The Sun.
London, England, 1838-04-13 00:00:00

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it m,•uch more deserving of the butt of sack than the " Lay
bf the Laureate," which we well remember for the sensa-
tion of infinite weariness which its perusal occasioned us.
'We subjoin one or two of the stanzas which have most
pleased us in Victoria Victrix. The poet, we should pre-
mise, is anticipating—in the true spirit of the vales of old
—the triumphs in sculpture, and painting, and science, and
literature, destined to be achieved during her Majesty's reign.
--" Quod bonum, faustum, felixque sit, precamur !"
From the blind quarry's yet unbroken heap,
Of unimaginable grace shall rise
Forms, that arc clouded with a mystic sleep,
Or wake upon us with their soften'd eyes ;
Such rarest creatures as the mind supplies
Of him, whose thoughts with shapes of beauty teem;
Such as are half bequeathed when twilight dies,
Or oft depart on a departing dream,
That scarce solicit breath to be the life they seem.

And painting her combined harmonious hues,
Shall on the meditated canvas blend,
In warmer tints than those the sun embues
The clouds with, em his weary car descend ;
Softer than May doth to her blossoms lend,
Or Iris for her watery bow prepare ;
As heavenly skill shall on her hand attend,
As though her pencil, charged with forms so fair,
Were Wrought of a bright tress of Berenice's hair,
T,

'OP SAIL- SHEET BL 0 CKS. —3 VoLs.
Bentley, London, 1838.
In the rough vigor of its descriptions Topsail-Sheet
Blocks reminds us more forcibly of Michael Scott's " Tom
Cringle's Log"—who, it may be remembered, appeared in
Blackwood's Magazine a few years since, and was de-
servedly popular—than any Naval Novel that has been
published since that time. Who the author may be, we
have not the remotest idea ; but it is plain to see in every
Page that he is one to whom the peculiar habits and modes
of thought and expression current among sailors are fami-
liar, and who is as much at home on the quarter-deck, as
Boz is among the Cocknies. We cannot, however, com-
pliment him on the skill with which he has constructed his
narrative ; he has not put it together in—what he himself
would call--" ship-shape" fashion ; but hurried through his
narrative with a most resolute indifference to all the rules of
art. His tale in fact, is a mere collection of highly-co-
oured, dramatic incidents, strung together at random, but
eking, nevertheless a strong hold on the reader's atten-
tion, by reason ,
of the force and energy with which they are
depicted. In drawing character, the author, though he
verges now and then on caricature, takes nature for his
ground-work, and this carrics him handsomely through his
task. His Will Blocks, with his little pet foundling, Ten
Thousand Topsail-sheet Blocks, are as full of individuality
--the firmer especially—as even Tom Pipes himself. Nor
is 13-~nest Joe Breeze, the landlord of the " Roaring Boreas"
iess skilfully sustained, though he does not occupy a position
in the tale, equal to his undoubted deserts. Captain Yorick
is,
portraitwe suspect, intended as a portrait of the late Sir Joseph
York, a fine-hearted sailor, and a racy humourist. The
tis ale is full to overflowing, of various incident, but the author
most successful in his comic scenes. Some of his re-
flections which are introduced, as if accidentally, show much
worldly sagacity, as where he observes, for instance, " ma-
lice can twist a halter from half a dozen hairs." We had
marked a few passages for extract, but our very restricted
'Pace Prevents us from giving them insertion.

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.
A very fair average Number, containing among other
varieties in prose in verse, over which one may pleasantly
enough lounge away an hour or so, an Essay on Modern
bFrench Literature, and a continuation of Craven's " Ta-
raux from Sporting Life," in which last paper we find a
bief, but clever, sketch of Sam Chiffney, the well-known
Newmarket jockey.

CABINET CYCLOPiEDIA.
Longman, London, 1838.
The present, which is the hundred and first Number of
Lardner's Cyclope3dia, forms the fourth volume of Lives
of Eminent British Statesmen, and contains memoirs of
Robert Cecil, Lord Salisbury, and the Earl of Danby.
The Right Hon. T. P. Courtenay is the biographer, and
in his life of Cecil, which is copious, not in point of ver-
biage, but of solid, useful matter, has evidently spared no
research. His account of Danby, though penned in a
simple and lucid style, is not so attractive, possibly because
We do not take the same interest in him that we do in the
rnore accomplished statesman, Cecil. The volume is em-
tntbellished with an engraving, by Finden, of the Earl of
Salisbury.

