The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-01 00:00:00

THE FUNDS.

The most important arrival is the Mexican packet,
which brings a freight of eleven hundred thousand dol-
lars, merchants' account. There was no news of any
importance when the above packet left Vera Cruz.
By the Lisbon mail all was quiet in the above ca-
pital, and no news of consequence communicating.
The settling of the Foreign Account yesterday went
off better than was generally anticipated ; very.- large
amounts of Spanish and Portuguese Stocks have been
carried over for the next account, and for which enor-
mous interests have been paid.
Consols opened this morning at the quotations they
left off at yesterday, 908 4 for Money, and 904 sellers
for the Account ; Exchequer Bills at 6 3 dis. ; Bank
Stock, for the opening, 186 187 ; India Stock, 247
249 ; India Bonds, nothing done as yet.
In the Foreign Market, Spanish Active closed at 808
318, but after the House was shut it receded to 304 i,
opened. this morning with a further decline, 291 1 ;
Portuguese left off at 351 1, opened lower 341 35 ;
Brazilian, 73 74, ex div. ; Danish, 73 74, ex div. ;
Dutch Two- and-a-Half per Cents, 531 i ; Five per
Cents. 1001 / ex div. ; Columbian, 301 311 ; Mexi-
can, 31 32 ; Spanish Passive, 741 ; Ditto Deferred,
14N.
-PftICES OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Bank Stock — ( India Stock —
5 per Cent. Red. — Ditto Bonds
3 per Cent. Cons. nok 90!i4 South Sea Stock
3 per Cent — i Old Annuities —
Ditto Red. -
New 3y; per Cent 97% %,% Xi 3 per Cent. Annuities, 1751
New 5 per Cent.
Bank Long Annuities toexpi re Ditto 500. 3 5 die
Jan. 5, 1860........... ...... Ditto Small . . 2 5 1 dis
Oct. 10, 1859 - Ditto Commercial — dis
Jars. 5, 1860. -- Ditto Advertised
Jan. 5, 1680 - Bank Stock for Account ...
April 5, 1881$ — India Stock for Account ..•
Jan. 5. 1870 ,-- Consos for Account...... 90,,,, IA %
PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Austrian Bonds — Peruvian Bonds
Belgian Bonds - Ditto Account —
Ditto Account
Errazilian Bonds
Ditto Account
Buenos Aytes Bonds
Ditto Account
Chilian Bonds
Dtto Accon~
Columbian Bonds
—, Ditto Account . ...
Ditto Account ? Ditto Metallic..
Columbian Bonds, 1824.... —, Spanish Bonds... 301 29,63, 434-
Ditto Account 313. , Ditto Account. 3,,t4 !di Vi, 30
Danish Bonds
% Ditto Account —l Def rred 7ls
1 ,
Greek Bends 1 French, 5 pet cent...

Ditto Bonds, 182.5 —l ~ . eiit.
~
--- 4 per cent —f. —c.
Ditto Account -- 3 pee cent
Mexican Bonds, 5 per Cent. ---- Exchange. -1. —c
. —f. —c
Ditto .account
Ditto, 6 per Cent —, Ditto Account 537
Ditto Account ...........,31 % , Ditto, 5 per cent 1001,,0g
Neapolitan. „ —...• Ditto Acc0unt..............

ShAREA THIS DA AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Paid. Per share

British North American Bank

HALF-PAST ONE.

Although the settlement of the Foreign Account is
over, money continues scarce, and in demand. In the
British Market it obtains at the rate of 9 per cent. on
Consols for next Friday. . _

A report prevails of a change in the Portuguese
Ministry, and that Palmella has been appointed ; at
present we can only state it as a rumour.
The packet ship Montreal waited until four o'clock,
p.m., to bring answers to letters carried out by the
Great Western steamer.
Consols may be quoted at present, 90t- for Account,
not quite so good as in the early part of the morning ;
Money 90* ; Exchequer Bills, 43 5 ; India Bonds,
13 6 discount.

In the Foreign Market little doing. Spanish Active
reached 30i, at present 30 ; Portuguese 35 36 ;
Three per Cents. 24; Colombian 311 ; Mexican, 31i ;
Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents. 54 ; Five per Cents.,
100 k ex. div. ; Spanish Passive, 7-2, ; Deferred 14.

BAGS OF WIND.—We witnessed an interest-
ing experiment, this forenoon, on board the revenue
cutter Hamilton, Capt. Sturgis, which was intended to
illustrate the practicability of raising a vessel by
means of cylindrical bags, placed under her bottom
and filled with atmospheric air. The bags were each
of large size, capable of containing 2,500 cubic feet of
air. They were confined by means of ropes passing un-
der the keel, and afterwards filled by two forcing-pumps
propelling the air through tubes into the cylindrical
floats. The bags were made of three parts of stout
cotton canvas, made air and water tight by means of
India rubber, and were prepared by Mr. Howard, of Rox-
bury, under the direction of the inventor, Mr. M'Kean.
The cutter was raised considerably by this process, but
the floats were made for a larger vessel, and when in-
flated, a large portion of them rose above the water.
The utility of this apparatus, thus adopting a well-
known principle in pneumatics to a practical use, must
be obvious to every one. It will enable vessels with
large draughts of water to pass over barred harbours,
as New Orleans, Mobile, Ocracoke inlet, Szc., without
,ightening. It may be used, also, with advantage
sunk ntag; toin
various other purposes, as raising
.
several fathoms of water,
B:c_
Boastolvtess Mercantile
Journal.
Journal.

MAGAZINE DAY.

BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.

