The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-22 00:00:00

SHAKESPEARE AUTOGRAPH.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
observed in your paper yesterday evening a paragraph to the
effect that Mr. Evans had written to you to state that the copy of
Montaigne's Essays, with Shakspeare's autograph, which he sold for
1001.. was purchased by Mr. Miller of Lambeth, and not by Mr.
Pickering. This letter, so far as Mr. Evans is concerned, must be a
fabrication, as I was present when it was knocked down to Mr.
Pickering of Chancery-lane, and at whose house I have since seen the
book and autograph and where I haye no doubt that you, and indeed
any gentleman, may see it, who are sufficiently interested to call there
for that purpose..-1 am, Sir, yours, &c.
May 18, 1838.

VERAX.

IYSTERIOUS ROBBERY OF TWELVE THOU-
SAND SOVEREIGNS.—At an early hour yesterday morning information
was received at the station-house of the H, or Whitechapel division, of
a most mysterious robbery having been committed during the previous
day, at the residence of Mr. Thomas Rogers, an extensive bill-broker,
residing at No. 19, Gloucester terrace, New-road, Mile-end Old Town,
when sovereigns to the enormous amount of twelve thousand pounds
were carried off. It appears that Mr. Rogers and family left their resi-
dence about eleven o'clock on Sunday forenoon on an excursion, leaving
the house in the 'care of the servant girl and an aged female, who was
occasionally employed there. They returned home about one o'clock
yesterday morning, and shortly afterwards, on going into the room in
which the property had been deposited in two tin japanned cash-boxes,
and a tin deed box, discovered that they had been stolen. One of the
cash-boxes contained one thousand five hundred of the sovereigns ;
the other the same number, and the deed-box the remaining nine
thousand, and a ledger, which has also been carried off. Immediately
on receiving the information Inspector Fryer proceeded to Mr. Rogers's
residence, and interrogated the servants, but they both concurred in
declaring that no person had been to rho premises during the absence of
the family. On examining the doors and windows no traces of a forcible
entry having been effected could be discovered ; and it is therefore con.
jectured that the thieves, whom it is evident must have known where
the property was deposited, must have secreted themselves the night
before in the house. and escaped wills the property by letting themselves
out of the street door after dark. Information and full particulars of
the robbery was immediately despatched by the Inspector to all the
station houses and police offices of the metropolis ; and on the intelli-
gence reaching the principal office in Scotland Yard, the Commissioners
gave orders for the strictest inquiry to be made into the mysterious
affair. Not the slightest hopes are, however, entertained that any por.
Lion of the large amount will be recovered, sovereigns being so easily to
be disposed of or converted into other species of money.
The Duke of Sussex on Saturday last gave his
concluding dinner for the session, as President of the Royal Society ;
among the company were the Dukes of Somerset and Sutherland, the
Marquis of Westminster, the Earls of Radnor, Munster, Ripon, and
Cadogan, the Bishop of Llandaff, Lord Northwick, Sir. C. Lemon, Mr.
Davies Gilbert, Mr. W. Tooke, Mr. Murchisson, and Professors Airey,
Sedgwick, Faraday, &c, The soiree was afterwards attended by a more
than usual assemblage of rank and talent, including Sir John Herschell,
who has just returned from a residence of four years at the Cape of
Good Hope, for purposes of astronomical observation, and who excited
much and deserved interest for this instance of self-devotion to the cause
of science.

HORTICULTURAL EXHIBITION.-011 Saturday
an exhibition of Flowers and Fruit took place at Cremorne-House,
Chelsea, under the patronage of the Royal Society and Central School of
Horticulture and Agriculture. A numerous and fashionable company
ettended, among whom were the Duke of Cambridge, Prince George of
Cambridge, the French Ambassador, the Sardinian and Hanoverian
Ministers, the Earl of Lichfield, Earls Grey and Delawarr, &c. Ex-
tensive marquees were erected on the grounds, under which a profusion
of the most beautiful plants and flowers, exotic and indigenous, was
spread before the admiring visitors. A gold medal, value 71. 10s., was
adjudged to Mr. Bruce, Lower Tooting, for a magnificent specimen of
the Musa Cavendishii. Medals of the same value were assigned to Mr.
Gaines, Battersea, for a collection of thirty-six geraniums, and to Mr.
Smith, Norbiton-common, for six azalias. Silver medals were adjudged
to Mr. Lane, Berkisamstead, for a collection of Chinese roses; to
Messrs. Rogers and Davis, for specimens of heartsease; to Mr. Fle-
ming, Dulwich, for a polygola cordifolia, &c. There was a great vari-
ety of heaths, of gloxynias, rhodanthes, "as fair as the fabulous aspho.
dels," and beautiful specimens of the dryandra, telspia, and Italice
arborea.

HIGHLAND SCHOOL SOCIETY.—The anniver-
sary festival was celebrated at the Freemasons' lavern on Saturday.
The Highland Bagpipers, as usual, paraded the room, and played many
a martial and national air, the effect of which was to encourage tho
guests to fall manfully on the numerous good things which the landlord
had placed on the various tables. The contributions were understood
to amount to about SOUL, to which large aggregate the Queen, the
Queen Dowager, and the Duke of Cambridge were liberal subscribers.

NAPOLEON'S REBUKE OF PARSIMONY.--
Even Napoleon, the Great Captain, continued the Duke, did not
think it beneath him sometimes to turn his attention to female dress.
Several ladies of the Court of the Tuileries knew this by sad experi-
ence. One day at St. Cloud, I heard him say, in a very angry tone,
to the wife of a General, " Madame, when a lady has a husband with
an income of 100,000 francs per annum, she may very well afford a
new dress every time she has the honour to pay her Court to the Em-
press. Endowments, Madame, are favours. Ido not owe them; and
when I give them it is withthe view that they shold help to maintain
that luxury without which commerce cannot thrive." The pocr lady
was overwhelmed with confusion ; yet it must be admitted that the
general shabbiness of her dress fully justified this mark of imperial die-
pleasure.—Recollections of Caulincourt, Duke of Vicenza.
At the Mayor's Office, Stafford, last week, Mary,
wife of Thomas Careless, of the Broad Eye, a perfect termagant, was
ordered to pay Is. penalty and 7s. Gd. costs for an unprovoked assault on
Mary, the wife of Lewis Bromley. During the investigation her garru_
lity was so incessant that the Mayor was under the necessity of sending
for the "scold's bridle," an iron instrument of very antique construe.
tion, which in olden times was occasionally called into use. It is formed
of an elliptical bow of iron, enclosing the head from the lower extre-
mity of one ear to the other, with a transverse piece of iron extending
from the nape of the neck to the mouth, from which projects a flat bit,
which enters the mouth, and completely covers the tongue, preventing
its movement, and the whole machinery when adjusted is locked at the
back of the head. This bridle is to be put in thorough repair, and hung
in terrorem in the Mayor's-office, and used as occasion may call it forth.
A terrible fire has consumed one of the suburbs of
Lyon', celled the Brottsaux,