PARIS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 721, 7 March 1866, Page 3

PARIS.

December IS, 1805. The loyal and orderly transference of Belgiai i f!? lu 't'o tlicir new sovereign, and the fae that the -Emperor Napoleon has been the firsi to otter his affectionate condolences and gooc wishes to Leopold 11., have put a period to the deluge of speculations on the coming downfai; ot tile little kingdom which eo many pens have boon industriously representing as incapable o1 surviving the veteran statesman just gathered to his fathersi The Belgian Constitution prescribes the talcing of the oath of fidelity to that instrument, by the new King previous to hia accession, and vests the supreme power of the Government, during the feiv days' interregnum between the death of the Sovereign and the accession of his successor, in the IV! inisters and the Parliament. Leopotd 11., therefore, though hailed as a member of the group of European Majesties, and receiving, as such, the condolences of his brother sovereigns, as well as addresses innumerable from every part of Belgium, did not really enter upon the dignities and responsibilities of Royalty until after the ceremony of yesterday.

The last liours of King Leopold, during wind he retained the full use of his faculties, wen passed "witli his children, ministers, and iutimati iriends about him. The death-agony had comi on so suddenly that it was feared he could no] survive for the meeting of the Council of State but having rallied, he had an interview with tht Prime Minister, and then, feeling that his houi was approaching, he sent for liis children. ITc exhorted the !Duke de Brabant to reign kindly and justly, to avoid partisanship, and to live ft the welfare and freedom of the country. Then came tlio painful leavetaking, the old monarch weeping, and his sons and the Duchess de Brabant unable to control.the Violence of their emotions, though repeatedly entreated to do so by.lho king. His little grand children were lifted on to the bed, and fervently blessed by the dj-ing man, who then lay with one hand locked iu that of the weeping Duchess as she knelt beside the bed, and the other pressed on his heart, as if in pain, until at length, he fell into a sort of doze, in which his spirit passed paiulessly away. On the following day, a simple but touching funeral service was performed in the mortuary chambers, and the collin was carried out, by torchlight, and placed in the hearse which conreyed it: from tlio Palace of Laolcen to that of Brussels, a dense and silent crowd being assembled along the whole of the way, every window rod balcony being full of spectators, aud almost ;vcry hearse hung with "black. This silent ?orfcr/e, consisting of the hearse, the local lulhorities, the king's favorite pastors and "fiends in a few Court, carriages, preceded, folowed, and escorted by troops of the line find lie Civic Guard, slowly making its way by :orchlight through the silent- and regretful jrowd, seems to have been a very imposing .pectae'c. The king's sons, who had accompalied the collin io the door, of the place, reliained at Laeken, the coffin being received at :ho door of the Palace at Brussels by the jVTinisers and groat functionaries of the State. The

loffm irw covered with a magnificent pall, and )laced in one of the rooms on the ground loor of tlie Palace, fitted up as a c/iapellc trdcnfe, where, guarded by tho household troops, t Jay in state through (lie week, visited by liunIreds of thousands, the late sovereign being not >nly held in grateful veneration for the leading iart lie lias taken in consolidating the indepenlenee, and developing the prosperity of liis idopted eountiy, but being personally beloved or liis goodiiCKs, kindness, and uprightness as a nan. The funeral took place on Saturday, tlie 16th nstant, tlie city of Brussels having put itself nto mourning i'or tlie occasion. All the shops, wen those of the suburbs, were closed ; and learly all the houses were hung with black. The ate King having been allied by blood, alliance, _>r friendship with all tho reigning houses of luirope, tho assemblage of royal personages, ind of special representatives of crowned heads, gathered in .Brussels on that day was almost inprecedented. Among those who thus paid he last tribute of respect to tlie old monarch vhose disappearance has called forthsiieliuniversal regret, were the Prince of Wales and Prince Vrthur, the King of Portugal, Crown Prince of Prussia, Prince Louis of Hesso, Archduke Wiliam of Austria, Grand Duko of Baden, Princes :>f .Nassau, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Saxony, "Wuremburg, and Holicnzollern-bigmaringen, the Dukes do Reinours and d'Aumale, and Prince le Joinville. All the Courts were represented jy special envoys.

