The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-26 00:00:00

Before the Reformation, there were no poor-rates ;

charitable doles given at the religious houses, and the
church ale in every parish did the business. In every parish
there was a church house, to which belonged spits, pots, &c,
for dressing provision. Here the house-keepers met and
were merry, and gave their charity. The young people came
there too, and had dancing, bowling, shooting at butts, &c.—

➢lr. A. Wood assures.me there were few or no almshouses be.
fore the time of Henry VIII. That at Oxon, opposite Christ,
church, was one of the most ancient in England.
In every church there was a poor's-box ; and the like al

great inns.
The lawyers say that, before the time of Henry VIM, on e
shall hardly find :In action on the case, as for slander, &c., once

a year, (plod nota.
At the parish priests' houses in France, especially in Lan-
guedoc, the table cloths were on the board all day long, and
ready for what was in the house to be put thereon for strangers,
travellers, friars, pilgrims, so it was here I have heard my
grandfather say in his grandfather's time.
A neat built chapel and a spacious hail were all the rooms
of note, the rest were small. At Tomarton, in Gloucester-
shire, anciently the seat of the Itivers's, is a dungeon thirteen
or fourteen feet deep : about four feet high are iron rings fas-
tened in the wall, which were probably to tie offending villans
to ; and all lords of manors had this power over their villans
(or socage tenants), and had all of them no doubt such places
for punishment. It is well known all castles had dungeons,
and I believe so had monasteries, for they had often within
themselves pOwer of life and death.
Every baron and gentleman of estate kept horses for men-
at-arms. Some had their armories sufficient to furnish out some
hundreds of men. The halls of the Justice of peace were dread-
ful to behold : the skreen was garnished with corslets and hel-
mets, gaping with open mouths, with coats of mail, lances,
pikes, halberts, brown bills, and bucklers.
Public inns were rare, travellers were entertained at religious
houses for three days together if occasion served. The meet-
ings of the gentry were not at taverns, but in the fields or
forests, with their hawks and hounds, and their bugle-horns in
silken bawderies.
In the last age, every gentleman-like man kept a sparrow
hawke, and a priest kept a hobby, as Dame Julien Barnes
teaches us (who wrote a book of sports in Henry the Seventh's
time.) It was a diversion for young gentleman to man sparrow
hawkes and morlines.
Before the feast; or wake, of the dedication of a church, they
sat all night fasting and praying, viz. at the,eve of the wake.
In Easter holidays was the clerk's ale for hisfloenefit, and the
solace of the neighbourhood.
In these times, besides the jollities mentioned, they had their
pilgrimages to several shrines, as to Walsingham, Canterbury,
Glastonbury, Bromholm, &c. Then the Crusaders to the Holy
Wars were magnificent, and gave rise to the adventures of I
knights errant and romances. The solemnity attending pro-
cessions in end about Churches, and the perambulations in the
fields, were great diversions also of those times.
Glass windows in churches and gentlemen's houses were rare
before the time of Henry VIII. In my own remembrance, be-
fore the civil wars, copyholders anti poor people had none. In
Herefordshire, Monmouthshire, and Salop, it is so still. About
90 years ago the gentlemen's and noblemen's coats were of the
fashion of the beadles and yeoman of the guard, (i. e. gathered
at the middle). The Benchers in the-Inns of Court still retain
that fashion in the make of their gowns.
Captain Silas Taylor says " that, in the days of yore, when
a church was to be built, they watched and prayed on ie vigil
of the dedication ; and took that part of the horizon when the
sun arose for the east ; which makes that variation so that few
stand true except those built between the Equinoxes."
Mr. Dugdale told me that, about Henry the Third's time,
the Pope gave a bull, or patent, to a company of Italian archi-
tects, to travel up and down Europe to build churches.
The use of your humble servant first came into England in
the time of Queen Mary, daughter of Henry the Fourth of
France, which is derived from " Votre tres humble serveteur."
The usual salutation before that time was GOD keep you, GOD
Le with you ; and among the vulgar, How d'ye do, with a hearty
thump on the shoulder.
Till this time the Court itself was unpolished and unmanner-
ed. King James's Court was so far from being civil to women,
that the ladies, nay, the Queen herself, could hardly pass by
the King's apartment without receiving some affront.

[PROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
STOCK EXCHANGE, Half-past Twelve o'clock.--
This day is a holiday at the Bank, but the
Stock Exchange is' open Consols opened this
morning at 80, sellers, but afterwards were done
at 80 to -1. Four Expresses arrived from Paris
early in the morning with the French Payers and
Private Letters of Tuesday afternoon, six o'clock.
The French Funds left off on that day at 80f.
30c. Spanish 55, but were done at 56.

The private letters from Paris continue pacific.—
The article from Toulouse in the French Papers
corresponds with the private information received
this morning from the above Capital.
FRENCH FuNns.---New Spanish opened this
morning at 54, but got up again to 54k, after it
was known that nothing of a decisive nature on
War had arrived from Paris. The fall of the
French Funds is owing to Stock Jobbing specu-
lations at Paris.

The fact stated in the news from Bayonne,
:hat all the Couriers from Madrid and other

parts of the Peninsula now arrive in regular

course, without interruptions or delay, proves
mere forcibly than any thing else could do the
contemptible condition to which the Spanish in-
surrection is at length reduced, notwithstanding
the pompous details which some of the Journals
have endeavoured to represent the Royalists as
still possessed of considerable force. Previous

to the successful operations of MINA, the com-
munications were frequently im7eded by the
Army of the Faith ; and the facility, therefore,
with which Couriers now traverse Spain in all
directions, affords conclusive evidence that the

triumph of the Constitutionalists is nearly com-
pleted. The Treaty of Alliance which they

have negociated with Portugal involves the latter
Kingdom in all the consequences of a hostile• at-
tack upon Spain, and increases the perils of the
enterprise, if evil Councils should still prevail in

the French Cabinet. The Cons/du/tonne, one
of the best informed Journals on the Continent,
affirms, on official authority, that the Treaty of
Alliance, offensive and defensive, between Spain
and Portugal, has been signed and ratified. The
Constitutionnel treats all the fluctuations of the
public funds as the effects of mere stock-jobbing
manoeuvres, for laying the credulous under con'
tribution, and says that " the spirit of our (the

French) institutions,—the true interests of France
—the wisdom of the throne,—the silence of the
Congress of Verona,—the attitude of England,-""
the moderation of the Spanish Government,—are
circumstances which to all reasonable men are
so many guarantees of a peace which can cause
none to despair but the enemies of constitutional
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think that we have in some degree contributed to
the expression of that strong public sentiment in
favour of the continuance of tranquillity, which
seems to have prevailed over the mad and,
desperate councils of the war party in France.
During the crisis, which/ we hope has ar-
rived at a favourable termination, the opinions
and statements of The Sun, have been fre-
quently quoted by the Constitutionnel, the
.Journal des Debuts, the Journal de Paris, the
Moniteur, &c. &c., and we have had the satisfac-
tion to observe that so much confidence has been
Placed in our moderation and candour, that we
have even been designated as the official organ
of the British Governrhent. That is a distinction,
however, which, as regards the Spanish ques-
tion, neither The Sun nor any other Journal
has enjoyed. We have formed our opinions
solely from the aspect of public affairs, and
in our reasonings have been- influenced by no
considerations but such as appeared to be most
agreeable, not ohly to the policy of our own
country, but to the welfare of Europe, and the
Lest and truest interests of France herself.
While we believe that the influence of England
• has chiefly contributed to preserve France from
the dangerous course into which she' was nearly
Precipitated, we are far from feeling that in such
result there is any thing mortifying to the just.
Pride or derogatory to the true greatness and
dignity of the French Nation. In a legitimate
quarrel, in which her people would participate
in the views, and would zealously second the
efforts, of her Government, France is more than
sufficiently powerful to command respect at home,
and to cause herself, if necessary, to be feared
abroad. We desire that she may always maintain
her due rank and importance in Europe;
and we Only regret that she is not bound
'with England in ties still more close and
friendly than those Which now exist,—ties which
Unite the two most civilized nations, and the two
'Most liberal Governments in Europe, in an invin-
cible alliance of interest, power, and intelligence,
and would form the surest pledge both of the
Security, and of the progressive amelioration of
Mankind. It is only because the meditated
invasion of Spain was unprovoked and unprin-
tipled in itself, because there is reason to believe
.that Spain and Portugal are not easily to be
aver-run,—and because the public opinion of
Prance itself was opposed to the project,—that
We think that the remonstrances of Great Britain
Were sufficient to turn the scale in favour of
peace, and to deter the war party from the exe-
cution of that enterprise on which they were once
so eager to embark.

