The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-26 00:00:00

...to say, I have been weak enough., to write some
Epigrams ; but I have resisted-"the malignant
Pleasure of publishing them.
One of them, for whom he used to write occa-
sional pieces for the Theatre, had left the pip
at his cather's,npon whom he passed it for his 'own.
Some years afterward, when Fontenelle was at the
father's house, he was entertained with the read.
ing of 'this piece by the fond father, who was
eager to -have his opinion of his son's perform.
ance. Fontenelle who had forgotten the circum-
stance, till it was brought to his mind by a few of
the. first lines, from a kind of modesty, was very
sparing in his praise, or at least. he was 'thought
so by the fondness of the father, who touched
the quick at his coldness, stopped reading very
,abruptly, crying out in a passion,:—"_ I can per-
•ceive this play is not to your taste; and yet the.
style is easy and natural, -and that of a man of
the world, but perhaps not so correct as you
Gentlemen of the academy affect to write hi ;. for
you we must have grammar, phrases, Scc." . On
another occasion he displayed the most .perfect
good humour to a nephew of his own, who was
highly connected and choleric, upon the,accident
of a fire which was brought on by a spark which
had fallen upon his bed-gown. The nephew
with the whole family were roused from their
beds; he railed at his uncle as fast as the fire was
kindled, but yet gave such good orders as soon
to extinguiSh its flames; and then he continu(4
his railings with.such sage and aposite remarks,—
as that-a little spark may set. the whole city on
fire, &c. aiid asked him again and again why he did.
not shake his gown before he went to bed. All
returned to their rooms, and the next morning the
eternal railer, the nephew, still continued to scold
with as much fury as if he had not scolded over
\night, and the tranquil philosopher only replied
to all his bickerings:—" I promise you, my dear
nephew, when. next I set my house-, on fire, it
shall be in another way."

AIORPETH ROAD.

The Company of Merchants of the City of

Edinburgh have transmitted a Memorial against
any additional postage on letters delivered 'at
Edinburgh, far defraying the expence of .this
Projected road, to the -Members for the City and.
County, and to the other public bodies who are
also to oppose this measure. The following is a
copy -of the Company's Memorial :
• MC MORIAL on behalf of the COMPANY of 31EitufAN Ts

of the CITY of Enrsrnunnat, in regard to the nevilno-
jected Road between London and Edinburgh by Morpeth. •
The objects' which the projectors of this new line of
have in view, are to shorten the communication between Len-.
don and Edinburgh, on, the' 'northern part of the road after
Eassing Morpeth until it reaches Edinburgh; and to give to
dinburgh a more early delivery of letters from the south ;• and ! •
they propose to levy-nearly °behalf of the expellee which the
• construct-I°nd this new road is estimated to cost• by an addi-
11ohal postage upon all letters to the north.of Morpeth as far'as
Edinburgh. '
As a general improvement, the Memorialists would most
readily. approve of any scheme which would lessen the dis-
tance,.and accelerate the means of communication between the,
two capitals. But in the piesent project, the Memorialists ap-
prehend it to be quite clear;
.that„ while the advantage which
would be derived in Edinburgh from the alteration in the de-
livery:of the London letters would be trifling, the additional
postage, which is calculated to produce 1,5001. a-year, would
operate. as a local tax, falling almost entirely on the city of
Edinburgh. . . , •
The mode suggested by the.projectors of the new road for
giving to -Edinburgh a more early delivery of letters from the
south, and so reducing the course of
,post between the tiro ca-
pital§ &an-six to five days, is, by bringing the mail into town
by the shortened distance of road proposed; and by an increas-
•ed velocity of the coach, at a quarter past six o'clock • by a
delivery of the. letters one hour afterwards ; and by altering
the departure of the mail to the south from eight o'clock as at
present, to eleven o'clock r. as.
Now, the Memorialists would remark in the first plac'b, that
supposing the mail to be brought into town by a quarter after
six o'clock as proposed, it does' by no means follow that the
letters could be delivered one hour -afterwards. No such dis-
patch in the delivery of letters by the London mail has ever
yet been known, and the Memorialists believe cannot be ac-
complished. Besides, in stating a general convenience to the
traders and inhabitants of a great city, the period of delivery
of letters must be taken,. not at the moment they leave ' the
office, but at the average time when they are received by the
community ; and taking this to be the fair criterion for judgr
ing of the genera/ benefit proposed, the Memorialists maintain
that were the mail to arrive at the time supposed, viz. a quar-
ter past six o'clock, the average of the general delivery could not
be sooner than half-past eight, or more probably nine o'clock.
In this way there would remain only about two hours to.
answer a London letter in course ; and if any communication
with public Offices; or with public banks,' or any correspond-
ence with individuals became necessary, a letter on any busi-
ness purpose could not be answered till next day. The Me-
morialists are aware, it may be said, .that men in business will
keep btiles at the Post Office where they will receive their let-
ters at the moment they are delivered from the sorters. But
this would be affinding an undue advantage to traders in the
higher classes of society, and at the expence of the bumbler,
and not less useful class. Even the advantage alluded to, hOw-
ever, must be confined to cases of urgency only ; for no' busi.
ness of any consequence could, in general, be executed within
so very limited a time as two or three houre, and at so late a
period cf the evening.
In the 2d place the Memorialists would remark, that while
the advantages, as they have been termed, held out the. Co-
mmunity of Edinburgh froM this new road, and alteration of the
mail, are truly so trifling, or almost nugatory, the city of• Edi-
nburgh is to be called on to defray nearly one half of the ex-
pence attending the construction of the road ; for the expellee
of the work is estimated at 72,4161. 16s. Bd., and'the additional
postage to be levied on letters between Morpeth and Edinburgh
is calculated to produce 1,500/. a year, equal to .a capital of
33,0001. at 4/2 per cent., so by far the greater part of this sum,
when the description of country between Morpeth.and Edin-
burgh is kept is view it must fall on Edinburgh alone ; and the
Memorialists would farther remark, hat nearly the same early
delivery of letters might be effected without any additional ex-
pence whatever, were the detention of letters at York for six
hours prevented. •
In any view of the matter, then, it appears to, the Meinorial-
i;ts, that no advantage could accrue to the city of Edinburgh
from the more early delivery of letters proposed, mat could in
the least justify the heavy expenco which the additional postage
would impose upon its, correspondence, and that the 'imposi-
tion of such a burden or tax in sueh circumstances Would be
unfair and improper.
'On these grounds the Memorialists will concur with the Ma-
gistracy, and the Chamber of Commerce, and with the other
public bodies interested in this important matter, in such mea-
sures as may be thought proper, to oppose the itnposition.of any
additional postage on letters delivered at .Edinburgli for the
purposes of this projected road. •
Signed in name of the CompanTof Merchants of the city of
Edinburgh. - . •
(Signed) JOHN 13' ALFOUP,.. Master.

„ .
rREFERMENT.—The Rev. WIN: -FLOWER, jun.
M.A., Chaplain of York Castle, has been preSented by
_Earl
FrrnylLLlAm to the Incumbent Curacy of