The Sun. — London, England, 1847-07-12 00:00:00

LITERATURE. THE EDINBURGH REVIEW, No. CLXXIII A recollection of the most brilliant days of the ;Edinburgh R ev i ew i s rev i ved b y t h e perusa l o f the 'eading contribution in the number for the present quarter. The beauty of the composition, the terse ness of the illustrative passages, the melody and v olubility of the di c ti on , th e comprehensive generosity of the sentiments—all these, and a variety of similar c haracteristics, irresistibly remind us of the palmiest days of this renowned periodical; they call to mind the period when Brougham disdained not to become a lite rary critic ; when Sydney Smith, like a Younger Rabe lais, calculated th e t emperamen t o f the world by his j°°l "leter ; when Macaulay cast the golden glory of his elo quence upon the pages, like the gorgeous hues of a stained window streaming on the pavement of a basilica; when Mackintosh lighted up the intricacies of some mysterious theme, by the gleams of his subtle analysis. The article we allude to is a brief but Superb biographical notice of the memorable Saint Francis of Assisi, the founder of the Franciscan order. And who, it may be inquired, is the author of this striking composition ? IVe recognise him as instantly and as confidently as though his name had been prefixed to the contribution. The writer of the opening paper in this number of the Edinburgh Re view is the Honourable George Percy Sydney Smythe. We are aware that the article has been attributed to the Right Hon. the Paymaster of her Majesty's Forces, and we are satisfied that the magnificent compliment implied in that mis take as to the paternity will be grateful to the young and accomplished author of "Historic Fancies." From internal evidence, how ever, we are convinced that the memoir of Saint Francis of Assisi is from the pen of Mr. Smythe, and not of Mr. Macaulay. Notwithstanding the nunsereus beauties of the composition, we detect in it more of the immaturity of Mr. Smythe than of the mellow ess of Mr. Macaulay. Not that we would here employ the expression immaturity in its vulgar ac °ePtation. The style of Mr. Smythe is by no means immature from the redundancy of verbi age, neither is it in any manner marred by puerile affectations, or by that tendency to over em bellishment which Longinus has derided with so much earnestness. It is immature rather in those inequalities of tone, or, as we should say more strictly, of pitch, arising from a want of full reliance upon his own capacities. Cicero was wont, so says the Latin authority, to practise his voice to the pipings of a flageolet. Demosthenes perfected his articulation by Placing pebbles in his mouth. Mr. Smythe has not yet succeeded so far as to be able to dispense with the pebbles and the flageolet. To Mr. Macaulay they have long ceased to be correctives ; and it is in this wise that in mentioning their style together, we would speak of the immaturity of the one, and the mellowness of the other. A victorious athlete like Mr. Macaulay can allow himself to be contrasted with a stripling wrestler like Mr. Smythe, propitious as are the au vines, and nervous as is the ambition, of the latter. Those who have familiarised themselves with the lite rary productions of the son of Lord Strangford cannot by possibility fail to recognise his manner in the biographical notice of Saint Francis of Assisi. It shines visibly through the transparent mask of an anonymous reviewer. The scholastic domino may hide the shape, and even render the dimensions dubi ous ' • but to the practised eye the gait and the carriage are detectable. Even in the first two sentences— "lt was a noble design which died with Robert Southey. His ' History of the Monastic Orders' would not, perhaps, have poured a large tri bute of philosophy, divine or human, into the ?eean of knowledge ; but how graceful would have been the flow of that transparent narrative, and how would it hav e r e fl ec ted and enhanced the beauty of nio every ri c h champaign and of every tower i ng pro montory the identity along which it would have swept !" Again, father visions ofobvious when he depicts the merchant Francis, Pietro Bernadone, conjuring up of g l ory for his offspring and mingling those „usi Grouping with th e routine of his commerc i a l enterpr i se : into forms ever new and brilliant, like spangles shaken i n a kaleidoscope, the ideas of bales and bills of lading, of sea risks and of supercargoes, had combined with those of loans to reckless Crusaders and of the supply of hostile camps, to form one gorg eous Eldorado. The peculiarities of 111 r. S myt h e, moreover, are manifest in a multi tude of other an d m i nu t er c h arac t er i s ti cs . In the is terations by which a sort of crescendo intensity is im parted to an argument—in the vivid and almost en caustic colouri ng of the contrast of individuals, bring ingll, at on ce t o our memory the almost gaudy lustre of n i s Paper on "G rey an d Spencer" in the Oxford and t ,"mbridge R ev i e w—occasionally even in the use of unus ual,, b u t f avour it e adjectives, the hand of Mr. S mythe is revealed, as for instance when speaking of the authenticity of the poems attributed to St. Francis, he observes that M. Delecluse consi ders that the style " m ust have drifted far away from the ori ginal structure into a form at once more modern andt more ornate." Gratified as we are in detecting chi va l rous b ut not yet sta l war t f orm o f t h e e writer o f "Hi stor i c F anc i es " among th e lite rary ph a l anx of the Edinburgh Review, we are Wieldedim measurably with so much skill and generosity cause hitherto abandoned as hope • less —namely, i n th e revival, as he h i mse lf h Sa ys, of " the m emory of a once f amous Fa ofter the Ch urc h , now fallen into unmerited neg l ect a nd indiscriminat e oppro b r i um ." Th e profound earne stness with whi c h h e un d er takes the exculpation of Saint Fr anc i s end his i nd i gent b re th re n, has in it something beautiful and pathetic. Impressed with a convicti on of the advantages of the Reformation, he is Yet, like every man of liberal and unbiassed judg nt, ready to acknowledge the advantages which r esulted from th e r e ligious predecessors of Luther an d Meiancthon. In this spirit of honesty he main tllos th a t t h e founder o f suc h a con f e d erac y as the F rancisc ans " mus t have had some ,of the higher qualities of a legislator." 4, it would be difficult ev er , hi st n ow," he continues, " with all the aid . of better and philosophy, to devise a scheme th e adapted to restrain the licentiousness, to soften i rol oa anners,_and to mitigate all the oppressions of an thi rd a g e ." Speaking again, in another part, of the ,estate in the Franciscan Orders, namely, the ru er of Penitence," he declares that "it would be mere Prejudice or ignorance to deny that it sustains a i v • l F n Portant office in the general advancement of i ssting and o f t ru th." "I n an age of oligarchical t Z e ran nY, he per s i s t s , "th e y (the Mendicant Friars) ! the protectors of the weak ; in an age o f i gnorance the instructors zns tructors of m an ki n d ; a nd in an age of profligacy e ste rn vindicat o r s o f th e holiness of the sacerdotal character and the virtues of domestic life." That assuredly is a magnificent eulogium, and such p ll one as is orate bodies. not applicable to many cor even when Biographies are always enthralling , they relate to the characters and vicissi tudes of nonenties or criminals. For in a very eon saiderable degr ee, a biography gives us th e ana l ys i s o f a mi nd, the ph ases of a temperament, t h e var i e ti es o f career, a starti ng po i n t an d a goa l. But a bio ,,,,aWs kV of an enth us i as t, suc h as was St. Francis of s isle is in a p ar ti cu l ar manner a tt rac ti ve an d en grossing. To a Roman Catholic, doubtless, the life of Saint Franci s , even w h en p enne d w ith th e in terpolated scorn of an Edinburgh Reviewer, will Z l o w aYs present a spectacle of sanctity exalted a sublime community with the invisible. 'a the estimation of every one but a Roman te,atholic, the narrative of his eccentric course throughout life must appear as little else tone Whose records of a man crazed with fanaticism—one Whose religious fervour was carried to an extrava gance—and whose conduct was that of a being with a heart animated by lofty aspirations, but a brain dis traught with the frenzy of an ecclesiastical lunatic. To all, without distinction of creed, how instructive mast be that strange and fitful history, from the out set, when Francisco, the son of an adventurous mer chant of Assisi, in Lltnbria, by name Pietro Berna done di Mericona, was at once the bravest participator in the feats of the tourney, the brightest ornament of t he civic pageantries, and yet withal the most assiduous in the mart and the counting-house. marvellous change, however, occurring in the cha racter of Francisco, the reader is afforded a different su bject for con t em pl a tion. Carried to the very gates ofdeath, after escaping captivity among the citizens P erugia, Francisco is transformed from a world: , s in g into a recluse. " Long, earnest, and inquisitive, :es the reviewer, " was his gaze into the inscrutable caon which those dismal portals opened ; when ea became a valetudinarian the metamorphosis was tornpleted. His subsequent behaviour is then re kutinted with a sort of admiring and yet recoiling tanseto. His robing himself in the rags of a inendi al ‘; his kissing with " courageous humility" the pallrated wound of a leper; his purloining a PreY laden with silks and embroideries for the urpose, of aiding in the rebuilding of the ruined n, near Foligno, dedicated to St. Daniiano ; his . 