The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-10 00:00:00

MAY 10, 1847.

inAGAZINES—(CONTINUED.) '
CHRISTOPHER TADPOLE.
Albert Smith still progresses merrily, and, in good
truth, the interest is fully kept up; indeed, it incre.ises
as it goes on, and each succeeding number improves on
the preceding one. We are introduced in the first chapter
to a new character, and one who promises to fill a posi-
tion of no trifling importance in the progress of the
story. It is young Sir Frederick Arden, who turns out
a " fast boy," associating with broken-down pugilists,
and the lowest frequenters of the worst description of
public-houses. He is proud of his dissipation, proud of
his wealth, proud of the quantity of drink he
can consume, and of being at the head of even
the degraded class with which he is associating.
He is one of the rising generation, so graphically
illustrated by our facetious friend Punch. We must,
however, give his description from the author's pen:—
"He was a mere boy—fourteen or fifteen years of age, but
dressed in as manly a style as could be contrived; his slim
proportions being swelled out by a variety of shawls, coats,
and handkerchiefs, which in spite of the season, he kept on.
His hair was of a warm tint that his enemies might
have designated as red ; but the slightest quan-
tity of down upon his upper" lip had been coloured,
by some kind of dye or cosmetique, several shades
darker. He evidently did not belong to the class with whom
he was keeping company; for his features were fine and
regular; his hands small and white; and his clothes, al-
though cut in a slangy gentish fashion, were of good mate-
rials and work. The hat, too, on the table before him, was a
beaver one ; and in it were a pair of white kid gloves, and
short stick with a large cut jewel set in its handle. Yet
with all this he was smoking a clay pipe ; and a pewter pot
stood before him. The people in the room treated him with
the utmost respect ; and he was evidently delighted at being
the head of the assembly."
the description of the " Cock and Badger," kept by
Nick Mawley, or as he was formerly known in the P.R
The Pluckly Crusher," is rich indeed. The approaches
are depicted in a manner worthy " Boz" himself. The
exertions of the different dealers to puff off their various
wares to establish their respective claims on the public
patronage, " that one would conceive, next to atmosphe-
ric air, the strong rough Congou at two-and-four, so
strongly recommended to families, was the great vital
principle." " The giganviNfeepots," "the mammoth tea-
kettles,"and " dusteheWaor Brobdignagianproportions"
are. exquisitely given. Old Hickory interposes in his own
warm-hearted manner, between the young Baronet and
Patsy, whom he has attempted to kiss, to the great
.stonishnsent of that fine young English gentleman. Mrs.
Hamper is rescued from the robbers, who are all taken
prisoners, and fixes herself on her young nephew Ellis,
who was travelling, and came out to witness the attack
on the brigands. In vain ha assures her that he in-
tends to ascend " Mont Blanc." She is ready to ac-
company him, and to assume a man's dress ; telling
him that " when Mr. Hamper was in the Yeomanry
Cavalry, she had once put on his clothes, and that
they said she made a very good man ;" and *that
if the carbineer (behind whom she was riding)
would lend her his dress that evening, when he
retired to rest, he (Ellis) would be astonished.
We have sweet Bessy Payne on the eve of being brought
into a scrape by Fanny Hamper, who is senior pupil at
" Mrs. Sadler's establishment for young ladies at Ham-
mersmith." The different teachers are all adinirab'y
described, from Mrs. Sadler herself, a lady of an imposing
presence, and Madlle. Le Brun, the, resident Parisian—
there was a suspicion that she had once been Miss
Brown"—to the dancing-master, Mr. Pitkin, " with his
pony chaise, and the seat fastened on behind in a fright-
fully insecure manner, but that was a very artful contri
vance, as it was, in fact, the safety governor of the entire
machine, inasmuch as too heavy a weight would have
overbalanced the whole affair; but if this was by
any chance applied, the seat broke off before
the accident occurred, and equilibrium was restored."
Fanny harper wants to go to a ball at Richmond with
young Sir Frederick, and she persuades Bessy to
promise to accompany her. Patsy and Hickory are in-
introduced to a sort of barrack, " the inmates of which
are composed of those remarkable people who pass the
greater portion of their lives behind the chintz curtain
at the end of a caravan." Patsy is to take lessons from
Monsieur Fandango, to qualify herself to appear at the
theatres. The Gudges' are heartily sick of everything
foreign, and more particularly discontented with Venice.
"' I call all this a failure,' said Mr. Gudge ; 'a regular
sell, as we say at home. And the heat's enough to choke
one. Pheugh I'd give anything for a bottle of ginger-beer.'
" Well, I suppose you can have it, G.' replied his help-
mate, here's cafés enough all round.' And she pronounced
`café' to rhyme with safe—' Go and ask.'
" Oh, yes ; it's all very well to say go and ask,' answered
Gudge. Go and ask yourself, and see how you'd like it, to
have a lot of grinning Turks and other fools, sniggering at
you because they won't understand what you mean. Look
there! there's an object.'
" He pointed to the entrance of one of the numerous cafés
under the piazza, at which one of the latest turbaned and
bearded importations by the steamer from Trieste, was
gravely smoking a pipe, worth walking over a new flint road
in thin boots to look at, as he read a newspaper, in spectacles,
and now and then shook out some fleur d'orange from a little
bottle into a goblet of water.
"'Now, that oughn't to be permitted, you know. It
wouldn't anywhere else. That's a Turk, you know—a
heathen—a man who lives in a state of infamous.domestic
life, and might only to be allowed to sell rhubarb ; and not
oven that, when there's a respectable chemist and druggist in
the neighbourhood. Come along; I wonder what we shall
I see next?'
"' There's a cool place to sit down in, in the court of the
palace,' said Mrs Gudge; 'suppose we go there for a little
while. It is perfectly baking here.'
"Mr. Gudge was quite resigned. If he had known where
else to go, he would, as in duty bound, have opposed it. But
as he did not, he walked into the court of the palace and sat
down by a well.
" ' To think of people coming to see that flight of steps,' he
said coming all the way from England to see it, and call-
ing it the Giant Staircase. What for, 1 should like to know?
And that dirty twopenny post-looking hole in the wall—the
Lion's Mouth. Why they must be all idiots.'
" Perhaps there's something about them we don't knew
of G.' said Mrs. Gudge.
" Pshaw ! what can there be to know in an old tumble-
down flight of steps, and a slit in a stone? What can there
be to know in anything—what is anything—if yon come to
that? Just nothing.'
" The remark was so perfectly conclusive and unanswerable,
that Mr. Gudge had it all to himself.
" They are a nasty sly, savage set,' he continued, after a
short pause. 'Look at the Arsenal we went to—the Arsenal !
pooh ! I should like them to see Woolwich. And see what
a race of brutes they always were! Why, they used to put
men's heads in helmets too large for them, and shut a rat
up inside to gnaw them when it got hungry. And now
they put you in beds too small, and fill the room with mus-
quiters !'
" Ah, drat the musketeers!' said Mrs. Gudge.
" ' Oh ! it's to make you ill, and stay,' continued Gudge.
It's one of their best dodges—the Dodge of Venice you've
read about.'
"And after perpetrating this grim joke, Mr. Gudge gave a
dry short laugh, that rattled in his throat like a last year's
walnut.
" The Bridge of Sighs, too,' he went on, ' which everybody
said we must see. Why, there's one in Leadenhall Market
that would cut up into a half. a-dozen. It's all nonsense,
you know ! And then to hear them yesterday at dinnAr : 1
got quite mad. They talked of the railway, and said it would
destroy the romance of Venice. The romance of fiddle-de-
dee ! What romance is there in having no fresh water, and
living in houses built upon piles! There's hundreds of places
at home where you could do the same thing, if you wanted
romance. Look at the Penitentiary, or the Essex Marshes.
Pooh ! stuff
"And Mr. Gudge again worked himself up to such a pitch
of indignation, that what with the heat of the weather, and
his own imagination, it is wonderful he didn't set his brains
boiling, and go mad at once."
Christopher is determined to go to London to penetrate
the mystery that shrouded his early days, notwithstand-
ing the strong opposition of Gudge, who finding he
cannot be dissuaded from going, as the next best thing,
decides on taking him in his own company. They set
out for home, Christopher keeping his distance from the
attorney. At the foot of the St. Bernard they are
seized on by the indefatigable Mrs. Hamper. who again
fixes herself upon them, to their great consternation.

