l)uke of Hamilton, at Hamilton Palace. One Sunday afternoon the Duke took his guests round the stables and riding schools, and the Prince Imperial distinguished himself by mounting aodtamingahitherto unmanageable stallion. Amongst the onlookers was an old woman who enjoyed the reputation of being a wonderful spae-wife or fortune-teller. This somehow got to the Princes’ ears, and they sent for the crone and urged her to prophesy for them. The old lady was much moved, but for a long time nothing could be got out of her. At last one of the suite audibly pronounced her a fraud. In an instant the weird creature arose angrily and solemnly pronounced something in Gaelic which horrified all the Scotch present. Fortunately, the Princes could nob understand, and the Duke of Hamilton promptly hurried his guests on. The Prince of Wales, however, insisted on knowing what the spae-wife had said. He ■was told, and looked a little grave. It. seems the old witch predicted that none of the heirs apparent present would wear a crown. The incident was naturally remembered when the Crown Prince Rudolph died last year, and some tactless person repeated it to the Princess of Wales. H.R.H., nob being very well at the time, fainted. This catastrophe occurred at Windsor, and of course reached the Queen’s ears, who insisted on knowing “ all about it,” with the result that in a few hours the story was Palace talk. THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE.

Mr Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, the “ Father of the House of Commons,” and the richest landed commoner in England, is dangerously ill. He has long since passed the allotted threescore years and ten, being in fact 87 years old, and up to a month back enjoyed excellent health. Mr Talbot is a character. He entered the House in 1830, an ardent Whig, and has thrice refused a peerage. A regular attendant at debates, he for years was one of the first members to reach the House and last to leave. Rumour indeed at one time had it that he waited to put out the lights. Billiards is his favourite relaxation, and even of late years it has been no unusual occurrence for the vivacious old gentleman to sit up playing till 4 or 5 a.m. A question of title alone prevented Mr Talbot’s taking a peerage. He wished to revive the Barony of Mansel, and that Mr Gladstone could not consent bo, as it would take precedence over several other peerages. Mr Talbot was obstinacy personified on the subject. He would be Lord Mansel or Lord nothing. AUTHORS’ PROFITS.

The largest sum ever paid for a biography was £IB,OOO, which Sir Walter Scott gob for his “Life of Napoleon.” Sir Walter also received the record price of £8,234 for “ Woodstock.” which was written in three months. For eleven novels and “Tales of my Landlord,” the same gifted author had £IIO,OOO, and in nineteen months—from November, 1825, to June, 1827—he earned no less than £26,000. Longmans paid Macaulay £20,000 for the second and third volumes of his history, and Thiers and Lamartine each received £19,000 for a history. Victor Hugo, who could only command 300 francs for “Han d’lelande,” obtained £16,000 for “Les Miserables,” which is far the highest price ever paid for a novel. George Eliot’s £IO,OOO for “Romola” is said to have recouped the publisher well ; but the £12,000 given for «• Middlemarch” never came back again. Bulwer Lytton made £BO,OOO by his novels; and Trollope (in twenty years) £70,000. Wilkie Collins’ £5,000 for “Armadale” and £3,000 for “No Name,” everyone has heard of; but it may not be so generally known that Sue got £6,400 for the “ Mysteries of Paris” and £4,000 for “ The Wandering Jew.” John Murray paid Gibbon £IO,OOO for the "Decline and Fall” and Lord Byron £23,000 in four years. Of the late Mr Tupper's “Proverbial Philosophy,” a million and a-half of copies were sold in America, and for these lie received the magnificent sum of £BO ! The sales of the English edition, however, yielded a comfortable annuity for some years. Colenso’s “Pentateuch” sold for £3,000, and Paley’s “ Elements” realised £2,000. DRAMATIC NOTES.

One hundred pounds per week was the inducement ottered to Miss Kate Vaughan to return to the burlesque stage and play a small part in the Christmas revival (written up •to date) of Brough’s “ Field cf the Cloth of Gold.” Unfortunately, it was a tint qua non that the lady should give at lease one of the beautiful dances for which she was erstwhile so famous, and in which she has never been equalled ; and that her doctor forbade. Miss Vaughan will never jdance in public again. On the subject of “ The Gondoliers the •critwW are, for once, absolutely unanimous. Save perhaps “ Pinafore,” it is the most ‘(all-round) satisfactory work _ the collaborators have produced. With neither libretto, music, nor performers is it possible for even the most hypercritical to find a serious fault. _ „ ~ , Curiously enough, fi La Tosca, though affording the finest acting and most perfect tout ensemble, seen in London for a long time, has, so far, failed to catch on with the public. The fact is, it is too full of horrors for our sisters, our cousins, and our aunts.