Illustrated London Letter.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 31, 6 February 1892, Page 4 (Supplement)

Illustrated London Letter.

(From One. London Correspondent.)

Lord Salisbury's New Hojie. England on the Mediterranean i? becoming more and more colonised by whab the guide books love to call ' noble, distinguished, and other heads.' Her Majesty and the ex-Empress of the French are both putting their houses in order in the land of cloudless skies, whilst the Marquis of Salisbury has completed his new villa at Beaulieu, above Yille-franche-sur-Mer, a charming site, admirably screened from the prying and the curious, on a, height mantled with olives and shrubs. The house itself, which has been built under Lord Salisbury's personal supervision, is long and low, and only bwo storeya high, with a ground floor built bungalowfashion as to its environing verandah. On the ground floor are tho drawing-room, dining-room, and billiard-room —all spacious, lofty apartments, running into each other. The upper floor is given up to "numerous bedrooms, whilst from above — from the belvedere on an Italian turret at the left corner of the house—a wide and lovely land and sea scape stretches far and •wide—in front the waves ; to the right Ville-franche, to the loft, trending into distant blue, Monte Carlo, Bordighera, and the coast of Italy. The March of Education. It is yet bo be seen if the House will sanction free board under bhe new cramming Bvstem ab Board Schools. Breakfast might, with good results, be given to many of the pooreßt leaving their homes for uncongenial education without having broken their fast. It is said that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but it was never said that the way to his head led through the same organ. It is, however.an engineering age. There is this fact—a subseanbial meal is sounder political economy than free piano training. I can vouchfor the truth of the story told by the ' Daily Telegraph ' the other day, to the effect that a servant, on engaging wibh a new mistress, stipulated for an evening weekly for her violin lesson. The servant in question was a buxom coble, music-marl. The lady did nob engage her. Ib is sound advice not to parb with a good cook for anything short of murder, and, it might be wise to add, nob to engage oven a cordon blue with musical tastes. It is history bhab pots and"pa*s may bo diverbed from

their orthodox uses by a musical genius, limited in the mean 3 of legitimabe expression, lb was in the reign of, I bhink, a Louis of France bhab a musical youbh was engaged in the royal kitchen as scullion. One day bhe king passing bhe vicinity of the cuisine of bhe palace heard bibter cries and wailing, and on entoring the kitchen saw the chef beating the lad with a frying pan. Ho demanded tha cause of chastisement, and was shown, by the indignant functionary, the scullery, on the ground of which was ranged in a row tho entire cooking stock of pots and pans. He had found the lad wibh a stick making music, instead of messes' out of the utensils, ond had given him cause to change his tune. As the story goes, the youth wps taken by the king and given a musical training. He became a great musician. With relation <!o bhe servanb and the violin, a lady, known to me, vouches for the truth of the following : —She was about to engage a cook suitable in every point, but before finally agreeing the latter begged to bo allowed to see her bedroom. The lady refused. «I only want to see, madam,' said tho coo<v, • if I should have to place my piano against an outside wall.' The negotiations came to an abrupt termination--the lady drew the line at tho ' own piano' — thab was coming ib, sho thought, rather too forte. The Brazilian Bother. As one who can lie with all the nerveforce of the north, the idealism of the Bouth, the pieturesqueness of the west, and the gorgeousness of the cast, commend mo to yonr average South American Republican official. With him tho art of Ananias becomes elevated and etherealised until it almost reaches bhe sublimiby of a religion. As a pasb masher in bhe craft of divulging tho truth—oven by accident—Balmaceda took a lob of beating, being aboub bho hofteai Chilian at tho manufacture _ of 'whoppers' than ever systematically Hod himself into power. But now it looks as if tho erupted Brazilians wore aboub to leave his inventive momory nowhere. There is quibe a touching diversity aboub. bho news from Brazil, bhe latest republic in revolt. On tho one side ' oerfecb tranquillity provails ;' on tho other, thero is 'a purely local' movement in Rio Grande, which a few Government gendarmes are expected to Buppress ; and on a third, Marshal Dcodora Fonseca has 20,000 men, and is expected to -win—which looks as if tho gendarmes require a lob of backing up. Finally, wo are favoured wibh a fourth item of news, which tells us thab the wholo of Brazil is in revolt againr-t Fonseca,'and bhab bho insurgenba aro winning all along bhe line. Ex-

perienco, unhappily, ii often wasted on the unwiso, or Marshal Fonseca might learn something from bho fate of President Balmaceda. Bub Marshal Fonaeca's conduce

of affairs in Brazil during tho last twelve months has in no aspect shown him to bo a man of exceptional prudence. General Osorio, who is in command of some 50,000 insurgents, is, on tho other hand, a man of cautious action and acknowledged strategic skill, so that, in tho combats to come Fonsoca will find in Osorio a very hard Brazilian nut to crack. Venice in London. Imre Kiralfy is the Hungarian Druriolanus, who is accustomed, liko England's only knighted manager, to go ' big licks : in spectacular pageant. His ' Noro 'ab bhe Barnum show certainly made bho Londoners 'sib up,'and now wo are bo havo our eyebrows permanenbly raieed by a reproduction of Venice—canals,. palaces, gondolas and all ab Olympia. ' Venice in London,' billed bo open on Boxing Day, promise? to beat the record in Brobciignaprian undertakings. Imra's water-rate in itself would be sufficient bo asbonish bhe most, hardened turncock, for there will be one and a quarter miles of waterway ; the Grand Canal is to front the greab stage, which is 4jo feeb long, and the smallor canals will bo sjmnned by

