Archipelago, source of those aromatics then so highly prized, and whose origin was so dark; of Java, the pearl of islands; of Sumatra, with its many kings, its strange costly products, and its cannibal races; of the naked savages of Nicobar and Andaman; of Ceylon, the isle of gems, with its-sacred mountain and its tomb of Adam; of India the Great, not as a dreamland of Alexandrian fables, but as a country seen and partially explored, with its virtuous Brahmins, its obscene ascetics, its diamonds, and the strange tales of their acquisition, its sea beds of pearls, and its powerful sun; the first in medieval times to give any distinct account of the secluded Christian empire of Abyssinia, and the semiChristian island of Socotra; to speak, though indeed dimly, of Zanzibar, with its negroes and months during two successive years -once at Sumatra and again on the Malabar coast in order to avoid the perils of the monsoon. Ultimately, however, the party landed at Hurmuz, and as Arghun was now dead and his brother, Kaikhatu, reigned in his stead, it was arranged that the heir-presumptive, the young Prince Ghazan. should succeed to the lady's hand. Two of Arghun's ambassadors had died during the voyage, and a large proportion of the suite, but the Mongolian princess and her companion, the daughter of the King of Manzi, arrived safely in the Persian camp. There is something touching - almost solemn in the few words with which Marco closes his account of this sin-its ivory, and of the vast and distant Madagasgular drama. "And those two great ladies who were thus entrusted to them they watched over and guarded as if they had been daughters of their own, until they had transferred them to the hands of their lord, whilst the ladies, young and fair as they were, looked on each of those three as a father, and obeyed them accordingly. Indeed, both Ghazan, who is now the reigning prince, and the queen, Cocachin, his wife, have such a regard for the envoys that there is nothing that they would not do for them. And when the three ambassadors took leave of that lady to return to their own country, she wept for sorrow at the parting." And now in bringing to a close our very inadequate notice of Marco Polo and his remarkable career, we cannot do better than quote at length the full and nervous peroration in which Colonel Yule proudly summarizes the achievements of his hero and claims for him a high place in the roll of fame. "He was the first traveller to trace a route across the whole longitude of Asia, naming and describing kingdom after kingdom which he had seen with his own eyes; the deserts of Persia, the flowering plateau and wild gorges of Badakhshan; the jade-bearing rivers of Khotan; the Mongolian Steppes, cradle of the power that had so lately threatened to swallow up Christendom; the new and brilliant court that had been established at Cambaluc: the first traveller to reveal China in all its wealth and vastness, its mighty rivers, its huge cities, its rich manufactures, its swarming population, the inconceivably vast fleets that quickened its seas and its inland waters: to tell us of the nations on its borders, with all their eccentricities of manners and worship; of Thibet, with its sordid devotees; of Burma, with its golden pagodas, and their tinkling crowns; of Laos, of Siam, of Cochin China, of Japan, the Eastern Thule, with its rosy pearls and golden-roofed palaces; the first to speak of that museum of beauty and wonder still so imperfectly ransacked, the Indian car, bordering on the dark ocean of the South, with its Ruc and other monstrosities; and in a remotely opposite region, of Siberia and the Arctic Ocean, of dog-sledges, white bears and reindeer-riding Tunguses.' From The Cornhill Magazine. LE MINISTRE MALGRE LUI: A CONTEMPORARY STORY. IV. THE press got wind of the matter. That lively organ, the Cigare, announced that a strange sight was to be seen at the Cochin China office - A minister who rose at unholy hours in the morning to work; clerks who were hushed, and attentive to their business, neither reading the newspapers in office hours, nor playing pitch-andtoss with francs as the good old custom had been, but writing continuously and this unwonted exercise. It was further silently, and beginning to look pale from added, that people who now went to the Cochin China office for information stood some chance of obtaining a civil answer. Nobody quite believed this last report, but still it was found entertaining. It was the truth, however, and not only in this, but in other respects, the Cochin China office had so far changed since the Count's accession, that the excellent M. Jobus began to feel as if he were a stranger there. He was thinning in a manner painful to witness; and besides his leanness, he was growing to resemble Shakspeare's Cassius in this other point, that he seemed to be thinking a good deal, as if there were schemes on his mind that needed ripening. He had submitted to the Count, as it had been his custom to do with other Ministers from time out of mind, certain names for gazetting to posts of emolument, but the Count, instead of ratifying these nominations with a merely formal question or two, had taken time to consider the matter, saying he should suspend all appointments until the tabular list, for which he had asked, had been made out. This list was a long time coming. The Count had appended to his first request a desire that it might include the names of all the employés in any capacity whatever who drew pay from the office. To this M. Jobus had answered, that a great many of the office papers had been destroyed under the Commune; that others were difficult to find, but that he would do his best, and so day after day went by without the famous list appearing. One morning M. de Ris had said very gently, but with a firmness that admitted of no