The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-27 00:00:00

VICTORIA.

" Christmas comes but once a year," as the old chaunt
says, and it is well that it comes no oftener. 'Tis well to
philosophize our fun : the appetite for enjoyment should
never be overcloyed. Long anticipation heightens the
sense of pleasure. The graceful Columbine skimmering in
spangled whiteness, the flexible Harlequin, the grotesque but
agile Pantaloon, and the grinning, clumsy, but still active
Clown would lose half their welcome if they came with
even the quarterly frequency of the tax-gatherer's knock.
'We cannot eat our pleasure and have it too. The eye can-
not be always strained ; the mouth for ever on the stretch.

Once a year is enough for such exuberant fun—more would
make grinning frights of us, mere heads for door knockers.
In pantomime the beautiful and imaginative should always
precede the burlesque. A fairy tale will make the best
prologue. It contrasts best with the fun and frolic ; and,
moreover, if a lesson of retributive justice be taught the in-
fant audience will most probably bring away in the moral
something worth preserving. We regret to state that the
harlequinade of Robinson Crusoe, produced last night at
this theatre, did not come up to our beau ideal of the legi-
timate pantomime. It had, however, the fairy preface, in-
troducing Britannia as the guardian genius of poor Robin-
son ; and the scene of the enchanted cavern was extremely
picturesque and gorgeous ; the introduction also, in which
which the history is told, was extravagantly amusing and
outre. It seems to us to be taken from a series of carica-
tures, which appeared soma time since, in which most gro-
tesque and inordinate heads were stuck upon tiny bodies,
like turnips upon corking pins. Up to this all was very well,
and Mr. Forbes and Mr. T. Hill, as Robinson and Friday,
were very amusing. Being, as we have already observed,
warm admirers of this species of exhibition, in its fit season,
i. e., Christmas, we are sorry to say that the tricks were
not so well executed as we could wish. This, however, will
mend as the pantomime is repeated. The last scene was
exceedingly effective.

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1836.

ABERGAVEN NY.

We publish the following narrative of unparalleled moral
delinquency, as it has been handed to us ; it details so
abominable a case, that we should hesitate to publish it, did
we not rely on the respectability and discretion of our cor-
respondent:—

Within these few days, events have transpired in this
town relative to an individual which has created a sensa-
tion unparalleled within our recollection :—facts have come
to light which, for villainons cunning and consummate im-
pudence, have scarcely been equalled throughout the king-
dom. As faithful chroniclers, we consider it our duty,
however painful to the injured party, to give publicity to
the following circumstances. The subject of our narrative
is a young man named George Daniel, who commenced
business in this town between two and three years ago,
as a hair-dresser and perfumer, and, to all appearances,
was doing a good business. For some time past, he
had been paying attention to a respectable young
female residing in the vicinity of Bristol, and having
represented to her friends the prosperous state of his
affairs, they were unfortunately induced to sanction the
marriage, which took place near seven weeks ago. About
a fortnight after he had brought his wife home, Daniel left
here for London with the avowed intention of making
purchases of toys, perfumery, &c., taking with him the
whole of the sum which his wife brought him at her mar-
riage. We believe he did not state the probable length
of his absence. A fortnight from that period having
elapsed, during which time he had repeatedly corresponded
with his wife in the most endearing terms, accounting
for his protracted stay, his absence, therefore, gave her no
uneasiness ; in the last letter Daniel stated, that he had
taken to a shop in London, which would compel him to
visit Paris before his return to Abergavenny. In a short
time, however, rumours were afloat that he had absconded,
which rumours reaching the ears of his unsuspecting wife,
she indignantly repelled, having the greatest confidence
in the integrity of her husband. Circumstances con-
tinued thus until Saturday last, when a letter was re-
ceived from him by an individual in this town, with
whom he had been formerly on terms of intimacy. This
letter was dated Havre-de-Grace ; in it he states, with the
greatest effrontery that he (Daniel) had embarked for
Mexico, as companion and secretary to a gentleman of for-
tune, at a salary of 800 dollars per annum (or nearly 2001.) ;
he further states his intention of never returning to England.
Inclosed in this letter was another addressed to his wife,
in which he, with the utmost coolness, informs her of his
departure for Mexico, and also tells her, with a levity
exceeded only by its cruelty, that all the statements in
his previous letters were written solely for the purpose of
misleading her, and making good his departure with her
property ! He likewise states, that it will be for her
consideration what she had better do hereafter, signi-
fying, at the same time, his intention of never seeing her
again. Her state of mind, on the receipt of this letter, may
better imagined than described. All previous rumours
were confirmed. After a little investigation it was ascer-
tained that Daniel had, a short time before he left, for-
warded, by some persons who were going to the United
States, nearly all the stock he had in the shop. Since his
departure, goods to a large amount, ordered in Sheffield,
which had not then arrived, he directed to be forwarded
to him at London, which was accordingly done without
his wife's knowledge, who, it may be here necessary to
state, resided in private lodgings, in another part of the
town, distant from the shop. Not content with his plunder,
he further wrote to his wife, shortly after his arrival in Lon-
don, to send the few remaining valuable articles left in the
shop. as he had an opportunity of disposing of them there
to advantage. She, unfortunately, complied with the re-
quest. It is now discovered that he is indebted to almost
every tradesman in this town ; to some of them to large
amounts ; his impositions have not been confined to strangers;
they include all classes ; his friends and his nearest rela-
tives are sufferers. The stock left in the shop, consisting
almost entirely of shapes and shadows, commonly called
dummies, will scarcely be sufficient to pay the rent due. It
is supposed that with the sum taken with him he has defrayed
his former debts due in London, and on the strength of his
punctual payments there, succeeded in obtaining more goods,
but to a much greater amount, all of which he has doubtless
taken with him. His destination is supposed to be the United
States. We cannot conclude without noticing the feeling of
execration which such conduct has produced among the inha-
bitants of this town ; particularly the brutal /conduct to-
wards the unfortunate female whose future happiness and
prospects have been so cruelly blighted ; she is an object of
the deepest sympathy. We believe it is contemplated by
different benevolent and spirited individuals to subscribe a
sum sufficient to defray the expense of pursuing Daniel, and
bringing him back to England, where, we trust, he will be
made to answer, in an English court of justice, for his heart-
less violation of law, both human and divine.—Hereford
Timcs.

