The Sun. — London, England, 1847-12-30 00:00:00

LITERATURE. LEONORA : a Lore Story. 3 Vole. Leonora : a Love Story—such is the title of one of the most beautiful books, of its kind, that we ever re member having met with. Its name is sufficiently attractive to excite an interest in the work, but how much is that interest augmented w h en we l earn w h o is the " Leonora," and what the " story" to which it refers. The "story" is one peculiarly fascinating, because it is true—the story of a love sublimated by genius, and sanctified by misfortune " the Leonora" IS Leonora d'Este—the beloved of Torquato Tasso ! there are some pages in the history of the past which seem to possess an irresistible and universal source of attraction, we are never weary of dwelling on 'them ; they are familiar to us as household words, yet they ap pear to us ever fresh and ever delightful. Many of these pages, strange to say, are blotted with tears—with the tears of successive generations; as they aroused the sympathies of our ancestors, as they now affect our selves, so will they hereafter influence our successors. They possess a similar interest for, the whole human family, for they treat of a theme intelli gible to all—the history of human hearts. And of these pages in the history of the past, none are deemed so attractive, and none are so fondly recurred to as those which contain the records of unhappy love. This theme, of all others, seems to possess the most universal and powerful interest. The wanderer in Pere la Chaise will pass by the monuments of prince and prelate to linger by the tomb of Abelard and Eloisa. Great historic events are forgotten or uncared for, while the names of Petrarch and Laura, of Dante and Beatrice, of Tasso and Leonora, are familiar to all hearts. We will not pause to inquire why this is—that it is so, is proverbial ; and for this reason this very charming tale cannot fail, indepen dently of its own merits, to excite a most powerful interest. There perhaps never existed a man whose career was so well calculated to "point a moral," or read a sermon on the vanity of human wishes, as was that of Torquato Tasso. The two most dearly coveted prizes of human life—love and fame —were his, and in an extraordinary degree ; but how were they bestowed upon him ? Loving with all the ardour and intensity of a poet's nature, and beloved as devotedly as poet could desire, the happiness of love seemed only for a brief moment Vouchsafed to him in order that he might the better experience all its agony. He dared to lift his thoughs to a princess, and the consequence was his forcible separation from his beloved, and his incarceration in a gloomy dungeon for seven long weary years, till she was dead, and then, and not till then, was he restored to a world that in his estimation had become valueless. Small happiness did Love award to Tasso. Nor was Fame more propitious. True, the poet of Jerusalem now enjoys a world-wide celebrity, and even in his own day was hailed as the poet of his age and country, and the triumph of the capitol was decreed him—a triumph unawarded during two hun dred years. Yet what joys did these glories afford the poet P—his great epic was published while he languished in a dungeon—and the day before the one appointed for his triumphant coronation he expired ! Such is the history of Tasso, and interesting as such a history would be under any form, it is peculiarly fascinat ing as narrated in these volumes of " Leonora." They are written, we believe, by one who has long been familiar to us all, as the able exponent of the genius of others, and a most natural and truthful expositor of nature and truth. She now comes for ward in a higher character, no longer to shine in a merely borrowed light. Much as we might have anticipated in a work from such a hand, we must own that these volumes have both surprised and delighted us. The whole story is narrated in such a simple, natural, and pleasing manner— the love and sorrows of Leonora and Tasso are pour !rayed with such feeling,: and tenderness, and genuine pathos; there is such an entire absence of effort, of fectation, and overstrained sentiment, and such a constant flow of kindly and generous thought throughout the whole work, as to render the " Love story" of " Leonora," as we have already said, a most beautiful and charming composition. It is a book we would gladly see in the hands of every one, for it is a book to do the heart good, by arousing some of its warmest sympathies, and eliciting some of its purest and noblest aspirations. True, the theme is a some what mournful one, and is likely to call tears to the eyes which peruse its pages, yet the book is far from being a gloomy one ; on the contrary, it is pervaded by a thoroughly religious and, con sequently, right cheerful spirit. Not that it contains a superabundance of sermons and moral reflections, to which novel readers are invariably repugnant, but by casual observations on the affairs of life, and happy allusions to the universal beauties of nature, no small amount of profound philisophy and practical piety is infused into the narrative, by which the reader finds himself imperceptibly elevated and cheered. We might give many extracts to corrobo rate our assertions, but as we trust the book itself will be generally read, we will only adduce a few examples of its merits. Tasso is asked how he traces the manifestations of a Deity in nature ? " I should say," be answered, after a moment's reflec tion, " that it is in her beauty and sublimity. The *ublime scenes which are presented to our view create awe and reverence in our breasts; and this is because the omnipotence of God is expressed by the sublimity of Nature. The beautiful pictures of our world call forth spontaneous love, gratitude, and confidence, be cause the love and mercy of God are reflected in all that is beautiful. In these two clearly developed features of Nature, I see the power, and welcome the love, of my God. If I shrink before the one, I am cheered and 'consoled by tokens of the other. Yes, lady, I believe all Nature to be symbolical of Him from nhose mighty hand she sprung." Again, speaking of Nature, how exhilarating is the following description of spring, and the beneficial in fluences it should exert : "Already the sweet promise of spring had come with gladness, to succeed the sternness of winter. Nature again became young, as if a crcation'of but yesterday, and welcomed with a happy smile the sweet buds which were wafted into her lap by vernal breezes. Inanimate objects seemed to pant for their coming liberty, to woo the genial influence that should unloose their bonds, and to shake off the wintery chains of crystal ice which had bound them. Vegetation burst forth, as at the com mand of Him who said, Let the earth bring forth grass: the herb yielding , seed, and the fruit-tree yieldi ng fruit .. . and it was so. In the figurative language of that volume, which „abounds in sublime delineations of nature, the hills appeared to shout for joy, the woods to clap their hands, and the valleys to break forth into singing; for, lo ! the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. " The rich blue of the Italian sky was reflected in every stream and rivulet, the mountains were covered with verdure, the meads were enamelled as with the brightest gems. " All nature was happy ; and was not 'l'asso also happy? Did the inanimate works of God rejoice; and yet was a child of God, was one of the vast family of man, for whom these beauties shone, sorrowful or de sponding? Oh, it should not be so !—for the Creator giveth us all things richly to enjoy:—the heavens and the earth are full of His mercy I " It is painful to reflect, that in a scene of such sur passing loveliness there can be any human being wretched; and yet the poor, the oppressed, the desolate, are out of tune with all the sweet harmonies of nature. The brightness of the sun oppresses them: they long for shade, for darkness. The return of spring bears not to them a return of former joys, but mocks them as she declares, My children are renewed in strength, in gladness, and in youth; they are born again; from their very ashes they derive a new and happy existence.' But then she gently leads the child of woe by the hand, and would console him: ' Come and see the delights I have prepared for thee. It is for thee, not for myse lf, I have spread this feast. Come an d smile with me. " And in another place, referring to the same theme : "To those who, even while in health, are worn out by fatigue in doing nothing, and are incapable of taking pleasurnin Nature's scenes, we would say, be ill for a time, in order to be well. Be shut up in your room for • 801112111 weeks in summer; behold the light streaming through your prison window, babbling of green fields and running streams, which you in your enfeebled condition can desire, but not enjoy. And then, on the return of health, when you can wander in country lanes and dai s i e d meadows, when you may again ascend the hill and view the smiling valley, again roam by the ocean wave and taste the delights of liberty, you will not complain of life, you will no longer be indifferent to Nature's charms; every leaf will possess its peculiar