richer and more dignified dress, consisting, | if it so pleases them, wear a black silk velfor levees, of "a black silk velvet dress- vet suit of similar shape, with white waistcoat, with gilt, steel, or plain buttons, a coat at discretion, and buttons gold, steel, white or black silk velvet waistcoat, black or plain, according to taste. Can man develvet trousers-did not Mr. Disraeli try sire more than that? The latter costume, black velvet trousers many years since?. which is one of great dignity, and will proba black cocked-hat, and a gilt or steel-hilted ably be preferred by many to the former, is sword." At drawing-rooms, black silk vel-understood to be favoured by the Prince of vet "breeches," with black silk hose, shoes, Wales, and some time since its introducand gilt buttons are to be worn. A tertium tion as ordinary evening dress was gravely quid remains. The present, or we hope we discussed, and extended, we believe, so far may say the late, Court dress, will be recog- as a little experimentation. It owes its nized at her Majesty's Court, so that if any origin, however, to the late Conservative ultra-conservatives in the matter of choco- | Premier, whose innovation in this direction late coats, bag-wigs, and "flower-pot" waist- caused consternation in society at the time; coats, linger in courtly circles, they will be though those were days when Count D'Or-enabled to appear in the guise of Sir An- say, Louis Napoleon, Lord Chesterfield, and thony Absolute in the play. Surely these other daring dandies were allowed, like changes should gratify all classes and con- "those charming women" in the song, "to ditions of courtiers-from lord mayors and dress themselves just as they pleased." sheriffs, to honourable gentlemen who are But whether as regards one dress or the asked to dine with the Speaker from pro- other, one important institution is not abol-. vincial aldermen who come up to St. James's ished, as was too hastily asserted on Saturwith an address, to contractors for public day by an evening contemporary, who debuildings who are bidden to Buckingham duced from the supposed fact an augury Palace to be knighted. The dark-coloured fatal to the maintenance of the established cloth dress coat, with its accessories, will order of things in general. Breeches and be a kind of uniform not unlike that worn by stockings have not gone, as the writer asconsuls, and a uniform having something mil-serts, with the park railings. They still itary about it is ordinarily unobtrusive, yet exist, so there is hope for the Constitution picturesque. Two flunkeys hanging on be- "While stands the Colosseum, Rome hind a coach may be laughable objects; shall stand." The designer of the new but five hundred flunkeys, all clad alike, Court dress was evidently of opinion with would form a band of "retainers," and, their the poet who asked, "Without black satin hair-powder notwithstanding, would look re- breeches, what is man?" So he reserved spectable. As for the silk velvet dress those interesting articles as still imperative we are glad the Chamberlain insists on the at drawing-rooms, including, we may congenuine article, for there may be sordid clude, State balls; and men who are diffisouls shameless enough to go to Court dent about their legs may still have to stay in velveteen-we venture to predict that away from Court upon occasions where it will become the most widely patronized ladies form part of the company. of all the three Court dresses.

[Standard, Feb. 15.]

[Daily News, Feb. 15.]

WHAT if Conservative wisdom has thrown THE alterations which have just been away its fears too soon? Before the new sanctioned are of a very sensible kind. House has met innovation has begun. We They enable private gentlemen to appear published on Saturday the terms in which in a dress of much the same shape that they the Court itself has capitulated to the rewear in ordinary life; one which we are forming spirit of the time. "Court dress" accustomed to see in diplomatic and other is no longer to be required at Court. The civil uniforms; and one which they can monopoly of breeches is abolished, and wear at their ease as a costume "of the "dark coloured cloth trousers of the same period," instead of feeling like fish out of colour as the coat, with narrow gold-lace water in a costume of the last century. The stripe on the sides," or plain black silk velnew fashions, too, are as ornamental as vet trousers when a black silk velvet coat is need be. If men are not satisfied with coats worn, may make their appearance instead of with gilt buttons, embroidered collar, cuffs, the breeches. In one of the new forms of and pocket-flaps trousers with gold stripes dress the levelling influence of Mr. Bright down the sides, white waistcoats and cravats, will be obvious. A black silk velvet dresscocked hats and swords, there can be no coat with single breast and straight collar, satisfying them at all. But even this dress with collarless waistcoat and ordinary trouis not without an alternative. They may,sers of the same material, must surely be a

