The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-05 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

Tait's Magazine commences with another instad
meat of "A Stork of the Middle Classes." It is:
followed by an interesting paper on the late Pro-
fessor Wilson. An article entitled "Literature,
Genius, and Devotion" gives a criticism 011
the genius and writings of Robert Hall, by Mr.
Mursell, An account of Odessa gives a sketch of
its histOry.—The .National Miscellany opens wi th
an article on Oxford, its past and present. It .is
followed by a very interesting paper entitled
" Something about Grammar," which traces the•
connection between the peculiarities of language
and the idyosyncracies of the people whose dialect
it is.. A continuation of it is promised. It is
worth noticing that two extracts of literal transla-
tion from the Latin and Greek, arranged word .for
word as in the original, appear hopelessly uniil-
telligible. A memoir of Rubini, and some remark.%
on Newspaper Stamps are among the chief features'
of the number. We are glad to see the addition
of poetry to this magazine. It is scarcely, how-
ever, on a level with the prose.—Sharpe's London
Magazine has two pretty engravings of VieuLta
and the Nile. Harry Coverdale is continued with'
vigour. The biography of Henry Fielding is con-
cluded, and the Studies of Great Authors gives a
sketch of Boccaccio. There are several tales and
essays.—Hog3's Instructor has several papers on
subjects of some importance. " Our Criminals—
how shall we treat them?" is one of these, as all
will admit it includes one of the most difficult and.

important of questions of social economy which
has not yet been satisfactorily answered. • 'ir.he
plan of the writer is to establish a kind of
surveillance on the offender after his pun-
ishment is inflicted, so as not to let hint
loose upon society without a certainty of reforma-
tion. This is a mere outline of a plan, but we fear
it would be somewhat difficult of• accomplishment.
Undoubtedly, if the criminal could be thoroughly
reformed, and then provided with- employment, it
would be far better than dismissing him to imprison
him again in a few months.—Bentley's Monthly
Review has two interesting subjects, " The Last
Days of Murat," and " Thomas Carlyle."—
Knight's excellent Encyclopcedia is continued.
—Orr's Circle of the Sciences has reached the
twenty-third number, and completes the first vo-
lume.—The Family Friend and Twopen4 Post
are two pleasing and instructive little serials. The
Journal of the Statistical Society of London. has
much valuable information on political subjects.--
Le Follet is as attractive as usual. •

MR. G. WIGLITWICK'S DRAMATIC READING•

-
On Thursday last a select, and, considering the ea.
tore of the circumstance, a numerous and•fashionable
audience met at Willis's-rooms, •St. James's, for the
purpose of welcoming, on his first attempt of the kind
in the metropolis, a gentlemaowho has, we understand,
earned " golden opinions" frOm an admiring public in
the West of England. In addition to literary and
scientific pretensions of no common order, the scholsa
referred to wishes, it would seem, to contribute, by his
abilities as a reader, to the improvement of public taste
by giving his own views of elocution and reading 'in
connection with the drama, thus enabling many who,
from conscientious motives, deny themselves the entr•Se
of the theatres, to enjoy the beauties of dramatic diction,
without their usual concomitant, drawbacks.
We are the more disposed to believe that such is the
real motive which induced Mr. G. Wightwick to snlicit
a hearing at the request of several persons of distinction,
as we noticed among those present'several distinguished
members of the church, whose object in countenancing
Mr. Wightwiek's first attempt WaS obvious. For our
own part we are always inclined to support and en-
courage such efforts, because we cannot imagine a more
rational or more useful recreation than that of being
initiated into the views of a man of taste as to the right
conception and proper feeling of certain passages in our
best dramatic writers, and, pre-eminently speaking,of
our immortal Shakespeare, being
oobir eyi n
courseg t
certainhu parts,
offrmt
mere
made
eh fully
arareading so-
cters,
and situations, nh ta erddlwith
gtghweeshti:c hp omainucttus
we return to Mr. G. W., gind
his reading of the second part of Henry IV.
We deem it no small praise to say
of taking his rank,
with the best readers that the new can•
didate for metropolitan
we ll favors
approved himself
worthye
wwl
not
ehave hadsay
tahbeo above,
good but
fortune
ou a p
war
hear, and that his quiet, unassuming, gentlemanly bear-
ing won for him our best sympthies. His voice, though
not striking at first, is flexible and versatile, and till
variety of its intonation, in different parts, met with
decided approbation. He particularly succeeded in com-
manding the attention and interest of his audience, And
received much applause for his impersonation of the lot
feeling and pathetic parts in the play. His forte,hic"
ever, is the comique, and his Falstaff, his Justice Shallow,
his Mistress Quickly, were to the full as much likeal as
his delineation of King Henry, and of the Prince, in :his
more dignified moments, while his version of the Lord
Chief Justice was approved of and admired.
Whether or not Mr. G. Wightwick will succeed
establishing that footing in London, as a dramatic
reader, which he probably aspires to, we will cult
presume to assert, but we look upon. him as one
of those, who, in these degenerate times ,of the
drama itself. do much to save from positive negl
ot.
those works which are daily gaining in claeine
repute, what they lose in histrionic fame, and who ,many
rescue them from the fate which has awaited many a
noble inspiration, being unheard, unread, uncu7tiva.-ted,
except by the select few. With our, cordial conk:Tattle-
tions, and a sincere wish for his complete enemies, we
recommend all persons who wish to combine the study
of elocution with the enjoyment of our great dram %gists
to patronise Mr. G. Wightwick's forthcoming septse of
" Readings."

ARRIVALS of SPECIE.- -The specie arrivals of the 'week
have amounted to about 120,0001., exclusive of a elm 01,
140,0007., brought by the Washington for Hay. re.. I.on•
don, and Bremen. The exports, with the exc(lptaoit of
those above mentioned for China and the tiocn z the
East, have been inconsiderable, and have consisted
chiefly of a few small parcels of gold to Parise