The Sun. — London, England, 1846-11-03 00:00:00

... _ ......--e -711?...P TIT TIT 'lc TP*l:7• t,,,, u „„, A nets be burlesque fairy spactucie, iu fbuticled on the ballet of La Giselle, and entitled with Phantom Dancers, was produced here last eveningpiece, we great success. Mr. Selby, the author of the pre s 01, also the author of the play d admirable pro s us in that same play-bill such an a better m than Mannte du spectacl, that we cannot do . .. bill and he has traesfer it at once to our columns. He cn esyee view of the acti, n, scenery, and argunen T ell e 1--A Vineyard, with the Rhine titleetitr:sapbcAciretrilL,',:l:. tlaY•limyo x the attentioia of the audience, ar l i a d, P a . t i t , he h s a a p m p) e . , avoid the I opening chorus of " Hai . .., • or, our lsllloslialle Lord, &c.," corps du 13a'lll'a sun is shining brightly, and their enel ) ; ( l )3 e ' ss in a Riven them a half-holiday,-expess their ballet er w h i a lt s 8 de yi n th ,, . g erons . after which they . ' tervour and hilarity for which the Rhine peasantso,. -rs l a • will h re a !, PP.l the Justly celebrated —the "se 4 drama will then commence :—Count Whir rio u s business iretl . al l l },„ ISIr. Wright, (an eccentric young nobleman, trelthe ' whea out shootinee accidentally y yours girl, called 6 Giselle, Madame s C e e .i l e e r s , te_ ; ig e, ..., of course, fallen desperately in love withl,m _a_s_ a le ," attric young noblemen have done from . time villagelm" inside' but knowing the extreme shyness . of the t , ,ten towards town gallants, he disguises himself as a. --°llkhadour, and, b • g a pupil ' of Lablache and Mario, hut, itseekil to win her he e a ln ri by his W ool he has a, rival —a. certain Albert musical a ß le r i , l ) i w ti n es (; miss th c , .gar) has eclipsed him ; he her tin ' gar) in search of his beloved but finding (Count Whirlgig)enters ..- 1 . 1., tie gives vent to his sorrows in a "pathetic romance,"iistears Zd°4ll,Panie by himself on the hurdy-gurdy. i arrival of lierruk.,l3.romance " are interrupted by y y the fhuntsmen, Otlessl.4ll4ll. (Sir. Stoker), and a 0 t0 ,,,,.. ~,o ton, Williamson, Freeborn,partSaondererss,eHekuisnkg, fo r -"' 4sorgll, Wage and Aldridge), who are .., their master' the b efore -mentioned Albert B . r_o e w . g n , ti o le ao other than Duke Albert, another Gra a n s d Sl Count l•Air.,..who has also, for the same sumed an qi Iritgig, put on a easant's frock, n a in as itative 48- 'the hunters pain h •i• mission a rec purpose ski chorus costum e bake a _ .exp ter their 4 -Ibe a rt pursue attired as in he ea set.l?rats befitting his exalted rank ; 7outtioally observes, feariiag that but, enters, search further a etol frighten his timid fair, wo , lag but i , f . "Bond-street a bower s tr h e i e n t k clothes s hi , clime. a..., artaitig blade," he retires 'atte ae' d ' k ress; n the meantime, to ap ~ !rem irorn her home to meet (wint, he him, according first at the N ide ; at, enters, and finding she is the Giselle t who has but Der ilerseiyous, ie rather Impatient and angry,. consoles sene f Q 1 erinz. ~( je , L With dancing a e pas de fantaz.le, ears and Albert shortly after.wardhs I tio , orgetting her anger, receives sentimental and a jeyotras, which causes him to sing a the con sent fbldlad- The lovers then retire to theyask im app with ' great are no soutieer Graeae's parent s to their marriage ; from a nor t o bg°lle, than Count Whirligig emerges ..,h e he from Whence he has overheard everything eand con eludesy,lta's vengeance on the " rascal duke," See, e 2. Grate% scene with another pathetic ballad. . Prince leoecli Lsalooa ia Prince Noodlehead's Palace; Prince a .t. pas stoesteufati, Mr. Paul Bedford, enters, and, a erlatively N od e tirade against street bands, sings a stit? Alfred 1411,4°1°4 Italian scena, (composed by Mr, Shartgeme, N I .. li• ills son's postilli on an d valet, informs the rritke ukllYard), arriv:?.s from a tour, and e• n bitten I) ,Y e - ,, tm at his master, Count Whirligia, has e d e t , g woe oetw sraetella. After a scene of heart-ren an Tay- lop ), e ea the father and son, Batilde, (Miss Marian il;an sohe rince's only daughter, enters, d a that she ileas h e Of griat., only the old gentlemani• ia. that "til t ard from her brother, Count Whir ig e , trio. Albert • •• misery and a "teas ls false ; more , chainnetre et %Net' A. place de village a fete h 1 oi . Albert 4 44 (ii dansante, to celebrate the bet rot e i f Gis:ie,l4, Chodel, Mr. (Cullenford), the grandfather tlemen in ulleta--"c, appear; as is usual with old g n e friends and I Nt ib Ited romantic dramas, encourages . his of thi s h ,°,ars to pursue their sports, and in furtherance..his sit mlanthre • , ' ' them to invite h her e,E14,01 pu, oojeet, requestsl the festivities with e , e, Olrs. Laws,, to grace . n Albert and G ' 11P euee. Thu old lady appears, leaning 0 domestic matters, 1 4 ' ELM after a merry discustion of coesterna- I 4 4 or p.IIIe legeud of the willis to the 1 great some 1 ' t iyh o — ' B elle and the rest ot the village maidens,call of the f",reliestel are about t, faint reway, when the d they join the , extra to begin the ball, recovers them, an is immedi.. Steil tweethearts in a pas d'ensentide, which Manola, by Alatleto°ll°wed by a new pas de deur, La t Whirligig lli til e ee4ste and Miss Woolgar. Count feeling Ili% 4PPears, dan • his eternal tarantella, and.r. urlim.., (4i4elia his eleinegnt,crequests the hand of dance," but thetat Elkus C:ml the .. next _ , d most e ~ o t) .ip. in), for d family a• etiteeiu g i adY, bein g of a very goo . . the honour "attev coneected, disdainfully oechnes sundry other fat t.„ 1 1 1 , 151 1 au allusion to a cab, and young gentle 'Qatit'e,-1, table gr&tn t n the part of the r determine title' .." Y leg lady 8 is o induced to alter bie, Mr. Wright See t r itl th°e resul t 1s a Spuni Ii Bolero, ycive3rtissemenatnis ae4 ' ' lee 11. Chaplin This pleasin g are heard, and riPtee„,eoneluded, when hunting hornstheir suite enter, . leas -,Ouadlehead Batilde, and to y, th% t? too Albert' Brown. A messenger who, on his appe . ar i at 'eo fas cinating • individual, e of his villainy fil -8 tee °„ Prince; an expos upon Giselle, th e s, 411 I ed by the theadfal effect ~ d'Action, r 'tt sh i eh ha s such a - Grand ,Scene her eilii i , c os ee he senses, and iii aand. dies upon h eti. 4 the pro hr ot.the legend, sf, Imation. The (4441 44 P eeY Amery magical tram Acth i , 3 % txtraoi Bride. - - the Will's ~ 24",1"°Eu Dane. rs hail Giselle as moonlight. The ,-qotia•.„`,"lle 1,---the haunt of the wills by ~ al of their ‘ta ~-"‘ wills are discovered awaiting the arm are , i 4 in El k - r . " - , some are Swimmin in the lake, others . ( ie6 o - / ,•'g on the trees, and g other s are dancing pas a "Itit;Ille• The Queen of the Wills, (Miss Emma . Har ms.ttlltti ,rlheB front the lake, and, after complimenting her e o e ,`, B on the:r fidelity and obedience, proceeds to we.l coin lee neve sister.. Giselle rises from the tomb, and is th,„;l3qh-d by the Queen to join the phantom dancer s in t h eta mi d orgies. Pas d' Initiation. Gespenster-tanz u!'er litternucbt, by Giselle :sod the corps de ballet, tog,?;, l _ell is interrued by the arrival of Count Whirligig, having become monomaniacal, by being accessary t o death of Giselle, comes to the forest to see her and OPlore her pardon. Being unable to gain an interview ith his victim by mortal means • - ' thnizean barcarolle, • !ails, he sings a Freis ti of Z • I ( amie Mr 11 10 which he invokes the t , e S *th) suddenly appears and • • tni , who i), $ goes at once to business by propos t'4lgll th? usual post obit, of which dangerous duca l:, t Gaunt Whirligig for some time shy, but teT,goveconae by his love for Giselle at fightslength consents t4,.._zectite." Zainiel then calls for' his clerk, Zipper.. tCegttrPPercoonnickernockernip, who witnesses the in aPiee e i and joins his master and the Count in an Ethi terr_ serenade. The " Wili Gals" then appear and !l i i, itad the unfortunate Count, who, being unaware of 4 ke et R,, e ., joins them in " The Waltz of Death," and %e ll 4 his fate" cording to the legend. Duke Albert .!liters, attired - in ' f f llowed . h i ,, fa,_, ~.in sables, and lost grie , o __ fanth), ;wlrtal Nalef, Jearties de la Pluche (Mr. C, J. ttn,,, WOO respectfully urges him not "to brave his 12,111'811!4gesting that it is hrs firm impression that if he 4`ll,t7rsist i n. • , ta/t.„ doing so, he will ' perish in the aempt." 'at 'qui valet' l h Duke will e ,0_ arguments are use ess, t e i,. 11 1t0 l , 'red the faithful valet is dismissed, and the liutt sorit°eeeds to call upon hi 3 " lost one" in an affect eel'so4(lo%,,%claY• Giselle here appears, but being but " a 411 " unreal mockery," disappoints all her S e e efforts to ii l h t I i faithful heart." affect ' Nn„ eil ___, c asp her oi s ed to 411 t the rest of the phantom dancers then huest ousiness, by forcing Giselle to commence a eo atraie will ts e the. ?nerd, by means of which Albert tr ellt IStil•ll.i.PreY• In the midst of this touching scene , kit, 'Nog • death, has been ,104, *Qoe riß , ~ who SHICC his cruel io t ." 4 i t ; ,‘"Jet into a wili rises from the lake and . 'tr Purtato h ' ' I Infernal, which is N I , 4 Pte d h 11 1 and in aGa op han e th 4 '8 pp er 4 1Y the approach of morning. A .c g .. Vttel'kP l l4 zit „ the spirit of the scene ; the sun rises an d el ",!?? dancers sink into the earth. Gran poittlrett elselle takes leave of Albert and rejoins the toPtiPtip'st• p 9'e night. Scene 2.—Another part of the t or icce Noodlehead and Batilde, who are in to viiktriterdi.ennt Whirligig and Duke Albert, meet with Iltiepa elieNuarY adventure, which leads to an invitation NiLlrateti Ilg Party at the wills' rooms. Another St e . "' de .Plellder, the forest is transformed inte . a at Nat e qii where Giselle and Count Whirligig 01(I (1 t lifeto a host he 0 and introduced .4.,,.r5„tt ~.ends, ' . dance a I s% el le c e e-, and with whom they Tableau . I`l l , , illek. e,a'tose and form a grandll 1 4th %e erie r 11,:leted (o'f• course) by Flananes de Benga e tt ateßtekt It's beautiful • the music has been selec t ed . a lte IN t o st e by M. Mellon. The dances—but it is htteattleeel say that they have been arranged by pan elio elte---a d - kn qf la the cast speaks for itself. . their elrtitt, Pi °f 4 cast be to place proper persons in is Nil o ,' a ereA.thell is this the perfection of casts. It 4),..lelbeba'fis ztkof supereroeation to add, that the al)- -"sts4'l?