London. Forty years ago, I confess, when
we had no intercourse with your charming Paris, they would have received
it with delight at the first theatre of the King. But now they know too
much; and any of our writers who should set himself to laugh at the
grand nation without careful and candid observation of them in their own
country, would be only making _himself_ ridiculous. Now the more a
traveller becomes familiar with the people amongst whom he lives, the
less occasion he finds to smile at their peculiarities. He discovers
good sense where at first he only saw eccentricity, and the material for
mockery crumbles away when he attempts to grasp it. And hence it arises,
my dear Sir, that almost the only sure way to raise a laugh in England
against your witty compatriots is to carry out and improve their
ignorant caricatures of us."

"Monsieur, it is impossible to say anything more true or more profound.
Permit me to hope that, as the two sisters recognise each other's noble
traits, they will never smile to deride, but only in admiration."

* * * * *

RUSSIAN REVOLUTIONISTS.

The Russians are not commonly supposed to be revolutionists, though the
slaves of a sanguinary Autocrat are just as bad as Red Republicans.
However it appears that they have embraced that revolution in naval
warfare which is destined to result from the adoption of COLT'S
Revolver. Armed with this instrument, these tools of absolutism are
likely, in effect, to prove the most destructive levellers; flooring
their antagonists left and right. Should these antagonists ever be
British Tars, it will be a disgrace to the Admiralty if the QUEEN'S
sailors have no better weapons than the superseded old pistol and common
cutlass wherewith to encounter the crew of NICHOLAS. It is to be hoped
that they will be supplied, without delay, with arms that will place
them on an equality with whatsoever foe they may be called upon to
conquer; so that they may defy old NICHOLAS and all his crew, and repel
all other assaults of the enemy.

* * * * *

TRICKS, BUT NOT HONOURS.

LORD MAYOR SIDNEY, in presiding the other day at a meeting of those very
common people, the Common Council, expressed himself excessively
"anxious for the honour of the Corporation." We are delighted to have it
in our power to relieve LORD SIDNEY from further solicitude, by
entreating him to cease from all anxiety for "the honour" o