The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE COUNCIL OF FOUR ; a Game at Dffini.
lions. By Arthur Wallbridge, author of " Torriugton
Hall."

" It happened some short time since," says Mr.
Wallbridge in his preface, " that being one of a small
party assembled at the house of a friend, we agreed
to play at bouts rimes. But the due number of syl-
lables would not come pleasantly, • the poems when
complete were uninteresting, and altogether our game
at bouts runes did not turn out well. Upon this I
proposed that we should try a new exercise for our
wits. This was to consist of various definitions of
some word fixed upon by general consent. Each of
the company was to be provided with a slip of paper
and a pencil. Three words for definition being
chosen, they were to be written down by every
person on his or her slip of paper, and the definition
of each word having afterwards been written under
it, all the papers were to be handed to some one
gentleman who was to act as reader. This gentleman
was then to read aloud the contents of the papers,
giving all the definitions of one word before he pro-
ceeded to the next. As the ' anonymous' was to be
strictly preserved here was a capital opportunity for
the expression of opinion—for jokes—or for anything,
indeed, which the temptation of being able to write
without chance of being convicted as the author of
the matter written could inspire." The game went
off so satisfactorily that it was proposed that
Mr. Wallbridge and three of his friends should
meet on successive evenings, and define one hundred
words as a prospectus and a specimen of
the new game of definitions, and the little volume
now before us is the result of their labours. It is a
manual of wit, wisdom, and poetry in aloutshell. A
more amusing book for a family party assembled
round the parlour fire we have seldom met with. As
a specimen of the manner in which the Council of
Four have performed their task, we give two of the
words with their definition; :

•
" SUPERSTITION.
" 1. The high priest of the temple of ignorance.
" 2. The swaddling clothes worn by society in his
cradle.

"3. The dethroned pretender to the crown of reason.
"4. The nightmare caused by swallowing crude
creeds."

" DUEL.
" 1. Folly playing at murder.

" 2. An appeal from, reason to insanity. •
"3. A game of chance for two persons,...*,whielr it is
possible for both to be losers. -- -
" 4. The only instance in which a man may fire in the
air without being expected to hit something."
The lovers of " home pleasures" are under great
obligations to Mr. Wallbridge for having added so
materially to their stock as he has done by his inven-
tion of his game of definitions.

THE COMIC ALMANAC FOR 184 R. Edited by
Horace Mayhew. Illustrated by George Cruikshank.
This, the oldest of the annual " jokers," like old
wine, improves every year. It is, like the laughter-
moving frontispiece to this year's number, " a good
pennyworth." George Cruikshank has been pe-
culiarly felicitous in his illustrations, and he has
met with a most efficient collaborateur in Mr.
Horace Mayhew, who seems to possess the enviable
knack of " hi'ting folly as it flies" with unerring
aim. As a specimen of the contents of the Comic
Almanac for 1848, we give
" THE RESPECTABLE MAN.
"A highly respectable Man
Is Iscariot Ingots, Esquire,
He's ' post obits' on half the • Blue Book,'
And a mortgage or two in each shire;
And having more cash than he needs,
Why he lends the poor all he can,
And only takes sixty per cent.,
Like a highly respectable man.

" He's a house like a nobleman's furnish'd,
his side-board, too, blazing with plate,
And half silver, half gold, you'd declare
It belonged to some peer of the State;
So it did—till he seized it in pa) ment
Of his sixty per centum per ann.;
And now he gives dinners to show it,
Like a highly respectable man.
"His father-in-law's an attorney,
And his brother a dealer in wine,
And his brother. in-law's a bum-bailiff,
And his son in the auctioneer line;
So first you've half wine' for your bills,
Then are sued, seized, sold up by the clan;
For ho loves to assist his relations,
Like a highly respectable man.

"For the assurance of lives he's an office,
To make his small profits the more;
If you ask him to discount, he tells you
For security, you must insure.'
Adding all honest men ought to do so—
Besides it's so easy a plan,
And with something to leave on your death•bed,
You die such a respectable man.'