1 4:view with his opulent father in the streets of Assisi, tir : e n t. himself equalid and ems:listed ; his reverential ion for the leprous 3. a sentiment springing par s s , l4 4 l v l •Y_frem the bewilderir l g , hint of Isaiah, " nosiatavi eu4sitewst (namely, th e M ess i a h,) quas i l eprosum , per for 4 1 ,_ -4 a Deo, et humiliation ;" his wonderful exertions aa r •e:le restoration of the church of St. Damian°, a re V e Y s mentioned, and of the chapel of La Porzioneula, ..I%t .recounted in language either of admiration snett4_ss nishment. What, by the way, can- be the a s ~n_nig of Mr. Smythe in mentioning Porzioncula tern : shrin e of our Lady of Angels, of which the n ' may y e t be seen, at once hallowing and roz z ° e i ?;,the quiet meadow by which Assisi is sur- Ny e , • Does he not know that in speaking thus f re ently of the Virgin he lays himself open before the ata cill !, n . t ers of Exeter-hall to a charge of Maryolatry ? .kvi e l ' n ' t to many suspicious eyes the Edinburgh t he 11' I nay henceforth seem littl e e l se th an perhacillsarterl organ of the Oxford tractarians t' they most effeetiva passages in this biogrophical notice ^of Saint Francis of Assisi ' are those in which are described, first, the growth of the Franciscan order by the accumulation of the disciples around the founder—those being Barnard de Quintavalle, Peter of Catania, Egidius, Sabbatini, Morico, John de Capella, Sylvester, and others of less importance ; secondly, the formation of the confederacy near the river Torto ; thirdly, the supplication of Francisco to Pope Innocent on the terrace of the Vatican ; fourthly, his preaching in the sacred con sistory before Pope Honorius 111. ; fifthly, his daring attempt, in the Holylands, to go unarmed amongst the Saracens, and to convert the Soldan to Christianity ; sixthly, his miraculous elevation into the air ; and lastly, his death in the monastery of St. Mary of Angels, after eating the cakes of Jacoba. The final picture is simply but exquisitely pencilled. l i " His last labour done, he was laid, in obedience to his own command, on the bare ground. The even ing, we are told, was calm, balmy, and peaceful, the western sky glowing with the mild and transparent radiance which follows the setting of an autumnal sun behind the lofty hills of central Italy. At that moment the requiem for the dying ceased, Ili the faltering voice of Francis was heard, in the language of David, exclaiming, Voce melt as Dominurn clarnavi !" Again we would express our satisfaction at discerning the Ilonourable George Percy Sydney Smythe among the number of the Edinburgh reviewers, for the more closely we examine this leading article on " Saint Francis" the more thoroughly are we convinced that it is the effusion of his scholarly and eloquent pen. A rich promise of the revival of the olden glory of the Edinburgh is afforded by the acquisition of a contributor so opulent in literary promise himself. The second article is an admirable paper on Beaumont and Fletcher, opening with a miniature memoir of Francis Beaumont, who was born in 1585, at Gracedieu, hard by Charnwood Forest, and died in 1616 ; and another, of John Fletcher, who was burn in 1579, at Rye, and died of the plague in 1625 at London. Knowing these dates, it will be well to remember one or two others of peculiar interest—namely, that Beaumont was younger than Fletcher by somewhere about six years; that they first met in 1607; that, reckon ing from 1607, their union as friends and poets con tinued during nine or ten years ; and that Fletcher survived his companion nine summers. Fletcher was poor, and wrote for his bread; Beaumont was well to-do, and wrote from a pure love of the art; hence, argues the reviewer, their literary association with each other " must have been entirely free," and not have arisen from the hack partner ship in the composition of dramas caused by the exigencies of a playhouse. An interesting anecdote about Shakspere (only recently brought to light) is given in this criticism. We eagerly transfer it to our columns as we would anything new and authentic about that God-like Genius. Edward Alleyn, be it premised, and William Shakspere are " the two great theatrical managers"—the managers of the two great rival theatres of London—mentioned below. "Alleyn being absent in the country on a strolling excursion, at a time when the theatres in London were shut by reason of the plague, his wife receives in town a visit from a pretty youth, and handsome in apparel,' who assumes an aristocratic name, asks for a loan of ten pounds, and asserts that he is known both to Mr. Alleyn and to the other great theatrical manager. Mrs. Alleyn who, as the step-daughter of old Philip Henslowe, had learned economy and caution, declines to comply with the demand till the reference shall have been verified; and the brother m•mager, on being appealed to, declares that he knew the applicant only by having heard that he was a rogue, and is glad the money had not been given. The impostor does not again show himself; and Joan Alleyn, in her next letter to her husband, exultingly tells him the story. Her friendly adviser was a person of whom we are accustomed to think as discharging higher duties to humanity than detecting swindlers. She describes him as Mr. Shakspere of the Globe.' " Speaking afterwards of the visible influence exercised over his contemporaries, and his immediate succes sors, by the dramas of Shakspere, the reviewer writes as follows : " Imaginative inventors, of all ranks below the very highest, are like planetary satellites, which revolve in deed each on its own axis, but are all carried round in the orbit of their common centre; nay, to push the com parison a step further, Jupiter himself, as well as his moons, gravitates in dependence on the sun. Through the concurrence of the two impulses, the special and the common, it is natural and inevitable, that the appear ance of every great work or groups of works, in litera ture or art, should not only produce particular and designed imitation, but should throw over all productions of the same class a hue which otherwise they would not have possessed. Thus did thoughts, and feelings, and images innumerable, sown by Skakspere beside the highway on which he travelled, spring up there into stately plants, and shed their seeds over every field that lay in the neighbourhood. Even the spirit of the great poet did in some degree rest upon his contemporaries, when his wide mantle fell and covered them all—his divinest moods of emotion, his most dazzling trances of imagination, his profoundest intuitions of character, his marvellous reaches of thought, sounding all the depths of human nature;—these were indeed inspirations not vouchsafed to any but himself, and apprehended but imperfectly even by the most exquisitely endowed of those to whom the poetic seer communicated his visions. But there was much that could be both comprehended and transfused; much that did pass from the most com prehensive of all created minds, to the finest of the intelligences which surrounded and followed him. The magnetic rapport between his genius and that of his fellow dramatists, could not, it is true, qualify any of them, even in their most intense phases of poetical rapture, to imagine characters, or mental histories, like those of Hamlet, of Othello and lago, of Lear, or of Macbeth: but the relation was close enough to enable several of them to conceive forms and incidents, feelings and thoughts, not so very dissimilar to those of Romeo and Juliet, of As You Lite It, of Much Ado about Nothing. That Samuel Johnson should prefer Shak spere's comedies to his tragedies, does not surprise us. But that Milton should have gone to see a comedy of Shakspere's when he was merry, and have been ob4ed to fall back upon Greek plays about Pelops' line' when .he was sad—pot finding in Shakspere e nough of pity and of terror—antithat Thoma \Varton should have thought he showed good taste in doing so, is more than we can understand." The estimate of the . different plays of Beaumont and Fletcher is generally judicious, and is penned in a strain of encomium not one iota more than is de served. A glimpse at a " Whaling Cruise" is suc ceeded by an elaborate criticism upon Lord Sidmouth and his biographer, the Dean of Norwich. "Robin Hood" is a delightful scrap of antiquarian gossip upon that renowned outlaw, all except the concluding paragraphs, where, to our indignation, his existence at any time is altogether discredited ! Robin Hood and his time-honoured companions, George-a-Green, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck, Scarlet Much, and Little John flit across the pages as vividly as though they were in the greenwood glades, but they are invested with awful authority as mythes. The other contri butions to the Edinburgh Review are clever and miscellaneous, treating severally of Mr. Benjamin Disraeli's Tancred, of Prussian Agrarian Legislation, of the travels of Mrs. Quillinan and Mrs. Butler, of Eastlake's Materials for the History of Oil Painting, and of the important problem " What is to be done with our Criminals ?" A better number of this eminent Tiodical has not appeared during many past quarters. MAGAZINES—(CONTINUED.) THE COMIC HISTORY OF ENGLAIVD, No. XIIL By Gilbert Abbott A'Beekett. The reigns of the bloody tyrant, Henry VIII, and of his equally bloody daughter , Mary, who, on coming to the throne, was, says our author, "com paratively old, exceedingly hard, and tot all y void of all the milk of human kindness," are the subjects out of which our author has contrived to find food for laughter in the present number. As a