1831.] Affairs in General. 205 



as successor to Sultan Mahmoud. Others, that, having lately taken to 

 his devotions, he means to go forthwith to Italy, take advantage of the 

 papal decease, and by a present of his snuff-boxes among the cardinals, win 

 his way to the papal chair ; while others say, he contemplates residing at 

 the Saxon Tower built by him on Lansdowne-hill, two miles off, filled 

 with splendid gewgaws, and commanding extraordinary views of the 

 surrounding counties. But the furniture, as well as the residence in 

 Lansdowne-crescent, is also to be sold by auction. Amongst the furni- 

 ture there are " superb cabinets of black and gold japan; beautiful square 

 boxes of the richest japan ; a superb and matchless buhl and tortoise-shell 

 cabinet (formerly belonging to Louis the Fourteenth) ; black and gold 

 japan screens ; an ebony cabinet ; oa/c book-cases, of amazingly elegant 

 designs, exquisitely enriched with gold mouldings and ornaments ; im- 

 mense looking-glasses," &c. &c. The frippery of a sale-room will make 

 as good a figure in the present auction as the last ; and so we shall have 

 Mr. Beckford gathering toys, and selling them, to the end of the chapter. 



When will the Bourbons be convinced of the truth, that they have 

 played their last card in France ? that the palace of Holyrood is their 

 natural dwelling, and that the day is gone by, when a speech or a smile 

 from royalty could have more effect upon the Parisians, than upon a 

 regiment of nightmares ? Yet, on the sale of the Duchess of Berri's 

 books here, lately, a rather undignified transaction too, since the Duchess 

 is said not to be in pecuniary distress and the books came over, duty 

 free we have the following flourish, worthy of the days of Louis the 

 Fourteenth. 



"It having been stated that the f Henriade/ presented to the Duke of 

 Bordeaux by the city of Paris, had been sold by the Duchess of Berri, Mr. 

 Evans, of Pall-Mali, has given the paragraph a strong contradiction. He 

 says 



" ' No inducement could ever persuade the Duchess to part with this vo- 

 lume, in her eyes inestimable. She will frequently recommend it to the 

 perusal of her son, to animate him to imitate the illustrious example of his 

 great progenitor in bearing adversity with equanimity, and enjoying triumph 

 with moderation. She would particularly point out to the Duke of Bordeaux 

 the conduct of Henry IV. after the capture of Paris a generous oblivion of 

 political differences.' " 



Mr. Evans, of Pali-Mall, is of course, no more the author of this fine 

 affair than Mr. Alderman Hunter, or any other illustrious author, east 

 of Temple Bar. The performance is French all over. But if the Due 

 waits until he takes Paris by siege, we are afraid he will never enjoy the 

 opportunity of displaying his moderation in triumph. Much the better 

 study for him is patience in adversity : for he may rely on his never 

 sitting on the throne of the Gauls. 



There must have been some extraordinary mismanagement, or some 

 extraordinary influence busy in the Sierra Leone matters. The settle- 

 ment is now announced to be on the point of being dissolved, by order 

 of ministers. Yet for the last twenty years the loudest outcry on the 

 mortality, waste, and utter hopelessness of this settlement has been un- 

 attended to. At length, without any additional facts, and in the teeth 

 of a declaration of a few months old, the Colony is to be left to the wild 

 beasts. The recent change of ministers is not sufficient to account for 



