The Sun. — London, England, 1834-01-21 00:00:00

1.11 ERAI URE. _ -. 4 .---- 4 CCLESI2I ANGLICANA. A POEM. Br T EE REV. C. OVERTON. LONDON, 1834. The author of this very unaccountable pro duction observes in his preface, that the Lord h as " promised his own people" that they " shall "aye a song," and expatiates on this promise w ith such significant parade of egotism, that w e can come to no other conclusion than that celesia Anglicana is the song alluded to. The Bishop of Chester is clearly of the same ° Pinion, fo r he assures Mr. Overton that he is the " Muse of Sacred Song, as David was," — W hat a wag his Lordship must be !—whereupon t he reverend gentleman hastens to insinuate a parallel between himself and the son of Jesse; Insisting with marked emphasis on the fact, that I) avid composed his poems " either when the bran was in imminent danger, or actually r c'eght very low ;"and that he has composed lrs u et a period when the church is in precisely the same predicament. The parallel is certainly In genious, but we f e ar it will no more hold good, th an Fluellyn's between Macedon and Mon mouth ; and that, despite the Bishop of Ches 'els authority, Mr. Overton will turn out to be an y t hing but a David. Our apprehensions are e°nfirmed, by the recollection that David wrote com mon sense ; that he touched the heart, and convinced the understanding—two qualifications of Which, after an attentive sifting of evidence, w m e , cannot, on our conscience, undertake to find r ' Overton guilty. Indeed, anything like the decent sobriety of taste and judgment he holds u t he most scorn f u l a bh orrence . W e ma y a dd, that(r his acq ua i n t ance w ith gramma r is equally ta nt. Glimmerings of meaning, it is true, occur now and then in his pages ; nor are proofs wan ting th a t h e h as occas i ona ll y flirted with S y nt ax, and b een h onoure d w i t h h e r c oy smile aPProb a ti on ; b ut these are very fa i nt—so f aint indeed, as scarcely to show through the hazy tw ilight of nonsense in which his poem is eve_r.y where thi c k ly enveloped. is to his dr o ll p on im prod uct i on , w h ose avowe d o bj ect presentut glories perishable record the past and Which it of York Cathedral, but from is perpetually wandering, opens with some general reflections on the state of England previous to the introduction of Christianity, in Which, while alluding to the Druid groves of oak and the pagan rites performed beneath their shades, the author takes the opportunity of t ransforming an acorn into a barge in a way Only to be equalled by the pantomimic ingenuity of Mr. Farley. "An acorn shed," quoth he—. ----" A glorious barge may launch, To bear the tidings of the righteous branch," t or an explanation of which couplet he refers 118 generally to Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah. After launching his barge" freighted with this IllYsterious " branch," Mr. Overton diverges with startling abruptness to a description of the Ci ty of York, where, it seems, he was born, bap tized, and reared to man's estate ; and then as abruptly quits his c , native Ebor," in order to let fl a few satiric arrows at Satan—a devout task, In which the parson shows to more advantage than the poet. The Devil despatched, our author next turns his attention to the Deity, "'Who every worm and every angel made," a grotesque juxtaposition of vermicular and angelic creatures, which the Bishop of Chester trust have had in his eye when he pronounced Mr. Overton to be a poetic resurrection of the son of Jesse. Having closed his hymn to the betty, our author goes on to discuss the doc trine of original sin, which he is disposed to think we suck in with our mother's milk, ere imitation's powers begin ;" for, if not, why," he asks, in a triumphant veils of logic— " Why are thus soon in infant minds descried, The first fruits plentiful of pique and pride ?" and winds up this prolix branch of his subject 1) Y an edifying discovery that "death came by Sin." The second part of his poem opens with 4 description of Pope Gregory's raptures when he first saw some young English slaves at Rome, vhose " Flaxen tresses waving to the wind, Tell of the inborn freedom of the mind," from whence we deduce the fact, that there is a Close connection between flaxen hair and mental freedom, and that all lads so illustrated are sure to be of an independent way of thinking. But hot only had these slaves remarkably good heads of hair, but " The snowy whiteness of their cheeks so fair, Beamed like the wanderer's from some purer air, On which man's toilsome doom had never passed, Nor flaming Sirius heat solstitial cast." We say nothing of the geological absurdity of this passage, which would imply that England had a much " purer air" before " man's toilsome doom" had compelled him to drain its swamps, cut down its forests, and root out rank vegetation from its Wail, s ; but wh a t d oes M r. Overton mean --- by hi s last line ? As he has written it, it is a most bolo perplexing s p ec i men o f amphi • g)--a fa vourite figure with hi m , b y t h e b ye .--implying, either that the flaming Sirius" s! " heat so l st i tial, " or that the 4 , heat sol stitial "cast " the flaming Sirius." But we m us t k, o ss rk " to his account of the early restor a ti on o f t h e - I , eat hedral, a f ter i t h a d been destr o y e d b y " an es• Th omas , i t a pp ea rs, first rebuilt i t: -_ To rest of the N ormans, T h omas , it was thine, an d Ro ar-e again th e d eso l ate d s hrine." ers added the choir— N w ce as R ogers' task to raise the vaulted choir, W e 2. b urstingfrom the vital fire." eXce e d• Must Confess that this last line puzzles us Ph . 