The festivities at Woburn Abbey, usually so splen-
didly sustained during the Christmas holidays, will take
place on the return of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford
from the Marquis of Abereorn's seat, Baron's Court, whence
they are expected early in the ensuing month. _ _

Lord Henry Russell is on his journey from Paris
to Lisbon, via Madrid, to join the Hastings ship of thc line,
as junior Lieutenant.

A small ball, apparently from an air-gun, was
dashed through the drawing-room window of the house of
Mr. Penny, at Ulverstone, on Sunday morning. Although
all the family were in the room, no one was wounded. A
young lady had but an instant before quitted the window,
where she had been standing before the part through which
the bullet came. No reason can be assigned for this act of
malice.—Cumberland Packet.

It has been observed, that people get rich not by
extraordinary gains, but savings. For example, a gentle-
man in the habit of travelling to London by a coach every
now and then, and returning in the evening, observed to a
friend that he never knew how to dispose of his great coat
for the few hours that he spent in town. The danger of
losing the coat out of the book-keeper's office, or from the
waiter's custody, and other troubles, were mentioned. At
last an old gentleman, who was known to have made a
hundred thousand pounds by his wits, having risen from
poverty, addressed the gentleman—" Young man, I will
give you a piece of information, worth your hearing ; and,
if you follow it, you will save your great coat and your
money too. Within three doors of the coach-office is a
pawnbroker's shop ; there I pledge my coat for half-a-
crown, and take a duplicate ; when I return I redeem my
coat, and pay the interest, which is three half-pence. The
coat is brushed, and taken good care of ; you cannot get it
done better nor cheaper."

Mr. Hugo Meynell will entertain a party at Hoar
Cross Hall during the holidays.

THE SORCERER AND HIS DUPES.—At the sit-
ting of the Royal Court of Guernsey, on Thursday, the
whole day was taken up in the examination of the various
charges of fraud against Louis D'Orleans, the pretended
sorcerer, who has been carrying on his impositions on the
credulous people of this island. A few weeks ago D'Or-
leans was called in to cure a case of witchcraft. The good
people were amazed—some bad fortune bad befallen them
—in one word, the whole family were bewitched ! D'Or-
leans requested a few days to cure them, and having ap-
pointed the time a number of persons were there to see the
miracle performed. D'Orleans came and asked them some
questions, which they answered him ; he then declared that
the Devil was amongst them, and that he would turn him
out, and that they should see him. He told them to shut
all the doors close, and then said, " The Devil is coming—
do not you hear his chains rattle ?" "Oh yes," they
tremblingly replied. The chains began to rattle louder,
and D'Orleans stentoriously exclaimed, " Open the doors,"
and down tumbled the Devil from the old farmhouse chim-
ney, as black as his admirers could have wished him to be,
and, dragging a huge chain after him, darted like lightning
through the doors, vociferating inarticulate sounds. This
horrid appearance of the Devil himself almost deprived the
credulous people of their senses. When they had a little
recovered from their dismay, D'Orleans announced that his
Satanic Majesty had gone never to return again. This in-
telligence caused an immediate feeling of joy among them,
and they paid the fee with the most unbounded rapture, in
which state D'Orleans left them, whilst he went to make
merry with the Devil at their expense. Such are the means
by which sorcerers in the nineteenth century impose upon
the ignorant. The Judges, after hearing many other cases
against the impostor, adjudged it a case for the Grand
Jury.—Channel Islands Gazette.

Entering Goldsmith's chambers on one ocasion, Sir
Joshua Reynolds found him in something of a reverie, yet
deliberately walking round the room, and kicking a bundle
before him in the manner of a football, of which the nature
could not be immediately distinguished. On inquiry, the
article proved to be an expensive masquerade dress which
he had been persuaded to purchase ; and the occasion hay-
ing been served, and repenting perpaps of his imprudence in
expending on such an article money for which there were
so many more pressing demands, he was determined,
in his own phrase, " to have the value out of it in exercise."
—Prior's Goldsmith.

During the greater part of yesterday the translators
of boots and shoes with the gentlemen " vat sells clothes
better as new," in Cutler-street, Hounsditch, amused
themselves by pelting each other with snow-balls. In
the afternoon, between three and four, when these per-
sonages were in the height of their glory, a man of
genteel exterior was passing through the street, when
he was saluted with two or more of what these gents
termed " Morison's Pills," and on proceeding to expos-
tulate with them he was closed with, and robbed of his
watch and three sovereigns. The man, on finding himself
minus the above-named articles, called for the police ; but,
not one being on the spat, a general dispersion took place,
and the villains escaped.