interest, every song of the merry birds will be sweet music. You will then find— Tongues in trees, books in the running brook, Sermons in stones, and good in everything. The following is a splendid exposition of the truth of poetry. Tasso is told that his noble art is very well as an amusement :- 6" An amusement!' replied Tasso, scornfully; it is a business of life; it is life itself ; nay, more than the life of this world. It is the power of the life to come, shedding its bright, immortal influence upon our souls. Amnsementl It is one of the most serious affairs on which our minds can be engaged.' " Yes, yes; what you say is true, to some extent. But even you must allow it is mere fiction after all, not reality, about which our, or rather your art is con cerned. -I have heard it said, by learned men, that poetry is a lie.' '" Then,' said Tasso, with enthusiasm, is existence itself a lie; a gross deception from beginning to end. If poetry be not true, then is nothing true on earth, in our hearts, in our souls. This is a slander on one of the divinest gifts which has been vouchsafed to man. Poetry is the expression of the truest and deepest emotions of our souls. It appeals to the purest and most permanent principles of our nature, to the divine part of humanity, the es:wilco breathed into man by his Maker, and destined to live for ever. With earnest, yet simple truthfulness, it tells us what we are; with prophetic power it shows us what we shall be. Hence, in ancient times, the poet and the prophet were one. He is styled divine, because he seems to partake of divinity by the similarity of his operations to those of the Sovereign Artificer ; the Greeks named him by an attribute of deity, inferring that none deserve the name of creator but God and the poet. Be is the creator of the good, the beautiful, the true. " ' The conventialistns of daily intercourse, the super ficial, artificial, habits of society, these are lies, for they conceal eternal facts from us, would hide them, would not recognise them, would trifle them away into mere nothingness. The poet, like the inspired men of old, lifts the veil of nature, and declares the mysteries which lie, unknown to us, within our own souls, and the secrets of a higher state of existence. " If man were just to himself, he would perceive that his sublimest and deepest aspirations belong to him permanently, eternally. They are essentially the man; they alone will live for ever. He would also feel con scious that the mere life he leads does not satisfy these aspirations; it does not agree, nor harmonize with them. It therefore must be false, if it be discordant with prin ciples which, in themselves, are, as I assert, true. 0, my friend, let us not deceive ourselves. Our daily routine of thoughts, words, and actions, is too often at variance with the spirit within us. We will not obey the dictates of our higher faculties, but fritter them away on the merest trifles. We endeavour to stifle their voice. Hence our characters are deficient in harmony and proportion; hence are we discontented, dissatisfied, because our spiritual nature is not satisfied, because its powers are unexercised, its mighty influence dis regarded.' " Here is a poetical eulogium uponja tear : " I love the tear of pity! what holy feelings prompt its flowing; what tender influences bid it to leave its crystal cell, to come forth like a good hermit, on active missions of duty. Beautiful is its cause, its effect, knitting heart to heart in one sweet embrace of human sympathy. It rivets the links of that great chain that binds man to man; it is the eloquent language of the purest affection, of religious hope, of exceeding joy, of sorrow for the dead—or the living who are as if they were dead. It glitters on the velvet cheek of youth and beauty; it traces its coarse along the furrows of age. It is the offering of pity on the altar where human hopes and joys lie sacrificed, but it sanctifies and ennobles them." In one place it is very truthfully observed that " human weaknesses are as the bonds by which the Titans of old were restrained from soaring to heaven." In another very effective simile the gloom which occasionally overspread the soul of Tasso is com pared to " the rushing of dark waves over the smiling scenes of industry ;" and in another place, " A marriage without love is as a lifeless form ; the soul, the divine essence, is absent. The cold and earthly body alone is present. Say that there is wealth ; it is but decking the corpse with jewels ; it cannot restore the spirit which has fled." There is, perhaps, too much truth in this brief but beautiful sentence—" Life is one long tragedy to those who feel." Some references to religious persecutions, to war, and to the punishment of criminals, elicit the ex pression of some very generous and noble sentiments, in perfect unison with the liberal tendencies of the present day. In the general condemnation of war, even the Crusades, celebrated by Tasso, are included. " I can understand," says Leonora—for she it is who expresses these sentiments—" I can understand the wars carried on by the Greeks, the Romans, the Trojans, and the Carthaginians; for their worship was of gods, the chief of whom were but military heroes delighting and taking part in the bloody victories of their creatures. I can comprehend the Saracens love of war, for Mahomet established his empire by the sword, and encouraged its use among his followers. But for Christians, worshippers of the God of Peace, disciples of the Prince of Peace, to engage in the shock of battle, to de stroy their fellow-men, to take away that which they cannot restore, to make widows and orphans— this I cannot understand. Would He, think you, who lay in that sepulchre three days and nights, have sanctioned their attempts Y Would he have desired his tomb to be made the motive and the scene of murderous warfare ? Oh, no !" In this condemnation of the holy wars there are very few who will coincide, but the expression of such opinions evidences the very benevolent and humane sentiments of the authoress of " Leonara." We are almost tempted to give the touching picture of Leonara's death ; but it is better, perhaps, to leave it to be perused at the conclusion of the story of her hapless existence. The closing scene of Tasso's life is also very powerfully depicted. How beautiful is the conclusion of the history, where the poet dies as he is summoned to his coronation ! " Hush! he is not suffering pain, but joy. Let the broken spirit pass away in peace; his sorrows are at an end; his pilgrimage is finished. Hark! the people shout aloud for Tasso. To the Capitol! To the Capitol!' He is in heaven with Leonora!" This beautiful work:reminds us of Byron's noble eulcgium on his brother poet and his indignant de nunciation of Alfonso of Ferrara, the brother of Leonora, w ho consigned her lover to prison as a madman for presuming to love his sister. Speaking of Este and Ferrara, Byron beautifully and truthfully exclaims— ‘. And Tasso is their glory and their shame. Hark to his strain ! and then survey his cell ! And see how dearly earned Torquato's fame, And where Alfonso bade his poet dwell ; The miserable despot could not quell The insulted mind he sought to quench, and blend With the surrounding maniacs in the hell Where he had plunged it. Glory without end Scattered the clouds away—and on that name attend The tears and praises of all time Peace to TorqUato's injured shade ! 'twas his In life and death to be the mark where Wrong A im'd with her poison'd arrows, but to miss. Oh, Victor, unsurpassed in modern song ! Each year brings forth its millions ; but how long The tide of generations shall roll on, And not the whole combined and countless throng Compose a mind like thine ? though all in one Condensed their scattered rays, they would not form a sun." Heartily do we commend these delightful volumes to our readers. Their theme is a most affecting and most interesting one, and that theme is set forth in the most natural and attractive manner possible. And although we have often experienced admiration and pleasure in witnessing the writer of " Leonora" in various characters, we have never in any ch a racter welcomed her with so sincere a pleasure as we do in this, her new one, of an authoress. CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS BOOKS GREEN'S NURSERY ANNUAL. Of the myriads of elegant and attractive volumes which make their appearance at this season, it is but fair that a considerable number should be devoted to the amusement of the younger portion of the com munity. In the school-room and the nursery, where holidays are best appreciated, holiday gifts are most appropriate. Authors and publishers have apparently not failed to discover this fact, and the literary 1547 and and " New Year's Gifts" for 47 lB4B present a very agreeable end attractive variety, suited to all ages, tastes, and capacities. One of the most elega n t o f t h ese little volumes is " Green's Nur sery Annual." Its contents are, as its name intimates, peculiarly adapted for very youthful readers, and to them it carries a sufficient recommendation in its very prepossessing appearance. Its cover is of crimson velvet, elegantly embossed