We copy the following from the Dublin
Journal of Monday last, vceived this morning:—

" THIRD EDITION.
" CONSPIRACY TO ASSASSINATE THE LORD
LIEUTENANT.

" This evening Henry Handwich and George
Graham were fully committed by Counsellor
ABBETT, for having, with divers other persons,
felonionsly conspired, confederated, and agreed
to kill and murder His Excellency RICHARD
Marquess of WELLESLEY, Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland. Mr. James Forbes was this evening
aPprehended under a warrant, and fully com-
mitted on the above capital charge. Matthew
ilanbridge is committed for conspiring to cause a
riot on the night in question. William Graham
and Williamilrownlozo,appreheided on the above
nlinor charge, are bailable."

A letter of the 11th instant, received yesterday
from Vienna, says—c 4 The loan meditated by
this Government for the amelioration of the paper
'system, and the payment hi part of the debt due
to England, for it embraced both those objects,
is indefinitely. postponed. The motive for this is
the decline of the funds, assisted by the re-
action of the alarms of the Paris market, but
Chiefly caused by the sales of the leading capital-
ists intending to Contract for the loan, and will-
ing to do so with the greatest possible advantage
to themselves. , The houses which have conduct-
ed the princip.al operatiOns are those of ROTHS.
PARISH, and .GEITMULLEN, but whose
objects, by the procrastination of the measure,
are wholly defeated. The maallics are quoted
on the 11th at 831.

DEATH OF HANS HAMILTON, ESQ.—After a
most painful and tedious illness, Mr. HANS HA..
4ILTON expired at three o'clock yesterday morn-
ing. There will be a contest to fill the vacancy
caused by his death in the representation of the
County of Dublin. Sir COMPTON DOMVILLE and
Colonel 'WHITE are the Candidates.—(Dublin
Morning Post.)
The Earl of BRISTOL, with the most benevo-
lent consideration of the wants of the indigent,
las given 400 blankets to the poor of Bury.
We regret to state that Major ROBINSON, a
gentleman well known in this town, on Saturday
last, met with a fatal accident at Kingston, in
Surrey, by the overturning of his gig. The Major
was so severely injured that he expired in a few
hours.—(Brighton Paper.)
, A. dish of green peas, grown in the garden be-
"Alging to Mr. SMITH, draper, situate in Crook's-
moor, were shewn to us on Thursday. They
were remarkably fine.—( Sheffield Iris.)

SUN-OFFICE, ONE O'CLOCK,

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

[From the Journal (le Parts of the 24th Decembcr.]

PARIS, DEC. 2.—Yesterday evening the Mar-
quis Clermont Tontierre, Minister of the Marine,
had an audience of his Majesty.

The Journal of Toulouse, of the 18th Decem-
ber, contains the following information, which
gives new hopes that peace will not l dis-
turbed :—" We announced in one of our last
numbers, that this town was going to be occu-
pied as a park of artillery, in which were to be
placed three trains of artillery and a bridge of
boats. On the 15th inst., accounts were received
from Government ordering the suspension of the
works on the bridge of boats."
The Baron d'Eroles was still at Toulouse on
the- 18th, and it was not known when he was
going to take his departure.
A letter from St. Beal, of the 16th December
announces, that 1,200 constitutionalists dislodged
the insurgents in the valley of Aran, and caused
them to retreat into France.

The courier from Mahon brings intelligence of
the 20th November, that an American, arrived
there with information from Algiers, states, that
before she left, an Algerine squadron was on the
eve of sailing to act against the Spanish flag.

The French Ex-General Sarrazin has em-
barked at Antwerp, on his way to Lisbon.

A Letter from Trieste states as follows :--

" The towns of Coren and Motion have offered
to capitulate provided the Greeks will suffer the
Ottoman garrisons to retire into Thessalie ; but
the Chief of the Greeks would not comply with
their request."
IVIA.Dran,DEc. 16.--The two last sittings of the
COrtes have not been of any consequence; the dis-
cussions still continued on the Military Ordo-
!lances. Daily reports are received of the dif-
ferent victories obtained by Mina over the insur-
gents of Catalonia.