The Sun.
London, England, 1837-02-01 00:00:00

BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.

The serious and the humorous are well mixed up
1 this Number, ivhich is an evident improvement on

[le last.

" 13oz " contributes an excellent sketch, en-

titled " Oliver Twist," which exposes the hardships and
cruelties to which poor foundlings are exposed at pa-
rish-workhouses, in a very effective manner. This
tale, we see, is to be continued ; we are glad of it,
for " Boz" is not merely a humourist, but he has also
a fund of sound practical sense, which renders his
sketches of every-day life and manners extremely ac-
ceptable reading. His account of the visit of a pom-
pous parish beadle to a parochial workhouse, is in his
raciest manner :

" Goodness, gracious ! is that you. Mr. Bumble, Sir?'
said Mrs. Mann, thrusting her head out of the window in
well•affected ecstacies of joy. ( Susan, take Oliver and
them two brats up stairs, and wash 'em directly)----My heart
alive Mr. Bumble, how glad lam to see you, sure-ly !'
" Now Mr. Bumble was a fat man, and a choleric one; so,
instead of responding to this open-hearted salutation in a
kindred spirit, he gave the little wicket a tremendous shake,
and then bestowed upon it a kick, which could have emanated
from no leg but a beadle's.
Lor, only think,' said Mrs. Mann, running out,—for the
three boys had been removed by this time, only think of
that ! That I should have forgotten that the gate was bolted
on the inside, on account of them dear children Walk in,
Sir; walk in, pray, Mr. Bumble; do, Sir.'
" Although the invitation was accompanied with a curtsey
that might have softened the heart of a churchwarden, it by
no means mollified the beadle. _

" Do you think this respectful or proper conduct, Mrs.
Mann,' inquired Mr. Bumble, grasping his cane,—' to keep
the parish officers a-waiting at your garden-gate, when they
come here upon parochial business connected with the parochial
orphans? Are you aware, Mrs. Mann that you are, as I may
say, a parochial delegate, and a stipendiary ?'
" I'm sure, Mr. Bumble, that I was only a telling one or
two of the dear children as is so fond of you, that it was you
a-coming,' replied Mrs. Mann with great humility.
" Mr. Bumble had a great idea of his oratorical powers,
and his importance. He had displayed the one, and vindi-
cated the other. He relaxed.
" Well, well, Mrs. Mann,' he replied in a calmer tone ;
it may be as you say ; it may be. Lead the way in, Mrs.
Mann ; for I come on business, and have got something to say.'
" Mrs. Mann ushered the beadle into a small parlour with
a brick floor, placed a seat for him, and officiously deposited
his cocked hat and cane on the table before him. Mr. Bumble
wiped from his forehead the perspiration which his walk had
engendered, glanced complacently at the cocked hat, and
smiled. Yes, he smiled : beadles are but men, and Mr.
Bumble smiled.
" Now don't you be offended at what I'm a-going to say,'
• observed Mrs. Mann with captivating sweetness. ' You've
had a long walk, you know, or I wouldn't mention it. Now
will you take a little drop of something, Mr. Bumble?'
" Not a drop—not a drop,' said Mr. Bumble, waving his
right hand in a dignified, but still placid manner.
"' I think you will,' said Mrs. Mann, who had noticed the
tone of the refusal, and the gesture that had accompanied it.
' Just a lectle drop, with a little cold water, and a lump of sugar.'
" Mr. Bumble coughed.
" Now, just a little drop,' said Mrs. Mann persuasively.

" What-is it ?' inquired the beadle.
" Why it's what I'm obliged to keep a little of in the
house, to put in the blessed infants' Daffy when they ain't well,
Mr. Bumble,' replied Mrs. Mann as she opened a corner cup-
board, and took down a bottle and glass. It's gin.' "
" Authors and Actors " is a passable dramatic
sketch, but the subject is so hacknied as to be scarcely
susceptible of interest. " A Critical Gossip with
Lady Mary Wortley Montague," speaks with becom-
ing admiration of the most fascinating and accomplished
woman of her age. We should inform the writer, how-
ever, that Lady Mary never intrigued with Pope—a
fact of which he seems to be doubtful—and that the
love was all on the side of the poet. His famous
" Eloisa to Abelard," the only impassioned poem he
ever wrote, is supposed, and with justice, to have been
penned under the influence of this passion. " Handy
Andy " is a laughable Irish extravaganza by Lover.
" Edward Saville " is a tale of powerful tragic inte-
rest. It is the production of Mr. Whitehead, author

of the " Autobiography of Jack Ketch "—a work that
displayed considerable knowfedge of the deep workings
of the human heart. " Richardson the Showman,"
is a lively memoir of this illustrious defunct, by the
Editor of the Literary Gazette. But the most ori-
ginal article in the Number is the' Sped re of Tapping-
ton," which contains some admirable bits of quaint,
grotesque description. • The embellishments to this
Miscellany are full of sterling humour.