111 0 Y, leaving us in doubt which is the of ce . nix, Rogers or the Choir. The spectator ple:d sh owman's Battle of Waterloo, when whi ch i n a similar state of perplexity, as to W as 1 „ was th e D u k e of We lli ngton, and which b y th"aPoleon, was relieved from his dilemma arid we e m an's reply o f cc which you please, Sir," sa me w ould ad v i se M r . O ver ton to make the , R „ f % a t, "e, accommodating answer to all who ask L . at i s th him the meaning of the above line. d ersta nd e "lY way he can reconcile it to the un to N e b of all his readers. From Rogers a nd ae,o4,hadnezzar, the transition is natural, th is mo ns h ' i ,ugly we are indulged with a sketch of suddeniy,r's graminivorous propensities, when, m eat ; the' be fore ef we we can well recover our astonish- Il ls Gr ace e t t . ne shifts toCatholic emancipation and we regret " t e Duke of Wellington, of whom, ° uy, our author entertains a very indifferent opinion. It is soothing, however, to reflect that Mr. O'Connell comes in for an equal share of his vituperation, as any one may see who has courage enough to sound the depths of this almost unfathomable passage And turn to Erin, restless as the surge, That laves the crags upon her rocky verge: Say, is she bless'd ? and do her troubles cease? Came on thy wings, Emancipation, peace ? What peace? what rest? while Babel's whoredoms still, With rites unblest her sea-green borders fill ! Repose, farewell! when factious Brawlers vile, Supremely lord it o'er the spell-bound isle : While wretched compromise, her wounds to heal, Led by the mania of reforming zeal, Brings God-denying error to unite Her killing plague, to Neologian night! Bids each with blazon'd blasphemy combine, Blest Truth to poison, at her source divine! And leave the hapless island to deplore Heaven's glorious lamp, receding from her shore! The " Neologian Night" is a fine touch of the mysterious, and naturally enough reminds the author of a dream he had some few months since, when he was taking a pleasant stroll " to catch the cooling gale, Where babbling Balder cleaves his namesake dale." He dreamed, it seems, that the Utopian age had commenced, and that the national debt had "shared by general vote, The fate of Jonah—sunk to save the boat." Now, if we remember rightly, Jonah was not sunk, but swallowed ; and he must be a prodi gious whale indeed who would undertake to swallow our eight hundred millions of debt ! But let that pass.—No sooner was the debt got rid of, than science and philosophy came each forth from their hiding places, and walked pub licly hand in hand through the kingdom ; but, before they had walked to any distance, the Goddess of Agitation suddenly reared her tre mendous form aloft, when, behold ! all the people fell prostrate before her, which so shocked the author, that he woke with his hair standing on end, right glad to find he had been only dreaming. He concludes his vision by a thanks giving and copious recapitulation of his own devout and moral excellencies ; which oddly enough, some will say profanely, he puts into the mouth of the Deity : But, gracious Lord, to me, devoid of dread, Repeat what once to Ephesus was said, Say, what thou tallest, days of mourning near, On every witness, every Church to hear : " I know thy works, and how thou canst not bear " The sons of evil, but with zealous care, " By truth's bright test, Pretenders vain hast tried, " And found them Satan's synagogue that lied. " I know thy patience, which reproach has borne, " By toil unwearied, and unmov'd by scorn : " The faithful victor in the painful strife, " Shall feed in Eden from the tree of life." We now approach the close of the poem, no small portion of which is made up of a catalogue (reminding us, by its minuteness, of a washer woman's inventory), of the monuments in York Cathedral. " Widow Byng's" tomb particularly strikes the author's fancy, nor does he fail to derive equal satisfaction from that of Jenkins : " Jenkins I thy tomb the aching heart relieves." Having poured forth divers wholesome medi tations on these cathedral monuments, for which we regret we have no space, Mr. Overton straight- way bethinks him of its " majestic anthems," which he likens to "Golden fruit in silver pictures placed," a startling simile, which we do not remember to have ever met with before. He then proceeds to trumpet the exceeding virtues of the Bishops —has he an eye to a benefice ?—and bursts out into paroxysms of admiration of one of our divines, blessed with the singularly euphonious name of " Diptych," who, he tells us, now " shines" among the most brilliant constellations of the " milky zone"—an odd place to send a Bishop to !—after which, having sufficiently be lauded the Episcopal Bench, past, present, and to come, Mr. Overton turns with characteristic modesty to himself, and looking back on his own early days, says that he first learned to think, when " Youth's bright morning, and the orient ray, Had brushed infantile tears and toys away." Conceive the " orient ray" producing an effect like this ! We have heard of an old woman brushing the " cob-webs from the sky," but for a sun-beam to brush a lad's toys out of his hand is an achievement, if possible, still more mira culous. To resume. As the author waxed in stature he waxed also in wisdom, for we have it on his own authority that " - love paternal beaming in his eyes, His sire, his son had prompted to be wise," an assertion which we beg leave to doubt, inasmuch as the present volume is an unques tionable proof that however much the author's father may have desired to make his son Charles a Solomon, he utterly failed in his affectionate efforts. But Mr. Overton is by no means of this opinion, for lie asks shortly afterwards, " Where have I wandered ? Through what regions wide Has travelled Thought, to time and place untried," and then closes Isis poem by a description of the Day of .Judgment, which, from the sulphur-and. brimstone style of its eloquence, looks uncom mon like a plagiarism from the incantation scene in the second act of Der Frieschutz. We conclude by a few general