The Sun.
London, England, 1841-08-12 00:00:00

THE HARVEST.

The weather has been bright, but, for the seasons.un-
usually cold. The harvest has partially commenced
round this neighbourhood, but, owing to the late rains
and wind, the corn has been much laid, and consequently
in many places is still quite green, On the contrary,
however, we have seen some fine fields of grain, which
appear to have sustained no injury from the recent rains.
The turnip plant looks well, and a full crop may be re-
lied on. A good second hay crop may be expected.—
Cambridge Advertiser.
The wheat, barley, and oats, have been very much in-
jured by the high wind and rain ; the wheat in several
fields has grown from the ear, and if this inclement
weather continues, the consequences will be very serous.
Reaping has commenced in the neighbourhood of Peck-
ham, and will become general there next week.—Maid-
stone Journal.

The wheat harvest in this neighbourhood is now be-
come pretty general, and there will be a fair • average
crop.—Bury Herald. _ _ _

The long-continued wet weather has had a most dis-
astrous effect on the hay crops in many parts of this
county, and large quantities have been totally spoiled. A
considerable breadth of barley has been laid by the
heavy rains, and the quality thereby much damaged.
Wheat and oats generally look well, and of these an
abundant crop may be anticipated should the weather
prove favourable.—Boston Herald.
NEW ROMNEY.—The harvest has partially commenced
iu the marsh, the wheats are very much scrawled and in-
jured by the wet, pease have also suffered much, and the
hav-making has been deplorable.—Kentish Gazette.
'GLASGOW.—The weather continues variable—at one
time showers of rain, and anon sunshine. The crops are
still looking well, but dry weather for a few days would
would be highly acceptable. All accounts agree that
-there is a prospect of an abundant harvest ; and if the
weather continue favourable, so as to allow it to be safely
got in, it is not likely that the price will rise to the im-
portation level.—Glasgow Courier.
RENFREWSHIRE.—The past week has been a most
favourable one for ripening and maturing. During the
beginning of last week we had a few warm sunshine
days ; the latter half has been warm and cloudy, with
occasional showers, well calculated to refresh the pota-
toes, turnips, and even the oat crop, which too much heat
ripens prematurely. The hay crop is now completely se-
cured in this district, and coming forward to market ;
and although it is ratber under an average crop this sea-
son, the current prices are low. All the other descrip-
tions of crop continue to exhibit an early and luxuriant
appearance ; and as a sample of the abundant appearance
of oats, we may state that Mr. Gardner, of Nethereom-
mon, has a field in which the stalks average from five to
six feet in length—many of them measures six and a half
feet ; and on one stalk, pulled almost promiscuously from
the edge of the plot, near which we happened to survey
it, we counted no less than 174 grains.—Glasgow Courier.
The present period being most momentous with re-
spect to the crops and the prospects of harvest, we give
a summary of information collected from correspondents
conversant with the subject. The wheat crop has been
generally represented to us as partaking of the damage
to which it has been subject for the last five or six years;
the injury is far greater than any which existed last
year, but does not prevail to such an extent as in some
previous seasons. Though we have to regret that the
damage is so great this year, yet it is not so general as
most persons are led to believe. With respect to oats
and barley, they are both average-looking crops .; the
former very superior. The rain which has fallen this
week has prostrated a considerably quantity of corn ;
and should it continue, it is likely to do great harm. Po-
tatoes. are not generally so good as it was thought they.
would be ; the late crop being bad in many districts.
With respect to the harvest, it will be late ; there are,
however, many fields of early oats which will' soon be
giving way to the efforts of the reapers ; and in some the
sickle has already been put into operation.—Drogheda
Journal, _ _ _

COMMENCEMENT OF THE HARVEST.—Notwithstanding
the general prevalence of wet weather, and the back •
wardness of the crops generally, Mr. Hallett began har-
vesting on Monday at Kemp-town Farm, and cut wheat,
barley, and oats.—BrightOn Guardian.
We have had all varieties of unfavourable weather
since our last, from the furious wind and beating rain of
Thursday night, to the close, damp atmosphere of Sun-
day and yesterday. The corn ill the heighbourhood is
very much beaten down, and much of it has an unhealthy
colour. After-grass, turnips, and potatoes look well.
The hay harvest is now pretty nearly finished. It
has been the longest and worst that we have had for
many years. Th corn' harvest will be very late in
Lancashire and throughout. the north of England.—
Liverpool Times.
THE HARVEST IN THE SOUTH.—A friend of ours,
who visited Hampshire and the Isle of Wight last
informs us that there was a good deal of grain cut in
that neighbourhood, and that the crops appeared to him
to look well.—lbid.