compromise with Quakerism. The reten- mince his language. "I was not born for tion of a little gold lace on the coat collar, a spy. This is not my nature. But we cuffs, and pocket-flaps is only a part of the must persue these reptiles into their holes, compromise. That these new forms of and see what they are about." The Count dress will be picturesque without being ab- intimates grimly that he would much prefer surd, and will be immense improvements on to have the reptiles strangled on Prussian the cumbrous Court-dress now in use, is soil; but that as there is, unfortunately, in however beyond dispute; and it may be parts of Germany, not yet sufficient loyalty hoped that the partial assimilation towards for that summary process, the disagreeable our ordinary evening dress may tend to re- necessity of despatching spies to follow them, deem the dress itself from some of its ugli- when they run to earth, cannot be avoided. ness. But the worst absurdities of Court It is, however, Count Bismarck's expresdress, the cocked hat and sword, are still sions concerning the general threatenings retained. They are protests perhaps of the war which create most uneasiness. against the invasion of a mere republican They are evidently carefully calculated to simplicity. It would be impossible to ask stir up the warlike pride and alarm the selfthe Lord Chamberlain to recognise a wide-restrained spirit of Germany. Count Bisawake or a chimneypot; but now that he marck admits that the situation was still has invented something which may possibly graver in the autumn before the change of lead to a reform of our evening dress, could government in the Principalities, but his he not strike out some new idea which would language is still alarming enough. For inabolish cocked hats and chimneypots to- stance, "Without being able to rely on gether? peace, peace has not the value that it ought to have for a great nation. A peace which is exposed to the danger of being disturbed every day, every week, is not peace in the true acceptation of the term. A war is often less prejudicial to the general pros

From The Spectator, 6 Feb.

COUNT BISMARCK ON THE STATE OF EU-perity than a peace so ill assured (Cheers)."

ROPE.

COUNT BISMARCK either is persuaded that Germany must fight before her new position in Europe can be a settled one, or he at least wishes to be thought to entertain this belief. His speeches in the Lower House of the Prussian Parliament on the ordinance for the confiscation of the private property of the ex-King of Hanover, and that on confiscating the property of the Elector of Hesse Cassel, --to both of which the House has assented by large majorities,- -were very threatening. He did not so much defend himself against the charge of espionage, with reference to the measures taken to prove the existence of the Hanoverian conspiracy and legion, as avow that, much as he disliked espionage in the case of the internal enemies of Germany, it was a measure of simple self-defence. As usual, he did not

Still more exciting in tone is the following, in reply to Herr Virchow; Yesterday Herr Virchow could not see the point of the sword which was directed against our heart. The same deputy has also not happened to see at all the hundreds of thousands of bayonets which were hovering in the air. I will remind him of the misfortune of that chamberlain of King Duncan, who was overtaken by sleep, and was unable to see the poignard of Macbeth. It is the duty of the Government to keep its eyes open and to keep a sharp look-out." France, at least, might fairly retort that it was Macbeth who was so wide awake' as to see the dagger hovering in the air, and that that dagger was, doubtless, his own. Interpret it as you will, such language from the most powerful minister in Europe is, at all events, not soothing.

HOLLY BERRIES, OR DOUBLE ACROSTICS FROM THE POETS.-Edited by A. P. A. (Hatchards). THIS is a charmingly got-up little volume in white and gold, containing a goodly number of those ingenious puzzles which have recently become so fashionable. If anything were wanted to render attractive this harmless,

if not very exciting, amusement of constructing
acrostics, it would be found in such an unusually
pretty little volume as the present, with its more
or less occult selections from the poets.
might with propriety have been dedicated to
the Acrostic Club.
London Review.

It

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NUMBER A HUNDRED.

A NEW SONG BY CHRISTOPHER NORTH, ESQ., HIMSELF.

You will find by the cover that our Magazine,
This month of its numbers A Hundred has seen;
Seven years and a half has old Christopher North
Its energies guided thro' paths full of worth;
He asks you, then, readers, to join in a glass,
And with hip, hip, hurrah! let the jolly toast

Full of murder and vengeance, Brougham's client the Queen.

Then villany rampant pervaded the land,

And strumpets and ruffians fought hard for command.

A rascally crew of low creatures, but vain,
Domineered, when he rose in the realms of
Cockaigne;
Ah! where are they now? - Let them rot in the
dirt,

For their fangs have been drawn and they can-
not now hurt.

