The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-11 00:00:00

of his time. Voltaire, whose style was so piquant, ap-
peared at this period. He passed his life in waging war
against what he considered abuses. His " Henriade,"
his " Zaire," his " Alzire," his " Tancredi," his
" Siecle de Louis," his " Histoire de Charles
XII., are all remarkable for that perspecuity
which is the great characteristic of the style of Vol-
taire. Rousseau was his cotemporary ;in his " Emile"
he has developed his ideas on education, but his " Con-
tract Sociale" was the work which had exercised the
greatest influence on society. In this work he ex-
plained the nature of the social compact, and declared
the soverignty of the people. Then came the tempest
of the Revolution, on the subsidence of which, when
Napoleon had re-established order, the Muses again
began to show themselves. But although he re-esta-
blished order, he did not re-e,tablish liberty, the resto-
ration of which was delayed until his fall. Literature
felt the benefit of the return of liberty, and at this pe-
Hod the literary world was divided into two parties, the
the Classicistes, or followers of the models of antiquity,
and the Romantiques, or followers of the modern school.
These divisions were, however, fast disappearing. There
prevailed is England at present a general dislike of
modern French literature, and a great degree of ignorance
on the subject,in consequence of the disgust felt at the im-
morality ofsome of the modern French novels. But France
still possessed writers worthy of the admiration of every
age. Delille, Bernardin St. Pierre, the author of
" Paul and Virginia," and Madame de Stael were no
more, but Chateaubriand still remained. In poetry he
might mention the names of Lamartine, who was beau-
tifully fine and elegant, and of Beranger, the poet of
the people. In works of imagination there was Victor
Hugo, while Casimir Delavigne and Scribe were cele-
brated as dramatists all over Europe. As historians,
Guizot, Sismondi, Michela, Miguet, and Thiers, stood
pre-eminent, while the history of Literature itself had
been admirably illustrated by the pen of Villemain.
M. Cousin had devoted his time and talents to the sub-
ject of education, and Odillon Barrot and Berryer
shone pre-eminent in oratory. In the physical sciences
it was sufficient to mention the name of Cuvier.
The Lecturer having thanked his auditory for the
attention they had paid, concluded his lecture amidst
Loud applause.

THE RIVER SEVERN.—It is painful to look on
the low state of our river, the navigation being almost
wholly impeded, more particularly when we reflect on the
efforts which have been made to have it improved, and
which efforts were defeated by an unjust, selfish, and dis-
graceful opposition. The scene daily of vessels being
aground on nea-ly all the fords, when with scarcely a third
of their estimated cargoes, will, we hope, arouse the dormant
energies of the friends to this national improvement. On
Saturday last five vessels were aground for several hours on
Diglis Ford ; and we arc informed there is only a flow of
18 inches of water over Deethurst, and scarcely so much
at the Red Stone Rock.—Worcester Joarnal.

ADOPTION OF TIIE PENNY POSTAGE.—The
Manchester postmaster has received an intimation from the
Postmaster-General to take such preparations and arrange-
ments as he may deem necessary in order to carry into
effect the penny postage.
The ships James Pattison, Captain Cromatty,
and the Alfred, Captain Flint, both from London and Ply-
mouth, with numerous passengers, and arrived safe at Syd-
ney, New South Wales, prior to the last dates from that
colony.
RAT CATCHING EXTRAORDINARY.—On
Tuesday se'nnight a pike was caught with a line in a pit
belonging to Mr. Samuel Shaw, Gailey, which on being
opened was found to contain two full-grown water-rats.
The fish did not weigh quite three pounds.—Wolverhantp-
ton Chronicle.

TIIE BEER BILL.—The sale of beer, like the
sale of bread, ought to be free, and the cure for the evils
at present existing, will be found in ameliorating the con-
dition of the people by the increase of the rate of wages ;
and their consequent ability to bare more of the comforts
of life about them in their own homes, and not in shutting
up the beer-shops. The abolition of he malt tax, by put-
ting it more in the power of the labourer to brew his own
beer, would do much towards the improvement of the so-
cial condition of the people, which would quickly lead to
the diminution of crime.— Wilts Independent. .

ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—The general monthly
meeting was held on Thursday afternoon. Viscount Bray-
brooke, Vice-President, in the Chair. The Report for
the past month, which was read by the Rev. John Bar-
low, the Secretary, stated the balance in hand at the last
Report 1,110/. 9s. Bd.; the receipts of the month
1,8441. ss. 6d. ; the expenditure on the gardens 893/. ; the
museum 381., and the general establishment 96/. ; leaving
a present balance of 1,927/. The Council had the day
previous ordered the investment of 1,0001. in Exchequer
Bills. The number of visiters to the museum was 409,
and the sum received 3/. 4s. ; and to the menagerie
27,458, from whom 9111. 12s. was received. A donation
was announced from Sir Thomas Reade of a young
lioness, which, with one just purchased, made two pairs of
lions in the possession of the Society. A contract for a
new monkey house had been entered into for 1,2391., which
would be finished in two months ; and it had also been re-
solved to sell the remaining portion of the farm for 7501.
The Council expressed their regret that it would not be
possible to throw open the museum to the public, as the
rk es I a ufli.jantiy. safea to ad it moie 1h44 under
the pressmat, his was much. regret ea oy
Vigors, M.P., and several members, as public expectation
was looking forwards with anxiety to the subject. Colonel
Ackborn brought before the notice of the meeting the
propriety of having open areas for the carnivora dens, a
plan which was adopted in the menagerie at Munich, with
great advantage to the health of the animals. This plan
was recommended to the Council for experimental trial ;
and after the election of a Committee of Accounts, the
meeting adjourned.
THE CROPS IN IRELAND.—There has been
at length a most favourable change in the weather, and all
ground for alarm on account of the growing crops may be
considered nearly at an end. In the course of Sunday
night rain commenced falling in Dublin and the neigh-
bourhood, and there is every appearance that the parched
soil will be relieved by plentiful showers. Throughout
the country we rejoice to learn the rain has been very
plentiful.—Dublin Evening Post.
BRUSSELS, JUNE s.—The average prices of
wheat and rye in the last week were 24 francs 28 cents,
and 15 francs 70 cents ; the regulations for importation and
exportation remain unchanged. The number of travellers
on the railroad, in, the month of May, was 105,520, and
the receipt, 240,045 francs. June 4.—A Cabinet mes-
senger was despatched to-day from the Foreign Office to
London, with a considerable mass of papers supposed to
be the duplicates of the treaties of the 19th of April.
Several of these papers were signed by the King this
morning.
It is stated to be the intention of a body of the
electors of Newcastle-under-Lyne, in the event of a dis-
solution of Parliament, to invite Sir Robert William
Horton, to offer himself as a candidate. Sir Robert repre-
sented this borough previously to his appointment to the
Governorship of Ceylon.—Wolverhampton Chronicle.
SUPPOSED INCENDIARY FIRE.—It is with
grief we record a supposed incendiary fire at Kirkmichael
Mains. On the morning of Wednesday last, one of the
servants of Mr. William Scott, the tenant, had occasion
to rise at four o'clock, and on looking out, was astonished
to observe flames blazing in the straw-house, where, along
with that inflammable material, a good deal of grain in
sacks was deposited. He at once gave the alarm, and by
prompt exertion, saved the building, and also, we believe,
a portion of the corn. As no candle had been used in the
straw-house for days, it is not easy to get rid of the impres-
sion as to the origin of this malicious act. A reward of
50/. is offered for the apprehension of the perpetrator of
this diabolical act. What renders the occurrence more re-
markable is that Mr. Lyon and his steward, who occupies
the offices, are both remarkably well liked, and give much
employment to labourers in the district.—Dumfries Courier.
The Court of Queen's Bench, Dublin, on Mon-
day, pronounced sentence against Yore and his co-con-
spirators, for having feloniously enticed away and married
the daughter of Colonel Tucker. The principal, Yore,
has got nine months' imprisonment, and his assistants three
months' imprisonment each.
A valuable horse, the property of Mr. John
_ .

. .
argus, of this city, which was at grass at Mr. Higwell's
arm, Charlton, was on Friday morning last, found lying
dead in the field, having been caught during the night by
some miscreants, and stabbed through the heart. We
perceive that a reward of thirty guineas is offered for their
apprehension.—Bristol Gazette.
THE LATE MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT AT
KINGSWOOD.—We last week gave some particulars of this
very melancholy affair, and we have now little to add, for
though during the interval unremitting exertions have been
made to clear the pit of the water and get out the bodies of
the sufferers, little has yet been effected towards that
object, the water flowing in almost 03 rapidly as pumped
out. It seems that the workmen had broken into an old
pit, which had been closed for nearly 100 years, and the
first intimation of danger was the extinction of the candles
from the foul air, which preceded the water. The men
nearest the pit's mouth rushed to the rope, and clambered
up in a cluster, two of them in a state of nudity. Twenty.
five were thus saved from impending death, but the num-
ber before stated, the greater part of whom had been em-
ployed in a lower part of the work, perished, Wm. John-
son, left a wife and four children. This poor fellow had
his arm broken ten years since, when a somewhat similar
accident occurred in the same pit (called Causeway pit),
one man losing his life.—Bristol Gazette.
CENSORSHIP IN AUSTRIA.—I have lately
seen some instances in which the censorship is executed
at Vienna. The author of a novel introduces a person
born at Cologne ; the censor blots out Cologne, and writes
over it Nuremberg. In another place he quotes a passage
from Rousseau, beginning the sentence with the words
" Rousseau says ;" the sa,)ing of Rou,seau not being
agreeable to the censor, you would naturally believe that he
struck out the sentence along with the quotation ; no such
thing, he left in the quotation, " Rousseau says," anti put
words into the mouth of that author directly opposite to
those which the novelist had cited

The Council of King's College, anxious that an
Hospital should be attached to their Medical School, have
lately concluded an agreement with the parish of St. Cle-
ment Danes for a long lease of a building in Portugal-
street, Lincoln's-inn Fields, which has been hitherto occu-
pied as a workhouse, but is now no longer wanted
for that purpose. This building has been inspected and
found to be capable of containing at least 250 beds, and
to be well adapted to the purpose. As, however, the
College does not possess any funds applicable to the es-
tablishment and support of the proposed Hospital, the
Council have issued a circular, calling on the public and
the friends of the College to come forward and supply the
means of carrying into effect so benevolent and useful a
design.
It is now arranged that the opening of the Great
Western Railway as far as Twyford shall take place in the
first week in July.