The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-26 00:00:00

LETTERS OF EMINENT PERSONS TO

DAVID .HUME.

These letters are taken from the papers bequeathed
by Hume's nephew to the Royal Society of Edin-
burgh, which papers were placed at the disposal of
Mr. Burton, in order to assist him in his life of Hume.
Having made the selections necessary fur his purpose,
a number of documents still remained, " which,"
says Mr. Burton, " though they had no reference to
my own, might be serviceable to the literary pursuits
of others, and would afford pleasurable reading to
those who are curious in biography, and the familiar
correspondence of great men." Mr. Burton has
availed himself of the privilege accorded to him by
making these letters public ; for he considered it no
less than his duty " torender accessible, to those likely
to appreciate them, the intellectual treasures of so
curious and valuable a collection. The lover
of literary history," he goes on, " will require
only to glance over the list of names under
which the several letters are grouped to estimate
the character of their contents. A very few addi-
tions would make the catalogue embrace all that was
intellectually great in our own country and France
during the twenty years which begin with the middle
of the eighteenth century." Among these correspon-
dents are Horace Walpole, Helvetius, Bishop
Douglas ;Lord Lyttleton, Mirabeau (the elder), Lady
Hervey, Allan Ramsay (the painter), Colonel Barre,
Sir Gilbert Elliot, Sir James Macdonald, Sir Alex
ander Dick, Lord Hardwick, and many others. The
French correspondents are Turgot, D'Alembert and
Mdlle. de L'Espinasse, Malesherbes, Madame de
Boufflers, Diderot, Buffon, Crebillon (the younger),
&c. ice. As affording specimens of elegant epistolary
styles, French and English, this work would be
valuable, even independent of the interest attached to
the distinguished characters whose letters it contains.

FAIRY TALES FROM ALL NATIONS.
By A. R. Montalba,twith Twenty-four Illustrations.
By Richard Doyle.
Here is a treasury of delight for youthful readers.
Mr. Montalba has collected out of a " hundred vo-
lumes of the fairy lore of all nations twenty-nine
fairy tales never before (as he believes) translated
into English." Mr. Richard Doyle has illustrated
the marvellous incidents of these tales in his own
admirable way, and, finally, Messrs. Chapman and
Hall have published this collection in a thick hand-
some volume, as attractive as good paper and clear
typography can make it, bound, moreover, in an
enamelled cover of palest rose colour. " The time
has been, but happily exists no longer," says Mr.
Montalba in his preface, " when it would have been
necessary to offer an apology for such a book as this.
In those days it was not held that

Beauty is its own excuse for being;'
on the contrary, a spurious utilitarianism reigned
supreme in literature, and fancy and imagination were
told to fold their wings, and travel only in the dusty
paths of life." Happily, indeed, that;time is over, if
that time ever was when fairy tales were universally
condemned. Fairytales, which are almost invariably
the favourite reading of children—and even of
" children of larger growth "—are in general only
allegories of life. They inculcate lessons of
virtue and perseverance ; for in fairy tales,
as in the world, if people only would believe it, the
right side always triumphs eventually. Among the
tales in this collection are those of " Siva and Mad-
hava," from the Sanscrit ; " The Prince of the Glow-
worms," from the German ; " The Dragon-Giant,"
from the Russian • " Fortune's Favourite," from the
Hungarian ; " dagic under Difficulties," from the
Italian, &c. &c. One of the shortest tales is " Per-
severe and Prosper," from the Arabic, the moral of
which, can never be too often repeated—" He who
earnestly wills can do much."

THE ORIENTAL INTERPRETER, AND
TREASURY OF EAST INDIA KNOW.