--..c'etnsiast:e--Cheri is it otherwise at the 4°Y vile al tiN a ‘ t he pies s ofa A t) - , 11 4 , Q Was e minently sue regards ), . ph i , unneth not to the contrary" as \el l atio lirece ,e. sided to oe, Seer se -and teat tue 'louse was crot . . _ °lie ki tial i't i, dier e • individual ' 4 4 af ter °R t )., .to be found the , tre five th e ~e. a seat if he entered the theatre Itr. ..1 1.1..4,,,.4,022...„...............22..e2211:_...._ tiacter l‘f•ttki,ltka Y THEATRE. i t. bl ' 4 ( • tt DPea r d •ht in the dm- V ir , .acreitth_hik„. „,. here last night that made th e gulius. vr , ,ao 4 , &els was the character _ . maded • t ery , h '. 13, iriest certainly Mr. Macrea ) girli e , . est in h , b ut th e of Very best, certainly . on . , eo to , 0 le tin _ . i s e __ rt e re To speak of his Vii - 1 11 4 1 1 , lb, 15 . 0 3 , ter4e oi . of the highest ',t o ‘•-•• to p t , ".`q be save those . t would be ( lay , kill 46 Praise it „Les absurd as day would be to Niieb will!led bold; 7 ' this time of ' on Satur ‘./.... theetr... til_ Ile repeats g crement at iltreetllisei 4" the Ivasties! night of t his engagement appearance in the tt4.l)" '3ir B°4le time trl i ? lht of bi lL ap • pea the week he lift ,fy"ltlY Sullp (IllarlY 0-- ...seebaleset, char r a l c e t g ers. lie was 4,,,,11' bea u P t c l le, cl by Mrs. Charles Gill, whose Vir tt th e N in his 01;111. exeedingiv, end by Conper, who te e b!.°)egh obitgLeal character of Dentatsts, and who Is •Ylil h e - ' 'toman Id' from the fife. Ma 41r, ted f .e sollowed b so ler are °4 ke °` six • - y the Misses Cushman, who F leent - Tllghts mil • commence their on koncia , arid who in i 4 ,k t it ___:v ilex t. laetilltilakit a fat4,„ft•WAY Aects' turday ven- Y, b et •". accident oe , ' .--- " a- - line of 4/ e oh Year t . urred on the Midland els,. ( Int 2,- tingharet and erby A voung i fs e, '' f* lit faerpan,o age, th e , name of'Thomas tit ~ ,to the Rev Ur C f Weston, h r i , • ~,, lef t te • the . urzon, 0 8 / 11 . teetos ee ration at h latter town hy train eeive!, an arri sat 8, ~ intending to go to Notting- NOISt q t „4 th rtt k Yl lig at Sawley, 7 miles on the line, he per ti,k,‘ltikhehs4,e 11.141 got into the Leicester instead f the stittio'in irttnn, and without waiting till f t the tha'hile t he he oPened the earri ) le V to I Its 1141, v train age.eoor ane jumper s let Etet w was in r • apid motion. The result of toll.it ', sa e t le e . , as, that he fell u 0 th line •I • ht .:ls s o f;',...was ihstantly run °ve i l- eby ofteheearrierae.s, andalid :Ir.ntiey T t a t a/ z i si a I, that on being conveyed to the ses ,14a i otlingh,.._, ii, his leg was obliged to be fi t ! to elrnedt,t ~,) ga ve his 1, " I Y, and though every elf was th . ay e.,orni__ ee he (Led at half every one e'clock on ore totoilia4lofbl•une is attached to any party btu 4 PPe ) , ,, k4 are(' T? ".TT.I'A TNTIFT LTGPNCE. NORTH BRITISH. EDINBURGH, SATURDAY.—Yesterday a special general meeting of the proprietors was held here in the saloon of Gibbs's Royal Hotel, to determine whether the com pany should proceed with the Bill for the formation of the Edinburgh and Perth line. ➢lr. JOHN LEABMONTH, of Dean, chairman of the company, presided, and st tied the views of the directors regarding their present position, observing that the di rectors have felt that they were placed in circumstances of very considerable difficulty in regard to the Edin burgh and Perth line. They have ascertained beyond all question that there is a very considerable body of the shareholders of the North British Company strongly ep , posed to that line. They have also ascertained within these few days the notorious fact that the opposition which will be given to tlett line in Parliament has been greatly strengthened by the additional strength which has been imparted to the Scottish Central Railway by their associatio❑ with that powei - ful body reaching from London to Perth. There also occurred to their con sideration various legal difficulties ; and, influenced by these various views, they have come to a resolution which I must now state to you, namely, that under these altered circumstances, they deem it inexpedient to continue their support to the Edinburgh and Perth line.—(Great applause.) I can assure you that my own views, at least, of the value of that line to this company are unchanged. I wish that that" line had been made. We have astrong interest in it ; for I am persuaded that neither this nor any other company ought to be confined within its own strict limits ; but I cannot give my own judgment that weight so as to induce me to go on with what I believe to be almost impracticable. I believe it to be difficult, and very difficult indeed, for the Edin burgh and Perth Company to obtain their Act in the face of .the opposition which I have stated to you ; and I believe still more if we go to Parliament for a Bill to enable us to amalgam ite with that company, opposed as we certainly ar•e by a very important. section of the North British Company, although a minority--for I am prepared to tell you that section is in a minority—it will be impossible for us to obtain from Parliament the power to amalgamate with the Edinburgh and Perth. In this attempt we will unquestionably have the opposition of a considerable body of our own shareholders to eon tend with, backed by other and foreign interests.— (Hear, hear.) Under these circumstances, and looking to the variety of legal difficulties that will arise from various quarters, as I have now stated to you, it is the desire of the directors not to vote for going on with the Edinburgh and Perth scheme so far as they are concerned. Of course we have no right to dictate to that company; but so far as your interests are concerned, if it is your pleasure to concur in the views I have now stated, the directors of the North British Company will take those measures which present themselves, and of which they will make the best use, to withdraw their support from that company.—(Applause.) Mr. WOTHERSPOON, of Liverpool, intimated his con tinued and determine d opposition to the Edinburgh and Perth. They would be opposed by the London and North Western Company, and the whole of the lines now incorporated with that line, extending from London to Carlisle. They would likewise have the opposition of the Caledonian, the Scottish Central, and the Edin burgh and Northern Companies to contend against; and last, but not least, the opposition of a powerful and determined body of their own shareholders, who would not suffer snch a scheme to be carried out in Parlia ment.—(Applause.) He concluded by moving to the effect that the thanks of the meeting be given to the chairman and directors of the company for the gracious manner in which they had acceded to the expressed wishes of a large body of the shareholders in with drawing their support from the Edinburgh and Perth Company; and that they be instructed to take the most prompt and effectual means to realise the scrip of the Edinburgh and Perth Company, and that they charge any loss arising therefrom in the accounts for the cur rent half-year. Captain RICE, of York, seconded this. Mr. SPENCE, a representative, from Birmingham, sup porting. Mr. DEas, advocate, opposed. The question was simply this—the directors first spent 90,0001. in buying a railway, and the❑ some demur having arisea about the purchase, the directors agreed to reconsider the matter. This they had accordingly done, and after giving to it the fullest consideration, they had issued a report to the shareholders, recommending that line, saying that they were of the same opinion as they were before, as to its value to the North British Company, and that it ought by all means to be made. Now he must say that the recommendation of the directors was to him one of the strongest reasons for going on with that line, because he found that the giving of it up was recommended by par ties who had good reasons for wishing that it should be abandoned, such as the Edinburgh and Northern. He was perfectly petrified, on coming to the meeting to sup port that report, to find that the directors had turned round and moved its disapproval. This certainly was pertinent to the matter le fore the meeting. Mr. JAMES AYTOUN, advocate, contended that the cir cumstances with regard to the Edinburgh and Perth Rail cay were entirely changed, and that was the ground on which the directors had come to the determination to abandon the scheme, which was a good scheme at the time they entered upon it. Last year the Edinburgh and Perth line had almost a certainty of passing ; at that time an agreement was made with the Edinburgh and Northern, by which no opposition was to be offered; and at that time also there was a similar agreement with the Scottish Central; all of which circumstances afforded a good reason for the North British entering into the arrangement that they had done. Mr. Aytoun then showed that, as the Edinburgh and earth Bill had been lost in Parliament, the agreement with the North Bri tish was at an end; and having quoted the authority of Mr. Rutherford to support this argument, he went on to maintain, with regard to the proxies, that the directors had acted in a fair and proper manner in using as they had done those which left the matter to their discretion, Mr. WILLIAMSON, of Kinross, moved approval ofthe views expressed in the directors' report in regard to the Edinburgh and Pcrth Railway, and that the directors b• instructed to carry these into effect. Mr. PEAS seconded the motion. After a good deal of discussion, Mr. Williamson at length consented to withdraw his motion, on the condi tion that it should be recorded in the minutes that 2,203 proxies had been received by the directors for going on with the line. The motion of Mr. Wotherspoon was ac cordingly declared to be carried. THE LATE DISASTERS ON THE WORKS. Before the meeting separated, The CHAIRMAN adverted to the late disasters on the line. They