The Sun.
London, England, 1839-09-20 00:00:00

LAFONT.

Among contemporary artists, none have enjoyed
greater popularity than the illustrious violinist Lafont,
whose death we announced in our last number. He
has maintained a reputation pure and unquestioned for
more than thirty years, through all the inevitable dis.
orders and temporary infatuations which have marked
this period of musical progress. He has not obtained
it by those manasuvres of convention to which so many
eminent men of the present day owe their celebrity and
the high position which they occupy ; but it has been
established by means, perfectly in accordance with the
noble and simple character of the man whose loss we so
deeply regret. Whence then is the origin of a glory
now, alas r extinguished ? for, it is but too true, that in
these times humble talent cannot of itself overcome all
obstacles.

The violinist, Lafont, was not only a great artist,
placed by his persevering studies foremost in the rank,
he was also an intelligent man, heightening by the
dignity of his manners his claims to the title of artiste ;
thus, in Germany, in England, in Italy, in Russia—in
fact, wherever traces of him were found, he has nobly
represented the art and the French name ; and public
opinion has bestowed a large portion of esteem on the
man who never gathered a wreath, during the whole
course of his travels, without rendering homage to his
country.

Charles Phillipe Lafont, born at Paris, Ist De-
cember, 1791, was the son of Jean Lafont, who filled
the situation of assistant in the Post-office, and not an
advocate to the Parliament at Toulouse, which has
heretofore been the general belief. The sister of Ber-
theaume, who gave him his first lessons on the violin,
was his stepmother; upon this epoch of his life many
errors have been committed by the greater part of his
biographers, however, in later years, he became the
pupil of Kreutzer and of Rode, and completed his
musical education by an European tour, in the progress
of which he came in contact with the most eminent
masters ; his reputation was already so established,
that on meeting Paganini in Italy, he feared not to
compete with this king of the violin, a king without
subjects and without inheritance.
In 1815, the duties to which Lafont was called, in
his situation of chamber musician to Louis XVIIIth,
and those which a few years after engaged him in the
services of the Duchess of Berri, put an end to the
long pilgrimage of the art he had undertaken ; he ap-
peared at all the principal concerts of the capital with
the success a vigorous study must always ensure.
An old friendship is said to have existed between
Lafont and Henri Herz ; the conduct of the latter,
under the most melancholy circumstance, his grief,
his pious cares, all speak more than words can.
For a long time M. Henri Herz had resisted his
friend's entreaties to accompany him to Cauterets, and
when, at last, he consented, he wrote on his tablets,
facing this memorandum, " depart pour Bourdeaux,"
the following words, so cruelly justified,"funeste pre-
sentiment." Providence sometimes endows mankind
with a foresight of his mysterious will, and we cannot
help bitterly deploring that the prophetic misgivings of
M. Henri Herz did not deter the unfortunate Lafont
from proceeding on this last artistical peregrination.
Lafont has left two sons, both of them attaches to
the Minister for Foreign Affairs. His musical works,
consisting of concertos, solos for the violin, &c., have
obtained great popularity, and are much in vogue
throughout all Europe.—Musical IVorld.

44 RADICAL' AND TORY MAGISTRATES.—
The Bolton Free Press contains an article in reference
to the attacks originally made upon the Radical Magistrates
of that borough, for an alleged want of vigour and promp-
titude in repressing the riots springing out of the" national
hiliday," but which seem likely to resolve themselves into
charges, and very serious charges too, against a Tory Ma-
gistrate for the county, who, even taking his own account
of the matter, does not appear to have acted with any re-
markable degree of vigour or judgment. Indeed, as far as
we can gather from the evidence at present before us, the
two cases of Birmingham and Bolton are pretty much
alike. In each a Tory Magistrate has information of the
existence of a riot, and has military at hand or within call,
end in each case he chooses to wait until one of the much-
vilified " Radical" Magistrates comes to help him, When
we couple with these proceedings the course taken by the
Tory Justices at Rochdale, and the way in which the sup-
pression of the disorderly proceedings in this town and
neighbourhood was left entirely to the borough justices,
we cannot help wondering at the folly and assurance which
dictated the charges recently made In Parliament and else-
where against the Liberal Magistracy,—Manchester
Guardian.
A STRANGE CASE OF BIGAMY. Last
Wednesday night, Dodgson and Davidson, two of the new
police in Bury apprehended a man named Thomas Shar-
rocks, of Bury, overlooker of power-looms, on a charge of
bigamy ; and on proof of the facts connected with the
transaction being made before E. Grundy and J. Benton,
Esqrs., he was committed to the New Bailey to take his
trial at the ensuing Quarter Sessions. The facts are, per-
haps the strangest connected with a case of bigamy on re-
cord. About four years ego Sharrocks married his first
wife, Betty Hibbert, at Radcliffe, and it appears they lived
together comfortably. It seems, however, he thought another
wile would make his happiness and his household complete ;
and he accordingly succeeded in persuading a young
woman, aged about 18 years, of prepossessing appearance,
unknown to her parents, to become the second wife,
and they were married on the 28th of July last. The
strangeness of the transaction is, that the first wife went to
her husband's second marriage, officiated as bridesmaid,
and actually pulled her own wedding ring from her finger,
and with that ring the ceremony was performed. This is
the first transaction of the new police in which they had
the hearty co-operation of the lower classes ; and when the
man was apprehended, he and his two wives were living
very comfortably together, all the parties apparently
unaware of the degradation to which they were reduced ;
for on the apprehension of Sharrocks, his wives '° thought
it hard that the law should interfere with them if they were
comfortable." After Sharrocks had beet► committed, arid
had been removed to the station, he was visited by both his
wives; and the fellow there boasted that no man ever had
two better wives at once, and that when he came back he
would stick to them through life, and lose his last drop of
blood in their defence.—Manchester Guardian.