reply, that he should expect the list on the morrow at twelve o'clock, and of course the list had been forthcoming at that hour. But this is the way in which M. Jobus, an old and most blameless functionary, was being treated! Another grievous thing was this. The Count had, of course, brought with him a private secretary, a young gentleman full of Greek, and with eyes that looked as if they were going to jump out of his head; but he was entitled to a titular secretary holding official rank and salary. For some days no such person was appointed; but on the morning when the list was handed him, the Count, after an afternoon's study of this document, sent for a clerk, whom it so chanced the venerable M. Jobus viewed with disfavour, and who though this must only have been a coincidence had never earned a step of promotion in the course of fifteen years' service. The Count had noticed that all the précis in this clerk's hand were admirably careful and intelligent; which was no wonder, for the clerk was probably haunted by some dream of M. Jobus's eye perpetually watching him for a first slip. "This précis is by you?" said the Count as the clerk entered, and bent low. "Yes, M. le Comte." "You are of long standing in the office; how long must it be before you become a chief clerk? (chef de division)." "It may be a hundred years, without patronage, less than a hundred seconds if your Excellency wishes it." 66 Very well, monsieur; the first vacant chief clerkship will be yours, meanwhile you will act as my official secretary." On the evening of this occurrence, M. Jobus retired to his bed at an early hour, and, under doctor's advice, took a glass of brandy neat, in a basin of water-gruel. The Count's next move was to issue a minute with his own hand, stating that he regretted to perceive that the Government stamp of the office was used to frank private correspondence. He was informed that clerks brought the letters of their fainilies in their pockets to despatch gratis, and were even in the habit of sending parcels through the pattern and book post franked. This was a manifest fraud upon the revenue. It must cease, and for the future the frank would only be affixed by one of his own secretaries on letters duly authenticated as official. In the next place, the practice of despatching Government estafettes upon private errands must be put a stop to. Mounted dragoons might be seen galloping at all hours about the streets of Paris with brown paper parcels under their arms; and a clerk in the Cochin China office was reported to have sent an unwrapped water-melon to his wife in this way from Versailles to Paris, to the great astonishment of bystanders. Dragoons were not armed and mounted to carry water-melons. In the third place, clerks were requested to remember that civility of speech was one of the duties of their condition. - This last reminder followed close upon an event which had struck as much terror in the department as the fall of a thunder-bolt. An old officer of some sort, fresh arrived from Cochin China, having applied at the office on a matter connected with arrears of pay or pension, had been received in the orthodox fashion, Tongue-in-cheek — we don't care and call again," style. Unfortunately, the Count had entered at the very moment when the veteran, twirling his hat disconsolately between his fingers, was being sent to the right-about by a handsome sprig, in a blue-striped shirtcollar and a double eye-glass on the bridge of his nose. To the horror of all present, not excepting the veteran, the Minister had cashiered the sprig on the spot; and then, baring his head, had asked of the old officer what he wanted. 66 MY DEAR COUNT,-In proof of the confidence our party repose in you, I ask you not to forget my young brother Gaston in the next distribution of diplomatic posts. Prevail upon Count de Rémusat to send him to a country where the society is good; an attachéship in London or at St. Petersburg is what he would like best. If there be no vacancy at either of these courts, I suppose one could be made for him, either by removing one of the present attachés or by creating an extra attachéship. This I leave to your discretion, but trust you will get the appointment gazetted at once- say next week. Since I am writing, I must tell you that the prefect in our department is a shocking man. He is one of those promoted by that horrible M. Gambetta. Pray induce your colleague at the Home Office to discharge him; I think the post would suit the Baron de Sanslesou, who is a distant connection of ours, but not rich. I will speak to the Baron about it, and tell him that you will arrange the matter. Believe, my dear Count, In the best wishes of yours faithfully, The next from an old school friend: MY DEAR FORtune, -Your blooming out into a Minister is an unexpected godsend. This is what I should like: a substantial governorship in the colonies, which I could hold without going out there, pending a vacant prefectorate worth having. The salary would tide me over present difficulties, which are considerable by reason of unpaid rents; besides it looks bad at this moment not to be serving one's country. I beg to remind you also that I am only a Knight of the Legion of Honour; my appointment to the governorship would be a good pretext for promoting me to the rosette. With best respects to your excellent Excellency, Yours affectionately, RAOUL DE PLUMEAUVENT. The third note came from Mdlle. Cabriole, of the Théâtre des Folies Gauloises, and may as well be transcribed in its terse original and artistic orthography: MON CHAR CONTE,― Maintenant queue vous voilà ministre j'espaire que vous allez vous o. q. p. sans retard de plasser mon coussin Jules. C'est un imbecille de la plus belle o qui n'a jamai rien fait de bon à la maisson ce qui est émilion pour une famile qui se raiespect. Ossi ce qui