had put themselves into the hands of the most eminent engineer in Scotland, and the line was sur veyed before it was opened to the public. Certainly, misfortunes have happened to the line, but they have been grossly and greatly exaggerated. You may have seen a letter in the newspapers from the secretary, in forming you of the extent and of the original cost of the bridges which have fallen down. That statement is cor rect, and, therefore, you may judge yourselves of the cost required for the reparation of the bridges. The expense is very trifling inde eenee ide,bvueie tecneere tainly we have suffered greatly that has occurred in travelling upon the line. The traffic has been greatly interrupted. In order to meet the convenience of the public, we have been at very great expense, not sparing ourselves any way. I am happy to acquaint you that we will be able, if the wea ther continues such as it is at the present moment, to open the line throughout in ten or fourteen days. I have only to say that no one could lament more than the directors did this matter. We, of course, being placed in the more prominent responsibility, have felt it most severely, and it has occupied a considerable share of our thoughts. I believe that it will be ad mitted that the flood from which we suffered was a most severe one. The line was rapidly got together. The lime and whinstone required time to cement, and time had not been given fur that to take place. These bridges, however, would have fallen, whether or not the railway had been opened ; and, therefore, it is merely the loss of traffic which we have in the mean time lost that we have sustained. I believe that we have gained more by traffic since the railway was opened than the loss we have experienced. In answer to a question as to whether General Pasley had given any report to the directors on the present condition of the line, The CHAIRMAN said that they had not received any written report from that gentleman on the subject. He was, however, happy to acquaint them that General Pasley had in conversation stated that he was most highly satisfied with the line, and with the new repairs whicli had been made upon the works. General Pasley believed that they were most substantial, and were most properly done, and he expressed his most complete satis faction with the works now in progress. He (the Chair man) belii,ved that there was no better line in the king dom than the North British, The misfortune they had met with had c•-rtainly caused them to take very great pains ea ith the line to Ilawick. Every attention had been paid to that branch, and he could assure them that not a single conduit had given way in the works there. In reference to the North British, General Pasley, he believed, almost authorised him to say that he was ex tremely well pleased with the line, such as it was, and that he hod enly one fault to find along the whole line. His rep in would be published in the newspapers so soon as it was given in. RUMOURED OFFERS OF LEASE. A Shareholder asked if there was any truth in the re port as to an offer to lease the North British ? The CHAIRMAN felt great pleasure in answering the question. At the York meeting, which had lately taken place, suggestions had been made for amalgamating with the North British line. These suggestions had not been put into anv shape whatever. The subject had been discussed a t Y or k, an d M r. ll u d son h a d ex p res s e d his readiness to enter into terms with this company. No terms had yet been proposed to them. Some gentlemen had come from York with the view of having some dis cussion about the subject; but the matter was not in any shape in which the directors could give any opinion. Tl.e shareholders might depeml upon it that the matter would ha seri ous l y cons i dered in its presen t aspect by the directors, who would give a dispassionate opinion with out reference to themselves at all. He might further mention that this was not the only approach that had been made to the North British Company, and therefore they were in a better position than they were probably aware of. There was more than one bidder for the company --(Applause.) The directors would do nothing in the matter without having the full consent and appro bation of th e shareholders. He hoped that i n any com munication they might have with the York and Newcas tle Company, the directors would get the approbation of tiv, shareholders for whatever they might advise them to consent to. The Right Hon. H. Labouebre, Chief Secretary for Ireland, who arrived in town a few days since to at tend a meeting of his colleagues, will leave for Dublin vither on Tuesday or Wednesday. TEIE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY MORNING, NOVEMI3EIt 3, 1846. THE MAGAZINES. the Life of a Literary Blackguard." It is the exten- Llie O:ograpliy- of the nuforiuus " Pietro Are tino," as given in the commencement of that great Biographical Dictionary issued by the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, and which if pro perly supported by the public might even yet be a splendid national work. And a wonderful " black guard" this same Pietro was unquestionably ; a villain, a poltroon, a debauchee, a parasite, a mercenary swordsman under Giovanni Medici, a public mendi cant when residing in Venice, an insolent charlatan in the very title-pages of his books, a calumniator, a liar, a publisher of infamous sonnets and obscene en gravings —a fellow who abused his friends when they were overwhelmed with misfortune, and who after a life illustrated with the perpretration of almost every imaginable atrocity received extreme unction when stretched upon his death. bed, and perished with that brutal jest upon his lips, that, seeing his bod y was now well oiled, hi s at t endants would do well to keep the rats from eating him ! The writer of this article in the magazine observes at the outset that he intends it to cor.stitute a kind of literary scarecrow. He had remarked " a battered leaden statue of a half naked man on horseback," in the area fronting the Edinburgh courts of justice, and finding that it was erected to the memory of the " pious" and " unconquered" King Charles the Second, he declares that the very sight of it was " enough to make any man, for the moment, a republican." Con ceiving that a wholesome moral might be extracted from the contemplation of such a sculptured effigy, and that some sound lessons in government might be drawn from the mere inscription, he looks for an analogous memento and warning in the department of literature. For the nonce he hits upon Pietro Aretino; and undoubtedly he could not have selected a more appropriate scoundrel. There is something infinitely astonishing in the history of this remark able person. Perfectly uneducated, and without even the semblance of good principles, he adventures, at the ripe age of five-and -thirty, upon the fabrication of a literary celebrity. Without genius, without even any very remarkable talent, without being scholarly, without patronage, without money, without character, he nevertheless fabricated for himself a fame which extended over every portion of Europe, and penetrated even into Asia, and assumed a con spicuous position in the dawning of the sixteenth century. He was the, friend of Titian, of Tinto retto, and of nearly all his most illustrious contemporaries ; be was the correspondent of the va rious Italian princes, of the monarchs of Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and England ; he was the stipendiary of all the leading statesmen of the time ; he frequently received bounties from the cof fers of Sultan Solyman, and drew largely upon the spoil of Barbarossa the pirate. lie styled himself "The Scourge of Princes" while penning the most pitiable and sycophantic petitions to the different so vereizns ; he signed himself " Peter the Truthteller" at the end of documents laden with falsities ; appended to his name the epithet " The Divine," though his whole life was notoriously mean and vicious; and at other moments called himself " Peter, by the grace of God a Free Man," though he battoned on the fickle favour of kings. Anything more astonishing, whether for deliberate audacity, for utter degradation, or for flagrant immorality can scarcely be adduced in the whole range of letters. The contributor h as d one well in producin g this biographieal paper ; it will serve a high purpose ; it will be the warning he de sires it to be, and will demonstrate by the gloomy contrast of crime, the lustrous purity of virtue. " The Belle " is concluded with much sprightliness, and we have a promise of the termination of Mrs. Gore's story in December. Among the poetical con tributions for this month we cannot discern a single verse worthy of commendation. " The Dove "is so weak and tame in its nature that we conjectured it must be what Bottom calls a "suckin g d ove, " S --me of the rhymes are especially vile, for instance the second and fourth " bind ' and " joined," which imply a cockney euphony, as thus : " Hail, emblem of the dearest tie That human hearts can bind, Love's all-devoted constancy When kindred souls are fined !" " The Fairy Ladye's Love," again, reminds us of the everlastingly still small voice. The translation from the French of Augusta Barbier, in which France is typified as a mare, and :Napoleon as a demon-rider, breathes terribly of the orange peel and sawdust of Franconi's. The best verse is that descrip tive of France, young, vigorous, and untainted, at the period of the Republic : " The eye of fire set in her slender head Shot forth a tameless ray ; Reared up erect the whole world she dismayed With her shrill savage neigh." An elaborate analysis of Dr. Brown's " Ethical Lec tures," and a careful review of Dr. Alexander's " Switzerland and the Swiss Churches," together with several other literary notices of less pretension, complete the light literature of Tait for November. The political article for this month is almost as great a curiosity as in October; it is now, however, con fined to the consideration of Irish destitution and our foreign diplomacy. With reference to the present condition of Ireland, Tait gives rather too bitter a home