The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-12 00:00:00

RUSTIC COQUETRY.

In Stratherrick, a remote sequestered High-
land district, by the side of one of those smzill
lochs, or lakes, which relieve the wild and dreary
expanse of rock and heather, there dwells a fair
damsel who has lately made sad havoc among
the hearts of the neighbouring swains, as well as
exemplified the fickleness of female love. About
a fortnight since she was duly pledged and be-
trothed to one of her suitors, an elderly decent
man, well to do in the world, whose staid and
devout demeanour recommended him strongly
to the girl's parents. After the usual prelimina-
ries, she gave her consent, though somewhat re-
luctantly. and the pair proceeded to Inverness to
purchase the ring and " wedding braves." By
the way, however, the bride was little pleased
with the dry sedate carriage and manner of her
intended, and every look she gave him as he
dodged quietly on beside her, but determined
her the more firmly to slip the noose which was
soon to fix her lot. Accordingly on her return,
she sent word to another admirer, a tailor, pray-

big that he would come to her rescue. The
tailor being a man of mettle, inttantly flew to
the distressed fair one, accompanied by a party
of his friends, as a body guard. The tender
question being mooted and settled, the tailor
left the damsel for a day or two, to get his house
in order for an early consummation of his
wishes. In the interim another suitor arrived, a
dashing young fellow a farmer, and now the plot
began to thicken. After some parleying, the
maiden changed her lore and agreed to wed the
third sweetheart, appointing a night for him to
come and take her away. Now it so lisp-
pened that the night appointed was the same
on which the fair deceiver had promised to
reward the gallantry of the tailor—and both
parties, each accompanied by a body of
friends, met to their utter astonishment on
the same errand in the small public-house,

facing Loch Farraline, which is kept by sonsy
Widow Fraser. How the rival suitors and their
separate "tails" were now to act, was rather a puz-
zling question, which it required sundry gills and
half inutchkins to digest, but at length, instead
of proceeding to hostilities, or adopting the Bo-
naparte system of tactics, by storming the centre
and carrying off the prize by a vigorous coup
de main, both of the belligerents resolved to go
peaceably to the house and trust to Providence
for the result. On arriving at the dwelling, their
friends remained outside, while the principals
entered the cot, big with hope and fear. Only
a few minutes, however, elapsed, ere the wily
damsel contrived to slip out, giving the sign to
the young farmer, who instantly joined the fu-
gitive out of doors and renewed his vows of
everlasting love and attachment ! 'Things had
now come to a pretty pass with the tailor and
the 'first sweetheart. The former wisely deter-
mined on neutrality, and as he had been so openly
jilted, he thought it best to " jouk and let the
jaup gae owr." But not so the elderly wooer.
On being informed of this double perjury, he
was in a towering passion, and vowing that he
would make the lass abide by her contract, he
went to the house, attended by his friends, all
armed with stick and bludgeons. The girl had
returned to her father's roof, and, to settle
quietly the matter, which was now beginning to
make a noise over the country side, it was re-
solved to leave it to the fair one's arbitration.
In a moment the fickle bride sprang forward and
claimed the young farmer, who saluted her with
an emphasis that resounded like the crack of
a cadger's whip. The downcast discomfitted
suitor left the house, threatening law and pro-

sedition, while the predestined Eridegroom re-
mained with his rustic coquette, anticipating in
hope the nuptials which it was agreed to cele-
brate early this week.—lnverness Courier.

A clerk of a parish church in Leicestershire a
few weeks ago haring a notice placed in his hands to this
effect, " A man going to sea ; his wife desires the prayers
of the congregation :" read his instructions thus ;—" A
ma❑ going to see his wife, desires the prayers of the con-
gregation."

