"a essence of it highly esteemed. In the middle ages the Crusaders brought from the east a taste for perfumes, and subsequently Italy became the principal place of their manufacture, and Venice as famous for them as Capua had been in the time of the ancients. Perfumes appear to have prevailed at court from the earliest periods. Sardanapalus, Caligula, Clovis, Charlemagne, Catherine de Medicis, and Queen Elizabeth were all lovers of sweet scents. The former queen took with her to France " Florentine named René, who was very expert in preparing perfumes and cosmetics: this René appears to have been an analytical chemist, with a subtle knowledge of the lethal qualities of certain vegetables and mineral substances, and was clever at distilling them; and his royal mistress is said to have had frequent recourse to his craft, in order to rid herself unsuspected of those who were distasteful to her. In Elizabeth's time the taste for perfumes became excessive. Scented gloves which had acquired a bad odour in France from the use which the wily Catherine de Medicis was suspected of making of them in the case of Jeanne d'Albert, mother of Henry IV.-came into fashion vitriol by way of improving the complexion. PERIODICALS. ODD FELLOWS' QUARTERLY. Manchester. An agreeable number, with articles by the editor, Eliza Cook, "Silverpen" (whose story of "The Lancashire Labour Club" is continued), and Mrs. C. A. White (who contributes "A Glimpse of the Black Country”). THE LIFE-BOAT JOURNAL contains much to interest all classes in the support of the noble and much-needed institution whose doings, from quarter to quarter, are recorded in its pages. The utility of its services during the present winter have been largely taxed and bravely proved. It is a national reproach, with the wreck-chart before us, that any of the redstarred shoals and rocks upon our coast remain without a life-boat in their near vicinity. NEW MUSIC. "In the fifteenth year of the Queen, when the Right Hon. Edward de Vere, Earl of Oxford, came from Italy, and brought with him gloves, sweet bags, a perfumed leather jerkin, and other pleasant things. In that year the Queen had a pair of perfumed gloves, trimmed only with four tufts or rows of coloured silk. She took such pleasure in the gloves that she was pictured with them upon her hands, GOLDEN DAYS. Ballad. Words by Matthias and for many years afterwards it was called 'The Barr; Music by C. H. Morine. (London: Joseph Earl of Oxford's perfume.' On another occasion Williams, 11, Holborn Bars, and 123, Cheapside. Queen Elizabeth, visiting the University of Cam-We have so frequently called attention to the bridge, was presented with a pair of perfumed gloves, and was so delighted with them that she put them on at once. She also usually carried with her a pomander (or pomme d'ambre), which was a ball composed of ambergris, benzoin, and other perfumes; and she was once mightily pleased with her gift of a faire girdle of pomander,' which was a series of pomanders strung together and worn round the neck. These pomanders were held in the hand to smell occasionally, and were supposed to be preservatives from infection." In comparatively recent times doctors wore cassolettes in the heads of their walking-sticks with the same intention. Mr. Rimmel says nothing of the perfumed rings which were constructed to squirt out the essence with which they were filled, at the will of the wearer, and, like the perfumed gloves of Catherine de Medicis, were sometimes used for other purposes than those of vanity or pleasure, and became the unsuspected vehicles of a subtle poison. Our author draws largely on Shakespeare for his illustrations of the use of perfumes and unguents during Elizabeth's reign, and then goes on to notice the modes of facial adornment in the days of Margaret Duchess of Newcastle, when too hpowder appears to have been composed of China, brick, or the like;" and a new skin was mparted by burning off the old one with oil of words of songs by Mr. Barr, that our readers will be prepared to learn that those of the present ballad are quite deserving of the sweet and somewhat plaintive air to which the composer has united them. "Golden Days," regretful as such a theme must naturally be when regarded from a stand-point in advance of them, is tender without being melancholy, and effectively set for a mezzo-soprano voice. We perceive that it has been composed for, and is sung by, Miss Dunsmore. OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT. MY DEAR C When you read this, Paris will be clothed in sack-cloth and ashes, eating salt-fish and "haricots" in expiation of all the good things we are now devouring, and all the folly of our brilliant carnival, though the most zealous devotees of the "jours gras" are not always the most penitent in Lent. In spite of the carnival and his Majesty's speech, which made us forget for a moment the Encyclical, still we have not yet thoroughly digested it; and Monseigneur Dupanloup's subtle translation, the Nuncio's letters to the bishops, and the two bishops' wilful disobedience to the law, still form topics of warm discussion in the political world. The opening of the houses was, as usual, very splendid. The Emperor, whatever the public may say, seems to be in excellent health, and is very perceptibly increasing in bulk, as is his illustrious spouse, who, elegant and graceful as