observations on this grotesque performance. Looking to its unblushing solecisms—its independence of all taste—its pedantic tone—its worse than inquisi torial intolerance—its affected sublimity—its frequent and extraordinary plunges into the bathos—it may safely be pronounced the greatest literary phenomenon of the age. Its very rhymes jingle like a cracked jew's-harp, and its meta phors —not one of which but is dislocated in every joint—are pilfered from the Christmas bell-man. Talk of thought ! Not the spectre of an idea is to be found in it. Yet the author, because he struts upon stilts, thinks himself a giant. In continuous interest he is deplorably deficient. He rambles here, there, and every where ; and it is only by the clouds of dust that he kicks up as he struts along, that we are ena b led to track his course. But possibly, as . cgentl e D u ll ness ever l oves a joke," he may intend hi s E cc l es i a Angli cana as a grave quiz upon mo d ern poetry. If this be true, then, indeed, his production as sumes quite a different character ; and so far from being steadily and stupidly serious, is in reality, a very admirable specim en of irony. Acting on this supposition, which we suspect will turn out to be the right one, we have thought it our duty to address to him a congra tulatory Ode, which will be found in another column of The Sun. It is not fit that a bril liant wag, like Mr. Overton, should be allowed to hide his candle under a bushel. COURT CIRCULAR. The Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria walked and drove in Hyde Park} esterday for some time. Prince Esterhazy visited Viscount Palmerston yesterday at the Foreign Office. Lord Howard de Walden and Lord Auckland transacted business yesterday at the Office of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. A deputation of journeymen fishmongers had an inter view with Visconnt Althorp yesterday, at the Treasury. The Duke of Richmond visited Earl Grey yesterday. Viscount Althorp entertained a select party at dinner I ast evening at his residence in Downing-street. BRIGHTON, JAN. 20. The fineness of the weather to_day, as contrasted with that of last week, has formed a strong inducement to the nobility and gentry, to enjoy this rare and valuable blessing, and all the drives and promenades present an animated ap pearance. Yesterday afternoon bis Majesty drove out for nearly two hours, accompanied by the Countess of Mayo. The Duke of Dorset, Earl and Countess of Mayo, Lord Byron, Miss Bagot, Sir Andrew Barnard, Lady Mary Fos, Earl and Countess of Errol, Sir Charles Thornton, Sir B. Stephenson, and Lord and Lady Falkland, joined the royal dinner party on last evening. Earl St. Vincent arrived yesterday, and visited their Majesties. Lord Saltoun has returned from London; Sir A. Bar nard has joined the royal suite. FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVALS. Lord Forrester, in Charles-street, Beerkeley-square, from Melton Mowbray; Major Marquis of Douro, at Strathfieldsay, Hartford Bridge, Hants, from Guernsey ; Hon. Charles, Mrs. and Miss Tolemache, at the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn.street, from their seat, Uxbridge; Mr. and Mrs. Simpson, at Haw kins's Hotel, Dover and Albemarle-street, from the Continent; Charles Standish, Esq., and Sons, at Symmons's Hotel, St. James's-street, from Brighton ; Mr. and Mrs. Gregory, at Fen ton's Hotel, St. James's-street, from Paris ; J. H. Vivian, Esq., M.P., at ditto, from Swansea ; C. R. M. Talbot, Esq., M. P., at ditto, from the Continent ; A. Liddell, Esq., at ditto, from a tour ; M. G. L. Meason, Esq., at ditto, from Coventry; Mr. and Mrs. Addison, in Brook-street, from Worthing; Captain Scott, at Raggett's Hotel, Dover-street, from Plymouth ; Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Chetwynd Talbot, at Lord Wharncliffe's, in Curzon street ; Lady Fitzroy Somerset, in the Stable.yard, from Hat field House; the Earl of Scarborough, in Portman-square, from Sandbeck Hall, Nottinghamshire; Sir Robert Kennedy, in Henrietta-street, from Tunbridge Wells; Lord Teignmouth, in Portman-square; Sir Henry Cooke, in Charles-street, Berkeley-square, from a tour; Sir Andrew Barnard, in Wil ton-crescent, from Brighton; Hon. Colonel Grey, in Downing street, from the North ; Lady Clifford, in Eaton-square ; Mr. and Lady Caroline Cavendish, at Burlington House, from a tom* ; William Mason, Esq., at Raggett's Hotel, Dover-street, from Oxford. DEPARTURES. The Duke of Manchester, from Grosvenor-gate, Park.lane, for his seat, Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire; F. L. H. Goodricke, Esq., for Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire; Mr. and Mrs. James Stewart, from Regent-street, for Bath; Captain Patterson, for Brighton ; Mr. and Mrs. William Palmer, for their seat in Sussex. THE DARDANELLES. As this ctlehrated passage forms an object of curiosity, the following account of the forts situate on its shores, as drawn up two years ago by a British officer, may prove interesting. It will not be forgotten that the Turks have lately placed them in repair, under the guidance of Russian engineers. ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE. A. Skain Kelli, situate outside the Dardanelles, contains 15 guns. B. Sertil Bahr Kalesi—padlock of the sea, usually called the New Castle of Europe, situate at the entrance from the Archipelago, contains 70 guns and 4 mortars. C. Eski Sarlik, with 12 guns, is 3 miles from the former. D. Killeti Bahr, is the old castle of Europe, and well fortified. The town is inhabited solely by Turks. '1 here are 64 guns, of which 18 are of the largest calibre, with stone shot. This fortress has two collateral _ batteries, built within 10 years, the southern of which contains 48 guns, and the northern 30 guns. E. Kiamli Bourni, built within' the same time, in the southern bay, mounts 30 guns. F. Bovalli Kalesi, newly built, on the site of ancient Sestos, is the last place of defence on the European side, and contains 50 guns. ON THE ASIATIC SIDE. A.B. Koum Kalesi (sandy castle) is the new castle of Asia, erected at the south point of the entrance, contains 80 guns and 4 mortars; 16 guns are of the largest calibre, and 18 are 24-pounders. C. Barbri contains 14 guns of small calibre, and was originally formed of stakes and hurdles. D. Sultani Kalesi is the old castle of Asia, situate opposite the old castle of Europe; is the strongest fort, and commands the stream where the current runs most rapidly into the Archipelago. It has two connected forts and 192 guns, of which 18 are of the largest calibre ; the bore of some is 26 inches. At this pass the firman of the Sultan is required by the Seraskier Paella, or Governor, who resides in the fort. The breadth of the stream is about three-fourths of a mile. E. Kissi Bournum is situate at the south point of the bar of Adydos (Megara), contains 46 guns, and com mands, from its position, the current, there little more than a mile in breadth, and which runs very rapidly down towards the preceding batteries. F. Megera Bournie, built in 1820, contains 84 guns of vat ions calibre. The improvements in these forts have rendered them far more formidable than in 1807. The guns in them are on a level with the water's edge, and in number 319 guns and four mortars on the European shore, and 416 guns and four mortars on the Asiatic shore. The old castles are both commanded by the heights behind them, and could have been easily stormed ; but the Russian engineers have taken care to erect some lines of fortification, and to cut trenches, in order to prevent their being surprised. Under their superintendence all the guns were examined, and sealed or tried last summer. THE DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE.--O UT con temporaries are wrong as to the period when his Grace is expected to return. About the middle of May has been me ntioned, provided the lameness goes off. We learn by the last letters that Naples is very gay. The soirees given by the English Nobility are accompanied by magni ficent suppers. Those given by the Marquis of Hertford are particularly distinguished. The English army consists of 109,139 men ; this comprises 26 Regiments of Cavalry, 7 Battalions of Foot Guards, 103 Battalions of Infantry, and 7 Colonial Regiments. The distribution of this force is at present— In Great Britain In Ireland Abroad In the East Indies Besides the Artillery, Engineers, Sappers, and Miners, and the depots of the several regiments not included in the above, which, however, bring up the total to the amount we have stated. ENGLISH COMPANY IN GERMANY.—The experiment of the English company in Germany is a fai hue. The facts of the case appear to be these:—Mr. B. Livius had not completely engaged a theatre for their performances at Hamburg when the company arrived. He was then obliged to hire the Apollo for six nights in the week, in order that be and his adherents might have the use of it for two nights, so that merely the rent swal lowed up mere than two-thirds of the receipts. When it was found, however, that the English company was very attractive on the two nights they were permitted to play, the friends of the German company (then by no means in good force) interposed, and induced the Senate of Ham burg to put an end to the proceedings of the English com pany. 11r. B. Livius then led his followers to Altona, where they played with considerable advantage ; but the population was not sufficient to support many repetitions. In the whole, at Hamburg and Altona, the performances were, we believe, about eight. Finding that nothing could move the Senate of Hamburg to alter its determi nation, Mr. B. Livius proceeded to Berlin, with a view of eking a lodgment there. But here again he was met, not only by the difficulty of procuring a theatre, but by others of a very serious kind. It required about 3001. to enable the English company to establi,b itself at Berlin, and this sum it was not found easy to raise among the nobility, &c. The King of Prussia is a supporter of the German company at Berlin, and a warm admirer of the performances of the French company, and he could not be prevailed upon to give, at all events, adequate personal countenance to any rival establishment. Nevertheless, be very liberally offered to subscribe 1001. out of the 300/. wanted. After some delay, during which the English company was left at Hamburg to su pp or t its e lf a s well a s it could, Mr. B. Livius found that it would not answer th e purpose of himself and associates to proceed to Berlin, and the enterprise in other parts of Germany was altoge ther abandoned. CONGRATULATORY ODE TO THE AUTHOR OF ECCLESIA ANGLICANA " Dullness is sacred in a sound divine."—PopE. Overton, my muse with glee Hymns a canticle to thee. Bavius in thy prose, and worse Than old ➢lxvius in thy verse, Beating Midas' self, 'tis clear, In thy wondrous length of ear, But (unlike him) as a poet Taking special care to show it, Who, rare minstrel, but must sew Dullness vindicate in thee, Her immortal pedigree.