Even Byron, tho' using their monarch as tool, Called them after our nickname, the base Cockney-School,

Yet the wretches themselves would most sadly have wonder 'd,

Had we said how they'd sunk before Number A

Hundred.

brim,

Look to Christopher then, and depend upon him; In the struggle, from loyalty never he sunder'd Their last they'll have libelled, lied, havered, and Number Fifty spoke out just like Number A Hundred.

maundered,

Long ere Maga, triumphant, counts Number
Two Hundred!

But let's end in good humor. - since first we
begun,

Have we not spread around a whole spring-tide

of fun?

Written papers of eloquence, learning and sense, Prose and rhyme which to pathos and wit have pretence?

(Mix'd with which, if some nonsense or trash you may find,

Why, pardon it, lads, 'tis the lot of mankind.)
On the whole, Kit is sure that by none 'twill be
wonder'd

If he calls "a high bumper for Number A
Hundred!"

Blackwood's Magazine, May, 1825.

THE PULPIT OF THE OLDEN TIME.

66

From Blackwood's Magazine. insignificant enough, to escape elsewhere, lynx-eyed censure is closely watching him in the pulpit. It is the place which used to be called, by the irreverent wits of a bygone day, "Coward's Castle;' because there a man could dogmatize safe from contradiction, and launch his thunders, strong or feeble, against his opponents, securely sheltered from all counter-attack. "Come and hear me preach," said Bishop Horsley to Thurlow. No," returned the Lord Chancellor, with his usual expletives; "no; I hear you talk nonsense enough in the House, where I can contradict you, and I do; but I'll be- (any participle you please) - if I come and listen to you where I can't." But the pulpit might better now be called "Castle Dangerous." Instances are rare perhaps, as yet, of the preacher being attacked in his stronghold; but the moment he comes down out of it, his enemies have at him from all quarters. It is well if he escapes the criticism of his wife, who lies in wait for him at the vestry-door; for, as it is said that no man is a hero to his valet, so assuredly no preachers are prophets to their own household. But whatever his fate in that quarter, he finds an Aristarchus in every educated male member of his congregation. Every man of average intelligence thinks he could write a sermon: and per

It has been said that next to being loudly praised, the best thing for a man who desires a reputation is to be thoroughly well abused. If this be true, the preachers are just now having what an American would call " a good time" of it. The old line of wit, once so popular — having a fling at the parson has come up again with the smart professional writers of the day. It is not the highest kind of wit, it must be allowed; but it has the merit of being readily understood, and, like jests upon Scripture, there is a flavour of irreverence about it which is supposed to mark a free and independent mind. There are a good many people who, for one reason or another, do not care to go to church, who object still more strongly to any private interference of a pastoral kind, who prefer not subscribing to schools or other parochial charities of which the parson (Heaven help him!) is too often the sole promoter, and are therefore by no means sorry to have a plausible excuse for declining the parson altogether. It forms a very decorous apology for non-appearance in your place in church, to say that the curate preaches such rubbish, or that the rector is a notorious Puseyite. No case abuse the plaintiff's attorney."

66

So, whatever line the clergy take, they|haps only those who are expected to write are pretty sure to be called to account for two every week know the difficulties of it. Just now they have been loudly blamed such a performance. It may be granted for having been too busy at the elections; a that there are a great many very indifferlittle while ago they were accused of hold-ent sermons preached; it may be added, ing themselves too much aloof from the sub- that if the critics had to preach them, there jects and questions of the day. If they would be a good many more. There are a take seriously to any one of the 'ologies great many stupid speeches made, and a and unless a man takes up these things in great many stupid books written, and with earnest he had better not touch them at all— less excuse; because it is very seldom that there will be straightway found some well- a man need make a speech or write a book meaning but narrow-minded Christians to unless he chooses; whereas preaching is a accuse them of secularizing their sacred part of the parson's duty, and a man may profession; if they profess an ignorance of be a very useful parish priest who is neither science, the worldly critic will, with more a Demosthenes nor a Chrysostom. Manshow of reason, complain that those who kind, says a living cynic, are "mostly claim to be the leaders of thought are be- fools:" it may be conceded that they are hind the information of their age. The certainly not mostly wise men; and the young rector of old past used to hunt, and preachers are no exception to their fellowthat was voted an abomination; he now creatures. plays croquet, and its very mildness is turned to his reproof.

The truth is, that just now a strong tide of feeling has set in from some quarters But even if he be fortunate enough, or against preaching per se, as a necessary