The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-23 00:00:00

VAUXHALL.

Yesterday the last grand gala for the season took place.
The Gardens were honoured on the occasion by a genteel
and very numerous assemblage of persons of both sexes,
who remained long after the balloon ascent to participate
in the entertainments of the evening. The grand Nassau
ballon rose at six o'clock in a most magnificent style. Tip
wind at the time being a little brisk, the monster soon ho-
vered above the trees, taking a westerly course ; and,
owing to the sky being cloudless, remained in sight fol
nearly half an hour, until it became a mere speck in the
horizon. As is customary on these occasions, the following
valedictory address was delivered by Mr. Buckingham ;---
" Ladies and Gentlemen,—The last night of the season
having arrived, I am deputed by the proprietors of this
establishment to perform the pleasing duty of thanking you
for the very extensive patronage so kindly bestowed on the
different amusements which they have during the summer
provided for your entertainment.
" The proprietors have this year attempted to restore
Vauxhall, in some respects, to what it originally was—viz.,
a place of amusement, open to the public every night in
the week. This has been supposed by some to be a new
plan ; but it is merely a revival of the old one, and al-
though the number of galas has doubled that of any for-
mer season, I am proud and happy to say that your sup-
port has caused the trial to be crowned with complete

,ccess. '
" Allow me then, in the name of the proprietors, to re-
.urn you their heartfelt thanks for the past prosperous sea-
son, and to assure you that, during the recess, their aim
will be to procure fresh novelty for the ore ensuing."
The aeronaut was accompanied by a Captain Copling,
and Messrs. Green, Burnet, and W. Hughes, who have,
we believe, made previous trips in nztbibus.
We have since learned that the balloon descended in
safety, in a field between the Grand Junction Canal and
a branch of the Colne River, immediately adjoining the
township of Uxbridge, and within half a mile of Round Cop-
pice, the seat of Mrs. Thompson.

BIRMINGHAM MUSICAL FESTIVAL.

BIRMINGHAM, FRIDAY MORNING--The attendance at
the -morning and evening performances yesterday, at the
Town Hall, was more numerous than upon any of the pre-
vious days. The place was crowded to excess, and even
the corridors were filled with parties waiting, in the hope of
procuring ingress by others retiring. Among the visiters
were the Earl of Lichfield, Lord Littleton, G. Gifford,
Esq., T. Barneby, Esq., M.P., General Finch, General
Pigott and family, J. Tunnicliffe, Esq., Captain Barker,
J. Russell, Esq., &c. There was no miscellaneous selec-
tion in the morning's performance ; it consisted solely of
the oratorio of the Messiah. This imperishable evidence
of the highest musical genius, requiring an exercise of the
utmost ability of the vocal and instrumental performers, re-
ceived at their hands the fullest meed of justice it was pos-
sible to bestow. Probably on no previous occasion have
Grisi and her coadjutor, Albertazzi, appeared to so much
advantage as in giving utterance to the simple, grand, and
sublime conceptions of a composer who is the very anti-
thesis of the musical deities of the Opera House, at
whose shrines these syrens have so long and so success-
fully ministered. Those only who have heard Grisi in
" Let the bright Seraphim," by Handel, beautifully as
she certainly sings it, can form but an indifferent no-
tion of her achievements yesterday in the illessiah.
No female sir.ger within our time, with the single ex-
ception of Malibran, could impart anything like the in-
tensity of feeling and pathetic expression which Grisi threw
into her performance of the air in the celebrated pastoral
symphony, " Rejoice greatly, oh, daughter of Sion ; shout,
oh, daughter of Jerusalem." Phillips' bass told powerfully
in " For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth." The
chorus succeeding which, " For unto us a child is born,"
was perhaps, the finest thing in the entire oratorio. Machin
is growing rapidly in favour of all who can appreciate the
. true style of singing sacred music—we doubt if his recita-
tive is surpassed by any artiste at present before the public,
always, of course, excepting Brahma). " Thus saith the
Lord of Hosts," was given by him with masterly effect. It
is to be greatly lamented that Miss C. Novello will not en-
deavour to become a little less phlegmatic in her singing,
for her :coldness of manner almost immediately congeals
any favourable feelings towards her awakened by her fidelity
to the words and spirit of her composer, and the sweetness
of her very rich and highly-cultivated voice. Mrs. A.
Shaw and Mrs. Knyvett were at home in the music that
tell to their share, and we cannot pay them a greater compli-
ment than in sa) ing that they proved themselves equal to
t. B .nnctt is deservedly progressing in the estimation of
the public. In the evening performance the principal fea-
tures were Guilio Regondi's fantasia on the patent concer-
tina, and Mendelssohn's on the pianoforte ; both extraordi-
nary in their way, and applauded with equal vehemence.
Mori's violin fantasia was also productive of much approba-
tion. The overtures to Euriaizthe and William Tell were
played with surpassing effect. The latter was encored ;
and no one was more conspicuous in requiring its repetition
than Grisi. The whole concluded with " God save the
Queen" by all the singers of the chorus, and their manner
of giving it was as creditable to them as was its reception
to the loyalty and patriotism of the audience. During
Mori's performance on the violin, Grisi, Albertazzi, and
Clara Novella were observed to be laughing heartily at
aomc subject of merriment which attracted their attention
in the body of the ball. All eyes were turned upon the
object of their laughter, and the risibility forthwith became
contagious. An ancient fanatico, carried away by his en-
thusiasm of his admiration at the necromantic achievements
of the magic fiddler, expressed his delight by such gro-
tesque attitudinising, that the stoicism of the orchestra and
auditory became completely upset.