The
was
trout ever known to be killed in this
districtcaught on Wednesday last about 200 yards
from the bridge at this place, with common hair tackle, by
a well-known character ( Old Billy Urwin), who is upwards
of 80 years of age. The fish was of the extraordinary weight
of 2i lbs. ; it broke the veteran's rod, but by dint of expe-
rience he succeeded in landing his prey.—Tyne Mercury.
FRANCE AND ALGIERS.-One of the Parisian
opposition journals of Monday asserted that Admiral
Roussin had been repeatedly instructed to declare to the
Porte that whenever public opinion should cease to be an
obstacle to the restitution of Algiers to Turkey, France
would have no hesitation to part with her conquest. The
Journal des Debats of Tuesday treats such an assertion as
a foul calumny. "On one occasion," it says, "under the
Ministry of Count Mole, the Porte presumed to address to
the French Government a very timid representation with
regard to the occupation of Algiers. The Porte received
in reply a declaration setting forth, in explicit terms, that
" France reigned alone over Algeria, and would not suffer
either Turkey or any other power to contest her right to
the possession of that country." " Those are the only
instructions," continues the Debuts, " that were sent to
Admiral Roussin on that point, under the Mole Adminis-
tration, and we do not hesitate to affirm that such have also
been the sentiments of all the Ministers who have held
the reins of Government during the last nine years. No,
the Government never contemplated the relinquishment of
a glorious and legitimate conquest, purchased by French
blood, and Admiral Roussin could not flatter the Porte
with the hope of its cession."

The Animals' Friend Society last week caused
Henry Wood and Richard Gann to be fined 103. each, by
Mr. Elve, at Dover, and Thomas Dilnot 55., by the
Mayor, Thompson, Esq. ; the two former not paying,
were committed for a week. The Magistrates paid every
attention to Mr. Yewen, the Society's agent. In London
also, the Society's officer, Mr. Gibbins, brought forward
several aggravated cases of cruelty, among which Clark's
omnibus driver was fined by the Lord Mayor, and John
Adams by Alderman Lainson (Adams was committed for
fourteen days), but we were sorry to find that Alderman
Kelly dismissed the case of a horse having been severely
lashed with a heavy knotted whip, as the horse had no
wounds to show from the blows, and the Society was
therefore fined in costs by the Alderman for having brought
it forward.

THE LATE SUICIDE AT THE MONUMENT.—
It will be recollected that the body of Miss Moyes, in its
descent, struck against a bird-cage which was hanging on
the side of the Monument door, and broke it into pieces.
The bird escaped, and flew away ; but in about an hour
afterwards returned, and perching on one of the plants in
the tubs near the door, allowed itself to be retaken. Jen-
kins, keeper of the Monument, says he has been offered
more than its weight in gold for the bird, but refuses to
part with it.
SINGULAR CASE.--A VIPER'S BITE.—On
Monday afternoon, a boy of the name of Wright had
caught a viper somewhere in the neighbourhood of Wim-
bledon Common, which he put in his cap, and having
placed it on his head, went to the Red House, Battersea,
and sold it to a person who was standing on the bank.
This man had the temerity to place it round his neck, and
it is supposed that from being so much handled, and per-
haps hurt, the viper became irritated, and while round the
man's throat was seen by a person named Ledger, who
lives at a cottage next the Red House, to turn his head
towards the man's neck for the purpose of biting. He in-
stantly caught hold of it, when the reptile bit him on the
second finger of the left hand before he could throw it on
the ground. Wright's brother then tried to pick it up,
when he alsO was wounded in the thumb of the left hand.
A poker was procured, and the viper was destroy( d.
Ledger's hand and that of the boy instantly swelled to an
immense size. They went to a surgeon, who applied
leeches, but recommended that they should be immedi-
ately taken to the hospital, which was done forthwith.
They are now in Guy's Hospital. The swelling, though
much reduced, is still very great, but no danger is antici-
pated. There is no doubt that if the viper had bitten the
man's throat he would have died of suffbeation. As it is,
his absurd conduct has placed the lives of two persons in
considerable danger. The viper was about 18 inches in
length.
A Berlin letter of the 12th inst. states that the
King has refused his sanction to the Bill for imposing a
duty upon beet-root sugar. The same letter mentions a
report that the Prussian Minister to the United States,
M. de Renne, now at B. rlin, will be appointed the arbi-
trator of the differences betwee❑ the United States and
Mexico, the King of Prussia having been requested by the
two Governments to mediate between them.