The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 2, January, 1851Various
History
The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 2, January, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
The Duchess of Narbonne, famed for her benevolence, was so desirous to
aid on this occasion, that though unable, on account of her great age,
to go among the crowd _making the guest_, as it is termed, she held a
bag at one of the great doors, adding to the sum she thus received, a
thousand francs as her own contribution, and a hundred francs for her
chair, for which the ordinary price is two sous.
The musicians are not alone in their preparations for winter. The
shopkeepers are just beginning the periodic display which betokens the
coming on of the holidays: and conspicuous among the novelties whose
appearance thus indicate the approach of Christmas, is a new style of
porcelain, of English invention, which imitates with great success the
antique marble vases, pitchers, &c., of classic days. Many of these
objects are of great beauty; the creamy hue of the ware itself, slightly
translucent, the graceful simplicity of their forms, and the delicate
mouldings of classical designs in bass-relief with which they are
adorned, producing an admirable effect, highly creditable to English
taste.
While modern art is thus successfully emulating the symmetrical
achievements of ancient times, a relic of great interest, recalling the
romantic age of Spanish history, has just been unexpectedly brought to
light. Some workmen, employed in making repairs in the Guildhall of
Burgos, in Spain, have recently discovered the tomb of the Cid, so
renowned in ancient story; a tomb whose very existence was unknown. An
old chest, long considered as mere rubbish, and on which stood the
antique chair from which, in other days, the Counts of Castille gave
judgment, having been opened through the curiosity of these workmen, was
found to contain the remains of Don Rodrigo Campeador, and his wife
Chimena, immortalized in ancient legend, in the verses of Guilhen de
Castro, of Corneille, and in our own days, in the graceful writings of
Mrs. Hemans. The remains of the renowned hero and his beautiful spouse
are to be removed to the church of San Gadeo, where a suitable monument
will be erected to their memory.
The following incident, connected with the two prevailing manias of the
day, lapdogs and balloon-ascensions, is just now amusing the gay circles
of this gossiping capital.
It seems that Madame de N., the accomplished and beautiful wife of a
triple millionaire of the quartier St. Honore, equally renowned for the
charms of her wit, and for the intensity of her passion for the barking
pets so dear to Parisian hearts, had taken a violent fancy (shared by
half Paris) to a certain tiny gray spaniel, the property of one of the
most admired of the innumerable representatives of Albion at this time
here congregated, the beautiful and distinguished Lady R., whose
intimacy was assiduously cultivated by Madame de N., all for the love of
the little gray spaniel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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