thrust to both l an dl or d s and peasantry—it de clares that "every Irishman is from this moment a pauper or a semi-pauper, supported half by work, and half by extras from the parish"—the landowners praying for grants to i mprove their land by - drainage, and so forth—the peasantry pleading for grants to pay them Government wages for Government employ ment. Supposing it were literally true that all Irishmen were paupers, this is surely not the moment for the announcement of that pain ful fact, for flinging the reproach in the teeth of our c oun t rymen across St. George's Channel. The Irish are starving ; let us wait till they be extricated from that abyss before we dream of balancing the interests of the state. The observations which follow upon our foreign relations are singular enough. We transcribe one paragraph The function of Government, in regard to foreign affairs, is the same as its function in regard to domestic. Its sole office is to protect the citizen or subject in the free exercise of his lawful rights, and compel hi m to dis charge his lawful duties. The merchant, or any other person who ventures abroad for profit or pleasure, re tains his claim for protection upon his native Govern ment. The merchant, or other, who remains at home, but engages in negotiations with subjects of other Go vernments, or with subjects of his own resi dent abroad, must, if they refuse to fulfil their engagements, endea vour to force them th roug h the ministry of his own. The limited business of Government, outside of i'ts own domi nions, is to take care that the persons and pr operty of its subjects are safe. To this end fleets and milit;ary stations, on distant shores, are maintained, in order ti in the police of the high seas may be maintained, or aid kept at hand in the vicinity of barbarous tribes who re. fp:-,ct not the laws of civilized, nations. T o t hi s end cons , i f s are main tained in great trading ports and inland emporia. and diplomatic en voys at seats of government. The in,' floss of our admi ra l s and commandants at -our military . stations is to s erve as a substitute ha. police in regions of the world's surface where there is no est ablished go vernment ; to protect all Britons, travelling: on their lawful occasions by sea or by land, from assaults of pirates or robb ers at a l l t i mes ; from assaul . ;s of national forces with whom we may be at war; from aggressions on the part of belligerents when neutral. 'The business phß o o, f )rmil o nt u ietse r tifd e r is o; o sm n au s nb u djl l ve s hetoto s: n t o see th a t j ust i ce b e neith. ?.t. denied nor unduly withheld, no r so ld at an extortionate price to limits t se are business i t sto w v : t l h i h c e h of w .t residents are he b u a 3 p ai r t. promote thei within gr r ness of diplomatic agents (by whatever name known), at seats of government, is t o care for the personal immu nities of their fellow -subjects within the territories of the Government to which they are accredieed ; to nego tiate for the reform of -any laws or ordinances militating against the interests of their c ountry; to watch any alli ances or hostilities which the Government near which te S7 v e e t r a t r} a - ,4o p e a n r d t o tal av r o e t . , 3 r tr t i o ct g te i nves they are, may contract or engage in; and,tinder the e t e Ft r ir c on e re t al h gs a n t might be the result of the one, British subjects that might p uponaff directione s such ur o c f e a h or any accidental dangers to r t e h e e ee p d er f s i o e n m s athned e pLo e p r e . ty of IiL.IC:K until the whole has been devoured. Maxwell continues his i3rian 0 - Linn," at,(l the "Ili:tilt:Lir Recui leetions of Paris. The Faubourg St. Germain is the subject of his present paper, and admirably does ha sketch the characteristics, physical and moral, of the old aristocracy, who since the revolution of 1830 have voluntarily relegated themselves to that quarter. The process of amalgamation, however, is rapidly going on ; the poverty of these proud, but poor ex clusives, forces them to wink at the mesalliances which their children contract with the rich Bourgeoisie of the other side the river, and ere twenty years are past, the ancienne noblesse will be extinct as a social class. They are bigoted without being religious, and their morality is of that peculiar character which dis tinguished the Court of Louis XIV., or that of our own Charles II.; but their society is the most delightful in the world. Curious and most charming is the article entitled "Luigia de Medici"—an article conceived and written in a gentle and loving spirit. For those individuals who are not familiar with Florentine biography it may be as well to premise at once; that the beautiful maiden whose name is here mentioned was the fourth daughter, and the seventh and youngest child, of Lorenzo the Magnificent and his wife Clarice Orsini. Consequently, the ever-memorable and ever-glorious Cosmo de Medici, him whom the grateful citizens of Florence christened Pater Patrice, was the great grandfather of Lu: gia. The purpose of the writer is one which cannot fail to enlist all the sympathies of those who can sympathise with the sorrows of one of the most extraordinary geniuses Italy or the world ever saw. It is to demonstrate the fact that Michel Angelo Buonarotti—the sculptor, the architect, the painter, the poet, that wonderful man, merely to mention whom Sir Joshua Reynolds conceived to be the most fitting and dignified mode of terminating his lectures as President of the Royal Academy—it is to prove that the heart of this great man loved in his youth, that it loved with an ardour proportioned to the intensity of his high nature, that his affection was not improbably reciprocated, that the object of his devotion was none other than Luigia de Medici, and that her premature •decease tended to confirm arid enhance the austerity of the character of Michel Angelo. More obscurity, cer tainly, does not exist in the biography of any man of comparable celebrity with reference to the early de velopment of his disposition, and the tribulations to which he was subjected at the very outset of his career, than that which shrouds the history of the boyhood of Angelo. It is generally regarded as questionable, whether the passion which he himself indicates in his writings was real or supposititious. It is presumed by many that his poetical productions were rather the embodiment of his vagrant medita tions than the outpourings of human emotion. The theme of his verses— " The form of beauty and the soul of grace," is conceived by the majority of scholars to have been a merely visionary object of his adoration. From these prevalent opinions the writer in Blackwood altogether dissents; and, although Buonarotti was most scrupulous never to reveal the name of the being to whom his poetry was particularly addressed, or, in deed, to indicate, in any way, the identity of her whom to have loved under his circumstances would have been regarded as a grievous presumption, this writer, from a variety of collateral circumstances, is persuaded that it could have alone been Luigia. In en deavouring to "carry his point," he quotes largely from the delicious sonnettos and madrigales of Michel Angelo —pieces which, supposing his chisel and brush to have been wholly inactive, would inevitably have acquired for him a very considerable celebrity as an emulator of the fame of Petrarch. It is in truth, solely because their lustre is eclipsed by the transcendent glory of his creations in high art, that these poems are now so little appreciated, and so generally unknown. After a perusal of those sonnets it will be impossible for the most fastidious to gainsay the merits of Buonarotti as an author, and but few will be adventurous enough to deny that they were dictated at moments when his whole soul was excited with positive admiration, with actual trepidation, or with real woe. Living under the roof of his patron, the Magnificent Lorenzo, a n d forming one of his household, Michel Angelo never theless conquered himself so far as to have main tained a strict silence upon what was nearest to his heart. The Laura of Petrarch, the Caterina of Cameens, the Eleonora of Tasso, the Beatrice of Dante, exercised no more fascination over the minds of those great poets than did Luigia over that of Buonarotti. To that devotion the affection of Abelard for Heloise was most earthly, that of Rousseau for Madame Wens most inane, that of Waller for Sacharissa most fantastic. And when we remember the premature death of Luigia immediately before the downfal and banish ment of her once illustrious house; when we call to our recollection that noble epitaph written by him upon her dissolution, and which the writer in Black wood calls, with much truth, "sublime"—words that are placed in the mouth of the deceased—" I was a mortal, now lam an angel. The world knew me for a little space, and I possess heaven for ever. I rejoice at the glorious chanze, and exult over the death which struck, to lead me to eternal life !"