lui fodrait c'est un poste de 6 à 8,000 francs ousqu'y n'y aurait pas traup à faire ni d'argens à gardé crainte de désagrémens. Je vous salu avecq raispect it vous enbrasse de tout queur car on mattend pour la répétission du "Prince Poireau" où j'ai un rôlle de laiegume. Toute à vous, TA CABRIOLE Of Mdlle. Cabriole's claims the Count could dispose by a few bank notes sent in a bouquet; but how put off the old schoolfriend who wanted to be a governor, and attachéship? It needed all the new Minthe Marquis, whose brother was for an ister's self-control to resist the temptation of doing a little harmless jobbery on behalf of those well-loved persons; but he did resist, for the Frenchman who has got astride the hobby of performing his duty immaculately, is a being whom there is no unhorsing, attack him from whichever point you will. Nothing could be firmer set than the Count's lips as he sat in his study and marked with a bold R, which stands for Refused, all the letters that appealed to him on grounds purely personal - M. Narcisse, his valet, scarcely knew him again, and half fancied that some devilish enchantment had changed his master in a night, leaving nought of him but the outer cuticle. For gall and wormwood had it been to M. Narcisse, when, venturing to sound his master about that little place in the Customs, he received the freezing reply,-"Ask me for what money you want either for yourself or your family; but do not presume beyond that." M. Narcisse had not presumed beyond that, for there are certain inflections of the voice which warn one off like a spiked gate, but every time he entered his master's presence and saw him conning over and taking notes from a portentous manuscript folio, which was none other than the hardly won Tabular List, he said to himself that this was the cause of all the mischief, and he wished that document at the other side of Jordan; as, no doubt, did many another denizen of the office, especially M. Jobus. M. Jobus, however, was on the watch. He knew that it was not mere idle reading, this daily study of the Tabular List, and that as soon as the Count had learned con- sponsible, was an institution. He was clusively that there were three times more ubiquitous was M. Jobus; he had ramificlerks than there were any need for; that cations; he extended to branches and posts had been created both at home and nooks of the commonwealth where there abroad, which were as good as sinecures, was no expecting him. There were Joand which had no other possible object buses in the Press. Jobuses in ths Army, but to lodge some protégés or kinsmen of Jobuses in the Church, Jobuses in SoM. Jobus; when he had learned all this, ciety; each public office had its Jobus: and a good many other strange things, than for whether Jobuses by name, or by conthere would be a storm. M, Jobus fore- nection, or by intermarriage, or by ties saw it mentally, and he was taking his of interest, gratitude or duty, they were precautions, as a man unfolds his umbrel- all Jobuses, every man of them, and held la; nor had he long to wait. The storm together tightly, rising up at the sound of did burst, and broke with violence. One the war-note like a gathering of Scottish morning the Count told M. Jobus that he clans, and presenting not a bold battle intended recommending the Government front, but an invisible array of ambusto dismiss two-thirds of the employés, cades, from out of which they shot, whistHome and Foreign, of the Chochin China ling their arrows from behind rocks, out office; but that in considering which of copses, from everywhere. The Minisofficials should be dismissed, and which ter began to be attacked by the papers, retained, attention would be paid to length not the large political journals, but the of service, the claim which M. Jobus light skirmishers of the press which, in seemed to have disdained, seeing that Paris, have most influence. The Cigare oball the names on his list were mixed up served that his trousers were ill cut. Now in inextricable confusion, promotion ap- every man had his foibles, and the Count's pearing to have fallen on no principle was to like well-cut trousers, so he felt the whatever, save that of repeatedly advanc- squib keenly. In society it was said that ing certain names, and repeatedly passing his charming manners of former days were over certain others. M. Jobus protested quite vanished, that he had grown a bear, at this, that he was honest and irrespon- and was becoming mad; some ladies, alsible, and the debate was of long duration. It ended by the Count's declaring that he would abide by his resolve; whereat, had he not feared that it would be accepted, M. Jobus would most certainly have tendered his resignation. He did better. He bowed and said it should be as his Excellency wished; but in his cold eye it was easy to read that there was a declaration of war. ways kind, invented that his father had died in a lunatic asylum. In the cafés it was reported that he had only accepted office because he was ruined, having squandered all his fortune in debauchery; among pious circles people asked whether it were true that he was privately married, but that his wife was a person of disreputable life, who had fled from him to drink. When a man goes to war with the Jobuses he has not many bruises to show, but he is covered all over with stains, as if a million of flies had settled on him. The warfare had not gone very far, however, before the Great Personage, who had been the Count's patron, was apprised of it. He had selected the Count of all men on purpose to avoid these disturbances, and it was rather hard that the sagacity of his choice should be so soon belied. Nevertheless it was probably not too late to repair matters, so he sent in hot haste to bid the culprit, that is the Minister, come and see him at once to talk over the business. And