The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-29 00:00:00

SELF-LOVE and
'2 Vols. Shoberl.

This work is not Ono of the ordinary class of

novels, it is more calculated to interest the thoughtful

and philosophical than to attract the admirers of start-
ling incidents or romantic tales. The hero, as may
be supposed, is Irish, and the events described take
place in Ireland. Led away by a prospect of imme-
diate benevolence, he coaeents to allow a Unitarian
chapel to be built on his grounds, and even superin-
tends the progress of the building and its opening
ceremonial. These mistaken ideas of tolerance he
afterwards regrets, bu', they involve him in many
trials, and cause great sfiliction to his mother, Mrs.
More. This lady is, in fact, the heroine of the tale,
the chief part of the first volume being devoted to
her conversations with her friends on moral, and even
theological subjects ; her idea of self-love is not
that which is generally meant as selfishness, but an
exalted standard of personal duty, which she believes
should be considered before any advantage to others.
There is much depth of thought in her arguments,
and real piety, which contrasts forcibly with the infi-
delity and malignity of Mr. Scheiling, the Unitarian,
who is Cathal More's evil genius. The description
of the fearful sufferings of the poor during the time
of the potato disease is awful from its reality. The
following extract is from a conversation between Mrs.
More and her son
And is it not better to bo of use to men than to
spend one's days in idle dreams about the nature of
thieg,?'
'" There is a cant now-a-days, about benefiting man-
kind, which Ido not at all admire. We are apt to for-
get that each man is born to look after himself, and not
after other people.'
" And would you have selfishness govern the world?'
"'Not selfishness, but self love, which is often opposed
to selfishness. Selfishness is, I think, to our animal
nature what self-love is to that part of us which is im-
mortal; the one considers the interest of the soul, the
other grasps at a momentary gratification of the body.'
"' But it is the interest of the soul to be virtuous; it is
virtuous to assist others, therefore self-love leads us to
philanthropy.'
" And so it does, as long as philanthropy is a virtue;
but when the desire to be of use to others jars with any
eduty of our own it ceases to be so.'
" ' I do not understand you, mother; you say one is
to help others in one breath, and in the next that it is
wrong. How can benevolence be wrong?'
"' I mean that it is right to do good to others when
it does good to ourselves, and wrong when it injures
ourselves.'

" ' But, do you know, notwithstanding what you have
said, that sounds very selfish?'
"' No! because by ourselves I mean our whole selves,
our future as well as our present interests.'
"' And so you think we may overlook our own duties
to ourselves from excessive philanthropy ?'
" Exactly.'
" Then you place our duty to ourselves abctve our
duty to others.'
"'Yes; every gift, every faculty we possess, is given to
us to help ourselves, and each man's occupation is solely
to advance his real interests. Our duty to others is
contained in our duty to ourselves, but it is secondary,
though the two always harmonize.' "

NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
SEPT. 27.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—Soon after one o'clock on
Saturday morning a destructive fire broke out at the
upper end of Pile-street. The two borough engines
were soon on the spot, but it was some time before
they could be effectively worked for want of water,
as the turncock could not be found, and when he
came considerable further delay occurred in finding
the fire•plug. Fortunately there was very little
wind, and a good supply of water for one engine was
obtained from one of the town pumps. The powerful
barrack engine was brought by the troops, and as
soon as the water was laid on an immense quantity
was thrown on the burning buildings, three houses
being by that time in flames, all of which were even-
tually destroyed with their stock and furniture. The
sufferers are Mr. Reason, of the " Brown Jug," and
Messrs. Cole and Jolliffe, cabinet makers and up-
holsterers, the whole of whose vast and valuable
stock fell a prey to the devouring element; and it is
stated that they were only insured to a trifling
amount (5001.).
FALL OF PART OF THE CLIFF NEAR ST. LAW-
RENCE, ISLE OF WIGHT.-0a Sunday morning a
part of the cliff at Old Park fell, blocking up the
road along the undercliff between Ventnor and
Sandrock. The four-horse coach that runs from
Cowes to Blackchine and Ventnor was obliged yes-
terday to make a road through the meadows, the main
and only road along the undercliff being blocked up
by the stone and chalk which had fallen. A number
of men are employed removing the debris, but it will
be some time before the road will be again passable
for carriages. These landslips often take ,place in
the winter, but we:have no recollection of any former
one of this extent occurring at this season of the year.
Cowes and the island generally were never known
to be so full of company at this period of the year as
it is now. _ _ _

The corn harvest is at length finished, much of the
wheat having been carried in a very bad condition.
The farmers have been paying their men such low
wages that they could not get their work done ; a
little more liberality and all would have been well
saved. _ . .

A SfORT FOR THE CURIOUS.—On Saturday night,
the 18th instant, Solomon Danford, a labouring man,
in the employ of W. M. Dansey, Esq., of Egypt
House, was at Williams's beer-shop. Just before
eleven o'clock be went out, leaving his basket behind,
and did not return. On the following day search
was made for him to no purpose, fears being enter-
tained that he bad walked overboard; the steam-boat
docks at the Fountain-wharf were dragged for the
body, but without success. The brother's faith led
him in another direction, and he went to Portsmouth
to a certain cunning man, to consult him as to what
had become of his lost brother, when he was told that
" he had been dragged away by three men, and that
he was then on the sea, but not in the sea, and that
he would hear from him in seven days, if he was not
on an island." The stupid fellow returned perfectly
satisfied, but could not so easily satisfy others ; the
woods round the town were searched, and the harbour
dragged. A man in the Preventive service, stationed
on the Fountain-wharf, declared that if the body was
to be found that he could find it in a very short time
if he had a loaf of bread baked in a tin. The loaf was
procured hot, a hole cut in it, and three ounces of
quicksilver put into it, it was then put in a small raft,
and so placed on the water that the wind would blow
it into the dock, the man declaring that if the body
was in the dock the loaf would be attracted to it, and
where the loaf stopped there the body would be found.
The loaf stopped at the head of the stage, but the tide
was then too high to touch the bottom with the boat's
oar ; this was between ten and eleven o'clock, at
twelve the tide had fallen considerably, and he tried
to find the body with his boat's oar. Some say he
lifted the body up, others that it rose on the loaf's
stopping ; but others that the Medina steam-vessel
arrived at the stage at twelve o'clock, and the motion
of her paddles caused the body to float. Certain it is,
that it was near where the loaf stopped against the
stage, which is a very curious coincidence. The cir-
cumstance has caused no trifling comment.

COURT CIRCULAR.
BALI ORAL, MONDAY.
The inclemency of the weather prevented her Ma-
eaty from attending Divine service yesterday.

The Earl of Beverley had an interview with Mr.
Secretary Walpole yesterday, at the Home-office.
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colo-
nial.office from the Governor of St. Helena.