The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-28 00:00:00

DEATH OF CHEVALIER KESTNER.

On the sth inst., died at Rome, in his 76th year,
Chevalier Kestner, late Hanoverian Minister at the
Pontifical Court. During a residence of more than 40
years in that city, he had justly become the favourite of
the English residents and visitors. Although he never
received the slightest remuneration from England, he
had, even after the place of Hanoverian Minister at
Rome was abolished in 1848, performed in the absence
of an English resident all those acts of courtesy and
kindness for which foreigners generally look to the re-
presentatives of their own Government. We are sure,
therefore, that the intelligence of his death will find a
response in many an English heart. Augustus Kestner
is known to the English literary public by different essays
on the fine arts, in particular by a small but highlyinstruc-
tive volume on painting, most ably translated by Sir Chas.
Eastlake. Himself a distinguished draughtsman and a
practised painter, he possessed a profound knowledge of
the arts, both ancient and modern, and a keen sense of
classical beauty, which had been sharpened to an almost
instinctive tact. To him is owing, for the most part, the
formation of the best collection of casts of antique gems
—that, published by the Instituto Archeologico, of which
he was,one -of the founders and distinguished function-
aries, and at the sittings of which he regularly presided
for many years. He also poesessed a choice collection
of works of art—Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman—
including medals, gems, cameos, bronzes, vases, and a
considerable number of choice pictures of the historical
Italian school, and engravings, which formed together
the Museum Kestnerianum. He had all but finished an
accurate catalogue of this museum, which, we believe, he
has with a noble patriotism left to the University of his
native country, the illustrious Georgia Augusta (Gottin-
gen), and which would do honour to any princely collection.
As he delighted in drawing and painting, so he was not
only an enthusiastic admirer of true music, but himself a
composer. In short, he combined in his person a
rare eminence in almost every branch of the fine
arts, being at the same time an accomplished man of
business, and well acquainted with the duties of his own
profession, which he ennobled by sincerity, truthfulness,
and unflinching moral courage. But his highest and
rarest merit was his universal kindness and his faithful
friendship, his childlike soul, his pure and spotless cha-
racter, and his enthusiasm for everything which elevates
humanity and adorns society. As his whole life, so his
death was placid. He received the intelligence that a
cold, which seemed not to present any dangerous symp-
tom, had suddenly become fatal by a paralysis of the
lungs, and left him only a few hours of earthly exist-
ence, with the faith of a Christian who lives in peace
with God and man, and with the fortitude of a truly
philosophical and spiritual mind. He sent messages of
love to his friends, spoke words of kindness to his de-
solate domestics and attendants, ordered his simple epi-
taph, took leave of all around him, fixed his mind upon
eternity, and died without a struggle or a sigh. He
leaves behind him ready to appear in print a volume of
the highest interest for the history of one of the greatest
men of genius of modern times, of Goethe the
noble correspondence of the poet with Kestner's father

in the years 1772 and 1773 (the period of Gotz and of
Faust), before and after the marriage of Kestner with
Lotte, the lovely original of that poetical creation,
Werther's Lotte. This correspondence does as much
honour to human nature in general as to the three prin-
cipal persons concerned in it in particular, and ought to
have been published long since. Measures have been
taken to secure an English translation of these precious
relics, with such notes and illustrations as are absolutely
necessary for their being understood by the present gene-
ration.

Kestner's death leaves a blank in the European society
of Rome ; the artists of all nations lose in him a faithful
worshipper of genius ; the German artists in particular
a generally revered and beloved father, who regretted
the loss of his place only because it deprived him of the
means of assisting them in the same measure as before.
His friends all over the world lose in him the kindest
and most devoted heart, for to them that heart belonged.
—Times.

ANOTHER ARRIVAL FROM THE DIGGINGE.—AboiIt 16
years ago a man named "Jack Jones," of Wells, was
tried at the Somerset quarter sessions before Mr. Miles,
for breaking into a barn in Back-lane, and stealing
wheat. lie was sentenced to transportation for life.
Strange to say, he reappeared in Wells, on Saturday
last, to the astonishment of everybody, bringing a num-
ber of boxes and packages, with luggage, &c. He states
that he was transported to New South Wales, where he
served faithfully for seven years to a master, which made
' him free of the colony. Afterwards he engaged with a
gentleman to go to Sydney, at regular wages and his
food, and from thence he took a vessel for Port Philip,
where he had a long illness. He then started for the
diggings, and was amongst' the earliest arrivals there.
Here he accumulated a large quantity of gold, and de-
termined to return to England with it, and reached
London about a fortnight ago. He stayed a week in
the metropolis, converted his gold into cash, and arrived
in Wells on Saturday, where he found his wife and
family all well. It is reported that he has brought home
a large sum of money. It is remembered that, when
the sentence was passed upon him, he told Mr. Miles
publicly in court, that if he ever returned to his country
he would bring him a monkey, and we understand that
he has actually kept his word.
PRINTING-OFFICES IN PARIS.—From a work recently
published it appears that the number of printing-offices
in Paris, including the Imperial-office' those of the
Ministry of Justice, the Mint (for the Post-office stamps),
the Bank, and the principal journals, is 94, in which are
emplyed 2,526 compositors, 743 press-men, 152 machine-
men, and 160 correctors. These numbers would be con-
siderably augmented if there were added the workmen
which are in a manner dependent on printing, such as
letter-founders, stereotypers, press and machine-makers,
paper-makers, ink-makers, etc. The Imperial printing-
office alone employs 144 compositors, 193 press-men, 12
correctors, and 4 machine-men. There is only one other
office which employ more than 3.00 compositors,