.-----TOPICS OF THE DAY.
THE CORONATION NUISANCE.
ALL the great babies of the Continent have been gaping and staring nn d lolling the tongue out for the last fortnight, in antici- ration ofthe grand coronation treat at Milan ; which, having been duly had, is at length, we are happy to say, over. Grown-up Europe has been occupied once. more with frills, and ruffles, and trimmings, and the cut of regmeentals,„the " grand equipages," d the "truly magnificent fireworks ; and those who, unhap- ly could not repair to the scene of action themselves, have ,. fought comfort in speedy intelligence. In default of actual per- al observation, it was some consolation to know through an esTItra ordinary courier, that " two grooms ot the chamber on horseback followed the major domo; or, that the pages " all wore cocked hats fringed with small feathers ;" or, that " the representatives here raised the thumb and the two first fingers of the right hand," Ste. Sec. Nor had the Engl; pionic enough of such entertainment three months ago, it appears, but have de- voured the Austrian treat at second-hand with unabated relish,— If, at least, the press :s to be taken as any criterion of their appe- tite. The London paper,: :lave teemed with reports, five and six colientv in length, entirely made up of such materials as the above. One of these, forming part of a series of communications from" our own correspeedent,' written with all the diffuse imbe- cility of a man-milliner, was invested es:Ili extraordinary interest in s morning paper of Wednesday :est by a prefatory account of its violation by the cruet Austrien _lice, who ". tore it open and examined it, '—a misfortune which is represented as " the penalty for having a Liberal chareeter." " The pen can give a very inadequate idea of what the eye has witnessed," says the gifted author of the violated Milan correspondence, "but, from a slight sketch of one or two points of the picture, some notion may be gained of what it has, as a whole, presented to the spec- tator." There is then a rush in medias rev, and we find ourselves at once luxuriating in all the colours of the rainbow—caps, and feathers, and ladies' gowns,
"satin, silk, and muslin,
And other stuffs with which 1 wont [he does] stay puzzling."
And so the writer goes on, describing and describing, till at "jewels glistening and goln dazzling on every side," and "the snow-white uniforms, and the animated people," he works himself up into a sort of half-swooning incoherency, which is so ecstatic, that we only wonder the suspicion of the Austrian police was not aroused, especially as it is at the same time utterly unintelligible, to that it might as easily pass for a tirade against the authorities as for any thing else. Nothing can exceed the accumulated power of the climax to this description. "Such was this procession —such the order in which it advanced—such the streets through which it passed." Nor can any thing be more remarkable than the exhausted vocabulary evinced in the conclusion, where, after every epithet expressive of enthusiasm, which enthusiasm itself could suggest, has been used to describe the feelings dis- played towards their Majesties by their Majesties: loving subjects, the gasping Pinder of this Austrian Olympiad adds, as a wind-up —"During the evening, the Emperor and Empress drove through the principal streets, and were everywhere received with the same marks of approbation!" It is to place such ridiculous results before the English reader that expresses have been sent over, we are assured, "at an im- mense expense," and all the usual rivalship amongst the morning journals has been called into activity ! And from the preposterous lesgth and minuteness of the communications themselves, as well the importance claimed for them, the inference seems to be, that no accounts of this sort can be too circumstantial or diffuse fir the taste of the public. But we positively refuse to accept the press as the index of public taste and intelligence in this case. We will not believe that either are at so law an ebb, as to justify the reproach cast upon them by the publication by express of matter so utterly silly and contemptible. '1'; r interest exeiti d at home by the coronation of our young Queen, and the intlu!gence ex- tended to the child's play and monkey tricks enacted, aceording to custom, on that occasion, were attributable in great part to the popularity no doubt enjoyed by the Queeu herself, and to the good intentions for which her subjects were disposed to give her credit. But sufficient evidences were afforded, even then, of the general decline of enthusiasm for splendid fooling and seuseloss parade; and it is not possible for intelligence to become diffused, and for such things to retain their ancient hold on the respect of the people. We are satisfied that the reign of Ceremony is drawing to a close—if we could give it an additional kick we would do so with all our heart. Ceremony is too convenient a covering ;er political treachery, to be safely recognizsd as a part of government. When the ceremonies are fewer, the benefits will probably be more apparent. It is sufficiently difficult to arrive nt the sub- stance of good government, and to obtain the administration of our most necessary allhiss, without being embarrassed by an outer circle of forms and ceremenies, whose absurdity is usuelly trifling in comparison rith their inci. ,venience and obstructive- ness. For their own sakes, kings should use less ceremony, for these are not times wheu peeper are disposed to lk,ie 1■111(11
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