The funeral car was nil immense structure, lraped with black, surmounted with the royal nsignia, the royal cloak of red scarlet and ■rmine, and displaying tlie armorial bearings of lie Kins of Belgium and of the nine Belgian Provinces ; trco shields, adorned with oak i eaves nnd laurels, bore one the date of the I ting's accession, the other that of his death, i-t the four corners of the car were four urns, n which inccnso was burning. The cortege set out for Laeken at 11 o'clock, imidst a salvo of 101 guns. What with the Ministers, public functionaries, deputations of lie great bodies of the State, the authorities >f Brussels, the deputations of provinces, comnune.s, universities, private societies, &c., the roops, the diplomatic bodies, &c., the procesiion was three hours in passing—no drums or nusic being heard, but a solemn silence pre'ailing the whole time, broken only by the deep oiling of the bells of all the churches, and the :annon fired ofl' every live minutes. A temporary building liung with black, and iontaining a lofty catafalque, had been crected mtside the village church, in the wall of which in opening hud been niado to allow the body of he l'rotestant King to be carried to the Koyal 'ault without passing through the church doors, the coffin was carried into this building, the mpils of the Conservatory sang a hymn. Pastor /ent then delivered an oration, and throw a landful of earth on the coffin, reciting the ?rotestant service for the dead. A Psalm was hen sung, and the coffin was carried into the ihurcli, and deposited in the vault, beside that >f Leopold's second wife, Queen Louise, who vas buried there fifteen years ago. The enhance to the vault was closed up, the persons iresent withdrew, and the imposing ceremony erminated. So much for the crowning glory, of earthly lonours and prosperities : a Uoyal funeral. The new King took the oath of fidelity to the I Jonstitution yesterday ; ho was received, as also lie new Queen, who presented her little son to lie Chambers, with the utmost enthusiasm. The late King was very fond of France, and much enjoyed his visit to this city early last summer. Ho went about, amusing himself with Hie sights and sounds of this lively capital, without retinue or any insignia of his rank, and was several times seen by those who knew him, admiring the charming displays in the shop windows, or sipping a eup of coffee in the fashionable cafes. One day lie strolled into the Cafe in Holder, which is much frequented by the afliccrs of the Trench army. All the tables were occupied, but the King, espying one at which a gentleman was seated j alone, asked permission of the latter to share ' nrith him. " With pleasure," returned 1 gentleman, wlio was an officer, and judging f'/om the appearance of the king that he was a military man, he added, "Without doubt, you also wear the uniform P " "Yes," replied the king. "And you are, I am sure, among the higlir- | grades P " "Yes, my grade is rather high."' «" beg your pardon, General, for such v - . J be, for my curiosity," said the of* 5 fully and feeling rather cmba- - rcspept-" familiarity, as he began dSSed at his'&wn talking to one of h- thinlc that lie was "better 6 tft ng ' - priors. "General," as lie sipped his coffe ®; officer thought

liis new acquaintance was jesting and began to look angry when there ararrived a third person who, after bowing to the king, began to speak to him in a low tone, but audibly enough for the officer to overhear the word " Sire." The king now rose to follow the new coiner, but seeing, from the surprised look of the officer, that his own rank was discovered, said," You now know what uniform I wear. If you would like to make further acquaintance with me, come to Brussels on your next leave of absence, and we will drink together to the prosperity of Prance, which I lore, and to the glory of the French army, which I admire." '1 he young Princc of Portugal on passing incognito through Paris, a few days ago, contrived a charming surprise for liossini, the illustrious maestro. A Portuguese gentleman of high rank here, called on Rossini, and requested permission to bring to him a young countryman of his, who was extremely desirous to make his acquaintance. The old composer having graciously assented, the gentleman speedily returned, accompanied by a handsome young man, with a most intelligent face and charming manners. A very animated conversation soon sprung up, the stranger discussing music and musical matters in a way that showed him to bo thoroughly at home on the subject. " Do you play on any instrument?" asked the composer. " I sing and play on four instruments." " Indeed," returned Rossini,

