The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-13 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

La Sorciere ; the Witch of the Middle Ages. From
the French of J. Michelet. By L. Y. Trotter.
One vol. Simpkin, Mlrshall, and Co.
It would not be in any way extra eagata
to remark of the author of this book—not
of the translator, observe, but of the original
author of it—that his reputation stinks in
the nostrils of Europe. It is a name that
is nothing less than a brand upon a title .page.
His offence, like Hamlet's stepfather's, is rank and
smells to heaven. The most notorious among all
his writings—a miserable, tainted, loathsome work
in itself and in its influences—the pitiable pro-
duction known under the title of " Priests, Women
and Families," has now for a long while past
rendered the name of Michelet in all parts of Chris-
tendom an object of abhorrence. That the man is
clever, that he is a scholar, that he has erudition,
that he has many of the more seductive gifts of a
master rhetorician, there can unhappily be but little
doubt. It is the fact that there are these pecu-
liarities about him that renders his influence
sop,.!rnicious, wherever his influence extends. Never
has there been a more odious perversion of intellec-
tual capacity, we believe, than has been witnessed
throughout his literary career. He is the Evil
Genius of French literature. His standish is
the cau drop from which he draws the hell-
,.
oroth of his incantations. His pen is the
wand of malign power with which he exercises his
only magical influence over the minds of his disciples,
that wielded through the black magic of a profane
and salacious imagination. Here, in this horrible
work, entitled "La Sorciere," is the very
latest ebullition of that unhappy fancy
seething and boiling over the pages with a certain
hot, lava-like eloquence, but scathing and blasting
and withering all around it as it flows. The notion
of the work is from first to last extravagant. It
throughout seems to be avowedly and flagrantly
mai ific. Instead of calling to his aid the good angels
—the writer appears to be here bent upon summon-
ing to his assistance only swarms upon swarms of
diablerie. Chapter after chapter, as we read, the
ground we traverse, is the reverse of the holy
ground cf fairyland. It resembles more exactly
than any fairyful region we can recall
to mind the " blasted heath" where those " dark
and midnight hags," the three Witches, confronted.
Macbeth, the Thane of Glamis, the Thane of
Cawdor, the murderous King of the Hereafter.
Only that, instead of three Witches, we have legions
upon legions of them—till the ground is black
with them, the air is filled with them,
they swarm upon the scene, and pollute our imagi-
nation with the mere remembrance of them. It is for
all the world as if the hellish revelries of the Jung-
frau, all those riotous abominations of the Walpurgis,
that even the daring genius of Goethe veils over with.
the densest shadows of midnight, were recounted and.
minutely depicted in all their hideous abandon-
ment in the glare.:of noon-day by the brazen auda-
city of this horridly uncompromising Frenchman.
How even a Michelet could pen the book, in the
first instance, is scarcely comprehensible to
us. Much more is it matter of amazement that he
should with cool deliberation revise the original
manuscript, carefully correct the proof-sheets,
and phlegmatically commit the baneful volume,
not, as he ought to have done, to the flames,
but to the chance perusal of any one who
lists to read it. We regret very much that the
industry and skill devoted by Mr. Trotter to the
task of its translation, should have been expended
upon a work in itself so intrinsically worthltss and
so utterly perishable. As a literary production we
cannot but look upon it, as we have before had
occasion to do upon the rest of its author's compo-
sitions, as another apt illustration of that
grizzly phantom floating by Coleridge's " Ancient
Mariner" far away upon the rotting sea—to wit,
" The Nightmare, Life in Death ! " For if La Sor-
ciere has not come into the world of letters still-born,
it has opened its purblind eyes to the light in
a condition (we cannot but exult to think) decidedly
moribund. Not a hand need be raised against it,
to destroy it. Exposure, simply exposure, will
prove quite sufficient to be the death of it.

SCOTCH MORALITY.—Two men, named Donald
Maclean and Kenneth Urquhart—the former an
elder of the Free Kirk—have been committed for trial at
Dingwall, Ro.ts•shire, for exhuming the body of a beggar,
named Ross. It is stated that Ross was afforded shelter 111
Maclean's house, and died there. The body was duly'
buried, but Maclean having heard a good deal of the large
sums sometimes accumulated by beggars, made a compact
with his neighbour to have his body dug up and searched.