VANITY FAIR.

The story makes great progress in this number.
The Marriage of Rawdon Crawley and Rebecca be-
comes known—they are cast off by the family and
take lodgings in Brompton. Poor old John Sedley
becomes a bankrupt, and finds in old Osborne a re-
morseless creditor. The house in Russell-square is
abandoned, and the goods of the bankrupt sold by
auction.

" If there is any exhibition in all Vanity Fair which
Satire and Sentiment can visit arm in arm tot-ether
where you light on the strangest contrasts laughable and
tearful ; where you may be gentle and pathetic, or
savage and cynical with perfect propriety ; it is at one
of those public assemblies, a crowd of which are adver-
tised every day in the last page of the Times newspaper,
and over which the late Mr. George Robins used to pre-
side with so much dignity. There are very few London
people, as I fancy, who have not attended at these meet-
ings, and all with a taste for moralising must have
thought, with a sensation and interest not a little start-
ling and queer, of the day when their turn shall come
too, and Mr. Hammerdown will sell by the orders of
Diogenes's assignees, or will be instructed by the exe-
cutors, to offer to public competition the library, furni-
ture, plate, wardrobe, and choice cellar of wines of
Epicurus deceased.
" Even with the most sulfish disposition, the Vanity-
fairian, as he witnesses this sordid part of the obsequies of
a departed friend, can't but feel some sympathies and re-
gret. My Lord Dives's remains are in the family vault;
the statuaries are cutting an inscription veraciously com-
memorating his virtues, and the sorrows of his heir, who
is disposing of his goods. What guest at Dives's table
can pass the familiar house without a sigh?—the familiar
house of which the lights used to shine so cheerfully at
seven o'clock, of which the hall-doors opened so readily,
of which the obsequious servants, as you passed up the
comfortable stair, sounded your name from landing to
landing, until it reached the apartment where jolly old
Dives welcomed his friends 1 What number of them he
had; and what a noble way of entertaining them.
Flow witty people used to be here who were morose
when they got out of the door; and how courteous and
friendly men who slandered and hated each other every
were else ! He was pompous, but with such a cook what
would one not swallow? he was rather dull, perhaps,
but would not such wine make any conversation pleasant?
We must get some of his Burgundy at any price, the
, mourners cry at his club. 'I got this box at old Dives's

