The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-21 00:00:00

ANECDOTES, &c.

GOOD REASON FOR A RETREAT—PHILOSOPHY
OF THE FRENCIL—The following Anecdote will
forcibly illustrate the construction of a French-
man's mind, and shew how easily he permits him-
self to be deceived and thus converts public dis-
asters to a cause of joy. During the late ‘var
a bulletin had been received in Paris announcing
the retreat of the French army, but in order
not to shock the vanity of Frenchmen, it was
necessary to convey this adverse intelligence in a
manner the least revolting to them. The infor-
mation travelled somewhat faster than the official
accounts, and according!y the Moniteur was ex-
pected with feverish impatience by all, but
by none • more so than the retired oilicers.
This Journal was therefore no sooner de-
liyered at the chief café of a small pro-
vincial town than it was seized with eagerness by
an old French Captain who had taken up a
position there in expectation of its arrival fur
the purpose, as he said, de s'en cmparer avant
l'arrivee des pecqains, in which expression he
included all who had not served in the French
army. Ilk rank as a military officer, had pro-
cured for hint the respect of the towns peo-
ple, and the Journal was therefore unit voce
handed over to him to read, and to explain to
the company. The Captain highly flattered, yet
at the same time fully conscious that he merited
the honour, proceeded to read of marches and
counter-marches, positions assaulted, batteries
taken, the enemy flying, routed, cuibuW, arms
and baggage captured, every thing tomhe entre
not mains. Pleased with his countrymen's
glory, he became enthusiastic, and proceed-
ed " Apres ce brillant succes,
,tut con-
trainte de faire un mouvement retrograde. Asto-
nished, as well he might be, and not a little
mortified at the issue of this brilliant success,
he suddenly stopped crying, Ah ! comment, quoi !
retrograde, retrograde. One of the pecquins who
had been looking over his shoulder, maliciously
observed, Oui, Capitaine,c'est cela, retrograde your
vo,yez done. Thus addressed, the unfortunate
Captain's visage extended to double its usual
length, and he acknowledged the exactitude of
his friend, with a malicious grin over his shoul-
ders, and with a sigh and exclamation of Oui, ma
foi ! But suddenly recovering his chop.fallen state
his spirits revived as he cried : Ah, Messieurs.je
m'en vain vows expliquer ccci. Notre Empercur,
qui est un fin matoi, s'est reeule pour mieux sauter.
(Alt Gentlemen, permit me to explain this. Our
Emperor, who is a knowing fellow, retreated in
order to take a longer jump.)

THE EDITOR Of a WEEKLY PUBLICATION
lately inserted the phrase Weakly Miscellany,
in speaking of his work ; whether through inge-
nuous modesty or ingenious mistake is not known.

LORD LOVAT AND S►►t DAV►D LINDSAY.—Few
would expect to find a coincidence of expression
between such men as the old Lord LOVAT, who
was remarkable for his insensibility,and the cele-
brated Scottish poet Sir DAVID LINDSAY, when
labouring under the ban of Princes. When Lind-
say was in disgrace with James the Fifth, he ad-
dressed an epistle to the King, in which are these
lines :

When thou was young, I bare thee in my arm,
" Full tenderly, till thou began to gang,
" And in thy bed oft happit thee.full warm,
" With lute in hand did sweetly to thee sing."

Lord Lovat wrote thus to the Duke of
when made prisoner in Scotland, in the
hope of obtaining his intercession with the King
—" I often carried your Royal Highness in my
arms in the parks of Kensi►►gton and Hampton.
court, to hold you up toyfully to your Royal
Grandfather, that he might embrace you," &c.
AN ECCENTRIC LAstnr.onn.—At a neighbour-
ing village, distant less than a hundred miles frona
Dean Church, and considerably under two bun.
dred from Wigan, an inquest was held upon the
body of William Howarth, who met with his
death by the breaking of a rope, by which he
was descending a coal-pit. After the verdict
was given, which was accidental death, the Jury
remained to take a little refreshment, which is
customary on such occa•ions. The money sub-
scribed by the company for this purpose amount.
ed to 195.; and after I Is. sd. had been expended,
the landlord said, " Well, you have now had
enough, and had better divide the remainder,"
viz.-7s. 7d. Ile then went out, and in order to
lessen the difficulty of a division, brought in li-
quor to the amount of Is. 7d , and handed over
6d. to each of the Jurors. This is an instance of
truly disinterested good counsel against excess,
which is not every day be met with.—( Bolton
Express.)
PATRICK ADAMSON, Archbishop of St. An-
drew's, who was so persecuted in Scotland by
the Presbyterian party, was at one time seized
with a disorder which baffled the skill of his
physicians, but on application subsequently to
an old woman, h was cured. This instance of
her skill, however, rendered her suspected of
witchcraft ; she was therefore committed to
prison by his enemies the Presbyterians, and
afterwards escaped. Four years after she was
taken at Edinburgh, and piously burnt for sav-
ing the Archbishop's life.
MOUNTAIN ANECDOTE.—A party had lately
climbed a considerable way up the usual track
on the side of Skiddow, when a gentleman (a
stranger to the rest of the company) who had
given frequent broad hints of his being a man of
sriperiGr knowledge, said to the guide, 46 Pray,
what is the highest part of this mountain !"
The top, Sir," replied the guide.
SMOKING.—In the presence of the Viceroy
smoking was prohibited at the Mexican Theatre ;
but between the acts a curtain was let down be-
fore his box, that the people might not be alto.
gether debarred this luxury.
PRINTERS originally endeavoured to make the
books they printed resemble manuscript copies
—copying by the hand being the only mode
known previously to the invention of printing of
multiplying copies ; and as the charges were as
for manuscript copies, the profits were correspond-
ingly enormous, till the secret became known,
the facility of so multiplying copies, however,
having subjected the parties to the suspicion that,
in their labours, they had unholy aid.