specimen of the manner in which he has executed his task, we take the admirable description of the death and character of Henry VIII. : " The tyrant, who had been getting physically as well as morally worse and worse, clung to life with such des perate tenacity, that is a sure sign of there being good reason for dreading death in those among whom, after a certain age, such a cowardly fear is manifest. He would often impiously threaten that " he would outlive all the wyoungeras evidently e p e e t o l y p people not tbfoaur off,thim h e y w et o ; u 'i d an e d ot though to ghhi b s e time told ofh. he etrue devoted condition. the wretched Instead remnant repenting his d existenceof his past to life, mischief extent tha that the his cou ld,now doingmalice all t the othe fullest failing venting strengthht.s. the unhappy old :brute that he must very would admit of. Nobody dared musterresolutionseelto u ntil Sir Anthony Denny, a knight who p shar l e y d our l friend Dri . lmmond's aversion t o any h um b ug of any de scription, boldly told old Harry that he was on the point of visiting his redoubtable namesake. " Finding all ehance of escape cut off, he began con fessing his sins ; but it was rather too lat e , f or , h a d hi s repentance been sincere, the catalogue of his crimes was far too voluminous to allow of his getting through one half of it before his dissolution. He had been in the habit of adjourning that court of conscience existing in his as well as in every man's breast, and he always post poned it sine die; but wh en the time to die actually came, or the die was really cast, it was rather late to move for a now trial. Henry died on the 2.9 th January, 1547, in the fifty-sixth year of h is a g e, the thirty-eighth of his reign, and at least the forty -first of his selfishness, baseness, and brutality. " lie had been married six times, having divorced two of his wives, beheaded two more, and le ft one a widow. This leaves one more—Jane Seymour—still unaccounted. for ; and indeed her death was the most wonderful of all, because it was natural. He left behind him three children • but he did not care a pin's head, or even—to name an article of smaller importance to him—a wife's head, for any one of them. Such a very bad man was sure to be a very bad father, and he had declared two of his children illegitimate, for it was the delight of this monster to depreciate his own offspring in the eyes of the world as much as possible. His religious reforms, however wholesome in their results, were brutal in their execution and base in their origin. His insincerity may be gathered from the fact that he appointed masses to be said for his own soul, though he had burnt many persons for popery ; and he seemed to think that, by taking up two creeds at once on his death-bed, he could make up . for the utter irreligion of his past existence: Fie is said to have contributed to the cause of enlight- THE SUN, LONDON, enment, and so perhaps he did with all his blackness, as the coal contributes to the gas ; and never was a bit of Wall's End half so hard, or a tenth part so black as the heart of this despicable sovereign. He never had a friend ; but he was surrounded by sycophants, whom, one after the other, he atrociously sacrificed. " Cranmer being a man of superior mind, exercised an influence over him, and was sent for to his death-bed, when he pressed the prelate's hand ; but whether the pressure arose from cramp or conscience, rheumatism or remorse, penitence, or pins and needles,' must be con sidered a question to which we will not hazard an answer. We regret that we have been unable to adhere to the excellent motto, de niortuis nil nisi bonum, in this case ; but Henry was such a decided malunt in se, that mischief was bred in the bone, and the nil nisi bonuni becomes impossible. " Learning certainly advanced in this reign, and Henry himself affected authorship ; but every literary man, from the highest flyer in the realms of fancy to the humblest historian of last night's fire or yesterday's police, will be honestly ashamed of his royal fellow - craftsman." COLBURIV'S UIvITED SERVICE MAGA- ZINE. We are glad to meet our old friend Colonel Fire brace, who this month furnishes an excellent article on the Enlistment Bill, in which he not only de molishes the allegations of the opposers of that mea sure, but exposes their motives. That it would be opposed by the Marquis of Londonderry, et hoc genes ontne, was of course to have been predicated from the first—indeed, had they supported it we should have rather doubted the efficacy of the measure—but it is not by the " gentle dull" alone that this measure is opposed—it is also opposed by " The aristocracy of wealth, who have tried to make the army a close monopoly for themselves, and, to say the truth, have in great measure succeeded. They in their heart of hearts cannot but see the justice of the Bill, but they look on it with fear as the forerunner of other measures of reform that may drive them from their long enjoyed privileges; they see that concurrent with this Bill, the education of the soldier is to be attended to, and if the plan works well, it must follow in natural course, that the instruction of the officers must march purl passe or rather keep ahead of that of the soldier. What a mortifying thing it would be to them, when about to pur chase a cornetcy for a son or nephew, to be told, that as a preliminary step, the aspirant for glory on horseback must prove that he can read the Articles of 'War, make out a guard report, and write his name legibly, and that previous to getting another step of promotion must prove that he is capable of fulfilling the duties of his advanced position! Yet such must be the fatal conse quences of giving instruction to the hitherto neglected soldier. " Strange instance of blindness and fatuity that has ever guided our military councils, that the education of officers of the army should have been totally neglected in all time, until we come to speak of the education of the soldier, and then it is only forced into notice by the shame attending the possible superiority of the servant over his master in point of instruction. " If we were to draw inferences from what the Duke said about the old soldiers, which I have just quoted, it would follow that the officers of the army were of small account ; there is not the slightest hint that the courage of the old soldiers was in any way assisted by the intel ligence of the officers, and most probably the instances were rare. None knew better than his Grace that there were but very few officers under him who knew any thing of their profession beyond the eternal routine of a parade, and that there was not one in his army capable of supplying his place had anything happened to him self. The sublime ignorance of the essential parts of their profession, which distinguishes the officers of our army from all others, arises, as I have repeated a hun dred times, from the purchase and sale of commissions. It that venal and absurd practice is so abso'utely inter woven with our military constitution as not to be eradi cated, at least it ought to be accompanied with some test that would exclude blockheads, fools, and evt n idiots, of which I could quote many instances, from entering an honourable protession." Let us hope that it will be the proud boast of the new Parliament, that it has applied that test rigor ously that it has thereby saved wise men from the tyranny of blockheads, fools, and idiots, by excluding the said blockheads from an honourable profession which they disgrace by their ignorance and inca pacity. Before the country is considered safe, the army must be thoroughly purged of ignorant and incapable officers, and judging from the revelations recently made, the issuing of a commission to inquire into the capacities and attainments of the officers of the various regiments in her Majesty's service would be by no means undesirable. We re commend this article by Colonel Firebrace to the careful perusal of the authorities at the Horse Guards, and of the Members of the new Parliament. We know of no subject which if properly taken up is so likely to secure fame and name for a legislator as the subject of army reform, more particularly as it regards the officers, and we accordingly recom mend it to any young member who is ambitious of connecting his name with a great measure. The re maining articles of the present number are all good. CHRISTOPHER TADPOLE. Part 11. By Albert Smith. Such has been the success attending this serial, that it is intended to extend it to sixteen numbers, instead of completing it in twelve. We are glad of this extension, both for our own sake and that of the talented author ; to us it will be a source of pleasure (for we are lothe to part with Christopher) to him it will be a source of profit and also of pleasure, for it is evident that he writes con amore. In this number we have the .adventure of Mrs. Hamper in Switzer land, and the return of Christopher to England—the reconciliation of Bessy Payne and Sprout, who with the jolly man goes to Vauxhall to witness the debut of Patty as a dancer. Paty, in returning home, is insulted by Sir Frederick Arden, but is rescued from him by Christopher, who gives the Baronet a thrashing, and is by him handed over to the custody of the police, and marched off to the station-house, where for the present we leave him. THE MIRROR. The Mirror for this month•opens with the first four chapters of a tale entitled " Paul, Pevensey ; or,' The Man from Below," the below being one of the Nor thumberland coal-mines. The heroine, Kate Peven sey, is a female collier, bred and brought up in the coal-pits — Wayward, headstrong, full