The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-04 00:00:00

I:VENIN"

be drawn direct from the life. This may be so,
but we nevertheless think them far from successful
sketches. Their unrivalled benevolence is too
much insisted on. We are not permitted to lose
sight of it for an instant. It is tinmpeted forth on
every occa,ion, till at length we almost turn for re-
lief to the quaint, but cordial and simple goodness
of a John Brodie and a Newman Noggs. Besides,
in reading of the Cheerybles we are reminded in
every page of Fielding's Al!worthy, whose attri-
butes were precisely the same.
We come now to the question which has been
so frequently asked of late, is Mr. Dickens's fame
merely ephemeral, or will it survive him ? Unhe-
sitatingly we reply, it will. There are scenes of
stern, homely tragedy in Oliver Twist—though we
will acknowledge at the same time that there is
much in that novel that we could have wished un-
written ; of broad, vigorous colouring in Pickwick;
and of more chaste and careful finish in Nicholas
Nickleby--that must ever be recognised as genuine
by the mass of the community ; for though tastes,
opinions, and fashions change, humanity is ever
the same. Besides, it is not to be supposed for an
instant that an author could rivet the public atten-
tion for four years together, without possessing
qualities calculated to wear well and long.

FARMER'S MAGAZINE.
Contains this month two passable engravings,
and several articles on agricultural subjects, written
with spirit and perspicuity.

211ONTHLY BELLE ASSEMBL.EE.
The prose tales in the present Number cater cle-
verly for the tastes of the drawing-room,. but they
are too numerous. Of the poetry, the less said the
better. The reviews of new publications are, so far
as we can see, written in a spirit of moderation and
impartiality.

THOMAS'S LIFE OF NAPOLEON.
This Part, which is the fifth, of the life of the
French Emperor, commences with Moreau's great
victory of Hohenlinden, which Campbell has im-
mortalised in one of the most stirring odes in the
language ; and concludes with the Coronation of
Napoleon, as Emperor of France. It is embellished
with clever, characteristic plates.

THE ANAL YB7'.
There is an article i►► the present Number of this
Journal, " On the Fluctuations in the Supplies of
Gold," with relation to problems of political eco-
nomy, which will be read with interest at the
present juncture, when the precious metal is said
to be so scarce. The author is Von Humboldt,
who dates his essay from Berlin. Among the
notices of new works, we find a criticism on
" Festus"—a most extraordinary dramatic poem,
abounding nearly equally in faults and bear,ties—
which we noticed at some length many months ago
in The Sun. The criticism, on the whole, is such
as must satisfy the author, whoever he may be.

. _
POLYTECHNIC JOURNAL.
A useful periodical, chiefly devoted to science,
in which the proceedings of the various metropoli-
tan and provincial scientific societies are recorded
from month to month with all due diligence.

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.
The first article iu the Number before us is a
translation of the first portion of Grotius' Latin
play, " Adamus Exul," which the translator, Mr.
Francis Barham, thinks was the prototype of Mil-
ton's " Paradise Lost." We have read it with
some curiosity, and have been struck with the
similarity of the thoughts and images that kith
poets have put into the mouth of Satan. The in-
troductory prose character of the " learned Giotins"
—the ancestor, as we have heard, of th.. Member
for London—is very well written. 1‘ Census of
Foreign Literature" contains a biographical sketch
of a German poet, Ferdinand Friligrath ; the sub-
ject is to be continued in a future Number.
" Grandier, or the Victim of Richelieu," is a tale
of average merit.

THE HEADS OF THE PEOPLE.
The first volume of this entertaining work is now
concluded, and the editor appropriately observes in
the preface,—
From such a work, it is obvious, that the student of
human nature may derive the best of lore ; the mere idling
reader become at once amused and instructed ; whilst even
to the social antiquarian, who regards the feelings and ha.
bits of men more as a thing of time, a barren matter of
aano domini, than as the throbbings of the human heart and
the index of the national mind, the volume abounds with
facts of the greatest and most enduring interest.
The following passage ought to be as widely
circulated as the press can carry it, as long as there
is any hope that by holding the mirror up to the
national foibles they may be corrected :
John Bull has too long rested in the comfortable self.
complacency that he, above all other persons of the earth,
enshrines in his own mind all the wisdom and the mag-
nanimity vouchsafed to mortal man; that in his customs
he is the most knowing, the least artificial, the most cot
dial, and the most exemplary of persons ; and that in all
the decencies of life, he, and he alone, knows an?, does
that which is