what a war! Let us pass swiftly over the incidents of that tragic contest. The new Minister, in seeking to inaugurate departmental purity had forgotten that innovation is a weapon which, if not carefully shouldered, kicks as well as hits; in assailing M. Jobus he had committed the further blunder of supposing that he was only attacking a man, whereas he was buffetting a principle. This is always the way with amateurs, be it in art or politics. Who plashes his yellow ochre and vermilion so gaudily over his canvas as the amateur painter? Who thunders so headlong at a fence as a gentleman rider? Who bawls with such histrionic "So your cog-wheels are not working ire as the amateur actor? Who rams his quite smoothly, my dear Count?" he said head so triumphantly against a stone wall in the friendly tone of one who should reas the amateur politician? Institutions, mark, "The Governmental machine is a alas! are not things that we can go forth difficult one for a young hand to manage, to do battle against with our naked fists; but I know what it is and will advise and M. Jobus, the Permanent and Irre- 'you." "Two millions twenty millions! " echoed the Count, aghast. The Great Personage followed up his advantage:— all that is "I am in great trouble with my de-matter," answered the Great Personage, partment, sir," answered the Cochin Chi- lifting up his coat tails and speaking with na Minister. "I have discovered abuses gravity. "We could not dismiss anybody, there which I should not have deemed you know, without compensation. Two possible, and I have been at work on a millions of francs would be necessary in comprehensive scheme of reform, which I your department alone. Twenty millions intend submitting to your Excellency, and if we generalized your scheme. Where is to the Council, at an early date." The all that to come from?" Great Personage, making no immediate reply, the Count proceeded to recapitulate what we already know, and a great deal more that we do not know, and which can be no business of ours, being only mem- "I admit that all you urge is very forcibers of the public, and consequently de- ble-most forcible. What you tell me of barred from the right of prying too closely despatches of great value remaining unnointo official secrets, which should always ticed; of officials in foreign service being be respected. Whilst he spoke the Great snubbed for conveying information or for Personage, who was standing on his suggesting inventions or improvements; of hearth-rug with his back to the fire, kept salaries remaining accumulated in M. the glasses of his gold rimmed spectacles Jobus's hands, and of employés being fixed on the carpet, and a slight frown afraid to draw them lest doing so should hinsketched itself between his eyebrows, and der their chances of promotion he seemed to be musing: "How fallacious very striking and very new to me. are appearances! Here is a man we re- is not good that the public should be led lied on to be soft and affable with every- to suspect these things, my dear Count: it body, to make us friends, and to let produces a bad effect. My aim at this mothings in general be; and here he comes ment is to found an enlightened Republic, stirring up a war amongst our own peo- and we have need to be united, for our ple, just as if we had not enemies enough enemies would catch, with pleasure, at any rumours of departmental abuses. Abuses of this nature should always be refor:ned, en famille, quietly. By-and-by, at some future time, perhaps, when we have a great deal of leisure on our hands we will inquire into all this, and operate gently. Meanwhile they talk of the clerks in your department striking work: this, of course, must be prevented at all hazards. As a personal favour to me, my dear colleague, make friends with your people; and, as regards M. Jobus, the best policy you will find is to be forbearing, for, as I have said, he has really held his present post almost fifty years! as it is." "I do not say that right is not entirely on your side," he replied, in that measured tone which those only can conceive who have ever heard an experienced statesman speak. "Indeed, your conduct in this affair quite bears out the high opinion I had formed of your political aptitudes before inviting you into the Ministry. But, my dear Count, there are cases where we must act with extreme caution. M. Jobus is a very valuable servant; he has been in his post, I think, almost half a century, and half a century is a long time. Then we could not introduce reforms into one department without doing so in all. It would look as if the Ministers were trying to outbid each other in public favour, which would be most undesirable. Again, the reforms you suggest would require money, a great deal of money, and we can afford none; the budget is the subject of my most anxious cares, I lay awake from thinking of it last night." But it is precisely because the budget is so overcharged that I wish to reform and retrench," exclaimed the perplexed Count. "It cannot surely require money to stop waste, to dismiss people who are doing nothing, to abolish posts that are sucking up gold that is so precious." "To abolish posts is always a serious But it The clock on the mantelpiece struck twelve. "That is luncheon time," broke off the Great Personage, gaily. "You will stay and try some Yeddo wine that has been brought me by the Japanese Ambassadors - very curious - it tastes like Malm sey." After tasting the Japanese Malmsey, the Count walked back to his office. In passing the Boulevard de la Reine he could not restrain a shrug at the thought of the mob who had swept, rabid and hungry, along there, eighty years before, to bring Louis XVI. and his wife to Paris, saying that once the "Baker" was in the capital bread would follow. Somehow he fancied that at that date the irresponsible Mon |