The Express.
London, England, 1868-11-02 00:00:00

THE EARTHQUAKE.

Tin first conclusion to be drawn from the
reports published this morning of the shock of an
earthquake is that the phenomena were so mild
as to need special sensitiveness or special know-
ledge for their recognition. The president of ei
local philosophical society who has resided is the
West Indies remarks upon some unusual vibra-
tions to his domestics and finds that they, too,
have felt them. A " perceptible swaying to
" and fro of the room eat in ." and the rattling
of pictures and the tremulous vibration of window
frames make up the chief evidenoe. In 1863, Mr.
CHARLES Morass, writing from tads-lull, de-
scribed the shock of that year as lifting up his bed
much ea if some enormous quadruped were raising

itself underneath; but no one seems to have expe-
rienced anything so decided as this, though one
gentleman says his " bed felt as if it were lifted up
" with a tremulous motion." But, in the main, it
would seem that a sudden and violent gust of
wind would produce such effects as were noted
last Friday ; and there is happily a wide
margin to be crossed before earthquakes, in
the popular signification of the word, become
serious possibilities in this country. All, how-
ever, will be anxious for specific data with
which to reassure the timid. No one is exactly
afraid, and no one admits being uneasy, but
there are, notwithstanding, certain undefined

qualms which it would . be more satis-
factory to have allayed. That an earth-
quake should make itself felt upon these
favoured shores at all, will savour to some Britan-
nic minds of a liberty upon the part of Nature.
It was part of the great scheme that Portuguese,
Spaniards, or Peruvians should be exposed to such
calamities ; and it was part of an Englishman's
duty to sympathise with the dwellers in those
countries. But with rumblings and shakings in
Leamington and South Wales, sympathy becomes
an active rather than a passive quality, and the
word " earthquake" has roused far keener interest
among us this morning than is its wont.

Ms Airrnostir TROLWPE, whose name is de-
servedly dear to all lovers of fiction, is trying
his fortune in another and a rougher field.
Success in literature does not necessarily imply
success in politics, but Mr. Taoixora has many
qualities which ought to make him a favourite on
the hustings and a useful member in the house.
To the heart's core he is a genuine Englishman,
manly, plain-spoken, sincere, and intensely
earnest. What he sees he sees clearly, what he
believes he believes entirely. No one ever pos-
sessed a keener detestation of all shams and sub-
terfuges and political chicanery; no ono ever held
a political creed with greater tenacity of purpose.
Moreover, Mr. Tisou.ors, unlike most men of
letters, is a clear and able speaker, and un-
hire many men of genius, possesses the
steady-going perseverance which is sometimes
although erroneously considered a sign of
mediocrity. Conscientiousness ought to be an
every-day virtue, but unfortunately it is not so
common as to be taken for granted in the election
of a member. Mr. TROLLOPV s friends, however,
and his enemies too, if he have any, will allow
that ho possesses it in an eminent degree. lie
may be sometimes prejudiced—he may sometimes
lack comprehensiveness—but he is never inten-
tionally unjust. The more of such men wo have
in the new parliament the better will it be for
England.

Timm are some characteristic traits of the
First NAPOLEON'S character, when too much
power was beginning to luake him mad, in the
twenty-fifth volume of the " Correspondence "
recently published. Among others, take the fol-
lowing :—On the 7th of dune, 1813, he writes to
his Arch-Chancellor CAKnAcEnics, reproving him
for having permitted a re Deum to be postponed
until after Whitsuntide. " I desire," ho says,
" that in general the 2's Dram be sung on the
" Sunday immediately following the receipt of
" the news. Delay is inoonvenient. War has its