" Wisest, discreetest, virtuousest, best;"
•
that he has no prejudices—none ; or, if indeed he have
any, that they exist and have been nurtured ma very near
his virtues, that it he cannot detect the slightest differ-
ence between them, it is not likely that any vagabond
foreigner can make so tremendous a discovery. And then
John boasts, in no monosyllabic phrase, of his great integ-
rity, of his unbending spirit to the merely external advan-
tages of worldly follies: he looks to the man, and not the
man's pocket I He—he pays court to no man : no, he
cries out in the market-place, that. *. honesty is the best
policy," grasps his cudgel, looks loftily about him, swel.
ling with the magnificence of the apothegm, and strides
away to his beef and ale, with an almost overwhelming
sense of all his many virtues.
Now, let the truth be told. John Bull likes a bit of
petty larceny as well as any body in the world : he likes
it, however, with this difference ; the iniquity must be
made legal. Only solemnise a wrong by an Act of Par-
liament, and John Bull will stickle lustily for the abuse;
will trade upon it, turn the market-peaky with it, cocker
it, fondle it, love it, say pretty words to it; yea, hug it to
his bosom, and cry out, " rape and rn'obery," if sought to
be deprived of it.
Next, John has no slavish regard for wealth : to be sure
not ; and yet though his back is as broad a table, it is as
lithe as a cane; and he will pucker his big cheeks into a
reverential grin, and stoop anti kiss the very hoofs of the
golden calf; wherever it shnll be set up before him. John
will do this, and blush not ; and having done it, he
straighten himself, wipe his lips with his cuff of broad-
cloth, look magnanimous, and " damn the fellow that re-
gards money."
And then for titles. Does aolin value titles ? Hear the
contemptuous roar with %licit, in the parlour of " The
King's Head," he talks of Viem. " What's a title ?" he
will ask ; " it's the man, el'.?" And next week Lord Bub-
blebrain puts up for the c'dunty ; and, condescending to ask
John Bull for his vote, 'John stands almost awe•struck at
his porch, smooths his hair, smiles, smirks, bows, and feels
that there is a sort of white magic in the looks and words
of a Lord. He stammers out a promise of a plumper, bows
his Lordship to the gate, and then declares to his neigh•
boors that " It warn't for the title he gave his vote--be
should hope not ; no, he wouldn't sell his country in that
way. But Lord Bubblebrain is a gentleman, and knows
what's right for the people." And then John's wife re-
marks, bow affable his Lordship was to the children, and
espotirilly to the sick baby; which John receives a 3 a
matter of course ; shortly observing, that "no gentleman
could d' less ; not that he gave his vote for any such
doings." _

A;-id has John no virtues ? A thousand ! So many, that
he can afford to be told of his weakness, his folly—yea, of
the wrongs he does, the wrongs he suffers.
The ridiculous part of John's character is his love of an
absurdity, an injustice-Ht may be, an acute inconvenience
—from its very antiquity. " \Vhy, what's the matter ?
„, asked last week of an old acquaintance, limping and
pushing. himself along, not unlike a kangaroo with the
rheumatism ; " What's the matter ?" " Matter ! 7
corns—
corns." And why don't you have 'em cut ?" Cut '
cried our friend with a look of surprise and inqw.ry.
Cut ! why, it is now fifteen years that I have bad these
corns." There spoke John Bull: though he s}.,all be
almost at a stand-still, lame with corns, yet what v. roaring
does he make if you attempt to cut them—and .w'ny ? 11e
if
has had them so many years. A wen upon his, neck, a
wen of fifty year's growth, though it bent him doable,
would " be to him as a daughter."
The editor announces another volume. If it be
like the one concluded it will deserve success.

ORCESTER HOPS, OCT. 2.—. Saturday morn-
ng was very wet, and we have no doubt that it pre-
vented many planters sending their hops to market on
that day ; as it was, nearly 2,000 pockets were pitched
for sale, of which 1,3°4 were sold. Trade was brisk
throughout the day, and fine samples were much sought
after. Hops of a middling description were a drug, arid
would not command pure:lasers at any price ; they wiere
the only article left unsold at the close. Twenty-.eight
pockets of old were also weighed. The business trans-
acted during the week has been very trifling, twenty-
three pockets only having been weighed. Yearlings and
old hop are scarcely saleable, and prices of such are
n0n1:,.4-i.ally as last week. The duty is rather lower,
1,000/. being now the estimate. The fine days of this
week have enabled the planters to proceed rapidly with
their picking, an:,l many fine samples will be soured
hitherto the vieather has been very unfavourabile, and
many hops 'Drought to market will not be in such prima
conditie,n as was expected. Upon the whole the crop
is al/ondant, and the sample good. Prices may be quoted
at, about °s. per cwt, in advance for the best description
—New hops, 465. to 645. and 70s. ; yearlings, ,403„. to
565. ; 1837'5, 355. to 545. per ewt.

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