ion of this taste. His
collection is rich in royal, imperial, and princely letters; nor is
there any lack of odes from German poets, and sonnets from Italian
_improvisatori_. One day, however, it occurred to him that, now the
public press had become a power in many countries, he ought to have the
autographs of a few journalists, in order to complete his collection;
and as in Italy and Germany, thanks to the censorship, there are plenty
of journals but no journalists, he was obliged to send to France.
Amongst others, M. Jules Janin (one of the editors of the _Journal des
Debats_) received a most polite request for an autograph from the rival
of M. de Talleyrand. Janin immediately took up his pen, and wrote as
follows:--

"Received from his Excellency Prince Metternich, twenty-four
bottles of Johannisberg, first quality.

"Paris, 15th May 1838."

A month afterwards there arrived at Paris the twenty-four bottles of
wine, of which Janin, with a confidence that the prince no doubt knew
how to appreciate, had acknowledged receipt beforehand. M. de Metternich
has preserved Janin's witty autograph with the greatest care. I doubt
very much if Janin has preserved M. de Metternich's wine.

M. Dumas finds some compensation for the badness of German beds in the
excellence of German roads. His soundest sleep is always obtained in the
diligence. He takes a nap from Mayence to Frankfort; but on entering the
latter city is shaken out of his slumbers by an Austrian soldier, who
demands his passport. In consequence of an incident that had lately
occurred, the soldiery were particularly on the alert with regard to
passports. M. Dumas relates the anecdote in his usual pointed and
effective manner.

"The free city of Frankfort, which, in its capacity of a free city,
is garrisoned by an Austrian and a Prussian regiment, had been laid
under contribution during the spring fair by a most expert
pickpocket, whom the police had in vain endeavoured to detect and
capture. The fair was nearly at an end; and, in order that the thief
might not escape, the sentries at the gates were directed to allow
no man to leave the town without sending him into the guard-house to
have his passport examined, and to see if his height, features, and
appearance corresponded with the description on the paper. This
order given, the authorities did not trouble their heads any more
about the matter, feeling q