in fanciful designs, dis playing various youthful sports, with a golden group in the centre. It is, of course, ornamented with nu merous illustrations, many of which ar e c o l oured, and will, consequently, be esteemed doubly valuable by the youthful connoisseurs; moreover, every page is surrounded with a very elegant border of blue, pink, green, or yellow, in which again children are depicted at their sports, eager " To chase the rolling circle's speed, Or urge the flying The literary department consists of simple but pleasing tales, likely to amuse and interest those for whom they are designed. Of these are " Arthur's Ninth Birthday," by Miss J. Christmas ; " The Clever Boy," by Mrs. S. C. Hall ; " The Harvest Home." by Mrs. Sherwood ; " The Christmas Tree," by Mary Howitt ; and several contributions by the Editor—among others, a very interesting little ar ticle, " Shaking the Crab Tree," conveying , a moral som ewhat similar to that of La Fontaine 's fable, "Le Laboureur et sea Enfans." Mrs. Abdy has contributed some very pleasing little poems, under the head of " Songs of the Affections,' about "My Father," 4 , My Mother," "My Sister , " &c., includin g also "My Kitten." To t he little inhabitants of the nursery we can cordially recommend the " Nursery Annual." My OWN ANNUAL. Although this little volume would seem to belong to whoever may read its name, its title-page desc ribes it it as " an illustrated g ift-book for boys and girls, while its co n t ents seem to award it more peculiarly to the former —namely, to the elder brothers of those to whom we have recommended the "Nursery An nual." Its contents, indeed, are of a higher cha racter than its name would lead us to suppose. A brief enumeration of its articles will undoubtedly be the best recommendation for "My Owa Annual." Among the more instructi ve ye t very i n tereresting papers which it contains are a chapter " On Stilts and Stilt-fights ;" some anecdotes of th e "B e d ou i n A ra bs;" descriptions of " Cairo," " Palmy ra ," an d " Li verpoo l and its Docks; " information about " Deer and Deer-stalking," "Doves and Pigeons," " The Pointer," and " Setters and Retrievers ;" - while among the more entertaining and attractive articles are " The Story of Fawnia the Fair and the Prince Dorastus ;" several chapters of " Further Adventures in the Life of Tom Thumb," " The Star," and other tales. The volume is of course embellished with many illustrations, and is likely to form a very valu able addition to the juvenile library. JUVENILE VERSE AND PICTURE-BOOK. We have classed this little volume with " Children's" Books, for among such it numbers itself " The Juvenile Verse and Picture-Book." It would have been more appropriate, however, had it styled itself a Universal "V erse and Picture-Book," for although every way calculated to please juvenile readers, its admirers are likely to he of no one age or taste, or capacity. Unpretending as is its name, this Attie work contains many of the gems of English poetry—some that are familiar to us as household words, and others that appear ever new and attractive. Among these are " The Burial of Sir John Moore," " Casablanca," " I.lwelyn and his Dog," " John Gilpin," Scott's " Death of Keeldar," the sarcastic eulogy of the " Famous Victory" of Blenheim, given by old Caspar to his grandchildren— " And everybody praised the Duke, Who such a fight did win. But what good come of it at last ? Quoth little Peterkin. Why, that I cannot tell, said he, But 'twas a famous victory." _ _ _ That astonishing and perfectly berNTildering assem blage of words, which tells " how the water comes down at Lodore," numerous ballads and other poems of every imaginable variety. But the poetic contents of this volume are not its only attraction—it is not only a " verse," but a " picture, ' book. Every page is ornamented with some fanciful embellishment, and almost every page is adorned with some most beautiful illustration. Birds, flowers, landscapes, historical scenes, domestic groups, and a variety of other subjects are all pourtrayed with exceeding grace of design and exquisite delicacy of finish. THE StN, LONDON, THURSDA Y EVENING, DECEMBER 80, 1847 A BOOK OF STORIES. The name of this little volume is surely a sufficient advertisement for youthful readers. " A Book of Stories"—what an attractive title ! And fully do its contents realise the favourable anticipations which its title is likely to excite. The six " stories " here assembled are all charming, and all interesting. Two of them are from the pen of Mrs. S. C. Hall —that pen which infuses actuality and vivacity into the merest sketch ; two are by Mary Howitt, full of simple pathos and exquisite naturalness; and of the remaining two, one is a fairy tale—" The Princess Narina, and her Silver-feathered Shoes," and the other an illustration of the happy effects of " Perse verance," by Mrs. Cowden Clarke. The little volume is elegantly bound, and daintily embellished with many attractive pictures. As the love of all children for a " story " is proverbial, the " Book of Stories" will undoubtedly be a favourite. 7RE GIRL'S OWN BOOK. By Mrs Child. Fourteenth Edition. Is it necessary to criticise a work which has reached a fourteenth edition ? So great a popu larity is a sure evidence of merit ; we have, consequently, only to recommend " The Girl's own Book" as a most useful Christmas gift to such persons as may chance not to have met with it al ready. Although one hundred and sixty-seven pages of this volume are entirely devoted to " Games," con sisting chiefly of those appropriate to the fireside, and although nearly sixty pages besides are filled with various "Enigmas" and "Charades," yet useful in struction is not omitted. The fair damsel may here be initiated into the various mysteries of " fancy needlework," and even learn how to mend stockings. In her preface, Mrs. Child makes the following very judicious observations respecting the object for which she compiled the various materials of her book : "In this land of precarious fortunes, every girl should learn how to be useful ; amid the universal dissemina tion of knowledge, every mind should seek to improve itself to the utmost ; and in this land of freedom as much time should be devoted to elegant accomplish ments, refined taste, and gracefulness of manner, as can possibly be spare'l from holier and more important duties ; and in all countries it is peculiarly necessary that daughters should be so educated as to enable them to fulfil the duties of a humble station, or to dignify and adorn the highest. This is the reason why I have mingled a little of everything in The Girl's Own Book." The work is embellished with numerous engravings. THE THREE PATHS. By Julia Kavanagh. This is a most beautiful little tale of exceeding simplicity of design, but natural and interesting throughout. It relates to the early adventures of three youths of the same age, but of different ranks and different characters—Frederick, Marquis of St. Gildas ; Eugene Dermont, a doctor's son; and Louis Mathurin, a gipsy child, adopted by a peasant. At an early part of the tale a fable is narrated, which demonstrates the purport of the three paths. We aro told that a king, who had three sons, declared that the one who should first arrive at a distant castle and bring him back a crown that was kept there, should be his successor. The three brothers set out together, and remained in company till they came to three diverging paths; here they parted. " The elder brother, who was very bold, and loved danger, took the first path ; it lay through rocks and precipices, but beyond these the castle could be clearly discerned. The second brother, who was of a contrary disposition, chose another path : though rather crooked, it was both broad and easy, and he calculated that the smoothness of the road would make up for its tortuous ness.", But the third and youngest brother, who cared not for unnecessary danger, and yet did not wish to delay, took the path that remained, for, though very narrow and steep, it was also straight and open." Such are the " three paths," emblematic of the paths of life, as chosen by the rash and ambitious, by the cunning and crafty, and by the straightfor ward and persevering. The three youths meet with many strange adventures, which are narrated in the most pleasing and natural manner possible. The young peasant's " pursuit of knowledge under diffi culties" is both interesting and worthy of imitation. It is hardly necessary to say that the volume is ele gantly bound and abundantly illustrated, for such qualifications appear inseparable from a Christmas book. THE STORY WITHOUT AN END, from the German of Came. By Mrs. Austen. This little work is so universally known, and so universally admired, that it seems hardly necessary to do more than announce a new edition, which makes its appearance with the Chrismas books. " The Story without an End," simple and unpre tending as it appears, is one of those books—so rare among the millions published—which fix themselves tenaciously upon the memory, and which are so pecu liarly fascinating to childhood. As regards this in dividual work these effects are easily accounted for by analysing its character—it is