LEDGE. By J. H. Stocqueler, Author of the
" Hand-Book of India."
The " Oriental Interpreter" is one of the most
valuable books of its kind that have recently appeared.
It is a dictionary of Eastern expressions in general
use in this country. " It has been suggested," says
the compiler, " by the almost universal ignorance of
Oriental terms, phrases, expressions, and places.
Every fortnight," he proceeds, " brings a mail from
India, and the intelligence it imparts is fraught with
words which perplex the multitude. The dispatches
from India—the conversation of Orientalists—the
speeches in Parliament, turning upon Eastern affairs
—the Oriental novels, travels, and statistical works—
likewise abound with terms caviare to the general.'"
This ignorance will be speedily put an
end to by the diffusion of Mr. Stocque-
ler's excellent work. It is invaluable as a
book of reference to the general reader. Every Ori-
ental name, place, or expression likely to puzzle his
inexperience is to be found at a moment's notice on
reference to this dictionary, which is, of course, al-
phabetically arranged. As a sample of the manner
in which the necessary explanations are given, we
quote a column almost at random :--
v
" PUN, Ilindostanee. A handful of cowries, equi
lent to twenty guudas. Five puns, or 400 cowries, acon-
stitute one anna, the sixteenth part of a rupee.
" PUN AII-BE-KIIODALI ! Persian. ' May Heaven
protect us!'
five
" PUNCLIAIT, or PUNCIIAI'E tT o ,
An assembly or jury of five persona • whomhomassembled.
a
is
referred for investigation and decision. An ancient
Ilindoo establishment.
" PUNDIT, a learned Brahmun.
" PuNcTANOCIR, a fortified town 11:1 India, ii the

province of Balaghat, situated about fifty miles north-
west from Vellore, in Lat. 13 deg. 21 min. N., Long. 78
deg. 3 min. E. It is the residence of a Polygar, gene-
rally styled the Punghnoor Rajah, who holds the town
and a small adjoining district under tribute to the
British.

P U NJAB. See LAHORE.
" PUNJAII, land in India that cannot be easily
watered by artificial means, depending chiefly on the
falling rains for irrigation, and, therefore, unfit for the
cultivation of rice.

"PUNKAH, a fan. The heat of the climate of India
renders the constant use of a fan so indispensable, that
in European houses there is usually a permanent one
fixed in all the,principal apartments, and kept in motion
by one of the bearers of the establishment. This de-
scription of punkah is formed of a thin kind of canvass
stretched over an oblong frame work of from six to ten
feet in length, and three feet in width, and suspended
from the ceiling of the room to within four feet of the
table. A rope attached to the centre of the punkah,
and carried high above the heads of the occupants of the
apartment, passes through an aperture in the wall, out-
side of which the servant sits and pulls the punkah. The
agitation of the machine keeps the room, which would
otherwise, at times, be insupportable, pleasantly cool.
Many persons take much pride in their punkahs, deco•
rating them with gold mouldings and ornaments, or
painting them in distemper to correspond with the walls,
and finishing them with a fluted linen fringe. The halal'
punkahs, which are of various dimensions, are formed of
the leaf of the cocoa nut tree (see TALIPOT), or of kuss-
kuss, silk, or talc, but the latter are more for ornament,
on occasion of bridal processions, nautches, &c., than for
any useful purpose.

PURANAS, Iliadoo mythological poems."
Persons travelling to India will find abundance of
valuable information in the appendix to the dictionary,
which contains, moreover, an Indian Gazetteer.

