The Sun.
London, England, 1837-01-30 00:00:00

ORICAL

AN ORA

E Sly.

The -following very amusing scene took place the other
day, at the Police Correctionelle, in Paris. Two men being
placed at the bar, the case against them was thus stated :
Witness—l was going down the street St. Jaques, when
I perceived a stranger leaning against the rails of the hos-
pital, rather the -worse for liquor. Two persons were so-
porting him one on the right and the other on the left.
When they saw me they went. away suddenly. Here is a
lovely scene, said I to myself ; here are two men performing
the most sacred duties of holy morality, in affording assis-
tance to a nian incapable of taking care of himself. This
pure reflection was, however, soon followed by the most
sinister suspicions. In giving aid to the drunken individual
perhaps the two strangers were about to rob him—an ac-
tion, gentlemen of the jury, altogether bad, a cowardly
crime, destitute of dignity, for, as it has been observed in
ancient history—
President (interrupting)—Never mind ancient history, if
you please.
Witness—Very well, just as you please. To proceed.
The notion often came across my mind that I was destined
to play a great part ; and that, if any crime was about to be
committed, it was to me that the glorious task was assigned
of punishing the guilty, and saving the innocent. To con-
ceal myself behind a column was the action of a moment,
for great men conceive great things at critical epochs.
President—To the point—to the point, if you please.
Witness—Very well, just as you please. Presently I
beheld from the place of my concealment the two prisoners
return, with villauous aspect, and, approaching the victim: of
the rosy god of,wine, they commenced to pick his pockets.
President, I was not alarmed, for I had two vigorous sons,
the very picture of myself, with me. We rushed to the
spot, and, animated by the most elevated thoughts for the
protection of society and all men overwhelmed with wine,
we seized the two robbers in the very act of mal-appropria-
tion. Every good citizen would have done the same, I ima-
gine ; for our beloved country, and the public at large, are
equally interested in the safety of the streets of a capital,
which is not only the centre of Europe, but the centre of
civilization, and, as I think, the capital of the entire world.
In the course which I pursued, I believe no blame can be
attached to me for having taken upon myself, in conjunction
with my.two vigorous sons, the very picture of myself, to
repress crime, and to become the protector of an inoffensive
drunkard. At all events, my conscience does not reproach me.
President—Why should it ? On the contrary, much
praise is due to you.
Witness—That is just what I said to myself : nothinein
the world ought to hinder an honest man from obeying the
cry of conscience.
President—Well, well! you have disclosed all you know
—sit down.
Witness—And to allow any personal motives to hinder-
me from acting would be to incur general disapprobation,
7or—

President—Enough;Sir ; sit down. •
Witness (continuing)—For the social wants require one

to-

President—Sit down.
Witness—Afford mutual help, which—
Presideat—Will you sit down ?
Witness—Alone can be of real protection to "Citizens—
President—Officer, make the witness resume his seat.
Witness (speaking as he is led away by the officer)—
Against the spoliatious of the nocturnal robbers—
Officer (forcing the witness to his seat)—Come, come,
we have had quite enough. •
Witness (rising a minute or two afterwards)—Who in-
fest Paris.
The witness having thus completed his oration, did not
further interrupt the proceedings.

INFLUENCE OF THE IMAGINATION.—The fol-
lowing is striking :—" The most melancholy record of the
miseries of hypochondriacism is to be found in the diary of
Dr. Walderstein, of Gottingen. He was a man much de-
formed in person, and his mind seemed as distorted as his
body. Although of deep learning and research, and con-
vinced of the absurdity of his impressions, yet he was unable
to resist their baneful influence. My misfortune, says the
doctor, is, that I never exist in-this world, but rather in
possible combinations created by my imagination to my con-
science. They occupy a large portion of my time, and my
reason has not the power to banish them. My malady, in
fact, is the faculty of extracting poison from every circum-
stance in life ; so- much so, that I often felt the most
wretched being ,because I bad not been able to sneeze three
times together. One night when 1 was in bed I felt a sud-
den fear of fire, and gradually became as much oppressed
by .imaginary heat as though my room were in flames.
While in this situation, a fire hell in the neighbourhood
sounded, and added to my intense sufferings. I do not blush.
at what inif,ht be called my superstition, any more than I
should blush in acknowledging that my senses informed me
that the earth does not move. My error forms the body
of my judgrnentt and I thank God that he has given it a soul
capable of correcting it. When I have been perfectly free
from pain, as is not unfrequently the case when I am in bed,
my sense of gratitude has not unfrequently brought tears of
gratitude in my eyes. I once dreamt, adds Walderstein,
that I was condemned to be burnt alive. I was very calm,
and reasoned coolly during the execution of my sentence.
Now,' I said to myself, lam burning, but not yet burnt;
and by-and-by I shall be reduced to a cinder.' This was
all I thought and I did nothing but think. When, upon
waking-, I reflected upon my dream, I was by no means
pleased with it, for I was afraid I should become all
thought and no feeling.' It is strange that this fear of
thought, assuming a corporal form in deep affliction, had
occurred to our poet Rowe, when he exclaims, in the Fair
Penitent,' Turn not to thought my brain.' 'What a fear.
ful avowal from a reflecting and intelligent man ! Does it
not illustrate Rousseau's definition of reason—the know-
ledge of our folly ?

Last week a party of thirty persons, the majority
of whom were not more than from ten to eighteen years of
age, assembled at a respectable tavern in the precincts of
Dudley, to partake of their Club Christmas dinner. The
tit-bit" repast concluded, it was ascertained that the
" small party" of, thirty had eaten 1201bs. of beef, 251bs. of
spare-rib, 161bs. of mutton, a strike of potatoes (exclusive
of an immense quantity of other vegetables), and a bounti-
ful supply of bread and sundries, too numerous to mention.
—Ten Towns' Messenger.

T. COX SAVORY, Goldsmith, &e., 47, Cornhill ,
London, informs the Public, that he offers DESSERT FRUIT
KNIVES and FORKS, with plain ivory handles, silver ferrules,
plated on steel blades, at Three Guineas per dozen pa►r, or• with
solid silver blades, at Eight Guideas and a half per dozen,pair.
N. 13. Carved ivory handles at 13s. 6d. extra per dozen pair.