she always is, wore a white satin dress and mantle trimmed with sable. At the ball, given the other night at the Tuileries, the Empress had a white silk dress besprinkled all over with tiny diamonds, that looked like so many dewdrops sparkling in the reverberations of the light. The dress was very long, and looped up with tufts of grass as well as the drapery of the "corsage." The small diamonds that covered her hair seemed to hold to nothing, but trembled at every movement of the head, and were a perfect mystery to many present. Her Majesty seemed in high spirits, and chatted and danced a great deal with the Turkish ambassador, a big, black-looking man, whose red cap embroidered in gold appeared to be a fixture on his head, as he never once moved it, not even when his imperial hostess offered him a cake with her own gracious hand. Most of the stars of the evening were foreign ladies, as during all the present season. The Princess de Metternich outdoes all in magnificence, and is perfectly 66 écrasante." The equipage that waited to convey her home from the palace that night, produced quite a sensation. The Court "turn-outs" are pale beside it. Can't you imagine the little fluttering heart of its mistress, on seeing many quit the imperial ball-room to admire the effects of her gold? Oh! vanities of vanities! A Spanish banker-Mr. Salamanca -has just ordered of a tailor of renown livery for his hundred and fifty servants, that is to cost 300,000 francs (£12,000)! The Prince and Princess Napoleon opened their saloons this carnival, for the first time since King Jerome's death. Their Majesties honoured them with their presence. The Princess walked round the ball-rooms leaning on the arm of his Majesty. It was remarked that not a Russian star, "Dieu merci," was invited, nor yet the Pope's Nuncio, nor yet an American from the South; but in revenge a great part of the democratic journalists received invitations: the rooms were so crammed that one could scarcely stir. We are expecting a visit from the Princess's Royal father, Victor Emmanuel, who, it is said, is coming for the christening of the two little princes, his grandchildren; Monseigneur Darboy, archbishop of Paris, having consented to perform the ceremony, despite the excommunication launched on the King of Italy, and which certainly extends to his impious sonin-law, who is continually disturbing the "dolce far niente" of the Senate by asking for Rome the capital. At the Minister of War's ball, there was a cotillon led by a young marquis, which was conducted with fifes and drums: each group when passing before Madame Randon, their hostess, saluted her in the military style. It had a very pretty effect, and will, no doubt, become very fashionable, particularly where there are officers. At the ball given by the Préfet 3000 guests admired the saloons in the Hotel de Ville, turned into a perfect fairy palace for the occasion. Nothing could surpass the coup d'ail of the grand staircase, where two "Swiss" in red and gold stood motionless on the first step, gravely holding their gilded halberds; then, amidst a garden of plants and flowers inundated with streams of light, a double row of footmen in red with white breeches, and Paris horse-guards with their great shining boots, their glittering bayonets, and brilliant helmets with their long horse-hair, reflecting everything around them. Dancing commenced at nine o'clock, and was kept up until four. Victoria Sardon was evidently the lion of the evening, on account of his new piece now nightly filling the Gymnase "Les vieux Garçons" (Old Bachelors), a very amusing and clever comedy, which will have a long run, as well as "Les Jocrisses de l'Amour," by Théodore Barrière and Lambert Thiboust, at the Palais Royal. It ridicules venal love, and laughs at those despairing lovers whom the Parisian dolls attract and deceive. It seems that many a gravelooking spectator recognizes himself "in petto," in the donkeyish personages on the stage, and their laugh is not exactly that of pleasure: they laugh jaune, as we say here. The fun and mirth it excites is inexpressible, and in point of art it is a much better farce than those of the Palais Royal in general. Mdlle. Vitali, niece of Franchini, made a successful début the other night, at the Italian Theatre, as Gilda in "Rigoletto." Mille. Patti asked 10,000 francs to sing in a concert at Bordeaux, given by the Philharmonic Society in that town--a demand which many consider exorbitant; but, in my opinion, it is worth double the price to undertake such a journey as that, with such weather as we have this winter, particularly when one is going to marry a Russian "richissime," which lot is in store for our petted "prima donna," according to idle report. It is true that report gives everything worth having, now in Paris, to the Russians: it becomes quite "agaçant." Apropos of the weather, the frost has been extremely aggravating throughout the season. In December a skating club was formed and the most seductive dresses ordered. M. Haussmann the director of public pleasures, had ordered a large plain to be inundated exclusively for the members of the club, whose lives were precious to him, I suppose; when the sun smiled on Monsieur le Préfet's designs, and annihilated them all. In February fresh plans were formed, fresh dresses ordered, a skating match by torchlight was to come off as soon