—when we remember these things, and remember also that pathetic exclama tion of Michel Angelo—" Children I shall not have, except the works I shall leave behind me," we cannot regard this incident in the history of letters without the most peculiar interest. We are grateful to the writer of Blackwood for this elegant contribution, and to the editor for its insertion. In two other respects, however, this month, weare disappointed with "Chris topher North." We are disappointed with him for the admission of such articles as those entitled " Advice to an intended Serialist" and " Things in General " into the generally fastidious Maga. We re member well a dinner being given some few years ago at Edinburgh to Mr. Charles Dickens, we remember " Christopher North" was in the chair, and we particularly well remember how that same " Christopher North " uttered a well-deserved pane gyric upon Mr. Dickens for the genius evinced in his writings, and especially for the gentleness and morality with which that genius was coupled. Hence we are surprised at what here appears to us to be a kind of second-hand tergiversation on the part of " Christopher North." He forgets his former eulo giums upon "Boz," and falls foul of him by proxy ! The paper called " Advice to an Intended Serialist " is one of the most vulgar pieces of personality and abuse we remembered to have ever encountered. It is evidently intended to be most caustic and funny, and it is in reality nothing more than slang and bal derdash. It is an attempt to hold Charles Dickens up to the derision of the public, and it wants even the redeeming quality of candour " Boz" is never once mentioned ; the serialist who is supposed to be the recipient of the advice is evasively de signated Mr. T. Smith. There is, however, no mistaking the person against whom the article is written. The words, "It was the kitten began it," &c., prove sufficiently an intended pasqui nade upon the opening of the is• Cricket on the Hearth : ' and Mr. Bingo's " Good—Right—Har mony preserved—Glad to join you—Cup of existence —Gall at bottom," is an evident travestie of Jingle. Of the intense vulgarity of the article we should not be enabled to give a fitting sample without transcrib ing a considerable portion of it; which we should be sorry to do. " 'Tworn't Huggs, 'twore the kitten" —"that's my rum un"—" won't you take a drop of summer —" I thought you might vont somethink 'cos you vos a treadin' on my toes I" We could scarcely credit that such nonsense was really printed in the pages of our venerable Ebony, and were fain to turn for corroboraticn to the wrapper, where, sure enough, there was the portrait of the old sage, sur rounded by his immortal garland of thistle, and above, in legible characters, No. CCCLXXIII. The paper headed " Things in General " has likewise several blemishes, but with these it has many sensible and sagacious observations. The reflections upon the Montpensier marriage, for example, are shrewd and timely. The remarks upon the English press in general, and upon the London daily press in particular, are deserving of especial attention. But when the writer expressly goes out of his way to call the eminent members of the British Association "twaddling ninnies," and speaks of the "childish inanity" of their exhibitions, we conceive he is stepping somewhat out of his province He says that scarcely anything is to be heard at such annual assemblages except " senile garrulity, the gabble of ignorant eulogy, or virulent, envious depreciation and detraction." And this is said, moreover, with a vivid recollection of the masterly address of Sir Roderick Murchison, with the admirable tribute uttered by Lord Palmerston, and with the attendance of such men as Herschel, Oersted, and Buckland at the late meeting in Southampton ! Senile garrulity! Twaddling ninnies I The writer is, moreover, ex ceedingly morose with Mr. Dickens. He quar refs with the first number of "Dombey and Son," because of Mr. Chick humming to himself Right tol loorul ; and yet he, himself, in page 635, obliges the reader with "sow , wow, wow, wow!" He objects to the painful minuteness of Mr. Dickens's style of description; and yet, in page 626, he him self tells us that he took with him into the country "a stock of Lee's port and sherry—six pounds of real tea—three c‘vairnteci-ocoeln lear b, straw poundsos p t t spice-box, e bottles ba mustard,oobf xo ,u w at h n i td s e y st — cf. four of anchovy paste contents o & r teh'oafs Again, h is if any he o n larder, i e s excited to indignation by Mr. Dickens giving us such z a i n n d e y w e i t th he a h h i i m gh se l y l f fills e r a e n s t e i n n g t i r e h a c r o u g m u n re,s o d f e t l v e e.r m e d a ghay an elaborat e account of a race between two watches, himself (the w r it er ) t o hi s (the w an rit e sensible wherein th e sa id d og is addressed as " a little sinner," as " doggy," an d b y other equally sib t i t a h l e n s d . q When we find hi m at another moment quoting t h at comical comical pass age a b out Dombey's son, who, ly in g in his cradle with his little fists curled rip and clenched, "se eme d i n hi s feeble way, " says "Boz," " to be squaring at existence for having come upon him so unexpectedly," when we find the writer transcribin this in large letter s , pl ac i ng three notes of admiration g after it, and calling it " t h e brutal idea of a prize fighter," we perceive that lie has no 't capaci y what ever for appreciating what is extravagantly humour ous. In other respects this article is pleasant and readable. " Prussian Military Memoirs" is an agree able contribution. The " Marlborough Dispatches," and " A New Sentimental Journey, are continued with spirit; and these, with a trenchant criticism on " Mohun Lars Life of Dost Mohammed Kl'aa," and a laborious inquiry into th e " Operation of th e Eng lish Poor-laws, compose a very varied and rather unequal number of Blackwood. " In no society in Paris is that light, frothy, cham pa;ne like essence, ca11&•d French fashionable chit-chat, bandied backwards and forwards in such lively and witty battledoor banter, as in this, It is as different frcm its counterfeit in other regions, and more especially in other countries, as light French wines are from Engiish brown stout. Some there are who ma 4 prefer the latter ; but still even they must own that it is heavy. To attain to the necessary perfection in this most glittering orna ment of good French society it is required to be alive to everything passing —to be ignorant of nothing, past, present, and future—to touch lightly upon all subjects with ready versatility, and as lightly let it fall again —to find the right word for every thought, for every circum stance, for every feeling, for every shade of rank or po sition (and the word chosen must be sharp as a needle's point, if it be not expected to recoil back upon its utterer with all the heaviness of its bluntness)—to err not in the slightest shade—to skim gently over the whole surface, and yet in skimming catch the cream. And nowhere is this perfection attained in so eminent a degree as in the salons, where men and women can causer of the society of the Faubourg SL Germain—nowhere has this rapid flitting of witty conversation, this ease and grace in flattery and repartee—this babble so smooth, and yet so cutting, so light, and yet, in the materials necessary for its fabrication, so solid, so heterogeneously and yet so nicely compounded, appear to have been so complete a study, and with such successful results, all unstudied as it appears. Are little children taught to converse as they are taught to learn grammar? We almost might suppose so, to see what masters they are in the art, whea they are grown up." Alfred Crowquill discourses pleasantly upon a subject which, as Christmas approaches, is to many persons anything but pleasant, " The Little Ac count ;" and W. Jerdan gives us a pleasant comedy of errors arising from the circumstance of Lords Yarborough, Harhorough, and Scarborough being once upon a time all located in the same hotel. He entitles it " Titular Confusion ; the Borough-title Terminus." We have a very graphic account of the ceremony of " Taking the Veil" at Naples, by the author of " Italian Scenes." It is valuable, as show ing the light in which the educated and polished classes in Catholic countries look upon these cere monies. In this instance, the nun was of a noble family. The elite of the beau monde of Naples at tended the ceremony as they would have attended an opera or any other spectacle. During its progress the Papal Nuncio who officiated made audible com plaints of the draught of cold air from the gratiNg of the convent to which he was exposed, and requested the abbess to have the doors and windows closed, and to hasten the toilet of the new nun, and at its con clusion the invited guests assembled in the hall of the convent : " This was a complete morning soirée, in which all was done on the most liberal and handsome scale, nothing could be more recherche, or more profuse, than the refreshments that were handed round every instant; ices, jellies, creams, cakes, bonbons, every imaginable species of sweetmeat was there, in a style that would have shamed many a ball room. To my astonishment, there was even punch a la Romaine, a fact which went far to prove to me that the nuns were much less igno rant of the ways of the world than I had imagined. The reunion was row all vivacity and animation, the society had arnalgamate3, the ladies apparently determined to make up for the silence of the preceding two hours, laughed, and sipped ices, and chattered with S nimitable rapidity; the cavalieri on their part were all gallantry and attention, while two or three went round the circle, presenting every one with a little brochure of compli mentary verses addressed to the nun, which had been as usual composed and printed for the occasion; I glanced over them, and saw that they were in the same strain as the predicts, a recapitulation of the Epithalamium, in rhyme. Suddenly the usual cannonade of petards was fired off, before the convent gates, stunning us, like a park of artillery, filling the whole room with smoke, and silencing every one, and everything, for the moment ; but it was only for the moment, for no sooner was it over when the noise of tongues and glasses began again. It was nearly one o'clock, and no one seemed disposed to move till the nuncio's equipage drove up to the steps, when he rose, and as the sposa stooped to kiss his hand, he presented her with a beautiful silver crucifix, which he requested her to keep as a memoria, and then he bid adieu to the abbess and the rest." Albert Smith puts in a pleasant plea for Boulogne, between which and Margate, Ramsgate and Brighton, he draws a comparison more after the manner of Boz" than of Plutarch ; and Dr. W. C. Taylor gives us a " Biographical Sketch of Sarah, first Duchess of Marlborough," a portrait of whom, engraved by Cook, from the original picture by Sir Godfrey Kneller, at present in the gallery at Althorp, illus trates this number. The other illustrations are by Leech—the first, a scene from Cooper's new novel of " Captain Spike ;" the second, a scene from "Brian O'Linn." points si.e g a r d upon ing es—va e mean So far unquestionably the writer has en.rEtmzierroaptel some of the princip 11 responsibilities