Warm and mild weather continued up to Wednesday,
and the crops made considerable progres.. On Thirr.i-
day; however, we'had rain during the whole day. nigh
and drying winds followed on Friday, but rain Tell again
on Saturday, especially towards Sunday morning, when
it came down in torrents. Several wheat and barley
fields are beginning to colour, but a late harvest is now
inevitable. Heavy showers fell again this morning, but
notwithstanding, Sunday and Monday may be ranked
under the category. ,of favourable days.—Durnfries
Courier. .
EARLY BARLRY.—Mr. Harry Tyson, of Lorton Hi 'e
Side, commenced cutting a field of barley on the 24th
ult. upon his farm there, belonging 'holonginr, to G. L. Bragg, Esq.
The seed was sown on the 11th March. The crop is
light but perfectly matured, and of excellent quality.—
Carlisle Patriot.

THE REV. HUGH M‘NEILE AND
THE CORN-LAWS.
We copy the following sensible observations from a
pamphlet recently issued by a working man, in reply to
Mr. M'Neile's late effusion at the Liverpool Ampitheatre,
on the subject of the Corn-laws :--" But, fellow-work-
men, if it be so glorious a thing to be ' independent of
foreigners,' how comes it that we are to be independent
for bread alone ? Why not for tea, coffee, sugar, rice,
spice's, cotton, silk, in short for everything ? We never
hear the men who now talk so loudly of independence
endeavouring to persuade us to have such a ' love'
for English dried leaves, for instance, as to refuse
tea, merely that we may be ' independent of fo-
reigners.' How does this happen ? I can think of but
one reason—they have no interest in endeavouring
to mislead us on this matter. If, however, the land-
owners of this country derived a large income from
drying, and selling at an extravagant price, the leaves
of the trees on their estates, and it were proposed-for
the first time to-have a free trade to China, we should
have as great an outcry as we now hear against a free
trade in corn ; many a hireling lawyer, and ' hypocri-
tical parsons' in abundance, would stand forth with brazen
front to -tell us that such trade would reduce our wages,
tad bring ruin on the country ; and, I am sorry to say,
any a solemn fool would be found among us ready to
elieve and applaud them. Cultivate a love for every-
thing English, says Mr..g'Neile. Depend not on foreign
countries for supplies. Well, then, my friends, if this
,principle be good for any thing, let -it not be confined to
corn. Let it be carried our, and extended to every thing.
Let us destroy our ships, and make corn fields of our
docks.. Let us hold no communication with ' outer
strangers.' Let us be even worm than the Chinese,
and prevent any ' foreign' vessels from coming near
our shores. Yea more, we must banish all ' aliens'
from our land. We must have no ' barbarian" hypo-
critical parsons' from the sister island. Mr. M'Neile
must no longer be permitted to live on ' English oxen,
and sheep, and hogs, and poultry ;' but must be sent,
like an Irish goose, to feed and cackle on the bogs of
Ireland ; or, if he like it better, and the nations of
bears and lions have no antipathies to ' foreigners,' he
can try his favourite experiment of civilizing them by
persuading them to pay him a tax upon their food.
Fellow-workmen, oh ! is it not a melancholy spectacle
to behold a man who has sworn that he is ' moved by
the Holy Ghost,' to teach, among other things, the
universal brotherhood of man—that God has made of
one blood ALL nations of men to dwell on the face of
the earth ; is it not a melancholy spectacle to behold
such a man striving to perpetuate the foolish prejudices
of rude and barbarous ages ; endeavouring to foster an-
tipathies between man and man, and to excite mutual
jealousies and distrusts between members of the same
great family, merely because they speak a different
tongue, and are separated by a sheet of water ? I,
although a poor ignorant working man, with no educa-
tion save what I have been able to pick up for myself ;
and, moreover, not having the advantage of being espe-
cially ' moved by the Holy Ghost,' should be utterly
ashamed of exhibiting this extreme narrowness of mind,
this wretched poverty and contractedness of soul. The
great Creator having bestowed different capabilities on
different countries, it must surely be most advantageous
for each nation to devote its energies to what can be
produced at the least cost, and exchange its commodities
, freely with the world."