as the ice would bear it everything was ready. The sun again smiled, and M. le Préfet is obliged to acknowledge that, after all, he is not "le bon Dieu." 66 made themselves perfectly "at home" without further ado; and jolly fun it was, they say. The Prince proposed several toasts; which, of course, were responded to with enthusiasm, particularly the one to the Saint Charlemagne. I am not sure that some did not express a hope to meet there again another year. After the banquet Robert Houdin gave them a representation, and the boys returned to their respective colleges delighted. Since then, every mother who has a boy pretends to her friends that he was at the Saint Charlemagne at the Tuileries. The Minister of Public Instruction presided at the yearly dinner given by all the old pupils of College Rollin-the college where his Excellency was educated, and which is very proud of him, as well as the numerous other eminent men present at the banquet, who had also been brought up at Rollin. The minister, in a Decidedly horseflesh is a great dainty. If I insist upon it, it is because we have had another grand diner hippophagique," and that at the Grand Hotel a hundred and fifty civilized men devoured three horses of eight, fifteen, and twenty-four years of age; and never-never was there anything more delicious. That of twenty-speech, re-called the past difficulties in the four years, I should think, was some cabman's old hack that had been well beaten to make him tender. I assure you I begin to tremble; for when a man will eat his horse, he is not far of wishing for a slice of his friend, methinks. I much prefer Edmond About's harangue on ichtyophagy. Fish, he says, is not sufficiently cultivated in France. If we want more food than the earth gives, we have only to turn our eyes towards the ocean. About has made a curious calculation: he pretends that every Frenchman consumes yearly about 23 kilogrammes of meat, and only 1 kilogramme 350 grammes of fish, because fish is dearer in France than beef. A bullock of six years has devoured 160 thousand kilogrammes of grass : if he gives 300 kilogrammes of meat, 3 kilogrammes represent 1,600 kilogrammes of vegetable matter, and is only just sufficient to make one a good basin of soup; from which our author infers that there would be great economy in saving the spawn from destruction; and thus increase the quantity of fish in the market. Do you know what the Saint Charlemagne is? Ask any boy in the colleges and schools in Paris, and he will tell you that it is a holiday, and that those who have been first in their class since the beginning of the year, that is since October, breakfast that morning with the head master and all the professors-an honour all are envious of. This year, the day before the banquet, orders came from the Tuileries, or rather I might say an invitation from the Prince Imperial to all the boys that had been first in the seventh class, mostly about his age, to a banquet given by him in honour of the Saint Charlemagne. The people passing the palace on their arrival could not make out the reason of those carriage loads of youngsters, fluttering with eager expectation, that entered the Imperial residence, where they were received by the Emperor and Empress and the young Prince; there were about two hundred. In spite of their Majesties' injunctions to make themselves "at home," young France was timid until the champagne had been round, when the ice was broken, the tongues were untied, and the young gentlemen beginning of his career, being the son of a simple employé at the Gobelins; how, at the end of his studies, without the advice of a friend, he should have enlisted in the army from sheer discouragement, being penniless, &c. Of course he was greatly applauded. At the Privy Council, the other day, he and the Prince Napoleon warmly supported the question, now on the tapis, of gratuitous obligatory in struction. By a decree he has also ordered, as in ancient Greece, that henceforth music is to be taught, the same as Greek and Latin, in all the public schools. He is certainly the most enlightened and liberal minister that we have had for a long while, though it is a pity he now and then refuses to authorize public lectures when the names are suspicious: thus Messieurs de Brogli, Cochin, and De Lavergne were prohibited the other day, as well as the recital of a new drama by Le Gouvé, "Les Deux Reines" (the two queens); but we are to have the drama in the Journal des Debats. M. Safile Delord has published a new pamphlet, entitled "La Papauté de M. Guizot," Grand Dieu! What a many coups de pied d'âne poor M. Guizot continues to receive, because he takes the liberty of having an opinion of his own! You know that there has been, for some time, great disturbances in the Reformed Church of France, on account of the Unitarian-tinted doctrines of Messrs. Coquerel and Son. Last year, at the consistorial election, the son was not re-elected, nor is he again this year, the orthodox party being in a majority. Mdlle. Rosa Bonheur was called a little while ago to the tribunal at Fontainebleau, by Mr. Pourchet, a distinguished person at Lyons, under the following circumstances: In 1860 the celebrated artiste undertook to painta picture for M. Pourchet, for the sum of 8,000 or 10,000 francs, the gentleman having chosen the subject. In vain since then has M. Pourchet reclaimed