The Sun. — London, England, 1845-09-17 00:00:00

..............."""..".."'"-- HE NAYIT. EIS our readers wi ll rec?fletf; or of captains In, of icri or solicited on aeou_ll,,, ,ply their places by tbel, ed, however, froill aco iication which Ice tid°_,,,,,,,Psto 'view, and certainlY s:ot,l 3t. We certainly 1c.`„,00 ed by Goveriunent Ws.s,,, re to be inherent in d.....:0 s by our correspondeu!,!!, pprehend it Will COOVI,ore rents Will both pses',:od ore utility to the servi,;,o s our correspondent, oi`o, e of 0 and upwards to ~,,. wing unfit for further s!r'pe, painting captains to ogo, lot be they wer. e • „ier• the list applies foritealni, not that he is too Astor the dates of the foll.?,,1.00 nt 66 WO. [able ....... '.• 51 • ie ..... ••• • • •.• 66 iptain to Sir C. O 6 it rra ..... • • • if iptain to Adral. Dace ill JIITIllary) • • • • I d i to a ship it is stai4 De 00 Ale naturallY suPP°`,o s ro : ri o so. 3len much !Ile. it turns out) to De o ", Ind thus shiPs,arecto h/ not unfrcqueln'Y ;01 It is idiculouS!. ear captains shoulaopi W' _ ;II than those earliest, it Would tie_perel; and at 55 call ur.:• there should he 01:4 d• 60 to retire, but s well as the rant w ho A t to all the Achnlrg et ether front infllDl..fix le nest superior_qiAlif oy. If the MIL. h 0 of the countr, 1..."00;10 sit list; but let 2:, is netil, Del the Admiralty ?he lotfeef b e captaing -00?1 Avee one-half a , ere # call. The P 13170 nira ls as Well al o /iv, II i4lGßSiptiosl tolet„0 trnecl to Ita ° in rig W. P Tb e lioTeii Bhton. ,hetforo, . ort time, for s L. Corry', to 0 private secretath oce al .ndred an ty their to:/ neasure be 06 0, 3 non- reqUirea w ,0 ror, red to r ecided Whetur, rolf, L e and ac tiv s , Luent ly the Thn' o of antica, on ba,rss.. , a l e ) o f th e secott4yof 'inlander -WA, .eot. r Cok on l ac e at „fa, :1, :epnant of tile fe ' rr 7d Af; charges PrOfro/ a been ordele,. 1341 :e, has entered o .o°oooll' se a at Sb eern - 3. IL Pel Trois, 10 el del ec ts off. het la re d to ilve totting. ag Of t 7 conve y the Ps f Dian. . „„tedto9 a s been apP0,405)0600,i moo Hyde Farlo,r (dot theen assumed t,dro, 'igott, who ._71:::00;:o) saluted by tn., r come on shore wale if gout during 0 , 01: 0 00 )use gardeo!,oo Le inelentency befiv 'FA )f the att,„9l)oot6 illy, it is tleare.449:r.ipi I Western !:,,,ree11?! By a reccac per if ,ailable for ut,ii 0,1001 urse ; and it 7otral t r that serioll:;ortr line by the tarop n slwuld hat Ji t night, $1.;;;,, icensed vietToot2 Lee races, 1n.,00-02) ;r of ilung e '. , i 9 ~ horse, wio. -dit suddenly' otlt tone couting,,apa:oso,l2; ked blee.:,;peptiprt ; to bet altea d, Mr.`vbe T . .10 1 ; ' es-street , ) 1 ;e1 . 1 ids were dreSaijogig, scoundrel, ipgittg „01 'eat coat be old cane. APP,Arie-9 L.--0 0 4atthew , ofl c i Goyernoi, „. el 4 at Christ 0. PP V , / shed by the . m e; .l o liege, Csal l „,vP'l)i, O 4 if Christ's Pf ' stoa t ' to annual u: ie royal hospita,,eet i n Engltsh by l'inooltry, Greenfield ; ti e be recited on The ranslation of . fl i n g, an s 9 4 ', : 4 50; ,: H exameters, '1007,, tYma n ; Grcel, 1 l o , * nate," by e t# 0 young PrinceS „dt Queen's late 2:00v n English. POP' 4 /.) 0 111 /' 7./ITY 3,./EISC cr, who carriectir;Lo the city , C. l) „mg 9 'o received by 7-e SP. J , four weelis ited on the llynre one of the fas ore to 00,, ,p ); Ang procarolo>i g -cross liospt„otolv )een severely' Is cons of the efooperX,i, ig on well, lay last tit, a s beforean osogli;et of age, an d d on s and fr iend s Is. Dahlia' te; p 0 4 111131 are, of a ' . se , CaVal l, 01E511 rarSOnagOlei B T -11 Carj'oi o t, r ,m Lodge, P` /E:j..c, 1 ‘lary's, ,ot...tctbit:t/ 'erovicli, to .1-1- 1113 o li vtlioru, Esq., of P D. 6' l qua re, Sir 111°1 I-Lays,. Bath, Cliarltr ~f'; es, Esq. ~ifo "D Major-Geaer' , 61. tia Id( tel Frascati, - s fl William finis, SI, ' 'laughter ot 'Y r ' ate-bill, e d 6. ag . P ND. /i ) :O l J 9 ' ,ljT AT COVP.,S i " as of the fr,-41, , the fleet. r,fe"$110:01/ rious citizess eOl. 'sported to one °Dieti ived with thatte:ol9 first, and eiiii", ;h officer and se .. 4,4 0 , visitors 00 Otirof pid and the peaei o d 4 .donel Bereaforeor4 [Dander of the fli, 1 °I, gOOOl.l pit eit at Suraule-ol forti 'et off yesterdefoli that 6,0001 0100 01 t. All this 100. !entinuance for ' )) ,aturday. is feileof, 'f. St. l'Atrich i vh‘n the Sarcivito li e will be Clll/1,09: Peeial iiot£loC° 27 ( will officiate. it T-MAJITIAi"j3OIf; private Willits:ley aged with de! e "iii./ 1. tried by l' 4 , l `.'ito ' 9 !, ach off,nce -- i ii 0 . l ea ded at if 1 romised 00, 0491 leniently, vlit'i ppfo9l t c fp : o regain 5100001 Aession, Ittlie „coy 3ook was res u, Leot O' '-,cl ireprison fob; if er di sobedietice geoce ? for a SilPilitr Ci`: 90, he regiment Vriioo,,4l' suffered il )0r); of cr .. 1) ," iii i_i. ,II Canada,' for i!'.,,,,sPtieilrdlt jed there for 045 ofoeid',4 lies) on tbe 1 fof , three nionth`t is jo t' soldier'a wi t") ;for rail' Nordiarnptoti, ii, ?fit eedon, in AP„r{ disobedience n [its ; on their opo or. 2ertcd at If°r°;,110`01 terflea 1.4500 ter ~ D." I-POO rilo,, was brOUgh t 1,11 0 to, I on him, ilic),.". se otO id but cis Ye''' (o°l' if "' 4 i i .E1)1/111',51/, ffU' , f.0,1' l' MI5110IZe• ti bYnh e Sm o ge e , t."B 1 , COP S3VOyf ill , , X ih 160 No. 16,564. months in the servioe. The findin -Lime-tick Ch ronicle, g is not known.— hChave ORL h p otato, even i n I re l an d , does not appear Pe howev escaped as w e ll as was at first supposed. We o, er, less extensive than e injury w ill turn out to be some are inclined rehend. We ha ve heard it surmised that the i a n p ju p dicious a Pplicatio n of guano may have been the Cause of the damage ; but the mischief; even as far as already ascertained, is too general to be accounted for in that way. Besides, it prevails in places where guano has never been applied. Some atmospheric un healthinss, or some rot engendered in the ground by a l hi wet, will more probably be found to have originated the disease. BELFAST. —The weather continues most favourable for the harvest. We have dry warm days, the wind northerly by west. Reapine• is universal, and reapers can hardly be obtained. We are gla I to perceive that carting into the haggard accompanies the reaping ; fur the grain is fully in a condition to be removed almost when cu secure t. A week have will as or two of suc h weather as we now ever, w ill splendid h arvest. The grain, how be variable i n co l our and quality. ;IfDREADFUL MURDER.—Wednesday evening last the son a respeetable farmer named Kenny, residing at Clonder- Jaw 13 father's , co unty Clare, was waylaid on returning to his shot house, and barbarously murdered withi n a pistol home. hi Th e father was alarmed by the report of a gun and ran out, when the first person he saw was a young person of the name of Sexton, in the same neigh hourhood, hurrying off with a gun under his arm, and a tow yards further on, the unhappy parent was almost ,distracted to find his son a corpse before his eyes, the Lat al bail having perforated his forehead ; and the lasuassin, not content with his deadly aim, had also hroken the poor ,young man's skull with a blunt instrument, probably th e butt o f a gun . An iii (l,l4,soit„:" t held next day by Thomas Whitestone, Esq., Wainer;tr' when a verdict of wilful murder was returnet u l _ B ° lllo person or persons unknown, as more tha nt to explain that appears vindictive of eviielti"lnga,yanndavaesbiete: implicated. To a u c u co tr u a n g t e, fo i r t t is hi s s u r ffi e : had recently Pierce taken a small farm, about seven acres, Carrick, of Ennis, lienny, father the murdered lad, sq.—Limerick Chron i cle. 44ARK 413 LE AERIAL PHENO sIAiNRE. OBSERVED AT COMRIE, PERTH- (Prom the Atheneum.) This place promises ere long to become as noted for the be in the heavens above as it has long been for tthnoe fhoellow. of its superficial scenery and its mysterious in the e th beneath. What are we to think of nig ri s i 3 o r , Writer observed by a party (of which the was n ne), about eight o'clock on the evening of Thursday, the 21st ult., two miles west of this village ? the mmediately to the north of the village of Comrie re is a bold hill, called Dunmore, with a pillar of 70 or 80 feet in the height built on its summit in memory of the late Lord Melvill e . The perfect image of this w ell-know n hi ll and obelisk, as exact at least as the shadow usually represents the substance, was observed dis • ti nctly proje c t e d on the northern sky, at least two miles beyond the original, which, owing to an interven ing eminence, was itself not in view at all from the station. The imaffe was that which the hill and monument present as viewed from the village, that from the south. Instead of being a shadow on a cloud, it seemed to be the shape of the thing represented moulded out of the cloud itself, and thus stuck up against the northern sky. The edge s of the figure representing those of the pillar, though, of course, less substantial-looking than their granitic originals, seemed as erect and well defined as the masonry itself, and so also were the harder fea tures of the hill formed parts of the profile, while those portions in the original covered with wood had in the figure a serrated fringe, exactly as these portions them selves would show if looked at between the eye and sky. The figure continued visible after it was first noticed (how long before it is of course impossible to say), for about ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and was, during that time, seen and minutely examined by three individuals, so that there could be no illusion in the case. One of these seemed to think that there was one projee eion in the model on the top of the hill, near the base o f the monument, that was not in the original. How ever , on examining the latter next morning, he was obliged to admit that the image was more faithful than his memory, for there stood the prototype of the dis puted projection, in the shape of a clump of trees, at the very spot. We have often heard of th e " Spectre of the Brocken," and of the inverted images of various objects, both terrestrial seems la m nd s to heg to a marine, lon being seen in the air. But the present different class of phenomenaf e either wr romiteris aware of these, of) se,and to a class never before (that th re corded. "The spectre" has been explained , both by `f. Raue and M. Gmelin to be the magmhed distant solar cloud, of :he objects represented cast upon the and the other appearance is caused by some reflective property in the atmosphere ; whereas the phenomena at Present under review seemed to be formed or cut out of the materials of the cloud itself, as the latter was not visible beyond the limits of the image, and these mate lials, out of which the image seemed to have been erected, remained visible long after the likeness had ceased. Could all this have been morally one of the in- Tmeaerable fortuitous configurations into which clouds are Peiwually changing themselves ? The exactness of t.lle %fitness would have made this explanation unsatis- IN, " • %1 though the phenomenon were observed in a :11:;j o ,f e n,t Pan of the world ; but happening whore the it was present almost forces the mind to the con ( as 'en that, however it may be accounted for, the pre wara fact of no mere accidental coincidence, but that th e two objects, the hill and cloudy image, were somehow connected together as cause and