natural, it is poetical, and it is German. Such a combination cannot fail to charm, for nature is ever pleasing, and poetry united with it enhances its attractions, and when both nature and poetry become enveloped in the mystery and allegory so peculiarly conspicuous in German litera ture (but which is only attractive when, as here, it is founded on truth), the effect is irresistible. Nothing could be more simple than the the:ne of this " story, —a child, for by that name alone is the hero desig nated, in all the unconscious innocence of his age, wanders amid the scenes of Nature, conversing with birds and flowers, finding "sermons in stones, and good in everything." How beautiful is the following description of morning : " Softly and soundly he slept till the rosy morning clouds stood upon the mountain, and announced the coming of their lord, the sun. But as soon as the tidings spread over field and wood, the thousand-voiced echo awoke, and sleep was no more to be thought of:And soon did the royal sun himself arise; at first his dazzling diadem alone appeared above the mountains; at length he stood upon their summit in the full majesty of his beauty, in all the charms of eternal youth, bright and glorious, his kindly glance embracing every creature of earth, from the stately oak to the blade of grass bend ing under the foot of the wayfaring man. " Then arose from every breast, from every throat, the joyous song of praise; and it was as if the whole plain and wood were become a temple, whose roof was heaven, whose altar the mountain, whose congregation all creatures, whose priest the sun. " But the child walked forth, and was glad, for the birds sang sweetly, and it seemed to him as if every thing sported and danced out of mere joy to be alive. Here flew two finches through the thicket, and, twitter ing, pursued each other; there, the young buds burst asunder, and the tender leaves peeped out and expandsd themselves in the warm sun, as if they would abide in his glance for ever; here, a dewdrop trembled, sparkling and twinkling, on a blade of grass, and knew not that beneath him stood a little moss, who was thirsting after him; there, troops of flies flew aloft, as if they would soar far, far over the mood; and so all was life and motion, and the child's heart joyed to see it." An idea somewhat similar to the above, which likens the rising sun to a priest, the earth to a temple, and all creatures, animate and inanimate, to a congrega tion of glad worshippers, is beautif u ll y expressed in the " New Timon : '— " Behold the Sun! how stately from the east, Bright from God's presence comes the glorious priest, Deck'd as beseems the mighty one to whom Heaven gives the charge to hallow and Rime! How, as he comes, through the great temple, earth, Peals the rich jubilee of grateful mirth!" LITTLE POEMS for LITTLE PEOPLE. By M. S. C. The "Nursery Rhymes" of Miss Jane Taylor and her sisters have long enjoyed a universal celebrity in the nursery. " Little Poems for Little People ' now aspires to share their honours, and if not quite so meritorious as those inimitable little poems, it is well worthy of the consideration of the " Little People " for whom it is designed. The versification is, of course, exceedingly simple, and the subjects are those most appropriate for juvenile readers—" Th e B ees " "Th to eßaby"The Robins," & c . Occasion is taken introduce moral and religious sentiments in a way most likely to impress, without wearying, the childish mind. Some of the illustrations, that of birds building their nests and others, are exceedingly well done. CHARLES BOOK. Illustrated by Count Pocci. Charles Boner is already familiar to us as the translator of " Andersen's Danish Tales ;" he now, however, appears in the more ambitious character of an original author. His "Book," we are told on the title•page, is intended—. "For those who're young and those who love What's natural and truthful, If old in years, yet young in heart, 'Tis that which must be youthful." The latter class—namely, those who are young in heart though not in years, will find subjects of inte rest in a tale of Heligoland, called " Trine," and in a very beautiful, but simple and pathetic sketch, en titled " The Most Difficult Path." In this little tale is narrated how a hardy mountaineer, equalling the chamois in his climbing capacities, happened to have his hut in an almost inaccessible acclivity. Leading to this hub were several paths, all difficult to others, but comparatively easy to him. A wandering visitor inquired of him which path he found the " most difficult ?" and then, with all the exquisite pathos of nature, is told how the mountaineer related that once he had been to the valley to have a child buried, and; returning from the funeral and going home to his silent hearth and weeping wife, he had found climb ing up the mountain that day " the most difficult path." Younger readers will hardly find so much amusement in this as in the other Christmas books. The first article, " The Merry Wedding," gives an amusing criticism of " Cock Robin's Funeral," and contains a somewhat similar piece—similar in style though not in subject—namely, "the merry wed ding. " The Malcontents" is an interesting sketch, in which the toes, or, as the French call them, the doigts du pied (fingers of the feet), complain bitterly because they are treated with so much less respect than the fingers of the hand. THE PLAYMATE. Though we have placed it last, '° The Playmate" is certainly not the least among the juvenile Christmas books. What child is not glad to have a playmate ? and this " Playmate" need make no exception to the rule. It has all the requisites a child's book should have, containing numerous amusing and interesting stories, several old ballads, always attractive to per sons of every age, sundry enigmas and charades, with other articles of a more useful character. One very interesting little tale, the " Madonna della Sedia," contains an account of the supposed origin of Raphael's celebrated picture. This volume is, of course, profusely embellished with illustrations. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert took their usual morning walk. The Duke and Duchess of Victoria, Viscount Palmerston, Viscount Canning, and Colonel Wylde, took their departure from the Castle to-day. The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise to-day in the Little Park. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening will include the Marquis and Marchioness of Abercorn, and the Rev. Lord Wr:othesley Russell. The band of the Grenadier Guards attend during dinner. Her Majesty's private band will afterwards attend in the Castle. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge arrived in town yesterday, from his residence at Kew. The American Minister has left town for Paris, During his Excellency's absence, Mr. Broadhead will act as Charge d'Affaires. Sir William Clay transacted business yesterday at the office of the Board of Trade. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has left Althorp Park, for his seat, llickleton Hall, Doncaster. COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS. We have been requested to correct one or two trifling inaccuracies in our report of the first anni versary of this valuable institution. They are mainly to be attributed to an imperfect list of the principal persons stated to be present, and of the toasts, sup plied to our reporter early in the evening, and to the difficulty, owing to the crowded state of the room and the noise that prevailed, of hearing distinctly. It appears that Mr. Muir returned thanks for the Vice-Presidents ; that twenty children were main tained and ethicated by the institution, but that since the anniversary twenty more have been elected, and that the subscriptions and donations received during the evening exceeded the magnificent sum of 2,0001. Mr. Robert Johnson proposed the National Mercan tile Assurance Company, who gave the institution their first subscription of 1001. a year. Mr. Moore, the treasurer, in the course of his address, sa id h e hoped to see the institution placed in a condition to elect twenty additional children every six months, and not " six," as erroneously stated. We have sel dom had to record such unparalleled success in so youthful an institution. Its age dates no further back than two years. We have received the following letter from Mr. Charles Nash; the secretary, on the subject:— Six,—Permit me to correct an error in the report of the dinner of the above named institution, held at the London Tavern, on the 27th inst., which appeared in your usually very accurate and valuable journal. It is stated therein that Mr. George Moore, in the course of his observations, expressed his desire to see six children elected for admission into the society's schools every six months. This, you will perceive at once, is no very ambitious hope. What that gentle man really did say, while referring to the fact of twenty children, in addition to those already in the institution, being about to be elected, (for particulars of which election I refer your readers to your adver tising columns of this day), was, that he hoped to see the society in a position to admit at least twenty children at every succeeding half-yearly election. Trusting you will find space for these few lines, in correction of an error which gives a most inadequate and prejudicial impression of the society's intended exertions, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, CHARLES NASH, Secretary. GRAND OPERA, THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE.— Among the company who honoured the performance yes terday evening were—His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge, the Marquis of Stafford, Marchioness of Clanricarde, Lord Ward, Lord Rokeby, Lord Devon, Sir Bellingham and Lady G ra ham and party, Viscount Somerton, Viscount C un til u pe, Sir George and Lady Wombwell and party, Sir William Martin and party, Baron Rothschild, Right lion. E, J. Stanley, Captain Stanley, Gen. D'Oyley, Montague Gore, Esq., M.P., Dr. Bowring, M.P., 11. G. Crape, Esq., M.P., &c. CHRISTMAS LIBERALITY. -- This morning, Mr. Mark Nichols, of the St. Martin, Duke-street, Adelphi, laid a sumptuous repast before his friends, as a mark of his esteem for the many who had for years frequented his house. A huge b aron o f bi e f—a portion of one of the prize oxen—was th e pr i nc ip a l object of attraction, and a mighty Cumberland pie, containing pheasants, hares, geese, and other such c hoice food, met, like the hare in the fable, with many friends. The brethren of the Philanthropic Lodge, which meets on Monday even ings at the St. Martin, afterwards held their usual meeting, when, from the accounts rendered, it appeared that several poor families had been provided with Christ mas fare, who would otherwise have been quite destitute at this inclement season. ACCOUCHEMENT OF MARY ANN HUNT.— This wretched female, who was tried and convicted for the wilful murder of an aged woman, of the name of Stowell, and whose case, from the peculiarity of the circumstances connected with it, created at the time a good deal of attention, has at length given birth to a male infant. The first intimation which the prison authorities had that the convict was about to become a mother was on Monday night, and from that time up to four o'clock on Tuesday morning Mr. Holding, the assistant-surgeon, was in attendance, when she gave birth to a fine healthy male child, which, with its wretched mother, are both doing well. The birth of the infant has raised a ques tion of some difficulty as to its future destination, should the infant live. Although the mother's sentence is commuted to transportation for life the child is not liable to the same penalty; and as the mother has no locus standi in law, the child is an orphan, and as the prisons are exempt from the payment of poor-rates, no settle merit can be obtained by those who are within. Pro bably the infant will become the ward of the Corpora tion, which will no 'doubt do its duty towards the poor little fellow, if he lives. The wretched woman will, as soon as she has properly recovered from her confinement, be removed to Milbank prison, preparatory to her sen tence being carried into effect. CHRISTMAS WAlTS.—Numerous tradesmen waiting for their accounts, as they have all a " little bill" waiting to be taken up—Numerous persons waiting several days in the Post-office at Manchester to get a small money order cashed—The pedestal in Trafalgar-square waiting for a statue—The Spanish bondholders waiting for a dividend—The Irish waiting for John O'Connell to die on the floor of the House of Commons—The monster house at the Albert-gate waiting for a tenant—The subscribers to the Art-Union waiting for their en gravings—The marble arch at Buckingham Palace waiting for a situation—Leopold waiting for his wife's, dowry from Louis Philippe—England waiting for jus tice from Ireland—And, the greatest wait of a ll, the printer's devil waiting for copy.—Punch. The Hon. and Rev. George T. Bourke, brother to the Earl of Mayo, died a few days ago at his residence in Ireland, aged 72. His father was Archbishop of Tuam. DARING ROBBERY.—A most daring robbery was committed in Bridge-street, Blackfriars, on Monday last. As Thomas Davis, one of the Doctor's-commons letter-carriers, was on duty, making his evening delivery, and opposite the house No. 17, he was attacked by three women, who suddenly placed a cloak over his head, which in a short time rendered the old man quite power less; they then robbed him of 21s, in silver, with which they escaped. This was in one of our most public streets, and not more than half past eight o'clock in the evening. It is supposed the women had followed him for a consi derable distance, and probably had discovered the tempt ing stock of money of which be was possessed, being the harvest of his Christmas-boxes. EXTENSIVE ROBBERY BY A POTBOY.—lllfOrillatiOn was forwarded to the police that the potboy in the employ of Mrs. Wieland, widow of the late cekbrated Wieland, of the White Hart Tavern, Oxford-market,had absconded, taking with him a tin cash-box, containing upwards of 701. in gold and silver. The police have got a clue which, no doubt, will tend to the villain's appre hension. QUITE A MATTER OF FEELING.—A medical man, of the very old school, calls all operations that are per • formed without the patient feeling anything, " senseless operations."—.Punch. ; DERBYSHIRE, STAFFORDSHIRE, AND WORCESTERSHIRE JUNCTION RAIL- , WAY. The first general meeting of the proprietors of the Derbyshire, Staffordshire, and Worcestershire June ' Con Railway was held yesterday, at the offices of the company in Cornhill ; Mr. J. Mee Mathew, chair ' man of the board of directors, in the chair. ' The SECRETARY (Dr. R. S. Mackenzie) read the advertisement convening the meeting. The CHAIRMAN then intimated that they would in the usual manner proceed to affix the seal to the register of shareholders. Mr. WINTER HARRIS said that before the seal was affixed he would ask one question. Was the Chair man satisfied that every entry in the register of share _ holders was correct ? He objected to the shareholders being called upon to affix their names, or rather give their sanction to a document they knew nothing about. The motive he had for putting the question was a desire to be satisfied that the calls had been duly paid up, and that the transfers had been regu larly completed up to Friday night. The CHAIRkAN, in reply to questions, stated that the number of the shares of the company was 20,000 at 201. each; 115,100 of the shares were disposed of to 327 shareholders, whose- names appeared on the re gistry.' The bcok was perfectly correct. A long desultory conversation then ensued as to whether call letters had been refused to several parties, the secretary insisting that he had never refused a call letter to any party entitled to it, while others maintained that tie had. In explanation, the secre tary informed the meeting that the board had allowed several members to pay calls on a portion of their shares, the calls on the remainder being allowed to stand over. The CHAIRMAN said that with reference to the book he was willing to go through it with any shareholder, in order to test its correctness, but he begged to re mind the meeting that the secretary, who had that book in his possession, and under his control, was re sponsible for its accuracy. Mr. W. HARRIS then said that he had seen the shareholders' address book on Friday last, at half-past three o'clock, and he did not then see the name of a single director; and yet now he was told the names of the directors were in that book. He was afraid there was something wrong either in the office, or with the board, about that book, and he would ask whether the name of Robert Shelton Mackenzie appeared in it ? The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative. Mr. HARRIS wished to know when the name had been inserted, for it was not there on Friday; and an Hon. Proprietor, Mr. Pettley, did not see it on Monday last. The question gave rise to an angry discussion, which lasted for upwards of two hours, when it was ultirotely decided that Dr. Mackenzie had that morning been entered upon the books of the society as a member holding one share, to enable him to use proxies which had been sent to him. Several proprietors, including Mr. Harris, Mr. H. Brown, M.P. for Tewksbury, Mr. Sydney, Mr. Fearon, Mr. Curtis, and Mr. Alston, contended that the placing of Dr. Mackenzie on the register was an illegal act, and that being such, his name had no right to remain there. Ultimately, after an exceedingly noisy and irregular conversation, in which many strong personalities were handed about, Mr. H. BROWN moved a resolution, that the name of Robert Shelton Mackenzie should be expunged from the list of shareholders. Mr. YOUNG seconded the proposition. The CHAIRMAN doubted the power of the meeting to expunge the name of any member from the list. The resolution was put to the meeting and carried by a large majority, only two hands being held up against it. The CHAIRMAN, after considerable hesitation, ex punged the name, under a protest that he did so in obedience to the resolution ; but entertaining doubts as to the legality of the proceeding, he had consented to strike the name out under that protest, which he entered upon the books of the company. The SECRETARY also tendered his protest, and said that he held the proxies of the owners of 1,198 shares, giving 493 votes, and that he considered they had been deprived by an unlawful act of their privileges as members of that company. Mr. BROWN, M.P., wished to know whether the amount of 2/. 