The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-08 00:00:00

,:'• ,:-
THCI HO\. AUGUSTUS FDERICK .. 1 :•;:'
SC - •. - '
-
MONTMORENCY PON BY;
(* \' '.ti
(From the Caledonian M y..)- - ':,':;:fe ;,i..1.,,,
A gentleman, who so styles nlial:Fils ;Its'WF isV
, .4 /::-..
suffering durance in the Calton gaold\itii
.ig?k:....-
been very recently committed in order Tor trihra
on account of various acts of swindling. They
have been carried on to a great extent, and with
an address and qualifications for the art rarely
equalled. From the moment we heard of the
assumed name of Montmorency, it occurred to
us, and 'may perhaps be in the recollection of
some of our readers, that it was nearly the same
non: de guerre which we had seen associated
with a celebrated individual of this description,
who had successfully played off' a series of tie-
eeptions in London, about a year or eighteen
months ago, and we now enter into a few parti-
culars concerning him, for the purpose of ob-
taining the opinion of some of our metropolitan
contemporaries as to his identity with that person,
with whose character and transactions we have
no doubt that they will be familiar. What goes
far to confirm us in the belief is, that he not
only claims the same connection with the noble
family of Montmorency, but actually boasts of
being the author of almost all of the fashion-
able novels which have appeared within these
some years anonymously, and the authors
of which are not sufficiently well known to
occasion instant detection. In addition to
this, he lays claim to several crack articles
in Blackwood's Magazine, and, to support
his literary pretensions, we are informed that
he actually keeps a large quantity of .51 S.
transcribed, we have no doubt from some neg-
lected and forgotten old novel or other, by means
of which, and his very plausible manner, he has
added " confirmation strong" to this part of his
story. As we are truly anxious to know what'll-
this is the same individual who practised with
so much success in London under these very
colours, we beg to jay, that in so far as his ex-
terior goes, he is rather a genteel slim figure,
about five feet seven inches in height, and that
his complexion is very dark, so much so, in-
deed, that he might be mistaken for the half
Indian breed. He dresses fashionably, and
discourses with uncommon volubility ; is well
acquainted with several modern languages, and
speaks Italian and French with great fluency.
From that circumstance he has most probably
been on the continent ; but the extent to which
he uses what are called traveller's privileges is so
great, that there is scarcely any part of Europe
or Asia which, according to hir own account, he
has not personally visited. Among other things,
he says that he was some time in Persia ; that ho
is extremely intimate with the young Shah ; and
that he is himself one of the characters delineated
n Hajji Baba.
Among other things, he gives out that he was
imprisoned in France some years ago for a
political offence, and in regard to the late revo-
lution in that country, he preserves a mysterious
silence, only throwing out a few occasional hints
that he knew too much of the causes in which
that event had • originated. In literature, he
boasts of an European reputation, and we are
.old that he has sometimes been heard to say
;hat many countries had been proud of his
talents, but that he was so wrapt up in mystery,
that unless he himself threw off his disguise, no
human power could discover who or what he was.
Our readers may perhaps be amused at these
particulars, but the arts of this impostor have
proved any thing but matter of amusement to
such persons as have had the misfortune to come
in contact with him ; and besides the debt which
he has contracted during a period of about eight
months, since he commenced his residence here,
we are extremely concerned to hear that he has
been the means of throwing a very worthy and
respectable family into a state of the deepest
affliction. No doubt, at first sight, one would
be inclined to think that those who lent implicit
credence to all these extravagant fictions (parti-
cularly if it be true, as we have heard it stated,
that upon one occasion he had the coolness to
say that he was born at Blarney Castle,) must
have possessed a larger share of credulity than
what falls to the lot of ordinary mortals ; but a
good deal must be allowed for the practised dex-
terity of the artist, and in the present instance
we have very little doubt that he singled out his
victims, from a belief, perhaps too well founded,
that they were not of a suspicious disposition,
and very little versed in the ways of the world.
So it has been accordingly, that one of the young,
ladies of the family to whom he paid his ad-
dresses, was so imprudent as listen to his over-
tures, and some months back their nuptials were
celebrated in presence of the friends of the family.
Since this event their eyes have gradually been
opened, and they have become painfully sen-
sible of the disgrace and degradation which such
an alliance has entailed upon them.

Government are going to erect barracks suf-
ficiently large to contain two battalions of Guards and a
train of Artillery in the Bird-cage-walk, St. James's Park;
they will extend from James-street to the Recruit-home,
and are to be of a handsome elevation, and will be an ornr...
rnent to that part of the Park. Government are also going
to give several fret of ground to widen James-street. Mr.
HARRISON IS the contractor.

FIFE PIERS.—In a small burgh town, at no
great distance from the " East Neuk," there lives an
honest bellman, who, although he has not fallen in with
the march of intellect, has not shut his ears against the
news of the day. Not loq ago he was ask.'d by a crony,
over a tankard of ale, what he thought of our present
KING. " Think!. " said he, "I think a great deal o'
lie's a right KING, an' he's aye mindfu' o' the puir folks.
What do you think he's gaun to do now ! He .s about
to gie orders for makin' a heap o' new pitrs, for the pur-
pose o' keepin' us bodies in wank. But lam feirfu' he'll
no be able to make sic a thing here, for its o'er rocky."--
Scotsman.

BANK FAILURE.—We are sorry to inform
our readers that Messrs. Krtictur Ind Co., bankers, 31.dd,
have suspended their payments. We are not informed of
the cause; but we fear that great inconvenience will be
the consequence at this particular juncture, when the rents
of the neighbourhood are about being collected. We un-
derstand that there is no danger of any final loss to the
creditors of the firru.—Carnarcon Herald.

city, itytstifAy
oßhuit.i:cci-Euc
FIREBRANDS IN DALKEITH. —The fol-
lowingknot
uonfsatioAt re ynr
at ibi
IR
eeq
auftiott
rae
mc cheomrr: tt yt
oDrtael ported rDi
tt ehud,k
ea innoxf
their
ent
got up an address to Lis Grace, signed by no less than 17
men, thanking him fcr his hostile vote on the Reform
Bill, and praying his Grace to lend his name and sanction
rci a requisition for calling an Anti-Reform meeting in
Dalkeith. A deputation of the 17 waited on his Grace
accordingly, and bent themselves down in the audience-
room of the Palace, in order that the smiles of nobility
might fall with full lustre upon their obeisant heads..—
Alas, for him that putteth his trust in Prince's! " What !"
exclaimed the Duke, " have 1 not incurred sufficient
odium in Scotland already by the vote you applaud ? No,
no, gentlemen, let's hear no more of such addresses and
requisitions. This is the quietest town I have seen since
I left England ; and surely you would not have me throw
firebrand into the woos of Dalkeith !" His Grace im-
mediately tore the address, and threw it into the the. This
narrative derives additional probability from the well-
known fact, that the Duke refused to " have anything to
do" with the late Anti-Reform meeting in Iliinburgh.—
Ms Grace, we would fain hope, has within him the attri-
butes of a true BUCCLEUCH yet,—Scotanitzu.