The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-31 00:00:00

I,TEN ING EDITION

touch. Of the remaining Plates we have already
spoken in The Sun.

" The Illustratrons to Finden's Tableaux" are
now lying before us, and. show a great variety of
subject, treated in a novel manner—that is to say,
by small detached sketches being grouped round
the principal plate, so as to complete the restora-
tion of the story or anecdote of which it forms a
portion. The " Dream" represents a chubby-faced
little boy sleeping on a couch, while around him
and above him, are gliding the fantastic objects on
which his imagination is brooding in slumber. The
still, half-developed features of the child are pencilled
with infinite delicacy. The " Escape" tells its own
tale, without the aid of an interpreter. A young
girl, in a state of great alarm and disquietude, is
hurrying away from her paternal home into a gon-
dola, wherein stands a young man, who has evi-
dently been some time awaiting her approach. The
face of the girl is beautiful, but more youthful than
her figure, which verges on the matronly. A gen-
tleman named Gibbs is the engraver of this print.
In the " Rescue," we see an aged monk valorously
wielding a sword in defence of a lady who has
rushed into his arms for protection. The coun-
tenance of the old Priest is somewhat curiously at
variance with the martial character in which he is
here figuring. The " Wood Cutter" is a sweet
pastoral landscape—one of those sylvan scenes
which Gainsborough has depicted with such truth
and feeling. The full-length groupe in the fore-
grouDd is arranged with infinite tact. In the " Pil-
grim" the I;rg hts and shadows are broadly and dis-
sinctly defined ; but the countenance of the two
females who are placed opposite each other at a
table in a humble cottage, Are rather too lackadaisical
and die-away in their express;on, like the heroines
in Mrs. Radcliffe's romances. Of the remaining
Plates we may perhaps speak when we notice the
literary contents of the volume.

THEATRE-ROYAL DRURY-LANE•

Shakspeare's delightful comedy of Much Ado About
Nothing was produced at this theatre last evening, for
the purpose of introducing a Mr. Marston to a London
audience in the character of Benedick. It was certainly a
bold attempt in Mr. Marston to undertake this character
so soon ater the secession of Charles Kemble from the
stage, and while his Benedick was fresh in the recol-
lection of every playgoer, but we are happy to say that
the boldness of the attempt was equalled by its success.
Mr. Marston is young, and possesses a good figure
and gentlemanly address ; his voice is by nod
meansrees
good, but he manages it well, and by it
the disagreeable effect at first produced by
wears off. During the whole of the first act he
was evidently suffering from extreme nervousness, and
was consequently unable to do himself full justice, but he
eg
gradually warmed in his part. In the second act he
made very a good point at the passage, The world
must be peopled." The audience appreciated it, re-
warded it with a round of applause, which gave him the
encouragement he stood in need of, and he vrent through
the remainder of the piece in excellent style. He is
follower of the Kemble school, and possesses taste n"
judgment. His action is characterised by gentlemanly
elegance aad freedom, and he understands his
auth or,
and can act him, and this we consider no mean praise ;
for we have many a popular actor, who, good in ordinVil
parts, utterly fails when he attempts Shakspeare. out
was called for at the fall of the curtain, and gave
the play for repetition to-morrow and Sato) day.
amidst the unanimous applause of the audience. Mthe
zs'
Stirling made a very lively, witty, Beatrice, and at
conclusion of the comedy was led forward by Mr•
Marston. The Dogberry of Mr. Dowton is too well.
known and too justly areciated to stand in need ot
our approbation ; but we c:pp nnot close this notice without
bearing witness to the admirtible acting of Compton
in Verges ; Attwood, as Seacoal, and °sherry as
he
Sexton, were exceedingly quaint and laughter-moving'

NEW PLAN FOR PROCURING
SPRING WATER FOR LONDON.

(From the Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal)
of
We were somewhat surprised by the appeara
an advertisement about ten days ago, stating that " A
plentiful supply of wholesome water, so ardently de-
sired," &c., •' is now on the eve of attainment." The
plan was said to be original, though the place front
whence the supply would be taken had been pointed out
by the late Mr. Telford. As there was no engineer's
name to the advertisement, it appeared alit tle myste-
rious, and we doubted whether it had any proper foundse
a-
tion, without meaning disrespect to the gentleman who
name appeared as parliamentary agent. "
We have since discovered that this " origlnal plan
is to take the water from a place pointed out by the late
Mr. Telford in his report in the year 1834, situated near
the town of Watford, and the " originality" consists in
uniting the upper and lower springs. We find that
borings have been quietly going on for some weeks, and
the result of the experiments has been eminently suc-
cessful. The place is singularly felicitous for a bed of
water, being nearly surrounded by high hills, and of a
size calculated fur the largest reservoir the world ever
saw. It is about 150 feet above the Trinity datum
of the tide of the Thames, and can conseqnetly
descend to any part of the metropolis by its own
gravity, and without the aid of steam-power. Springs
r
have been discovered at every three feet to the depth or
about fifty feet ; beneath them a stratum of limestone
two feet deep, and beneath that a vast body of water,
which rises to the level of the water of the upper springs,
and of all the other springs. These are valuable indi-
cations, added to which the water is particularly soft,
and consequently fit for all domestic uses, which spring
water generally is not.
We hear that Mr. Giles is the chief engineer, and
that he is assisted by other gentlemen of scientific emi-
nence. We shall endeavour to obtain for our readers
all the details of the experiments that have been made,
in our next Number.

LICENSED VICTUALLERS'

DINNER.

Yesterday afternoon about four hundred people as-
sembled at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, to
celebrate the sixth anniversary of the convivial meetings
of this Society. The choir was taken at four o'clock by
T. S. Duncombe, Esq., M.P., supported by Mr. Vade,
Mr. Walters, Mr. Bryan, Mr. Vousley, jun., and other
influential members of the Licensed Victuallers' Pro-
tection Society, together with several members of the
different branch associations.
The dinner being over, the CHAIRMAN successively
proposed the healths of " The Quern," " The Queen
Dowager„' " The Duchess of Kent," and " The Duke
of Susseii,' in all of whom the• Society had found the
warmest patronage ; and the toasts were severally re:
sponded to with feelings of the most heartfelt satisfaction;
We have not sufficient space to admit of even a con-
densed account of the different speeches, or the respe
tive titles of the songs and glees with which the " busi-
ness" of the evening was interspersed.
From the Secretary's Report it would appear that
the Chairman bad contributed 101. towards the funds
of the association, and that Messrs. Barclay and ?Fr-
kin s, together with all the other " Co.'s Entire,"
which the great metropolis abounds, had severally in
ed the finances to the sawe amount.