effect. On this occasion the sun had been down for some time, and thc moon had only l a t e ly r i sen , an d was p ee pi n g through some holes in a thick screen of clouds that skirted the eastern horizon, and of course far from the line of the amore and i mage, so that neither of these luminaries ill y direct hand in the sketch. The planet Mars, however, though invisible from the station durine• the vision, owing to an intervening hill, soon afterwards' rose to view more resplendent than ever the writer remem berst to have seen him before —thus raising suspicions _hat he had been concerned in the plot ; and, upon re flection, we fouild that he must have been about the line atthe time. But how could he cause such an image? rays Can there be an such Ir e aguerreotype vire in ''his having nlae y veo s itturi igr a c s awbl t ee o raeantyh see vrf,er produce su c h sul t s ? W e have n o s r es.a, th rhm e nits v ew a d r e ioas planets having an effect t d h o at not h ey w recollect ere o ea f p i a ts hle ever of aihlwauaeynsebeese;n hinuctlinasesdutoictliisbehe e ve w th ri e t s e e r a i l s le o g n e thus producing pictures. T have directedthe a g p a r i o n z r(taye (a nd we edc4; for a moment that dissolving has one who wMars'ho electrical rays Powers both in manufaca.turerieertain electricity has great any cloud they are and supposing further thatnghi:nd dissolving clouds), full upon the cloud were playing the portion screened from their direct'n rays on that occasion question, all except e action by the in tervening hill and monument, the figure could have been formed an clo The solution, writer thus imagine how bisutboYffenr°s it merely mea s r rath er left, of the attemptedel satisfied with this question involving considerable • as a guess in a in [The writer's ~ guess" crest a mystery. is indeed very at the cause of the imaginative, for, c 'd phenomenon tion of the shadow of the mountain tops]. ering that the p ,constantly changing by the earth's on the cloud must be the rays of rotation on its axis, Mercury must have the power to form as well as to dissipate the reconcile hypethesis to the observed cloud to his phenomenon.] -............___ 5itar.,...... .._ , UPER:ORITY OF STONE TO IRON IN BRIDGE BUILDING.— Stone, is however, pre-eminently the bridge builder'sbrgidein material. The carpenter can supply the want of a a corapar;‘tively short ti me , and in most cases at a small cost. The smith and founder will, with moderate assistance from the mason and bricklayer, effect what cannot be done with stone, and will in cases supply the place of stone with iron When stone might be used, but grandeur of effect, power of resistance, and eternity of endurance, are to be sought in masonry, the mason's art, and with the mason's mate rial. We know of and possess nothing as a mate rial for massive, permanent construction and fitted for bridge building particularly, so free from liabi lity to change in bulk from any natural influence as stone; lllld, well'rmthin therefore, considering its other qualities as essen ai, so adapted for the min constituent of a bridge. It is well known that ir on i s i n j ur i ous l y a ff ecte d b y many ca uses that produce little or no impression on stone, viz., by atmospheric changes, electricity, continual percussion, vibratio n , galvanic action, &c. ; it is liable to oxidation (a suspension bridge being composed of a series of small bars of iron presents a great surface to the corroding powers of the atmosphere), which, in a series of years seriously impairs its dents that notwithstanding the precautions taken to . preserve _t ; and percussion and vibration operate so injuriously '9OII it, as altogether to alter its internal structure mad destroy its in proof of which see the accounts of the numerous acci- I. tuts that have occurred on the various lines of railway from the rZteture of the axles of railway carriages, concussions, &c. — The Builder. _VA Lim OF ARCHITECTURAL KNOWLEDGE TO 'St;rouatsTs..--To those who know anything of architectural ory,thtrl e d a s nd have sufficient knowledge of styles and dates read and enjoy old buildings, Belgium, the Ne , and Germany, offer extraordinary attra c- Wing, It is of to be regretted, that compara tively few of our tourists know anything about ti le Matter, notwithstanding the subject now occupies 14 ' 10 1 more attention i n E ng l an d t h an was the ease a dozen years ago. They visit th e ca th e d ra l s , an d c h urches, a nd castles, both at home an d a b roa d —t h ey are amused and interest e d offe r , the T infbut th e i nstruct i on wh i ch these buildings orm ti n that they silently convey, is in a cipher to which a th o ey hay I not the key, and so is lost to them. The delight of ' travel is increased four-fold bY %knowlede of architectural history—we speak for a few minutes to such of our non-professional readers only as may not have this knowledge —and we advise all who would de rive the fullest advantage from their summer rambles, and the lgreatest a mount of pl easure, to app l y themselves e to ac e e it. Every old building is an open book which ma understood without difficulty by those who know the y azvirnpogburolgbagi er:;3.....witailii„tells you when it was erected, very often the Mats of society at that period ; at which end it was begun, at 'what timo alterations were made. You find it to be a stage in art of the whole, and can see clearly what preceded it and i s hat it led to. Architecture, as a fine art , should form p ar t , , general education ; cud, indeed thoftetheerence betwbeeefonrcelaslsic We G W oi e hic on .:7 6 coed d friend, who had "M'aide .. heard an edu .he grand tour, inquire tect A ui c •e r , op an ol d is h a a n v d e v i i lite,:.,und me n who have stood in the Atheni.2 th: r.._ r `. 4 in Rome, who yet did not know the Doric o.: ler 1'1. '7 i;nl exists most had not the most remote idea that a c,;.... - t ,_ . ists between the stru-tures of Greece and Rome, and I.74etahthatetals of the middle ages on this side of the Alps; still relit, % II L e u e differences between them, now so strikingly appa traced step by step, and explained.— The Builder. ;_~ A Z rjll ' /7/ 7 1 ( abb. bp " jt ... • '4el 1/// trlik- tf,_ Vnit i 4 L=.- LITERATURE. POLITICAL DICTIONARY. Part VIII. This is the first part of the second volume of this the most generally useful book of reference which has issued from the press for years. The first article in this part is entitled " Factor," the last is " International Law." All the articles are written clearly and understandibly, great research has been made to collect materials for them, and they are in every instance uu nivectu des con nuisances actuates. LOVE AND MESMERISM. By Horace Smith. 3 Vols. We regret to learn from ihe preface to this work that the author of " Bramb'etye House" has written his last novel. Spit) of the inconsistency of human nature, there is always something melancholy attached to the word " last." All feel the charm of old associations, and are loth to part with a familiar friend. We recal the pleasant hours passed together, the sorrows his presence has dispelled, the good feelings he has called forth, the bright hopes he has inspired, and we sigh to think it will be so no more. Such are the fe ings with which we regarl a favourite author, and se will be the feelings of Mr. Smith's admirers when th learn that he is to amuse them no longer. He tells in the introduction that after a successful career of near a quarter of a century he now comes before the publ , like an actor, on his farewell benefit ; and as on such an occasion it is usual for the hero of the evening to sustain many different parts, appearing alike in tragedy or comedy, as if to exhibit his various talents, so it seems that Mr. Smith has wished to appear for the last time, for in this work he has given us two very different spe cimens of his power—the tales of Love and Mesmerism are as unlike in character, as in name. The first is a history of the human heart, an analysis of its secret passions, written in glowing and energetic language, full of vigour and reality. The scene is in Italy, the land of love and romance. We see Venice, duri g the rule of her last Doge, arrayed in delusive splendour, hastening to her downfall. The following is a description of the proud " Queen of the Waters" Why should we attempt to portray Venice ? Lives there in the wide European world a single educated man who is a stranger to it? No, not one. Such a being would be an anomaly, a solecism, an impossibility. He may have never been wafted in a gondola, as it floated, like a brooding halcyon, over the waters of the Grand Canal ; he may never have done admiring homage with his bodily eye to the sovereign of the many isles; but to his mental vision she has long been patent, palpable, familiar as the market-place of his native town. The paintings of Canaletto, Guards, and other artists—the vivid portraitures of dramatists and novelists, the paeans of poets, the mere sure and sober delinea tions of history, have not only indelibly stamped upon his memory the glorious annals of this oldest and most celebrated of all modern cities, but have pictured to his delighted gaze her serpentine canal, with its myriad diver ging channels, her turret-crowned isles and islets, her Piazza of St. Marc, her Piazzetta, her Rialto, her churches, her palaces, columns, obelisks, towers, and trophies. Up from the Adriatic does she majestically rise before him, haunting his imagination like a dream, the only dream, perhaps, which, com bining wildness, splendour, and grotesque romance, still falls short of the wildness, splendour, and romance of the reality. " Populous and gay, yet comparatively silent and unbust ling—a metropolis without horses, crrriages, or cattle—its in habitants gliding along the river-streets in black funereal-look ing gondolas—its fantastic buildings varying from every known style and epoch, and contrasting while they harmonize with each other, this aphrodite of the Adriatic might well be deemed a glorious apparition, evoked from the waters of the deep by the wand of some imaginative enchantress. Almost as dreamy, ideal, and fancy-painted as the baseless fabric of a vision,' what city, nevertheless, so prolific of fact, so storied with historical associations, so prodigal of European, African, and Asiatic realities, so self-revealing and autobiographical as Venice? Enriched with the spoils of three quarters of the globe, bearing the handwriting of twelve centuries upon her walls, nearly every temple an epoch, every tower a narrative, every column a trophy, she has literally made the stones prate of her whereabout ;' has eternized her public glory in her public buildings; and has rendered her open places as un reserved in their disclosures and revelations as the confessional box of a cathedral." " Mesmerism" is a tale of a very different character, more adapted to a German enthusiast than an English novel-reader ; it is written in beautiful language, full of feeling and pathos, yet it is neither calculated to instruct or amuse. The author conviders mesmerism as a pro found " mystery" which he has not attempted to solve, and disregarding all the probable and the possible, he has sought to " gild refined gold," and render the " mystery" more mysterious than ever. One of his objects is to render the idea of death less terrible, and he has given