THE COMPLIMENTS of the SEASON ; or
How to give an Evening Party. By Piers Shafton.
A near namesake of Sir Walter Scott's "exqui-
site," Sir Piercy Shafton—Sir Piercy Shafton whose
refined phraseology, it will be remembered, on one
occasion nearly cost him his life, when disguised as a
milkwoman he answered to the interrogatories of his
pursuers, "I am she, oh most bucolic juvenile, to
whose care are entrusted the milky mothers of the
herd "—a near namesake of this superfine gentle-
man has published a little volume, gorgeously attired
in ultra-marine and gold, with the following dedica-
tion :—" To all ladies who are about to give evening
parties, the author with the most friendly regard for
their serenity of mind and their husbands' pockets,
begs most respectfully to offer 'the compliments of
the season.'" As example is better than precept,
Mr. Piers Shafton, instead of penning a
treatise on the art of giving parties, has
related a chapter in the history of Mrs. Traverse
Higgs which answers the purpose admiraby. Mrs.
Traverse Higgs has been wedded twice twelve
months, and like Mrs. Gilpin, "she no holiday has
seen." In an auspicious moment she obtains from
Mr. Higgs a reluctant permission to invite " a few
friends," an expressio❑ understood literally by Mr.
and most figuratively by Mrs. Higgs. The prepara-
tions fur the party are admirably detailed. "Up to
this moment Mr. and Mrs. Higgs have been a miracle
of conjugal felicity ; now, however, the scene changes.
The house is thrown into confusion, every room ren-
dered uninhabitable, only chops (Mr. Higgs' abomi-
nation) for dinner, but Mr. Higgs is of a peaceable
disposition ; he sees his wife become more haggard
and careworn from day to day, and at last begins to
sympathise with her.
" Well, my dear, as the thing must now come off, the
sooner it does the better."

- -
"I shall be heartily glad when it is over; for I trs
sure the labour and anxiety—and you men know nothing
at all about it—is really killing me."
" I really don't see," meekly suggested Mr Higgs,
" why all this fuss should be made about a few people."
" A few people! Why, Mr. Traverse Higgs, you can-
not be aware that I have issued cards of invitation to
ono hundred :lad seventy odd."
The eventful evening arrives ; all Mrs. Higgs's meri-
torious exertions are successful. She surveys her
drawing-rooms with pride—rooms barely capable
of accommodating about one quarter of the
expected guests. But what cannot determina-
tion accomplish ? " The sashes having been
removed from the windows, and the balcony covered
over and carpeted, and the doors taken away, their
capacity seemed doubly magnified, and the effect was
on the whole very pretty, while, as if Aladdin had
been called in as architect, a magical addition ap-
peared in the form of a third room, which was formed
over a water-tank, the entrance being through the
back drawing-room window." Ingenious Mrs.
Higgs We pass over the events of the evening,
which, if our readers are curious to learn, they will
find admirably set forth by Mr. Shafton. Among
other contretemps, they will see how the speech, in
which Mr. Higgs had proposed beforehand to return
thanks after supper, was rendered inappropriate
by the extraordinary compliment of the gentleman
who proposed his health. The cainphine lamps
having, as is too often their custom, rained down a
sooty shower during supper time, a witty individual,
anxious to show off his abilities, proposed the health
of their host, as a man who, "following the bright
footsteps of those illustrious pioneers that had gone
before him—the Wilberforces, Buxtons, and Clark-
sons—had taken upon himself the lofty attributes, and
richly earned the designation of the Emancipator of
the Illachs!" One scene, however, we must quote
for the benefit of those who may not meet with Mr.
Piers Shafton. (We have omitted to state that
among the guests is one who, from his extraordinary
size, is known by the appellation of the "Elephant.")
" The rooms became oppressively hot, and some of the
young ladies relieved the monotony of the amusement
with a fainting fit or two, of the genuineness of which
there was no suspicion. All at once it was suggested
that the coolest spot in the house was, in point of fact,
out of the house—in the temporary room, or tent, which
had been constructed over the water-tank.

