The Sphinx, Vol. 13, No. 184

              10
THE SPHINX
December 10th
Our London Letter
London, December 5th .1905.
Tin Kind's Movements The King returned to Buckingham Palace yesterday, after spending the week-end at Sandringham, and in the afternoon he received in aud-ien;e MA. J. Balfour, who tendered his resignation as Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman, in response to the King’s summons, attended at the Palace to-day, and accepted the task of forming a Liberal Ministry. In consequence of the resignation of the Government, he Privy Council, which was to have been held to-day, has been postponed, and this afternoon the King left town for Crichel on a visit to Lord Alington.
Lord Alington’s guests to meet the King at Crichel include Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouillv-Dietrichstein (the Austro-Hungarian Ambassador), Earl and Countess Cadogan, the Earl and Countess of Crewe, Lord and Lady Elcho, Lady Norreys, Viscount Villiers, Lady Edith Villiers, the Hon. Percy Thellusson, Sir Ernest Cassel, the Right Hon. Sir Charles Hardinge, the Hon. Mrs. George Keppel, and Mr. Lionel de Rothschild.
There will be a couple of days’ shooting, and some motor trips have been arranged, including visits to Bryanston Park and to Kingston Lacy, the former being the residence of Viscount Peatman, and the latter boasting a very fine collection of pictures, the property of the late .Mr. Bankes.
The Queen’s Birthday.
The Queen spent her birthday in the way she likes best—at Sandringham, the Prince and Princess Nicolas of Greece, who were remaining on a private visit, being among the Royal circle. A very agreeable entertainment was given in the evening in the ball-room, a number of guests from the neighbourhood being invited to join the house-party. Her Majesty must have felt somewhat sad at the absence of her youngest daughter on this occasion, although Princess M aude’s accession to the throne of Norway cannot but be very gratifying to her Danish mother.
Dowager Countess of Macclessfield.
, Last Saturday was the birthday of one of the Queen’s oldest friends—the Dowager Countess of Macclesfield, who attained the age of 85. She is a daughter of the second Marquess of Westminster and grand-mother of the present Earl of Macclesfield, who is only seventeen. Lady Macclesfield has had fifteen children, of whom four were daughters. She was appointed l.ady of the Bedchamber to Queen Alexandria at the time of her marriage, and has received many marks of personal friendship from the Queen since that time.
The Queen has appointed the Marchioness of Lansdowne as Lady of the Bedchamber to her Majesty, in the place of the Countess Dowager of Lytton, resigned, and Miss Margaret Dawnay and Miss Blanche Lascelles to be Maids of Honour to her Majesty, in the place of the Hon. Dorothy Vivian and the Hon. Mary Dyke, resigned.
Victorious New Zealanders.
The “All-Blacks” as the New Zealand football team is called, who have scored heavily over here, still continue to completely overrun their opponents, their most recent success being the defeat of All-England at the Crystal Palace. The King met several members of the Colonial team at the Cattle Show at Islington yesterday, and chatted with them for a few moments, congratulating them on their victories, and wishing them a pleasant finish to their tour.
His Majesty, by the way, was a large exhibitor at the show and was the winner of several important awards.
Lord Curzon’s Home-Coming.
Lord and Lady Curzon arrived at Charing ■Cross at noon yesterday, on their return from India. In anticipation .of their arrival a large ■crowd of personal friends and' acquaintances had •assembled on the platform, which was kept reserved, and at the station exit a considerable number of the general public had also congregated.
Among the former were Viscount Goschen, Earl aud Countess Roberts, Lord and Lady George Hamilton, Mr. C. T. Ritchie, M.P., Admiral Sir E. Fremantle, Gen. Sir Dighton Probyn, Major-Gen. Baden-Powell, Sir Edgar Vincent, -M.P. Gen. Sir Owen Tudor Burn, Gen. Sir John Gordon, Col. Sir Buell nan, and Lady Scott, Sir
J.	Rennell Rodd, Col. Sir Howard Melliss, Sir j David and Lady Barr, Lady Younghusband, Sir Charles Hardinge, C >1. Sir William and Lady Bisset, Sir J. Lambert, Sir John Lawson, Mr. G. Levescn Gower, ard the Hon. Mrs. Leveson Gower, Lord Reay, Lord William Seymour, Sir II. Barnes, Lady Helen Vincent, Sir C. Lawson, Sir Denis Fitzpatrick, Gen. Sir E. Coljen and Lady Collen, Sir M. Bhownaggree, M.P., Sir A. Lyall, Sir F. Fryer, and many others.
For fully a quarter of an hour an informal reception was held on the platform. The ex-Viee-roy expressed himself much pleased with the warmth of the reception, and remarked that both he and Lady Curzon had benefited considerably in health by the voyage from India.
Accident to Lord Rosebery.
Lord Rosebery met with an extraordinary mishap on his estate at Dalmeny on Saturday afternoon. He was driving in his favourite carriage, a two-horse phaeton, with a page boy seated behind, when, in turning a corner too sharply, the phaeton was upset, and Lord Rosebery and the boy were thrown out. The horses, two big blood animals, then bolted at a gallop along the drive. The noise of the galloping horses dragging the upset carriage attracted the attention of some men working in a field near at hand. They caught the runaways, and rendered what assistance they could.
