The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING-, FEBRUARY 19, 1855.

MdRKET DAY.)

LITERATURE.

Laugh At," is so far remarkable, however, among
its compeers on the book-stalls of the railway sta-
tions, that it glitters outside with more than usu-
ally brilliant colouring. Its sparkling hues, never-
theless, resemble in other respects than their splen-
dour those visible on the surface of a floating
soap-bubble—they are not one iota less fleeting in
their evanescence.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Cinderella and the Glass Slipper. Illustrated by
George Cruikshank. David Bogue.
Excellent Mr. Harris, of St. Paul's Church-
yard, never dreamt of such a delectable treat for
the chubby young nursery folks for whose intellec-
tual appetites he catered so long and so very plea-
santly—ho never dreamt, we say, that charming
Mr. Harris, that grandfather Whitehead among
booksellers !—of the issue from the press of any
" Fairy Library" like this—a fairy library, edited
by the pure pen, and embellished by the delicate
and agile pencil of our perennial and beloved George
Cruikshank. Already the same artist-story-teller
has recounted to us, all over again, and with what
an accession to the old legendary tales of grace and
wizardry ! the wonderful fortunes of Sir Mannikin
" Hop o' My Thumb" (reminding us in etchings of
magical merit how the Ogre was bamboozled out of
his Seven-League Boots by the adroitness of Hopi
the enrich Whippersnapper), as 117611 as the still
more wonderful fortunes, if that be possible, of
clever Master Jack and the weird beanstalk, by the
aid of which the here-urchin clambered in a twink-
ling from the back garden up through the clouds
to the brink, not, however of heaven, but of the
realms of giant cannibalism ! In a delightful
article about picture-books for children, contri-
buted by Mr. Thackeray to the recently-published
number of the old Quarterly Review—a charming
chapter of most genial wisdom and facetiousness,
to which only the other day we took occasion to
direct our readers' attention very earnestly—the
wittiest of modern critics has said regretfully, and
almost reprehensively, of our artist, "We prefer
the comic and fanciful to the historic, romantic,
and, at present, didactic George." While we
coincide to the full with the judicious preference
by Signor Buonarotti Titinarsh for those more fasci-
nating attributes of the genius of George Cruik-
shank—namely, the " comic" and the " fanciful,"
we cannot, for the life of us, regard either of them
as left in abeyance, or subordinated, in any way
nowadays to the historic, romantic, or didactic
powers of our "brave, honest, kindly, pure-minded
artist, humourist, moralist " Witness this the
exquisite series of shilling publications now coming
before us by instalment after instalment, this
graceful " Fairy Library," through the embellish-
ments of which George Cruikshank proves himself
to be more conspicuously than ever, both humorous
and imaginative. Comically as he has so often
appeared, time and again, since the memorable
evening in the days of his boyhood, when his keen
eye detected, from the street outside, over the
parlour window-blind of a low public-house,
ostentatiously perched above the tap-room chim-
ney-piece, that plaster-of-Paris bust of Shakspere,
with. the clay pipe in its mouth. Sight of outre
fun, and bizarre extravagance, the grotesque gla-
mour of which wakened up on the instant all the
dormant drollery of the future prince among cari-
caturists Fanciful and comic as the artistic
powers of George Cruikshank have since then
shown themselves to be so abundantly—as once
upon a time by his illustration of Washington
Irving's conceit about the little dog, whose tail
curled so tight that it lifted him off his hind legs—
we cannot remember them to have been ever more
brilliantly indicated as such—as comic almost to
exaggeration and fanciful almost to extravagance—
than in these delicious revivals of the dear old tales
of the nursery fireside—" Jack Ind the Magic Bean-
stalk "—seven-league-booted "Hop-o'-my-Thumb"
—and the earliest and sweetest of our first-loves,
charming little glass-slippered Cinderella. Already
we have noticed in these columns the graceful
merits of the two former—in our comments upon
each at the time of its original appearance. It was
scarcely possible, indeed, to have passed either by
without observation—the mere announcement of
their forthcoming being provocative among many
of what we cannot but regard as a very pardonable
curiosity both as to the letterpress and the accom-
panying embellishments. Surely it must have been
thus a hundred years ago, when the prospectus was
first issued of a new edition of " Hudibras," to be
adorned with etchings from the needle of Mr.
Hogarth. And so with something no less kindred
between theme and illustration has it been amongst
ourselves very recently in regard to this issue of a
new " Fairy Library," founded upon the old, old
tales, dear to the hearts and memories of all as
having been first drunk in with wondering delight
by the exquisitely appreciative senses of childhood
—the issue in this new form of these same darling
fictions of the nursery—no longer embellished by
gaudy-coloured woodcuts without any other charm
beyond that arising out of the brilliant varie-
gation of gamboge, carmine, Prussian blue, and
vermillion. A. "Fairy Library" from the pen
and pencil of George Cruikshank ! A game
of romps with Robin Goodfellow I Better
we take it, speaking on the part of the young folks
in whose behalf the undertaking has been benefi-
cently designed, better than chestnuts for roasting
at Christmas, or snapdragon for broiling on Twelfth-
night. For the which magnificent preference lot
this one story (retold and re-embellished) of " Cin-
derella and the Glass Slipper" be taken in justifi-
cation. Little Cinderella, herself prettier than
ever, her dainty foot far daintier, her golcleit hair
more golden—musing cinderously in the chimney
corner in that wonderful frontispiece ! With that
marvellously small peewit of a witch opposite, in
the peaked hat and the high-heeled shoes 1 Below—
the glass slipper on a -velvet cushion, supported by the
golden trumpets of the king's trumpeters ! Above—
the clock " en the prick of" midnight—the melon
and the rat, the mice and the lizards ! Everything,
indeed, from first to last throughout the whole
series of the ten beautiful etchings here introduced,
is befitting the witcheries of the bewitched and be-
witching Cinderella. Even after the transformation
has been effected by the crutch-handled wand of
that delightful fairy godmother in the legend—
Georgeuided his pencil that
y
origin of all through the pomps
turn-out--the melon in
ano d
you still
gloriesil
lCruikshanksee
othfe
the
magic has
the state coach, the lizards in those gorgeous flun-
kies, and the whiskered rat in that long-moustached
coachman. Enough, however, in. regard to the
merits of this third instalment of a "Fairy Library,"
which, if but continued as it has been com-
menced, will render yet dearer than ever to the
children of England a name already pleasant in
their ears, that of their genial and jocund George
Cruikshank.