2s. 6d. (the deposit) was paid upon all the shares held by the board. The SECRETARY stated that every one of the par ties who signed the original deed had paid the deposit, and that the majority of the board had paid up the call upon a portion of the shares which they held. Mr. BROWN, M.P., insisted upon knowing in what manner the call of 11 had been paid upon the shares by the directors, to qualify them for their office. A DIRECTOR said that the directors would not lie excluded from sitting at the board in consequence of their not paying the call. Mr. WINTER HARRIS said that by one of the clauses of the Act no person who had not paid up his call was entitled to vote. He also wished to know from the secretary how many of the fifty original shares had been disposed of by the secretary, and by what means he had become possessed of the one share for which he was registered that morning, in order to use proxies ? After some discussion, The common seal of the company was affixed to the register. The CHAIRMAN then read the report of the directors, which stated that, after considerable diffi culty, the Act had been obtained in July, 1847, and that the funds having become exhausted the directors had made a call of 1/. per share, which had not been responded to, and measures would be taken to have the payment enforced. The outstanding claims against the company were large, but the bills of the solicitors and others were being taxed, and considerable reduc tions were anticipated. The balance sheet, which had been published for some time, showed that 39,714/. 15s. 7d. was the gross amount received, and that the balance in hand and some debts amounted in the whole to 6371. 17s. 6d. In answer to several questions it was explained that there was due on calls about 9,0001., and the claims were near 16,000/. Mr. BROWN said that 20,000/. had been peculiarly expended by the directors; might he inquire how it had been disposed of ? The SECRETARY—In shares purchased for rigging the market, as it was called, before the present directors had anything to do with the company. Mr. BROWN—One-third of our capital expended in that manner.—(Cries of " Shame.") It was elicited that a director had appropriated 2001. and upwards to his own purposes, out of a sum he had been commissioned to procure for the com pany. The CHAIRMAN said, that after the discovery of the circumstance the defaulter never attended the meetings of the board, and he (the chairman) had insisted that he should not. The report and accounts were, after some few further remarks, ordered, by a resolution carried unanimously, to be referred to the auditors, to be examined and reported upon at a special meeting to called for the purpose. A resolution was then passed limiting the number of directors to six, and the following gentlemen were unanimously appointed to be' directors : John Mee Mathew, Esq., W. Harris, Esq.; Thomas Brooks, Esq., of Tewsbury ; H. Brown, Esq., M.P.; Robert Aslton, Esq. ; and Edward Crook Bond, Esq. whom m b o a a r c d 0 , m w p i t l i h m t e h n e t e wasxce exception , o is f a t n h ec entirelyai r elected auditors, and the question of remuneration n m e a w ln''he o to n ab e. Messrs. Hampton and Fearon were both to directors and auditors ordered to be taken into consideration at a future meeting. The secre tary's salary was fixed at 2001., and after the general half-yearly meetings had been fixed upon for June and December in each year, a vote of thankS was passed to the chairman, and the meeting separated, after a very protracted sitting. THE REV. J. P. WALSIL—We have received a letter from the Rev. J. P. Walsh, dated Dec. 24, 1847, complaining of the inaccuracy of a report which appeared in The Sun of Dec. 6, under the head of " Marlborough street." That report states that Spencer Walsh was brought before Mr. Hardwick, charged with " having committed a dreadful assault with a poker on William Prentice, green-grocer." In the course of the report it is stated that the father of the defendant, the Rev. J. P. Walsh, called out " Go it, boys, go and get the poker;" and it is further stated that the father positively denied that the son had a poker at all, but afterwards admitted that his son had a poker in his hand, but it was only a very little one. This account was copied by us from a morning contemporary. We are assured, how ever, that it is incorrect in every particular, so far as the Rev. J. P. Walsh is concerned, and that minutes of the evidence, as taken by the clerk, show that the words attributed to the Rev. Gentleman were never uttered by him ;. and that so far from denying his son had a poker, he distinctly swore that he had one, and that the whole affair had caused him, as a Christian minister, the greatest grief. It was also stated by the complainant that the servant told him that so many persons had called for debts that she was ashamed to go to him (Rev. J. P. Walsh) for money. The Reverend Gentleman states that " during the two months that he resided in Arundel-street, with his family of eight persons, his dealings were almost exclusively for ready money, and that for six months the demands upon him for tradesmen for the necessaries of life for eight persons did not exceed 131." Ilavin7, by copying the report from a morning paper, given it circulation in The Sun, we feel bound, in justice to the Rev. Gentleman, to publish these contradictions, and regret that we should inadvertently have given circulation to a statement cal culated to wound his feelings. COURT MARTIAL AT 15EVONPORT.--A court mar tial took place at Devonport, on board the San Josef, flag-ship of the Port Admiral, on Monday, to try a seaman of the Columbia steam-vessel, for desertion, and entering on board an American merchant schooner. The proceedings commenced at ten, and the case closed at two, when the prisoner was found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned three calendar months, and forfeit all arrears of pay. A TALE OF THE TEMPEST. The following narrative regards the brig Halifax, of Newhaven, Sussex, which was wrecked near Cockenzie, in the fearful hurricane of Monday, the 6th instant, and the preservation of the crew, con sisting of seven persons, after the terrors of death had long impended over them. It is given by Captain Coppar, an intelligent and experienced officer "We sailed from Montrose on the Ist instant, in ballast, for Sunderland, but, in conseqence of the prevalence of contrary winds, we had been beat about so much that on the morning of Monday, the 6th, the ship was off St. Abb's Head. The wind coming from the south, we drove back to the Frith, and found shelter in Aberlady Bay, in which we dropped anchor at noon. There was then very little wind and the weather being fine, I amused my self fishing, and of the 16 fish which I caught in a very short time we cooked some for tea. At five o'clock a fresh breeze blew from the south, and an hour after the ship was suddenly caught by a terrible gale, and struck at the same moment by a tre mendous sea, and both with such violence that the vessel heaved as if lifted into the air and let fall. At eight we let go a second an chor, which held the ship firm till ten, when the gale having increased, she parted her small bower anchor. As the sea washed over the deck, and the ship, besiqes rolling heavily, was driving near the land, I went about midnight to the cabin, and brought a sharp axe, which I had ready for the purpose, and commenced to cut the mainmast. After two or three strokes it was wrenched by the storm, and fell over board. I soon cleared it away, and the ship was eased greatly. It was now two o'clock, the tempest raged with awful fury, and the -sea making a com plete breach over us had swept away everything from the deck, the single anchor had been dragged two miles, while there we stood benumbed with cold, which was intense, and torrents of rain, which were incessant—utterly helpless and terror-stricken ex pecting every moment wou l d b e our last. I saw that there was no 'chance of saving our lives ex cept by running for the main. I seized a rope, tied part of it round my waist, and ordering the men to follow my example, I slipped the cable and betook my self to the rigging. To it all seven lashed ourselves as firmly as we could with the ropes. The scene had become so dreadful that, though I had been thrice wrecked before, I never saw anything like it. The wind tore and howled fearfully, thick dark ness brooded over the roaring deep, the vivid flashes of lightning rent the air, the ship, now be come the sport of the enraged elements, creaked and staggered, and the heavy huge waves broke upon our backs as, clinging to the remaining rigging, we rocked from side to side, and gasped for breath be tween each succeeding wave. As each sea en gulphed us, and then rolled past, leaving a yawning chasm in its stead, I looked anxiously to see, if pos sible, in the murky darkness, whether any