* Yes, my Overton, thy page Stamps at once thy lineage— Proves thy high and strait descent From old Mother Somnolent ; Other bards may boast a tie Of near consanguinity; But—l speak it not in scorn— Thou alone art goddess born, For in thy rare verse and prose All thy mighty Mother shows. Scribble on then, never fear ➢loore's sly laugh or Jeffrey's sneer ; Tho' the world rings laughing round thee, Let not its broad grin confound thee ; Tho' it hint, to envy wed, That thy truly Reverend head, Like some hill on Allan's bog, Is well cased in cloud and fog; Heed it not, but scribble on, Sleep.provoking Overton— Verse or prose, 'tis all the same, So thou'rt vapid, dry and tame, Safe from thought's or fancy's shocks, And, above all, orthodox : Dullness—she who loves to talk With grave souls in college walk, To breathe o'er cathedral stalls, Cloisters grey, and rectory halls, Her narcotic influence mild— Hails in thee, her favourite child ; Once she gave her Blackmore fame. And shall give thee much the same, • And, the laurel wreath instead, Crown thee with her ass's head. Scribble on then, wrong or right, Hour by hour, from morn to night, Till thy critics all are weeping, And thy readers all are sleeping : Leaden prose, so folks aver, Won for Phillpotts Exeter; And leaden verse shall, just as quick, Win for thee a bishoprick ; But if church preferment's fullness Depend alone on churchman's dullness, Overton, all fears resign, None can show such claims as thine, Cheer up, therefore, and be merry, Thou art sure of Canterbury. * "Born a goddess, Dullness never dies."—Pope. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S. The betting was brisker yesterday than for some weeks past, the field being increased by three outsiders, Glencoe, Doll Tearsheet, and Alexis, who found favour at a long price. Nothing done on the Oaks or St. Leger. The business tran. sacted was not of a nature to require more than a quotation of the closing prices : THE DERBY. 7 to 1 agst Mr. Watt's Bubastes 71 to 1 agst Mr. Yates's Bentley 10 to 1 agst Mr. Batson's Plenipo 16 to 1 agst Duke of Cleveland's Shelalah (taken) 20 to 1 agst Mr. Walker's Delirium 20 to 1 agst Duke of Grafton's Olympic (taken) 20 to 1 agst Colonel Cradock's Emigrant 40 to 1 agst Lord Jersel's Glencoe 4000 to 100 agst Lord Chesterfield's Alexis (taken) 6000 to 150 agst Mr. Forth's Doll Tearsheet colt (taken) No others mentioned. NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING, 1834. ACCEPTANCES FOR THE FREE HAN DICAPS. 1110 NDA Y. —S w eepatakes of 100 each, h. ft. D. M. Mr. Shard's Zitella, 3 yrs., Bst. 31b. Colonel Peel's Harum Scarum, 3 yrs., 7st. 111 b. Mr. Gully's Pickle (Mustard filly),3 yrs., 7st. 81b. Duke of Grafton's Montrose (Legend c.), 3 yrs., 7st. 21b. Tit URSDA Y.—Sweepstakes of 40 am. each, 20 ft. T. Y. C. Mr. Greville's Pickle, Bst. lib. Mr. Stephenson's Middleton colt, 7st. 111 b. Mr. M. Stanley's Skimmer, 7st. 41b. FIRST SPRING MEETING, 1834. MONDAY.—Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h. ft. A.F. Mr. Gully's Hokee Pokee, 5 yrs., 7st. 121 b. Colonel Peel's Nonsense, 3 yrs., 7st. 101 b. Mr. Greville's Whale, 3 yrs., 7st, 31b. Duke of Rutland's Shylock, 3 yrs., 7st. 31b. LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING. The weights for the Trade Cup has been fixed as follows :- Mr. Beardsworth's Independence, ast. 121 b. Sir It. W. Bulkeley's Birdcatcher, Bst. 121 b. Mr. Bowers's Lady Stafford, Set. 101 b. Mr. Bowers's Sir John, Bst. 101 b. Mr. Gardnor's Mowbray Hill, Bst. 91b. Mr. C. Attwood's Stanton, Bst. 41b. Mr. Mostyn's Mona's Pride, Bst. 41b. Colonel Crawford's The Mole, Bst. 21b. Lord Warwick's Trepidation, Bst. Lord Westminster's Controller, Sst. Mr. Thompson's Fstzdictor, Bst. Mr. Stephenson's Rousseau, 7st. 91b. Mr. Turner's Captain Ross, 7st. Bib. Mr. Morley's Palmflower, 7st. 81b. Mr. Westenra's Rust, 7st. 71b. Sir T. Stanley's La Grace, 7st. 71b. Mr. Pickernell's Repentance, 7st. 71b. Mr. Robinson's g.-Miss Patrick, 7st. 21b. Mr. C. Attwood's Polander, 6st. 71b. Mr. Peirse's Swiss colt, 6st. The coursing meeting appointed to take place at Epsom this day is postponed. _ HUNTING APPOINTMENTS. Lord Harewood's Hounds meet on Wednesday at Cock Bridge; Friday, at Peckfield Bar—at lialf-past 10 Lord Middleton's Hounds meet on Wednesday at Castle Howard Inn; Friday, of North Grimston—at half.prst 10. The York and Ain sty Hounds meet on Thursday at Stilling. ton; Saturday, at 'Whixley—at half.pnst 10. The Sinnington Hounds meet on Friday at Helmsley—at 10. The Galewood Hounes meet on Wednesday at Shellacres (Twissel Castle) ; Friday, at Milfield—at 10. The Bedale Hounds meet on Wednesday at Bridge Hewick ; Friday, at Wood End ; Saturday, at Thorp Perrow—at half past 10. The Lambton Hounds meet on Thursday at Shotton Moor House; Saturday, at Platsworth Bar—at 11. The Badsworth Hounds meet on Thursday at Owston ; Sa turday, at Badsworth Bar—at half-past 10. The Cleveland Hounds meet on Friday at Aisdale Gate—at half-past 10. The Northumberland Hounds meet on Wednescay at Ben ridge; Friday, at Seaton Delaval Avenue End—at half-past 10. The Boroughbridge Harriers meet on Friday at the Kennel —at half-past 10. The Llantillio Hounds meet on Friday at Whitehall—at 11. The Hurworth Hounds meet on Friday at Girsqy Seare—at 10. The Slaley Hounds meet on Wednesday at the Hind's House ; Saturday, at Ordley Wood—at 9. The Wallsend Harriers meet on Thursday at the sth mile stone on the North Shields road—at 10. The Morpeth Harriers mcet on Friday at the Portland Arms —at 10. The Alnwick Hounds meet on Wednesday at the Kennel ; Friday, at Dunstand Steads—at 10. The Chesterfield Harriers meet on Friday at Clay Cross—at 10 Colonel H. Wyndham's Hounds meet on Wednesday, at Hill Grove; Friday, at Egdean Common—at half past 01. The Duke of Beaufort's Hounds meet to-morrow at Hul lington ; Friday, at Badmington Lawn—at half-past 10. Lord Segrave's Hounds meet on Saturday at Foxcoat. The Newent Harriers meet on Thersday at Staunton Court ; Saturday, at the Kennel—at half-past 10. Mr. Barnard's Harriers meet on Thursday at Birth Hill ; Sa turday, at Tredington—at 10. The Llanblethian Harriers meet on Wednesday at Goldon Mile; Friday, at Burton Bridge. Mr. Phillips's Hounds meet on Thursday at Chapman's Well —at 10. The Hambledon Hounds meet on Wednesday at Wintershill Common; Friday, at the Waterloo Inn—at half past 10. The General Steam Navigation Company's mail packet the London Merchant, from Rotterdam, ar rived off the Custom House at four o'clock, p.m. yesterday. FULHAM.