The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-01 00:00:00

BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.

" Our Song of the Mouth," by Ainsworth, is ful
of pleasant trifling. Of the music attached to we
can say nothing, having not the slightest notion of
quavers or dem'.•seml-quavers. " Oliver Twist" i;
carried on with unflagging spirit. One or two of the
scenes are equal, in racy humour, and truth of dia-
logue, to the best things in the " Pickwick Papers."
Mr, Ingoldsby's story of the " Grey Dolphin" is re-
ple:e with fun. The sketch of the bluff Baron in par-
ticular, and his peremptory demand for his " boots,"
show a genuine conception of the true comic. The
" Inedited Letters of Addison" are curious, in so far
as they have never till now seen the light, and that
the writer was one of the first wits of Queen
Anne's time ; but otherwise, they arc not worth
much. Addison NA as no letter-writer ; and as for his
constant craving for plaae, we already know that he
was not quite so disiwerested as he would be thought,
from Johnson's biography. In the " Remains of
Hajji Baba," Mr. Morier furnishes us with some
whimsical details of the orders given by the Great
Shah previous to tho Hajji's official departure foi
England. Above all things, the Ambassador is to
pick up for his Sovereign's harem all the beautiful
English women he can lay hold or, who, among other
recommendations, are to have " figures like poplar
trees ; waists a span round ; faces round as the
moon ; hair to the small of the legs ; and throaty
so fine, that the whie may be seen in its pas-
sage through their." " Sonnet to a Fog," is just
passable—nothing more. " Handy Andy" is clever,
as all Lover's stories are apt to be. " Scenes
in the Life of a Gambler" are too long, and
something wordy ; [farts of it, however, are good.
" The Cobbler of Dort" would have been better, were
it not too close au itnitation of the Modern Pythago-
rean's well-known anecdote of the " Bather of Gottin-
gen." " Hero and Leander," a translation from the
Greek of Musmus, is admirably rendered by Mr.
Chapman, whose versiola of the " Prometheus Vine-
tus" of lEschylu,s., lels already established his claims
as an accomplished trio ak scholar. " IVlenioirs of
Sheridan" gives an Inpartial enough estimate of the
character of the author cif the " School for Scandal."
As an orator, Sherry was an over-rated man ; as a
dramatist, it is impodeible•to speak too highly in his
praise. The illustrations to this Number are clever,
as usual. From the " Grey Dolphin," we quote the
following amusing extract :

" Periwinkle,' said the Baron, 'up with the drawbridge;
down with the portcullis; bring me a cup of canary, and my
nightcap. I non't be bothered with them. I shall go to
bed.'

' To bed, my Lord!' criel Periwinkle, with a look that
seemed to say, lie's crazy.'
" At this moment the shrill tones of a trumpet were heard
to sound thrice from the campaign. It was the signal fur
parley : the Baron changed his mind; instead of going to bed,
he went to the ramparts.
66 Well, rapscallions! and what now ?' said the Baron.
" A herald, two pursuivants, and a trumpeter, occupied the
foreground of the scene; behind then,, some three hundred
paces off, upon a rising ground, was drawn up in battle-array
the main body of the ecclesiastical forces.
6" Hear you, Ralph de Shurland, Knight, Baron of Shur-
land and Minster, and Lori of Sheppey, and know all men,
by these presents, that 1 do hereby attach you, the said Ral,ah,
of murder and sacrilege, now, or of late, done and committed
by you, the said Ralph, contrary to the peace of our Sovereign
Lord the King, his crown and dignity : and I do hereby re-
quire you, the said Ralph, to forthwith surrender and give up
your own proper person, together with the Castle of Shur.
land aforesaid, in order that the same may be duly dealt with
according to law. An 1 here standeth John de lier,h wood,
Esquire, good man and true, Sherif-Fol. his Majesty's most loyal
county of Kent, to enkr.2e the same, if need be, with his posse
comitatus.'
His what ?' said the Baron.
" His posse comitatus, and-'
" Go to B.th ?' said the Bar n.

A defiance so contemptuous roused the ire of the adverse
commanders. A volley of missiles rattled about the Baron's
cars. Night-caps avail tittle against contusions. lie left the
walls, and returned to the great hall.
" . Let them pelt away,' quoth the Baron—' there are no
windows to break, and they can't get in.' So he took his af-
ternoon liar, and the siege went on.
" Towards evening his Lordship awoke, and grew tired of
the din. Guy Pearson, ton, had got a black eye from a brick
bat, and the assailants were clambering over the outer wall.
So the Baron called for his Sunday hauberk of Milan steel,
and his great two-handed sword with the tertible name. It was
the fashion in feudal times to give names to swords : King Ar.
tht:r's was christened Excallbar ; the Baron called his Tickle-
toby, and whenever he took it in hand it was no joke.
Up with the portcullis I Down with the bridge !' said
Sir Ralph, and out he sallied, followed by the elite of his re-
tainers. Then there was a pretty to-do. Heads flew one way
—arms and legs another; round went Tickletoby, and wher-
ever it aFghted, down canoe horse and man ; the Baron ex-
celled himself that day. All that he had done in Palestine
faded in the comparison ; he had fought for fun there, but now
it was for life and lands. Away went John de Northwood ;
away went William of llever, and Roger of Leybourne.
Hamo de Crevecceur, with the Church va,als and the banner
of St. Austin, had been gone some time. The siege was
raised, and the Lord of Sheppey left alone in his glory."