The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-25 00:00:00

MR. BROWNE ON PERFIDY.

When all the world is laughing, and half the
world is chuckling, at the results of that unfortu-
nately comic action for breach of promise, " Currie
v. Currie," Mr. G. A.. Browne comes forward to claim
his share in the pleasant notoriety. He regrets
extremely that he was not put on his oath to prove
that ho never introduced the young Spaniard
who has just succeeded in carrying off his bride to
some Spanish Gretna Green, to the defendant, Miss
Currie, and that it was no advice of his " neither by
word of mouth, nor by letter, that induced her to
throw her cousin up." Mr. Browne, however, may
take comfort unto himself in the reflection that
no one would ever have suspected Miss Currie of
following any advice given "by word of mouth or
by letter." The sex, charmingly fickle as it is, seldom
asserts its right to fickleness so thoroughly as in this
instance. The case, indeed, would be unparalleled
(of course we mean out of " Lempriere's Dictionary,")
but for a very similar occurrence a few years back in

the creme de la creme of society. If the lady in that
instance was not compelled by a court of law to pay
a slight tax on the wilfulness of her varying affec-
tions, the ultimate pecuniary damages were, it was
whispered, very much larger.

HER MAJEST Y.

BUCKINGHAM PALACE, FEB, 24.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Louise and Prin-
cess Beatrice, and attended by Viscountess Clifden, drove
out this morning, and visited the Royal Albert Hall,
Kensington.

Prince Leopold drove out.
The Queen left the Palace at half-past four o'clock this
afternoon for Windsor Castle.

The Princess of Wales drove out yesterday, attended
by the Hon. Mrs. W. Grey.

LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND THE STAGE.

The Athenmum says :—Dr. Magee, Bishop of Peterbo-
rough, has a volume of sermons on " Modern Infidelity "
in preparation for the peas, which he will preach
in Norwich Cathedral in the course of next month.—
The North British Review, after a chequered existence of
five•and-twenty years, ends with the current number.
It was started by the Free Kirk, and died in the
hands ot the Liberal Roman Catholics who
conducted the Home and Foreign Review and
the weekly newspaper, the Chronicle. Like the latter,
it is said to have been killed by the hieroglyphs
which adorned its pages. The subscriptions
for the Paris Booksellers' and Booksellers' Assistants'
Relief Fund at present amount to £l,lOO. The Committee
ot Paris is now organised, and has commenced the distri-
bution of relief.—Mr. W. Justin O'Driscoll has in pre-
paration a Memoir of the late Daniel Maclise, R.A.—
Mdlle. Nilsson, at the latest accounts from America,
' was still at Cincinnati, and had not recovered from her
severe illness, which will delay her return to London
until the month of May, as she has to sing at a certain
number of concerts before her engagement with Herr
Max Strakosch ends. j

The Graphic of this weok contains a very beautiful and
artistic full page engraving, entitled " The Dawn of
Peace." The picture represents the arrival of the news
of Peace to different families who have had relatives or
friends at the War ; and, consequently, a variety of
characters are introduced into it.

LORD JUSTICE JAMES ON THE
VOLUNTEERS.
When distributing the prizes to the Inns of Court
Volunteers, at Lincoln's Inn, Lord Justice James made
the following observations :—lt was his duty to act with
loyal fidelity towards his predecessors, and to improve upon
that occasion by seizing upon the opportunity to say a few
words. He hoped he should not violate that cardinal
duty by being wanting in brevity or by the
indulgence of iteration in his remarks. It is
now eleven years ago since the political hori-
zon was darkened by rumours of a threatening
danger ; and a feeling like that of an epidemic fever
overspread this land. Then it was that the opportunity
was seized to shew that mangye of English valour had
not been deteriorated 1.,,y y years of peace, of industry,
and of increasing wealth. And then there sprung, as it
were from the ground, an army of men who came forward
without the promise of pay, or the hope of advantage or
promotion, and voluntarily enrolled themselves into a
powerful phalanx for the defence of their country, sub-
mitted cheerfully to the routine of training with
as much obedience as any drill-sergeant in the
army could expect from any recruit. This was
an army upon which the country felt it could rely. It
felt that these men were pledged to ,the cause of national
defence by the feelings of honour and self-respect, and by
the honourable ambition to wi,n the esteem of their
countrymen and countrywomen, who considered them fit
for the defence of their country. In such an army the
lawyers of England were glad to be enabled to enrol them-
selves, and, having done so, they laboured with zeal and
assiduity. In this volunteer movement it was proved that
no men found spare time for volunteer services like those
whose time was fully occupied. Some time after the
formation of the volunteer movement a sloth seemed
to come aver it, The cry of the wolf had
been so often repeated that our shepherd began
to slumber and our watch-dog to sleep ; but, at the coming
of the last long vacation, there occurred that which startled
the most sleepy into waking life once more. In that season,
which seemed then a bright, unsullied summer time, there
arose on the edge of the horizon A, lath cloud no bigger
than a man's hand, but which had since covered the whole
firmament with the darkness of ruin and devastation.
Suddenly they saw a million of men overrun districts
larger than all England, and sweep away fortresses that
until then were thought impregnable. They had seen half
a million of men taken captive. With such examples before
their eyes even the most peaceful amongst them thought
it was high time to see that the wolf was kept from their
door—that the shepherd should be awake and the 'catch-
dog ready. When they heard of treati:o, 1;41 which a
faithful and honourable ally had, lows a party, repudiated,
it made them think hvNT necessary it was that we should
be on eur guard ; and those stirring and startling
events which had just occurred on the Continent
had given a great impetus to the volunteer mo,,:c;-4,ent
in this country. And now he was t;lad to say the
Government evinced a wish to; gi fa, a better organisation
to this force. He could not but hope that the Inns of
Court would shew how recent events had acted upon them,
and exhibit, instead of attenuated companies, full btta:
lions. It was the constant custom of foreizA critics to
speak with contempt of the English, volunteers, and to
assert that they could be ;wept away by a few squadrons
of Uhlans p companies of veterans. But he should
remind them that, as he had read history, them,
had been times when the yeomen soldiers of England,
' suddenly called from the anvil and the plough, had
proved themselves equal to defence of their country.
At the battles of Cressy, Poictiers, and on the field of
Agincourt, the yeomanry of England had shewnthemselyes
true men and stalwart. And now the English volunteer,
armed with the very best weapon that the llnglish purse
could purchase, he had no doubt would prove as formid-
ahle a foe as his forefather yeoman of old. Their motto
was, "Defence not Defiance." Let them always be pre-
pared and confident in their strength and never give way
to bluster or bully—the resources of such nations as wished
thereby to cover their weakness.

The Mayor of Dartmouth has offerod a reward to
the first person who will give information as to the out-
break of any kind of infectious disorder in the borough.
The object is to take early steps to prevent the spread of
smallpox and fever. •

IMPERIAL PARLIAMEN'