DESECRATION OF MILTON'S REMAINS.--AC-
cording to Todd, the remains of Milton were
attended to the grave by all his learned and great
friends in London, not without a friendly concourse of
the vulgar. He was buried next his father, in the chancel
of St. Giles, Cripplegate. In the month of August, 1790, the
spot where his body had been deposited was opened, and a
corpse, hastily supposed to be his, exposed to public view.
There was a tradition in the parish that his remains were laid
undltr the spot where the clerk's desk had formerly stood in.
the chancel ; and curiosity being excited on the subject, the
vestry clerk, churchwardens, and others, opened the grave,
in which they found a leaden coffin, lying over a wooden
one, imagined to be that of Milton's father. The ground was.
immediately closed, but opened again the next morning, the
overseers in the meantime having caroused over the dis-
covery, and resolved to turn it to account. Cutting open
the leaden coffin, they found a body in its shroud, and
believing it to be that of the poet, they extracted the
teeth, cut off the hair, which was six inches long, combed
and tied together, and then left the scattered remains to
the grave-diggers, who were permitted to exhibit them for
money to the public. Mr. Neve, of Furnival's-inn, who
published an account of the transaction, was satisfied that
the body was that of Milton, while others contended that it
was a female corpse, relying in part as a proof of this on tha
long hair; yet we know that Milton always wore his hair
long. Stevens particularly lamented the indignity sus-
tained by the venerable relics, though he doubted their
identity.—London Scenes and London People.
M. DU CHAILLU'S GORILLAS.—The valuable col-
lection of objects illustrative of natural history,
formed by M. du Chaillu during his travels in West Equa-
torial Africa, was sold yesterday by Mr. J. C. Stevens, at
his auction rooms, in King-street, Covent-garden As the
collection included the stuffed skins of several of those
gorillas respecting which such a lively controversy was
carried on a short time since, there is no wonder that the
saleroom was crowded during the day, and that the event
created great interest amongst students of natural history,
curators of museums, and private collectors. Besides the
gorillas there were sold some chimpanzees and other mon-
keys, and animals with their skeletons, and some beauifful
and rare bird skins ; but many of these were not collected
by M. du Chaillu. This gentleman's collection did not
number more than 100 lots, the principal of which were the
following, as described by the .catalogue :—" Magnificent
series of gorillas, male, female, and young, in fine condition,
the two adults beautifully prepared by Mr. Wilson, the
eminent taxidermist, skeleton of male nearly complete,
skeleton of the female complete, and skeleton of young male
complete." They were bought by a private gentleman for
£llO. Other lots sold as follow :—Skin and skeleton of
female gorilla, adult, MO ; skin and skeleton of young
gorilla, LIO ; a complete adult skeleton of male gorilla, quite
perfect, articulated, £32; a do. female, £18; a do., £18; a
magnificent chimpanzee, the largest in Europe, with the
skeleton, complete, £18; skin and complete skeleton of
baldheaded chimpanzee or ape, £lO ; do., young, £7 ; do,,
£.l 10s. Many of the skeletons were bought for the Col-
lege of Surgeons. In the second collection offered the
principal lot was a skin of the aye-aye, from Madagascar
(Chiromys Madagasoariensis), containing the skull, nearly
perfect, and the bones of the limbs. This was described as
the first specimen of this extremely rare and curious animal
ever offered for public sale in this country. It realised
£l2 10s, Some beautiful specimens of skins of Indian.
pheasants, used for adorning ladies' outdoor headdresses,
were sold at good prices, some commanding £2 each.
CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THAMES.—The final
deposit of £5O a-side, making the 1200 a-side for
the Championship of the Thames, between Robert Cham-
bers, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, Champion of the Thames and
Tyne, and Richard Green, of Port Jackson, Champion of
Australia, was made good on Thursday evening at Henry
Kelly's, the Bells, Putney, where Green is staying. Both
men were present, as well as Kehy, H. Clasper, Winship,
Laidler, and many other celebrities.

