The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-29 00:00:00

SHIPPING—This Day.

LONDON, March 29.—Wind this day at noon—Squally
with rain ; 12.30, fine and clear, with strong breeze from
N. W.

(Er MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.)

GRAVESEND, Tuesday Morning.
Arrived, March 27—Citizen (steamer), from Bordeaux.
Sailed, March 29—Scotia, for St. John's, New Brune.
wick.

DELL, Tuesday Morning.
Anchored Monica, from Mauritius, for London—
Cleaver, from Shields, for Shanghae—Adler, Prussian bark,
from London, for Newport—Little Nell and Queen Ade-
laide of Ipswich, from the north, for the west—Horatio,
from Demerara, for Sunderland—lrena, from Cherbourg,
for Norway.

BLAKE, THE ARTIST, AND TOM PAINE.—In 1792
the artist proved, as he was wont to relate, the
means of saving Paine from the vindictive clutches of ex-
asperated "friends of order." Early in that year Paine
had published his second part of " The Rights of Man."
A few months later, county and corporation addresses
against "seditious publications" were got up. The Go-
vernment (Pitt's) answered the agreed signal by issuing a
proclamation condemnatory of such publications, and
commenced an action for libel against the author of " The
Rights of Man," which was to come off in September ; all
this helping the book itself into immense circulation.
The " Friends of Liberty" held their meetings too, in
which strong language was used. In September, a French
deputation announced to Paine that the Department of
Calais had elected him member cf the National Conven-
tion. Already as an acknowledged cosmopolitan and
friend of man, he had been declared a citizen of
France by the deceased Assembly, One day in' this
giving at Johnson's an idea
aPtoariyneelwoqausence he had poured forth at a
of the previous night. Blake, who was pre-
ospafumbthleiecmininofienaethmting m,
pre-
sent, silently interred from the tenor of his report that those
in power, now eager to lay hold of noxious persons, would
certainly not let slip such an opportunity. On Paine's
ohui
mm
ouf
ts t
onno thgi
so
whaoymteo,
Fo rr
aynocueare
ha
tdheeard
hmea
w49'
rising to leave, Blake laid his hands on the orator's shoulder,
saying,a
hurried
now, in any case bound, to take his seat as French legisla-
tor. By the time Paine was at Dover, the officers were in
his house, or, as his biographer Mr. Cheetham designates
it, his "lurking hole in the purlieus of London ;" and some
20 minutes after the Custom House officials at Dover had
turned his slender baggage with, as he thought, extra
melee, and he had set sail for Calais, an order was received
from the Home-ollice to detain hitn. England never saw
Tom Paine again, New perils awaited him : reign of terror
and near view of the guillotine—an accidentally open door
and a chalk mark on the wrong side of it proving his salve-
tion. But ano less serious one had been narrowly escaped
from the English Tories. Those were hanging days'
Blake, on this occasion, showed greater sagacity than
Paine. whom, indeed, Fuseli affirmed to be more ignorant
of the common affairs of life than himself even. Spite Of
unworldliness and visionary faculty, Blake never wanted
for prudence and sagacity in ordinary matters.—Gilchrist s
Life of William Blake.
ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.—Iire are informed
that the lessee of Her Majesty's Theatre generously
intends (in the course of the present season) placing his
theatre and the services of all his artists at the disposal of
the directors of the Royal Academy of Music, for the pur-
pose of a grand performance in aid of the funds of that most
meritorious national ins:itution ; on which occasion Mr.
Mapleson purposes to introduce to the public any of the
Pupils, vocal or instrumental, that the professors of the
iloyal Academy of blusic may deem sufficiently advanced
in their studies. We have reasons for believing that Mr.
Mapleson's kind interest in the professional welfare of the
pupils of this establishment will by no means be limited to
this special occasion.