The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-17 00:00:00

which will propel the democratic principle to a greater
extent than could be done by the most liberal Admi-
nistration which could possibly be called into existence
with the materials at present eligible for the formation
of a Cabinet. A liberal policy on the part of Minis-
ters may restrain the impulses of democracy. An
illiberal policy, or one intended to conciliate Toryism,
will call forth exertions for purposes and objects at
present immeasurably beyond the general speculation.
—Morning Advertiser.

THE DRAMA OF LIFE.—It is the custom ou the
stage, in all good, murderous melodramas, to present the
tragic and the comic scenes in as regular alternation as the
layees of red and white in a side of streaky well-cured
bacon. The hero sinks upon his straw bed weighed down
by fetters and misfortunes ; and, in the next scene, his
faithful but unconscious squire regales the audience with a
comic song. We behold with throbbing bosoms the heroine
in the grasp of a proud and ruthless Baron, her virtue and
her life in danger, drawing forth her dagger to preserve the
one at the cost of the other ; and just as our expectations
are wrought up to the. highest pitch, a whistle is heard, and
we are straightway transported to the great hall of the
castle, where a grey-headed seneschal sings a funny chorus
with a funnier body of vassals, who are free of all sorts of
places, from church vaults to palaces, and roam about in
company carolling perpetually. Such changes appear
absurd ; but they are by no means unnatural. The transi-
tions in real life from well-spread boards to death-beds, and
from mourning weeds to holiday garments, are not a whit
less startling, only there we are busy actors instead of passive
lookers-on, which makes a vast difference ; the actors in the
mimic life of the theatre arc blind to violent transitions and
abrupt impulses of passion or feeling, which, presented before

the eyes of mere spectators, are at once condemned as out-
rageous and preposterous.—Oliver Twist in Bentley's
Miscellany for Nov.
Monday the Duke of Montrose was installed
Chancellor of the Glasgow University. His Grace's fa-
ther, James, Duke of Montrose, held the office for fifty-
six years, having been elected in 1781. The Hall was well
filled, and the ceremonies observed were highly interesting.i
The two galleries were crowded with well-dressed ladies,
amongst whom we observed in the front seat the Duchess
of Montrose. The Duke of Montrose, accompanied by the
Senatus Academicus of the University, entered about one,
and took their seats in the Professors' Bench. The Magis-
trates of the city, and several other gentlemen, were ac-
commodated in the same bench. The next seat was occu-
pied by graduates. The Very Reverend Principal M‘Far.
lane delivered a prayer in Latin, read, the minutes of Se-
natus Academicus, and delivered a short address in Latin.
The Duke of Montrose, who appeared in excellent spirits,
and delighted with the proceedings, also addressed the as-
semblage in Latin, which was cheered at the conclusion of
almost every sentence. Principal M'Farlane then called
Mr. Beckwick, one of the students of the Greek class, who
ascended the pulpit and delivered an Hexameter poem in
Greek. Mr. H. Parkin, one of the students of the Latin
class, delivered an Hexameter poem in Latin, and Mr. W.
Kerr several verses in English, all congratulatory of the
occasion. Principal APFarlane, according to the esta-
blished usage, delivered an address on the subject of the
ceremonials in which they had been engaged. He urged
them to persevere in the pursuits of literature ; and to show
how highly they valued success in these pursuits, he men-

ioneda number of the academic honours which the sena•

tors had recently conferred. The proceedings were then
closed with prayer by the Principal, in English. Cheers
and hisses were .gven by the students of each party for Sir
Robert Peel and for Lord Melbourne and her Majesty's
Ministers.—Glasgow Chronicle.

JERSEY.—At about half-past ten, on Saturday
morning last, the inhabitants of St. Helier were thrown into
a state of considerable alarm and anxiety, on perceiving
signals of distress flying at the north yard-arm of the sig-
nal-post at Fort Regent ; which being immediately followed
by the usual number of minute-guns from Elizabeth Castle,
soon brought a Fast concourse of persons to the pier,
anxious to ascertain the -cause. On inquiry, the vessel
Echo of this port, Captain Hamond, from Plymouth, with
passengers, had, by some slight mismanagement, struck on

.he ledge of a sunken rock, at the b2ck of the Castle, and

instantly went down. The captain and the crew had been
endeavouring to clear their punt, but cre this could he done
the vessel sunk, and two children were drowned ; the oldest
a fine boy of about nine years of age. The captain, as
also several of the others, are confined to their beds from
the effects of the fright—the former of whom was all but
gone when taken into the boat.—Jersey Patriot.
A splendid specimen of aurora borealis, or northern
•• -

lights, was obser.ved in this town (Chelmsford) on Sunday
night last, between the hours of six and half-past nine. It
appeared in the form of brilliant coruscations, which ex-
tended, at intervalsolfrom the north-east to the north-west
part of the heavens ; and notwithstanding the moon was
near the full, yet the fiery red appearance which was exhi-
bited formed a striking phenomenon. It is somewhat sin-
gular that these lights have been observed about this period
for the last two years.—Essex Herald.