thirteen bridges in addition to the historic Bridge of Sighs, and the no less famous Rialto. On these ample waters no less than 100 real gondolas, and as many genuine gondoiieri will perpetually ply for hire. On theimmense stagesome 1,400 performerswill give illustrations of ancient Venetian sports, processions, ballets, aud so forth. There is a promise of solidity, thoroughness and attention to detail in this representation of the Bride of the Adriatic, which ia sure to be appreciated by a public provided with sitting accommodation for no less than 10,000, aud an uninterrupted view of a spectacle on which upward? of £50,000 will have been expended. A bit of one of the tableaux now in active rehearsal is sketched above. A Chess Record. Six hundred moves por hour Ls a remarkable record for such a slow-going game as choss. Mr Gunsberg, the famous player and champion, however, has •performed this feat, which, even in the classic arena of the City of London Chess Club, is regarded as astonishing. Play began at 3.30 p.m., and the whole performance terminated ab 5.30 p.m. Mr Gunsberg had to contend againsb twenty-four boards, ab which were seabed a set of players of average strength, yeb

in bhe brief space of time allowed he won no less bhan 20 games ; three were drawn and one only was lost. In the first six minutes Mr Gunsberg managed to geb over 100 moves. After 15 minutes' play Mr

Gunsberg had made bhe sbupendous number of 220 moves. 264 moves were recorded afber 25 minutes' play, and 300 moves were played in the first half-hour. Play proceeded ab this rate, and one by one the opponents of the Master had their colours lowered. A Magnificent Wedding. There is obviously no seasou for mating, or the wedding of Mr Gordon C. Wilson with Lady Spencer Churchill would not have taken place in this uncongenial month. There is a liimsiuess in bridal robes thab would be more in keeping wibh the warmth of summer : but, no doubb, there is sufficient warmth in the bride and bridegroom's bosoms to defy the bleakness of December. Anyhow, this wedding lost none of ibs pomp and circumstance. The bridegroom is the eldest son of Sir Samuel Wilson, M.P., and Lady Wilson, of Hughenden Manor, Bucks ; and the bride the youngest daughter of bhe late Duke of Marlborough and sister of Lord Randolph

Churchill from whom a congratulatory telegram was received in tho course of the afternoon. A very fashionable congregation honoured the occasion, including the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of Teck.and Princess Mary Adelaide of Tecs. A detachment of non-commissioned officers and troopers of tho bridegroom's regiment, the Royal Horse Guards, were in attendance. The dresses were very charming. Tho bride wore a coronet of orange blossoms, and veil of crepe lisse, attached to bho hair by diamond stars, hor raofchor's gift. Tho dress was of white satin, edged with pearls, with a Medici collar of crepe lisse and fichu of Mechlin lace, tho long train of richest striped moire and satin being held by her nephews, who wore bhe picburosque costumes of pages of Charlos 11. period. East Dorset. Politicians aro active, both on tho stump and canvass of East Dorset this week. _ As usual, on the ono sido the Conservatives aro reported as without hope ; on the othor the Liberals are pictured in the deepest dumps ot despair. On Monday Mr Lambert and Mr Arthur Brand, tne Liberal heroes of the mosb recent byeelccbions, wenb down to aid bhe Liberal

candidate, Mr Glyn ; whilst Lord Alington, Lord Wimborne, Lord Eldon and Lord Eustace Cecil have been among bhe most indefatigable supporters of the Conservative nominee, Mr Sturt. The contest has mainly raged round the question of Homo Rule for Ireland and agricultural programme which Mr Gladstone sketched at Newcastle. The Member for South Africa. Sii Donald Currie, to whom Lord Hartington gave a " friendly lead " at Crieff lasb week, might bo termed the "Member for South Africa" rathor than the representative of West Perth, though his constituents, no doubt, havo every confidence in him, judging from the big majority he secured at the last election. Sir Donald manifests a deep interest in all questions affecting South Africa, not excluding its defence*. The Steamship Company of which he is

tho head, rendered great assistance to the Government in its South African troubles in the supply of steamships for the quick conveyance of troops and stores. Sir Donald himself was mado a C.M.G. in 1877 for tho parb he book in the settlement of the diamond fields dispute and the Orange Free State boundary ; and also a K.C.M.G. in 1881 for the assistance afforded to the expedition -for the relief of Ekowe. Mr Gladstone's friendship for him—brought aboub by baking the " Grand Old Man " on sea voyages for healbh recruiting—must havo been soroly tried by Sir Donald "going over " to the Unionists. Death of Lord Lytton. A mosb unexpected death is thab of Lord Lybton, the British Ambassador at Paris. Tho deceased earl had been ill for some time past, ib seems ; his va'.ob, while preparing a dose of medicine, heard his master cough, and on looking round saw thab life was extinct. His Lordship was the only son of the distinguished novelist and stabesman, to whose title he succeeded. The deceased earl would have won distinction as a man of letters had he not become a diplomatisb. In the latter capacity he has served his country conscientiously and well, and he leaves vacant a posb bhat will be difficult to fill.

(COPYRIGHT.]