The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-03 00:00:00

HALF-HOURS OF ENGLISH HISTORY.

Charles Knight.
Foremost among the most enterprising originators
and promoters of cheap literature, Charles Knight is
also conspicuous by the variety and value that dis-
tinguish his successive publications. Scarcely has
one important serial terminated than another of an en-
tirely different, and yet in some respects kindred
character, sprouts into existence. It has been thus
with these " Half-hours of English History"—an ad-
mirable series of selections, principally this month
from the classical writings of Bacon and Barante.

THE COUNTRY .HOUSE—T.HE PIGGERY.
By W. C. L. Marlin. Charles Knight.
Here again is an example of the correctness of our
foregoing remarks upon the efforts made by this dis-
tinguished publisher to supply the masses with cheap
and useful at well as entertaining periodicals. As an
important division of the country house, the piggery
is described by Mr. Martin with an exactitude that
reveals his complete mastery of the subject under
delineation. We regret that the delightful chapter
on the "Abattoirs des Cochous," given in the first
volume of Sir Francis Head's charming "Faggot of
French Sticks," could not have been quoted here in
the form of an appendix.

THE IMPERIAL CYCLOPJEDIA• Charles

Knight.
We are gratified to observe the continued success of
this important, and in many respects gigantic,
undertaking. The division now approaching its
completion is the one descriptive exclusively of the
British Empire, and from the skill with which the
compilation and condensation is conducted, it pro-
mises to render a masterly and national Gazetteer one
of the most conspicuous features of the " Imperial
CycloFtedia."

FROLIC AND FUN. London in 1851.
A grotesque series of plates, displaying more inge-
nuity of idea than felicity of execution. The artist
has carried out rather feebly his extravagant notions
of a charivari.

A CRACKER BON-BON. By Robert B.

Brough.
Mr. Brough, one of the most humorous of our
writers of burlesque, and Mr. Hine, one of the most
delightful but neglected of our caricaturists, have in
the little volume before us contributed largely to this
festive season of Christmas. Every one who wants a
good laugh will not be disappointed in the hope of
finding one on turning over the pages of this brochure.
Jokes, puns, quips, cranks, and all imaginable con-
ceits of a ludicrous character, are crowded into it as
" plentiful as blackberries." We don't exactly know
which to prefer for extravagance " King Alfred and
the Cakes," " William Tell," or " Orpheus and Eu-
rydice." They are all, equally—like the panto-
mimes, or rather like Adelphi farces, and Haymarket
extravaganzas—screamers. Then comes a piece en-
titled " Skates and Life"—the weakest joke in the
book, but still sufficiently ridiculous. After this we
hear in prose by no means prosy " How the Last
Act of Hamlet was written," a chapter we refer to
the serious consideration of either Mr. Charles
Knight or Mr. Payne Collier. Added to this
glimpse into the literary age of Elizabeth, is a
" Christmas Croak"—followed by a laughable group
of parodies, headed after the fashion of Leigh Hunt,
" A Pot of Preserves from Mount Parnassus."
The last of these we must amuse ourselves by ex-
tracting :
" Our concluding specimen is of a school whose pecu-
liarites baffle all attempts at definition, and whose repre-
sentation is confined at present to its founder—who is
himself confined at present (and likely to be for some
time) in the Hanwell Lunatic Asylum.
"No one can deny that its general adoption would
mark a new era in the history of our literature.