" This agreeable discovery having been made, a rush
of guests immediately invaded the spot, the Elephant,'
gallupading with a plump dame, leading the way.
Nothing could be more agreeblc—the canvass walls per-
mitted the fresh air to-penetrate them, and the cool feel
of the leaden floor under the carpet was pronounced
quite refreshing.' At this propitious moment a fancy
seized the Elephant that it would he a most eligible spot
fora Scotch reel. Accordingly with his plump partner,
and a gaunt looking gentleman in the Highland dress,
one was commenced, the band playing Over the water
to Charlie' with great spirit. The air was lively, and
the dance proceeded with uncommon animation; as many
of the guests that could cram into the temporary erec-
tion did do so, and formed a ring round the dancers.
The Elephant was ardently enjoying himself, and not
content with jumping incredibly high (for a gentleman
of his many stones weight), and making a most vigorous
stamp on the leaden floor (which in honest truth was the
roof of the water-tank), he insisted on giving what he
pronounced to be the true Highland fling.' Hardly
was this tour de force accomplished before there was
observed by the startled guests a gradual but perceptible
sinking towards the middle of the floor, which was suc-
ceeded by the Elephant and his two associates in the
reel being thrown in a heap together in the centre, and
in another moment there was an awful splash, followed
by a more awful shriek, and the Elephant and a part of
the guests disappeared as through a trap door, and a
deluge of water occupied their place! The chandelier
from the roof shook

' Like guilty things upon a fearful summons;'
the carpet was sucked in by the intruding element, the
canvass walls all at once gave way, and the glasses and
wreaths of flowers which ornamented them tumbled to-
gether, and fell in a common ruin;
Then rose from flour to roof the wild farewell;'
then there was a shouting of the gentlemen, screaming of
the ladies, till the head of the Elephant re-appeared
above the water chaunting in dismal tones—
' By the sad sea waves.'
" With much difficulty he and the rest of the involun-
tary bathers were extricated from their perilous position,
and after the tank had been well dragged it was found
no lives were lost. This was declared to be a damper,'
and the party broke up, the Elephant with his teeth
chattering, making a most heartrending attempt at a joke
about the party going off swimmingly, and suggesting to
their scared hostess not to forget, at her next party, to
send cards to the Humane Society men, with particular
directions to bring with them their drags and life- boat."
Such is the reward of all Mrs. Iliggs's ingenuity !
Nevertheless, the moral of the tale is sufficiently in-
structive. The little volume is embellished with more
than a dozen illustrations, some very effective and
some exquisitely ludicrous.

ASTLEY'S AMPHITHEATRE.-411T. Batty determined
not to be outdone in catering for the amusement of the
public, has entered into an engagement with the cele-
brated young American equestrian Master liernandEs,
whom we are given to understand is the most graceful
equestrian in the world, and whose fame has extended
over the whole American continent, where be has been
The
hailed with enthusiasm wherever he has a PPenairgeh d
ts. We
engagement is made for a limited number of
sonsend
cannot, therefore, do better than recommend
fmu maend our readers
to pay a visit to this popular pa
judge for themselves. He makeslhlei
first app
eara
Monday next. nce
Dunum, FEB. 24.—The Sarah,
tby
the Syren, of this
of Inverness, for
Dumfries, was run into last
port; the former sunk, but has been raised, and will
discharge.
1, FED, v.—The stern of a
QUINISU, BY TOBERDIOR,,,
, some
have been washed on logs and deals, and
ome
vessel, marked " Cleopatra,_
~"
a piece of board marked • N.
shore on the Island of Mull.
ROYAL ARTILLERY. WOOLWICH, FEB. 24. --
Major Griffin's company left Woolwich this morning to
proceed by sea to Leith Fort to relieve the company at
that station, the latter
, being ordered to head-quarters.
Captain Fit.zeasyer s company leave Woolwich on
Wednesday for Dublin, to relieve a company at that sta-
tion under orders to return to head-quarters.
wAR MEDAL. Lieutenant- Colonel Sir Henry
Bally, K.H., of Lyme Regis, has received his medal
with five clasps, for the following battles: Corunna,
Fuente d'ilonoro, Salamanca, Vittoria, and the Pyrenees,
in the last of which he lost his left arm.
The Right Hon. Sir Robert and Lady Peel enter-
tained the Earl of Aberdeen, Viscount and Viscountess
Hardinge and the Hon. Miss Hardinge, Lord and Lady
Ashburton, the Right Hon. Sir James and Lady Gra-
ham, Sir Henry Lytton and Lady Bulwer, M. Guizot,
'Sic., to dinner on Saturday.