THE KING'S 0W N.
Bentley, London, 1838.
A republication, illustrated with two choice engravings,
of one of Captain Marryat's most popular novels, and in-
corporated with Bentley's edition of the Standard Novels
and Romances.

771 E NEW
Politic MOIV THLY BELLE A S SEMBLEE.
al sentimentalism is the order of the day among
tenth-rate writers of the illustrious obscure fraternity.
rom a tale of robber
touching to b y, murder, and repentance—too
e read with dry eyes—called the " Postman
of Walfor
pp
d," which aropriately graces the pages of this
fashionabk• periodical, we will take the first sentence by
174 Y °f specimen of the prevailing taste :—" In one of the
ItYlmoat beautiful counties of beautiful and fertile England-
-17 iat a beautiful commencement !]—there is a little old
:me bel ve , which we shall call Walford, whether or not this
ongs to any other place ; it has been a borough of
some considerati
Acta, Sena°':,:and even now, under the New Rubbish
the Hos Members to our National Bear-Gardenris
speei, e need hardly remark, after quoting t
'lee, that the periodical before us, though published
1.1.2 ‘-ter
Le Patronage of the Duchess of Kent, is seldom or
never submitted to the inspection of her Royal Highness.

The best article in this Number—and there are several
7 .
eery good in their way—is on the anatomy of " Gaming,'•
b Ni Y -L'unirod. c, Breeding for the Turf "is more professional,
:314°4 will better suit the taste of the frequenters of Tatter-
,l's. The coursing and sporting anecdotes are well
.old, but our limits will not admit of extracts. The
Qlllustrations are graphic and characteristic. The " Last
Oaek" represents an unfortunate drake, with whose neck
4 SIY fox is making very free, to the evident consternation
4ff °f his quacking helpmate ; while the " Double and Quits"
ords an excellent view of a hare whose pursuers are con-
Eiderably at fault, though in her mazy evolutions poor Puss
i 3 running in an almost parallel direction.

PARI3URY'S ORIENTAL HERALD.
E," The East India Voyager" is an article by Miss
mma Roberts, wherein she gives good practical advice to
outward-bound cadets, respecting their toilette, and the
Node of conducting themselves in India. As the authoress
has had long acquaintance with the peculiar usages of the
East, her advice is entitled to attention. The " Late Dr.
karshman" is an interesting, and apparantly authentic,
t'lography of one of the most industrious, enterprising, and
intelligent Englishmen who have ever devoted their time and
attention to disseminating the great truths of Christianity,
and
Promoting the welfare of their fellow creatures. The
rest of the Number is taken up with matters chiefly interest-
°g to Anglo-Indians.

CHRISTIAN REFORMER.
Sherwood and Co.
L'.llo present Number commences with the last of "
The-
"tters from America," which is devoted to a general sum
Itt,r up °f the evidence for and against the Americans and
institutions. This difficult office the writer has per-
tvorpaed with laudable impartiality. " The Quaker Contro-
iner:Y in England"—a subject of considerable importance
to Veligious view, is also brought to a close. " A Letter
and °ling Men, on a Common Vice," is written in a pure
either excellent spirit, and cannot be read by the young of
b sex without producing a highly beneficial effect.
serjaiet.dgelert and its Neighbourhood," is an interesting dein-
W.,Pi 1"
Of one of the wildest and most romantic spots
wo"iebes.. There are several other well-written papers, among
the \ " may mention an able review of the Greek text of
Testament.

The (1 METROPOLITAN.
or 1:, Parliamentary Portraits" for this month consist
etehes of Mr. Gladstone,- Sir Edward Sugden,. and one
Ste ,o more of the stellce ntinorcs, or minor satellites of St.
ri'• These sketches appear to us to be drawn in a
Sir 'gate and unbiassed spirit. The best is the portrait of
indifrrward Sugden, whom the author describes as a very
he i, t speaker, at least as far as manner is concerned ;
ki~dl"ld, measured and ungraceful, with no power of
fiiellitr'g the attention, though his speeches are seldom de-
call f in
argument. The remaining articles in the Number
is ,I:itPin particular notice ; the most entertaining of them
tecl Nelsonian Reminiscences."