us the example of two young sisters gra dually sinking to an early grave as calmly and gently as an infant on its mother's bosom. The whole passage is full of tenderness and pathos, but was it necessary t increase the interest of the scene by introducing visio and phantoms ? To diminish the terrors of Death is introduced as a dark figure, bearing the name of t " Universal Friend"—thus truth is destroyed, and t . cheering example is lost; we have no longer a usef , lesson, but a wild incomprehensible romance. We should be sorry if Mr. Smith thus terminated his literary labours ; he will find enough to employ his energetic fancy and undiminished vigour in the realities of life, without plunging into mystery, or retiring from the scene. It is true we are surrounded by rising authors, and the ranks of literature are daily reinforced, but a hundred recruits are not equal to one veteran, and not withstanding the daily increasing volumes, the public cannot spare the author of Brambletye House." DELASSEMENTS CULINAIRES. CULI NARY RELAXATIONS. By A. Soyer, of the Reform Club. We have here the renowned inventor of the Soqifié Monstre a la Clontarf, appearing in the character of author. The Revue Seria Buff.", with which these de lassements commence, is a glorious extravaganza. M. Soyer was at a supper of the artistes of the Opera after the conclusion of a new ballet, and on some of those pre sent observing on the difficulty of composing a ballet, M. Sever volunteered to produce one, and composed " La File de a Orage." This constitutes the subject of the first part of the delassements. Full of wit, fun, and quiproquo, this paper wants little save putting into dialogue to be made one of the most amusing and origi nal of comic dramas, in the course of which, the ballet itself, which would afford excellent scope for scenic effect, and which, if curtailed, would, no doubt, succeed, might be introduced. We commend this hint to the attention of M. Soyer. The plat Pagodatigue, the subject of the next. paper, is one of the most elegant and useful of modern gastronomical inventions. It is a new entrée dish, with a centre and four compartments under one cover. There is not a gourmet of taste in the land who will not possess himself of one. For a petit souper it is the most elegant of dishes, containing five varieties in one entrée. This plat Pagodatique is one of the culinary glories of the Reform Club. The last article we give entire : " Procure, if possible, the antique Vase of the Roman Capi tol ; the Cup of Hebe ; the Strength of Hercules ; and the Power of Jupiter ; then proceed as follows :—Have ready the chaste Vase (on the glittering rim of which three Doves are resting in peace), and in it deposit a Smile from the Duchess of Sutherland, from which Terrestrial Deesse it will be most graceful ; then add a Lesson from the Duchess of Northum berland ; the Happy Remembrance of Lady Byron ; an In vitation from the Marchioness of Exeter; a Walk in the Fairy Palace of the Duchess of Buckingham ; the Honour of the Marchioness of Douro ; a Sketch from Lady Westmore land; Lady Chesterfield's Conversation; the Deportment of the Marchioness of Aylesbury; the Affability of Lady Mar cus Hill ; some Romances of Mrs. Norton ; a Mite of Gold from Miss Coutts ; a Royal Dress from the Duchess of Buc clench ; a Reception from the Duchess of Leinster ; a Frag ment from the Works of Lady Blessington ; a Ministerial Secret from Lady Peel ; a Gift from the Duchess of Bedford ; an Interview with Madame de Bunsen; a Diplomatic Remi niscence from the Marchioness of Clanricarde ; an Autocratic Thought from the Baroness Brunow ; a Reflection from Lady John Russell ; an Amiable Word from Lady Wilton ; the Protection of the Countess de St. Aulaire ; a Seraphic Strain from Lady Essex; a Welcome from Lady Alice Peel; the Sylph-like form of the Marchioness of Abercom ; a Soiree of the Duchess of Beaufort ; a Reverence of the Viscountess Jocelyn ; and the Good-will of Lady Palmerston. " Season with the Piquante Observation of the Marchioness of Londonderry • the Stately Mien of the Count ess o f J ersey ; the Tresor of die Baroness Rothschild ; the Noble Devotion of Lady Sale; the Knowledge of the Fine Arts of Vie Marchioness of Lansdowne ; the Charity of the Lady de Grey; a Criticism from the Viscountess of Melville ;—with • Musical Accompaniment from the whole ; and Portraits of : '1 these Ladies taken from the Book of Celebrated Beauties. "Amalgamate scientifically; and should you find this Appareil (which is without a parallel), does not mix well, do not regard the expense for the completion of a Dish worthy of the Gods ! " Endeavour to procure, no matter at what price, a Vir tuous Maxim from the Book of Education of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent; a Kiss from the Infant Princess Alice; an Innocent Trick of the Princess Royal; a Benevolent Visit from the Duchess of Gloucester; a Mater nal Sentiment of her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cam bridge ; a Compliment from the Princess Augusta de Meek • lenbourg ; the Future Hopes of the Young Princess Mary; —And the Munificence of her Majesty Queen Adelaide. "Cover the Vase with the Glorious Reign of her Most Gracious Majesty, and let it simmer for half a century, and more, if possible, over a Fire of Immortal Roses. " Then uncover, with the greatest care and precision, this Mysterious Vase; garnish the top with the Aurora of a Spring Morning; several Rays of the Sun of France; the Serenity of an Italian Sky ; and the universal Appreciation of the Peace of Europe. " Add a few Beams of the Aurora Borealis ; sprinkle over with the Virgin Snow of Mont Blanc; glaze with an Erup tion of Mount Vesuvius; cause the Star of the Shepherd to dart over it; and remove, as quickly as possible, this chef crwuvre of the nineteenth century, from the Volcanic District. "Then fill Hebe's Enchanted Cup with a religious Balm, and with it surround this mighty Cream of Immortality ; " Terminate with the Silvery Light of the pale Queen of Night, without disturbing a Ray of the Brilliancy of the brightest Queen of the Day." This " Hommage aux Damps'' is at once elegant, truthful, and complimentary, and is worthy of the gallantry Of the nation to which M. Soyer belongs. The allegorical meaning of this composition, which, as we take it, is emblematical of Peace, is quaintly poetical. Thus do we interpret the allegory. The ladies, of course, compose the cream. The - antique vase with the doves represents the ocean undisturbed by war-,,from the cup of Liebe happiness is poured upon all nations—, the strength of Hercules maintains the nations within the proper limits, and the power of Jupiter preserves peace between them. The fifty years is evidently au a ll us i on to the length and happines of the reign which our pre., sent beloved Sovereign is in all probability d es ti ne d to enjoy. I 4 a note, M. Soyer pledges himself in his forthcoming castronomical work to give receipt " for a praeticAle 4ish making parallel with Cream of Great Britain.' We look fur ward to tht; , _ appearance of the pronme4 verl f : with curiosity, to itsut ;:!ain what that dish can MAGAZINES.-(CONTINUED.) TAIT'S MAGAZINE. This Magazine did not reach us till about a week after nearly all the periodicals of the same month had been received, and this must be the excuse for our brief notice of its contents, which altogether are excellent. The first article contains a review of Wordsworth's Poetry by De Quincy, which is superior in its way, though, aceording to our judgment, far too flattering. It is spirited and attractive ; the attention never flags, and occasionally it takes poetic flights higher than those that d m ßee a pcon r a k ud s sse o f n iotr t h h tah e de F n r o e tn exuberancec f u l fi ll ed Revolution o f many his iso harvest aa his seastsuppoecnimtheen expectationss: Wordsworth ever essayed. We give the following re acidßbuetcarueasellyittrhaisinws prussic reverse s. Why is the recluse disgusted with the French Revolution? a c s ats ch a i n l childish s d h og s those which it had fulfilled, some had soon been darkened by through im patience. the and ,e : a tdrno tenaun: of the coming summer, you do not excuse him for taking days of April. All in good time we say ; take it easy • make acquaintance with May and June before you do anything rash. The French Revolution has not, even yet (1845), come into full action. It was the explosion of a prodigious volcano, which scattered its lava over every kingdom of every continent, everywhere silently manuring them for social struggles; this lava is gradually fertilising all ; the revolutionary movement is moving onwards at this hour as inexorably as ever. Listen, if you have ears for such spiritual sounds, to the mighty tide even now slowly coming up from the sea to Milan, to Rome, to Naples, to 'Vienna. Hearken to the gentle undulations already breaking against the steps of that golden throne which stretches from St. Petersburgh to Astrachan ;—tremble at the hurricanes which have long been mustering about the pavilions of the Ottoman Padishah. All these are long swells setting in from the French Revolution. Even as regards France herself, that which gave the mortal offence to the sympathies of the solitary was the Reign of Terror. But how thoughtless to measure the cycles of vast national revolutions by metres that would not stretch an ordinary human passion. Even to a frail sweetheart, you would grant more indulgence than to be eff in a pet because some transitory cloud arose between you. The reign of terror was a mere fleeting Oasis. The Napoleon dynasty was nothing more. Even that scourge, which was supposed by many to have mastered the Revolution, has itself passed away upon the wind,—leaving no wreck, relique, or record behind, except precisely those changes which it worked, not as an enemy to the Revolution (which also it was), but as its servant and its tool. See, even whilst we speak, the folly of that cynical sceptic who would not allow time for great na tural processes of purification to travel onwards to their birth, or wait for the evolution of natural results ;—the storm that shacked him, has wheeled away ;—.the frost and the hail that offended him have done their office ; —the rain is over and gone; —happier days have descended upon France ;—the voice of the turtle is heard in all her forests ;—man walks with his head erect ;—bastiles are no more ;—every cottage is searched by the golden light of law; and the privileges of conscience are con secrated for ever." He thus sums up his praises of the venerable poet:— " Young and Cowper, the two earlier leaders in the pro vince of meditative poetry, are too circumscribed in the range of their sympathies, too exclusive, and oftentimes not suffi ciently profound. Both these poets manifested the quality of their strength by the quality of their public reception. Popu lar in some degree from the first, they entered upon the inhe ritance of their fame almost at once. Far different was the fate of Wordsworth ; for, in poetry of this class, which appeals to what lies deepest in man, in proportion to the native power of the poet, and his fitness for permanent life, is the strength of resistance in the public taste. Whatever is too original will be hated at the first. It must slowly mould a public for itself ; and the resistance of the early thoughtless judgments must be overcome by a counter resistance to itself, in a better audience slowly mustering against the first. Forty and seven years it is since William Wordsworth first appeared as an author. Twenty of those years he was the scoff of the world, and his poetry a bye-word of scorn. Since then, and more than once, senates have rung with acclamations to the echo of his name. Now, at this moment, whilst we are talking about him, he has entered upon his seventy-sixth year. For himself, according to the course of nature, he cannot be far from his setting; but his poetry is but now clearing the clouds that gathered about its rising." The review of Thiers' third and fourth volume of the " Consulate and the Empire" of France deserves praise for its impartiality, and the correct view it takes of his ability as a writer, and his glaring defects as an his.. torian; but the most interesting articles, which owe much to the numerous extracts, are on two books of "Travels in the United States of America"—one by a " Scottish Craftsman"—in other words, a carder and spinner of wool—and the other by Mr. Lyell, the well known writer on geology. We have read the whole of them from beginning to end, and recommend all those who are desirous of forming a favourable estimate of the state of society in America, to follow the example. The sportsman will find much amusement as well as instruc tion in the last publication of Mr. Mills, entitled the " Sportsman's Library," to which full justice is done in the present number. Gil ~' ~` N.. i p5. 