The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-10-16 00:00:00

LITERARY EXTRACTS.

A NOBLE COMPLIMENT.—When Lord Cateret, the
British ambassador, took leave of Frederick IV. of
Denmark, the king unbuckled his sword and said,
" Since his excellency the ambassador has made peace
between us and Sweden, we have no longer any need
of a sword, and his excellency will oblige us by keep-
ing it as a souvenir."
BARRISTERS' BAGS.—Fifty years ago no junior
barrister presumed to carry a bag in the Court of
Chancery, unless one had been presented to him by
the King's Counsel, who, when a junior was advanc-
ing in practice, took an opportunity of complimenting
him on his increase of business, and giving him his
own bag to carry home his papers. It was then a
distinction to carry a bag, and a proof that a junior
was rising in his profession.
NAPOLEON'S OPINION OF MURAT.—Murat was a
singular character. He loved, I may say, he adored
me. With me, he was my right arm—without me,
he was nothing. Order Murat to attack and destroy
4,000 or 5,000 men in such a direction, it was done in
a moment ; leave him to himself, he was an imbecile
without judgment. In battle he was, perhaps, the
bravest man in the world; his boiling courage carried
him into the midst of the enemy, covered with plumes
and glittering with gold ; how he escaped was a
miracle, for, being so distinguished a mark, every one
fired at him. Every day Murat was engaged in single
combat, and returned with his sabre dripping with the
blood of those he had slain. He was a Palladio in the
field, but in the cabinet destitute of either decision or
judgment. —The Use of Cavalry in Witr.
ANECDOTE OF THE SULTAN.—A story goes the
rounds, which I cannot vouch for as being more than
a report. It is said that the Sultan has been so struck
with the fact of English ladies charitably devoting
themselves to the good of the soldiers as they have
done here, that he came to the conclusion it must be
" their Book," which made such a difference between
them and the Turkish females. So he has begun to
read the Bible, in order to compare its teaching with
that of the Koran ! Whether this be the true version
or not, it would certainly be a matter of incalculable
importance if English Christians out here were to be
seen and noted as apostles of Christ indeed. Very
quickly do the Turks perceive the difference between
the old Armenians who are truly converted by the
Protestant missionaries. Very soon, too, will they
observe and appreciate, as the case may be, the
character of English Christianity ; and much must,
therefore, depend on the specimens which may now
be exhibited hereabouts as samples of the material.—,
Evangelical Christendom,
Lours XVI.---"Listen," said he, "and remember. I
desired to mitigate the sufferings of the nation ; I
required money to pay the debts which had been con-
tracted by my ancestors, and to improve the public
finances. I therefore demanded taxes from those
whose privilege it was not to pay any. They refused
to contribute, and my parliament supported them
against my ministers. I then summoned to Versailles
the leading men of every city and province to deliberate
with me on the best means of establishing a better
administration in the kingdom. Instead of thus
deliberating, they put forward demands to which,
neither for myself nor for my successors, could I con-
sent. Factious individuals excited the people against
me, and they came to Versailles in crowds to murder
my guards, to drag me out of my dwelling, and to
become masters of my family. It is not the people,
however, that has willed this ; they, on the whole, are
amiable, just, and well-meaning : if they knew all
that is in my heart, they would defend instead of
attacking me ; but wicked men have come between.
me and the nation.---De Lanutitine's History."
THE DECAY OF NATURE, AND HER " COMPENSA-
TION" TO MAN.—An observant eye feels great delight
whilst watching the progress of Nature out of doors.
Just now (October), we are halting midway between
Autumn and Winter. The gees, hitherto clad in the
most lovely of liveries, are now about to lay aside their
leafy garments for the season ; and a complete change
will soon cover the face of the whole earth. Present

