The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-05 00:00:00

-S

THE JOURNAL OF DESIGN.
We have repeatedly commented on the elegance
and excellence of the pictorial and pen -and-ink con-
tents of the Journal rf Design. The perusal of
such works is eminently calculated to exalt the taste
and, consequently, to add to the comfort of the do-
mestic. circle. As a specimen or this property of the
Journal of Design, we quote the following passage :
by no means an say matter ;or people occupy-
ing the (keel run of town hones, consisting of dining-
room, study, front and back drawing-rooms, to know
what to do with their •aft properties.' There are but
few people in the middle rank of life who do not now
possess some of these matters.
" Let us imagine, in addition to all his furnituee-; that
a men's stock consists of 4 dark-looking old family ppr-
traits, in handsome frames; 6 modern brightly-punted
ditto, in handsome gilt frames; 3 great unwieldy old
pictures, so-called Luca Giordanos, Snyders, Pompeito
Battonis, &c.; 4 good old pictures, dark, and rather
heavy in colour; 9 odds-and-ends in oil, some good, some
bad; 10 engravings, consisting of 2 Landseers, 1 Frank
Stone, 2 atter Raphael, 1 Una and the Lion, 1 portrait
of the Queen, 1 of the Duke of Wellington, 1 dark old
Woollett after Claude, 1 angelic Guido head; 6 or 8
water-colour drawings, all pretty good; and some dozen
miscellaneous things in frames, being partly old sample ra,
black silhouettes, children's drawing-master drawings, &c.
"Now we have supposed a by no means uncommon
collection, but one which it is by no means en easy task
to fittingly dispose of. However, let us try. We should
begin by bringing into the dining-room all the portraits,
including that of her Majesty and the Iron Duke. We
should not bring in any of the other pictures, since they
would load the room, and be seen probably by candle-
light only. We should not admit either of the three
unweildy pictures into any of the living rooms, since
they would infallibly make thorn look small; but we
should bang the best in the entrance-hall, the second-
best halfway up the stairs, and send the worst up to the
second-floor landing. The Una and the Lion we should
send up to the spare room, since it is only occupied now
and then; the Frank Stone print would suit the bedroom
of the lady of the hOuse; the Guido head the dressing-
room of the proprietor; the two Landseers, the Raphaelt,
and the Woollett, the study; the miscellanea, the nursery
and the bedrooms; the water-colour drawings, the front
drawing-room. There are then left only some thirteen
oil pictures to dispose of. We should send the three
worst up to the spare bedroom for reasons aforesaid, and
hang the remaining ten all in the back drawing-roons,
which we should fit up as a comfortable room to sit in of
winter evenings, warmer and more cheerful than the
larger room; being lofty in proportion to its size, and lit
by a pendant lamp (one of Messengers' or Winfield's),
the pictures would be well seen, and with small book-
cases, &c., would pretty nearly cover the walls. For
several reasons we should not put our oil pictures into
the front drawing-room. In the first place, they would
interfere too much with the lines of the paper-hanging
or decoration; in the second, they would only look
blacker from contrast with the large masses of light tint
about them; in the third, they would appear probably as
holes in the wall unless the entire attention was con-
centrated upon them, unmindful of the general effect of
the room, the object of primary importance; and in the
fourth, from the size of the room, and their distance
from the central point of illumination at night, they
could not fail to look dark and uncomfortable and im-
perfectly lit up. Ono other most important reason fur
excluding them is that they would, from their size, heavy
frames, and striking tints, necessarily so approach'
the eye as to materially diminish the apparent size of the
room, an effect that would be almost completely neu-
tralised by massing a number together, as we should
have done in our back drawing-room. Having now dis-
posed of all our ' properties,' and so got over this pons
osinorunt of our own erection, we must leave the further

record of our 'experiences' until a future time, when
nous reviendrons a nos moutons egares, uud to the dining-
room and its fittings•up."
The utility of this periodical to the artist and artizan
is too obvious to need exemplification.