—The Bishop of London . is said to have succeeded in naming the future incumbent of this parish in opposition to the claims of the highest personage in the kingdom. Yesterday se'nnight, Walter Kerr Hamilton, clerk, M.A., was collated by the Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells to the Prebendary of Warminster, alias Luxfield, founded in the Cathedral Church of Wells, vacant by the resignation of William Anthony Fitzhugh, clerk. A variety of reports have been circulated, as to certain battalions of the Guards being under orders for foreign service. We understand that no such orders have been issued, but on Saturday, for the first time since the subject has been spoken of, leave of absence for any time, however short, was refused the non-commissioned officers and privates, on the ground that it was not known bow soon their services might be required. CORPORATION COMMISSION. (TWENTY-FIRST DAY, JAN. 20.) Upon the:meeting of the parties engaged in this inquiry yesterday Mr. Allen was examined as to the office of Ale Conner, of which he is the holder. He described his duties to be those of visiting periodically the houses of publicans and other licensed sellers of beer and spirits. Mr. Allen seemed anxious to impre.s strongly upon the Commissioners the result of his experience as to the misery created by frequenting such places, and gin-shops especially. Fie stated that in one of the latter he had found at tw., o'clock in the afternoon eleven persons drinking, seven of whom were lying dead on the floor. The beer-shops were worse than the houses of the licensed publicans, but the gin-shops were the worst of all. Mr. Woodthorpe stated that this office was about to be abolished. Mr. Allen contradicted certain statements which bad been made in some previous examinations as to Mr. Bleaden's having induced him to give dinners at his house. After some other unimportant evidence, Mr. Goldham, the Inspector of Billingsgate, was ex amined, and gave a detailed account of his duties in inspecting the market, and of the quantities of various kinds of fish usually brought in. He stated that all the fish consumed in London came into that market. No boats but oyster-boats went up to Hungerford Market to deliver their cargoes, because if they did they would lose the tide.—Adjourned. SHEFFIELD CUTLERY. When a man contributes to increase the attraction and the reputation of the manufactures of the town in which he lives, he not only serves himself, but others, and he deserves the civic wreath as a reward for his exertions. Many attempts have been made to bring the cutlery ma nufacture of Sheffield into disrepute, and exalt the cutlery of London to an undue elevation. With few, very few exceptions, London cutlers know as little of the "art and mystery" of making cutlery as the boy who sweeps their floors and dusts their counters ; and yet they, too, join the cry against the manufacturers of Sheffield, even although they are indebted to them for all the reputation they have. Compare their best articles with the productions of Shef field, and they sink into nothingness. Let them be honest in their dealings ; let them cease to treat Sheffield cutlery with an affectation of contempt, and these observations will not be reiterated ; but if, like the frog in the fable, they still try to puff themselves up to the size. of the ox, their vanity must be checked, their pretensions exposed, and the whole truth told at last. The preceding observations have been suggested by a visit to the show rooms of Messrs. Rodgers and Son, and an examination of some of the finest specimens of work manship which they contain, and presuming that the fol lowing notice of the same, and the observations connected therewith, come within toe scope and plan of your paper, designated the Town, I send them for insertion without preface or apology. Learning that the Messrs. Rodgers' had been fitting up their room for the display of cutlery in a superior style, I was induced to pay them a visit; and permit me to say, that I have but seldom been more gratified. In this spirited and splendid esta blishment, I saw numerous specimens of cutlery in all its departments, of the most exquisite workmsnsbip, and the highest possible finish. These fine productions are here so brought together, as to impress on the mind of the stranger a high and exalted notion of the present state of the diffe rent cutlery manufactures of the town. The advan tages resulting from such an impression, cannot be too highly appreciated ; of this more hereafter. The improve ments in the room have been dictated by good taste, and a thorough knowledge of effect. At each end of this splendid repository, stove_grates of an entirely new con. struction have been introduced. The angular upright pilasters and corresponding imposts of modern chimney pieces have here been entirely exploded, and a perfectly novel form introduced. The design is in the gorgeous style of 'the age of Louis the Fourteenth—an irregular bold flowing outline, filled up with a rich display of beau tiful ornament, as the fertile fancy and taste of the artist may suggest—such is the peculiar character of the sportive frame-work of French artists at this period of time. To looking-glasses- and pictures this taste has often been applied ; but it has been reserved for the Messrs. Rodgers to show its adaptation to other purposes. Their new stove_grates, from the manufactory of Messrs. Stuart, Smith, and Co., in boldness of orna ment and beauty of casting, have but rarely if ever been equalled ; and the white•veined Italian marble, of varied outline and corresponding design, in which they are em bedded, gives to these novel productions a splendid character. They are placed at the two ends of the room, and are each ornamented with plate glass mirrors, nearly eight feet square, which reflecting the whole of this rich establishment at a glance, the effect is for a moment almost magical, particularly when seen by gaslight; then, indeed, imagination may easily body forth the story of Aladin and his splendid lamp. An establishment of this description in a manufacturing town is fraught with numerous advantages. The choicest specimens which the united skill and taste of the best workmen can produce are brought together, and may be seen by strangers in an apartment as splendid as the halls of some of our nobility. The excellence of the various manufactures of the place _is thus observed, and their character exalted. A. LADY HEWLEY'S CHARITY.