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amidst these passing scenes of rarest beauty, is ever to
be found Man's devoted attendant the robin. How I
love the amiable rogue ! As the leaf falls, and the
decay of nature gradually draws, on, the vocal energy
of our little friend seems to possess a double charm.
His strains are more melodious. His song is more
continuous. When the winds whistle fitfully in the
trees, he sits by—still musical ! A constant attendant
is he upon Nature, while she is disrobing ; and even
when her last graceful ornament has been laid aside,
and her reign for the season has quite terminated, he
is there to sing her to sleep ! No stress of weather
daunts him. Rain, sleet, wind, snow, frost, to him are
all alike. He claims a welcome from us when he wants
food ; and, of course, he has it. We open the window,
and he hops in—his entrance and departure are matters
for himself to determine. He is free of every room in
the house, and a hearty welcome attends him at every
meal.—Sidd's (W) Treatise on the Robin.
Puma FISHERY ON THE INDus.---A large, light,
and thin earthen vessel of the strong and unequalled
pottery of the Indus clay, so thoroughly baked, forms
the fisherman's float : it is full four feet in diameter,
and about thirty inches high ; of a very flattened form,
and exceedingly buoyant. On this the fisherman
balances himself on his stomach, covering the short
neck and small aperture at top ; and launching him-
self forth on the current, paddles with his legs behind
to steer his course, drifting with the stream, and
holding a pouch-net open to receive the prey, which,
when caught, he deposits in his reservoir, the vessel
he floats on.---Kennedy's Sind and Caboul.
RUSSIAN APPETISER.---By way of digesting our
luncheon, a ceremony was performed, which, if we had
not undergone the ordeal at a friend's house in the vi-
cinity of Oranienbaum, with our lamented friend
Prince Butera, would have astonished us not a little.
A dozen soldiers placed themselves in two files close
to each other, and took up each of the party in turn in
their arms, and tossed them in the air, catching
them again on their arms, and throwing them
up again, as quickly as possible., a considerable
height. This operation is performed very expertly ;
the patient who understands the business keeps
his arms close to his sides, and his legs stretched
stilly out, and feels no sort of inconvenience. It is ex-
actly like being tossed in a blanket. This is accom-
panied with singing some of their many pleasinc, but
monotonous national airs, to which the softness of the
language gives a harmony they do not intrinsically
possess.=Cottrall's Siberia.

THE PRESS-GANG IN THE " GOOD OLD TIMES."--
A young man of decent parentage, the son of a sub-
stantial farmer, was walking on his bridal eve, near
the shore of Dartmouth harbour. Doubtless, happy
thoughts were lending a new charm to the still even-
ing, and rendering him somewhat absent, for he never
heard the press-gang till they had come close behind
him and pinioned his arms. As usual, entreaties and
threats were in vain. He was carried on board a
man-of-war, which instantly put to sea ; and for years
and years afterwards no tidings of him reached his
family. His mysterious disappearance caused a sorrow
beyond all expression. His father never held up his
head again, neglected his farm, and died a poor,
broken-hearted old man. The bride-expectant sor-
rowed for a time, and then became the wife of another.
Time drew its cruel veil of oblivion over his fate, and
few ever named his name, save the aged mother, who
still prayed for him, and would never believe that he
was dead. And this loving faith had its fruition. A
sailor with a wooden leg at length returned to call her
" mother," and explain the past—a weather-beaten,
maimed creature, set free because he could be no
longer of any use—penniless, and unfit to earn his
bread in any other way ; but even thus he was welcome.
The old woman woke to new life and energy since her
lost was found; she struggled to make his home com-
fortable, and earned his and her own bread by washing.
It was pleasant to see his devotion to her, and the
handy way in which he helped her to make everything
what he called " ship-shape' about'them ; but often in
the midst of her patient and meek content, a cloud
would come before her eyes when she thought of the
past—of the fair home, the dear husband, the brave
handsome youth, the promised bride, and the long,
long sorrow.—Chambers' Journal.

COMMERCIAL LEAGUE BETWEEN SOLOMON AND
PHARAOH.—From the history of Samson it is evident
that the cultivation of flax and the arts of spinning
and weaving were practised by the Philistines. But