Dr. Jiiehard Wagner, whose hideous cnlopliolios have so completely I'nfletl to win the sympathies of Parisian critics to the Music of tlie Future," but who has a fervent admirer ill the fonnjj King of Eavnria, lias just been advised it liis royal patron to spend a few months in oroign travel. As it is hardly probable that liis sentence of exile can have been proJounced in deference to any dislike of lis subjects lo the music -which Fels the oeth of all lovers ox melody on ecipo, lie version whi h attributes Dr. "Wagner's lisgvaco to tlie manceuvres of the Ultramontane larty may, perlrvps, be correct. That party is utterly resentful of the recent recognition of taly by the Bavarian Government, and as the Joyal Chapel Master is believed to have greatly

" that is ]ilce your Xing, his Majesty's father Don Ferdinand, -who came to see mo last year tokl mc that the King is not only an excel lent singer, bui a most thorough musician, and pl'lys 011 just that number of instruments. Tr fact, I often drink their healths in a glass of excellent port ho graciously sent me." Ihe visitoi then smiled, and snicl simply, "1 nm the Kinp of Portugal," If os.-iini, greatly surprised, would fain have treated the young sovereign with the respect due to !iis rank,- but the Eing, to put an end to all idea of etiquette, sat 3ovm lo the piiino, and played the trio from 'William Tell," the famous duo from the same )pera, sev<n*al things from Verdi and Donizetti, md some airs from " Martha," conversing with 'xcellent taste and judgment- on the peculiarities >f thoso masters. At last, in rising to take leave, le expressed the pleasure the visit had afforded iim, and requested permission to send to the naestru the insignia of the Order of Merit-, lately nstituted in Portugal.

nflueiieed liis Bavarian jVI ajesty's decision, lie s naturally tlio object of tlicir attacks. Hence, Uys Kossip, tlie " advice " just given to him by bo King on. the subject of travelling and its idvantages. T3ic Court of Prussia has just married one of ts innumerable Princesses, the bride weaririKcerain diamond ornaments known as " Ibc I'rin■esses' Jewels," -which are only worn by each of bose exalted damsels once in lier lifetime, viz., t the ball given in honour of her marriage. Princess Alexandrine has thus had the glory >f appearing in jewels wovtli considerably Dvei- £200,000 sterling, and of seeing the redoubtable Bismark figuring, torch in band, it the bead of a group of stately courtiers, all lolding torches, in a solemn minuet, according o the " traditions" of Prussian royalty. Unuckily, tbc Princess has married u royal duke vith 110 royal pretensions, and, as such, entitled o a lower place at the royal table than the French and .Knglisb. Ambassadors, who were at ;he wedding, and who. being the representative )f the person of their respective Sovereigns, ;nke rank, like all others of their class, inlineliately after the sons and brothers of Kings, is the King would not allow the bridegroom to 30 snubbed at the royal table, on his wedding lay, by being obliged to sit below the two ambassadors, the latter were politely informed by the chamberlain that there were no scats for them at the banquet, and as »tiquette forbade those exalted functionaries o sit at- any lower table, there was nothing left "or tliem but to sail out of the Boyal presence, ivith their ladies and the members of tbeir respective embassies, on the conclusion of the ceremony in the Koyal Chapel! Happily, we have outgrown the rislcs of steel and gunpowder as the consequences of little diplomatic incidents ■of such a nature, which allusion to the sinews of modern warfare reminds me that Captain Schultze, of the Ihissiau Artillery, lias invented a new land of gunpowder, which lie is largely manufacturing at Potsdam. The new is white, offers no danger in its manufacture, s itorage, or transport, makes no smoke, and is p «rfeetly inoffensive until fired. . The Court is just coiriejiack to the Tuilenes,

jv' here the marriage of Princcss .Anna Murat y j tli the Duke De M ouchy is understood to ;nl ce place to-day—oue of tlie gifts of the l?r bicess's trousseau beinpe tlic s wad all n clothes jf' Henri IV., contained in a rich casket ot the 15t; i century. If half the accounts that had boo i published of the gifts of the Emperor aud Erm n-ess to their favourite young cousin, were true, the public really ought to be admitted to a sight of sucli a collection of splendours ; but prob ably the usual amount of exaggeration must bo al lowed for. But even with this allowance the b ride's outfit, jewels included, must be magnificent.