—The new trustees to Lady Hewley's Charity are already appointed; they are all Independents, with the exception of one Baptist.— York Paper. MORE LIBELS.—The Patriot people boast that they have never found the libel law oppressive. We understand that they will speedily taste some of its sweets; as on Saturday last writs were served upon Wm. Hodgson, Esq., Houghton-House, Clerk of the Peace for this county ; John Fawcett, Esq., of Petteril Bank, barns_ ter at law, the registered proprietors of the Carlisle Pa triot, and Mr. Thomas Ramsay, its ostensible printer and publisher, to answer an action for libel commenced against them by Messrs. Mouncey, solicitors, of this city. The alleged libel was contained in certain remarks on the con. duct of the plaintiffs, in their professional capacity,• in conducting the Crosby tithe suit. An action has also been commenced against the Cumberland Parquet, by Mr. Wilson Perry, of Whitehaven, for certain remarks upon his professional conduct connected with the application which he made to the Court of King's Bench for setting aside the last election of trustees of the harbour. Both actions are likely to be tried at the ensuing Spring Assizes. We state these facts merely as matters of news, and shall not follow the exarrple which these papers set when we were placed in similar, but more dangerous circumstances, by offering any comments or observations that might have the effect of prejudicing the Jury : nor shall we, as they did in our case, even assume that they have been guilty of libel at all, until proved so by due course of law. We may, however, remark, as it was not before generally known, that the Clerk of the Peace and Mr. Fawcett were the responsible and sworn proprietors of the Patriot, that the public may now form a pretty accurate estimate of the " why and because" of the county being called upon to pay for five or six insertions of county advertisements in the Patriot, and for only one in the Journal (though the circulation of the latter be more than double that of the former), nor will they be at a loss to conceive the true reason sshich induced the learned barrister to bring the celebrated action against us for damages, which the honest men of Bow ness correctly estimated at one farthing, when they call to mind the old adage " that two of a trade can never agree." Carlisle Journal. RAPE.—On Saturday evening last, about five o'clock, as a young man was travelling in his cart, and when near the third mile post from Cockertnouth, on the road to Wigton, he was suddenly alarmed by the most fearful shrieks of a female, and invocations for mercy. While he,itating how he could best render assistance in this emergency, he was suddenly accosted by a pedlar who came running up to him, and hastily informed him that a woman was struggling with a villain close by the spot, of whose intentions to commit violence upon her there could be no doubt. The two men then hastened to the pl,ce, but the scoundrel had meanwhile taken alarm at their approach, and escaped for a short time. The monster had left the object of his attack in a state which cannot be described. On being partially restored to her senses she informed her protectors that the brutal sen sualist had repeatedly stifled her cries by various means, and that at length her strength was so nearly exhausted that he must have accomplished his fiendish purpose, had it not been for the fortunate interposition of her deli verers, with whom she proceeded to Cockermouth, on the road to her father's home, who resides in the vicinity of Lorton. During Sunday vigilant inquiries were made as to all the circumstances likely to lead to the identity of the ruflian,'tind. the consequence was, that on Monday a farmer named Thomas Robinson, who resides in the neigh bourhood of Rothe!, and who is a young man with a wife and three children, was apprehended on suspicion. He was known to be in a state of extreme intoxication on Saturday night. The result of the examination was, that be has been committed to take his trial at the next assizes for the assault with intent to commit a rape.— Carlisle Journal. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. Under the head of " Poland" will be found an interesting commentary on the strange de fence set up by M. Thiers and General Bu geaud, purporting that the importance of the Polish question to France was not commensu rate with the prodigious force which would have been required iro carry the objects of French policy in despite of Russia,—that is, to liberate Poland from the Russian grasp, and to restore and secure her independence. There are two facts which ought never to be lost sight of by French or English statesmen :—First, the inordinate passion for conquest entertained by Russia : secondly, when put to the test, the miserable disproportion between her military means and her ambition. It is true that Russia has hitherto succeeded in all her plans of ag grandizement ; and why ? Simply because she has never been opposed in them by any one great Power—we might say by a Power of even the second order. With the single ex ception of the wanton invasion by Napoleon, in the latter part of which the climate took part with Russia, and destroyed the aggressor, who sought his own annihilation by his criminal and frantic plunge into an abyss of