Very moderate supplies of wheat were on sale in the
couatry markets held on Saturday, yet the demand for all
kinds was heavy, and prices had a downward tendency.
Barley was very dull and cheaper. All other articles !Hold
heavily, on rather easier terms.

As most of the continental ports are now frozen up we
have no sales of grain to report for immediate shipment.
From New York we have advices to the effect that flour
was cheaper.

The arrivals of English grain up to our market last week
were on a limited scale. From abroad we received 923
quarters of wheat, 420 barley, 250 oats, 887 rye, 181 tares,
3,814 linseed, 1,297 rapeseed, BSB sundry seeds, and 1,009
barrels of flour.
Owing to the extreme severity of the weather, and the
great difficulties in the navigation of the Thames, scarcely
any fresh supply of English wheat came to hand to-day.
Tho show of samples was extremely small, yet it was equal
to the demand ; but wo may observe that, as all craft-
work is now suspended, millers refrained from making pur-
chases, as it is almost imposilale to land cargoes oven when
arsired. There was, therefore, literally no business doing
in any kind, and prices were nominally the same as ou
Monday last.

There was. no foreign wheat on show except in granary
or by railway, yet no disposition was shown to purchase
any description. In the quotations wo have no change to
notice.

Floating cargoes off Falmouth were held at full prise;.
The supply of barley, both English and foreign, was
trifling. The trade, however, was in a depressed state, at
nominal currencies.

Malt sold heavily. In prices no alteration took place,
Oats wore mostly held at full prices, and the sale for
them was steady.

For beans, the supply of which was moderate, the in-
quiry was very inactive, at late rates.
The demand for peas was heavy, but we have n • change
to notice in their value.

Flour sold Slowly, on former terms.
CURRENCY PER IMPERIAL MEASURE.

