the latter
part of 1850. The character of the conventional French mountebank,
Paillasse, the vagabond juggler of fairs and streets, was regarded as
one of the finest creations of Frederic Lemaitre, and in one of the
Christmas _revues_ a symbol of the piece passed before the eyes of the
audience as one of the types of the past year. It has since been brought
out in London with quite as much success, Madame Celeste (the quondam
star of our _Bowery_?) in the character of the wife of the mountebank.
The musical season at Paris has been signalized by the production of two
successful operas. _L'Enfante Prodigue_ of Auber is running a prosperous
career at the _Academie de Musique_. General opinion speaks highly of
the music, and the piece appears to be one of the most ingenious of M.
Scribe. At the _Opera Comique_ another opera by Scribe and Halevy, _La
Dame de Pique_, has been brought out with success. The _libretto_, taken
from a Russian tale, translated by M. Merimee, is one of the most
fantastic Scribe has constructed. It is founded on an old story about
the Russian Empress Elizabeth, who had found out the secret of
invariably winning at play by means of three cards, of which the Queen
of Spades (_la Dame de Pique_) was one.

* * * * *

M. COMBET, a Protestant clergyman of Cevennes, has just published at
Paris in three volumes a work of great interest and value, under the
title of _Histoire de France sous le regne de Henry III. par Mazerai_.
It comprises a full, conscientious and philosophic account of the French
religious civil wars, from the beginning of the Reformation down to the
establishment of religious liberty under the Consulate. To the original
work of Mazerai, M. Combet has prefixed an elaborate introduction, while
he has added in the form of an appendix whatever relates to more recent
matters, with copious notes and commentaries. The whole constitutes an
invaluable contribution to the history of the modern religious movement.

* * * * *

Some new contributions to the history of labor have just appeared at
Paris. The most important is the _Histoire de la Classe ouvriere depuis
l'esclave jusqu'au Proletaire de nos Jours_, by M. Robert (du Var), four
volumes. Less general and comprehensive in its aim is _Le Livre d'Or des
Metiers, Histoire des Corporations ouvrieres_, by Paul Lacroix and Ferd.
Serre, six volumes. Both these books are written without