VISIT OF THE QUEEN TO EDINBURGH.---I have
the satisfaction to inform you, and on an authority by no
means incompetent or ill-informed, that it is the intention
of her Majesty to visit Scotland and Ireland during the
next summer, and that she will bold her Court for some
time at Holyrood-house.—Correspondent cf Me Caledonian
Mei eury.
The Princess Marie, it is said, is now working on a
statue of Jeanne Hachette, which promises to be one of
great beauty, and will add to the artistical famo of the au-
thor of the Jeanne d'Arc at Versailles, and the windows of
the chapel at Fontainebleau.—Paris Paper.

The Marquis of Tullibardine, the eldestikon of the
Duke of Athol, has bought one of those splendid man-

sions in Belgrave-square, the corner of Eccleston•street, for
his town residence. The Duke of Brandon is in treaty for
Vie one adjoining.
•

It is now ascertained that the extensive granary in
Upper Thames-street, destroyed by fire on Tuesday night,
was very inadequately insured. The policy on the build.
ing, which was of recent and substantial erection, and con-
sisted of three floors of great breadth, built on pillars over
the wharf, was only for 7001,.and that on the stock, con-
sisting of 5,000 quarters of grain, was only 5001. It is
understood the Union Office, in which the insurances were
effected, is so convinced of their inadequacy to the loss,
that having taken possession of the property in the first
instance as salvage, they are now ready to resign it to the
owners, and pay the full amount of the insurance money.
A large number of pigs have died in the neighbour-
hood of Quin and 'Fulls, by a disease similar in appearance
to cholera. They get black about the head and die in a few
hours.—Clare Journal. _ _

We learn that there is an impostor in London who
has several times applied to distinguished families from the
neighbourhood of Stamford, who have houses in the metro-
polis, representing himself as the nephew of Aldermen (one
of two or three names is used as occasion may suggest),
and that he has been in America or the West Indies, and
has returned in a destitute condition, &c. The whole story
is a fabrication, and the families in Stamford, whose navies
the fellow has assumed, are wholly unacquainted with him.
He is about forty-five years of age, of repectable appear-
ance, five feet six inches high, and has large whiskers.—
Stamford Mercury.
Archbishop Usher, in a speech of his, says " That
the Earl of Desmond, in Henry VIII.'s time, made an offer
of Ireland to the French King, and the instrument still re-
mains upon record in the courts of Paris. The Bishop of
Rome transferred the titles of all our kingdom to Charles
V. These, by a new grant, wore transferred to his son
Philip IV., in the time of Queen Elizabeth, with a resolu-
tion to settle the crown upon the Spanish Infanta."
Yesterday afternoon an invest was held at the
Middlesex Hospital, on view of the body of George lumen,
aged 19, who was burnt to death under the following dis-
tressing circumstances. It appeared from the evidence, that
deceased, who for years past had been engaged in nautical
pursuits, was the brother-in-law of Mr. Robert Burnell, a
brass-founder, at 95, High-street, Marylebone. On Tues-
day evening last he returned home at ten o'clock and scent
to bed, and in about two hours afterwards, Mrs. Barnell
awoke her husband, tellinghim that the house was on fire.
Mr. B. directly made his way through a dense volume of
smoke ; and, on entering. the deceased's apartment, found
the bed and furniture on fire. Ile (Mr. B.) groped his
way to the upper end of the apartment, and in one corner
thereof discovered the deceased lying on the floor, with his
clothing and a great part of the flesh burnt from his body.
It further appeared that he was in the habit of smoking,
and at the period of the dreadful discovery, a broken pipe
was picked up near the door ; a candlestick, in which a
candle had evidently been recently
burning, was standin
on the table. Deceased, who wai frightfully burnt on the
head, arms, chest, and back, and who, according to the
statement of a medical gentleman, had been drinking, was
conveyed to the Middlesex Hospital, where ho expired in
peat agony on the following morning.—Verdict" Acci-
, dental deat4."