The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-08 00:00:00

I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,

B. TILLY, Hon. Sec.
P.S. The meetings of the Cobbclt Club are monthly,
which accounts for the length of time (three weeks) having
elapsed since the favour was conferred which has called
forth those thanks.

LITERATURE.

THE CITY OF THE CZAR.

Bentley, London, 1838.
The author of this work, which is an account of a visit
made to St. Pete rsburgh, in the winter of the year, 1830,
is Mr. Raikes, Misr has produced a very readable volume,
neatly written in point of style, and abounding in curious
anecdotes. His deL`sils of the Russian capital, are by no
means of an encouraginj or encomiastic character. It is,
according to him, one of the dullest cities in Europe, where
the presence of the Emperor, notwithstanding his general
affability, inspires no other feelieg than that of profound
''ve ; where a system of espionage is pushed to the most
rigorous extent; where even the remotest allusion to po-
lities is strictly forbidden in private society ; and where the
•elinlate for many months in the year, is so inhospitable, that
--we quote Mr.Raikes's own words—" public thermometers
ale placed in the streets to give that notice of approaching
danger, which the humsn frame may not immediately per-
ceive, as the change is sometimes so rapid, that you are
naught by the frost before you can be aware of it." When
e frost has once set in, pedestrians begin to be filled with
anxiety for the safety of their noses, which is " a point in
hech:a foreigner is most liable to attack ;" and many is
t ingenious device adopted to keep thatinteresting fea-
'lre in a state of wholesome warmth. But whatever
means aro devised for its preservation, it is imperatively
necessary that they be impromptu ones, for in an instant
tile nose "becomes of a livid whiteness, without pain," so
that unless a man be prompt in his device, he may go
abroad with a healthy nasal promontory, and return home
with one as dead as mutton. Mr. Raikes speaks with re-
113NA of the Emperor Nicholas, even while he demurs to
ass o~licy, and tells many gossiping anecdotes of his prede-
the Emperor Alexander, who—if we may credit our
author—died literally of a broken heart. We subjoin a
Peasant piece of Court gossip, relative to Napoleon, and
"bis
uchiaikseed-:of marriage -with one of the Russian Grand-
,„,l\Vhen Napoleon had accomplished his divorce from Jo-
iit'Lmce, and to ally himself with a legitimate poaer,
;,-,.."as alwas been assorted that he hesitated in his choice be-
-A"e'm a Grand Duchess of Russia and an Archduchess of
in.tastria, both of whom ;ere willing to
instructions
°m his propos:lls.
f 42Pears that Caulaincourt did receive private
rem his Court to sound the feelings of this imperial family
°n the subject of a marriage between Napoleon and the Grand
andebress Catherine Paulowna, sister of the Emperor Alex-
plea As one primary obstacle was suspected in the scru-
co__°l the Empress-Mother, it was thought advisable to
,e'xiglecce operations by some vague allusions to the con-
._ 9n, so pa.cootible as to draw forth the expression of her
Itirnents, and Yet so guarded as not to compromise the dig-
tity or vanity of the imperial suitor. This delicate mission
was intrusted to the Frehola Ambassador, who, if the story
is true, used the following ingenious device to fulfil the_object of
it. On the next interview which lid had with the t
Mother, after the discussion of various topics whichmhapdr"nso-
particular tendency, he gradually, and as ;f by chance, led
the conversation to the subject of dreams ; her kf4jesty was
rather superstitious, and swallowed the bait. Caula'icourt
attention,t
followed up his advantage, and, having engaged her
proposed to relate a singular dream which, no later
than
Preceding night, had happened to himself. The Empress ex-
Pressnd her willingness to hear it. Caulaincourt then
In that shape the object of his secret mission: he r p et L‘nded
that he 11.1 d dreamed of an order, sent to him by -Napoleon, to
demand the hand of the Grand Duchess Catherine Paulowna-
b_ue.toook care, during the recital, to introduce certain flattering
giums on the Princess herself, which he thought might
rt_rnda to prop.tiate her in his favour, then waited in silence
Lun comment. The Empress, who had listened with increas-
.L.giravity to every word, then calmly replied, in a tone
,'ll disconcerted all his hopes at once, Monsieur l'Am-
14;isseaddei.nr, vous savez bien Tie tout songe est un mensongc.'
patched-appointed Caulaincourt returned to his hotel, and des-
a courier to Paris with the mortifying intelligence ;
IN4P_9elepn then transferred his proposals to the Archduchess
I'l Leuiso, which met with a more favourable reception."

