The Sun.
London, England, 1825-03-15 00:00:00

.LAW INTELLIGENCE.

VICE-CHANCELLOR'S'COURT, MARCH 14.
FOWLER v. WILLOUGHBY.

This case came betbre the Court upon exception to the. Ma*.
ter's report. Messrs. Franklin had made extensive contracts
with Lord Brownlow and Colonel Sibthorpe for the purchase
of estates; which they proposed to re-sell, and entered into a
sub-contract with a person named Willoughby, who, previous
to its execution, died. Upon a bill being filed to compel the
executor and residuary legatee of Willoughby's personal estate
to fulfil the testator's directions regarding the contract, it ap-
peared that Franklins, the original purchasers, had been bank.
rupt, and had failed to enforce the specific pertirmance of their
contract against the original venders, Lord Prownlow and .Col.
Sibthorpe. It was referred to the Pilaster to inquire whether.
subsequent to the testator's death, the contract could have been
enforced. Ile-reported in the affirmative.

Mr. HonNl, for the executor and residuary legatee, col-
tended that it was impossible that the contract could be en-
forced, or the testator's assets be liable for it, and that the
Master was totally wrong.
The further hearing of the case was postponed.

lIIGII COURT OF ADMIRALTY, MARCH 14.
THE MINERVA.
Lord STOWEL I. came into Court to-day, to give sentence in
this cause of wages, (connected, as may be remembered, with-a
question of construction arising on the ship's articles.; in which,
after a certain specification of voyage, the words" or elsewhere!'
were alleged by the mariners to have been surreptitiously intro-
duced, at some time subsequently to their subscriptions of the
articles.) We are sorry to state that his Lordship visibly
laboured under a very severe indisposition ; and he had, only
proceeded to state, that he had given this question his.most
serious consideration, when he added, that he found himself too
weak to say any thing more at present, than just so mach as
might relieve the parties Irons all suspense. The Court notified,
therefore, that it decreed the mariners their wages with costs :
and it would endeavour to fix an early day upon which, as it
hoped, the Court would state at considerable length the gra;acds
of its opinion in a matter so interesting and important to the
commercial and shipping interests.

THE FIFE CAUSE.
JURY COURT, EDINBURGH, MARCH 9, 1825.
• To-day the Court met to try the following issue : •
In the process of reduction brought by the Right Hon. James
Earl of Fife against Sir James Duff' and others, trustees and

heirs of entail of the deceased James Earl of Fife,—

, . .
" Whether the instruments of trust-disposition and. deed of
entail, both dated the 7th day of October, MB, sought to be
reduced, being in law probative instruments,,. were not, or
either of them was not, the deeds or deed of the Jar! of Fite;
and whether the deed of alteration of the 12th clay of Novem-
ber, 18101, being in law a probative instrument, was not.- tht-
deed of the Earl of Fife 9"

Mr. Cocxntnaw opened the case for the pursuer, and,. after
the examination of several witnesses,
Mr. MONCRIEFF addressed the Jury for the defendantg,
but adduced no evidence.

After the CIIIEF COMMISSIONER'S charge, tte Jury, re-
tired for about twenty minutes, and returned with a verdict,
finding-111w the trust.disposition and deed of entail, dater+.
October 7, 1808, were not the deeds of the late Earl of fife ;
and with regard to the deed of alteration, dated 12th Nova:-
her, 1808, they found for the defenders: • ••• •
The effect of this verdict, which was received with loud-huz-
zas in the Court, is to put the present Earl of Fife, the pusuer
in the cause in possession of property, we understand,.atnaunt.
ing to about 24,000/. per annum. The Noble Earl was •ia
Court during the whole trial, which lasted from ten in the
morning till eleven at night. The Court was crowded to excess
the whole day. •

ON THE WORD LITERATI.—The word literati,
which tow confers honour, had at one time a very different
signification. Atnong the Romans it was usual to affix sorne
branding or ignominious, letter on the criminal, when the vrime
was infamous in its nature ; and persons so branded were called
inscripti, or stigmatici, or by a more equivocal win, literati.
The same expression is likewise adopted ut Stat. 4 Henry VIA.,
which recites, " that diverse persons lettered had been more
bold to'commit mischievous deeds," &c. 'The present meaning
of the word:is taken from the Chinese, aniong-whom, however,
it is applied more specifically to one particular sect of learned
men.

A new translation of the Bible into French, io
twenty-five voluinei, by M. de GErroNn E.' has just 'made its
appearance in Paris; The principal que of •this -publication
consists in the notes, which contain reftuations of all. 'the ob-
jections drawn by the sceptics of the last century front history,
geography, chronology, physics, and mathemtlfics,