VEGETABLE GIANTS.—There are at present in
our office, for the inspection of the curious in horticultural
matters, a colossal cabbage, and a no less colossal Swedish
turnip, sent us by a friend in the neighbourhood, as Gold-
smith sent a cut of his venison to -Reynolds--" to paint it or
eat it, just as he liked best." The cabbage weighs fifty-
three pounds, and measures (although considerably com-
pressed in the packing) two yards fifteen inches in horizon-
tal, and one yard thirty one and a half inches in vertical
circumference. We defy all the tailors in Glasgow to
make up as great a bulk of solid cabbage by their united
efforts for a month. If we boil it, we must borrow a steam-
boiler. The Swedish Turnip is equally uncommon in its
dimensions—measuring twenty-eight inches in circumfe-
rence, and weighing 'fourteen pounds. The assembled
posse comitatus of the establishment gazed in silent asto-
nishment on those wonders when the staves of the cask
were knccked from about them, until the spell was dissolved
by the youngest devil sighing audibly—" Lor' they've forgot
to send the bee f."—Glasgow Argus.
Friday morning an attempt was made to break into
the branch of the Western Bank lately established in
Bogle-street, Greenock, but without success. The porter
sleeps in an apartment adjoining the counting-room, which.
being accessible by a window in the roof, the rogues re-
solved thereby to reach the room where the safe was
situated. The porter coolly allowed one to drop down be-
fore he gave an alarm—knowing that when once in, like
mice in a trap, they could not get so easily out ; and while
the second was lowering himself he laid hold of the first in-
truder, and bawled lustily for assistance from a person who
slept in an adjoining hbuse. Meanwhile a fierce fight was
commenced between the valorous porter and the robbers.
On grappling with the second one he found from his sooty
habiliments and otherwise, that he was a chimney-sweeper
belonging to the town, who, after a good deal of pummel-
ling, surrendered at discretion. Not so the other, who
fought desperately ; and it was only when the individual
called for got into the apartment that he could be secured.
On being taken to the police office and examined, the latter
turned out to be a well-known Glasgow thief. The other,
who is a rather silly-minded lad, it is presumed had been
persuaded to join in the daring attempt by his more accom-
plished companion. Both have been committed for trial.—
Glasgow Herald.
EGYPTIAN MODE OF MOVING COLOSSI.—In
the King's library at Berlin is an interesting papyrus re-
presenting the Egyptian mode of moving Colossi. The
Sphinx bcingupon a sledge, the first line of labourers are
placed very close to it, and the rope is ramified, after
passing under each man's arm, so that every rank in
advance doubles the number in the former line,
just in the way that foreign heralds exemplify
quarters of descent. A drummer appears to be giving
time for a simultaneous pull, a process facilitated by
several attendants pouring oil where the tire of the
sledge is about to pass. The latter circumstance would
lead to the supposition that Egypt in prosperity was not
deep in sand, as at present, or else that the ingenious in-
habitants used a temporary railroad for conveying their pro-
digious monuments, the nil alluded to being poured upon
the flange or groove that received it. The former may, per-
haps, solve the means by which the huge stones at Stone-
henge and other ancient monuments in this country were
placed in their situations.
SWINDLING EXTRAORDINARY.—The Leicester-
shire Mercury has a long account of some swindling tran-
sactions that took place at Leicester last week. The
swindlers finding that their situation was becoming exceed-
ingly unpleasant, they owned that, being tired of following
their respective callings of tailor and bootcloser, and having
some money in their possession, they set out on their tra-
vels from Devonport, in Hampshire, and, after visiting
London, (where Pingelly resided many months, having
left Devonport a year before his noble-named colleague)
had gone to Hull, Retford, Newark, Nottingham,
Leicester, Loughborough, Castle Donnington, Sec., for
most of which places they had a " bilkis" to show,
and in some of them they had endeavoured to get
an engagement with " a company," for which their
long hair and rouged faces seemed eminently to qua-
lify them. Pingelly having stated that he had a con-
siderable sum of money in Lubbock's bank, London, the
late Mayor advised him to draw some, hinting pretty plainly
that they would not be released until they had paid their
debts. Pingelly acted on this advice, and yesterday morning
it was announced, at the Exchange, that his draft for :M.
had been honoured. Having agreed to pay all demands
upon them they were then discharged, with a suitable re-
primand, Mr. Paget hinting that he thought Pingelly had
defrauded his creditors. There was no evidence to show
that they intended to pass the medals, which, it is probable,
had only been rattled and shown " to cut a dash."