and dustipeasinofatnhae agents of the Foreign Department ; but he has en tirely importante n c r o aeb wbieb overlooked the Spanish rr verymarriage e the preservation of the balance of power in and the prevention of the violation of solemn treaties. The balance of European power is endangered by Francethi s alliance ; a solemn between treaty the irsoyv violated l at ed families by o d i f the stipulations of the one signed at Utrecht ; a n d when England protests in dignified and decisive terms, France evades the interference, first by an ung ene , ais silence, and secondly by a deceitful subterfuge. Ne ver nation. had England more cause for complaint or ind jg_ BENTLEY'S MISCELLAN Y. Bentley opens this month with the first chapt er o f a new novel by Cooper, entitled " Captain Spike; or the Islets of the Gulf." The scene is laid in America in the present day, and in the opening chapter we . i have an account of the sailing of Captain Spike in I his good ship Molly Swash, from Manhattan. The Swash is a suspicious sort of craft, whi c h h as in. former days been employed as a privateer, and Cap tain Spike himself seems to be more of a smuggler and pirate than of a regular trader. His mate, M u lf ord, is evidently intended to be the lover of the tale, and thi , heroine, Rose Budd, is, with her aunt, embarked k a the Molly Swash. The crew are rough and read y, and old Josh, the negro steward, is the " funiry " man, at least of this chapter. The Molly Swash, in sailing through the passage of "Hell Gate," i s pur sued by a boat containing two men, whose approach it is evident Captain Spike has some reason to dread; and in endeavouring to avoid them, he runs his vess el upon the Pot rock. We are glad to meet with Cooper at sea once more. It is his native element, and even in this single chapter bei has managed so to enlist the interest of the reader : , that having once begun it, it is impossible to lay it i dawn , TAIT. . , A perfectly astonishing title is given to the fore most article in this number of Tait--" Faasages in servative party in its defence ? If so, his evident to ex ,;. , ;,01,,tte .t.obert Pe e l, o r t o d r i ve him bey on d the pale of Conservatism, may be ac counted for." The fact is, the party has discovered that the con verse of the Duke of Richmond's celebrated boast is true—that Sir Robert Peel can destroy the party, but the party cannot destroy Sir Robert Peel —that with out him they can do nothing, but that without them he can do everything, and that at this moment he occu pies a prouder positio n , and pos s e sses more real power as a statesma n , independentC of all party, than he ever could have occupied or possessed so long as he remained a mere party leader. The opening paper of the num ber on the "History ofEtruria" is a valuable contribu tion to archaeological science, and it is followed by a dream of horrors entitled "Nightmare on the Rails." Imagine yourself riding at the rate of 100 miles an hour on an express engine, with a driver who during the journey has been seized with a fit of insanity and has thrown off the stoker and killed him, and you may have a faint idea of the horrors conjured up by the writer of this paper. The story of the "Rector's Daughter" is concluded, and so are Colonel Mitchell's strictures on the " Principal Campaigns of Napoleon." Napoleon is to Colonel Mitchell what water gruel was to Gervase Skinner when in the lunatic asylum— his " favourite aversion" and like Gervase Skinner, he loses all power of self-control when the name cD his " favourite aversion " is mentioned. He thus sums up what he calls the " Bastard Caesar's real character." " The impartial reader of history will then see, that this boasted man, at all times as callous of heart as desti tute of principle, possessed but moderate talents, was presumptuous and arrogant in the hour of prosperity, timid, destitute of resources, deficient in firmness—his high station considered deficient even of personal courage in the hour of adversity." The very violence of this tirade destroys its effect, and it is marvellous that Colonel Mitchell, who on other subjects can write sensibly enough, will suffer his prejudices so to override his judgment when Napoleon is the theme of his discourse. That he can write sensibly this very paper affords abundant evidence. Take the following on the effects of the system of purchasing commissions in the British army as an example : " The science of war is a sealed book to the officers of the British army ; they rise by purchase and interest, and not by merit. The language having no military literature, no means of professional study are open to those who might be desirous of acquiring knowledge ; the minds of the best, therefore, remain uncultivated and deprived of those strengthening and invigorating ; elements which necessarily result from knowledge, study, information, and the power and habit of reflection to which those endowments give rise. Men of 11'0 genius, guided by the brilliant light of inspiration, may not require such artificial aids ; but even genius is improved and enlarged by knowledge, and, above all, the mass at men belong to the ordinary class, and it is for this class that the institntiens of a country must be calculated. Men of high, lofty, and commandirg genius, belong to the rare production of nature. Able men, on the con trary, are to be found at all times, and in all countries, and in no country more frequently than in Britain ; but they are not, and cannot be, above deriving benefit from knowledge ; and the system of preferment, which sets study and information at nought, which deprives an army of the best qualities its very officers might possess. and gives rank and almost boundless control over the fi , rtunes of soldiers to the mere possessor of wealth, re gardless of his deserts, which are as often l ow as hi g h , must ever be as injurio us as dishonourable to a great and enlightened country." Nothing can be more admirable than this, and it is greatly to be regretted that Colonel Mitchell does not always write thus. " Mr. Roebuck" is the contem- porary orator for this month ; and in th• way of fun we have an admirable quiz npon the high German school of novel writing in the story of " The New Werth€r." We recommend its perusal to all those learned gentlemen who prose about aesthetics. They should go to Bonn at once, and join Herr Stein hausen's wsthetical teas to understand the science properly. The other papers of this number are a more than average merit. LORD JOHN RUSSELL AND THE DUKE OF LEINSTER. If Lord John Russell thought only of courting or keeping up popularity in Ireland he would never have written the letter to the Duke of Leinster, published Ly the Dublin Evening Post, and copied into this journal on Saturday. That letter is a frank and honest, rather than a political document, and yet excites the wildest appre hensions, and provokes the loudest outcries, is that which relates to the supply of food. " Food within everybody's reach, and at a moderate price," is the demand with which the priests, demagogues, and people of Ireland are thundering at the door of the Cabinet. Lord John Russell answers that the demand cannot be complied with. The embarrassment with which we have to contend lies in the fact that food is scarce, and therefore that some must go with short allowance. Ireland, with a large portion of her population living upon Government wages, will be sure to obtain at least her usual share of the common stock, but if, in addition. she had food brought to her by the instrumen tality of Government, at a price lower than the market price, it is quite certain that she would gain the advantage by a grievous injustice to the rest of the em pire. In some parts of Ireland, however, and more par ticularly in the rural districts of the west and south, there is, properly speaking, no food market. The pea santry, receiving land in return for their labour, in lieu of wages, have hitherto grown their own food, and no class of dealers has arisen by whose agency they might, at a time like the present, obtain food from a distance. Imagine thousands of purchasers suddenly demanding bread or meal in a village, Vi h ere a solitary huxter could scarcely find a dozen customers before. An unex pectedly large monster train has been known to clear out the bakers' shops even of Brighton, and to raise bread for a few brief hours to a famine price. What, then, must be the result in remote districts of Ireland, where the ordinary machinery of supply is so slight and inadequate, when there comes a demand sudden and vast enough to try the resources even of a metro polis. In a country full of enterprise, like England, the commencement of extensive public works calls at once into existence a host of small dealers, by whom the wants of the labourers are supplied. Every battalion of railway navigators has its camp-followers. The same thing takes place, and will still further take place, in the more advai ced prosperous districts of Ireland, and if in any of those districts competition does not speedily cause food to be supplied in sufficient quantities at a fair market price, it is for the gentry, the clergy, and other educated persons to take measures for correcting the evil. What is needful for a single parish may without great difficulty or sacrifice be done by its own inha bitants, while to provide thus for ten thousand parishes would far exceed the powers of any Government. But fur districts in which society is less advanced, and where, as we have said, no food market can be said to have existed hitherto, Lord John Russell and his col leagues think it necessary and safe " to create a provision brads at fair mercantile prices," by the esta64,lneent of Government depots. Of the extent of this necessity we are Lot in a condition to judge, but it is evident enough that the Government cannot, even upon the most urgent necessity, turn pro vision merchant without serious consequences. It cannot emu on the trade in food upon a small scale, nor can it precisely - determine beforehand the limits within which it will operate. Lord John Russell, however is fully sensible of the perilous nature of the experiment and will