of inordinate vanity, and more ignorant than a red Indian squaw. In spite of all this, she possessed the fatal gift of beauty. Her form bad been cast in the lightest and most graceful mould, and her countenance was radiant with loveliness and native intelligence. She was teachable, though she had never been taught, and at the moment when she comes before us, ready to be transformed by circumstances into an angel or a devil." Kate is deeply in love with a gentleman who has " amused" himself by flirting with the collier girl, and for whose sake she has rejected the love of a col lier youth named Richard. The gentleman lover, who is about to desert her, makes an assignation with her in a coal-pit on a Sunday. Richard observes them, and as they emerge from the pit, attacks and wounds his rival, whom he leaves senseless. Kate attends upon her lover, dresses his wounds, and rescues him from his peril. Will he de sert her ? This is a question which must remain unsolved until next month. There is much powerful writing in these chap ters. The description of the thunder storm in the opening chapter, is sublime. The author pos sesses the secret of exciting the interest by rivetting the attention of the reader, in a marvellous degree, and Paul Pevensey will do yeoman's service to " The Mirror." The novel of the Eagle's Nest is concluded, so that we shall henceforth only have one continu ation in " The Mirror," which, in this respect, sets an example that it would be well if its contemporaries were to follow. There are several other admirable articles in this number of " The Mirror." THE MAN IN THE MOON. The trip which Albert Smith and his collabora teurs took in the Nassau Balloon, is admirably de scribed, and quaintly illustrated, and Mr. Crindles' rapid career is continued, and is most laughter moving. The jokes are as good as ever. Take the following as a specimen— " A BULL IN THE COCHIN-CHINA Sum , . —The Pope is so pleased with the affectionate pastoral dispo sition manifested by M. de Foureade, in standing upon the deck of La Gloire, and encouraging the fire upon his diocese, until upwards of a thousand of his flock were killed, that on reaching Rome, he will be saluted (a la Alderman Waithman) as 'feu Bishop of Samos.'" THE SONGS OF CHARLES DIBDIN, Chronologically Arranged, with Notes and Music of the best and most popular of the Melodies, with new Piano forte Accompaniments.; to which is prefixed a Memoir of the Author, by George Hogarth. Vol. I. DAVIDSON'S UNIVERSAL MELODIST. Vol. I. We have frequently had occasion to speak in terms of laudation of both these excellent works, as they have appeared in monthly parts. These parts are now collected, and the " Songs of Dibdin" and the " Melodist" each form a handsome octavo volume, elegantly bound in cloth boards, and adorned with ap propriate devices. The " Songs of Dibdin" are dedi cated to Prince Albert. A copy of this edition of " Dibdin's Songs" should form part of the library, not only of every ship, but of every officer in her Majesty's service. T LIE CABINET HISTORY OF ENGLAND. Vols. XXV. and XXVI. By Charles Mac Farlane. Warning the readers against a certain tone of bigotry and intolerance which pervades the work, we record the conclusion of this epitome of our national history from the remote obscurity of anti quity down to the close of 1846. As no similar com position has ever appeared, this miniature history, in twenty-six volumes, must prove acceptable to the multitude. (We have received the Second Part of " The Dis grace to the Family," by Blanchard Jerrold, but have not yet seen the first part. " Tait 's Magazine" bIF not been received this month.) MONDAY EVEN ING, JULY 12, 1847. FINE ARTS JOY'S PORTRAIT OF REAR-ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES NAPIER, K.C.8., We were on Saturday admitted to the private view of Mr. T. M. Joy's recently painted portrait of Admiral Sir Charles Napier, at Mr. Meeson's Hanover Galleries, 33, George-street, Hanover-square. It is a full length, and the gallant hero is represented in full uniform, in the act of mounting the breach at the siege of Acre, cheering and leading on his men, and animating them by his example. As a portrait it is unmistakeably like. It is the very hero of Acre himself, features, figure, atti tude, :expression—it is the very man as he is. As a work of art it is very fine. The artist has managed his lights and shades beautifully, so as to bring out the figure strongly, and it is painted in that broad style that is exactly suited for a public gal lery. The picture is intended for the Hall of Greenwich Hospital, and when placed there it will constitute one of the principal objects of attraction in that celebrated naval portrait gallery. Her Majesty, to whom it has been submitted, has expressed herself much pleased with it, both as a portrait and a work of art.. Mr. Meeson is about, we understand, to publish an engraving of this portrait, from the burin of Mr. Carlos. It is one of those pictures that is exactly suited for " black and white," and we have no doubt but that. the engraving of the portrait of the " gallant old Commodore" will be sought after by persons of every degree throughout the United Kingdom, from the peer to the peasant. THE HEROINES OF SHAKSPERE. Part XIV. The mere enumeration of the names appended to each engraving in this inimitable serial is in itself a panegyric upon the genius of our great Shakspere. Those names so fraught with the remembrance of passion and of interest, so allied to the recollection of poetry, now tender and now sublime, now sparkling into wit and now dissolving into pathos ! Thirteen numbers have already appeared, each containing the imaginary portraits of three of the female creations of the most wonderful of all poets, each portrait representing a character complete in its individuality, and more familiar to the popular imagination than the heroines of any other dramatist. Still is the theme any thing but exhausted ; in the part just pub lished, for example, there are sketches of charac ters not less conspicuous than Cressida, Portia, and Katharine, the first by Kenny Meadows, the second by T. W. Wright, the third by A. Egg. Katharine, though somewhat too sombre in attire, is almost scornful enough to freeze the heart of the jocund Petruchio, when he is bantering her thus by playing on the pet abbreviation of her name : " You are call'd plain Kate, And bonny Kate, and sometimes Kate the curst ; But Kate, the prettiest Kate in Christendom, Kate of Kate Hall, my super-dainty Kate, For dainties are all cates." We can fancy how Christopher Sly stared for the nonce, how he wagged his frouzy head in his velvet frill, how he called a second time, and with more gusto yet—" For God's sake bring me a cup of small beer !" when he looked on the tart visage of Katharine and heard the saucy gibes of Petruchio. Portia is the worthy daughter of Cato, and what is much the same, the noble wife of Brutus. She is saying to her lord gently and beseechingly, "Dwell I but in the suburbs of your g oo d pl easure ." gCrraecsesifdually dr isaawnon wood i i graceful limning of a f ace yet more already by the artist of Tyas's Shakspere. She seems not likely to be num bered amongst those whom Troilus derides as— " scanted with a single famish'd kiss, Distasted with the salt of broken tears." Cressida has evidently just been correcting the knuckles of the old demirep P . andarus, and i s gaz ing into the amorous eyes of Troilus. THE ART-UNION JOURNAL. As usual, here are an abundance of embellish ment, an abundance of criticism, , and an abund ance of artistic information. The leading article is written in commemoration of that glorious edifice which is still in progress on the banks of the Thames at Westminster --a structure which will for centuries be a memento of the enterprise and genius of the age of Victoria. A bold likeness of Eugene Neureuther, with sketches of some of his fantastic, but most imaginative designs, and an effective biogra phical notice will be examined . with interest, as will also the portraits and miniature memoirs of Edward Mathew Ward, the painter of the cele brated picture of "Dr. Johnson reading the manu script of the Vicar of Wakefivld in the lodgings of Oliver Goldsmith ;" and of E. H. Baily, the sculptor of that incomparable gem of art, which has gained a name like Thomson's " Seasons '—Baily's Eve at the Fountain. Pyne's " Letters on Landscape" and Mrs. S. C. Hall's fairy-tale are both continued, the latter with, as usual, the most lavish illustration. LOCH LAGGAN-THE QUEEN'S VISIT. (From the Inverness Courier.) The scenery of Loch Laggan, amidst which our gra cious Queen is about to pass a portion of the summer, is among the most remote and grand in Scotland ; and yet it is not so bleak or wild from its position as many would suppose. Ardverikie (King Fergus's Mount), the shooting-lodge d Lord Ahereorn, which is to be the temporary residence of her Majesty and Prince Albert, lies on the south side of the lake, and is about sixty miles in a right line south of Inverness. It is sur founded with beautiful woods of birch and oak, and belts of young and less hardy forest trees, from which deflect on all sides interminable heaths and eorries, the abodes of multitudes of the roe and red deer, of the blackcock, red grouse, and ptarmigan. In the copses along the lake side may be seen some of the largest aspens, mountain ash, an d birch trees in Scotland, and the adjoining moors abound with enormous roots and stems of oak and pine trees, the relics of an ancient forest. A most excellent road, with good country inns, traverses the district from Fort-Wil liam to Kingussie, in Badenoch (a distance, in all, of 