The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-24 00:00:00

SILLY WISHES.

" Nitiraur in vetiturn semper, cupimusque negata."
Ovin.
Quoth Zachary Brigg, " Zooks had I but a pig,
I should then feel quite happy, I vow :"
But the pig, when poshest, gave his wishes no rest,
For he then wish d he had but a cow.
Mr. Hyde, in like manner, (the Bermondsey Tanner),
First raie'd his bold thoughts to a chat';
Of the chay quickly tir'd, he madly aspir'd
In a chariot to figure away.
Thus it ever occurs—wild Fancy men stirs
Each day to some restless pretension
The optative mood, to realities ride,
Courts phantoms with constant attention.
0. D.

THE WINTER NIGHT.

I pity those with no resource
Of mind when irksome nights are long,
To occupy Time's tedious course,
liv'n were it only with—a song.
Tho' some at balls may bear the bell.
In cards whilst others take delight,
flow dull, when stornts and billows swell,
To them th' unsocial Winter Night !
Not thus it fares with Genius' Sou—
ffle pleasures flow from Nature's pp—
The closing year—the year begun.
His fond attention still engage.
To him the storm is music sweet—
On Fancy's wing he takes his flight,
Bright Summer's rosy morn to greet,
Or dreary Winter's gloomy night.
The cloudless sun that lights his soul,
And cheers his progress with its ray,
Resists misfortune's stern controul,
And drives intrusive Care away.
Time's changes thus he calmly scans.
Whilst others view them with affright—
Pursues his intellectual plans,
And wisely spends the Winter Night.
December, 1023.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

SURREY FOX HOUNDS.

These Hounds, considering he disadvantages of country
with respect to scent, have, through their superior breed and
management, had sport equal to any pack in the kingdom ; and
the annexed statement of one of their rune will realise the opi-
nion now formed ;—On Monday, the lath, met at the Rose and
Crown, itiddleatiwn, and, after drawing for an hour and a half,
found near Blythe's Wood; through Portly, for Rolla and Cat-
terham Hangings; headed back to Portly, through Whitefish!
Coppice, and cross the road for IVesthall ; over the inelosares
to Wallingham ; bore away to the left for Crew's Wood, to
Wright's Coppice and Sanderstead Great Wood, down to
the bottom, where he was headed by some men shooting;
run the circle of the covert ; made good his point fur Sets-
don Neck to Poplit Wood, lteay's Wood, Fairland, and
Crab Wood, over for Fairchild's ; under the shawes, and over
the inclosures, leaving Holt 'Wood on the left ; past Ledger's,
away over Worms Heath, down Stine. Oakes, up the hill for
Wollingham, skirting Ashton Coppice, through Duke's Hole;
clown the hill pointing for Birch Wt.fod : bore to the left, leav-
ing .'harden Park on the right, taking the side hill for Little and
Great Church Wood ; down the hill, and ap the opposite hills,
through the shawes for Tandridgs Hill; away for Rump-of-Bed
and the Priory, over the road through Mr. Wilks's Park, for the
Birches; past Stone Hall, and through the small covers near Ox-
tead, across the road pointing for Barrow Green Woods; bore
to the right over the Deep Al endows, leaving Titsey I'ark on the
left for l'itsey Wood; through the covert way over the inclo-
cures, leaving Mr. Ward's Woods on the left for Westerham ;
headed back through the Nower, pointing for hook Wood; over
the road and the inclosures for Limpsfield Common, through
Tenslera and the shawes below, leading away over the common
for Horseley Wood ; where we stopped the hounds with sonic
difficulty, at half-past four o'clock, after a run of four hours and
twenty-five minutes, and notwithstanding the severity of the
chase, the hounds were all upon their metal, on good terms
with the game, anti no doubt would have killed if the day had
not closed upon them. At the commencement of the chase,
the field consisted of nearly ninety persons ; but they fell oft'
by degrees, owing to the severity of the day, till at last, when
the hounds were stopped, there were only eight or nine horses
with them.