of my crew had been swallowed up in it, my quailing heart expecting the next wave would prove my own watery tomb. A kind Providence, however, stood by us, and after being three hours lashed to the tempest-tossed wreck, our crazy ship was carried over a reef of rocks, and floated between two high rocks close to the shcre, at Cockenzie, where we stuck fast about five o'clock. Had we been two hours later the tide would have been such that, assuredly, the ship would have been dashed to pieces on the first ledge of rocks, and all have perished. The same sad result would have followed had the ship been driven a little either E. or IV., as the rocks between which we were so mercifully cast were not above twenty yards distant. Soon after we ran ashore a gentleman came through the surge to us on horseback, who proved to be - My. Cadell, of Cockenzie. He said he would give every assistance in his power, and in a short time be brought a body of his men, who were of great service to us in re moving a few things from the ship. He also took us to his house, where he liberally regaled us, and did everything to render us comfortable. When the hurricane commenced I saw the schooner Napier, of Sunderland, above us, and the Halifax had not been on the main above five minutes when she was also cast ashore. In the forenoon we visited our ship, and found her a desolate wreck. However, we succeeded in saving some of the materials on board, and among other things, some of the fish which I caught in Aber lady Bay, which we cooked for. dinner. As we sat down to eat them the mate said to me, Oh, Sir, did you ever suffer so much in your life as since you caught these ?' The mate's remark filled our hearts so much with gratitude to God for preserving us, that for some time we could not partake of the food before us, and I hope I will never forget His mercy in saving me four times from the terrors of the deep." JUVENILE RAT CATCHERS. - ------ - Our readers, perhaps, are not aware that in Glas gow, at the present time, there is, and has been for a considerable period by passed, .a large class of little ragged urchins, from the ages of ten to twelve years; who carry on a regular trade in catching rats, and disposing of them alive to parties, who reward them for their labour at rates averaging three half pence to twopence a head, according to size and the number in the market. By this pro fession these daring boys earn a livelihood, and some of them, who are well up to their busi ness, make as much as ten shillings a week. The process of catching the vermin is exceedingly simple, and generally pretty successful. Having discavered a hole, in a stable, cellar, or back building, where rats are plentiful, the snarer takes a piece of cord of some length, upon the end of which he makes a noose equal to the size of the hole over which he has resolved to watch, and after putting down meal or bread to attract his intended prey, he stations himself with the cord in his hand, watching like a patient angler until his victim pops out his head or part of his body, when by a sudden jerk he hooks him in the noose, and then with the aid of his bonnet, or some other thick cloth, seizes the living prize as if it was a canary or a mavis. Having de posited the rat in a cage, or other place of safety, he returns to his work, and in this way proce e d s t o r id the tenement r where he carries on operations, of hordes of useless and destructive vermin. It is quite sur prising to witness the fearlessness with which these poor children handle their four-footed friends ; they will take them in their bare hands and hold them by the body until they are disposed of, and such is their disappointment, in some instances, when a rat that they have watched for hours makes his escape, that they have been known to shed tears. The other day in passing an entry where one of these boys was on the watch with a line in his band, a correspondent said he was requested with a move of the hand and a " hush " not to disturb the operation. On inquiring what he was after, the boy exclaimed, in an angry tone, " Ah ! hang it man, you've made me lose him. " Lose him, lose who ?" said the inquirer. " Why man a rat, and the biggest ane I have seen the day. The vermin, we understand, are purchased by indi viduals who keep rat pits for exercising dogs in,, and for trying pups that are intended for rat-killing. We need scarcely say, that we look upon this as by no means a useless or unworthy occupation.—Glas gow Saturday Post. THE VERNON GALLERY.—The trustees of the National Gallery have made their selection from the gallery of Robert Vernon, Esq., and have accepted for the nation one hundred and sixty pictures. The deed gift upon the British people chason febrereinn g ex th ec is ute m d ag ; nee a i n fi di n t t now only remains for the na tion to erect a structure fitted to receive the collection. Until this is done we believe the pictures will not be removed from the house of the donor, in Pall-mall. Among the one hundred and sixty pictures, are four of the finest works of Turner; of examples of Etty, there are six; of Eastlake, two; of Maclise, two; of Mulready, three, of Uwins, two; of Landseer, six; of Briggs, two; of Stanfield, four; of Collins, three; of Chalon, one; of Leslie, three; of Webster, two; of Callcott, seven; of Wilkie, three; of Jones, two; of Lance, three; of E. M. Ward, three; of Sydney Cooper, two; of F. Goodall, two; of Sir Joshua, one; of Gainsborough, two. It is unnecessary to state, that these are not only examples of the best masters of our school; they are, with scarcely an exception, the best productions of the several artists —the works of their best time—selected with the nicest judgment and the keenest appreciation of excellence. The trustees were empowered by Mr. Vernon to take the whole collection, or to reject such as they pleased; they rejected but few, and these were chiefly small and subordinate works or sketches.—Art- Union Journal. PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.—The following papers were issued yesterday, pursuant to order of the douse of Commons :—Raja of Sattara : Copies of documents re ferred to by Major Carpenter, in his letter of the 2d of July, 1846, to the Secretary of the Governor-General. Copies of all orders, &c., by the Court of Directors of the East India Company to the Governments of India, relat ing to the transmission of memorials, &c. Copy of a treaty between the East India Company and the Raja of Slttara, dated 25th of September, 1819 ; also, copies of correspondence between Rungee Bapojee, the India Board, and the Court of Di rec t ors o f the East India Company. Account of the number of quarters of foreign wheat and other foreign grain imported into the United Kingdom since the passing of the Act 9 and 10 Vic., cap. 22, to sth November, 1847. An account showing the sales of Bank Stock, effected on account of the trus tees of savings' banks, from 16th June, 1847, to 9th De cember, 1847, both inclusive. and embarkt His Excellency th e D u k e d e B roglie left the French eramilbwaassityoeFstcolrkdeasytofnoer,enwohoenre he was for Paris, a s t o proceeded by by e three u'clock.boat for Boulogne, and there pass the night, and resume his journey to the French capital this morn ing. The Noble Duke was accompanied by the Mar uis d'Harcourt, who had b een staying on private busine ss . We h ave to a few days in Lon ci don reason e to on b n e tr li y eve be t fe h r a e t his Excellency w ill not retur n April next. RECRUITING. Recruiting has latterly fallen off most considerably i n the country districts, doubt, in a great measure to the rise in the standard of height by half an i nch. Parties requ i r i ng b u t t we nty men find some difficulty in making up their numbers. owing, no It is expe c t e d t h at the i ntended i ncrease i n th e m ilitary force will give rise to a variety of changes in the system. FLANDERS MAIL. THE GALICIAN FRONTIER.—The Weser Gazette says—" By the energetic representations of the Governor, Count Stadion, the Government has : been made so thoroughly acquainted with the prevailing distress, that it has voted one million guilders for the relief of the needy." The Franefort Gazette says, from 1842 to 1846, the Zollverein made importations to the amount of 287,993,216 f., and exportations to the amount of 287,102,906 f. In raw materials, cotton, and sitk, the importations were 198,907,473 f,, and the exportations 110,196,968 f. The Journal de Liege, in a letter from Brussels, says that the Russian Government has just re-esta blished the old duty on the oils of our country, a duty which it had diminished very considerably for some time. ST. PETERSBURGEL—The Emperor ha's issued an ukase, forbidding journeymen, workmen, and artizans from foreign countries to enter the empire. Manu facturers arid master workmen who wish to have in dividuals from foreign countries who are comprised in other categories are obliged to make a previous request to this effect to the chief of the local police. —Brussels Papers, Dec. 29. DUTCH FUNDS.—AMSTERDAM, Dze. 28. Money. •Bills ••• •• • 54% 55 •• • 66% 67 84 85% Actual Debt, 2% per Cent.. Ditto, 3 per Cent • • • • •• • • Ditto, 4 per Cent.