7 7,- - ,1 , 4 \ ...,, j --•l4_- ;-,!4 , 1 gr... 1 m ~~~~ Wi t THE CRIMINAL LA ariddlt, In the eighth report of tho Commissioners ott Criminal Law, just presented to Parliament, the:follow ing suggestions are made for the amelioration of the ex isting criminal law :- 1. That grand juries be abolished. 2. That police-courts be established in each county cr Parliamentary division of a county, and in each town containing 40,000 inhabitants. 3. That stipendiary chairmen be appointed for the sessions. 4. That the Crown prosecutors be attached to each police-court, and be authorised to conduct the entire criminal business of their respective districts ; that one chief Crown prosecutor be appointed to manage all criminal informations in the Court of Queen's Bench, and all State prosecutions ; and that the Attorney- General be considered the supreme head of this de partment. 5. That the defendant shall, in all cases, be entitled to fifteen days from the date of the commencement or proceedings to the day of trial, having the power to wave such privileges, in ca , e he shall deem it his inte rest to do so. 6. That five days before the trial the defendant shall, on request, be furnished with a copy of the indictment or information, a copy of the depositions, a list of the witnesses, and a list of thejury panel, gratis ; and that two days before the trial the defendant shall, on request, furnish the Crown attorney with a list of such witnesses as he intends to call to facts. 7. That both the Crown prosecutor and the defendant shall be entitled to challenge peremptorily one full jury each, but no more, and that no challenge for cause be allowed. 8. That at the Central Criminal Court, and at the assizes, special juries may be allowed on important trials that the application for their appointment may be made by either party to the police magistrate, and in, case of his refusal to grant an order, to one of the supe rior judges ; and those jurors shall discharge their duties without remuneration. _ _ _ Lastly. That where the defendant's innocence is clearly established at the trial, the judge shall be em— powered to award him his costs. POTATO DISEASE in AMERICA. Throughout the northern States of America the po tatoes were last year affected by the same disease which has proved so destructive in this country. The Ame ricans denominate the disease " potato cholera," or potato plague. It appears that in New Hampshire three men died from eating the diseased potatoes, and a great number of cattle lost their lives from a similar cause. The disease affected the plant in situations where there has been an intense drought, so that the wetness of the season is not the cause of it. There are two kinds of rot, the dry and the wet. The disease is attributed to the constant replanting the same seed, and as a proof that this is the cause the New Haven Herald says—" A friend has a crop raised from a hamper of I r i s h potatoes which had no rot affection among them ; but a row of mercers contiguous were every one of them wholly rot ten." It is also stated that "the rot is the most destructive among those varieties which have been the longest pro pogated, while it is less so among those more recently introduced from the balls." In Novia Scotia, the progress of this distemper among the potatoes seems to have been somewhat singular. It has for a series of years been found to pervade particu lar farms—sometimes appearing in the stalk, like rust, long before the potatoe has arrived at maturity ; and, on cutting open the young root, the disease is found to ex hibit itself in black spots throughout the inside of it. At other times, the distemper has appeared after the po tato has been harvested and put into the cellar—the first intimation which the farmer receives being an offensive smell arising from their ilecomposition ; and experience has taught them, in this contingency, immediately to cull over the whole mass, and remove every defective potato, as it has been found rapidly to spread over the whole if this is not done. It has sometimes broken out suddenly and spread from farm to farm, and cellar to cellar, lingering a few years, and then entirely disap pearing for a time. After trying many remedies, the farmers in that region adopted the plan of planting the balls, and thus procuring new seed, which, in two or three years, arrived at maturity and full size. The following letter, which appeared in the Boston Cultivator last year, may furnish our readers with some useful hints :—" Last year (1843) I found, when I began to dig and get in my potatoes, there was a con siderable number rotten, and a great many tainted, which I took great care to have picked out, as all My neighbours were complaining of their potatoes being in the same situation, and I had them put in the cellar. But, about the middle of Dec., my family complained of the bad smell in the cellar ; upon which I examined, and found the potatoes in a bad condition ; and I took them out of the bin, and picked them over again ; and, when returning them into the bin, in every layer I put about half a peck of slacked lime, and mixed it well through them ; and so on till all was in ; which J do believe stopped the rot and bad smell, as there were but very few found affected afterwards. This spring, when I began to plant my potatoes, I took about w table spoon ful of slacked lime and put it into ea , .. 1 .1 hill ; and when they were up, and before they were Hoed, I made a mix ture of eight bushels of leached ashes, two bushels o lime, and three bushels of ground plaster, and stirre them well together. I made a scoop that held about ono gill, and I put this full of the mixture on each hill, close to the stalks ; and I found, when I began to use them in the summer, that they were all sound, and continued so ; and I had not one rotten potato when I took them up in October, although my neighbours on both sides of the farm had scarcely any sound ones to get in. So I must think that what I did to my potatoes was the cause of my being so successful."—John IVetterville, in the Boston Cultivator. The New Genesee Farmer, for Oct. 1844, states : " Some things, however appear to be certain, and may be of immediate advantage to our readers :-Ist. The disease is not confined to any particular soil or locality. Some have informed us that it appeared only in dry soil, and others in moist. 2d. It is not confined to any par ticular kind of potatoes, though in this region the mercer and long pink-eye are the most affected. 3d. The po tatoes, when affected with the rot, are poisonous to ani mals, and, consequently, should not be used for feeding. 4th. The disease spreads more rapidly among the pota toes after being dug and placed in a heap, than while in the ground; consequently, if it is thought they are affected it is better to delay digging till late in the fall." A writer in the Cultivator says :—" For some years past I have used slacked lime, which I sprinkle on the potatoes as soon as they are cut for seed, and shovel them over it, and plant them immediately. Since I have adopted this plan I have not lost a potato, either in the ground or after they were put in the cellar ; and such of my neighbours as follow my example are alike fortu nate, and in no way troubled with the rot." PROGRESS OF THE HARVEST, &C.---With favourable weather, and the crop in excellent condition, the reaping of barley is now general. In the neighbourhood of this town a large portion is cut. At Castle Stuart the barley shearing is over, and a large field of oats cut doxn. At Petty, Mr. Strothers had on Monday four scythes and eighteen sickles at work, and shearing has been general over the district since Monday. Cutting is also in progress at Dores; but higher up the country, in Stratherrick, the crops are more backward, and a few days must elapse ere harvest will be general in that quarter. The same remark applies to the vale of Strathnalrn, as far down as Cawdor. About Cantray the crops aro not yet sufficiently matured for cutting. Between Cawdor and Nairn both oats and barley are falling fast before the stroke of the reaper. About Nairn and Auldearn a good deal of corn was carried to the stack-yard last week. Mr. Brodie, of Lethen, had a strong body of reapers at work, Mr. Shirreff, Barnyards, is cutting wheat; and all over the Aird district the fields, both of barley and oats, are diminishing in size daily. As far back as Mon.. day week there were no fewer than one hundred and eighty.eight shearers engaged cutting down barley at Coul. There was a sale of barley and oats at Raigmore on Monday. The former sold at an average of nearly 101. an acre, and the oats averaged 11/. per acre. There were s evera l igoatnsofnew A goodoatsi deal our was sold a market yesterda y, ,26 este:d 7 ""• , p r i nc i pally of the ay kind. . to 28s, per quarter. From Strathspey we learn that barley-harvest is in progress, On Saturday and Sunday mornings there were slight touches of frost, which blighted a few potato° fields, but did no further injury. Although cattle fell in price at the last Grantown tryst, lambs sold high, and there has but seldom been such a number exhl. bited. A lot of three-score wedder lambs from Glenbeg were on the groand, and 7s. 4d, a head was refused for two-thirds of the same. They were of the common black-faced breed.—lnverness Courier. A MAN DROWNED TO SAVE A PENNY.