NE TV MONTHLY MAGAZINE.
Mr. Theodore Hook continues his series of the
" Gurney Papers" this month, which assuredly
should be placed first in the " Humourists" which is
their most appropriate place. We suppose these

_ •.. .. •
Papers, when completed, will be repul.,44d in't.breir
volumes, for they contain sketches of 4C fekt*ffitiite
as racy and piquant as anything in " et ---
Doings." The " Yard-arm pu,:i" is dA44fruhs-Uiitt..:
anecdote by the author of " Rattliii the Reefer," and
contains one or two passages—especally a gips), male- -
diction—of a high order of description " St. Valen-
tine's Day," an amusing little poem, by Leigh limit,
is as brilliant and graceful as his " ClLTistmas," which
is saying much for it. " The History of a Radical"
is not drawn from life, but is the overflowing of a
jaundiced imagination. The covert sneer at poor
Hazlitt, who was as disinterested a politician as ever
lived, is in the worst possible taste. " The "
mourist" contains many facetious articles, among which
we may mention the " Grand Kentucky Balloon," the
" Hazy. Night," and Jerrold's rough, vigorous sketch -
of " Mr. Peppercorn at Home." We should not

omit to mention the portrait of Mr. Gleig, which is well
engraved, and is a very correct likeness. We have no

room for extracts.

TAIT'S EDINBUI?f3II MAGAZINE.
Simpkin and Marshall.

The " Autobiography of an English Opium
Eater," which is continued in this Number, is more
common-place than anything we have seen from the
pen of its author. It is better suited for a place in a
Novel than in the columns of a Magazine. But as a
counterbalance for the dullness of this article, we are
favoured with an admirable digest of M. Van Rau-
mer's Political History of England, during the

- ,
three last centuries. Of the two articles tnat treat of
distinct periods in the progress of ...Von Rautner's
history, we prefer that which relates to the private
lives of Queens Elizabeth of England and Mary of
Scotland. It is well arranged, and cormprises the very
essence of all the important documents brought to light
by the historian, with some very pertinent remarks
upon them. There is likewise a well-dimed and really
very clever article on the abuses of the Post-office,
from which we make the following extract :
g, With the solitary exception of the improved construction
of mail-coaches—for which the public are indebted, not to the
Duke of Richmond, or any other Postmaster-General, nor the
officers of the establishment, but to Mr. 'Wallace, the Mem-
ter for Greenock, and the Commissioners of Inquiry—this
department, by;Lord Lowther's account, ansd there is no better
authority, has remained stationary, as to the: arrangements for
the accommodation of the public, for nearly fifty years. It is,
therefore, now time that it make a few strides in advance, so
as to overtake other departments, and, in its: vocation, adminis-
ter, in an equal degree, to the wants and wishes of the commu-
nity. It is not intended here to enumerate a. the improvements
of which the Post-office is susceptible ; 'but the most pro-
minent and indispensable are—Morning and day mails
from London, as well as evening mails ; a Sunday delivery
to those who may call for their letters in London, and a des-
patch from London ; a cheap conveyance of prices current,,
and small packets of value, under a certaiis weight ; an acce-
lerated communication for the conveyances of the letters and
parcels between post-towns and to the districts surrounding
them, instead of the present, in most cases,. circuitous way, to
which cross-posts arc subjected ; and a general lowering of the
rate of postage—which concession Mr. Wallace has also stre-
nuously advocated. This latter suggestion, if judiciously
carried into effect, will not be the cause of a diminution of re-
venue, in proportion to its reduction; but, on the contrary, if
aided by increased means of communication, will, with the in-
creased ability and anxiety of all classes of the public to
communicate by letter, be morally certain to add to
the funds of the Exchequer. This axiom is almost proved, to
the extent here contemplated, by the Finance Committee, in
their fourth Report, at p. 10, where, by a reference to accounts
showing tile produce of duties, under the heads " Customs,"
Excise," " Stamps," and " Assessed Tatter," in 1827, com-
pared with what the produce would have been, if the reduction
of taxes, which took effect after 1823, had diminished these re-
venues in the exact proportion which they bore to the produce of
that year ; they say—" It will be seen, by this .abFtract, that the
abatement of the revenue by taxes remitted, w 'mild Have been, in
1827, as compared with 1823, no less than 3,308,3164; the
difference of 5,874,235/. being the increase of revenue from
increased consumption." Therefore, it is ;:ut fair to infer
,that, with the Increased and increasing inte.iligence of the
community, combined with our increasing domestic and fo-
reign commercial intercourse, the Post-Office reycnue would
not suffer more, or even so much as the before-named reve-
nues, if the tax on letters was to be diminished in the same
proportion that these taxes were reduced between the years
1823 and 1827."
' -

In the soundness of these observations we entirely
concur. A cheaper rate of postage is unquestionably
called for by the country, and would, if agreed upon,
add considerably to the revenues arising from this
branch of the public service. Two-thirds of the
postage now charged on letters would be an exorbitant
rate ; put, ,even such a reduction would be received as a
great boon by the country at large. As the article be-
fore us contains sonic other valuable suggestions, we
shall take another opportunity of recurring to it in a
way more likely to arrest public attention.
There are several other very good papers in this
Number of Tait. A table showing how the whole of
the Scotch members of Parliament voted upon all

important questions during the last Session of the Le-
gislattlre,. is • deserving of especial notice. We re-
commend to Mr. Tait the publication of a Monthly
Table, prepared after the same form, during the ensu-
ing Session. No plan could be better for placing the
conduct of Members of Parliament in a true light be-
fore their constituents.