"SONG.
"'Tie sweet to roam when morning's light
Resounds across the deep;
And the crystal song of the woodbine bright
Hushes the rocks to sleep.
When the midnight sky has a sanguine dye,
Of a pale and inky hue;
And the wolf rings out, with a glittering about,
To-whit! to-whit! to-whoo I
" When the pearly wing of the wintry trees
Dashes along the glen;
And the laughing tint of the moss-grown cliff
Haunts the ethereal fen.
When, at burning noon, the bloodshot moon
Is bathed in crumbling dew;
And the wolf rings out, with a glittering shout,
To-whit! to-whit! to-whool"
The little volume is completed by a few " Popular
Notions of Popular Actors," relating the private his-
tory and individual peculiarities of such men as
Wright, Bland, 0. Smith, and Frank Matthews. The
illustrations, as we have intimated, are among the
drollest parts of the publication.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE COLOSSEUM. -- On
Thursday evening, about eight o'clock, a fatal accident oc-
curred to a man of the name of Thomas Foreman, an en-
gineer in employment at the Colosseum, Regent's-park, who
has been in the service of the proprietor many years. He
was engaged at the steam-engine which is erected for the
purpose of supplying water to the lakes adjoining the pre-
mises from the well, which is under the engine. He was in
the act of examining the indicator, which shows the depth of
the water in the lakes, when while doing so his foot slipped,
and he fell among the machinery. _At the moment the
crank, which was going at the rate of above thirty revolu-
tions a minute, struck the deceased on the left shoulder, and
knocked him down. The assistant-engfneer stopped the
engine, and deceased was taken out. Mr. Mott, surgeon,
who was sent for, promptly arrived, but life was then ex-
tinct. The unfortunate man, who was thirty-six years of
age, and who has left a widow and one child, had his left
arm disclocated from his shoulder, and his breast dreadfully
lacerated.
and that i
SALOON RAIL CAR.--The directors of the Boston
and New Haven Railroad (the land route to New York)
Our foreign policy is delivered from the superin,
have resolved upon attaching a saloon cit. to each train, so
ndence of Lord Palmerston, but our colonies are still aban-
constructed as to enable gentlemen to sit in groups, and in
which smoking is to be allowed. The carriages will be
tdeoned to the government of his old antagonist, Lord Grey.
placed on the road early in January.—Boston Paper.
The balance of power in the Cabinet has been destroyed by
STATE OF TRAFALGAR.SqUARE.—Being a frequent
the refooval of one of these competitors. Henceforth it
visitor to the metropolis, I have from time to time noticed
with regret the filthy-looking condition of Trafalgar-square,
if foreign
f deliveredoreign na t overio
ns
are in
double weight is to be
would seem that our colonial empire wa
proceeding from the leaky state of the ponds; and, upon
one occasion, saw work going forward that appeared to me fee simple to its present ruler,
the
p smalleve..
a desirable but vain attempt to make them perfectly sound.
laid on the shoulders of Lord Grey's
to be exempted from annoyance a
discontented subjects.
The same Parliament which sanctioned I
small would,
g uttutter
therefore,cu t
r ouud venturethe
baseto suggest geeasctb whetherpond
w would
uolrd
not
tt
aat
equally
the Athenian re-
quantity of escope to a few inches, instead of llo_wtng it to African and Australian extravaganc•
creations of Lord Palmerston has supported the
all events answer the present purpose tosurf
straggle, as it does at present, over the ies a Lord Grey,c and
be the Cabinet which has so long mum .
ment.— C. E. K. [Something effectual should at once hitherto remained patient of the otheurred at the one has
done here ; the present condition of the place is miserable. things never looked worse for the mother On the surface
r country or fairer
The cement pavement laid down as bands to the stone pave- for the Colonial-office. It has been per
confine
cea- of th.
went has failed entirely. Some particulars of its formation out murmur or remonstrance, to give, raitted, almost with-
might be usefuLas a warning.]— The Builder. to elude a constitution at the Cape, t
• 0 di
to resume, and finally
disgust our colonists,
ROYAL ORTHOPCEDIC HOSPITAL FOR THE CURE to expose our Government to contemptand
OF CLun 'FOOT, &C.—Yesterday afternoon a meeting of the to disgrace, and to squander our our arms
treasure. In Austral
committee of this valuable institution was held at the Board- it has been able to pledge and violate the word of a
room, in Bloomsbury-square, for the transaction of the ordi- British Minister, to rouse the codlonists to a sense of common
nary business of the charity. From the report it appeared injury and common danger, gm unite them into one common
that the number of patients applying for the cure of the most pact confederacy, whose professionsie of loyalty are far less
