The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-05 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

POLYTECHNIC LCSTITUTION.-THE
DISSOLVING VIE WS.

We were favoured, on Saturday, with a sight
of several new Dissolving Views, which were
privately exhibited at this institution. The sud-
den and startling changes that take place in
these views by the simple agency of light and
shade, night almost induce one to believe that
they were brought about by the wand of a necro-
mancer, or by the caprices of one of those genii
of whose marvellous doings we have all read in
the delightful pages of the' Arabian Nights."
At one moment the spectator is gazing on the
Palace of the Doge of Venice; the next, a
dim mist slowly and stealthily creeps over the
scene ; a mountain starts up, where but a second
before there stood a solid pile of architecture ;
the paved square becomes a lake, low down on
whose rock-bound shore. appears the Castle of
Chillon, immortalized by the pen of Byron. Before
the eye has become fully familiarized with this
wild, Alpine landscape—lo, another change !
Lake, rock, and mountain have disappeared, and
you see the interior of the gloomy fortress, with
two captives chained to pillars in the dungeon !
The colouring, and more particularly the per-
spective, of this picture are the most perfect illu-
sions we ever witnessed. The dull, discoloured
brickwork of th<columns, arising from continual
damps ; the dirty, mouldering floor, half earth,
half stone ; the forlorn aspects and crouching
attitudes of the
.pining and sickly prisoners, who
seem almost choked with the heavy, mephitic
air of such a charnel-house ;—these various ob-
jects are pourtrayed with a truth of effect
that seems little short of miraculous. While
we gaze with an eye of pity on these
captives—memory - carrying us back to the
days of Bonnivard, who wore away twelve long
years in this very fbrtress—their figures fade and
become extinct, thegloonly cell, too, disappears,
and we see, instead, the caves of Eldora, so often
spoken of, in terms of astonishment and admira-
tion, by Oriental travellers. An instant, and
these, also, have vanished, and we behold a
noble steam-ship sailing over the broad bosom of
the Atlantic. There arc several other Dissolving
Views, but the above are the most remarkable,
and the most cleverly executed. On the whole,
the exhibition is the most interesting one at
which we ever attended. It is like the realizing
of one's most vivid and wildest dreams, and
forcibly recals Shakspeare's noble lines,
" The cloud-capt towers, the gorgeous palaces,
itself,
Yea, solemn temples, the great globe
Yea, all which it inherits shall dissolve,
And like the baseless fabric of a vision,
Leave not a wreck behind."

We understand that it is intended to prefer in-
dictments against Dr. Down and Mr. Samuel Silver
Taylor, and several other chiefs of the Tory party, who
wilfully and falsely answered the questions put to them
before polling, notwithstanding they had long ceased to
hold any qualification whatever within the borough. The
case of the Reverend 1)r. Wilson, who, although at the
present time living in lodgings, answered " Yes?' to the
question asking him if he had the same qualification,
viz., a house, &c., will also undergo investigation, with
the view of taking some ulterior proceedings against the
Reverend elector.—Southampton Paper.
SOUTHAMPTON.—Contrary to our confident
predictions for some weeks past, Southampton is become
the prey of the Tories. It has been bought, openly and
unblushingly bought, by Tory gold, and a majority ob-
tained by hard Tory cash. , That this was the case is
too much a matter of notoriety to require any elaborate
proof of its truth ; and we record a circumstance so dis-
graceful to the town, with deep shame, and a bitter con-
tempt for men who, entrusted by their country with one
of the most important privileges a freeman possess, will
yet for a little paltry pelf barter their own independence,
and sell the interests of their countrymen.—Hampshire
Independent.

ACCIDENT ON THE RAILWAY.—AD acci-
dent, likely to be attended with very serious conse-
quences, occurred on our railway yesterday (Friday)
afternoon to the twelve o'clock up train. We hear that
when near Basingstoke the axle of the tender suddenly
snapped, and the engine parted from the tender. The
concussion consequent upon it was so great as to corn-
pletely turn over all the carriages, and although there
were !10 passengers in the train, we understand that no
person received any injury,—Hampshire Independent.