doubtless proceed with caution. Meanwhile, his appeal to the landowners and others who have loca influence in Ireland, to do their part, ought to be effec tual But that which is not possible by a government is possible by individual and social exertions. Every one who travels through Ireland observes the large stacks of corn, which are the produce.of the late harvest. There is nothing to prevent the purchase of grain by proprie tors or by committees, and the disposal of these supplies in shops furnished on purpose with flour at a fair price, with a moderate profit. This has been done, lam as sured, in parts of the Highlands of Scotland, where the failure of the potatoes has been as great and as severe a calamity as it has been in Ireland. " There is, no doubt, some inconveniences attending even these modes of interference with the market price of food. But the good overbalances the evil. Local committees, or agents of landowners, can ascertain the pressure of distress, measure the wants of a district, and prevent waste or misapplication. Besides, the general effect is to bring men together and induce them to exert their energy in a social effort directed to one spot; whereas the interference of the State deadens private energy, prevents forethought—and, after super seding all other exertion, finds itself at last unequal to the gigantic task it has undertaken." As to the other question touched upon in the letter, namely, the revolution whi c h must ta k e place in the agricultural system of Ireland, it i s a l arm i ng to think of the rap idity with which we are hurrying on to another season without an y c l ear concept i on of what we are do ing or ought to do. What is to be the substitute for the potato? Carry th e I r i s h p eop l e t h roug h t h e present winter, by the expenditure of five or six millions of money, and how are they to live next year? how are they to get through next winter ? If public works withdraw hundreds of thousands from the cultivation of the soil, what kind of harvest shall we gather in next autumn ? These are questions which Lord John Russell cannot altogether leave to be settled by the respectable persons who compose the Agricultural Society of Ireland. Lord John Russell may have reason to regret that the negli gences of a long series of Governments have thrown upon him the tremendous responsibilities of guiding, so far as a statesman can guide, a social revolution. But let him not mistake h;s position. The whole industrial economy of Ireland will have to be settled on a new basis, and no preliminary investigations for which a Government pos sesses resources above those of private persons can be set aside as beyond its province. —Chronicle. AN OMNIBUS MlSHAP. — Thursday morning, an omnibus, newly painted, was on its road to the owners • at Peckham, the vehicle being drawn by a single horse. Whilst the animal was crossing the Surrey Canal-bridge, at the bottom of George street, Albany-road, Camber well, it missed its footing, and the weight of the omnibus being too much for the horse to stand against, it slipped down the incline of the bridge, and, on getting to the bottom, and slewir.g suddenly round the towing -path, backed over the bank , and fell into the canal. The horse instantly became su'pended to the pole, where he - mained kicking And plunging for some time. Fortunately the driver succeed,d in jumping off the box before the vehicle got into the water. The police and other parties having gone to the man's assistance, the horse was re leased, and the vehicle was drawn out of the canal. FRASEI?. It has long been evident that the great majority of the Conservative party are thoroughly disgusted with the mad vagaries of Lord George Bentinck and his little band of Impracticables; and we are, therifora, not at all surprised to find that the thinking men of that party are holding out the olive-branch to Sir Robert Peel. The article entitled " Politics and Personality" in the present number of Fraser is evidently a feeler, put forth for the purpose of bring ing about this reconciliation, and from it we gather that if Sir Robert Peel will consent to let bygones be bygones, and once more place himself at the head of the Conservatives, and rally their scattered forces, they will be but too happy to throw overboard the impracticables, and to yield to the Right Hon. Baronet that implicit odedience which of yore he was wont to exact from them. After speaking of the in definite nature of the promises of both the great political leaders the writer proceeds,— "The Protectionists, that is to say, the followers of Lord Stanley and Lord George Bentinck, are equally indefinite, though more talkative, as to their future policy. Whether it is to be one of reaction, or only of revenge, no man yet can say. If we might hazard a guess, it would be, that, as in the case of private indivi, duals, there excessive morality has brought them into a scrape. flunlan nature cannot sustain long such an amount of political virtue as they have bound tlienaselve. to ; nor can such exalts d expend it self without stun.- organised, but (•iub,,rra,;sir.g, party action. Th. it practice, however, must have a hard struggle to keep pace with their professions ; and the. 4.• are as yet so vague, so tinged with retrospective fury and prospective passion, as to afford an unsafe ground even for speculation on their probable conduct. To re store our commercial system to the basis of a century ago—to retrace the steps of all the greatest statesmen of later years—•to repeal, in fact, the repeal-bill, this is what they threaten ; and we are very far from saying, that if they could succeed in their object they would not be rendering good service to their country. But as well might a child's finger strive to stay a falling rock. We are in the course of a revolution, and if a reaction comes it will not be immediately." This is pretty clear evidence of an intention not to "march through Coventry" with Lord George Ben tinck, and if this is to be taken as the deliberate ex pression of the feeling of the great majority of the party, and we believe there can be no doubt but that it does truly express their feelings, " the Honourable Gentlemen below the gangway" will, in all proba bility, continue to be "below the gangway" to the end of their Parliamentary existence. Lord Stanley and Lord George Bentinck having been thus uncere moniously thrown overboard, who is to be their leader ? The following passage, with which the article concludes, proves to demonstration that they would most ardently desire that the leader should be Sir Robert Peel. Speaking of the past session, the writer says— It has been the most trying scene of Sir Robert Peel's arduous career. Indeed, an opinion very generally prevails that he does not desire to resume offiee, but that if he did, he might be Prime Minister if he liked. Of what party ? If past treachery did not forbid future confidence, we might answer—of the COnservative ; for there is yet much to be defended. The censure passed on Sir Robert Peel is not grounded so much on his policy as on its inconsistency with his past professions. Although he has lost moral influence with his party, he has gained ground as a statesman—has shown a strong will and a definite purpose. Ile has certainly inspired vast numbers with the belief that he is the only man to govern the country. Even those who most reprehend his proceedings are beginning to urge that the corn laws formed no essential part of a Conservative system of policy—that Sir Robert Peel saw they must go, and took means to anticipate the catastrophe rather than be overwhelmed in it. On the other hand, we must not over-estimate the facile triumphs of a Bentinck or a Disraeli. The best speeches of the latter were those in which he attacked Sir Robert Peel for mediocrity, and a timid policy as a statesman ; yet as soon as the Premier adopts the only bold course open to him, he turns round, and makes the charge of treachery. And of Lord George Bentinck it should be remembered, that to attack is al ways an easy task ; for you take everything for granted, and have nothing to prove ; you have only to assert and to vituperate. Politics are growing to be a more noble pursuit. They are more removed from the sphere of court caballing or caprice, and cabinet in trigue, and are more and more open to the influence of public opinion. New laws of political morality are thereby rendered necessary. One significant fact must have been remarked. Sir Robert Inglis, although he deprecated, more in sorrow than in anger, the conduct of Sir Robert Peel, adopted a very moderate tone throughout the session. Does he perceive that the Whigs are already preparing an organisation against the Church, beginning with the Irish branch of the Esta blishment, and foresees therefore a reunion of the Con" IRELAND. REPEAL ASSOCIATION.—MR. SMITH O'BRIEN. DUBLIN, OCT. 31.