The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-20 00:00:00

THE GHOST STORY.

Mr. Hobler presents his compliments to the Editor of The Sun, and
solicits the insertion of this letter in his very valuable and widely vireo.
lated Evening Joernal at the earliest opportunity. Mr. H is firmly
convinced that this favour wir be granled to him, as it involves a mat-
ter of great importance at the present crisis, in which the public are
deeply interested, and front which meny respectable persons have been
excessively annoyed and alarmed by the nocturnal depredations of some
vagabonds, who have appeared to them in the form and fashion of hob-
goblins and ghosts. A committee of gentlemen have spiritedly come
forward for the rurpose of raising a fund for securing these unfeeling
wretches, alias " ghosts," and visiting them with that severe punish-
ment which they so richly &serve. The Lord Mayor has kindly con-
sented to receive subscriptions from ladies or gentlemen whose peace
and comfort have been destroyed by these scamps, and his Lordship has
already in his possession subs: riptions amounting to 331. towards the
expenses of their prosecution. A liberal donation of five guineas has
been forwarded to his Lordship from Plutarch Dickinson, Esq., of
Plumer Villa, Dulwich, whose daughter was nearly deprived of her
sense,, and is now lying in a Very dangerous state, by the sudden ap-
pearance of one of these ruffians enveloped in a white sheet and blue
fire, on her return home I,st week from a party of friends. A donation
of Cl. has also been received from Mr. Benjamin 111.:rsh, or Ham-
mersmith, whose son Timothy, a youth of nine years of age, was terribly
frightened at the sight of a fellow dressed as a bear. The committee
have been informed that some of the reseals are connected with high
families, and that bets to the amount of 3,000/. are at stake upon the
euccers or failure or their abominable proceedings. The committee can
scarcely give credence to the following report which has reached their
ears, that the object of the villains is to destroy the lives of not less than
thirty human beings ! viz. eight old bachelors, ten old maids, anti six
lady's maids, and as many servant girls as they can, by depriving them of
their reason, and otherwise accelerating their deaths.

The committee have already circulated placards about the suburbs of
London offering a reward of 101 for the apprehension of any of these
heartless scoundrels, and proceedings will be instituted against them im-
mediately they are captured. Thus, Mr. Editor, the public are greatly
indebted to these gentlemen for their praiseworthy exertions in allaying
the feats of the weak, timid, and superstitious, by the prosecution of this
sang of ghosts and hobgoblins, who have excited so much terror and
alarm in the vicinity of London. -
Mansion-house, Jan. 17, 1838.

Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to take
under her immediate patronage the classical concerts of
tilessrs. Mori and
_ . . _

The Earl of Durham's Viceroyalty of Canada will
comprise Lower and Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, New
Brunswick, Cape Breton. and Prince Edward Island. Major-
General Sir Colin Campbell will command the Queen's forces
in Nova Scotia, and Major-General Sir John Harvey, in New
Brunswick, and Sir John Colborne will command in Canada.
The Earl of Gosford and Sir Francis Bond Head return home
forthwith from the colony.
The Earl and Countess of Minto will entertain a
large party at dinner, this evening at the Admiralty. Lord
INlelgund has arrived in town from Paris.
The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland have re-
turned to Stafford House, front a visit to Lady Dover, her
Grace's sister, at Roehampton, where a family circle has been
assembled during the holidays.
The following statement is from the thermometer at
the doorway of Messrs. Swain and Co., Fleet-street. It is for the
week just ending, and for the corresponding week of last year—
each day at noon..:=

1837.

1838.

Jan. 15
16
17
18 .. ...... 42 18
19
20
And the following is the statement, as registered by the same
thermometer, this morning—
At Half-past Eight o'Clock
Nine &Clock
Half-past Nine
Ten
Half-past Ten
Eleven
Half-past Eleven
Twelve

IMPORTANT NEW BooKs.—\Ve are requested to
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orks Diary of the Times of George IV., with nu-
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and Times of Queen Anne, now first published, with her
Sketches and Opinions of her Contemporaries, 2 vols., Bvo.,
with Portraits. 3. The Autobiography of Joseph Holt, Ge-
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Lima, Panama, &e., by the. Hon. P. Campbell Scarlett,
2 vols., post Bvo., with Illustrations.
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ROYSTON GOWER, OR TIDE DAYS OF KING
JOHN..—It was feared that when we lost the great Wizard of
the North, we at the same time lost (as regarded the future
at least) that splendid monument cf his genius, the '° Historical
Romance ;" for as he hail no rival when living, it has not even
appeared that lie left his mantle behind him. We have now,
1. owever, every r, ason to hope that such is net the case, and
th.rt a revival of this noble class of works is at hand, end from
a cow et. whence such a treasure could be little expected. In
fact, the extraordinary writer who has already excited so much
attention and interest in the literary world, by his " Day in
the Woods," &c., has made a held attempt to seize on the
vacant throne of the genius of ilis'crical Romance, and has
Produced, under the title of " I?eyston Gower," a work which
we are confidently assured gives the strongest promise of
Powers adequate to the great undertaking.