" It is said he's a tyrant at home,
That the jewels his wife has for show,
Were all of them salves for some wound—
That each diamond's heal'd up a blow;
That his children, on hearing his knock,
To the top of the house always ran—
But with ten thousand pounds at his banker's
He's of course a respectable man.
"Yet he's kindness itself to young bloods,'
And when lordlings solicit his aid,
Why he talks like a Lather, and asks
How is sixty per cent. to be paid?
Such extravagance really would ruin
The richest in all liindostan;
But to serve them he'll do a ' pust obit,'
Like a highly respectable man.

: "Still some 'scoundrels' declare he's hard-hearted.
That he curses each beggar he meets—
That for rent he unhous'd his old father,
And of want let him die in the streets;
Pooh! pooh! he subscribes every quarter
For the mission'ries sent to Japan,
And if that doesn't make one respectable,
Why what is a respectable man?

" Of religion he well knows the value,
For he was the first of beginners
To run up a fashionable chapel
For elegant mis'rable sinners;'
And to hire a good-looking parson
To tell dowagers 4 life's but a span,'
For he loves to serve both God and Mammon,
Like a highly respectable man.
" His daughter has married for love,
Though she 'd offers from persons of rank,
And ' my Lady' at least might have been
With the money. he had in the bank;
But since she thought fit to disgrace him,
She may live in the best way she eau,
So he leaves his own daughter to starve,
Like a highly respectable man.
Then be makes a fresh will every quarter—
Or when he 's a fit of the blues'—
Or his wife has offended him somehow—
Or some son will not follow his views ;
And he threatens to leave them all beggars,
\Vhene'er they come under his ban—
He 'II bequeath all his wealth to
an hospital,
Like a highly respectable man."

A TABLE for Finding the Day of the
Week or Month
at Sight, from the Year 1840 to 1900.
This useful table does great credit to the ingenuity
of Messrs. Letts and Co., by whom it has
.been con-
structed. The mechanism is simple—a circular moveable
table is attached by its centre to a circular fixed table,
the moveable table is turned on its axis until the year to
which it is desired to refer appears underneath a vacant
space left in the card on which the moveable table
is printed—the table is then complete, and will show
the day of' any month or week in the year. It will
be found a most useful companion in the library or
counting-house.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.
—The Queen and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert walked this morning on the
slopes.
The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise
this forenoon, in the Little Park.
Theroyal dinner party at the Castle, this evening,
included
L of the Duchess of Kent, the
Lady Augusta Bruce, and Sir
GheeLadyg
The band of the Grenadier Guards was in attend-
to Baronesse e 1 Idieune rpe Royal
e y Waitingtablp
Highness the Duchess of Kent,
aa nf
afterwards
duringards dinner.
ned
in t Her
he
Castle. Maj esty 's private band
wpri
attended

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
the German Hospital at Dalston, yesterday.
Their Royal Highnessesth e Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary visited her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday at Gloucester
House.
The Archbishop of York had an interview with Sir
George Grey yesterday at the Home Office.
The Earl of Devon had an interview with the
Chancellor cf. the
Exchequer yesterday. Lord Mont-
eagle had also an interview yesterday with the Right
Honourable Baronet at his official residence in Down-
inisr.street.
Commis-
sioner of Railways, andi
seat, ~.. Mrs. Strutt, left town yes-
near Derby.
Strutt, Chief
for Rightt,he Ehdi.wnagrsdt
Kingston
Dispatches were received Yesterday at the Colonial
Office from the Governor of the. Cape of Good Hope,
ter'lidahye-
and also from the Governor cri. St.

GRAND OPERA, THEATRE ROYAL, DRPRIE-LN AE.—
i
Among the company present yesterday evening were—
His Royal
Jones,
lili
gi'n the Eare l
Duke of Cambridge, attended
byi Co of Shelbourne, the Earl of
, Lord Alexander
GordonMunsL, LeaoiridoxDaunrd'napmar,tLy,orhdisDEoxneetgiaiel
ney
the Brazilian
Minister and party, the Baron and Baroness ,Rothschild
and party, the Count Rosen, Sir John and Lady Camp-
bell, Sir Bellingham Graham, Sir George Carroll, Sir
George Grey, Sir W. Ball, Sir W. Clay, Honourable
3', Honourable Major
Cuddy, Captain Brand, W. Broadwood, Eeq.
Needham
Canatvienpadrist.,,h,,
Huonndoupraabrlte
Bower
Lyon,
Captain