The resolution on the subject of Poland which
Mr. Hennessy intends to move in the house of Com-
mons on Monday week is as follows :—" That an humble
address be presented to her Majesty, thanking her for the
communication of the Correspondence on the Affairs of
Poland,' expressing the regret of the house at learning fro
that correspondence that the Emperor of Russia has vio-
lated the treaty of Vienna, and set up a claim to sovereignty
in Poland directly at variance with that treaty, and earnestly
praying her Majesty, while refusing to recognise that claim,
and solemnly protesting against it, to adopt such measur;s,
in concert with other power, as may combine the preserva-
tion of the legitimate rights of Poland with the conditions
of a durable peace. 7

It-o -t. E y MARKET

AND
COMMERCTATI INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

The demand for money has exceeded the Satur-
day average, and the market is expected to con-
tinue active until after the impending liquidation
of accounts at the Stock Exchange. Very little
accommodation has been obtainable today under
the Bank minimum of 4 per cent.
About £BB,OOO in gold was taken into the Bank
yesterday.
Since Monday last the imports of specie have
only amounted to £427,500, while the exports have
reached £1,058,000.
In the foreign exchanges yesterday afternoon
there was a slight upward tendency.

Two O'CLOCK.

At Paris this morning, according to Mr. Reuter's
telegram, the French 3 per Cent. Rentes were
69f. 60c., 95f. 45c.—heavy.

Business in the English Stock market continues
dull, but the dealings today have exercised a bene-
ficial influence in prices, which have slightly tended
upwards. Consols are 921 for money, and 921 for
the 9th proximo—beings per cent, higher, The
New Threes and Reduced are 941 a ; India Five
per Cents., 108 i; and Exchequer Bills 3s. dis.
to par.

In the Foreign Market Mexican have maintained
their advance, and have closed at a further im-
provement, viz., at 37-k -Z. Greek have also con-
tinued buoy,nt, and have risen to 381 39, and to
184 19 for the Coupons; Spanish Passive have been
dealt in at 334 348 for money and at
341 for the account ; the Certificates are
marked 114 12; Turkish 6 per Cents., 1854, 93 ;
do., 1858, 70-Z ; do., 1862, 71i -I ; the New Loan, 1
prem.; and the Consolides have been as high as
601 51. More firmness has been apparent in Vene-
zue:an, the 3 per Cents. being 251 ; the 6 per Cents.,
58 59 ; and the New Loan, 411 prem. The C3nfe•
dera.te Loan is 3 to 2 dis.

Business in the Railway Share Market has
Continued very dull, and prices have exhibited
little variation of importance. Great Western and
Lancashire and Yorkshire have improved 55., and
South Eastern, 102. ; while Great Eastern and
Midland have declined about ss.

The Foreign and Colonial lines remain dull, at
previous rates.

Joint Stock Bank and Miscellaneous Shares con-
tinue without any material change in prices.
English, Scottish, and Australian Chartered realise
231 ; London and South African, 26i; Crystal
Palace Stock, 371 ; and South Australian Land,
35i. International Finance shares are quoted 5i
68 prem. ; London Finance, 2 to 2-1 prem.; and
General Credit ditto, 2: .4 prem.

BRITISH FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
Z per Cent. Reduced Annuities
a per Cent. Consols Annuities
In I'lew 3 per Cent. Annuities
Stock •
Ditto 5 per Cent lOB /
Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct., Oct,, 1863
..., Ditto ditto April, 1864 100 k
-um., bonds £l,000
Consols for Account, July 9 924
Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO 21 per Cent..., par 3 di4
Ditto £SOO
~,,, FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES.
'-'(l4ador Now Consolidated, 1 per Cent —
Ditto, Provisonal Land Warrant 94
Greek Cent.,
5 per 1824-5, es-Coupons 37/ 8/
Ditto Account
...Ditto Coupons lBl 1 19
NeZican 3 per Cent
Ditto Account 37}4
4143vi' Granada l6/ 151 i
Ditto 2 per Cent. 32f
Ditto Deterred 9t 10
_ Ditto Land Warrants (Hectares) 7l
Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853
Ditto 3 per Cent., 1856, '7, '9, '6O, 62 49i
tussian. 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St 941
Ditto 5 per Cent., 1862
Spanish 3 per Cent
Ditto Passive
Ditto Account 341 1
Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded ..
Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854 93
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858
Ditto 6 per Cent. 1862
Ditto 1863, £3 19s 4d pd 1 pm
Venezuela, 3 per Cent
Ditto 6 per Cent., 1862
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Italian, 5 per Cent., 1861, Ex. 25 francs 721
Consols Money
Ditto Account 92 TWO O'CLOCK.
Account 924

shaft.
100
atk
20

yti

atlantic & St Lawrene(
Bom.,Baroda&.Cent Inc
Gu. 5 per cent
Do. New .
Do. E. Shares...
Bullalo and Lake Huron
Do. Preference
Builalo,Brant,6zGodrich
6 p. et. bds. Aug. 1, 167' :
Do. do. July 1,187 T
, Do. do. Juue 1, 16:
(31cutta.J: S. E as tn.
Jape Town Dock Seri]
Eastn. Bengal gu. b p. c
East Indian. gu. 5 p. c.
Do. do. G

zoo
to
too
too
too

Do. do. H do. ..
Grand Trunk of Canada
flo. Ist Frei. Bonds..