—An in quest was held at the Ferry Boat, Mexborough, on view of the body of Henry Graham, an Irish labourer from Armagh. It appeared in evidence that the deceased, along Air. Dickenson, r o Other Irishmen had been shearing several day of Mexborough, e a ft n e d re o e n en th t e e previo us eegi seeding in the Crossed the river Dust vest for Mr. Pigot ; four of the e e usual n charge of one penny. e h e t o day u c s n - f ( l oS e r n ‘ n I d e a r y t . was of a close and • saving the penny, went some distance below by the It appears that pa i d anadrehene (w ho the to cross River Dun on some he slipped off and fell Into deep water, and was un. st disposition),When lit d wasratherthan attempting fortunately drowned in the presence of his companions, the ferry ' man, and others, without th•elr being able to render him any an.. ) aistance. The body was got out In about twenty minutes, and every n were to ihrreonr.: means used by Dr. Woolam to restore animation, but without ettbct. It may be remarsed that the deceased had lived for three weeks on Cis. ed., that he had 3/. Os. 6d. in money, in his pockets, and had left lot. in the hands of a person at Marsden, near Hud. dersfield, for whom he had been worsting. A verdict of accidentally drowned was reco rded. — Doncaster Gazette. TIIE PLYMOUTH FISHERY. —Great quantities of fish have been caught during the past weet, by the trawlers and hooking-boats, and a large quantity of pilchards has been brought into the town from the Cornish coast. On Friday last so numerous wets the hakes, that cart-loads of that fish lay on the quay for want of mawns to put them in. We hear that arrangements have already been made, when the railway to this town is completed, to forward this valuable article of food to the manufacturing districts in the courso of sixteen or eighteen hours. Fish being so abundant in this town, the hake is corapartively neglected, except by the poorer classes. There is no doubt that the speculators will meet with a good profit in the transport of tho hake and other fish into the dis. tricts of the north.—Plymouth Journal. SERIOUS CART KOCIDENT.—On Thursday ruorzing, between ten and eleven o'clock, a serious accident occurred to James Carr, a labourer, living in Edward.street, Walworth, It appears that the poor fellow was engaged in his usual occupation, collecting manure in the road, when a carrier's cart heavily laden passed over him, and Carr being very deaf, it is supposed that he did not hear its: approach. He was instantly picked up in an in. sensible state, and carried Into the house of Mr. Davies, a surgeon. ; when it was ascertained that the unfortunate man had ruptured a tiloodvessel, hi addition to having broken three of his ribs,, and now lies without the slightest hope of recovery, BUST OF ADAM SMITII.—The exquisite bust of D. Adam Smith, executed in ;nttible by the ingenious artist, Mr. Patrick Park, was. :;esterday placed in an appropriate niche of .the Courtzli Hall in Wilson-street, and attracted consideraba attention from the ntetuber§:,-..Glasgow ChM LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1845. book is got up in most luxurious style, and is adorned with a view of a scene from La File de l' Orage —an elon gated portrait of the author, and an illuminated cover title. These two last are very ingenious artistical puzzles. HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF STATESMEN WHO FLOURISHED IN THE TIME OF GEORGE 111. By Henry, Lord Brougham. Second Series. Mr. Knight has published a rew edition of these sketches in a smaller form and at a cheaper rate. The work is printed in a fine legible type, is of a commodious size, and indeed every way suited to the general reader. Those who chose to purchase the original edition have formed an opinion of the characters of the most distin guished public men during the latter part of the reign of George 111. ; but many who are fond of reading had not the means, and to these a brief notice of the work, there fore, may be useful. The principal characters in this volume are George IV. (including Queen Caroline and Sir John Leach), Lord Eldon, and his brother Lord Stowell, Mr. Horne Tooke, Lord Castlereagh, Lord Liverpool, Mr. Tierney. and Lord St. Vincent. The pic ture drawn of George IV. is of a very forbidding aspect, and probably not a little surcharged, from the peculiar circumstances in which the noble author was placed in his defence of the Queen. A strong feeling rankles in his mind against the royal spendthrift. lle is described as selfish, irritable, revengeful, "ignorant of all but the passages of history which most princes read with some superficial knowledge of the dead languages, which he had imperfectly learned and scantily retained ; considerable musical skill, great facility of modern tongues, and no idea whatever of the rudiment of any science, natural or moral ; unless the very imperfect notions of the structure of Government, picked up in conversation or studied in newspapers, can be reckoned any exception to the universal blank." The treatment of the Princess of Wales the very first week after her marriage, exhibits conduct revolting to every mind, and the prime actor was only saved from universal execra tion because the dark deeds which disgraced his charac ter and made the life of his consort all but insupport able, were at the time screened from the public gaze. The following description paints human nature in such a de testable shape, that we would gladly believe that Lord Brougham has been misinformed, and that the sufferings of the Princess had made her magnify the crimes of her husband : " No sodher was the marriage solemnised, which plunged the country into unmixed joy, and raised a mingled expecta tion and sneer among the population . of the Court, than the illustrious husband proceeded to the most exemplary, and indeed scrupulous fulfilment of his vows—but not those made at the altar. There were others of a prior date, to which, with the most rigorous sense of justice, he therefore gave the preference ;—performing them with an exactness even beyond the strict letter of the engagement. It is true they were not quite consistent with the later obligations " to love, cherish, and protect ;" but they were vows notwithstanding, and had been attested with many oaths, and fierce imprecations, and accompanied with a touching and a copious effusion of tears. Their purport was an engagement to reject, to hate, and to insult the wedded wife ; to yield her rivals, not unwedded, but the helpmates of other lords, the preference on all occa sions; to crown the existence of the one with all favour, and affection, and respect, while that of the other should be made wretched and unbearable by every slight which could be given, every outrage which could be offered to the feelings most tyrannical over the female bosom. Swift followed, then, upon the making of the second and public vow, the punctual fulfilment of the first and private obligation. Never did the new- married pair meet but in the presence of others ; the Princess was treated on every occasion, but most on public occasions, with ostentatious neglect, nay, with studied con tumely ; each resource of ingenious spite was exhausted in devising varied means of exhibiting her position in melan choly contrast with the empire of her rivals ; when she sub mitted, trampled upon as dastardly and mean ; when she was reluctantly goaded into self-defence, run down and quelled and punished as contumacious ; and as soon as mal treatment was suspected to have begotten the desire of reta liation, she was surrounded with spies, that not a gesture or a look, a word, or a sigh, might pass unregistered, unexagge rat 2d, unperverted." A note to the life of Lord Eldon, partly describin g and partly suppressing expressions (which cannot b e recited) used by the Prince in reference to Mr. Percival, tends to make his character still more repulsive. To Lord Stowell's eminence as a judge full justice is done, and it is correctly observed:—" If ever the praise of being luminous could be justly bestowed upon human compo sitions, it was upon his judgments, and it was the appro bation constantly, and as it were peculiarly, appropriated to those wonderful exhibitions of judicial capacity." The sketches of Horne Tooke and Lord Liverpool are perhaps the best in the collection. There is an entire absence of party and personal feeling, and due praise is given alike to the great abilities, the learning, and the consistency of the former, and the good sense and integrity of the latter. Throughout these pages suffi cient proofs are given that the Noble Lord has no great regard for the old Whig party, thus well described:— " The aristocratic and exclusive nature of Whig society, the conviction then prevailing, and at all times acted upon, that the whole interests of the State are wrapt up in those of " The Party," while those of the party are implied by the concerns of a few great families, their dependants, and their favourites,—was sure to keep at an unpassable distance one who, like Mr. Tooke, felt his own real importance, was unwil ling to measure it by the place he held in the estimation of some powerful lord or more puissant lady, and was deter mined not to substitute for it the base nominal value attached to obsequious servility." And we can discover sentences which, though applied to the individuals of whom his Lordship treats, may have a different personal application. For instance, speaking of Lord Shelburne, he says— " Than whom none ever entered into the combats of public life with an ampler provision of combined capacity and in formation, and none ever sustained the useful part which he acted, with more unsullied honour. This tribute to truth and justice is due from Whigs to one whom it suited the policy of 1783 to run down by every species of slander, partly in the prose of pamphlets, partly in the verse of pas quinades, partly in the mixed fiction and prose of speeches, —merely because, not belonging to the party, he was auda cious enough to act for himself, instead of making himself a tool of those who boasted that they never had confided in him, at the moment they wore complaining of his deserting their councils." THE SPORTSMAN'S LIBRARY. By John Mills, Author qf" The Old English Gentleman," Brc. Mr. Mills is well known for a variety of publications ; he is reckoned among the sporting tribe one of the ' great chieftains of the day, and if long practice, en thusiasm in the cause, and well-earned trophies may be taken as criterions of . merit, he is fully entitled to his rank. " From the time my memory can date," says he, "field sports have been my study, the thought, the occupation of my life. I have sought for information wherever and whenever it could be obtained, and never yet permitted an opportunity to pass of testing, at the earliest period, the rules laid down for the guidance of the sportsman." As far as we happen to be acquainted with the topics adverted to, the work attests the claims of the author. The instructions laid down are judicious, and will be found useful to many even well initiated in the different sports. Besides, he has the spirit and humanity of a true sportsman ; he pursues game not for slaughter, but exercise and amusement, and with the least possible suffering to the ferce natura intended for the use of man. Alluding to the mode of killing wild fowl in North America, he says— " Anybody who really takes delight in this slaughtering, must have a very different idea of sport from that which I entertain. I hold in utter contempt any mode of killing which is pursued as a sport, wherein nothing is wanted but cold: blooded butchery. And let me ask what can be more cold-blooded, both literally and figuratively speaking, than in the depth of a winter's night, to punt within range of a countless multitude of birds, grazing together in a solid