The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-30 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia Matilda visited her
Majesty yesterday at Buckingham Palace.
Viscount Melbourne had an audience of the Queen yesterday.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert attended by Sir Edward
Bowater, rode out on horseback yesterday.
The Duke of Wellington had audience of his Majesty the
King of the Belgians yesterday at Buckingham Palace.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert and their Majesties the King
and Queen of the Belgians, attended by the Countess of Sand-
wich, Countess Vilain XIV., Hon. Miss Paget, Hon. Miss
Anson, Lord Byron, General Goblet, Sir Robert Otway,
Colonel Wemyss, M. Van Praet, Sir Edward Bowater, and
Dr. Carswell, honoured the Italian Opera with their presence
last evening.
The Duchess of Cambridge, accompanied by the Princess
Mary of Cambridge, drove in a carriage to Kew yesterday, re-
turning to town in the afternoon.
The Duke of Cambridge honoured the Catch Club with his
company at dinner last evening at the Thatched House.
The Duchess of Gloucester visited the Duchess. of Cam-
bridge yesterday.

SUPPLY OF WATER IN LONDON.—It was
not until 1582 that any great mechanical power or skill
was applied in proViding London with water ; but in that
year Peter Morris, a Dutchman, made " a most artificial
forcier," by which water was conveyed into the houses.
On the Lord Mayor and Aldermen going to view the
works in operation, Morris, to show the efficiency of
his machine, caused the water to be thrown over
St. Magnus' church. The City granted him a lease
for the use of the Thames water and one of the arches
of London bridge for five hundred years ; and two years
afterwards he obtained the use of another arch for a
similar period. These were the water-works.famous for
so long a period as one of the sights of London. The
original works supplied the neighbourhood " as far as
Gracechurch-street, ' no great distance, and the fact does
not speak much for their efficiency. In 1594 water-
works of a similar kind were erected near Broken-wharf,
which supplied the houses in West Cheap, and around
St. Paul's, as far as Fleet-street. And this was all that
was done in the way of supplying the populous " and
still increasing London" up to the tinie of the appear-
ance of Hugo Middleton, citizen and goldsmith. It ap-
pears that power had been granted by Elizabeth for cut-
ting and conveying a river from any part of Middlesex
or Hertfordshire to the city of Lonaon, with a limita-
tion of ten years' time for the accomplishment of the
work. The man, however, was more difficult to ob-
tain. Elizabeth died without having witnessed the
slightest progress made in the matter. King
James confirmed the grant ; and then' it was that, after
all ,else had refused to undertake so vast an affair, the
" citizen and goldsmith" came forward with the offer of
his wealth, skill, and energy. The arrangements were
soon concluded, and Middleton set off into the neigh-
bouring counties to find a fitting stream. After long
search and deliberation he fixed upon two springs rising
in Hertfordshire—one at Chadwell, near Ware, the other
at Amwell. The first positive commencement of the work
took place on the 20th of February, 1608. On the 2d of
May, 1612, James covenanted with Middleton to bear an
equal share of the expense, past and future, in considera-
tion of being entitled to half the property. In a twelve-
month from that time the New River was in existence.
The cistern by Islington was built to receive its waters;
and splendid was the ceremony attending their first ad-
mission into it. Knight's London.
•AN HONEST CONFESSION.—A few days
ago, a gentleman, while travelling in Fife, went into an
inn by the roadside, for the purpose of getting some re-
freshment. He Was shown into a room—called for a'bottle
of porter—and, on being served with it, asked if it was
" London porter." " I dinna ken, Sir, but it was brewed
in St. Andrews," was the honest but unthinking reply of
the girl to his question.—Dundee Chronicle.