Do. Go. deferred-
Do. 2d Pref. Bonus..

Do. do defer ed......
Do. 3d P ef. stock ...

Do. do.

Do. 4th Pref. s,o k...
Do. do deferred......
(3 t.ludiaPenui.guit.sp.e
Do. New gua.

stock

Do. January, i 8.62
Gt. South.of India(Lina,

guaranteed 5 percent.
Gt. W. of Canada Shari's,
Do. New .......
Do. 6 p.c. '73 with't opt.
Do. 54 p. c. do. '77-8.. .
Indian Branch Limited I
Madras guar., 5 p. c.
Do. 4 p. o. Extensior
Dc. 4A do ..
Do. Fifth Extension.
Melb.Corp. 6 p. o. Ends.
Melb. & Hobson's Bay.
Do. 7 p. o. Mortg. Bds.
INewßr unswick t Canth.

Paul.
all

100-
100
10
stock
stock
stock
20
stock
50
100

Closing.
Price.
65 -57-
10a 110
1 U p
511 11 p
aa
7i 8

Class A and B.
N.ltl.C'da6 po Ist pt bds
Scinde
Do. Delhi ei •••:'
Do. do . . p .
Do. Punjaub
Do. Do. •• •• ,
Do. Indus. St. Flo.)

100
100
100
100
100
tors

108 109
1091 1101
111 1 2
10t% 14
1 l Ilp
1 I
19i 20iW
72 74
5.!, 55
68 60
45 50
42 44
34 36
26 28
23 25
1101 10/
1 21
1 1i;

108 f 109 f
11 14
9i 9
97 100
89 e 2
P
1071 108i1
102 103
£9 101

stock
Bt{

all
100
(100
100
2
1 15
100
1 10.

50 53

BusineBs don,

110 91-

44 2

26
23
not t

3 5
84 86
lii lit
108 IC9
l
1074 1084ip
105 107

108 i

st
;rock

COLONIAL GO V ERN M 1 ,t;Cl' tt 1
6 p.c.J a &J
- 1877-84
Do. 6p. c. Feb. & Au;:. 100 tts 107
Do. dp. c. Mar. & SePi. 100 i[s 167
Do. 6p. c. Jan.&.luly. 100 974 981 98
Do. 5 Inscribed stoct 100 96 98
'cape G.Hope, 6 p c,187: 100 108 110
Do.Ap & Oct. 1881. 100 112 114
I Do. 189( 100 113 115
DO, Jan. & July, 1891.. 103 115 117
Ceylon, Nov.l/%78, 6p e 103 113 115
MAU, itius 6 per cent .. 100 109 111
Natal Gov. 6 per cent.. 100 109 111
-- 6 p.c..) a.&Jul) 400 108 1(9
Lit). 6p. e.Ap. & Oct. 100
- IN. S.W. Gov. 5p 1,18 too 1026 1036
—• I Do. sp. c.,18,1 to 1-, ( 100 103 104
- Do. d0.,1888 &now& 100 1035 1046
'New Zealand 6 p cent. 100 112 114
Nova Scotia Gov. 6p. c.
, sterling, 1875 lOO 108 109
Queensland Gcv. 6p. c lO6 1:3 115
IS. Aus G6p.c.1878.& up lOO 113 115
op.°. Ja.&July 100 110 112
Do. io Op.e. An.&Oct.. 100 1114 1111 1114
_
BRITISH MINES.
2 Cambrian Consol. Gold 1
uhtlord Amalgamated.. 21 23
Devon G. Con.. (Taoist., 1 531 640
East Bassett (Mogan). 30 876 00
1 East Clogan Gold Ltd.. 53. 4d fp
East Caradon ...... 14.,, 26 27 284 7 94 81
East Carn 8rea...... . 3.4.0 7 76
- E. Russel (Tavlstk. 8.1.6 31 4
rjannt.&St.Aubyn(Gwen.) 574 11 13
Great South Tolgus.... 178 46 5
G. Wheal Vor (11elston 40 66 7
Grenville e,l6. 1 6 61
llerod'a-loot 8.12 45 47
Hingston Downs 4.17.0 24 3
Lady Bertha
Margaret (tiny Lel= t 9R 8E s 5
Starke Valley..
4 Slyndy Iron ()re (Lim ' 2X 14 e,
New Eetun .. 161 110 120
North Downs 2t 11 24
N. Wh '1 Basset (111o4•111, t. 17.(, 36 4
North Wheal Crotty
Par Consols (st. Blazey 16 46 66
20 erovidence (tiny Lelnt., 10.6.7 12 14
South Caradon(St.Cleer ti I 4026 1071
S. Carn Brea (Illogan) 5.15.11 3 3,1
'.Wheal Fran. (Illo;an 18.1 •.0 75 80
Stray Park
5 Tamar Silv.& Lead Min. 44
Tin Cron 9 196 201
est Basset (Illogan) l6 12 13
W Caradon (Liskeard 5 25 27
West Seton
Wheal Basset (Illogan 16 674 726
Wheal Buller (Redruth) 5 50 10
Wheal Kitty (U.Lelant; 2.0.0
WhealLud ott
Wheal Mary Ann (Men ) 8 15 16
Wheal Seton 586 235 245
tb' heal Tretawney (Lia.) 7 15 17
Wheal Union 3.17 3. 4