54 miles), and the peculiar Highland f e atures of the scenery are often relieved by considerable patches of corn land, and by long terraced banks of the greenest pasture. The mountain screens all round are grand in the extreme, and varied in their outlines, from the bare mural Alps of Ben Nevis, Loch Treig, and Glencoe, to the round-backed, desolate, and undivided ranges of the Monaliadh and Grampians, w hile over the whole is cast much of that stern an d solemn stillne.s so generally felt in passing through the solitudes of Skye and Sutherland. Human associations, however, are not wanting to give additional interest to this locality. There is Inverlochy Castle, whose history is lost in high antiquity—Glenroy, curious alike in its wonderful natural roads a n d t errac es as in its name and Celtic recollections —Corryarrielt, by 'which Prince Charles's army passed on its march to the low country —Kcppoch, the residence of a branch of the Clan Coila, that can trace back its lineage to Robert the B hillruce the Macphersons, guarding their Chief's Castle, beautifully nestled on its western slope—and Loch Laggan Itself, with its island, its ruined castle, and all its surrounding homesteads—the undoubted earliest seats of the Scottish monarchy—and deriving their names from thus and other kings and heroes who had thereei hunting• grounds, and whose feats are still handed down in the Celtic songs of other years. A more romantic and spirit-stirring district for the Sovereign and her l r a o n y d a . l household to repose in does not exist in all Scot- An official return has been ordered by G ener al Rid dell, Commander of the Forces in Scotland, of the number of soldiers that can be accommodated in Fort Augustus. The return was required to be imm? late,. and it has accordingly been transmitted. A in the r ls } o , n o r o t f about 300 can be temporarily accomaiodateddi condition' though the buildings are in a dilap visit of her Tmoilitqauryartpeurrpsoosldesierwsouilnd Forta-bAugdustuitdb.saet most probably refers to the approac Majesty. faobrovoenriientuarryn it appears ---- --- DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT. Symptoms of the conclusion of the session and of the Parliament continue to increase and multiply. It is now evident to the most casual observer event days of the Parliament of 1841 are numbered. if the Govern pf r o o r a t c h h e ment were desirous of prolonging the session, to be quite evident that all their powers would enable them to do so much longer. But in reality they aro not. They are naturally inost desirous to bring to m a ena c es o xu n rt . )e clusiDn a session from which no further practical results can be expected, and they are no less anxious to shorten the excitement and the distraction of time from useful and necessary occupations, which are engendered and e vening. a , n a ascertained l d most every d a a y p kept up by the non , e k y n en o of a speedy dissolution. Government was —and is p e' ar e a v m er o y unt, or of —most anxious to bring the session to an end as soon after the 15th instant (Thursday as possible, in order to get . over the elections, completely before the harvest operation shall have begun. To this end the House of Commons has sat in the morn ing as well as in the last fortnight. To this end, also, Ministers have con pressing, emergency. To this catalogue of useful mea sfhenatfeNdvatso anboafnidnonf,hoerirraotphienriotno poonsetpoofn sures —postponed from necessity wo are sorry to be obliged to add the Bill for the Improvement of the Health of Towns, which we regard as a most useful and necessary improvement, and which we know the Govern ment were most desirous to pass into a law, in spite of the imperfections to which it was necessarily subjected by the fact , f its being an attempt at legislation in a new channel, as by the activity of the fac tious and interested opposition to which it was subjected from first to last. Whatever may have been the reluctance of a dying Parliament to deal with such an unprincipled and unscrupulous opposition, we feel that a new House of Commons and one less apprehensive of the hostility of local interests and of vested abuses, will be able to second the efforts of the Government in car rying out a general and well consi W ilst we dered, and a perfectl matured system of sanatory refor m. h expres 3 s ' this hope, we confes s that we are beginning has n o t b een not without some feel- . ings of disappointment that a made--a commencement in the right direction, which know that the mini str y of Lord John Russell we re we most anxious to effect , The mare routine business of winding up the session will occupy the corning week—after which the proroga tion, followed by an iediate dissolution, may be bmm con fidently looked for.—Observcr. The Russian squadron left Elsipeur on the Ist, for the Catteg&t, w h enc e it would pass Into the North Sea, COURT CIRCULAR The Queen and Prince Albert, the ladies and gentle men of the Court, and the domestic household, attended Divine service yesterday morning in the private chapel in Buckingham Palace. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Mr. Stanley ; the prayers were read by the Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay. Her Majesty and her Royal Consort took their usual early walk yesterday. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena, took their accustomed airings yester day. His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe Weimar visited his Royal Highness Prince Albert on Saturday morning to take leave of his Royal Highness. His Royal Highness Prince Albert went on Saturday forenoon to witness the consecration by the Bishop of London, of the Mariners' Church, Dock-street. His Royal Highness was attended by Viscount Clifton, Lieu tenant-Colonel the lion. C. B. Phipps, and Lieutenant- Colonel Seymour. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by her Lady in Waiting, visited the Queen and Prince Albert on Saturday, at Buckingham Palace. Their Royal Highnesses Prince Alfred, the Princes Alice, and the Princess Heltna, accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, took an airing in an open carriage and four on Saturday. The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the perform ance at her Majesty's Theatre with their presence on Saturday evening. The royal suite consisted of the Countess of Desart, lion. Misses Macdonald, Baroness de Speth, Earl Ducie, Colonel Buckley, and Lieutenant- Colonel Seymour. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, attended by Lady Augusta Cadogan, Baron Knesebeck, and Mr. Edmond Mildmay, also honoured the performance with their presence on Saturday evening. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager and their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar, honoured the performance of the French Plays with their presence on Friday evening. Their Royal Highnesses the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Saxe Weimar, attended by the Countess of Assenburg, the Earl of Denbigh and Count de Beust, left Marlborough House, the residence of the Queen Dowager, at half past twelve o'clock on Satur day, to embark at Woolwich, en route to the Hague. His Royal Highness Prince Peter of Oldenburgh visited her Majesty the Queen Dowager on Saturday at Marlborough House. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by the Countess of Sheffield and the Hon. Miss Eden, left town in a carriage-and-four at a quarter before five o'clock on Saturday afternoon, for her residence, Bushy House, Bushy Park. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended Divine service yesterday morning in Grosvenor Chapel. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at tended by Lady Georgiana Bathurst, honoured Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence with her company at dinner on Jam's e E arels and 1) a c l a o c u e n . t e s The f Wilton, the Earl and Countess of Chesterfie ld, and the ufo in rt, S th t Duke Saturday,and Duchessat hi his residence o f Bea lion. Captain Macdonald, were present to meet her Royal Highness. The Committee on Education of her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council held a meeting on Saturday, which was attended by the Lord President, Lord John Russell, the Earl of Minto, the Earl of Auckland, the Viscount Morpeth, the Right lion. Sir George Grey, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the Right lion. Thomas B. Macaulay. Mr. Kay Shuttleworth was in attendance. A number of Members of the House of Commons, holding office in the Administration, had a meeting with Lord John Russell on Saturday at his official residence in Downing-street. The Secretary at War, the Master of the Mint, the Judge Advocate-General, the Under Secretaries of State, the Lords of the Treasury, the Lords of the Admiralty, the Commissioners of the Board of Controul, the Members of tha Board of Ord nance, and the Secretaries of the Treasury, attended the meeting. The Duke of *Wellington, the Duke and Duchess of St. Albans, the Marquis of Anglesey, and Sir F. Trench, attended the early service yesterday in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The sermon was preached by the Hon. and Rev. W. Capel. At the daily service the prayers were read by the Rev. T. Helmore, the Lessons by the Rev. Dr. Vivian, and the Communion Service by the Rev. Dr. Wesley. The Anthem was "Save, Lord, and hear us" (Hayes). Mr. Turle presided at the organ. The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Marquis of Granby, Ladies Wilton, St. Germans, and Somerset, were among the nobility present. PRINCE WALDEMAR of PRUSSIA. On Saturday his Royal Highness paid visits to his Excellency Chevalier Bunsen, to Westminster Abbey, St. Paul's, and the Bank of England. In the evening his Royal Highness and the noblemen of his suite, accompanied by his Excellency the Chevalier Bunsen and his Highness 'Prince Lowenstein, were en tertained by the Chairman and Directors of the East India Company at the London Tavern. Yesterday the Prince remained at home until one o'clock, at which hour he went to visit the Earl and Countess of Jersey at their residence in Grosvenor square. His Royal highness subsequently proceeded alone to Westminster Abbey, and remained there until the close of Divine service. The Prince and his noble attendants dined with the Queen and the Prince Consort at Buckingham Palace last evening. There is to be an investiture of the most Honourable Order of the Bath this afternoon at Buckingham Palace, when the Prince will be invested with the insignia of that distinguished Order as Knight Grand Cross. HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the performance at her Majesty's Theatre on Saturday evening with their presence. The royal a -uite included the Countess of Desart , Baroness do Speth, lion. Miss Murray, Hon. Miss Macdonald, Earl Ducie, Lieut.. Colonel Seymour, and Colonel Buckley. