A CELESTIAL DRIVE.

Amongst the presents carried out by our first embassy to China, was a state coach. It had been specially selected as a personal gift by George III. ; but the exact modes of using it was an intense mystery to1 Pekin. The ambassador, indeed (Lord Macartney), had given some imperfect explanations upon this point; but, as his Excellency communicated these in a diplomatic whisper at the very moment of his departure, the celestial intellect was very feebly illuminated, and it became necessary to call a cabinet council on the grand state question, "Where was the emperor to sit ?" The hammer-cloth happened to be unusually gorgeous; and partly on that consideration, but partly also because the box offered the most elevated seat, was nearest to 10 the moon, and undeniably went foremost, it was resolved by acclamation that the box was the imperial throne, and for the scoundrel who drove, he might sit where he could find a perch.12 The horses, therefore, being harnessed, solemnly his Imperial Majesty ascended his new English throne, under a flourish of trumpets, 13 having the first lord of the treasury on his right hand,11 and the chief jester on his left.

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Pekin gloried in the spectacle; and in the whole flowery people, constructively 15 present by represen

1 To, en-2 state coach, voiture de gala- mode, manière 4 to, pour 5to call a cabinet council, de convoquer le Conseil des Ministres6 on, pour décider-7 hammer-cloth, housse-8 happened to be, se trouvait être 9 on that consideration, pour cette raison-10 to, de 11 and undeniably went foremost, et était incontestablement le plus en avant

12 where he could find a perch, où il trouverait moyen de se percher 13 under a flourish of trumpets, au son des fanfares-14 on his right hand, à sa droite-15 constructively, censément.

tation, there was but one discontented person, and that was the coachman. This mutinous individual audaciously shouted, "Where am I to sit ?" But the privy council, incensed by1 his disloyalty, unanimously opened the door, and kicked him into the inside. He had all the inside places to himself;1 but such is the cupidity of ambition, that he was still dissatisfied. "I say," he cried out in an extempore petition, addressed to the Emperor through the window-"I say, how am I to catch hold of the reins?"-" Anyhow," was the imperial answer; "don't trouble me, man,9 in my glory. How catch the reins? Why,10 through the windows, through the key-holes-anyhow!" Finally, this contumacious coachman lengthened the check-strings into a sort of jury-reins, communicating with the horses; with these 12 he drove as steadily as Pekin had any right to expect.13

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The Emperor returned after the briefest of circuits; 14 he descended in great pomp from his throne, with the severest resolution never to remount it. A public thanksgiving was ordered for his Majesty's happy escape from the disease of broken neck,15 and the state-coach was dedicated thenceforward as a

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1 The privy council, incensed by, les membres du conseil privé, furieux de-2 door, portière-3 and kicked him into, et le firent entrer à coups de pied dans to himself, à lui seul-5 I say, dites donc-6 he cried out, s'écria-t-il-7 how am I to catch hold of, comment puis-je attraper - anyhow, n'importe comment-3 don't trouble me, man, ne m'importune pas, malheureux-10 why, mais lengthened the check-strings into a sort of jury-reins, allongea les cordons en guise de rênes improvisées-12 with these, avec cela-13 as steadily, etc......to expect, aussi prudemment que Pékin avait droit de s'y attendre- circuits, promenades-15 a public, etc......neck, des prières publiques furent ordonnées pour remercier le Ciel de ce que Sa Majesté avait heureusement échappé à l'inconvénient de se casser le cou.

votive offering to the god Fo, Fo-whom the learned more accurately called Fi, Fi.

DE QUINCEY," The English Mail Coach."

HANDS.

2

Lavater* told1 Goëthet that on a certain occasion when he held the velvet bag in the church as collector of the offerings, he tried to observe only the hands; and he satisfied himself3 that in every individual the shape of the hand and of the fingers, the action and sentiment in dropping the gift into the bag were distinctly different and individually characteristic.

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.