MERITED DISAPPOINTIOINT.--On the
morning of Monday week, a considerable degree of mirth
was caused at Chapel-en-le-Frith, by rather a singelar
affair which took place at the parish church. About
eleven o'clock ou that day a couple presented titeinselvee
before the Rev. S. Gnuisnv, to be joined in the holy
bands of matrimony. Preliminary matters having been
disposed of, the Rev. Gentleman began to tie the " happy
knot of virtuous love ;" but, ere he had proceeded
way through the ceremony, site bridegroom and his friends
burst out into a roar of laughter; and it was with great
difficulty that the clergyman could proceed. After a lapse
of several minutes, however, he did so, but only to be
again interrupted in the same manner. Several times did
the Rev. Gentleman desire them to pay due deference and
respect to the ceremony, bat to no purpose; aid finding
that it was impossible to proceed, be gar. .tkem a most
impressive reprimand for their disgraceful senduct, remed
to complete the ceremony, and ditosiemi then i bail mit -
ried.—Matvlisfield Gawks.

LITERATURE.

THE 'FOLLIES OF FASHION, A COMEDY.
LoNeox, 183(?.

It is astonishing how very few sterling writers of
Comedy we possess in our language. In every other
department of intellect we have first-rate authors in
abundance. In Poetry, Mathematics, Philosophy,
Divinity, History, the 1-:e Arts, &c., we have names
that neither ancient nor modern Europe can surpass,
scarcely even parallel ; but in Comedy we are un-
accountably deficient. In this respect alone our
national genius is nt a discount. When we have
enumerated Shakspeare (and his is the Comedy
rather of fancy than of real life), Ben Jonson,—of
Beaumont and Fletcher we say nothing, for their
humour is not inPligeriens,not a faithful transcript of
English life and manners, but a desultory accu-
mulation of lively poetic sallies,---Farquhar,
Congreve, and Sheridan, we have mentioned
all who can claim to he remembered by posterity for
their superior delineation of the manners of their
age and country. Vanburgh and Foote might per-
haps he added to our list; but the former is dry and
heavy, though occasionally a forcible writer, and the
latter, notwithstanding his unrivalled humour, is a
professed caricaturist. In Comedy then, we are, it
must be confessed, as far inferior to our mercurial
Timis, the French, as we are in every other respect
superior. Still, what few specimens we possess in
this department of the drama are, of their kind,
excellent. The strong, rough, muscular humour of
Ben Jonson, whose Voipone and Alchemist abound
in thought and learning, as well as vivacity ; the
easy, unembarrassed wit of Farquhar; the terse
pointed, epigrammatic sallies of Congreve ; and the
classic sparkling eloquence of his close imitator,
6heridan,:are such as do honour to England ; though
the whole combined will not make up even one
Molir're.

It is in this admirable though, in point of num-
bers, limited school that the author of the Comedy
before us has studied. His prime favourites seem to
be Congreve and Sheridan, from both of whom he
has borrowed the idea of two of the most marked
incidents in his play. From the Old Bachelor of
the former, where liclrtfrcc narrowly escapes the
atoral shipwreck of marriage with an intriguing
femme de chambrc, Lord Glengall has gleaned the
hint of Major O'Simper's nearly consummated nup-
tials with Jenny the I,:d)'s maid ; and from the
famous scandal scene of the latter, Sheridan, he has
adapted his conversanou at Lady Mary's, where
the parties engaged, apprehensive of the con-
sequences should they leave any of their set
behind, agree to go out together. Besides these
palpable imitations, there are numerous felicities
of thought and expresi•ion which Will instantly
recall the recollection of the two te.cehent comic
writers we have mentioned ; but; as these are
comparatively unimportant, we shall forbear more
particularly to specify them.
The great charm of the " Follies of Fashion" is
its ',effect freedom from the cant of sentiment.
There is not one love-sick maiden in the whole play
—a reprieve for which we are duly grateful. The
languege is throughout chaste and natural, occa-
sionally even elegant ; and if the piece be deficient in
originality, this defect originates not so much in the
author himself, as in the cless of society from which
he has selected the materials for his satire. Striking
character is not to be met with in fashionable He,
wbose chief object is to enforce a polished insipi-
dity ; but in the grade beneath, where passion has
freer play, and eccentricity is less heterodox, and
more native to the soil.

