The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-02 00:00:00

BENTLEY.

Welcome at all times is the biography of an emi-
nent man, more particularly welcome at the present
time is the Biography of Street, the American poet, the
recent perusal of whose " Frontenac" has made all the
world anxious to know something of its gifted author,
With this biography the Bentley for June opens, and
it' is illustrated by a portrait which it is impossible
even to glance at without feeling convinced that it
must be a likeness. The other illustration is a drol-
lery by Nicholson, illustrating an adventure recorded
in the "Note Book of the Coroner's Clerk." This
series improves every month, and the " Note Book of
the Coroner's Clerk' is already worthy to take its
place by the side of " The Experiences of a Gaol
Chaplain." Mr. Warren continues his " Scenes and
Adventutes on the Banks of the Amazons," and
Sylvanus his " Turf Scenes and Characters." That
most delightful of travelling companions, the
author of " Wayside Pictures," takes us this
month on a tour through Belgium, and a more
delightful cicerone to the art-wonders of Ant-
werp, Malines, Bruges, and Brussels, it is impos-
sible to meet with. " The Liberated Forged," is a ter-
rific illustration of the iniquity of that law of France,
which, by branding a criminal on his shoulder with an
indelible mark, renders it all but impossible for the
fircat, who may have undergone his punishment, ever
to reform or regain his place in society, inasmuch as
it places him in the power of any hardened wretch
who may have known of his misfortune, and who
thus possesses the power of extorting money from him,
or, still worse, of forcing him into crime. This brand-
ing system is one which we trust the Legislative
Assembly will at once abolish. Mr. P. G. Patmore
contributes some interesting anecdotes of the early
life of De Lamartine, VictorlairaTucgorstic anecdotes of
from and Jules Janin
i
—and with the following ci
De Lamartine, extracted te
Mr. Patmore's paper,
we will conclude our notice of Bentley for June :
" At the period to which our anecdote relates, the
widowed mother of De Laniarti
in ne resided with her fa-
mily in a chateau in Burgundy,the vicinity of which
•he was looked up to as the great lady of tt.e district.
Among her few br_bitual visitors was the
igi,oled
tempter
.he ne)ghbouring who, from
his
amiable
and endearing manners, as the delight of all N ho came
within the sphere of his influence, and particularly of
the young folks at the chateau, who honoured and re-
vered him as a father, without ceasing to love him as a
playmate and companion. On the occasion in question
he bad called at the chateau in passing homeward from
one of his visitations of duty and benevolence, and no-
thing could satisfy his young friends, who crowded
round him with welcomes and caresses, but his remain-
ing to dine and spend the rest of the day with them.
file lady of the chateau joined her solicitations to those
of her children, and the good cures inclinations strongly

seconded their wishes; but there was a serious obstacle
in the way.
" It is Saturday,' said the good man, ' and I've not
prepared a line of my to-morrow's zermon. And to
compose a good sermon,' added le, smiling, 'is no joke.
It will take me the rest of the day, and, it may be, an
hour or two cf the night.'

" Oh, if that's all,' cried A!phonse, who had receded
from the crowd of little suitors around the cure, and
was contemplating from a window the scene without,
if that's all, l'il write your sermon for you, Monsieur
le Cure. I often write sermons, and preach them too,—
in my head! What shall the text be?'
" All present, the cure included, greeted this half-
serious, half-jocular sally with good-humoured smiles or
laughter, and the good man himself appeared to yield
to the argument for his stay among them. Accordingly
he gave a text at random to tbeyoung aspirant for preach-
ing honours, and,,determiced to borrow a few hours from
his pillow for the composition of his to-morrow's dis-
course.

" After dinner Alphonse disappeared from the family
party; but as this was a frequent result of his contem-
plative habits, nobody took notice of his absence till the
cure vas preparing for his early departure in the even.
ing,—when Alphonse made his appearance with a roll
of paper in his hand.
Here is your sermon, Monsieur le Cure,' (xcluirned
he, with a smile of exultation on his beautiful and ex•
preEsive countenance. . .

" The good cure, innocent'y humouring the juke, took
the scroll and opened it.
" Well,' said he, let us see what this sermon of our
young friend is made ot. Suppose we try a little of it
upon the present audience,' and he proceeded to open
and read it aloud. lle had not read many lines, how-
ever, before his aspect and manner became entirely
changed. In a word, the child of twelve years of age
had produced a composition ot deep thought, fervid elo-
quence, and high poetry, and the good curl pronounced
it at church the next day to a delighted and admiring
audience.

" No coincidence could have been more fitting and
appropriate, than that of the first work of the author of
the ' Meditations' and the ' Harmonies Sacrees ' being
first given to the world within the walls of a religious
temple."