Maga contains much useful and agreeable reading
this month ; and among other novelties, introduces
us to an Austrian dramatist, the Baron Von Zed-
litz, who, it seems, " was originally in the army,
and served in the war of 1809, under the Prince of
Hohtnzollern ; was present at the battles of Ratis-
bon, Aspern, and Wagram ; and was afterwards
appointed Imperial Chamberlain ; but, nvrrving in
1810, withdrew from the army, and devoted himself
to literw ure." The Baron is the author of many
successful poems and plays; and we learn, for the
first time, that it is to his pen we are indebted for the
ballad entitled " Napoleon's Midnight Review,"
which we well remember reading in translation, and
which struck us asbeing fully equal, in the wild, dar-
ing vigour of its conception, and the ghastly and
high-wrou,,:it character of its descrptions, to Bur-
oe's tar-famed " Leon Ore." In the article hetore us,
e have a clever critical no ice, accompanied by a
translation of several of the best pa,ages, of the-
:lrarna, " Torquato Tasso, or the Prison and the
Crown," in w Inch Von Zediiiz displays much more
of the fancy of the poet, than the skill of the
dramatist. Of the accuracy of the version we
cannot presume to spea!r —not having the slight-
est acquaintance with tha original—hut the
style is spirited and graceful ; and we are will-
iig to believe that it is correct. "On the
feigned madness of Hamiet"—that ferta9 theme
which has given rise to so iiikh discussion—the
writer evinces considerable 111.ditness and inge-
nuity. as theory may be discovered in the fol-
lowing passage :
_ _ .

" For ' this feigned madness," writes Dr. Johnson,
" there appears no adequate cause, for he does nothing
which he might not have done with the reputation of
sanity." The feint is not quite so unconnected with the
plot as the worthy doctor would here represent it. One
very manifest putpoae of adopting such a disguise, was to
obtain access to the King in some moment of unguarded
privacy, when Hamlet could with certainty accomplish his
revenge, or task of retribution. The rambling of a maniac
over all parts of the palace, and at all hours, would ex-
cite no suspiciorF; and thus an opportunity might be
afforded him of striking the fatal blow. And this end is in
some measure answered; for we may attribute to this
counterfeit of insanity, that be actually lights upon the
King in his chamber while he is kneeling alone and at
his prayers ; and thus an opportunity is given of exe-
cuting his revenge, which may not the less advance the
piece because it is not taken advantage of. But, though
not altogether unconnected with the plot, this pretended
insanity effects so little, and is so carelessly sustained, that
it might be censured as a bungling contrivance, if it had
not a still more intimate connexion with the character and
temper of Hamlet himself. It is in him rather than in the
plot that the sufficient reason of this disguise is to be de-
tected. A very slight prospect of ad iantage, or show of
palicy, was enough to lead him to adopt a stratagem which
Accorded well with the over-excited and turbulent con-
dition of his thoughts. FA' these some disguise was, at
all events, to be found—Some concealment from the ob-
servation of men ; and to wear the wild mask of insanity
was not more toils: ma to his spirit, more burdensome and
'oppressive, than to support that other counterfeit of a
smooth, unruffled, and contented aspect.
We do not hold with this theory, dexterously as
it is argued, but agree with Goethe, who has com-
mented on Hamlet's peculiar idiosyncrasy with the
keenness and subtlety of the metaphysician and the
line fancy of the poet, that the Royal Dane's in-
sanity is not assumed, but, on the contrary, is the
natural result of a burden laid upon a mind too
weak to bear it. The character of Hamlet's task
it will be remembered, was such as required vast
energy and decision of mind ; but to these qualities
ne had no pretension, being wholly of a contemp-
lative and vacillating tutu ; hence he is constantly
i)utting off the evil day, reasoning and musing
when he should be acting ; ever convinced that he
must perpetrate the solemn act of retribution which
engrosses all his thoughts, yet ever shrinking from
it ; till at last the a(!itation of his mind fairly breaks
!fowl) his reason, and he becomes a decided lunatic.
As the simplest and most obvious solution of a
difficult'; that has puzzled so inaily wise heads, we
accept this interpretation of Goethe's as the genuine
one. Others have beat about the bush, but he
conies strait to the point. We should like to hear
Christopher North on this subject. The introduc•
tory portion of this Essay on Hamlet, speaks of
the character of Julius C2esar as being " pompous
and starched"—a " rhomontade figure." Surely
this is not the case ! Has the writer no recollec-
tion of the famous passage, which shows a marked
individuality of character, beginning with "cowards
die many times before their death ;'' of the equally
striking " thrice is he armed that bath his quarrel
just ;"and of the reflections
6. Let me have men about me that are fat ;
Sleek- headed fools, and such as sleep o' nights.
You Cassius bath a lean and hungry look,"
. . .

which are so exquisitely appropriate in the mouth
of a tyrant who is aiming at unlimited despotism,
and does not choose to have those keen-sighted
politicians about him, who may penetrate his ulte-
rior views ? We quote these passages, imperfectly
we fear, from memory ; but had we a Shakspeare
lying by us to refer to, we doubt not we could find
many additional proofs that Julius Caesar, though
he fills but a small space in the play that goes by
his name, was anything but a mouthing, pompous,
common-place character. " Picture Exhibitions"
shows an intimate acquaintance with the fine arts.
Some of the remarks are, however, too dogmatical,
and thrown off in too hasty a spirit. " Ten Thou-
sand a Year" exhibits promise, but it is crude and
ill-digested. If a thing is worth doing, it is worth
doing well, even for a Monthly Magazine. The
author, who is, we suspect, a novice, and therefore
should be treated gently, fatally overdoes his theme.
He shows more foliage than'fruit. But there is
good stuff in him nevertheless. " State Trials" is
a delightful article ; but our limits will not allow us
to enlarge on it as it deserves.