Page:Once a Week Jun to Dec 1864.pdf/668



ONCE A WEEK. 653 "She fell upon her knees, and he did not kill or curse her, as I think I should have done in the like case. He took her away to Europe, and did not hear what his friend Stinton, who remained in the city, learnt the following day; namely, that Leila, who had sacrificed her lover and herself to her selfish little sister—who, in addition to her other sins, was as ugly as the devil—that Leila expiated her offence against the heaven-born passion, love, in the dark blue waters of the Bosphorus."

the "Siege of Rome," a piece brought out at Paris, the French soldiers are made to cry, "Vive l'Empereur!" as they rushed to the assault, though France had certainly no emperor at that time. Also in the play of "Marengo" (the battle was fought under the Consulate), the troops cry lustily "Vive l'Empereur" as they march off the stage to the scene of combat. In Dumas's play of "Richard Darlington" there is a scene in which figures a vehicle drawn by a horse. In the discussion between the manager and the proprietor of these articles as to the price to be paid at each representation, the latter held out for higher pay. "Surely," said the manager, "what I offer you is enough; the horse will have very little to do: it merely walks on the stage, and in two minutes walks off again." "Oh," replied the owner, "it is not what he would have to do, but the disgrace!"

—The present Pope is the youngest of three living brothers. His eldest brother, Count Gabriel, is eighty-four years of age, and the next, Count Gaetan, is eighty; he has one sister, the Countess Benigni, a vigorous old lady, seventy-seven years of age. Count Jerome, his father, died at fourscore-and-four years; and the Countess Catherine, his mother, at fourscore-and-two. Finally, Count Hercules, his grandfather, lived to the patriarchal age of fourscore-and-sixteen. Altogether, the family of the Mastai is a numerous one. Count Gabriel has two sons, the eldest, Count Louis, married to the Princess del Drago; and Count Hercules, who married the niece of Cardinal Cadolini. Count Gaetan is a widower and has no children, nor did Count Joseph, another brother, who died a few years ago, leave any; but his sisters have made amends in this respect, and the Pope has no lack of nephews and grand-nephews.

—Our recruiting Serjeants used to tell a pretty good tale to entice recruits, but we do not remember to have ever seen an official notice, not even among those issued by the East India Company in times gone by, which in its attractiveness equalled the following invitation to good-looking young men to enter the regiment of La Fere of the French Royal Artillery:—"By command of the King.—Those who desire to enter the Royal Corps of Artillery, the regiment of La Fere, Richoufftz's company, are informed it is that of the Picards. In it they dance three days in the week, and play at rackets twice; the rest of the time is spent at skittles and other games, and in the exercise of arms. Amusements abound, every soldier has high pay. Applications to be made to M. de Richoufftz, at his chateau of Vauchelles, near Noyon, in Picardy. He will reward those who bring him well-grown recruits." It was this regiment which Napoleon Bonaparte entered as a junior lieutenant in 1785, shortly after leaving the military school.

—A very curious regulation of the Chamberlain's office, bearing date 1624, touching the conduct to be observed by cadets who were invited to dine with an Austrian archduke runs as follows:—"His Imperial and Royal Highness having deigned to invite several officers to dine at his table, and having had frequent opportunities of observing that the greater part of these officers behave with the strictest courtesy and good-breeding towards each other, and generally conduct themselves like true and worthy cavaliers, nevertheless deems it advisable that the less experienced cadets should have their attention directed to the following code of regulations:—1. To present their respects to His Imperial and Royal Highness on their arrival, to come neatly dressed, coat and boots, and not to enter the room in a half-drunken condition. 2. At table they are not to tilt up their chairs or rock themselves therein, nor stretch their legs at full length. 3. Nor drink after each mouthful, for if they do they will get tipsy too soon; nor empty the goblet to the extent of more than one half after each dish, and, before drinking therefrom, they should wipe the mouth and moustaches in a cleanly manner. 4. Neither are they to thrust their hands into the dishes, nor to throw the bones under the table. 5. Nor to lick their fingers, nor to expectorate in their plates, nor to wipe their noses on the tablecloth 6. Nor drink so bestially as to fall from their chair, and make themselves incapable of walking straight." We may well wonder what kind of manners prevailed at that period among the lower grades of society when we find a code like the above considered necessary to regulate the behaviour of young officers who must have belonged to the noblest families.