VEGETABLES AND HERBS KNOWN IN
ENGLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE THIRTEEETH CEN-
TURY.-It cannot fail to be remarked, in perusing the
roll, that very few esculent plants are mentioned. Dried
peas and beans; parsley, fennel, onions, green peas,
and new beans are the only species named. Pot-
herbs, of which the names are not specified, but
which served eleven days, cost sixpence. If any other
vegetables were in general use at the time, theyi were,
perhaps, comprised under the term " potagium. There,
is,_ however, much uncertainty upon the subject of
the cultivation of vegetables, in this country, during the
thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Cresses, endive,
lettuce, beets, parsnips, carrots, cabbage, leeks, raddishes,
and cardoons were grown in France during the reign of
Charlemagne ; but it is doubtful whether many. of these
varieties had penetrated into England at an early period.
Thd most skilful horticulturists of the middle ages were
ecclesiastics, and it is possible that in the gardens of mo-
nasteries many vegetables were reared which were not in
common use among the laity. Even in the fifteenth cen-
tury, the general produce of the English kitchen garden
was contemptible when compared with that of the Low
Countries, France, and Italy. Gilbert Kymer can enu-
merate only,.besides a few wild and forgotten sorts, cab-
bage, lettuce, spinach, beet-root, trefoil, bugles, boragc,
celery, purslane, fennel, smallage, thyme, hyssop, par-
sley, mint, a species of turnip, and small white onions.
According to him, all those plants were boiled with meat.
lie observes also, that some were eaten raw, in spying and

' summer, with olive oil and spices, but questions the pro-
priety of the custom. This is, perhaps, the .:earliest no-
tice extant of the use of salads in England.—Manners and
Household Expenses of England in the Thirteenth Century.
Aa TRAGEDY IN HIGH LIFE.—A horrible
tragedy has just taken place at Florence. Two sons of
Lord A. (who has a villa near Florence) went into the town
a few days since to look at some horses at a livery stable,
when a quarrel ensued, and words ran high between them;
nevertheless, they returned home apparently recon-
ciled to. each other, and dined and slept as usual under
their father's roof. The next day they again went out,
ostensibly to shoot ; but the younger • brother, a lad of
18, still nourished a deadly resentment to Ms elder brother,
a young man of 23, on account of the dispute of the pre-
ceding day, and upon a bird getting up; he deliberately
levelled his Fun and aimed at his brother ; but only suc-
ceeding iu slightly wounding him in the side; he drew a
pistol, and took a surer aim by shooting him in the
back of the neck, and raising
,up part of the skin
of the head. As soon as his brother had fallen this mo-
dern Cain fled into a neighbouring vineyard, where several
contadini seized him, and, remonstrating with him upon
this horrible conduct, told him that he would come to the
galleys at last. To which he replied, with great defiance,
"No, no, thank you; I shall never come to the galleys 1"
drew another pistol from his pocket, and, opening his
mouth, shot himself dead on the spot. The corpse of this
unfortunate suicide and fratricide was left to blacken
for many hours, unheeded, beneath the scorching rays of
an Italian sun, while the wounded body of the elder brother
was conveyed home to his father, who is said to have
exclaimed on seeing it—not knowing the fate of his other
son—" If that most unnatural wretch escape the gallows, it
will not be my fault." His Lordship was heard the next
day giving, with self-collectedness, a detailed account of
this horrible affair at Fenzi's, ,the banker's, previously to
his departure for Leghorn. .Meanwhile a council of some
hours' duration was held at Lord Holland's, as to whether
the suicide should be buiied in'consecrated ground or
not ; it was at length decided that he should ; so accord-
ingly, by torch-light, with 'no other, attendants but the
clergyman and sexton, the body was consigned to the
grave, and thus closed 'this fearful domestic tragedy,
worthy of the Borgias and their times. ' The life of the
wounded brother is still precarious.—Court .Journal.