Wheat —Essex & Kent,
Red .• new 62* to 765
Ditto•• • old 66s 72i;
Oitto, White new 76s 81s
Ditto.. • • .... old 78s 84s
Norfolk and Lin-
coln, Red, old 66a 783
Ditto new • • • • • • 66s 78s
Rye—Old • • • • • • • . • • • • —a —3
Now .. • • • • . . • •• 425 445,
Barley—Grinding .. • • • 29s 314
altine
......• 321 3481
Chevalier • • • • • • • 353 36.1
41 alt—Sarfolkand Nor-
folk • • • • • • • • • • 625 67a
Brown . • • . • • • • . • • 585 60s
Kingston and Ware 685 70s

Malt—Chevalier .... 715 to 725
lOats Yorkshire and

Lincolnsk., Feed 26s 28e
Potato ...... .... 28s 101.
Youghal and Cork
81ack....... 25s 29e

Cork, White ... .. 26s 30s
Scotch, Feed. .. —28 s
Beans—Tick ..... •• •. 371 398
Pigeons ...... .. • . 43s 468
Peas—Grey .. ... ••• • • 338 37s
Maple .—••• • • • • • 39. 428
White. ••••• • • • • • 39s 42s
Boilers .... .• •• • • 42s 44s
Flour—Town-made... 65s 738
Suffolk •• .... •• • . 548 60s
Btooktn & Norfolk 53s 1545

SMITHFIELD.

Owing to the severity of the weather, the imports of
foreign stock into London last week were only 379 head.
In the corresponding week in 1854 we received 3,834 ; in
1853, 3,617 ; in 1852, 1,899 ; in 1851, 2,229 ; in 1850, 979 ;
and in 1849, 1,976 head.

THE GREAT FIRE NEAR BLACKFRIARS

BRIDGE.

SUNDAY NIGHT, Ten o'Clock.—Notwithstanding that
48 hours have elapsed since the breaking out of the
disastrous fire, briefly noticed in this journal of Saturday
last, in Holland-street, Blackfriars-road, it is even now
far from being subdued. The premises in which the
disaster commenced were in the occupation of Messrs.
Routledge and Co., the extensive saw-mill proprietors.
The different buildings occupied by this firm were of
considerable extent, and were fitted up with machinery
of several thousand pounds value, in addition to which
there were many hundred pounds worth of timber, be-
longing to sundry tradesmen in the neighbourhood, sent
to the mills to be sawn into boards ; whether the latter
is insured by what is technically termed " floating poli-
cies," or not, is unknown.

The buildings belonging to the firm just mentioned
comprised several structures, including the steam-engine-
house, the boiler-house, the store-rooms, the sawing
compartments, the patter:i -house, and sundry other pre-
mises, including some thousand pounds' worth of stock
deposited, the whole of which has been reduced to ashes.
The horses were rescued, but it was nearly a miracle that
some of them had not perished, owing to the intensity of
the heat.

The fire seized upon two dwelling--hou,es occupied by
persons in the employ of the firm, and no little difficulty
was experienced in getting the furniture out, and, as it
is, much is partially destroyed.

From this point the fire enveloped nearly 20,000/.
worth of property belonging to Messrs. Waters and
Steel, the flour factors ; and from flat place it laid hold
of two dwelling-houses and a long range of stabling and
a variety of carriages and waggons, the property of the
same gentlemen.

The flames next extended to two dwelling-houses on
Rooper's-wharf, the lime merchants, and also the ware-
house. The next building that the conflagration seized
upon was that in the tenure of Messrs. J. Richmond and
Co. the bottle merchants. The different dwelling-houses
were soon in a complete blaze, and they were quickly
levelled with the ground.
The next building the flames reached was that belong.
ing to Messrs. Rennie, the engineers, separately only by
a wall about 25 or 30 feet high. This place contained
property valued at the least at a quarter of a million
In,luding the machinery intended for several
steamships for the ue of her Majesty's Government.
Fortunately, many of the buildings are saved as well
as some thousands of pounds' worth of stock and
sundry moulds ; but the machiners' shop (a building
about 300 feet in length), the pattern shops, the fitting
shop, and pattern stores have been destroyed. Had it
not been for the extraordinary exertions of the firemen
noes of the property could have been saved, and, as it
is, an area of ground nearly two acres in extent has
been cieared, or nearly so, of everything that at one
time stood upon it.
Between 400 and 500 men will be thrown out of em-
ployment at Messrs. Rennie's by this disastrous
event.

The loss, at a moderate calculation, it ix expected,
will reach 150,000/.

FIRE AT THE JEWS' GREAT SYNAGOGUE.
A fire, by which at least nearly 18,000/. worth of pro-
perty was placed ix jeopardy, took place in the premises
known as the Jews' Synagogue, situate in Great St.
Helen's, Bishopsgate. The engines of the London
Brigade soon attended, but the fire was not subdued
until the chief entrance and other parts of the premises
were either burnt or damaged by fire. Cause, overheat
of the flue.
Five ether fires took place during the day, but the
damage in the whole did not exceed 1,000/. and fortu-
nately no lives were lost.