mass, and then, after some hours' watching, perhaps to get one shot at them? It really is more contemptible and cruel than seine Lattices I have heard of; for in the one case the wretched cripples flap away, to meet with the horrid death of starvation ; while in the other the army of keepers generally manage to stop the unhappy victims with bludgeons and such-like means of stoppage in transitu." The least interesting part of the work for the com mon sportsman is that which treats of the breeding and condition of hunters, and " giving physic to dogs." Some hundred pages are occupied with disquisitions on these subjects, and. prescriptions and the rules of the veterinary art, which may be useful for the regular breeder or the master of foxhounds, but are of little im portance to others.. The rest of the work, however, amply compensates for such dry details, and we can, therefore, safely recommend it as a useful manual for every son of Nimrod. We give the following instruc tions on "leaping" as a specimen:— " To ride over a gate, when you can easily throw it back upon its hinges, or to take any totally unnecessary leap, is anything but to show your judgment. L Remember the race is not always to the swift; and that in a long run it is next to a certainty that you will have as much leaping as the most rapacious can desire. " When a horse is ' blown,' turn his head from anything like a leap of magnitude. It is quite impossible that lie can take it with any degree of safety; and the attempt is a fool ish risk of some deplorable result. " After having cleared a fence, or barrier of any kind, into an inclosure, look instantly for the best place for your next leap; and, leaving fixed upon it, keep your horse as straight as an arrow towards the spot, and never swerve. A great deal depends upon your keeping the head of your horse in a direct line with his quarters, in taking a leap ; for, if you pull him either to the near or to the off side, the chances are greatly in favour of his sending you to bite the ground in company with himself." JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ENGLAND. Vol. VI., 1845. Part I. " Practice with Science." The whole range of our periodical publications does not, perhaps, embrace objects in themselves of more vital importance to the primary and most extensive interests of society than this journal especially addresses itself to. Whatever may be thought of the short-sightedness and interested prejudice which rigidly maintains a system of prohibitory and exclusive legislation in respect of the trade in corn, there can be no doubt in any candid mind that both the science and theory of agriculture, and its practical adaptation throughout all the processes of agrestic hus bandry, have made giant strides in the progress of im provement during the last five years. We have no de sire to disturb the salutary rule that has been self- pre garibed for their own conduct, by the parent and the branch societies, for the extension and advancement• of agriculture in this o )untry—of abstaining from political discussion in the work of preparing their communications, and in the general management of their affairs ; but we may be allowed to remark, that for this and other extraordinary benefits of a contingent or incidental character, the stoniest enemy of the Anti-Corn-law League must allow that the British public are mainly indebted to the spirited agitation of that energetic body, The present number of this journal is the richest, and at skiaie time the most interesting we have yet seen of the whole series. We have no less than twenty-one original articles and seven very important communications. Three of these are on draining and reclaiming heath lands ; two on tenant improvements ; three on varieties of ma nures ; one on the advantages of thick sowing, which will be read with the greater interest, at a period when thin sowing is so warmly advocated by some of the largest wheat-growers in Yorkshire and in Kent, on the system so well described by W. L. Fox. From Mr. John Watson, jun.'s Prize Essay on " Reclaiming Heath Land," we extract the following curious and important statements : " All lands in England and Wales, at an elevation of 1,000 feet above the level of the sea, whatever may be their qualities in regard to the nature of the soil, are too high for arable cul ture. In some districts, however, we find as good crops pro duced, and the harvest as early, at an elevation of 800 feet as in others at 300 feet lower. Local circumstances have a great tendency to alter the climate as well as the period of the ripen ing of grain. Poor clay soils, on a cold-bottomed, retentive sub soil, and a northern aspect, are much later than these of light, dry, sandy, gravelly, rubbly nature, on a rocky or porous sub soil, with a southern aspect and a good inclination, approaching to a right angle with the sun at mid-day. Large tracts of un drained land, unreclaimed heaths, forests, lakes, mountains, and morasses, all have a tendency to attract moisture and de crease the temperature of the district; whilst, on the ether hand, a well cultivated and well drained district has the oppo site effect. Moisture attracts moisture, and water attracts water. How much, then, might be done to improve the cli mate of this country were a complete and thorough drainage effected of all the waste lands, in addition to what is steadily going on in cultivated districts. The effect of such a state of things may be readily imagined by those who have studied the laws of nature." In a paper by Mr. Spooner, on" Bones and Sulphuric Acid," this gentleman describe.: the results of various experiments made by bim with these manures on turnip crops. Of the guano he remarks — "This, however, I may say, with regard to guano, that the experiment convinced me that this valuable manure can be readily and safely applied with the common drill (without any particular provision being made for covering the manure with earth before the deposition of the seed), by merely mixing the guano with about four times the quantity of fine mould, and adding as much ashes as the drill will deposit. In the case in question the guano was used at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre, and the mould and ashes were added so as to make the whole amount to thirty bushels per acre." The following results were arrived at in experiments with the mixed manure referred to. They seem valua ble ones : " The bones and acid turnips were the first to appear above ground; the tops grew luxuriantly, and, for some time, main tained a superiority over the rest of the field ; the guano tur nips, however, after some time, rivalled them; and those ma nured with bones alone (though lagging behind terribly at first) made amends towards the latter end of the autumn; and, on weighing a few rods, in the month of December, scarcely any difference could be discerned. The bones and acid roots were the largest, but exhibited more bare spots, probably owing to the irregularity of the deposition of the manure from the cause before mentioned. Besides which, I should state that they laboured under the disadvantage of being on the outside of the field, and near a high hedge. To say the least, however, two bushels of bones, with the ad dition of the acid, successfully rivalled eight times the quantity of bones, though the latter was employ e d on l an d c o n sidered, previeesiy, much superior to the other. I beg to conclude my remarks on this interesting subject with the observation, that when we find that sulphuric acid enters very largely into the constituent parts of the Swedish turnip, are we not justified in concluding that the remarkable effect attending the application of the bones and acid, united, is, in some measure, to be attri buted to the specific virtue of the acid in affording food to the plant ?" THE O'DONOGHUE ; A TALE OF IRELAND. By Harry Lorrequer. Nos. VIII. and IX. These numbers contain several chapters of very stir ring interest, and of the illustrations, by Leech, " The Student" and "The Piper" are the best. These are very cleverly grouped. The chapters of these two num bers introduce us to The Capital and its Pleasures— First Impressions—Old Characters with New Faces— Some Hints about Harry Talbot—A Presage of Danger —The St. Patrick's Ball (an excellent scene)—and the Daybreak on the Stroud. It is very difficult to find a better sketch of Dublin society as it existed fifty years ago than this:— " It would be a most unfair criterion of the tastes and plea sures of that day, were we to pronounce, from our experience of what Dublin now is. Provincialism bad not the n se ttl e d down upon the city, with all its petty attendant evils. The character of a metropolis was upheld by a splendid Court, a resident Parliament, a great and titled aristocracy. The fore ground figures of the time were men whose names stood high, aril whose station was recognised at every Court of Europe. There was wealth more than proportioned to the cheapness of the country; and while ability and talent were the most striking features of every circle, the taste for gorgeous display, exhibited withi n doors and without, threw a glare of splendour over the scene, that served to illustrate but not eclipse the prouder glo• ries of mind. The comparative narrowness of the circle, and the total absence of English reserve, produced a more intimate admixture of all the ranks which constitutes good society here than in London, and the advantages were evident ; for while the aristocrat gained immeasurably from ready intercourse with men whose pursuits were purely intellectual, so the latter ac quired a greater expansiveness, anti a wider liberality in his views, from being divested of all the trammels of mere pro fessional habit, and threw off his pedantry, as a garment un suited to his position in society. But what more than all else was the characteristic of the time, was the fact, that social eminence—the succes de salon—was an object to every one. From the proud peer, who aspired to rank and influence in the councils of the State, to the rising barrister, ambitious of Parliamentary distinction—from the mere fashionable idler of the squares, to the deep plotter of political intrigue—this was alike indispensable. The mere admission into certain circles was nothing—the fact of mixing with the hundred others who are announced, and bow, and smile, and slip away, did not then serve to identify a man as belonging to a distinct class in society ; nor would the easy platitudes of the present day, in which the fool or the fop can always have the ascendant, suffice for the absence of conversational ability, ready wit, and sharp intelligence, which were assembled around every dinner-table of the capital." But for unexaggerated Irish humour—the popular verve —we have seldom met anything to surpass what follows. It i s a gran d Court ball at the Vice-regal Lodge. The ca rr i ages are "setting down" their com pany, and the m o b are gen tly "hinting" their opinions of men and manners:— t " The taulting sarcasms an d personal allusions , of whilthhe Irish Me m b ers were not spar i n g in the House, were here repeated by those, who suffered the severity to lose little of its sting in their own version. " Look at Flood, boys—there's the eld vulture with broken beak and cadaverous aspect—a groan for Flood," and the de mand was answered by thousands. " There's