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cam bridge and Princess Mary, attended by Lady Augusta Cadogan, Baron Knesebeck, 211 r. St. John Alildinay, and Mr. and Lady Charlotte Lister, were also present. Amongst the company were the Duke of Wellington, l'rince Louis Napoleon, Duke and Duchess of Cleveland and Lady Augusta Paulett, Duke of Montrose, his Ex cellency the Duke de Broglie and suite, Marquis and Marchioness of Douro, Marquis of Huntley, Marquis of Granby, Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury, Mar quis of Conyngham, Prince Troubet.koi, Earl of Shel burne, Countess of Blessington and the Misses Power, Countess of Glengall, Earl and Countess of Arlington and Lady Jane Stanhope, Earl of Milton, Earl Bruce, Earl of Munster, Earl of Cardigan, Baroness Mallhoff and Madlle. Olga de Lechner, Viscount Clifden, Viscount Ranelagh, Viscount and Viscountess Pollington, Viscount Newport, Viscount Cantalupe, Viscount Somerton, Lord Mountcharles, Lord Otho Fitzgerald, Lord Gerald Fitzgerald, Lord Saltoun, Lord Sandys, Lady Lyndhurst and the Hon. Misses Copley, Count D'Orsay, &c. ROY AL ITALIAN OPERA COVENT•GARDEN.—On Saturday evening her Majesty's box was occupied by the Earl and Countess of Mount Edgcumbe, the Hon. Misses Macdonald and Major Sir William Painer Gallwey. Among the visitors were his Excellency the Danish Minister, his Excellency the Hanoverian Minister, Mar- quis of Bristol, Countess of Lovelace, Earl and Countess of Caledon, Earl and Countess Craven, Countess Dundonald, Earl and Countess of Bradford and the Ladies Bridgeman, Earl Grosvenor, Countess Dowager of Essex, Viscount and Viscountess Folke stone, Viscountess Forbes, Viscount and Viscountess Canning, Lord and Lady Hotham, Lady Sophia Wynd ham, the Prince of Centola Doria, Viscountess Newport, Lady William Powlett, Lord and Lady Carrington, Lord Charles Manners, Lord Ernest Bruce, Lord Henry Lennox, M.P., Lord Alexander Lennox, Lord Suffield, Lady Abinger, Lady Cecelia Des Veux and the Misses Des Veux, Sir Richard Vyvyan, Sir Heneage Dering, Sir John Duckworth, Sir William de Bathe and Captain de Bathe, Sir Henry Webb, Sir George Talbot, Lady and Miss Talbot, the Hon. Sir Edward and Lady Butler, Sir William and Lady Moleswortb, Sir Charles Kent, Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, Sir John and Lady Yarde Buller, Lady Georgiana Codrington, Lady Geraldine Somerset, Sir William Abdy, Sir Peregrine Ackland and the Misses Ackland, Lady Macfarlane, Sir Richard Paul Jodrell and Lady Jodrell, Baron Paraviceni, Sir R. Price, Lady Morgan, &c. &c. THE CROPS.—We hear from correspondents who have taken journies, which include that valuable part of Devonshire from Bovey Tracey to Exeter—and thence westward including the South-coast, and the South Hams to Plymouth, that the yeomanry speak most highly of the prosperity of the future harvest. In most parts the wheat and barley are strong in the ear, the former generally in blossom in the South, and if the weather continues fine and warm, the kerning will be most prolific. There is a larger breadth of land now in wheat and barley than last year, in consequence of the failure of the potato crop. The farmers this year, to provide against such a contingency again occurring, have provided in many instances other vegetables for the winter—peas, carrots, and parsnips. But it has yet to be seen whether the small tillage of potatoes in the ground will be a failure. At present in all parts of this division of the county, they are looking most healthy, and those that have already been produced at family tables are really moat excellent. The hay harvest is now general, being well saved, with heavy crops. The plough, harrow, tormentor, and roller, have been most actively employed during the last month for the turnip crop, and there is every prospect of good abundance of his winter food for cattle. Apples are also in abun dance with the greatest certainty of cider being sold at a very low price.—Plymouth JournaL DIABOLICAL ACT.—An old and respectable corre spondent, writing from the Carse of Gowrie, says — " Whole fields of potatoes have been destroyed in various parts of Scotland ; and three men arc now in Glasgow, who have confessed that they were bribed by certain parties (large speculators in grain) to sprinkle these fields with water, containing a strong solution of sul phuric acid." Had we not the fullest confidence in our correspondent we should have refurd insertion to this s t a t e ment ; but knowing his veracity we do not hold ourselves free to suppress such a fact, however painful it is to us as men and Christians to see the love of money urging individuals to the commission of such a diabolical crime.—Bell's Weekly Messenger. SERIOUS ILLNESS OF THE BISHOP OF WINCHESTER. —lie Bishop of Winchester is seriously indisposed ; and in c onsequence of this untoward event the Bishop of Oxford was p r evented from preaching yesterday morn ing, according to advertisement , at Trinity Church, Cloudesley-square, Islington, ho having been summoned to the bedside of his Rigbt Reverend Brother Prelate. REFORM IN TAXATION-THE EXCISE. _ . . We have received the following letter, addressed to the National Association for Reform of the Excise Laws, by Mr. Wallace, of Kelly : Gentlemen,—Although I have withdrawn from Par liamentary and public life, I continue to watch with intense interest every movement in behalf of national reforms and improvement, and I have discovered with unspeakable satisfaction the strong disgust which at last is being so signally manifested against the continuance of the degrading and pestiferous usages, rules, and laws, under which the excise are enabled to tyrannise and ride rough-shod over all classes in these kingdoms. Having been one of the few public men who have ob served the signs of the times on this question for many years past, and having myself, when in the House of Commons, taken an active part in trying to expose the carefully•concealed groundwork and superstructure of the horrid system, I will detail briefly the circumstances I allude to. " Having been for some years closely engaged in ex posing the innumerable defects of the post-office depart ment, and of the no less gross abuses which from time immemorial the inhabitants of Scotland have been sub jected to in the administration of the law—through which, let it be specially remembered, a great part of the oppressions inflicted by the excise are accomplished—.l resolved on superadding to these laborious avocations the looking into the workings of the existing excise laws. " With this in view, I set to in earnest to read, un derstand, and master the voluminous reports which had been 1 lid before Parliament and the country, by an in fluential royal commission appointed to inquire into the excise laws, and of which my distinguished friend, Sir Henry Parnell, was chairman; and having satisfied my self of the usefulness of the task I had in hand, I put myself into confidential communication with Sir Henry, and received the utmost encouragement to prosecute my labours, with all the advise and assistance he was at liberty to give me while a member of the Administration. " When I had fully prepared myself for the onslaught, I gave notice in the usual form through the books of the House of Commons, taking care this was done in such general terms as would let in a full exposure of the system, which mode of dealing with public departments I had invariably adopted when blowing up the Post office authorities, and found so useful in thwarting the attempts sure to be made by some chicken Lord of the Treasury, to misconstrue what is said, and so divert attention from the merits of a case. Having with difficulty at last found an open day for bringing on my motion, and having Sir Henry Parnell by my side, and his invaluable reports at hand, I was proceed ing deliberately and methodically with the expost I had to make, which happened to be during that dangerous hour for those who care nothing for place men and Ministers of State—namely, the usual dinner hour—when I could easily observe that means were being employed for counting out the House, and so getting rid of an unpalatable exposure of a favourite source of revenue (which with Chancellors of Exche quer, every one is), which is adapted to squeeze out the last farthing from the pockets of the people, through machinery no less savage than secret, and so extrava gantly expensive and dilatory, as