PREFERF.N(•E SHARES.
Stockton and Darlington, B 6 per cent., 331

PREFE MENCE SHARES AND STOCKS.
Great Eastern, 4i per cent., pf., 97
London, Chatham, &c., Metrop. Ext., B, 6 per cent., 101

LINES LEASED Al' FIXED RENTALS.
London, Tilbury, and Southend, oli
North Western, 17 *
FOREIGN RAILWAYS.
Bahia and San Francisco (lira.) gua. 7 per cent., 19} 20
Eastern of France 20}
Paris and Orleans, 40,i
San Paulo (lim.), gua. 7 per cent., 91

FOREIGN MINES.
St. John del Rey (Hm.), Mt
United Mexican (lim.), 7}

JOINT-STOCK PANKS.
iig,ra and United Service (lim.), 1021
32i
&Mance Bank of London and Liverpool ( im.) ,
Australasia, 751 5
Bank of Egypt, 281
Bank of New Zealand, 11
British and American Exchange (lira.), 7/
Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, 281 / 9
Chartered of India, London, and China, 52/ 2
Engdsh, Sco ch, and Australian Chartered, 22/ 31
Imperial Ottoman, 191 1 1
London, Buenos Ayres, and River Plate, 34
London Chartered Bank of Australia, 281 4
London and County, 44 4
London Joint Stock, 37 6}
London and South African, 26 51 Ri
Metrop. and Prov. Bank (lira.), 171
Oriental Bank Corporation, 551
Provincial of Ireland, 904
South Australia, 401 /
Union of London, 37

•
MISCELLANEOUS,
Berlin Water Works, 81
Crystal Palace, 371 7
Crystal Palace, 6 per cent. perpetl. deb., 116
International Financial Society, lint,, 86
Joint stock Discount, 4*
London Financial Association, 71
National Discount Company (lim.), 9f
Peninsula and 0 iental Steam, 796
South Australian Land, 336

ASSAULT ON AN ENGLISHWOMAN IN PARIS.—A
curious case was tried on Wednesday in Paris by a
new
law, which does away with the delays which seem inherent
to law throughout the world, and decrees that those taken
in flagrance delicto be tried immediately. This crime was
committed on the night of the 7th, and was judged today,
A young English lady, not knowing one word of French,
arrived by the train from Havre. She had a written ad-
dress, " Mrs. Brown, Rue des (}rands Augustine," which
she handed to the driver of a cab which she hailed at the
station. The coachman, instead of driving towards the
place indicated, took a directly opposite course, and, having
arrived at the Parc INlonceaux—a district just now suffer-
ing severely from the chronic attack of improvement which
rages throughout Paris jumped down, opened the door,
and brutally assaulted the young Englishwoman. She,
thenwever'made an affective resistance, and escaped from
ruffian, who was subsequently arrested, and was fined
ISt:, and
sentenced to two years' imprisonment,—.Paris
Letter.