I.IIBC.ELLANEOUS.
The Lund we Lice In is this month occupied with
" North Wales," illustrated by many pictorial em-
bellishments, one of which (the frontispiece) is a
beautiful view of Llanberis.— The History of Eng-
land during the Peace has now reached the year
1843. This number contains an engraving of Sir
Thomas Lawrence's beautiful portrait of Earl Grey.
We shall notice the work more at length on its con-
clusion.—The National Library of Select Literatufe
gives the fifth part of Dr. Kitto's celebrated " Bible
History." This edition is beautifully printed, and
sell " got up," as, indeed, are all the
publications of Mr. linight.—Cliambers's Library
contains " Gostiek's German Literature," and
Chambers's Journal is as diversified and interesting
as usual. The present number contains an excellent
article on "Juvenile Crime and Destitution," and an
interesting E unlma ry of the very various scenes at
different periods witnessed in the Ely see Nationale.
The Colonial Magazine has articles on the "African
Squadron"—" Banking in India "—" The Anglo_
Indian Army"—and ether subjects of colonial infor-
matic.n and interest. Of a similar character is
the Colonial Church Chronicle.—The Church of
England Magazine we have repeatedly mentioned as
containing an excellent series of reading for the
several Sundays of the month, including several
sermons by Church of England divines.—lt is hardly
fair to dismiss such elaborate works as the Patent
Journal and the London Repertory of Patent Inven-
tions with a mere allusion to their contents:
They are well worthy of consideration, both
on the part of artizans and amateurs.—The Me-
tropo!itan is, for the most part, filled with
tales and short poems.—The Belle Assenzblee main-
tains that character for excellence and variety which
Mrs. Crosland has been so instrumental in obtaining
for it.--Le Follet is still the most graceful illustra-
tor of the fashions.—A new periodical, entitled the
Merchant Taylors' Magazine, which has attained its
fifth number, contains a history of Lord Clive (who
was educated at Merchant Taylors'), and a smart ar-
ticle on poetry and poetasters, called " A New Cure
for an Old Disease."—Frank Fairlegh has reached
the twelfth number, which is embellished with two
startling illustrations by Cruikshank.—The Family
Herald is, as usual, entertaining and instructive.—
Those who have read Mrs. Crosland's interesting tale
of " Toil and Trial," will find much pleasure in
perusing, in the People's Journal, an account of a
visit to Morley's establishment, which appears to be
admirably constituted so as to form a home to those
employed in it. Besides a continuation of his "Texts
from Jean Paul," Parson Frank has contributed to
this journal a delightful essay on Wordsworth's
" Lucy."

At the half-yearly meeting of the Grand Junction
Canal Company, held yesterday, a dividend was declared
at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, leaving 1,4131. to
be carried to the rest. The tonnages of the half-year
ending the 30th of June last were stated to have
amounted to 40,6961. (being 2,6091. more than in the
corresponding sin months of the preceding year), aed
thel entire report, confirming as it did the anticipations
lately held out of the possible revival of canal traffic, was
received by the shareholders with satisfaction.
CHA.RTEESHALL DISTILLERL—We regret to state
that an accident occurred at this distillery at an early
hour on Monday morning last, which resulted in the loss
of nearly GOO gallons of whisky. It appears that the
lower hoop of one of the vats, in which there were about
700 gallons, had burst, and a leakage to such an extent
was the consequence that nearly e whole contents were
drained off before it became known that anything was
wrong.— Stirling Journal.
Ax EEL or RESPECTABLE SIZE.—An eel was
caught in the Conan, near the mouth of the river, a few
days ago, of an unusual size. When deprived of head
and entrails, it weighed
,no lesajthan 321bs. This sea-
serpent, on a small scale, occasioned considerable trouble
to its captors.
CAPTAIN MAMIY.—On Wednesday last, the 28th
instant, Captain Mtaiby entered into his SiLsth year, oa.
which occasion he presented his usual annual contri-
bution of 51. to the Yarmouth Hospital, as an
ex-
pression of gratitude to Providence in extending his
life to so great an age. The weather being very incle-
ment, he distributed an abundant supply of soup,
meat, and bread to several indigent families in his neigh-
bourhood. In proof of the vigour of this venerable
man's faculties,
it may be stated that he has been for
some time in correspondence with the Scientific Select
Committee of the Ordnance, by direction of
the Master-General of that department, that
committee being to report on his suggestion
for giving a range to cannon much greater than it
is possible for the present system to produce, by apply-
ing the seine prieciple to artillery which is admitted to
he so great an improvement to modern fowling pieces.
viz., exploding the charge at the centre instead of at the
top of the cartridge. By this system a very great sav-
ing of gunpowder will also result, as well as danger be
avoided to the man who loads the guu.—./Vorfolk
Chronicle.

A RELIC OF THE THIRTEENTH CENTUET.—There
was found by the workmen employed in repairing the
Abbey of Jedburgh, a few days ago, a relic of the olden
times, being a docquet or token of Pope Gregory IX..
the obverse having his name, and the reverse bearins,
the head of St. Peter and his own. The token, it is
evident, hr.d been appended to a rescript or bull, or other
formal document issued by the said Pope Gregory din kg
his pontificate, by its having an aperture in it to attach
a thread of gimp or other strong material to the doca.
ment a Bich bad accompanied it. The medal seems to be
a compound of lead and tin, and is in a capital state of
preset vation, considering the long time it has lain among
the ruins of the abbey.—Bererich and Kelso Warder.
LA PLATA.—There are a few days later advice•
from Buenos Ayres in Liverpool, but no: news of any
importance.

•
to struggle with the stern and r vsre\Oangers- of sti.,•,-.1:
Boreal N% in ter, and to regard ‘lith n 'apthrehing 'and.:-.:/
dauntless spirit, the storms, the sill and appalling
dangers of the north." ..1, f '--'4---- N' .
4
The " Hungarian Catiipagn" is concnare.ql• -.0 .1 It -- -
spirit with which, it is nudlcsi to say, we hen lily:
sympathise. " That Hungary," says the writer of
the United Service," NN ill yet have her day of retri-
bution is as sure as that the sun of justice shines in
Heaven. The empire of Austria as at present con-
stituted is, and has long been becoming, as impossi-
bility. Based upon political and social fraud il.ral
violence, no empire or such heterogeneous elements
ever held long together, even under a more favourable
limitation of the human mind than that of the present
century."