often to drive the honest and upright trader to compromise his character and sacrifice his money, to encourage and reward train ed spies and perjured informers, whose insatiable maws aro ever on the stretch for the unwary and acciden tal offender against alleged usages and customs, and bye-laws, and statute-laws, purposely intermixed and so unintelligibly blended, as to render excise courts the very terror of any one who is dragged there, and the constant scene of the most appalling injustice. I had said about this much when the House was counted out, and as the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secre tary to the Treasury were present, either of whom have at all times the power of keeping a House, if they please, you may judge whether the usual trick was not resorted to, of what in Parliamentary slang is called Whipping the House out,' which is a favourite way of getting over disagreeable exposures. I have entered into this matter, in order to show the leaning the present Administration is likely to have towards the maintenance of the: excise laws, for it was during Lord Melbourne's official career the above took place. " I observe the Association is to insist for pledges from candidates at next general election in behalf of a reform of the excise laws; this is all well enough, yet it is but a step of the ladder I would fain see up raised. " In the first place, and as a general rule, I consider it much more safe to expect pledges to be unblushingly broken through than maintained, owing to the many temptations which offer to cupidity, personal aggran disement, or honours, during the continued unconstitu tional existence of seven years' Parliaments; public money has many attractions—few men are found to with stand the chink of Treasury gold—and I firmly believe, that when men once get public money into their pockets, it may be said they cannot live without it, and there fore, if you are wise, you will be very careful what sort of pledges you exact, and what sort of men you put them to, and trust. " I believe, from what I have lately read from speeches in Parliament, that it is already determined to maintain the Excise laws in all their odious integrity. " Remember the good old adage—' What is every body's business is nobody's.' n hat will pledges from candidates do in the face of this 7 Remember, that so carefully are the excise laws hid from view, and shrouded in mystery, that even lawyers arc continually puzzled with them. Remember the host of placemen they teed and shelter, and do not f , rget that these folks keep Ministers of State, Chan cellors of the Exchequer, et hoe genus ontne,iti the pure%.t state of ignorance—so much so, as to leave no doubt on my mind of the fact, that in regar3 to the practice and knowledge of the excise laws, her Majesty's Ministers, as a body, would have no chance with a common excise man. Therefore, to master the subject, and take in hand to alter or abolish these laws is a task Ministers wont grapple with, if by any means they can avoid it. " I have never seen a practical man of business who had endeavoured to master this subject, who did not be lieve that the whole system of excise should be abolished and the collection of the revenue be made over to the custom house ; and so it will be when the people put ' their shoulders to it, as I now would fain hope they will do, although I myself got no encouragement from them to continue my labours. " The reformation of the Post-office, and the substitu tion of penny postage for the old jog -trot,' were both forced on the Whig Government by pressure from with out. " Free-trade was forced on the Whig Government by pressure from without. "Scotch law reform was forced on the Whig Govern ment by pressure from without; and you may rest assured of the same principle being the right one to adopt and trust to, for having the excise laws abolished, and excise officials removed trom the sight of freemen. . . Pledge every one you can; but, along with this, look out for some honest, industrious, hard-working men, to send to the House of Commons, pledged to take in hand this great national cause, and incessantly to ring it in the ears of the Ministers of the Crown, whenever it may be possible to do so, and to give them no rest, and take none to themselves, until they have worked out this na tional deliverance. "This, gentlemen, is the advice I venture to offer you, and I trust that my long service in behalf of my country will plead my excuse fur the great liberty I have taken. "Itis no easy task you have to impose. It is enough, and more than enough, for any one man, however stout hearted and able. Look out for such men—care nothing for t heir lineage or country—honesty is the best policy— and to keep those honest whom you honour and trust — pledge them to come back to their electors at a conve nient fixed day in each year, to render an account of their stewardship, and be prepared to resign their high trust, if demanded by those who sent them.B " Adverse majorities are the true way to bring Mi nisters to their senses. There is yet ample time to de mand a distinct answer from Lord John Russell as to the intention of Government with regard to the excise laws. Lord John, as Premier and leader of the House of Commons is all in all ; Sir Charles Wood, the Chan cellor of the Exchequer, is nobody—literally so—that is, he has no power to maintain a promise even should he give one explicitly, and therefore I hope to see this point settled between Lord John Russell and you, by having the question first recorded on the book of the House of Commons, and thereby getting a deliberate answer one way or other. "In conclusion, I beg to express my very strongest approval of the objects the association have in view, and my anxious desire for complete success attending them. " Permit me to tender my name to the Association, with my wish of being allowed to have the honour of being a member of it. Farther, I request that I may be added to the list of subscribers to the newspaper to be published by the Association. I have the honour to be, gentlemen, your faithful and obedient servant, "ROBERT WALLACE, lately M.P. for Greenock." CONTENTS OF THE 4 ' OBSERVER" OF SUNDAY, JULY 11.—A folio column of particulars of the Bath 1 election (Lord Ashley and Mr. Roebuck) up to Saturday afternoon; a folio column (third notice) of the critique on the National Works of Art at Westminster hall; equal to fifteen folio columns in description and splendid pi c t uresque illustrations of the three days of 10 the Royal Visit and Installation at Cambridge; about 0 - laneous advertisements, including a folio column of pu bli c am usements for the coming week; and nineteen folio columns of foreign and domestic news, c hi e fl y original. The Observer will be kept on sale E h the coming week. A six p ence enclosed to Mr. Cle ment, jun., 1 70, S trand, will insure a copy by return of post to any part of En g land, Scotland, or Ireland. There Observer commences e the Observer Continent, e a d n i d e , s, Scotland, or America, lreland, which is scarcely a clu b-house, institution, library, th or news roomElst a i n n dw all E s n t g l l n is not taken in , and in many instances d The extensive publication of the uplicate copies. six, and concludes at ten on Sunday at Observer, day edition of the Oh _ mornings. A Mon , best adapted for the county an d abroad, is regularly Pu bli s h ed at four o'clock I.- Monday afternoon. our on - MAJOR-GENERAL SIR GEORGE POLLOCK, G.C.B.— Notice was issued on Saturday, in the East India House, that a special general court will be held there on Wed nesday next, the 14th instant., for the purpose of laying before the proprietors, for their approbation, a resolu tion passed unanimously by the Court of Directors on the 30th of June last, granting an annuity of 1,000/. to Major-Gen era l Si r G eorge P ol l oc k , G . C.8., as a r eward for his disting u i s h e d serv i ces d ur i ng the late war in India. building a The Municipality of Hanover has just contracted a loan of 300,000 thalers (1,200,0000 for in new theatre, which, it is said, magni ficence most of those that exist in Germ oE s s n . 9. — ENORMOUS GROWTH OF the gardener at Brodsworth ? the root, the other day, which had Galignani. P a ° ll TA t T ook up one potato is to surpass Mr. Smith, extraordinary num ber of one hundred and eighteen thatfgll the sttm,pie was entirely 4.4) from diseasee-Doncs Ch , . attached. Wean happy to learn ter__rnicies RIVER PLATE. EXTRACT OF A LETTER RECEIVED FROM MONTE VIDEO, PER WILHELMINE, ARRIVED AT DARTMOUTH. aMonte ein Vi eo, May 10, The Rattler steamer cmyesterday ,i 1847. The Howden. On her arrival off this port the Commodore went down to meet her, and ordered the Firebrand to ge also. After remaining off the port for about two hours, both steamers proceeded up to B uenos Ayres, the Com modore having hoisted his flag on b oar d the Firebrand. We are of opinion that the presence of Sir Thomas Her bert at Buenos Ayres will do a great d ea l towards arriv ing at a favourable termination of the que s ti on . W e notice your fears of French intrigue, but from what we have seen since the arrival of Count Walewski, we think little is to be apprehended. We have already informed you that the Baron Deffaudis and Admiral Lain. have nothing whatever to do in the affair, as both leave to-morrow for Rio de Janeiro. Deffaudis ceased in his public capacity the moment the Count landed, and took immediate steps to leave the country. The marines and sailors of Laine's vessel, the Africaine, were embarked this morning. The new Ministers will see the true state of affairs, and that the bubble got up by the loan-jobbers respecting General Urquiza turns out a farce ; we therefore do not see what difficulty can exist; for to insist upon the naviiation of the Parana would be absurd, as General Rosas commands both sides of it, and as to sending Consuls to Paraguay, this subject must and will be waived by Lord Howden and the Count. Our advices from Buenos Ayres are to the Bth inst., they say--" The Cassini arrived this morning. Count Welewski's secretary and M. Bazin Desprey, nephew and late aide de-camp to Admiral Mackau, are at pre sent engaged in an interview with M. Arena, and, from what we can pick up, everything looks conciliatory ; indeed a good authority states that it is all settled." We hope a very few days will throw some light on this question. It is said Mr. Ouseley has received his recal. Business matters are suspended. Exchange and freights nominal. THE DUKE OF CORNWALL STEAMER ON SHORE. FALMOUTH, SUNDAY MOANING.