cold and hunger, —with that exception, when has Russia, other wise than as a member of some vast confederacy, fought against any one formidable European Power ? Finland was sold to her during the reign over Sweden of one unpopular madman, or that weak and ineffective State of the fourth rank would have repelled and defeated her. Po land was distracted, exhausted, and tottering, before Russia, with two fierce despots on her side, ventured upon the actual partition. In her successive conquests upon the Euxine, the Caspian, and towards the Danube, she has had Persia or Turkey for her antagonists. The latter of these, however barbarous and ill-orga nized, has more than once found abundant work for the Russian armies ; and the slightest fill-up from an European force in aid of the unfortunate Ottomans would have laid Russia on her back, to the utter demolition of any one of her whole series of enterprises. What, finally, has been the truth in her last grapple with the worn-out remnant of what once was Poland ? It was— that until Prussia faithlessly and inhumanly cut off the communications and provisions of the Polish army, ministering to that of Russia the most ample facilities in both, the Poles had literally—a body of 40,000 Poles—baffied and beaten in a long succession as well of fights as of manceuvres the entire force of the Russian territory, from which it is well known that every disposable and effective soldier had been dili gently draughted, to make head against the in surgents of the Duchy of Warsaw, and to save the robber empire from a general rebellion of the conquered and ruined nations. What, then, can the French Ministers have intended by the They sa mixture of meanness and extravagance which we find in their attempted vindication of the indif tfheraetncay e n ex s h u i b b s i t t a e i d uia to l wasasridsstanPeeolatondp Poland would ? have compelled France to maintain an army of 800,000 men, that she might have been enabled to march 400,000 to the Vistula ! Is this, on the part of MM. Thiers and Bilgeaud, innate stupidity or astounding impudence ? Every man of sense must see that the march of a French army across the Rhine, and through Germany, was not the right way to embarrass Russia, or to render aid to Poland. There was no, friend of Poland insane enough to think of invading Germany and provoking a direct con flict with Prussia and Austria as a useful diver sion to the Poles. No—a squadron with a military force on board to the Euxine, and another to the neighbourhood of the Russian ports in the Baltic—such were the expeditions by which Russia would have been irrecoverably paralyzed, by which all Lithuania, with Courland, and every province of ancient Poland eastwards towards the Dnieper, would have been stirred to arms—by which the vast region from the Pruth to the Caspian would have been electrified, and a rational and probable chance created of wresting every foot of conquered territory from the grasp of Russia. That occasion has been unhappily omitted, but others may succeed to it, and it is never too late to retrace an erro neous path. The French apologists for the Ministry have shown bad taste, to say no worse of it, in their choice of excuses, but let them learn better.— Times. The tone of the Journals lately received from Germany tend further to strengthen the belief, now generally entertained, that the peace of Europe is not at present in danger of being disturbed. It is difficult to over estimate the , from our exten nisgeorsnitetlariieeatl l i al o ptc t irao t eerts i lla n t bni opoeufanerssti justifiedci n u w l l a ae, r advantages of peace to the popul a ti o n o f E urope , h t tas a ved d e ete existing t ntt he d hi i na P st v e u ae n ff rb i ol n oer s dnd u gi l n a un fortunately sgtbaetaeeidn intimately ; connected. That w e m i g h t , un d er to Donna Maria, we believe ; and that a very small aid from this country might put an end to the unnatural war, is also possible ; but it is also possible that consequences might follow from the intervention not now anticipated ; and it is quite certain that an expedition, on a scale to produce any effect, would be attended with ' considerable expense. We are not of the number of those who consider the resources of the nation unequal to a great struggle ; but we deem it of the utmost importance that these resources should not be unnecessarily wasted. Protected as this empire is by its situation, a case can hardly be conceived in which our own safety should render a participation in a Cinti, nental war necessary. Our policy ought to he determined by our situation. It ought to be precisely the opposite of what it has been during the greater part of the last century, and down to the last peace. The session of Parliament approaches, and assuredly Ministers will have quite enough on their hands without the addi tion of a war in the Peninsula. The country expected perhaps more from the Reform Bit( than the Reform Bill can give. • he Reform Bill could not at once enable any set of men to correct the abuses of a century. These abuses are so interwoven with much that is valuable in. our institutions, that careful inquiry must precede all attempts to ameliorate, if we would avoid bring.- lug reform itself into discredit. But the people are too apt to forget these difficulties, and to sup pose that nothing more is wanted than the will to have everything at once placed on its proper footing. Organical reform merely annihilated the system which gave to a small number of in dividuals an interest hostile to that of the nation. The use to be made of the freedom which we have obtained will depend upon the degree of political wisdom and aptitude possessed by Mi nisters and the men to whom the nation has confided its interests. The multitude of objects demanding the attention of Parliament is very great indeed. One, t he tithe question, is at,