What then shall we say of Van Dyck, who painted the hands of his men and women, not from1 individual nature, but from a model hand-his own, very often?—and every one who considers for a moment will see in Van Dyck's portraits, that however well painted and elegant the hands, they in very few instances harmonize with the personnalité ; -that the position is often affected, and as if intended for display,-the display of what is in itself 8 a positive fault, and from which some little know

1 Told, disait un jour à-2 on a certain, etc......church, dans une certaine occasion, comme il tenait le sac de velours à l'église-3 he satisfied himself, il s'assura- from, d'après-5 every one who considers for a moment, quiconque y regarde un peu de près—6 however, etc...... hands, quelque bien peintes et élégantes que soient les mains-7 and as if intended for display, et comme s'il avait visé à l'effet-3 in itself, en soi. *Jean Gaspard Lavater, the celebrated physiognomist, was born at Zurich, in 1741, and died in 1801.

+ John Wolfgang Von Goëthe was born at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, in 1749, and died at Weimar in 1832.

Sir Anthony Van Dyck was born at Antwerp in 1598, and died in 1641.

ledge of comparative physiology would have saved

him.

There are hands of various character; the hand to catch, and the hand to hold; the hand to clasp, and the hand to grasp; the hand that has worked or could work, and the hand that has never done anything but hold itself out to be kissed,1 like that of Joanna of Arragon in Raphael's picture.

Let any one look at the hands in Titian's† portrait of old3 Paul IV.; though exquisitely modelled, they have an expression which reminds us of claws; they belong to the face of that grasping old man, and could belong to no other.

MRS. JAMESON, "Notes on Art."

ENGLISH SUPERCILIOUSNESS IN
LITERARY MATTERS.

Among the characteristics of English society there is one which cannot fail to be remarked as worthy of notice," and that is the "curious felicity" which distinguishes the tone of conversation. In most countries people of the higher stations9 preserve, with a certain degree of jealousy, the habit of

But hold itself out to be kissed, que de se donner à baiser-2 let any one look at, qu'on regarde-3 in Titian's portrait of old, dans le portrait par le Titien du vieux-4 which reminds us of, qui éveille en nous l'idée de.

5 Characteristics, traits caractéristiques- there is, il en est7 notice, attention-8 and to be left out-9 of the higher stations, des hautes classes.

Raphael was born at Urbino, in the States of the Church, in 1483, and died at the age of 37.

Titian was born at Cadore, in Friuli, in 1480, and died of the plague at Venice in 1576, at the age of 96.

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a clear and easy elegance in conversation. In France, to talk the language well is still the indispensable accomplishment of a gentleman. Society preserves the happy diction and the graceful phrase which literature has stamped with3 its authority; and the Court may be considered as the master of the ceremonies to the muses; in fact, to catch the expressions of the Court is, in France, to acquire elegance of style. But in England, people even in the best and most fastidious society, are not remarkable for cultivating the more pure or brilliant order of conversation, as the evidence of tons and the attribute of rank. They reject, it is true, certain vulgarities of accent, provincial phrases, and glaring violations of grammar; but the regular and polished smoothness of conversation, the unpedantic and transparent9 preciseness of meaning, the happy choice, unpremeditated, because 10 habitual, of the most graceful phrases and polished idioms which the language affords these, the natural care and province of a lettered Court,11 are utterly unheeded by the circles 12 of the English aristocracy.

France owes the hereditary refinement and airiness of conversation that distinguishes her higher orders,13 less, however, to the courtiers, than to those whom the courtiers have always sought.14 Men of letters and

Is still, est encore de nos jours-2 accomplishment, qualité-3 has stamped with, a marquée du sceau de- to the, des-5 in fact, le fait est que-6 is, c'est- are not remarkable for cultivating the more...... order of......, ne se font pas remarquer par leur culture du genre de

..le plus......s of ton, du bon ton- unpedantic and transparent, simple et claire-10 unpremeditated, because, spontané, parce qu'il est 11 these, the natural care and province of a lettered Court, ces qualités qui fixent naturellement l'attention d'une cour lettrée et rentrent dans ses attributions--12 by the circles, dans la société13 higher orders, hautes classes—ought, recherchés.