—The Duke of Corn wall steamer from London, last Plymouth, for this pore and Dublin, got on shore this morning, at four o'clock' in Gerran's Bay, near the Gull Rock, and at half speed: but it being near high water, ran up high and dry on the beach. A thick fog prevailed at the time. Fortu nately she is not supposed to have sustained much in jury—she has but a few hogsheads of sugar on board as cargo, and three or four passengers. The mate was dispatched here to the agents for assistance to get her off, and a lighter is being sent up with all dispatch. Fortunately she wended her way between most fearful and perpendicular rocks, against which had she struck she must have gone down. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PORTSMOUTH, JULY 11.—Her Majesty and the Court are expected to revisit Osborne on Tuesday. The Sardinian frigate and brig sailed last evening for Stockholm. The Sylvia tender, Lieutenant Warren, sailed yester day for Jersey. The Lily, 16, Commander Newton, was paid off into ordinary yesterday. The pay-clerks of the dockyard sLowed great alacrity in getting the ship out of commis sion. They only received her pay books at half-past ten o'clock, at three they went on board, and at four the pennant was hauled down. The Earl of Hardwicke, Captain Weller, one of Hr. Green's ships, with a full cargo and passengers from Calcutta, passed by on the 6th instant for London. She sailed from St. Helena on the 3d ult., making her pas sage in 34 days. Her Majesty's ship Conway, Captain Kelly, which arrived here on Wednesday last, sailed from Ascension the day before the Earl of Hardwicke left St. Helena; the latter ship has therefore made her passage from St. Helena in less time than the Conway has from Ascension—another instance of the splendid seagoing qualities of Mr. Green's fleet. It is rumoured that Captain the Hon. H. Keppel, les of the Dido, who distinguished himself so much in his warfare with the pirates of Borneo, is to go to New South Wales with a broad pendant. The Collingwood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of Rear- Admiral Sir George Seymour, Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific, sailed from Callao for Pisco, on the 23d of April. The Fisgard, 42, Captain Duntze, sailed from Valpa raiso for England, with specie, on the 26th of April. The Spy brigantine, Lieutenant Commander Woold ridge, sailed from Valparaiso for Callao, on the 31st of March. The Naiad, coal and store depot, Master-Commander Brown, arrived at Valparaiso from Spithead, on the 25th of April. The Admiralty issued an order on Friday for increas ing the half-pay of paymasters and pursers. The fol lowing are the alterations :—The is. list is increased from 50 to 100; the 6s. list is increased from 100 to 200; by which 150 paymasters and pursers benefit Is. per diem. The Persian, 16. Commander Coryton, was at Vera Cruz on the 2d of June. The Alarm, 26, Captain Lock, had left Vera Cruz for Halifax, by the last advices. Her crew were very sickly and dying in twenties at the hospital. Sho was at Ha vannah on the Bth of June, and called off Bermuda on the 19th. Dr. Bowler, surgeon of the Alarm, has come Ipirne invalided. The Rattler screw sloop, Commander Moorman, with Lord llowden. the British Plenipotentiary to the River Plate on board, was seen a few males from Monte Video, bound up, on the 9th of May. Commodore Sir Thomas llorbert, the Commander-in-Chief on the station, is ordered to send the Rattler home wish dispatches as soon as he may deem it advisable. The following are the promotions and appointments for the past wick PROMOTIONS. Surgeon—Dr. John Drummond, to the rank of Deputy Inspector of Hospitals and Fleets. Acting Pa) master and Purser—John Hay, of the Larne, to the rank of Paymaster and Purser. APPOINTMENT 8. Acting Captain—James J. MiCieverty, of the Poly. phemui, to the Amazon. Commander—Lord Aurelius W. Beauclerk to the steam factory at Woolwich for study. Lieutenants—Guy Cohn Campb e ll and G. G. Mann sell, to the President ; H. B. Hardman, to the Belleisle. Surgeons—John Clarke, to the Avenger, vice Steele ; Patrick Martyn, to the Imaum. Chaplain and Naval Instructor—Rev. T. Baker, to the Dragon. Clerk—Alfred Spong, to the Howe. Midshipman—Henry Burnaby, to the St. Vincent. Naval Cadets—Thomas W. Oliver, to the Ocean ; M. W. Woods and A. R. C. Eckford, to the St. Vincent; R. Cutuberlegi, to the Odin. Masters' Assistants—J. H. Lawrence, to the Vixen ; John Butler, to the Poictiers. Coast Guard—Commander G. H. Shute, R.N., is ap pointed to the Kinsale district; Commander J. L. R. Stoll, R.N., to the Chfden district; Commander G. Morritt, R.N., to the Salcombe district. Removals—Commander the Hon. Byron Cary, R.N., from Folkestone to the Exmouth district, vice Com mander S. Grenfell, R.N., period of command expired ; Commander W. Prowse, RN., from Harwich to Folke stone, vice the lion. Commander B. C. F. P. Cary, R.N. ; Commander J. Millar Langtry, R.N., from Kin sale to Harwich, vice Commander W. Prowse, R.N. ; Mr. R. Kirkpatrick Thompson, from the Rutland dis trict to Pullendiva, vice F. A. Weiss, deceased. PLYMOUTH, JULY 9.—The transport John Brewer, Captain Robert Brown, arrived here this morning ; left Bombay on the 13th of March ; Table Bay, lath of May ; and St. Helena, 27th of May. She brings the 2d division of her Majesty's 17th Regiment, under com mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Macpherson, comprising 222 men, 12 women, and 13 children. Two men and one woman died of chronic disease on the passage. After receiving supplies she will proceed to Gravesend. There were no men-of-war at Table Bay, one sloop-of-wart name unknown, at St. Helena, also the merchant ship Steben-heath, Knight, master, leaky, surveyed, and ordered to lightened. Her Majesty's frigate Cri)Tqf S . 26, Captain William Kelly, left St. Helena w ith John Brewer, and parted company off the Isle of . _ Ascension. . A n t e l-t, CHATHAM, JULY lo.—Arm,,e ready o p e a. steam zacke for se She is in dock, dock, is completed n dock, LW had hands planed in her to make good her u - defects, which are extensive, and she cannot, therefore , be ready for service b e f ore a p n u d t pected every day to be into October next. Commission. The Cleopatra, 26 g u ns, i fr on the sth Brie bane, w as paid o i nst ., at Sh eerness. . The Larne, 18-gun corvette, Captain J. W. D . B r i e- Tge Duck arrived here on the Bth with stores from Portsmouth. . The two experimental gun brigs of 12 guns each, the Heron and Elk, building in this yard, the former with teak and mahogany, and the latter oak and mahogany, are in a very advanced state, and both vessels are ex pected to be launched next month. Mr. A. Flood, leading man of ropemakers, and J. B. Pitts, ropemaker, have been appointed acting layers. A board of medical officers of Chelsea Hospital, con sisting of Dr. D. Maclachlan, physician and surgeon, and Mr. M'Pherson, commissioner assembled on Friday, the 9th inst., at the invalid depot:St. Mary's Barracks, with Dr. James French, chief medical officer at Fort Pitt, and Major Henry Anderson, commander of the depot; and, owing to the great number of invalids requiring . pass the board, the officers were again nn_on p i ed w on Saturday, the number being 255, many of w hoa: those e for upwards of 21 years' service, and several w ire that had been wounded and lost limbs a some ) ears. The pensions varied from the Sutlej. So great a board has not b een battle of ot n k n own for to is. per day. -----r—_. ---__ ___ KING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL,...YeS--terclaT mornin g . a sermon on behalf of the fu nds of this institut ion was &c. During a most eloquent discourse, etendrityha2to,thocieobeinndeflivtidofutthise, most t it o y f p g r u e ee ac n h e s d ti n a a t re, th ß e l 0 church o ry, f b S y t. t G b e e or ß ge ev t h .vv e . M s a h r t o y: 4 M.A., rector, w h om were admitted up on a pp lication without sub scribers' letters of re commendation, wh ich rendered the inhtitution one of the most service able throughout the a the nn n ß a e l v l y . G e x e t n e t n l e d m ed an to st n a kingdom. in furtherance of the same benevolent object, and at the same church, in the evening, a sermon was delivered by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of St. Asapb. LARGE REDUCTION IN THE PRICE OF WHEAT. — A reduction in the price of wheat, to the extent of up wards of 33 per cent., has taken place in the county of Berks during the last four or five weeks, with still a downward tendency in every district. The same de scription of wheat which met with purchasers a month ago at 311. per load at Windsor, only realised in the same market, on Saturday last, 191. 10s. and 201. At Newbury market the reduction litas been from a like amount to 191. pet load.