his picture. Mdlle. Bonheur, annoyed at last at his frequent solicitations, declared that she would not paint it at all. The Tribunal has, however, decided differently, considering that all engagements ought to be fulfilled, even by petted children of Fortune, and have condemned the lady to deliver the picture in six months, under the penalty of paying 20 francs for every day's delay-rather a galling decision for the artiste. A subscription has been opened for Jules Gerard's aged mother, left by the death of her son totally unprovided for. The Duc d'Aumale has sent a thousand francs, and several English people here have added a handsome mite; so that the poor old lady is in a fair way of having a nice little fortune for the end of her life Nadar, like Dumas, hates to be in the back ground; so, to see his name again in the papers, he conceives the idea of photographing the sewers of Paris; for which reason he, with a company of friends, descended the other day into that very agreeable place, which Victor Hugo, in "Les Misérables," has so graphically described. There on a railroad several carriages, pushed by the robust shoulders of two men, conveyed the party through the several streets under Paris, until they all had had enough of it; although they pretend that under-Paris was at that moment as pleasant as in Paris. But, talking of under- Paris, I read a curious anecdote the other day, which revealed to me a fact I little suspected. Strauss, the chef d'orchestra for all balls de la opéra, or Court balls here, wished to have a new set of quadrilles de chasse executed at one of his balls in these quadrilles were introduced motives on the admirable flourish of trumpets by Rossini, for four trumpets. He had procured four huntsmen, belonging to some of the great houses that still keep their hounds; but he wished to have a partial rehearsal beforehand. The huntsmen gave Strauss a rendezvous at a wine-shop near the great market, it being forbidden to sound the horn in Paris so as to be heard by the police, except during the last three days in Carnival ("les jours gras"), and God knows that our ears are stunned with that noise then, it being a very favourite instrument with the Parisians. At half-past ten then, one night, Strauss arrived at the wine-shop, said who he was to the landlady, who immediately lighted a sort of wax taper, and opening a door where the musician perceived a ladder, she smilingly told him to descend it, at the bottom of which he would see a staircase, which he must also descend; then he would see a door, at which he was to knock. Strauss declares that it was not without apprehension that all alone he thus penetrated into the earth three storeys under the ground floor, for the staircase descended two storeys; it would have been so easy to shut him up there, and he certainly repented coming, long before he had reached the door. However, he went lower and lower until at length he heard joyous sounds issuing from beneath him, but was not thoroughly re-assured, until, after knocking at the door, he found himself in a large room, dimly lighted-up with candles, but where a merry company was waiting for him, for there they might make all the noise they liked, without fearing to be heard above ground, But enough of Paris under-ground: come to the blessed light of the sun again; though wait a moment, I must relate a laughable scene that happened near me the other day. You have heard what a pest concièrges, porters or door-keepers, which is one and the same thing, are here. Well, a professor of chemistry had for some time missed wine, liqueurs, wood and charcoal from his cellar, where all those items are stowed in Paris, and was determined at last to find out the thief. Therefore, taking large pieces of charcoal, he scraped a hole through them, into which he introduced a composition; and after stopping up the holes, he placed the pieces on the top of the heap. The next morning most awful screams issued from the porter's lodge. The chemist, being on the watch, ran in. There were the porter and his worthy spouse shouting with fright before a splended display of fireworks, that had dashed their saucepan of "café au • lait" from off the charcoal furnace, and was cracking and flaming away as if Old Nick himself had undertaken to scare them out of their wits. The police was called in, the lost bottles were found in the trembling pair's cupboard, and they finished the day, so brilliantly commenced by them, in prison. M. Proudhon, who died the other day, has left several posthumous works, which with what he has already published is the only patrimony he has left his two young children; thus acting up to the maxim he is accused of holding, that "La propriété c'est le vol!" (Property is a theft). Paul Royer Collard, nephew of the celebrated deputy of the Restoration, is also gone to his last resting-place. He was professor of law in Paris. In 1848 the students one day raised such a hubbub against him, at one of his lessons, that he was obliged to leave his chair and escape from the school, running as fast as he could in order to get home, the students following close at his heels. He gained a bridge, "le Pont des Arts," which, unluckily for him, at that time claimed a toll. He threw a piece of gold to the toll-keeper; the worthy man insisted on giving him his change; the students had already reached him. "It