Lnrd Cilengall's wit, though got first-rate, is yet
very creditable to hie talents. It consists not so
much in thought as in expression, like the verbal
felicities of 13rummell, as, for instance, where a
lveßlthy Hebrew family are styled " a tribe of luxu-
riantly gilt Jewesses;" where another usurious
Israelite is defined s 5 " a high pressure Jew, of a
huadied-per-cent.•premium power," and an unso-
phisticated country gentleman is described as
" growing" in Somersetshire. These are fair
samples of the humour of the rest of the drama,
which, taken altogether, is a lively, ingenious, and
gentlemanlike performance. We should not omit
to add, that it is introduced by a prologue, nom the
pen of Mr. F. Mills, and an epilogue from that of
Lord Alvanley. The epilogue is sprightly aryl ele-
gant; bnt of the prologue, some lines of tlich we
are informed, " distinguished by inverted commas,
were omitted," we can only say, that if the whole
had been so " distinguished," the public would have
gained by the distinction.

THE UNITED FAMILY.—Losuos. IS3O.

Nothing can be more suitable to the season than
this amusing little child's hook, which pourtrnys iu
plain and feeling language the characters of a family—
their habits, pursuits, amusements, &c.—bound to
each other by the strong ties of affection. The va-
rious little anecdotes, interspersed here and there
through the book, are most of them very pertinent
and pleasing.

111 F, GIFT OF AN UNCLE. LONDON. 1830.

'1
his is a little book professedly for the use of
children, and giving short descriptions of some of
the peculiarities of the animal and vegetable world.
It is drawn up with simplicity and judgment, and
the various information it contains is happily enough
introduced by a little domestic tale, which gives a
sort of dramatic interest to the work. We trust it
will become popular with our young friends.

SECOND FOOTSTEP TO MRS. TRIMMER'S
SACRED HISTORY.

We will not go the length of asserting that the
author of this little work follows Mrs. Trimmer
" passibus aqui: ;" he is, however, a gleaner in the
same geld, where she has so diligently reaped, and
deserves attention accordingly. Ihe work is ex-
pressly devoted to children, and places many of the
most valuable portions of scripture history before
them in an inviting and intelligible manner.

THE MERCANTILE TEACHER'S ASSISTANT.
Loxpox. 1830.

The ri,,ing commercial generation, the future
Rothschilds, Baring=, Coutts, &c., of England,
will deri►e much benefit from an attentive study of
this very useful practical publication. The same
praise we may extend to a work entitled " A Trea-
tise on Practical Arithmetic," in which that science
is greatly simplified, and made familiar to the most
ordinary understandings.

MORE SWANS.—Those majestic , the
wild swans, have been this winter exceedingly numerous
in the northern esninties, and their presence is slid to be-
token the coiatirsitnee of y severe season. Three fine
speeimenaweere killEd on 'Tuesday last on Chetwynd Lake,
pcarfnwP9,4, Shropshire, by a gentleman •isiting in the
neigbbcturhood, WINO, we understand, has sent their skins
to a friend id Liverpool, to undergo a process that shall
render them serviceable. The flock consisted of no less
than eleven.—Macolavield Courier.

?SLICES OF STOCKt THI'
z,l; stock 01714 181. i
'I :,_:r Cent. itcd. 9414y41
I p-_, Cent. C:.nx 43,871/6
1,..; porCent -
!3tt-, Re", IOON%
t per Cent. Ann.
Dito, lni
Ditto Scrip -
t3Ank J. Attn. ~....719 11-16 N
, Itto -.) yrkz, -
trdi t stock shut
Ditto Borvls 7 t 73 pm.

CRICKS OF ;FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Austrian 80nd5:..,...2tVA itilli Neapolitan —
Brazi:ian Bends; 7136 Peruvian Bonds
Buenas Ayres Bonds Portuguese Boras
Clllllan Bonds ... — Prus,ian, Old
Colombian Bonds
Ditto, 1824 2IN Bussian —
Danish -"il4 Spanish, '521 10:,1,;
Greek Bonds —

Ditto, 1825
.French Renter, sp. c. --f. —c.
Guatnnala Exchange ......

Mexican Bonds — 3 per cent.
Ditto, 1525 — Exchange —f.