T om C onne ll y ," s houted a loud voice, " three cheers for the Volunteers—three cheers for Castletown." p T o h p a u n l k ar y: f u e , m bo b y e s r , , th an an d k ev y e o n u,'' said a rich mellow voice, as in their enthusiasm the mob pressed around the carriage of the " shook hands with the footmen behind the carriage. " Here's Laurel, here's Luttrel," cried out several together, and in a moment the excitement, which before was all of joy, assumed a character of deepest execration. " Aware of the popular feeling towards him, this gentleman's carriage was guarded by two troopers of the horse-police —nor was the precaution needless, for no sooner was he recognised, than a general rush was made by the snob, and for a moment or two the carriage was separated from the rest of the line. " " Groan him, boy s , groa n him, but don't t ouch the traitor," shouted a savage-l oo ki ng f e llow, who stood a head and shoulders above the crowd. " Couldn't you aff o rd to buy new liveries with the ei g hty thousand pounds the Government gave you, yelled anoth er , and the sally was responded to with a burst of savage laughter. " Throw us out a penny," called a third, "it will treat all your friends in Ireland—let him go, boys, let him go on, he's only stopping the way of his betters." OLD ENGLAND. Part XXI. This admirably conducted s erial is rapidly approach.. ing its conclusion. The present part brings us down to the reign of George IL When completed it will be the most complete museum of national English antiquities that has ever issued from the press. The illustrations fully maintain their high character. MINSTREL LOVE; a Romznce. From the Ger man of Folique• A legislator, named Hamilton, had the soubriquet of " Single-speech" conferred upon him, because, though he sat in Parliament for many years, he delivered only one speech, which happened to be an excellent one. Had the Baron, who wrote " Minstrel Love," permitted him self to be " single-volume" Folque, his reputation would have stood much higher than it does, or than it ever can. It may show sad want of taste on our part, but we look upon " Undine" as the only readable of Fouque's many works. The success of that encouraged him to write, and his motto might have been— " I n mercy spare me—for I do my best To make as much waste-paper as the rest." is a simple store, gracefully " Undine" told. It pleased Coleridge, and had the very doubtful merit of sugo•est ing Scott's " White Lady of A vene l." None othersof Fouqui.cs fictions are calculated to please the English reader. They are cold and stiff, with a dash of exaggera tion, and a sprinkling of mysticism. This " Minstrel Love" is the heaviest romance of chival r y we ever h ave me t with. The hero is one of , g Those faultless monsters whom the world ne'er saw." He is intended to be the personification of all that is good and gallant, but must have been an awfully tire some young man. When he died, we dare say that his friends, though they might have put on mourn i ng f or hi m , r ather rejoiced at having a sort of we t bl an k et remove d from their sociality. H e must h ave b een as un pleasant a companion as Brummel ' s " damp s t ranger ." Th e translation appears well executed. The vol ume i s most elegantly g ot u p , and the illustrations are extremely pretty. But the work is essentially a failure. In Foulias lottery there was only a single prize, and that was " Undine." — A pEEp INTO ARCHITECTURE, LI Eliza Chalk.—VVith Illustrations. Eliza Chalk is a worthy successor to Jane Taylor, and her pee p into architecture combines in s t ruc ti on w i t h amusement in a manner that has not been surpassed since the days when the Taylors of Ongar produced that revolution in juvenile literature, the advantages of which the present generation is reaping. Architecture has been strangely and unaccountably neglected by our popularisers of arts and sciences ; but, as Miss Chalk justly observes-- « A knowledge of architecture can alone prove a shield to guard the harmonious and unique examples of antiquity from the unrelenting modernizer, who often devotes to neglect or destruction many a choice specimen of by-gone industry and beauty ; and as the railroad will enable many to view the varied architectural remains which stud our country, this science will prepare the mind to appreciate such scenes.' It is evident that our authoress thoroughly understands the subject on which she writes, and she treats it con amore, Iler history of the origin of architecture is well written, her description of the various species of thef Gothic, and of the different orders of the Grecian, are clear, distinct, understandible, and better than all, in an elementary book intended for juveniles, interesting. The work is profusely illustrated, beautifully got up, and is just the book for a birth-day present to a clever child. BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL lIIISCEL- LANIES. By William H. Prescott, authoto7"iie History of Ferdinand and Isabella," " The Conquest of Mexico," The reputation which Mr. Prescott has achieved, the ability and judgment exhibited in his historical works, and the curiosity which exists to compare the earlier es says of such a writer with his later and more ambitious productions, cannot fail to procure a reception for this volume, Nor will the reader arise from its perusal dis satisfied or uninstructed. Much sound criticism runs through its various articles; much sound information may be gleaned from them. If this work came out as an original one, we admit, at once, that it would not ad vance Mr. Prescott's literary reputation. But, with one exception (a biography of Brockden Brown, the novelist, published in Sparks's American Biography), the thirteen articles here collected appeared in the North American. Review. The more recent articles are the most artisti cally written, but even the earliest (dated 1824) displays critical acumen and sound common sense—that rarest of all mental possessions. The biographical papers arc by far tho best. Mr. Prescott seizes the leading incidents, rapidly generalises them, and cleverly applies them to illustrate his own view of the character and productions of the persons concerning whom he writes. This is exemplified in his notice of Scott, and even more so in his essay upon the life and writings of Cervantes. His biography of Brockden Brown is more carefully executed, but it was written not under the coverture of a critique in a Re view, but as part of a work to be reviewed. We may add, that Mr. Prescott's estimate of Scott is written with delicacy and discrimination. His genius is done every justice to, and his faults—the result of writing against time—are very indulgently alluded to. The con amore article in the volume is the review of Washington Irving's " Conquest of Grenada." It was written in 1829, probably about the time when Mr. Prescott had only recently entered upon the great field of Spanish story, of which, as yet, he remains the master. Per haps it was the very composition of this very article which made Mr. Prescott write his history of Ferdi nand and Isabella. We have known more than one in stance where, from merely reviewing a book, the critic has himself been induced to write another (and a better) upon the same subject. The paper on Moliere, written before Sir Walter Scott undertook the same subject (in the Foreign Quarterly Review), will not suffer by comparison even with the mighty master. The papers upon Italian literature are good (though the third one has the fault of being too much of a defence of the first), but the notice of Cha teaubriand's English literature is dull enough. By far the most curious paper is that on Scottish song. Like gentle Geoffry Crayon, our author has a fine reverence for old ballads—aye, and the taste to admire, and the boldness to praise, modern snatches of the rural poetry of " Auld Scotland." _ We have read this volume with satisfaction, and dis miss it with praise. It is not equal to the collected re views of Macaulay, Jeffrey, or Sydney Smith ; but the article is the form of composition which has best displayed their ability and made their style. Mr. Prescott is more than a writer of articles—he ranks among the best his torians of our time. WADE'S LONDON REVIEW. This is an excellent number of Wade. It opens with an admirable article entitled "Commercial aspects— Locomotion and Railway Speculation," which gives a short but succinct resume of the History of the rise and progress of the Railway System. Many persons have asked recently where all the money is to come from to carry out the new railway projects ? To this question the writer of this article thus replies : .4 Do not despair, we say. With Consols nearly at par, and money easily to be had at 21,4 per cent., without a single one-pound note in circulation on this side the Tweed, and a na tional income increasing at the rate of fifty millions per annum, there seems no ground for serious apprehension of forthcoming instalments, if not from the present shareholders, from others who may purchase theft liabilities. At all events, there will be something to show for the outlay ; by interlacing the whole island with iron roads, there will be a useful result, which is more than can be said of every expenditure—the subsiding Continental Princes to wit, or sending out capital to work foreign mines, to open foreign roads, or fish up Spanish gal leons in the bay of Vigo. " The flow of money to railways has certainly diverted the surplus resources of the country from investment in the funds, keeping down the prices of these securities, and preventing a saving of public revenue, by a reduction of interest in the Three per Cents. This appears the chief drawback, and is likely to continue so long as the whole world almost is making tempting offers for the loan of British capital, to insure the facilities of railway communications." " He's too much of a Gentleman" is an admirable social sketch by the authoress of " Old Pictures." The Greek tale, " Ambition," is continued, and we have, in addition, several able critiques on works recently published. THE ART-UNION. Pyne's admirable paper on the Nomenclature of Pic torial Art is continued in the present number. The observations on Light and Shade in the present portion of it are very profound, and should be studied carefully and meditated on by every student who would take rank as an artist. The illustrations of this number consist of a beautiful engraving, by Lerouge, from Horace Vernet's picture " Le Combat de l'Affroun," and a series of exqui site wood-cuts from the pictures and decorations of the Palace of Versailles. We trust that the following announcement which appaars in the Art-Union is correct : " ST. JOHN'S GATE, CLElLKENWELL.