severe deformities had considerably increased, and upwards fervent than those under whe lour American colonies took
of-300 cases beyond the number the present hospital can ac- up arms. It has, as we havd 8 own, diverted the stream of
commodate were on the books, waiting their turn of admis- emigration from the foreign
.o.minions of the Queen to the
sion The cases admitting of operation and out-door treat- States of the American lier
thbile. If results such as these
ment had also increased to a considerable degree ; but there fad to rouse the attention o t e English public, the Colonial
being no hinderance (such as limited beds) to their immediate Minister may well deem tha o future miscarriage, however
relief, there was no difficulty in extending the benefits of the grave, can occasion him sp trouble here, and that though
charity to that class of patients. Strong hopes were ex- not exempt from the vicissitudes of party, and, therefore,
pressed that at no distant period the committee would be en- liable to fall with the Ministry of which he is a member, no
abled to afford the obviously needed extension of accommo- I amount of colonial discontent or Imperial disaster can curtail
dation - and it having been stated that funds were only his official career. If the colonists murmur, it is always easy
neededfor that desirable object, some routine business was to find a Governor to represent the malcontents as
transacted, and and the meeting separated. gogues and firebrands, as persons of bad character and broken
fortunes, and to procure addresses in a contrary sense from
STATE OF TRADE.—NOTTINGHAM, THURSDAY
Thediscreet and respectable men amenable to Government in-
usual characteristics of this festive season—the 1 oat
ain fluence. Should hostilities occur, who
-- total absence of b ' will
business—has prevailed during this week.
THE RIFLE BRIGADE.—D °VER.—Dover has been The town has scarcely triotic Minister a few millions to support the grudge
ofa pa-
_
forbeen visited. b. y any person in the
thronged with an influx of strangers to witness the departure shape of a customer British name and the splendour of the British arms?—Times.
prestige? Times.
any description of goods in either
of the Rifle Brigade,'ordered from this garrison to the Cape. trade; nevertheless, some in incurri
houses each trade are tolerably Even at the risk.of Dg the censure of the
The Duke and Duchess Dowager of Bedford, the Marquis of well employed with foreign orders,while many others have Times we must express our strongest disapprobation of the
Worcester, Lords Howe, Dartmouth, Radstock, General Sir scarcely anything to do.- The export busin for the last appointment a Lord Granville, upon those which
Alexander Woodford, and several military officers of high four months has not been nearly s(3 extensiveesass it wasan' 1 our sensitive contemporary considers it aierouirisi to
rank, with their families, are among those assembled. No I cipated it would be ; but a, consumption is going on as to refer. We allude of course to the piece
i and Popish
troops ever left this Country with more anxious and hearty heretofore in those Countries with which we trade, it fa f " t connexions of the Noble Lord. We believe that,underl3 all
air o . . .
wishes for their welfare and success. They embark iu the , presume that a large portion of ex, •' '1 es attending this t
appo,ntment, the fact of
Megvera steam troop-ship, now in those roads. putts set I fall to our share the ciriuneaanc
- this year, during which we wish our friends abundant sue_ those conhexions stamps the selection of Lord Granville
-
George Hammond Whaley, Es (1.) has been ap ass. The Prices of yarns are firm at previous rates.—Aot. 1 as one of treason to the cause of Protestantism and freedom
tin9honi Journal. I on the Continent of Europe.—ltera/d.
pointed Oollecter of Customs at Trinidad.

Sir Charles Fox, Dr. Cullen, Dr. Black, and Mr. Bal-
lard, bad an interview with Earl Granville at the Fo-
reign-office yesterday.
Dispatches were received at the Colonial-office yes-
terday, from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands, and from the Governor of Ceylon.
Dispatches were sent cif yesterday to the Governors
of the North American provinces.

CLOSING
PRICES.
216
97%
98%
70 jp
70 p
9674

59 p
59 p
CLOSIN 0
PRICES.

PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS. o=m
•
lrazilian Bonds, 5 per CenCent 95
Danish Bonds, 1825, 3 per Cent.
Ditto, 5 per cent.
per Ct., es Jan. Coups —
Ditto, Account
Peruvian Bonds. 5 per Cent...
Ditto, Deferred ........... , 47% 34
Sardinian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
S‘,.7l.tei. 5 Cent 1840
Ditto, Account
Ditto. Passive
Ditto. 3 per Cent
Ditto, New Deferred...
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Dutch 21,4 per Cent. 12 Guild....
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certifieatee