The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-17 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

POINTS OF HUMOUR—lllustrated by a Series of Mates,

from designs by GEORGE CauiKsuAns.
A very clever book, under the above title, has
just made its appearance. We shall, perhaps,
best explain. the nature of the work by an ex-
tract from the " Preface."

" The literary part of this work is of humble pretensions.
One object alone has been aimed at, and it is hoped with suc-
cess—to select or invent those incidents which might be inte-
resting or amusing in themselves, while they afforded scope for
and bwei
lsl
h)euodr
the peculiar talents of the artist who adorns diem with his de-
find
signs. The selection was more difficult than may at first sight
bw
fuelwtt
truelilsaerewho adaptedts‘llieit 'ifsko for pictorial oittemtetti trouityy
ble
representation. ° sueNb.:aeilcltisn examine
artist can embody a point of wit, and the liumnur of many of
the most laughable stories would vanish at the touch of the pen-
cil of the most ingenious designer in the world. Those ludi-
crous subjects only which are rich in the humour of situation
are calculated for graphic illustration. To prove the following
anecdotes are not deficient in this respect, no other appeal is ne-
cessary than to the plates themselves. Look at the breadth of
the humour, the points of the situation, the selection of the
ewNniiot,
figures, theaction and its accompaniments, and deny, without a
laugh on the face, that this portion of the work answers the end
in view. In all this the writer or compiler, or whatever he may
be called, claims little merit. That the whole effect is comic,
that the persons are ludicrous, and engaged in laughable
groups, and surrounded with objects which tend to broaden the
grin, all this, and a thousand times more, belongs to Mr.
Cauricstraxic :—the writer only claims the merit of having
suggested to him the materials."
We will give one of the Points, (and we select
it for its shortness) ; the catastrophe of the Anec-
dote is very spiritedly displayed in the two de-
signs which accompany it.
" When the American Army was at Valley Forge in the
winter of 1777, a Captain of the Virginian Line 'refused a
challenge sent him by a brother officer, alledging that his life
was devoted to the service of his Country, and that he did not
think it a point of duty to risk it, to gratify the caprice of any
man. This point of duty gave occasion to a Point qf Humour,
which clearly disprayed the brilliant points of the officer's cha-
racter, and exposed the weak ones of his brothers in the service
in a very pointed manner. His antagonist gave him the cha-
racter of a coward through the whole army. Conscious of not
having merited the aspersion, and discovering the injury he
should sustain in the minds of those unacquainted with him,
he repaired one evening to a general meeting of the officers
of that line. On his entrance, he was avoided by the company,
and the officer who had challenged him insolently ordered him
to leave the room, a request which was loudly re-echoed from
all parts. He refused, and asserted that he came there to vin-
dicate his fame ; and after mentioning the reasons which in-
duced him not to accept the challenge, he applied a large hand
grenade to the candle, and when the fuse had caught fire, threw
it on the floor, saying, " Here, Gentlemen, this will quickly
determine which of us all dare brave danger most." At first,
they stared upon him for a moment in stupid aston:shment,
but their eyes soon fell upon the fuse of the grenade, which was
fast burning down. Away scampered Colonel, General, En-
sign, and Captain, and all made a rush at the door ..Devil
take the hindmost." Some fell, and others made way over the
bodies of their. comrades ; some succeeded in getting out, but
for an instant there was a general heap of flesh sprawling at
the entrance of the apartment. Here was a Colonel jostling
with a Subaltern, and there fat Generals pressing lean
Lieutenants into the boards, and blustering Majors and
squeaking Ensigns wrestling for exit; the size of the one.
and the feebleness of the other making their chance of. depar-
ture pretty equal. until time, which does all things at last, clear
ed the room, and left the noble Captain standing over the grenade
with his arms folded, and his countenance expressing every
kind of scorn and contempt for the train of scrambling red-
coats, as they toiled and bustled, and bored their way out of the,
door. After the explosion had taken place, some of them yen-
mud to return, to take a peep at the mangled remains of their
comrade, whom, however, to their great surprise, they found
alive and uninjured. When they were all gone, the Captain_
threw himself flat on the floor as the only possible means of
escape, and fortunately came oft' with a whole skin, and a re•
paired reputation." •
There are ten POINTS, or subjects, illustrated,
four of which consist.of that fine poem of Bows,
The Jolly Beggars ; in depicting them in their
merriment, CRUICK4IIANK seems completely at
home ; the concluding plate representing them its
full lee at truss
4‘ ie-Nancy's,'ls an admirable g
ef-
fort. The Tales are pleasant, atsd mostly new
to us ; and we anticipate, from its beauty and
cheapness, an extensive demand for this Ingeni-
ous composition.
•

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ME SUN.

SOLXM QUI., 1110ETili PALS [IM

LONDON,
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1823.

We have inserted in our preceding columns
extracts from the Paris Papers of Sattirday:
They represent the Ccnstitutional Cause as
every where giving way in Portugal as well ns irt
Spain, and at Lisbon as well as at Madrid and
Seville. It is now even asserted that the counter-
revolution was completed in Lisbon on the Ist
instant. The authority on which this assertion.
is made, however} is far from being satisfactory,
as indeed are all the French representations of
what is passing in the Peninsula.

In the House of Lords, last night, the Bill for
the Repeal of the Spitalfields' Acts, was, on the
motion of the Earl of LIVIMPOOL, referred to a
Special Committee of the House, who were in-
structed to hear the Silk-weavers themselves, or
by their Counsel, against the Bill, and to examine
all Petitions relating thereto. This is nothing
more than we expected from the humanity, tho