HUXTING.—Monday morning the Mid-Lothian fox-hounds
threw off at Dalousie, but being a frosty morning there was not
a great field out. The dogs were thrown into corer close by
Dalhousie Church, and found in about five minutes; Roynard,
being a sly chap, and not liking' the cover, he left it anti
took to the open country, and led them a circuitous route for
about five or six miles, and returned again to the cover from
whence lie started; the dogs were close at his heels, and
soon disturbed him again. lie broke cover the second time,
and led them in a gallant style to Middleton Moor, where he
gave them the good-bye, and sneaked Wand was lost. He
must bane been suiold fox, and seemed to know the country
well. This run lasted about an hour and a half, and was run
almost without a check.--(Edinburgh Courant, Dee. 20.)

Yesterday a Court of Burghmote for general
purposes was held at the Court-hall, Maidstone. The Report
of the Committee appointed to inspect the Corporation Pro-
perty, and investigate the accounts, was laid before the meet-
ing. A discussion then arose respecting the church-yard,
which, It was contended, belonged to the corporation. After
several persons had delivered their sentiments on the subject,
It was agreed to appoint a committee to search the several
charters and deeds of the corporation respecting the same.—
The subject of the proposed New Markets was then introduced
by Mr. J. Smith, who moved, that the Report of the Committee
appointed for furnishing a site of ground and plan of buildings
should be then read, that the same be entered into effect, and that
a committee be appointed for that purpose. The motion was se-
conded by Mr. O. Burr, sen. This Report, which was in.
serted in a former paper, was then read, it was in effect, that
a New Corn Market with Market room over it, be built on the
site of the present Mitre Inn ; that Markets for Butcher's
Meat, Poultry, Fishl and Vegetables, be built behind the
same, and to communicate with High-street and Earl.street •,
and that a New Inn be built adjoining the Corn Market, and
facing the High-street, with stables and tap opening to the
Butcher's Market. This motion, on being put, was car-
ried by a large majority. A Resolution was afterwards
passed, that the Corn Market, during the present winter be
held in the upper room at the Court Hall, and that the.
Market in future timid commence at ten o'clock in the
morning and finish at three in the afternoon. This we consider
to be a most excellent regulation, as the Markets of late have
scarcely began before the evening had set in.—The Court after
this broke up.—( Maidstone Journal, Dcc. 23.)
Sr. RONAN'S %Vt:LL.-The place which gives
the name to the forthcoming novel, by .the au-
thor of WaverleN, is supposed to be situated in
one of the islands of the Hebrides. in a statis-
tical account of Scotland it is mentioned, that on
the island of ithoun, situated about twenty
leagues distance froM the north-east point of
Ness, in Lewis, there is a chapel dedicated to
St. !Ronan, fenced round with a stone
This chapel the natives take care to keep
very neat and clean, and sweep it every
dRy. it contains an altar, on which there
lies a plank of wood, about ten feet long.
—Every foot has a hole in it, and in every
hole there is a stone, to which the inhabitant*
ascribe several virtues ; one of them they say is
eminent for promoting speedy delivery, and each
stone has its peculiar properties. Near this
church, it is imagined, is situated St. ltonan's
Well, though no mention is made of it in the sta-
tistical account : it may therefore be presumed
that the story of this novel is connected with the
superstition of the Western Isles.---Orelse
Yesterday 'Thomas Ballo:yell was brought up
at Hatton-gardenPolice-office, for re-examination,
oa a charge of shooting his wife, as already re-
ported, when the sitting Magistrate, r. Serjeant
SELLoN, informed the prisoner that he had received
a communication from the Hospital, signifying that
two slugs, not previously extracted, had worked
themselves out of the thigh, and that the patient's
recovery, was now almost certain. The prisoner
was then remanded until Tuesday next for a
sixth. and) we presume, final examination.