The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-21 00:00:00

ANCIENT LONDON.—The marvellous transforms-

Lions that have been effected by railways in London
during the past few years, render it of no small importance
to gather up every scrap of topographical lore while a few
sites remain that are dear to history and the Muses. It is
but the other day that we heard of the destruction of
Milton's residence in Barbican. Now we hear that Gold-
smith's residence in Green Arbour-court must share the
same fate. With such changes going on around us, it is
gratifying to learn that " Aleph," the gifted author of
" London Scenes and London People," has a companion
volume in the press, the title of which is " The Old City,
and its Highways and Byeways." We hear that the
forthcoming work will be rich in personal reminiscences of
historical sites and sketches of remarkable places and per-
sonages, which more or less reflect upon us the light of
other days from-the great Old City.
THE BURGLARY AND ROBBERY AT LORD ASH-
BURNHAM'S IN 1861.—N0 doubt the circumstances
of this robbery will be remembered by our readers, as it
created considerable interest in the neighbourhood of Battle.
The perpetrator, who it would appear had been in the ser-
vice of Lord Ashburnham about 18 years ago, obtained an
entrance by a window overlooking the churchyard and made
his way to the small drawing-room where were the articles
in question which he carried away, viz., two silver• gilt em-
bossed
goblets, one silver-gilt embossed inkstand (containieg
two ink-bottles), one silver-gilt embossed stand for pen-
wiper, and one gilt circular match box. He got off safely
with the plunder, and was not discovered at the time, but
was shortly after arrested on another charge, and sentenced
to penal servitude at Bodmin, in Cornwall. Owing to the
indefatigable exertions of Supetintendent Thompson, he
was traced to the convict prison at Portland (from which
he was released on Thursday last), and was immediately
arrested on this charge by Mr Thompson. Ho was brought
up at the Magistrates' clerk's office, in Battle, on Saturday
afternoon last. His names were said to be Richard Dreaeon
alias Richard Draydon, alias Robert Davis, alias Drayton,
alias Drearden, After evidence had been heard, the pri-
soner on being called on for his defence, said, " I have
nothing to say." He was fully committed for trial at the
next quarter sessions.—Surrey Standard.
A RUSSIAN INCENDIARY FIRE.—A great incen-
diary fire in Russia is reported by Mr Percy

Ffrench, of Monivea Castle, county of Galway, who, in a
letter to the limes, extracts a description of the fire, writ-

ten by his father-in-law, from Simbirsk, where the disaster
occurred. The place was burning for three days, and on
the 21bt of August the whole place was in ruins; tho cathe-

dral, the churches, the House of Assembly of the nobles,
with its magnificent library, the house of the governor, all
the courts of justice, with their archives, &c. In
feet, a great town, inhabited by thirty thousand people,
was entirely destroyed. No one, he says, can possibly
have an idea of the horror of tho spectacle, On the 10th,
when the fire was burning its fiercest, his country house,
about a mile and a half from the town, was besieged by burnt-
out families, weeping mothers and children,asking for shelter
and a bit of bread. The ladies established themselves in the
aparlments and the gentlemen formed themselves into a guard
for the whole night, because the fire was not an accident, bu t
the result of a horrible plot. The cathedral, the House of
Assembly, and the governor's hotel had been undermined, and
the explosion was terrible. The exasperated people took
justice into their own hands, and they geized in the act the
Poles serving in the regiments stationed there. The troops
and the people were thus brought into opposition, two
officers and many soldiers were killed, and more serious
troubles were feared. The nobles, to whom the
best part of the town belonged, having been already im-
poverished by the recent reforms, have nothing with
which to rebuild their houses. Some families are entirely
ruined. The Princess X. has saved nothing but what she
had on; her wardrobe, lace, diamonds, Sc 3,, everything has
been burnt. The incendiaries had taken to the surrounding
villages, and had already fired some of them, so that he and
his peasants were keeping a careful watch. The day before
the letter was despatched passed off quietly, and the people
employed themselves in gathering together the dead, of
which there were a good number,