what a
wonderful man he is! I declare, I may say, that till this morning I
never knew what music was capable of." Cooke replied, "Indeed, madam,
he is truly wonderful; but allow me to observe that on this occasion
you are indebted rather to your imagination than your ears for the
delight you have experienced." "How, Mr. Cooke?" "Why, madam, this
morning Paganini has not played at all--he has not even touched a
bow." "Extraordinary!" exclaimed the lady; "I am more than ever
confirmed in my opinion of him; for if _without_ playing he can affect
one in such a manner, how much more wonderful are the sensations he
must produce when he _does_ play!"

A ROYAL AMATEUR.

"Francis the First, Emperor of Austria, was a passionate lover of
music, and played admirably on the flute. His greatest pleasure was to
perform the Trios and Quartetts of the old masters. One of the
household physicians of the court excelled on the Tenor. As imperial
etiquette did not permit a simple physician to accompany the Emperor
in his pieces unless he had the _entree_ at court, Francis first
created his doctor a baron, and then a privy councillor, thus giving
him his _petites_ and _grandes entrees_. By the help of his
Tenor-playing our medical musician insinuated himself so successfully
into the good graces of the Emperor, that he became almost the rival
of Metternich, and all the other ministers courted his friendship.
Such was the rise of the celebrated Baron Still. But for his Tenor,
this all-powerful favourite of Francis the First would have lived and
died an obscure physician."--_Critique Musicale_.

POPE PIUS IX. AND THE MUSICIAN.

"An Italian composer, named Peregrini, was a fellow-student of Mastai
Ferretti, now the occupant of the Papal chair. Since their quitting
college, Fortune abandoned the _maestro_, whilst she smiled upon the
priest. One day Pius IX. received the following letter:--'Most Holy
Father,--I know not if you recollect that I had the honour of being
your fellow-student at College, and that your Holiness has done me the
honour of playing duos with me on the Violin; and that the execution
of them was not always irreproachable, at least on my part, which so
displeased your Holiness at the time that you deigned to apply certain
corrections to my fingers. I have taken the liberty of revealing
myself to your recollection, and to pray you to take under your
protection one who can never cease to remember the happy moments he
ha