The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-29 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
4ECOLLECTIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE
in 1813, 1814, and 1815, through GERMANY,
EOLLAN D , and FRANCE, including some Details
of the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo. By
Thomas Morris, fate Sergeant of the 73d Regiment of
Foot
liThis is one of those'pleasing little works, the peru-
al of which will gratify the general reader, while
mach
instruction may be gleaned from the simple
fiord of.the life and feelings of the private soldier,
eeduringl. a most interesting and critical period of the
history of our country. It is peculiarly apposite at the
present time, when so many ameliorations have been
mected, and are contemplated in the condition of our
nlilitary brethren. Who can so truls depict the many
kingsthings, in themselves trivial and inconsiderable, but
,
materially influence the mind, and lead to the
the
and happiness, or misery and wretchedness of
private soldier, as the man who has himself par
Pated in those feelings, who has felt by what
deans he could be enabled to resist temptation, to be
o
iill'edient to his superiors, temperate and correct in
. habits, a strict observer of discipline, and in all
Sao a good and upright soldier, and who could
17 tell of the petty vexations and annoyances that
%tilos and torment his brethren, that induce in-
44berdination, and lead men to incur the risk of
Pneishment?
ti The author throws considerable light on two ques-
,4 that have hitherto been much discussed, but
are now, we hope, practically set at rest, viz.,
the necessity of corporal punishment, and the effi-
ciency of enlistment for a limited period. The first
:1, contends to be cruel and unnecessary, and he
in.4tes with much simplicity many instances of its
jurious effects, and the superior efficacy of a
tlider and more lenient discipline. We shall give
hu
Is Own words :
di; The cheapness of ardent spirits, genuine hollands,
ect from- the distillery, and sold in the chandlers'
,OPs, the same as small beer used to be in England; and
the price of the spirit (retail) was only eightpence per
kkart. The consequence was, we had a great deal of
uhkenness and crime, and, as a matter of course, a
the
many punishment parades, which took place on
10, esplanade, or piece of ground near the citadel, over-
-o,:ked by a numb r of .respectable houses • and the fre-
'hey of our d,sgracerul flogging exhibitions created
tuck
horror and disgust, that at length a remonstrance
"4s presented to our commanding officer on the subject.
After the protest of the inhabitants, other modes of
nishmeut were adopted. Solitary confinement for the
re serious crimes, and extra guards and- punishment
jlls for the common afences. Sometimes the man
auld have to mount guard, and stand sentry with a
Of wood fastened by a chain to his leg. Crime did
rainly not prevail to the same extent afterwards as it
bk.fore. &Aiwa), confinement was more especially
raided by the men."
Serjeant Morris was manifestly a man of observa-
11nti and judgment, and we confess that after 'the pe-
-1:sal of his little volume, we would feel inclined to
4
`tleh more weight to his judgment than to that of
zany who have filled more exalted stations, and who
Pilld scarcely tolerate an opinion at variance with the
..le.dice and fancies in which they are enveloped.

?At
' OLD ENGLISH GEIVTLgMAN ; or, The
Fields and the Woods. By John Mills.
4..-the author of this agreeable volume is manifestly
enthusiastic and passionate lover of field sports.
edevotes himself to their description in all their
Zttn'ties whether hunting the fox or badger,
ikik 00 tin g , coursing, or angling. The first, however,
bie exciting fox hunt, appears the chief object of
idolatry.
.His hounds are in themselves s
uncst characters, each enjoyingtheir w
ellliar qualification
s, and his heroes are his
ikflltstrien, and whippers-in. There is much
44011:nation as to the duties and requisites of those all
'r°, rtant functionaries, that would doubtless be va-
mule to young aspirants and would be perused with
,11 pleasure by all sportsmen of every age, class,
kt condition. The plot is cniefly used as a means of
4)clueing his vivid and glowing descriptions of field
kttgtnes ; but yet it pos,esses interest sufficient to
4fri.et, and satisfy those who know little of sporting
heSits. The author, however, succeeds better while
rem-, •
Rh' ums in the country—on the green sod ;on
Vo he is quite at home. His scene in
tibourt during the trial, of Larkins v. Titley is too
tekutrti• He makes this attorney a grossly transpa-
t6 rogue, who would speedily be banished from
kr: profession. The barristers, dunderheads, who
meson
down by the most commonplace slang from a
liemllion clod-hopper; and his jury of country gen-
the,:lll (we wonder he had not some sympathy with
13,:',) a set of simpletons, without sense or intellect.
Itc;_lY.ith this exception (which is, indeed, strongly
rriance with the other parts of the book), John
Whos is a right merry and jovial companion with
tibie'n to wile away a passing hour, and it is impos-
ellifinct to accord to him the character to which he
heartnasPires, that of a jolly sportsman. The kind-
tngfili old squire, full of benevolence, is a fine
too, so gentleman of the olden time. Tom Bolton,
of le veteran whipper-in, is a character
East which there
t that many hive been many prototypes, and we
are still to be found like master and
11,11 Man. Indeed we should deeply lament if we
PPesed that either class was extinct, or likely to
come so. We doubt not that the book will have an
ttensive circulation, particularly in all coun-
trY
quarters, and when once admitted, it will
eolne a sort of sportsman's vade mecum, to be con-
o.ited with the "Sporting Repository," or the
papers of Nimrod.'