• • • • • • • • • • • Amort Syndic, 3% per Cent.. .• •. •• Commercial Company, 4% per Cent .. 163 1q.34 east India Loan, 4 per Cent.... Exchange on London, at sight Two months... • • ...... • • .. On Hamburgh, at sight •. • • 35 Two months.• ••••••• •• • • .• 34 75 On Paris . • .............. 56 62 Two months. • . •..••• • • • • • 56 12 A FEMALE BURKE. 12 10 Bose Theyre, a native of Saint Victor (Ardeche), was, a few days ago, brought to trial before the Court of Assizes of Nimes on the change of having been guilty of not fewer than seven murders, or attempts to murder, by means of poison. This second Brin villiers is thirty-seven years old, but, notwithstanding she has greatly suffered of late, does not appear more than thirty. Her manners are becoming, her dress decent, her face not unprepossessing, and her voice sweet. For two days before her trial she had taken no nourishnunt, and she was so feeble that she had to be led into court. In 1831 she went to reside at Tournon, where she mar ried Joseph Theyre, by whom she had a bOy and girl. The latter died at the age of eighteen months. Her marriage was not a happy one, the prisoner hav ing taken a grea t avers i on to her h usband, though he gave her no real cause of complaint. On the 20th March, 1840, he was suddenly seized with violent sickness, and the next day died in the midst of cruel sufferings. On being attacked, he stated to one of his friends, that his wife had given him something to drink which burned his en trails. After the death of her husband she attended on sick persons, and by her attention and appa rent affection induced them to make wills in her favour. They then died suddenly, or were attacked in the same way as her husband had been. Thus, on the 28th of November, 1840, her sister Marianne died in her house ; on the 24th of August, 1842, a female named Robert, on whom she attended, died suddenly; an old maiden lady, named Prat, who went to live with her in 1844, died a few weeks after, each leaving her some property. All three, it is supposed, died of poison, but it was only the two former who were affected with violent pains in the bowels ; the latter being plunged into stupour on partaking of drinks prepared by the prisoner. In 1845 a boy named Gamondes, an apprentice at Tournon, was sent to live with her. Though her son was a fine boy, and possessed most excellent qualities, the prisoner con ceived a most violent and most extraordinary affection for Gamondes, the consequence of which was, that she took a dislik e t o h er own child, and this dislike was increased by his complaining of her conduct. After stopping some time with her, the boy Gamondes was sent home to his parents. About a fortnight after this the prisoner's son Joseph fell sudenly ill. He vomited violently, his lips became covered with a greenish foam, and he writhed about in his bed,,owing to dreadful sufferings in his bowels. After four or five days' suffering of this agony he died. In March, 1846, the prisoner went to live in a family named Boutaud, and succeeded in worming herself into the favour of the chief of it, an old man. She then began quarrelling with a servant named Marie, and it was proven made repeated attempts to poison her, by putting poison in her soup and in her drink. She also attempted to poison Mme. Boutaud, and suc ceeded in bringing her to the brink of the grave. It having been observed that Mme. Boutaud and the servant Marie were always ill after taking anything prepared by the prisoner, whilst similar things pre pared by other persons did them good, titnedical man analysed what Mme. Boutaud and Marie had thrown up after taking one of the prisoner's conccetions, and a considerable quantity of arsenic was then discovered. On this it was determined to have examination made of the remains of persons who had died suddenly whilst in communication with the prisoner. The bodies of her husband and her son were found to contain large quantities of arsenic, especially the latter ; the body of Prat contained none ; and the place of burial of Marianne and Robert could not he ascertained. The guilt of the prisoner was, in ad dition to these circumstances, established by the fact that she had frequently procured poison. The jury declared her guilty, and the Court condemned her to death. To show the extraordinary insensibility of this horrible woman, it may he mentioned that a few 'hours after her son died she was found by a neigh bour, who had culled on her to offer consolation, fast asleep near the body 1 SUDDEN. DEATH OF MR. GEO. DEMPSTER. It is with extreme regret that we announce the death of Mr. George Dempster, solicitor,' of this town, which took place su dd en l y on Ch r i stmas-eve. He had attended the County Court in the day, and appeared in his usual health and spirits. He dined at home with his family at five o'clock, and then com plained of spasms in the stomach. He afterwards took tea, and about half-past eight, as was his custom, went out to smoke a cigar. lie returned home at ten minutes to eleven, again complained of spasms, and ordered the servant to light a fire in his bedroom, and get him some hot water to put his feet in. While she was lighting the fire he complained of sickness, and took a little brandy and water to keep it off. The servant had gone out of the room to fetch something, and in the meanwhile Mr. Joseph Dempster, de ceased's brother, came into the house, and hearing a moan, went into his brother's room, and found him lying on his face on the floor, with his head near the basin, as if he had fallen beside it while attempting to vomit. Mr. Joseph Dempster immediately. called the servant, and then ran for Dr. Plummer, his usual medical attendant, calling on his way on Mr. Harrison, of the Gun Hotel, who ran to the house and assisted the servant tin raising her master and. chafing his hands. Dr. Plummer arrived at ten mi nutes past eleven, and opened a vein, but blood would not flow. Mr. Rugg, surge on , who had been like wise sent for, but was not in at the moment, also came and gave his assistance. Artificial respiration and other means were resorted to to restore animation, but in vain; life was extinct; and from a post mortem examination, subsequently made by Mr. Lawrence and Mr. Rugg, it appears that death was caused by congestive apoplexy. There was an enormous con gestion of blood on the brain ; in other respects, the body was in a healthy state. Deceased had been attended by Dr. Plummer about a week previous to his death, in csnsequence of a slight bilious attack. He was in his 37th year, a widower, and has left two sons to deplore his premature death. 'Mr. Dempster was a rising man in his profession. He has for some years taken a prominent part in the political and local affairs of the town, and was highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends and acquaintance, amongst whom the intelligence of his sudden decease created great sorrow, and turned a day usually spent in hila rity and festivity into one of grief and mourning,. Brighton Guardian. j 0 u S r n E e A d S O t i N li t t l 3 h L e E 3 ; d ß o E f N E E e v b o r L u E a r x y c E n c - x t . 1 ; &I v i a lllent has ad nothing more likely to promote " PROPOSED ENTERTAINME NT TO Ulster axi e can c once i ve Mn. SHAR M A N Merry Christmas and a Happy New Yea r ."—P unc h . Co thea kt Tenant-Right NE• Te Committee of th e Coleraine aAwre aD IN branch o C Associa tion have determin e d t o invite Air. enant-Right to a public entert a i nment in Sh arman C raw f or d spirited town, and are no that ancient and public spirited actively engaged in making the preliminary arrangeme nts that are suited to the oc casion. The time fix e d f this grand demonstration, CR the part of th e friends of tenant-right in Coleraine, is Tuesday, the 25th of January next. ANOTHER OUTRAGE AT LIVERPOOL.--LWER- , POOL, WEDNESDAY,—We reg ret to state that, as Mr. J. B. Neils on was returning last night to his residence in Falkin-square, he was attacked by two ruffians, who, no doubt, intended to rob him. Mr. Neilson happened to have a sword-stick with him, and, being rather an athle tic man, he inflicted suvere punishment on his assailants, and it is said broke one of their arms and wounded the head of the other. Mr. Neilson, we are happy to say, escaped without receiving any serious injury. DISTRESS IN SCOTLAND.—Trade in the manufac. taring districts of the west still continues deplorably de pressed. At Kitharchan, says the Glasgow Post, there are as near as may he, two-thirds of the working popu lation out of employment. Some partial subscriptions have been raised over the parish for their relief, but all that has been raised is utterly inadequate. One instance has been communicated to us, where a nursing mother, with twins % at her breast, was two entire days without food of any kind. One of the children died. H LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY EVENING.—We are given to underitand, that in consequence of the numerous outrages and robberies recently committed in this neigh bourhood, the borough magistrates have been to-day discussing the expediency of having an armed and , mounted police, for the purpose of effectually putting 4 I stop to such crimes. The meeting was prints.