COU

'LAR

Her Majesty the Queen Dowager left town yesterday, in an
open carriage and four, for Bushy Park, where her Mjesty
remained to lunch, and returned to Marlborough House in the
afternoon.
The Queen's royal alms were distributed yesterday at White.
hall Chapel. According to ancient usage, the number of
men and women who partook of the Royal Maunday was,
upon this occasion, reduced to the age of the Sovereign.
The poor and aged persons exceeding that number, who
were upon the Royal Maunday lists of his late Majesty King
William the Fourth, have been placed on supernumerary lists,
to fall into vacancies as they occur, and will continue to re-
ceive the Royal charity during their lives. The ages of the
recipients vary from 60 to 100 years. Elizabeth Love, a
Maunday woman, aged 110, died on Saturday last. Upon
this occasion (the first of the Royal charity in the new reign)
the distribution took place with the usual forms, which,
in consequence of the repairs of Whitehall Chapel, have not
been observed since the year 1829. At three o'clock the
procession, consisting of the yeomen of her Majesty's body
guard, under the command of Mr. Ellerthorpe, Clerk
of the Cheque, the children of the Chapel Royal, the gen-
tlemen of the Chapel Royal, the Priests of the Chapel Royal,
the Sub-almoner (the Dean of Carlisle), the Sub-dean (Rev.
Dr. Sleath), the Secretary and Yeoman of the Almonry (J.
Hanby, Esq.), the Groom of the Almonry (Mr. J. Jones),
four children from the National School of St. George's, Ha-
nover-square, then entered the chapel and took their respective
stations. The Yeoman who carried the gold dish which con-
tained the alms, deposited it upon a table prepared for that
purpose.

15ivince service then commenced, and after the first anthem,
" Blessed is he who considereth the poor and needy," the
Sub-almoner and officers of the Almonry distributed to each
woman 11. 155., and to each man shoes and stockings ; the
second anthem, " Hide not thou thy face from me," &c., the
Sub-almoner distributed to each man woollen and linen cloth;
the third anthem, " 0 Lord, grant the Queen a long life,"
the Sub-almoner, &c., distributed to both men and women
purses of money; each white purse contained nineteen silver
pennies, being the age of her Majesty, and each red purse
21. los.
The Maundy men and women received upon this occasion,
for the first time, 1/. los. each, as a commutation in lieu of
all provisions, with which they had heretofore been supplied.
This arrangement was sanctioned by his late Majesty, William
IV., and confirmed by the Queen.
At the Chapel Royal, St. James's, a confirmation of the
juvenile nobility and gentry took place. His Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge was present.
A deputation of gentlemen from North America, including
Messrs. Moffatt, Gillespie, and Badley, had an interview with
Lord Glenelg yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Sir Matthew Wood, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Jones, accompanied
by the City Remembrancer, had an interview with the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer yesterday, in Downing-street, on the
subject of re-building the Royal Exchange.
The Lord Chancellor will give the usual breakfast to her
Majesty's Judges, Counsel, &c., on Wednesday next, the 18th
instant, the first day of Easter Tenn, at his Lordship's house
in Bruton-street.

The Grecian Minister transacted business yesterday at the
Foreign-office.

Captain Spalding bad an interview yesterday with Lord
Glenelg.

The Marquis of Lansdowne left town on Wednesday, for
Richmond.

WINDSOR-THURSDAY.

This afternoon, at two o'clock, the Queen rode out on horse-
back, in the Great Park. Her Majesty was accompanied by
her Royal mother, attended by Lady Portman, Viscount Falk-
land, Baroness Lehzen, and Colonels Wemyss and Caven-
dish, Lady Mary Stopford, Miss Cavendish, Mr. Rich, and
Mr. Fozard. The weather was extremely fine, and her Ma-
jesty remained out for some hours.
The Royal dinner party, yesterday evening, included the
Queen, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Port-
man, Lady Gardiner, Colonel Wemyss, Viscount Falkland,
Miss Lister, Lady Mary Stopford, Colonel and Miss Caven-
dish, Miss Davys, Baroness Lehzen, and Mr. Rich. Lord
Surrey and the Marquis of Conyngham were expected. Her
Majesty's chamber musicians were in attendance yesterday
evening, after dinner. Their performances commenced with
the overture and introduction to the Gazza Ladra ; then a
pas de deux from the ballet of Yoko, by Lindpaintner ; a se-
lection from Actceon, by Auber ; and a set of waltzes by Kali-
woda ; also, a selection from Zampa, and from the opera of
the Huguenots.
The Court, it is expected, will remain at the Castle till
Tuesday week next. Every demonstration of joy, such as
firing of cannons, ringing of bells, &c., took place at Wind..
sor last night.