ditTisTs' GENERAL BENEVO-
LENT INSTITUTION.
11 The thirty-second anniversary of this excellent Insti-
, the object of which is to relieve decayed artists,
th,to afford assistance to their widows and orphans in
T: flour of need, was celebrated at the Freemason's
k;1:1, on Saturday evening. Thomas Baring, Esq.,
presided, in the unavoidable absence of Samuel
frolles Lloyd, Esq., who had been announced to preside,
ditir4 indisposition. About 150 gentlemen sat down to
ellitler- Among them we observed, Sir Roderick Mur-
soll, Sir W. C. Ross, R.A. ; P. Hardwick°, Esq. ; J.
CI Wicks, Esq. ; J. H. Mann, Esq. ; C. R. Cockrill,
was ; and anumber of other gentlemen connected
the Fine Arts.
ono cloth having been removed, and the Benedictus
otVnted, by Messrs. T. Cooke, Hatton, Kench, and
to the hilarity
who, with the Misses Payne, greatly contributed
It;ue hilarity of the evening, the usual loyal and con-
,m‘ntional toasts were given, and warmly responded to
bi,Plrtieularly the toast of " The Queen, under whose
I:tection the institution is now placed by her Ma-
th,trs command ;" and " Prince Alb-rt, the patron of
k` institution." which was coupled with the announce-
-1::11,t of the pleasing fact that His Royal Highness had
4orbated the institution with a munificent, done,tion of

thirhe CHAIRMAN then rose to propose "Prosperity to
%Is Artists General Benevolent Institution." In dis-
hi4rging so pleasing a duty—for it was one which gave
4 the highest gratification—he said he felt the im-
he :ib,ility of his adequately advocating the cause which
to ,la they had met to support ; his complete inability
''
stk,,,''ve effect to the wishes which he entertained for the
ill—esa and continuance of the institution. However,
lest. asking them to drink prosperity to the
tht nation, he felt that he could not do better
feeill leave the appreciation of the toast to their own
%ming; which could not fail to plead more forcibly in
or ‘,l an earnest response than anything he could say
If they were not well aware of the importance
Oft the national importance--of the general benevolence
he ob. • • • he feared he might des-
Paioh•r „ Pets of the institution,
obtaining their support and sympathy, for those
tiof their advocacy rested neither upon his language
.
ti conduct. When he founi that, since 1814, that instan-
t:l,4d expended 10,5631. in relieving those who emi-
pe"tiY deserved it, he felt that it was creditable to the
e„i°Ple of this country, and also that expenditure was an
Npicilence of how much contributions were wanted.
41 at vast amount of sorrow and suffering had been re-
vl3ved by this fund, and what an ample field there
ants remained for the exercise of thq generosity
ft. benevolence of the English people.—(Cheers.)
th„lsl 'impossible when ono looked through the list of
tei:sa who had received aid, not to see how much for-
Itsifts circumstances tended to produce the most Elis-
e, Nis consequences, and to place those, who least
from
ected such a result in a position to require assistance
the funds of theinstitution ; how little error—how
little
raa• want of forecast, but how much circumstances
ttiiltgbt render it necessary for many to apply to the insti-
h.„nn for relief, which no one wished to do until com-
it7le dby stern necessity. No occupation tended more
t.desire for independence than that of an artist ; and
his struggle to obtain it, he, perhaps, was unable to
ise 71cle for those attached to him, or even for himself, as
tecte°,llllsl wish. The adauitistration of the funds was
Cal in those who could well appreciate the feelings and
auca,inities of artiste, and whose high position was a
pe'"acient guarantee that the funds would be properly ex-
th:led. When he mentioned the name of Mr. Nichol,
ge- "onorary secretary, ho was sure there would be a
Ivhneral feeling of confidence.—(Elear, hear.) Artists
their necessitated to seek aid, had a strong claim on
t'atgenerosit •—in fact, it was a national debt of
41.411c1e to contribute to the support of those who not,
th,`"eir own fault, but by inevitable calamities were
I,:selves, or those connected with them, reduced to
‘vh,„4,7-(Loud cheering.) It was a debt due to those,
tbar
V their efforts and genius, elevated the public
t4teacter—benefited the public—and directed public
plea, by diverting men from the pursuit of mere sensual
heer't\ire to the more ennobling pleasure of art.—(Hear,
the 1)_, They must all know, that in every profession,
toe 4.4nder must be climbed from the bottom—and that,
roen'requently, the task was far from easy of accomlish-
-80 that, if a man bad only got half way up. if
124joid not had his course chalked out for him so that it
soeti t be easily traversed, it was possible that he might
rtis,want aid; and, although he did not mean to say that
thos's were not encouraged in this country, yet through
h,
naeoccidental circumstances to which he had alluded,
eouldight become dispirited and be crushed before he
icti_vv rise into notoriet.—(llear, hear.) When he
tthat in that art, it nrght often occur, that men
4:10% ailed for fame as artists, d d forget the value of
th,"?...Y and the suffering which its loss might entail upon
,that the artist might think that, in achieving repu-
stt, ,ne might eat all the means of emolument that
,f_r_eq— he (l,d think that when a ;Llu wris 1 d(m n
labu_re, he reaped any beneficial pecuniary r,,ui, ~m his
thwieu-, disy sickness, or removed by death, leaving
near andsar to him, without the bare means of