r D
LINDSAY'S _LETTERS ON EGYPT 6-c.
album, London, 1838.
t .Lord Lindsay has here given us two volumes of enter-
"ling travels through Egypt, Edom, and the Holy Land
r--eountriex which no sricere Christian can think of with-
t reverence. His Lordship's account of the Sea of Ga-
ite, whose wide expanse of turbulent waters, the Saviour,
iour,
LeillaY be remembered, stilled into instant tranquillity,
is far
atter than Many descripticn of the same interesting lake we
other yet met with, anal is written with more care than any
:"er Portion of the work. The noble author not only
Palestine, but penetrated also the great Syrian
(ehiart, and
il gad on the jestic ruins of Baalb and
!"Yra—andze this withoutma n ecountering any more dui&
s t.es or dangers, than ho would encounter in traversing
`Nitute ‘‘ti:ith Plea'
IL" or Portugal. We have read his volume.: through-
.•
tire, and here and there with profit, though
nk they would have been improved, had the style
ire„yea! more simple and familiar, and less studded with poetic
LE GW.-

.—NDS, V. OF THE RHINE, No. V.
Westley London, 1838.
4 The traditi ' danecdotes of the most pic-
the sque riverlii‘ure in aact legcn ary
Europe—and just at the present season,
ti
the L"st fashionable—related in this Number, prove that . author, on L.,- Mr. Sncrwe, has no ordinary powers of descrip-
iiis work is a very agreeable one, and will, when
couplet".,d, form a capital guide-book for those who may
ke, Inclined to explore the most celebrated romantic land
Pea of the Rhine.

THE 44ST DAYS OF AURELIAN. 2 Tors.
, e reeo
Bentley, London, 1838,
mnize in tl e volumes much of the same sort of
tn._
~ a ies
1317,1 L ttLit pervaded the author's former work, (and, we.
;`, 'neve, his first), " Zenobia, Queen of the East"—that is
,!_leaY, much grace and felicity of diction, delicacy 0.
f sen-
w"anntnt, and
propriety of detail. There is also a sun
.. of spirit-stirring interest, an:l rapid, vigorous narra-
ilar
(lan
v • The tale is carefully written, and some of its descrip
zsf°ns are by no means wanting in force ; but it is not well
litiained as a whole, the reader's attention often flags
.111 the writer is discussing matters which are far too un-
it portant to be ginn in detail.

TIIE FIELD, THE GARDEN, AND THE
WOODLAND.
C. Knight, London, 1838.
1_ ", The design or the following work," says the authoress
4 her preface to this elegant little duodecimo, " is to
Are to the young reader several interesting facts, with
which Ow botanist young
acquainted in the pursuit of
Bjieneo." This design is throughout well worked out, and
/," " interesting- facts" are presented in such an easy,
41nil1ar form to the unlearned, as is most likely to awaken
in them some interest in the study and observation of
nature. The volume is handsomely bound in red
,_ , golde
ttered cloth, and illustrated dwith a variety of choice
woodcuts.

LONDON AND EDINBURGII PHILOS-
PHICAL MAGAZINE. O
Taylor, Red-Lion Court.
o, here are several Papers in this Number on the subject
al) Galvanism, in which the different theories at present
'°al are discussed by their respective partizans with zeal,
"Incl, as it appears to us, with considerable ability. Profes-
sur Forbes's " Researches on Heat—Third Series"—are
I°lls
etOnclded. These Papers are Lighly valuable contribu-
to a most important branch of science, and in the cou-

struction of a mechanical theory of heat, the results of the
le !rued Professor's experiments, imperfer.t as his modesty.
may lead him to consider them, must form a great part of
the groundwork.
" Researches on Suppuration," is from the pen of
George Gulliver, Esq., and opens views of the greatest
importance in the medical treatment of a certain
class of diseases. The Author has detailed the results of
a number of experiments and observations, from which
it appears, that in diseases attended by inflammation
and suppuration, pus becomes mixed with the blood, ant
may, theref'ore, reasonably he supposed to be one, if not
the sole, cause of the febrile action which takes place in
those cases. We heartily agree with the Auther of this
valuable Paper in " expressing a hope that it will lead to
a still mere careful and extensive examination of the blood
in various diseases than has hitherto been attempted."
" The Micoscrope," he justly observes, " may I),,coune as
important an instrument to the pathologist, and even to the
medical practitioner, as the stethoscope." Mr. Gulliver
thu3 concludes his interesting Paper :—" If my results
should be confirmed, it is hardly too much to expect that
some important discovery, particularly in diagnosis, may be
made by a patient investigation of the blood in many malig-
nant diseases, such as cancer—it is not long since the
urinous fever, as it is called, was found to depend on the
accumulation of urea in the blood."

UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL.
Of all the various articles contained in this Number, by
far the most entertaining is the account of the Expedi-
tion to Walcheren," which conveys some intelligence that
we do not remember to have seen before. It also gives a
clever, brief account of Pitt's character as a War Minister,
in which the writer, with justice, pronounces him deficient.

STANDARD NOVELS, No. LXX.
Bentley, London, 1838.
The present Number of this popular Miscellany is a re-
publication in one volume, of Mr. Maxwell's " Adventtu es
of Captain Blake," and is embellished wi:h two cleverish
cngra% ings.