—The Nation of this day contains the following important letter from Mr. Smith O'Brien, addressed to Mr. Duffy, the proprietor of that journal:— " Cahirmoyle, Oct, 29, 1846. " My dear Mr. Duffy,—Notwithstanding the deep in terest which I felt in the discussions occasioned by the recent proceedings of the Repeal Association, I have pur posely abstained, as long as possible, from mingling in the controversy as a partisan, in the hope that I might thereby be enabled to assist in restoring union amongst the repealers of Ireland. Since, however, the events of each succeeding day appear to interpose new obstacles to such a re-union, I do not feel myself at liberty any longer to shrink from an explicit declaration of my opinions with respect to the questions at issue. Forbearance is, indeed, a virtue; but so long as our country continues in bondage, inaction is a crime. We who have devoted our selv, s to its emancipation are not entitled to rest from our labours until our mission shall be fulfilled. " I do not think it necessary to repudiate the many absurd imputations which have been cast upon me; but neither have I any desire to shield myself from animad version by concealing my real sentiments with regard to the rights and duties of Irishmen. In the following ex position of my opinions I am disposed to believe that no inconsiderable portion of my fellow countrymen concur. " We conceive that duty to our country is our highest political obligation, and that our primary allegiance is due to Ireland. We honour the Queen as our sovereign, not because she is descended from a race of kings who throughout many centuries wronged and afflicted the people of this land, but because we believe that if our interests and liberties were protected by a national legislature, the Irish nation would enjoy happiness and security under her sway. We do not desire to sever the connexion between Ireland and the rest of the empire. We believe that the legislative independence of Ireland is perfectly compatible with the maintenance of that connexion, but if separation be hereafter produced by misgovernment, we are persuaded that Ireland would suffer much less than Great Britain from such a contin gency. We obey the laws made by the British Parlia ment, because such obedience is necessary to the main tenance of social order ; but, remembering th a t th e A c t of Union never re ce i ve d the sanction of the Irish people, and that it was conceived in perfidy and brought forth in crime, we deny the moral right of the British legisla ture to make laws for our nation. We hold ourselves pledged to spare no legitimate exertion which can tend to procure domestic legislation for Ireland. We desire to achieve a repeal of the Act of Union by peaceful means, believing that such means are more desirable and more efficacious than any other ; but we decline to ab jure, under every possible contingency, the right of re sistance which is the last resort of the oppressed —a right inherent in the natives of every country, but especially the inheritance of the subjects of a dynasty which owes its sceptre to a successful effort to achieve political ame liorations by means of the sword. " It is not easy to understand what is the orthodox creed of the Repeal Association ; I confess that I was unable to comprehend the subtle distinctions and con tradictory definitions with which the moral force' doc trine has been enunciated ; but I infer from the pro ceedings of the Repeal Association in the case of others, that the foregoing avowal of my opinions disqualifies me from continuing a member of that body. " The regret which I naturally feel upon finding my self excluded from an association with which, under very trying circumstances, I acted, on terms of perfect cor diality, for nearly three years, is greatly diminished when I remember that many of those whose abilities, patriotism, and disinterestedness shed lustre upon that confederacy, and won the admiration even of its oppo nents, have been contumeliously expelled from it. Nor would it have been posdble to avoid collisions of opinions upon other questions connected with the policy of the repeal movement. The support given by the associa tion to an anti-repeal Ministry, accompanied, as it has been by open encouragement of the solicitation of patron age, the pursuit of which tends to render repealers the creatures and dependents of the English Government, must have occasioned perpetual remonstrance on the part of those who spurn the blandishments of English . cor ruption ' Under these circumstances, no practical ad vantage could arise from an attempt to bring together persons who, though professing to seek a common end, yet differ widely as to the means by which it may be attained. It is true, indee d, that the value of a power ful organisation, such as that which the Repeal Associa tion maintained during the years 1844 and 1845, can scarcely bo too highly appreciated. It embodied the sentiments of millions, and through many ramifications gave strength to the cause which it sustained. Those, therefore, who have been excluded from the Repeal Association are now deprived of many favourable Opportunities of advancing the interests of their country. Mon who are really in earnest, how ever, create opportunities of action for themselves, and are not the mere slaves of circumstance. It is to be hoped, therefore, that a field for useful exertion in the cause of Ireland will ere long be presented to those who have dedicated themselves to the sacred task of redeem ing; their native land. In the meantime, it is a fortu nate circumstance that your journal offers itself as an organ through which their voice may be heard. The young men of Ireland —what more cheering denomina tion could they covet than that of " Young Ireland ?" the legion of ardent and accomplished men who proudly accept this title, may, by your instrumentality, be en abled to train their fellow -countrymen to that intel lectual and moral discipline which best fits men for free dom, and, in so training others, will discipline them selves to become the leaders of a peaceful revolution— the guides of an emancipated people. " I do not hesitate to believe that you will gladly place an assigned portion of your journal at the di: Toast of those who are qualified to prepare their countrymen for liberty, and who are not ashamed to avow, by the signature of their names, the sentiments which you in vite them to record. Your past success, in eliciting the latent genius of the men of your generation, gives an earnest of your capacity for this noble function. Ad vance, then, in the same course ; combine and concen trate the energies of minds of varied character ; direct and regulate the patriotic enthusiasm which you have kindled ; encourage self reliance and the manly virtues which individual responsibility calls forth, by securing fame and national gratitude to every man who can pro mulgate a thought calculated to ennoble his race or to elevate their destiny. " Need I advert to the multiplicity of subjects the illustration of which may be made instrumental in in spiring a spirit of nationality? What branch of human knowledge is not capable of being rendered subservient to the aims of patriotism? The history and antiquities of Ireland, its legislation and jurisprudence; its ex ternal policy and internal administration, its resources,, military, commercial, and agricultural; its mines, its fisheries, its manufacturing capabilities; the advance ment of eur people in abstract practical science; the cultivation of the fine arts whatever bestows true dignity upon individuals, whatever contributes grace and accomplishments to society, whatever confers hap piness and strength and honour upon nations; such are the studies to which it ought to be your pride to allure the men who are entrusted with the future destiny of Ireland. :stay I take the liberty of adding that enough has been said in vindication of the motives and conduct of the party with whom you act. The time has arrived. .•A hen the two sections into which the Repeal force is now unhappily divided ought to abandon mutual recrimina tion, and to vie with each other in fidelity to Ireland and in devotion to her interests. " r remain, very faithfully, yours, " WILLIAM S. O'BRIEN. Charles Gavan Duffy, Esq." SHOCKING MURDER OF A POLICEMAN NEAR BRISTOL. BRISTOL, MONDA.Ir MORNING. Yesterday evening the densely populated distr.:ct of St. Philip's was thrown into a state of great excitement from the appalling circumstance of one of the Bristol police force, No. 172, Patrick White, having been mur dered by a woman. The particulars of this awful tra gedy are derived from the officers at the police-station for the St. Philip's division. The unfortunate deceased, who has been connected with the police for about eight years, was an Irishman, aged about 30. He was un married, and lodged in the house of a female named Louisa Ferris, a married woman, but who, in conse quence of domestic broils, bad for a long period lived separate from her husband. His fellow lodge, were, Thomas Edwards (brother to Ferris), a cab-driver, and Elizabeth Jones. Last evening Ferris, with Is er bro ther and a third party, had been drinking at a public house known by the name of the Blackbird. About six o'clock they returned home to Lion-street on th , e -Easton : road, and Louisa Ferris up o n going up stairs foun d White and Elizabeth Jones in bed together. At this she was very much enraged, having as it was previ ously i known entertained kindly feelings towards White. s A d cease , Louisa Ferris, Thomas some trifling ma t te; Jones. A dispute arose a bout short time afterwards the partiesEd Edwards, I4 dow an n d stairs, de ceased, wor ds ensued, the circumstance of White's inti macy w ith Jones was alluded to, and Ferris, seizing a rasor or a sharp knife (we have not been able to ascertain which), walked up to White and inflicted a deep wound in the throat, severing the wind pipe and penetrating the carotid artery. The effect of which was, of course almost instant death. The poor fellow staggered to the door leading to the street,, and fell into the road. He was picked up immediate y and carried into the house. A medical man was sent for, but death had done its work long before his arrival. The parties in the Ivo were at once apprehended, and upon their arrival at the police-station house Ferris admitted that she had com mitted the dreadful act. The 'man Edwards was ex ceedingly callous; he thought no more of the affair than if it had been one of the ordinary transactions of life but fell asleep within a few minutes of entering the pri son. An inquest will be held to-day, when the whole facts will be developed. The account thus forwarded is, however, substatially correct. His Excellency the Earl of Elgin, the new Governor- General of Canada, arrived in town on Saturday last from his Lordship's seat in Scotland. No day is yet fixed• for his Lordship's departure for North Americt. John Bright, Esq., M.P., is now seriously india. posed, arising, it is said, from an ulcerated throat. In consequence the public meeting which was to have been held in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, on Wednesday evening last, has been postponed, he having promised to attend the meeting in question, wbich had been called in consequence of his having consented to become a candi date fir the borough a t the neat eke tivn.—Leedt Merfainfi. o w l 44 :her it. of 1141 9 .fO l- 0 IP ,a bi Coo' ..,10 pot' djs beef ;;# t e, I