FIRE AND PROBABLE LOSS OF THREE LIVES.

A fire took place during Saturday, which, it is expected,
will be attended with the loss of at least three lives.
The fire broke out on the premises known as,Loek-wharf,
Agar Town, St. Pancras, near King's-cross. The build-
ing in which the disaster occurred was nearly destroyed
by the action of the fire and the force of the explosion,
and three of the workmen were compelled to be carried
to the hospital, where they remain without the least
hopes of recovery. The fire was caused from the still
head blowing off.

CABAL AGAINST LORD PALMERSTON.

We have adverted, in our first leading article, to a
particular danger to which the new Administration of
Lord Palmerston is exposed. But that is not its only
peril. It is in jeopardy from another and altogether
different source. Lord Palmerston has to contend with
foes within his Cabinet as well as from enemies without.
A cabal has already been formed against him by some
of his colleagues. If he be not on his guard, he will
fall a victim to the Peelite members of his Administra-

tion. We do not speak without book. We will oven go
so far as to say that the leading Peelites—a'term which,
as we before remarked, is synonymous with Puseyites—
had ulterior ♦iews .of their own, when they agreed to
join his Government. And those views were only
strengthened and still more fondly cherished, when they
were defeated in their efforts to force upon him Lord
Aberdeen as President of the Council, and Mr. Card-
well for some other seat in the Cabinet. Their feeling
of hostility to the noble lord has now assumed the clia-
' racter of a determination to be revenged for their dis-
comfiture. They now aim at wrestin the reins of
power from the new Premier, and placing them in the
bands of Mr. Gladstone. Strange as this announce-
ment may appear, it is true. Mr. Gladstone has long
been ambitious of the Premiership, aid be thinks the
time has arrived for his attaining that grand object of his
ambition. Her Majesty has ti ied all the other leaders of
parties, and they hare failed to form an Administration.
And if the heels of Lori Palmerston can litany way be only
tripped up, or he be induced to resign, instead of wait-
ing to be ejected from the Premiership, the Peelites
regard the advent of Mr. Gladstone to the office of First
Minister of the Crown, as an absolute certainty. We
only record a fact, for the truth of which we can vouch,
when we state that the Right Hon. Gentleman's most
intimate friends in the University of Oxford regard his
almost immediate accession to the Premiership, as being
as much a matter of certainty, as if it were already an
accomplished fact. It is right we should add, that a
noble lord is the prime mover in the cabal which has for
its object the ejection of Lord Palmerston from Premier-
ship, and the substitution of Mr. (xladstone. We could
enter more into details, but we do not think it expedient
to do so, in the present position of affairs.—Morning
Advertiser.

MR. LAYARD AND ADMIRAL DUNDAS.

The following correspondence has been forwarded to
us for publication :
"Little Ryder-street, Feb. 17.

"My dear Mr. Drummond,—l regret to find from the
statement you made in the House of Commons, and from
what you have told me to-day, that certain expressions in
a letter of mine, which was not intended for publication,
but which was printed in the ri»ZeB newspaper, have been
misinterpreted, and have, therefore, naturally caused
much pain to Admiral Dundas. We agree that there are
two points upon which that letter requires explanation.
In the first placo, I stated that Admiral Dundas, in a
letter which I had seen, rejoiced in the sinking of a part
of the Russian fleet. I admit that the letter to which I
alluded does bear tie construction which you now inform
me Admiral Dundas states he intended it to bear, and I
regret that I should have placed any other upon it. Se-
condly, with regard to any words which nay appear to re-
flect upon his personal courage or private character, I beg
distinctly to state that it was far from my intention to
reflect upon either, and that I alluded to his professional
conduct as Commander-in-Chief, and to what I considered
a reluctance to meet responsibility. I am sorry to learn
from you that my words should have been otherwise con-
strued by hien, and I willingly express my regret that
they should have caused him pain. I beg you will assure
Admiral Dundas that such aro ray sentiments, showing
him this letter, of which you may make any other use you
think fit.

" Believe mo, yours very truly,
" A.ll. LA.YARD.

" Henry Drummond, Esq., M.P."

" London Hotel, Albemarle-street, Feb. 17.

" My dear Drummond,—After the explanation you have
received from Mr. Layard, and which you have forwarded
to me, I have no desire to think more of the matter be-
tween that gentleman and myself.
" Yours faithfully,
" J. D. DU.NDAS.
" Henry Drummond, Esq., M.P."