The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-01 00:00:00

THE POLISH QUESTION.

The following is the text of the article in the
Neue Preusszsche (lireuz) Zeigung which ha at-
tracted attention as indicating a wish on the part of
Prussia to abandon the Russian alliance, and seek
that of the Western Powers and Austria :
If it be desired to appreciate justly the actual phase of the
Polish question, one must remember first of all the situation
in which Russia found herself when the insurrection broke
out. Then it might be believed that the Polish movement
would be accompanied and supported by great internal trou-
bles in Ru• sia. But this hope, which was shared, perhaps,
by some of the brave people on the banks of the Thames,
has been completely falsified, and, on the contrary, the
Russian Government finds in the enthusiasm of the people
a basis of action as well as the obligation of repelling the
desire of the Western Powers.

In this is the explanation of the inconsistency of the
English Cabinet, which has never desired war, but which
hoped to arrive at the same end by simple threats. Besides
England more than ever is interested in reference to the
American crisis in carefully regulating its relations with
Russia, and would be the first to suffer from the blockade of
Russian ports. In addition to that England is too practical
to back up France, which, as has been said, would wish to
break the peace of Europe, in appearance for Poland, but
in reality with very different objects in view. The old Lord
Firebrand would also appear to know very well that, ac-
cording to his own expression, Austria is less disposed than
ever to throw a spark among the combustible elements in
Europe.

The more the situation turns in our favour by force of
circumstances, the more we consider it as an urgent task of
Prussian policy to seek in this direction a greater associa-

tion and an understanding with Austria. and particularly
with England. Russia alone is not for ns an ally altogether
sufficient, or altogether to be depended on. If we persist
much longer in the reserve now maintained our position will
be more and more compromised and deprived of influence,
so much the more as the final object of some politicians
would very well:extend to the isolation of Prussia in Europe
and in Germany, and placing it in a situation like that in
which Austria found herself at the time of the Italian war.

Generally it would be well to bring the case of the king-
dom of Italy to the recollection not only of Russia, but of
Italy itself. The consequences which France seeks actually
to draw from Poland in respect to Russia would not be
spared to others in other directions. Is the actual repre-
sentative of Prussia at London fit for the exigencies of the
situation I

The Archaeological Institute of Great Bri.

taro and Ireland.