AN IDIOT'S HAPPlNESS.—Barnaby's
joyments were to walk and run, and leap, till he was
tired; then to lie down in the long grass, or by the tow-
ing corn, or in the shade of some tall tree, looking upward
at the lii,ht clouds as they floated over the blue sur-
facie, of the sky, an& listening. ,to• ttso lark as she
poured out her brilliant song. There were wild-
flowers to pluck—the bright red poppy, the gentle
harebell, the cowslip, and the rose. There were
birds to swatch ; fish ; ants ; worms ; hares or rabbits,
as they dashed across the distant pathway in the wood,
and so were gone ; millions of living things to have an
interest in, and lie in 'wait for, and clap hands and shout
in memory of, when they had disappeared. In
default of these, or when they wearied, there
was the merry sunlight to hunt out, as it crept
in aslant through • leaves and boughs of trees, and hid
far down—deep, deep, in hollow places—like a
silver pool, where nodding branches seemed to
bathe and sport ; sweet scents of summer air breath-
ing over fields of beans or clover ; the perfume of wet
leaves or moss ; the life of waving trees, and shadows
always changing. When these or any of them tired, or
in excess of pleasing tempted him to shut his eyes, there
was slumber in the midst of all these soft delights,
with the genti.e wind murmuring like music in his ears,
and everything around melting into one delicious dream.
—Boz.

BREAD USED IN ENGLAND FOUR HUNDRED
YEARS Aco.—lt would appear that bread of dif-
ferent degrees of fineness was used ; thus there is " bread
purchased for the Countess" and " bread for the kitchen."
Loaves or cakes made of bolted flour, and called
" bole-tella," are twice mentioned, as well as " gas-

. .
telli," cakes or wastels, perhaps. biscuits; on one
occasion, half a quarter of flower is set down for
pastry. It is reasonable to infer, that the bread gene-
rally used in the family was made of the grain called
mystelon, a term yet in use at the beginning of the six-
teenth century, and applied to a mixture of wheat and rye.
As the dogs were fed on corn, it may be concluded that
the servants fared no worse, at any rate there is no distinct
notice of bread made of barley, oats, or the more inferior
grain which were commonly used in France and other
countries. It is not clear that, their bread was leavened
with yeast, as that article occurs but once, and then in
connection mith malt. The price of the quarter of wheat
or rye varied from ss. to ss. Bd. ; of oats, from 2s. to 2s.
4d. ; twenty -five, however, were bought at Sandwich, at
Is. 10d. When grain was brought from the Countess's
mpnors, some of the prices were below' the average. The
bililiff of Chalton was allowed ss. the quarter for wheat,
-4s. for barley, and 2s. 4d. for oats; the bailiff of Braborne
had 4s. 4d. for wheat, and is. 3d. for oats. The item which
follows bread is wine, of which only two sorts are named
in the early part of`the roll, red and white.' The wines
drank in England during the thirteenth century came
chiefly from Guienne ; others from the vineyards of
Anjou, Aucerne, and Poitou. Gascon wine is not espe-
cially mentioned until towards the end of the document,
in August, when that and the wine called Bastard be-
came the general drink of the family, The term Bas-
tard was given to all mixed and sweetened wines ; an
English
writer, however, who lived in the fifteenth cen-
tury, reckons Bastard among those wines which were
naturally sweet, and, therefore, unwholesome. It is
called sweet wine in the roll. Little information is given
as to the price of wine : we find that the sum of 9s. 2d.
was .paid for twenty-twa.galllons—and_that two tuns Cost
31. Bs. Gd.—Manners and Household Expenses of 'Eng-
land in the Thirteenth Century.
.._

