The Sun.
London, England, 1840-09-22 00:00:00

by the striking of a hammer, a contrivancepresenting at
the same moment safety and celerity..
The preparations for this war, which most probably
will never take place, are carried on with unceasing.
activity. Since I last wrote, the
. cutter Levrier, com-
manded by a lieutenant de vaisseau, has arrived here
from Havre. The weather has been most stormy, wet,
and boisterous, but nevertheless the labours at the
Digne and dockyards went on without interruption.
In the former case it was so much time and trouble
lost, for the wind and waves have carried away all that
had been done on these days and for some days before.
Though the gales have ceased to-day, and the sun
shines out warmly, the engineers are wise enough after
the experience of Monday, not Co recommence opera-
tions, nor will they, I believe, till Monday next, when
the waters will, and the swell have, it is hoped, ceased.
The levies of sailors continue with unabated vigour.
They are now extended from those who have served
three to those who have served four years.
Agriculture is decidedly improving in this part of
Normandy. The potato is new much cultivated where
buck was formerly-sown, and much of the small pota-
toes, as well as the famous Norman butter-milk, is used
to fatten pigs for the use of the navy. Much waste
and fallow is new within the dominion of the plough,
and there is no want of green-meat for cattle, since
clover and lucerne are so much cultivated. The roads
are also is course of improvement, but still in this and
in other respects there is much progress to make. The
country, however, was improving daily, and would con-
tinue to improve, if this martial din were suffered to die
away. Alas! that the jealousies, susceptibilities, and
vanity of two very ordinary men should sow discord
between the inhabitants of the two most civilized coun-
tries in the world I
The Abbe St. Pierre, the author of a project for
prpctual peace, was a native of this place. Could he
rise from his gra% c and again " revisit the glimpses of
the moon," how his simple soul must be amazed
to hear the din of preparation for this " much ado
about nothing" war ! Beaucoup de bruit et peu de
fruit, as the proverb says, and %Lich also runs well
in Lord Bicon's translation of " much bruit and little
fruit."
Cherbourg has scarcely given birth to a celebrated
character, if I except the Abbe Beauvais. Ile it was
' who came to interrupt the slavish repose of the
French pulpit, and to tell truth to the King in
the hearing the people. In the midst of the cor-
rupt and libertine Court of Louis XV. be alone
dared to awaken the King to a sense of his duty by
these bold and manly wards,—" Sire, my duty as a
n-,inistcr of God imperiously compels me to tell you
that your people are in misery and distress ; that you
are the cause el that misery and distress ; and that
the crowd of cringing courtiers who cling around
you conceal from you the truth." It was in the year
following- this di,course that he preached before the
King on the subject of the list supper. His text was,
Encore quarante jours et Ninive sera detruite." This
apostrophe to the Monarch was so powerful and per-
sonal, that it was supposed to have caused his death.
Louis survived the sermon forty days, when the elo-
quent author was called on to pronounce what had
always been the posthumous panegyric of the defunct
King. In the presence of his successor the preacher
exclaimed, "Le rileuce des peuples cst la lecon des
llois." Just and memorable words; produced at second
hand afterwards with as terrible effect by that extraor-
dinary and incomprehensible Marquis de Riquetti, com-
monly called Mirabeau.—Correspondent of the Times.

NEWS FROM THE MEDITER-

NEAN.

(From the Malta Times of Sept. 5 )
The Phoenix steam-frigate, Commodore It. F. Stop-
fjrd, took her departure hence for Alexandria, on the
Ist instant, with despatches for Admiral Stopford, and
letters of the Let received by the London mail of the
15th ult.

The Prometheus steam-packet, Lieut.-Com. Spark,
left for Marseilles on the Ist instant with a mail from
India, despatched from Bombay on July 24. She may
be expected back on the 12th instant with the London
mails of the 4th.

The Megtera steam-packet, Lieut.-Com. Goldsmith,
proceeded to Gibraltar on the 3d instant, with mails
for England.
The Alecto steam-packet. Lieut.-Corn. Hoseason,
proceeded on the 3d instant with mails for the lonian
Islands and Greece.

The Cambridge, 78, Captain E. Barnard, is hourly
expected to arrive here from England, last from Genoa.
The Tyne, 26, Captain J. Toe nshend, was lying at
Corfu on the 28th ult.

The Hazard, 18, Commander the Hon. C. G. J. B.
Elliot, sailed from Smyrna on the 20th ult. with despat-
ches from Lord Ponsonby for Admiral Stopford.
The Beacon, surveying vessel, Lieutenant Comman-
der Graves, was lying at Smyrna on the 29th ult.
The Implacable and Hastings had left BAsika Bay,
and it is supposed that the Hydra conveyed orders for
these ships and also the Dido (which had kit Constan
tineple, having been relieved by the Talbot) to proceed
forthwith to join Admiral Stopford
The imperial corvette Cesarea sailed from Smyrna,
the 24th ult., to join Admiral Bandiera off Alexandria.

(From Beyrout to the 22d August.)
The Thunderer and Ganges arrived off Beyrout on
the 13th, the Gorgon, from Alexandria, on the 14th ;
and the Magicienne, from Malta, on the 21st. The
Gorgon had detained a Turco-Egyptian brig, laden with
arms and other warlike stores. She and the Castor had
captured several other vessels, all with warlike stores, one
of them an Egyptian man-ot-war cutter, from Alexan•
dria, and tho Castor, on the 26th,a large Egyptian ship,
formerly a 60-gun frigate, but no guns on board, with
few men and some warlike stores. The vessels generally
were bound to Tripoli. The Ganges and Thunderer
were anchored off :he Egyptian camp, all ready for
action, as were the Powerful and Edinburgh cff the
Old Castle and Town. The Gorgon and Castor
were keeping under sail looking out for captures. There
were 12,000 men at Beyrout, under the command of
Soliman Pacha. Abbas Pacha left that place on the
18th, with 4,000 men to reinforce the garrison of St.
Jean d'Acre. There were upwards of 4,000 Turks in-
corporated with the Egyptians, who were anxious to re-
turn to Constantinople, and were so much dissatisfied
that they had been disarmed, and some of the officers
had escaped and got on board the Powerful. The British
Consul, Mr. Moore, and family, were on board of this
ship. Notwithstanding these events, the Chaplain and
Lieutenant Snadwell of the Castor passed, without mo-
lestation, through the country to Balbcc and Damascus,
and returned only on the 20th ult.

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

COLONIAL MARKETS.

There was little done privately, and the auctions were
unimportant ; prices, however, were firm for all articles.
The arrivals keep small from all parts. The auctions de-
clared were of little moment.
TEA MARKET.

The prices of this article were well supported at the
public sales, and the larger proportion of the quantity put
up was sold chiefly for actual consumption. Common
Free Trade Congou 2s. 3id. to 2s. 4id. per lb. In the
Company's Congou a large business was done at 2s. 40.
per lb. cash.