The sections of Architecture and Early and Mediaeval
Antiquities resumed their sittings in the Guidhall, Roches-
ter, yesterday morning, when the chair was occupied by the
Marquis Camden, K.C. Notwithstanding that the Institute
has been engaged in its sittings at Rochester the entire week,
the proceedings appear to increase in interest, and yesterday,
the fourth day of the congress, witnessed the largest at-
tendance of any day since the Institute has assembled for
its annual meeting. Among the noblemen and gentry pre-
sent yesterday were Earl Amherst, the Bishop of Oxford,
the Bishop of Gibraltar, Lord Talbot de Malahide, Lord
Neaves, Professor Stanley, the Earl of Darnley, the Dean
of Peterborough, the Provost of Oriel, the Rev. Dr. Griffith,
Mr. D. Wilson (Toronto), Mr. Gilbert Scott, Sir R. Kirby,
Sir Sibbald Scott, Col. Pinney, M.P., Sir John Boileau,
Mr. W. W. E. Wynn, M.P., and Sir S. Glyn, Bart- A
French savant, in the person of Mr. A. Maury, specially
deputed b., the Emperor of the French to attend the con-
gress, was also present, his Majesty having directed that
distinguished archwologist to attend the meetings of the
Institute for the purpose of hearing the paper by Dr. Guest,
Master of Gonville and Caine College, on "The landing of
Julius Caesar in England." The paper, however, was read
on Wednesday, before the arrival of M. Maury, At the
sitting of the section yesterday the first paper was read by
the Very Rev. Dr. Hook, F.R.S , Dean of Chichester, on
"The Life and Times of Gundulph, Bishop of:Rochester."
In an exceedingly interesting paper, Dr. Hook traced with
remarkable fullness the history of this prelate and his con-
nexion with Rochester, the see of which he held from 1077
till 1107, a portion of which period he was de facto Arch-
bishop of Canterbury, after the death of his friend and patron
Lanfranc. Gundulph, however, is principally known as the
builder of the White Tower of London, the Castle at Roches-
ter, and Mailing Abbey. The theory of his having built
Rochester Cathedral is now abandoned by archaeologists,
Dr. Hook being of opinion that he only erected a very small
portion of that edifice—namely, the crypt—while there are
no reliable grounds for deeming him the builder of Roches-
ter Castle. This remarkable prelate, more, perhaps, than
any other individual of the time, stamped his character on
the age in which he lived. At the close of the paper, the
Bishop of Oxford proposed a vote of thanks to the Rev. Dr.
Hook, many of the incidents in whose life his Lordship
gracefully compared with those in the life of Gundulph.
The next paper was read by Mr. J. H. Parker, F.S.A., on
" Gundulph considered as an Architect." This was to have
been followed by a paper by the Rev. W. Stubbs, M.A., on
"The Early History of the See of Rochester, more particu-
larly in its relations to that of Canterbury," but in the ab-
sence of Mr. Stubbs a paper was read by Mr. W. H. Black,
F.S.A., on the remarkable manuscript work known as the
" Textusßoffensis," which is still preserved in the Cathedral
library at Rochester, a manuscript well known to the lite-
rary world. Mr. Black's paper exhibited considerable re-
search into the history of the work, the authorship of which
has given rise to a considerable amount of conjecture, many
contending that it was the work of Ernnlph, who died in.
1124, while others deem that Bishop Aecelin w.as
author. Mr. Black, however, is disposed eelve its
authorship to Humphrey, precentor of the Cathedhral,
who lived in the 12th century, and who was the author
of several documents now preserved in the
Briti
Museum. The remaining paper was that boyf PRroofoehsseosr.
Willis, on " The Architectural Hist,o,,
g history
was a most
ter Cathedral and Conventual B
valuable contribution to the Instinitluataielosaon.ndtwofash2ltooorkeesdt, for-
wardthe to with some considerable amount
delivered his address
Guildhall in which Professor Wi •
Professor Willis entirely
being exceedingly crowddei h
to having erected the Ca-
ignores the'claire of Gun_ P
ving
beyond dispute that it
thedral, the building itself P
r°
was erected by different individuals at different periods.
There is little doubt that the whole Cathedral was formerly
but the only portion of Norman now
of the Norman style,
remaining is the nave,
the re
wa nh
idoehr etei nwg a
eo f thediearlyspeeed
toEng-
lishstyle. The only portionas the crypt,
Gundulphbut " certainly not
another stone.
The Norman portion of the Cathedral he
"
was disposed consider as topossibly erected by
Bil
who built the crypt at Canterbury, as well asraupiPohr-'
don of Peterborough Cathedral, when be was abbot,
before his removal to Rochester. He was inclined to be-
lieve that the early English portion of the Cathedral was
built by William de Hoo, and that the choir was erected out
of the offerings at the shrine of St. William, who was mur-
dered by his servant when on a pilgrimage to the Holy
Land, being afterwards interred in Rochester
and subsequently canonised by the Pope, Two
Cathedral,bishops,St.
Paulinus, who came with St.
Augustine to England, and
Ithamar, the first English Bishop of Rochester, who died in
655, were also buried in the Cathedral, thus showing the
antiquity of the building to be very remote. In the after-
noon Professor Willis conducted a party of between 200 and
300 of the nobility and gentry over the Cathedral, when he
lucidly explained the various styles of architecture which
cot/Tubed the building, and pointed out the internal evidence
which it contained of having been erected at different,
periods. The party were also conducted into the crypt, where

are still to he seen some portions of the old Saxon edifice, as
well as the yart cf the buiiding attributed to Gundulph.
The other points of chief interest visited were the fine choir,
the magnificent chapter-room, St. William's shrine, St.
Edward's Chapel, the tomb of Bishop Merton, the founder
of Merton College, Oxford, and other portions of the edifice,
together with all the remains standing of the adjoining
cloisters and conventual establishments. Professor Willis
was occupied nearly two hours in conducting the visitors
through the Cathedral, every portion of which calling for
any remark was lucidly explained. The meeting of the
sections was to bo resumed at half-past 8 last evening, when
papers would be ready by Mr. R. Morris on "The Dialect
of Bent in :Early,Times;" "Remarks on Old Rochester-