A FACT IN FAVOUR OF THE BALLOT.—
Let the opponents of protection to the voter—let those
shilly-shallyers who thihk " the time has not yet come"
for the application of the Ballot—read and ponder the
following startling and significant truth. The Duke of
Northumberland has four hundred tenants-at-will pos-
sessing votes in North Northumberland, and the poll-
books show that out of these four hundred the number
who voted in favour of Lord Ilowick amounted precisely
to two !—not two hundred, but two single individuals.
To add one word by way of showing the full meaning
of this fact would be superfluous—to proceed to argue
from it would only weaken its force. No man in his
senses would venture to say that there is to be found in
broad Britain a rural parish, or a street of a town, con-
taining 400 inhabitants, 398 of whom are, to a man, of
one mind in politics, or in almost anything else regard-
ing which there can be more than one opinion ; and
no honest man will attempt to avoid the inference that
not some, but many out of these 398 of the Duke's
tenants must have been coerced to vote against their
wishes and convictions. It may be added that those who
possess the best means of forming an opinion on the sub-
ject—from acquaintanceship, local residence, and being
engaged in the late canvass—estimate that (plumpers
and splits together) 350 out of the 400 were desirous,
were eager, to vote fur Lord Howick ; and of these, all
but two suffered their independence to be trampled down
by the myrmidons of the Castle ! High honour to the
Two !—the brave and honest two ! The Lord of Aln-
wick Castle ought to be prouder of numbering among his
tenailts these two, who, like men and Englishmen, with-
stood his tyranny, and defended and preserved their
rights, than of the hundreds of serfs who suffered him to
rob them of their freedom, their honesty, and their self.
respect.—Berwick Advertiser.
SWAMPING OF A PORTION OF BLACK-
FRIABS-BRIDGE PlER.—About six o'clock on Monday
evening a barge, comprising a portioh of the above pier,
was swamped in the following manner :—lt appears that
the barge, which had been recently boarded over, and
seats fixed thereupon for the accommodation of passen-
gers, was used only. at the receding of the tide for the
purpose of lengthening the pier, but on the return thereof
it was moored under the first arch of the bridge. On
the present occasion it was nearly half-tide, and the man
whose duty it was to perform the office had just unfast-
ened the rope by which it was moored to the arch, when
the swell occasioned by two or three steam-vessels caused
her.to go down. She was an old leaky craft, and totally
unfit for the purpose she was used, and it is perhaps a
most fortunate circumstance that she was not in her sta-
tion at the time of the occurrence, as great inconvenience,
if not fatal results, might have been the consequence, and
thus have added to the melancholy loss of human life al-
ready experienced at tliis truly dangerous and Kto the
City) disgraceful landing.
During her Majesty's and the Prince's brief sta'

at Pansanier, two 0-ceiQuiis 'arc said to have happened
Royali.Tihlisresutrriivniaisledoetchuerrreunseteis we are awarecs by appearing
itlNlthnoenngthie
heu
are in themselves but of little importance ; but, as they
Queen
andher her kindnessiilust and unostenta-
r.
aretiou
s calculatedil
abitsof
to
shtheo
give them. Her Majesty is, as our readerslolls Consort, we
perhaps, habitually an early
riser. During may be aware
Pansanger she was abroad as early her stay at
company with Prince Albert. On as seven o'clock, in
one of these morningexcursions she was desirous of seeing
lodge situate a
in a dell on the left a charming little
Park from Hertingfordbury. Thes you pass through the
unprepared for so distinguished rustic party were quite
accord-
ingly the gamekeeper addressed an honour, and
homage than he would have them at first with less
was fortunate enough to 'e paid to his Sovereign. He
made reparation for his r his error in time, and
visitors his mistaku.by showing his illus-
triousthem exceedingly
different specireens of game, many of
with which they beautiful and of uncommon kinds, and
seemed exceed' 01 leased. The affec-
tionine, y p
the royal pair discovered towards each other not a
little, we believe,
to have suspected astonished the rustic. He appuccarh s never
sympathies as those which Queens andr Princes of.
p iiced by' the com-
mon_ herd. How was his wa•oendeexi erainesed at hearing her
Majesty address the Prince as 44 my dear." It would have
comported more, no doubt, with his notions of regal eti-
quette for her Majesty to have addressed him as " Your
loyal Highness Prince Albert of Saxe Coburg, &c. &c.
&c• but no such thing was the case. Here is a reve-
lation for married folks. Don't be frightened of being
thought vulgar through cherishing those natural and in-
teresting emotions which husbands and wives ought ever
to feel towards one another, for your Queen thinks it not
them.-011 another occasion
unbecoming her to display
the Prince, who was passing through a
Roy gate
lHighest, ob at Herting-
-
fordburv, was recognised by a lad. His a
serving the boy's amazement, accosted him, " Well, my
e " ~ Yes, I do," replied the urchin,
man, you don't know m .
" You arc Prince Albert." The Prince smiled, and asked
him how he knew. " Because," replied the boy, by no
means disconcerted, "of the hair you have got there,"
and with this be drew his fingers across his upper lip.
These arc circumstances trifling in themselves, we are
aware, and only derive their interest from the per-
sons with whom we associate them. " Fama atque for-
tuna pares sunt ; qui magnus imperio prcediti in exce'so
wtatcin agunt, corm facts, cuncti mortales novere." We
do not see a'Queen every day, and neither is the British
throne always graced by so good, so patriotic, and, in
the truest sense, by so noble a lady as she who presides
over the British nation. Every little incident relating
to her possesses interest. Such curiosity is laudable.
Let those cavil at it who feel no admiration for the