—Notwithstanding a report to the contrary, we are glad to learn that this venerable relic, to which attach so many interesting associations, is likely to be preserved, a subscription being proposed for the repara tion of the decorative portions of the gate—such as tapping or testing each stone in the north and south fronts, carefully rubbing those that are sound, and replacing those which are too much decomposed with new stone, not squared, but in serted so as to conform with the present appearance of the building. Th. Committee recommend carrying up the battle ments in stone in front of the angular turrets, to their original height ; inserting new labels to the doors and windows— strong courses and bands around ; new and proper mullions with einque-foil heads to the large windows in the north and south fronts ; removing the unsightly Roman doorway and shop win dow on the south side, and placing a new window and doorway in keeping with the old gate ; and pointing up the sides of the building with stone or slate set in good mortar, finished with blue ash mortar to preserve a uniform colour." GEORGE CRUIKSHANK'S TABLE-BOOK. This is a capital Number, whether considered in a pictorial or a literary point of view. The illustrations of the " Mouthful of Fresh Air," are rich, and the letter press is redolent of fun. The subject is excellent—a steam voyage to Margate. Who can illustrate such a subject like George Cruikshank and Gilbert A'Beckett ? " The Enthusiast in Anatomy" is a very quaint talc, quaintly told and as quaintly illustrated. The following article is illustrated by the figure of a stout Hall Porter seated iu his beehive chair in a marble hall, making an effort to be vocal. The manner in which he seems to squeeze his voice up from his chest is admirable. It is a remarkable trait in the English character that a gen tleman or lady with a voice, and even without one, can adopt immediately the various feelings under which sentimental songs are supposed to have been written. Thus an individual with a good low G is seized with a desire to bid " Farewell to the Mountain," and he makes the further discovery that It is ' s too lovely for him ;" though he has never particularly considered what amount of loveliness in the way of " sunlighted vales," and other overwhelming beauties of nature, he has hitherto found himself proof against. Every one is supposed to feel what he sings, and when a gentleman therefore strikes up " Oh, give me but my Arab steed," he is supposed to be ad vertising, through the medium of song, for an animal war ranted to go quiet in the " battle-field," and not to shy at the sound of trumpets. If we are to judge by the difference of the sentiment in songs for different voices, high tenors appear to be always desperately in love, baritones extremely ill-used and out of spirits, while bases are wrapt up in such a cloud of gloom that they are on terms of intimacy with King Death, whom they fa miliarly allude to as " a rare old fellow." Young ladies with little voices want to be butterflies, and the whole musical population of the female sex has for thl an ast , year been dreaming it has •' dwelt in marble hall s a sre that the porter at the Reform Club. as well as . Though we are awareh un dreds of other porters, may every day of f hat thetheir life see reahsed sen timents of songs cannot b e adapted to the peculiar situations of all the individuals who sing them, we are of opi nion that ballads might at least be wr itten to suit particul ar classes, and we conclude this pap er b y an adaptation of the celebrated " Marble Halls," as a " Song from the Chair, to be sung in every large hall by the porter, I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls, With tradesmen and duns outside, And a large assembly of morning Wilt, In carriage pomp and pride. There were crowds too great to count, and m os t For bills unsettled came ; But I also dreamt that at my post I sat dosing all the same, I dreamt that footmen raised their hand, And kneeled to a high degree, With a noise f ew porters ' ears could withstand, But they wasted it all on me. I dreamt that one of the noisy host Came forth and hawl'd my name ; But I also dreamt that fast as a post I slept there all the same. THE POTATO BLIGHT.—We find thai the distemper amongst the potatoes prevails to great extent in the south of England, but it has scarcely reached the midland counties, and that in the north of England it is almost unknown, The same complaint is said to extend to field cuonibers, and acres of girlsins 'Ave goUQ y Quardina 4' t:nar way.—Lancoster THE ILLUMINATED MAGAZINE. The tale of " The Dead Guest," from the German of Zschokke, is continued, as are " The Recreations of Mr. Zigzag." A new doggrel tale, entitled " The life and Adventures of Bob Thin," is begun in this number. The subject (a New Poor-law tale) is a good one, and in better hands might have been made an excellent vehicle for poetry, pathos, and withering satire, but as it is the author has merely perpetrated some pages of meaningless doggrel, in which the attempt at wit is as apparent as the failure is conspicuous. We give the foltowing as a specimen:— Well, as we said, in the olden days, When ladies never miss'd their stays (Because, in truth, they'd not been granted : A cherub might as well have panted For a dandy pair of pantaloons, Or whale have sigh'd for table-spoons : ) Days more than " golden " double-worth'd, When horrible gold was all unearth'd— The days of Natural Equal ity and property for all ; There were no Poor••laws, for this good Reason, that no man wanted food ; And none on 's neighbour any ravages Committed ; till at length some says:l'es, A lordly, idle set of stoats, Seized peaceful husbandman by th' throats, And over Nature's gentlest code, ' On roaring Rapine rough-shod rode. Ohe, jant satis I So, leaving the " lordly idle set of stoats," mounted on " roaring rapine, " to ride rough shod over a "code," proceed we to remark that, although the literary portion of the present number is very mediocre, the pictorial illustrations are exceedingly Beautiful. This very tale of Bib Thin is illuminated by pictorial initial letters to each verse, some of which are the most fanciful and quaint imaginable. TRANSACTIOAS OF THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN INSTITUTE. 1843-44-45. We have from time to time recorded the praiseworthy exertions of Mr. J. S. Buckingham to found an Institute in which persons of all nations might meet us upon common ground to enjoy literary society, and to forward the cause of intellect, literature, and science, and which at the same time should be a social reunion to which not only ladies might be admitted, but of which their pre sence should form an essential part, so that it should be a microcosm not only of the literature and science, but of the politeness and refinement, of the polished nations of the world—a Society in which the arts should appear as the handmaids of refinement and civilisation, which should be a practical illustration of the truth of the old classical adage : • " Ingenuas didicisse fidcliter artes emollit mores nec sinit esse feros." It appears that Mr. Buckingham formed the idea of such an Institution as far back as 1830, and published a prospectus of it in that year, but the nation was then engaged in working out what it considered its political regeneration. Amidst the turmoil of politics the proposal for establishing an in stitution remained unattended to. Mr. Buckingham himself, joining in the political agitation of the period, became a Parliament Member," and the plan remained in abeyance until 1843. In the meantime Mr. Buck ingham, who had previously travelled all over the Old World, visited the New, and, on his return from the United States, he again brought forward his proposal for the establishment of the British and Foreign Insti tute. His exertions were nobly seconded by the Earl of Devon, Lord Brougham, the Bishops of Durham, Norwich, and St. David's ; Lord James Stuart, Sir E. Codrington, Sir G. Staunton, Mr. Pendarves, the Member for Cornwall ; Mr. Mackinnon, the Member for Lymington ; the Rev. S. Ramsay, and Mr. Tite, the architect of the Royal Exchange. Under their auspices the Institution was founded and under their aus pices has it gone on increasing in prosperity to the present time. It appears that the Institution, which possesses a choice library, is open every day to members, except on Sundays, until eleven o'clock in the evening, and that on certain evenings soirees are given, which must be the most delightful reunions imaginable. To these soirees no ladies or gentlemen are admitted, except they are in full evening costume. There is a selection of music— in fact, a concert by the professional members of the Institution, and between the parts of the concert Mr. Buckingham gives an oral review of the new books which have been added to the library. These reviews are given in the volume of the transactions, and de lightful resumes they are—clear, distinct, instructive and amusing. On other occasions a lecture is given on some literary or scientific subject, or a discussion takes place among the members of the Institute on themes previously proposed. The present volume contains ample reports of all these reviews, lectures, and discus sions, and as a work communicating a vast fend of useful information on a variety of topics in a most amusing and popular form, we know of no single volume that can for one moment compare with it. It is profusely illustrated by copper plates and wood cuts, all of which are of the highest order of pictorial excellence. As a specimen of typography, it is beauti ful—forming a thick quarto volume, with wide margins, gilt edges, and ornamental covers. The whole getting up of the work is superb. It is one of the most orna mental books that can be placed upon a drawing-room table, and, unlike the generality of ornamental books, it is full of sterling information, communicated in the most agreeable manner, .and is more valuable for its articles than for its appearance. HOW'S ILLUSTRATED BOOK OF BRITISH SONG. Edited by George Hogarth, Esq. In this work painting has been called in to illustrate the productions of her sister, music, and it does equal credit to the artist and to the musician. It has been long most unjustly made a reproach to us that we have no national music. This work, at once classical and national, will prove the utter fallacy of such a reproach. It will be the classical book of British Song, and de lighted are we to see such a work undertaken by the most accomplished, learned, and tasteful of musical critics that this or any other country has ever seen, Mr. George Hogarth. His name alone is a sufficient guaran tee that nothing but what is deserving of immortality will be admitted into this, par excellence, the Book of British Song. THE LATE WILLIAM MASTERMAN, ESQ.—This wealthy and eminent City banker has died, leaving funded and personal property, independent of his real estates, to the amount of nearly 160,000/. By his will, which he had made some years before his death, he has bequeathed to each of his six children a legacy of 15,000/. ; and a legacy to his sister, Mrs. Oxley, and his nephew, Henry Oxley. His library, with all the books and contents, he has left to his eldest son, John Masterman, Esq.. the Member for the City, to whom he has devised the estate at Ley. ton, where he resided, as well as all other his real estates, free. hold or copyhold. The residue of his personal estate he leaves to his two sons, John and Thomas, whom he has appointed executors to his will. It is reported that the poem of Hippolyte Lucas, which has been accepted and purchased by the French Opera House, has been confided . to Balfe, who is assid uous l y employed in composing the music for it. It is a drama in four acts, of which the subject is Spanish, and entitled La Juice de Tolede. The partition, it is added, will be completed by De cember, and the opera ready for representation by the close Q Jaugarp