A messenger was at once dispatched to Dalmeny House, and his lordship’s motor car was soon taken to the spot and conveyed him home. As is his custom, Lord Rosebery was driving himself, and the accident occured when the carriage was turning a sharp corner from a grassy avenue to the regular carriage drive. The escape of his lordship was altogether miraculous, and the members of the house party, which includes Lord Balfour of Burleigh, were much gratified to learn that his lordship had escaped almost unhurt.
A Week of Weddings.
It is some time since we have had so many important weddings in one week as those which are taking place within the next few days. Today Mr. Percy Machell married the Countess Valda Gleichen, the service being performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Mr. Machell owns a fine place in Westmorland with an extremely old and interesting garden, and the bride is quite a notability, the fairies having apparently showered all their gifts upon her at her christening—Art, music, both are at her command, and it is no wonder that she is so popular a person. Lord Averbury’s daughter was also married to-day, as was, too, Miss Dorothy Ponsonby, grand-daughter of the 15th Lord Dunsany.
To-morrow, an American bride, Miss Breese, marries Lord Willoughby d’Eresby M. P., and on Thursday Viscount Lewisham will marry Lady liuperta Carrington.
The Earl of Aneaster’s tenantry on the Grims-thorpe estate have subscribed for a wedding present for Lord Willoughby de Eresby, in the shape of a tortoise-shell tray, supported on four gold balls, which is said to be upwards of 200 years old. It bears the inscription, “ Presented to Lord Willoughby de Eresbyon his marriage by the tenant farmers onth e South Lincolnshire estates,-December 6, 1906.” The cottagers’ gift is a silver inkstand on an oblong silver tray.
Two interesting theatrical weddings have taken place during the past week, but both were extremely quiet, one being that of Mr. Julian L’Es-trange and Miss Constance Collier, and the other that of Mr. Henri de Vries and Miss Dorothy Drake. Both occasioned considerable surprise, as nothing was known before-hand as to time and place. Miss Collier is continuing her splendid impersonation of Nancy in Oliver Twist at his Majesty’s Theatre, but the run of the piece will conclude in a fortnight. Great preparations are being made for the production of Nero next month.
The Unhappy Czar.
If only the Czar had been able to treat his country as Prince Nicholas of Montenegro has treated his small Principality, how much difficulty and danger might have been averted from the Russian people. The Prince, who is the father of the Queen of Italy, has shown that he believes in his country and in himself, and in presenting his people with a Constitution he yet maintains his personal influence. He is a most gifted man, and his sons and daughters have all made brilliant
marriages. The Czar’s position by comparison is pitiful indeed. The latest reports from Russia are most sad and dreadful. Imminent flight of the Royal family ; people fleeing in panic ; anarchy ; stormy Cabinet Council; loyalty sapped ; disaffection everywhere; and every kind of honor are reported, while the unhappy ruler, in name only, learns too late the value of the opportunity he missed.
Personalia.
The Duchess of Westminster has gone to Eaton Hall. She only stayed for one night at Grosvenor House on her arrival in town from South Africa, whither she went with the Duke to see his estate in Orange River Colony, on the completion of his Grace’s generous scheme for colonising.
Two new Lords-Lieutenant have been appointed by the King. The Duke of Norfolk succeeds the Marquess of Abergavenny, resigned, in Sussex ; and the Duke of Westminster succeeds Lord Egerton of Tatton, also resigned, in Cheshire.
The recently-married Marquis and Marchioness of Bute are visiting the Dowager Marchioness at Melrose, where she has been detained by the effects of her motor accident in October. She is expected in town before long.
Very bad accounts have been heard of the health of Lady Howe recently, and Lady Lamington has had to have an operation for the abcess in her ear, from which she has been suffering since last March. Sir Victor Horsley performed the operation, and latest reports are that the patent is going on well.
Lord and Lady Dundona’d gave a very smart tea-party on Tuesday last to meet Princess Henry of Battenberg and Princess Ena. Prince and Princess Alexis Dolgoronki were among the guests, the latter looking very well. Her husband was, of course, sharing the general depression as to the aspect of matters in Russia, his own steward having been threatened not long ago.
Lady Sibyl Grey, Capt. the Hon. Hugh and Lady Susan Dawnay have left London for Liverpool, where they joined the Tunisian for Canada on a visit to Earl and Countess Grey.
The Earl of Rosslyn also left by the. Tunisian for Canada. lie expects to be back in England by the end of December.
Autolycus
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THE QUIET LIFE.
Happy the man, whose wish and ca:e A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air
In his own ground.
Whose herds with milk, whose fields with bread, Whose Hocks supply him with attire ;
Whose trees in summer yield him shade,
In winter, fire.
Blest, who can unconcern’dly find Hours, \days and years, slide soft away In health of body, peace of mind,
Quiet by day,
Sound sleep by night; study and ease Together mix’d; sweet recreation,
And innocence, which most does please With meditation.
Thus let us live, unseen, unknown ;
Thus unlamented let me die;
Steal from the world, and not a stone Tell where I lie.
Alexander Popb
(written before he teas twelve years of aye)
-M SPONGES fe
A CHOICE & LARGE STOCK
at F. LURI’S
Rue El Rawieh. Branch, Clot Bey.