is for me and those gentlemen," exclaimed the professor, pointing to the troop behind him. Shouts of " Vive Royer Collard !" immediately rent the air, and the hot-headed youths, delighted at the presence of mind of their professor, carried him back in triumph to his chair. The composer, Félicien David, is not gone mad, as report would have it. He has been very ill, but is better, and was the other day at a repetition of his new opera, at the Opera Comique-opera that we are to have during March, under the name of "Saphir," instead of "Tout est bien qui finit bien" (All's well that ends well) the title he had first given it. I think I have now given you all the tit-bits scraped together for you, so farewell for another month. The bœufs gras are named Capitaine Henriot, Vieuxgarçon, and Roland, from three pieces now in vogue. Yours truly, S. A. LADIES' PAGE. A FLY-CATCH. MATERIALS:-Boar's-head knitting cotton, of Messrs. Walter Evans and Co., Derby, one reel each of Nos. 20 and 12 white, and one reel of No. 20 scarlet; two lengths of green or red silk piping wire-one length eleven nails, and the other half the length; two bone meshes, one flat and one round, to measure, by placing a string round each mesh-the one five-eighths of an inch full, the other exactly half an inch; four inexpensive roses or other flowers. No. 12 cotton. Large mesh.-Net on double thread, or on a foundation, twelve stitches; withdraw the mesh, turn; same mesh, net twelve other stitches. Small mesh.-Net three rows round, that is, joining in a round in the first row. Large mesh. Two stitches in each loop (twenty-four stitches). Small mesh.-One in every loop. Small mesh.-One stitch in every loop (fortyeight stitches). Same mesh.-No. 20 white cotton, five rows. * Large mesh.-One row, two stitches in each loop. Small mesh.-Five rows plain *. Repeat from to again, only net seventeen rows plain, instead of five. Large mesh.-One in every loop. loops in one stitch (count seven loops on the mesh, there will be eight knots); net a stitch in next loop. Repeat from *. Observe that there should not be more than ten groups of stitches on the mesh before slipping the stitches off, when it will be better to cut off the needle and cotton, and finish so far. The next row thus: With small mesh take the whole of the seven loops on the needle, and net into one stitch; net the next two loops. Repeat. By thus netting two rows nearly at the same time, the inconvenience of having the seven loops roughed or entangled is avoided, and the needle will readily pass through them in a mass. When this row is finished, the net is complete; pull it out well, fold it into four divisions; mark each division in the red border, by running in a white thread, so that it may be easily withdrawn. When required for use run the longest wire (having first marked it in four divisions with Small mesh.-One row, netting second stitch white cotton) into the increased part immefirst, and first stitch secondly. diately above the seventeen rows. Sew the two ends of the wire together, but do not sew it on to the netting; bend the wire perfectly round; run in the smallest wire through the crossed stitches at the bottom of the seventeen rows, and sew the ends as before, Now pin the net up by the string to a valance of a curtain, or any other convenient place, where it will hang free of any wall; and at every division which is marked by the white thread in the border, pin it to each division marked in the wire, and afterwards slightly sew it with scarlet cotton; then Large mesh.-Scarlet cotton. * net seven arrange flowers in centre of each festoon. Same mesh.-Two rows plain. (a) Scarlet cotton. Large mesh.-One row plain. Same cotton. Small mesh.-One row, netting second stitch first, and the first stitch secondly. White cotton. Same mesh.-One row (b) Repeat from (a) to (b) again. Now repeat from (a) to (b) twice more, but making a scarlet instead of the white row. Small mesh.-Two more rows. LADY'S KNITTED UNDER-PETTICOAT. MATERIALS:-One pound and a quarter of four-thread scarlet fleecy, and a quarter of a pound of white ditto. We cannot too highly recommend these very warm garments for wearing under crinolines, as they cling so nicely to the figure. The petticoat need not be made very long, therefore does not take a great deal of time to knit. Cast on 141 stitches with scarlet, knit 4 rows. 5th row. Join the white, knit 1, * make 1, knit 3, slip 1, knit 2 together, pass the slipped stitch over, knit 3, make 1, knit 1, repeat from *. 6th. Seamed. Repeat the 5th and 6th rows till 8 are done. 29th. Knit 3 with white, slip 2 stitches, repeat. 35th. Knit 1 with white, *, slip 2, knit 3 with white, repeat. 36th. Seam the white stitches, slip the scarlet. 37th and 38th. The same as 35th and 36th, knit two rows of scarlet. This completes the border of the petticoat. For the centre knit and seam alternate rows of scarlet till 18 are done. Knit 1 row of white, seam and knit alternate rows of scarlet till 15 are done, knit 1 row of white, knit a stripe of 13 rows of scarlet, 1 row of white, then a stripe of 11, 9, and 7 rows, with 1 row of white between each, knit 6 stripes with 5 rows of scarlet and 1 row of white between each, knit 1 row of white, seam 1 row of scarlet, then knit 24 rows in ribs of 2 and 2, cast off. Three breadths will be required. Join them with single crochet, and add an elastic band. |