sale,' Pincher says, handing it round, one of Louis
XV.'s mistresses—pretty thing, is it not—sweet
minia-
ture,' and they talked of the way in which young Dives
is:dissipating his fortune.
How changed the house is, though ! The front is
patched over with bills, setting forth the particulars of
the furniture in staring capitals. They have hung a
shred of carpet out of an upstairs window—a half dozen
of porters are lounging on the dirty steps•—the hall
swarms with dingy guests of oriental countenance, who
thrust printed cards into your hand, and offer to bid.
Old women and amateurs have invaded the upper apart-
ments, pinching the bed curtains, poking into the
feathers, shampooning the mattresses, and clapping the
wardrobe drawers to and fro. Enterprising young
housekeepers are measuring the looking glasses and
hangings to see if they will suit the new minage.—(Snob
will brag for years that he has purchased this or that at
Dives's sale,) and Mr. Hammerdown is sitting on the
great mahogany dining-tables, in the dining-room 'be-
low, waving the ivory hammer, and employing all the arti-
fices of eloquence, enthusiasm, entreaty, reason, despair ;
shouting to his people ; satirising Mr. Davids for his
sluggishness; inspiriting Mrs. Moss into action; imploring,
commanding, bellowing, until down comes the hammer
like fate, and we pass to tho nest lot. 0 Dives, who
would ever have thought, as we sat round the broad
table sparkling with plate and spotless linen, ever to
have seen such a dish at the head of it as that roaring
auctioneer?"

Of course the engagement between George Osborne
and Sedley is broken off by desire of old Osborne, but
Dobbin buys Amelia's piano at the sale, and sends it
to her in George Osborne's name and then in an in-
terview with George, persuades him to seek an inter-
view with the broken-hearted Amelia.
" Four hours after the talk between Dobbin and
Osborne this servant maid came into Amelia's room,
where she sate as usual, brooding silently over her
letters—her little treasure. The girl, smiling, and look-
ing arch and happy, made many trials to attract poor
Emmy's attention, who, however, took no heed of her.
" Miss Emmy I.' said the girl.
" ' I'm coming,' Emmy said, not looking round.
" There's a message,' the maid went on. ' There's
something—e.ottwhody—sure, here's a new letter for
you—don't be reading them old ones any more.' And
she gave her a letter, which Eminy took, and read.
" I must see you,' the letter said. Dearest Emmy—
dearest love—dearest wife, come to me.'
George and her mother were outside, waiting until
she had read the letter."

And thus ends this the most interesting number of
Vanity Fair. •

SHARPE'S MODERN MAPS, Nos. I. and 11.
Another Atlas, published periodically, is here intro.
duced to our notice, and enhance in no inconsiderable
degree the general competition in that department of art.
The advantage which is most perceptible in Sharpe's
corresponding maps, is that of its dimensions and elabo-
ration : in that respect they surpass most of their
predecessors.

ARRIVAL OF THE WEST INDIA

MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY AFTERNOON.—The Tay
has just arrived, bringing the West Indian and Mexi-
can mails. By this conveyance there is no additional
news to that recently received, with the exception that
the Americans were preparing to march towards the city
of Mexico, with a force of 14,000 men, 1,500 waggons,
and a heavy train of artillery, under General Scott. The
general opinion is, that the troops will not meet with any
efficient opposition; they expect to reach it in the early
part of May. About a third part of Vera Cruz is des-
troyed, and nearly 150 lives lost. About 4,000 shells
were thrown into the city.
Tampico was occupied by about two thousand Ame-
rican troops.
Bills on England 9 per cent. premium, and in some
demand.
The Tay has 950,000 dollars on board; all on mer-
chants' account; none for the dividends. She has al-o a
valuable cargo and 73 passengers; amongst whom are
Lord and Lady Howard Dc Walden and son.

DECIMAL COINAGE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin—Allow me to suggest, as an improvement on
Dr. Bowring's decimal system of account, published in
Thursday's Sun, that the new 2s. piece about to be
issued, the " Queen," be adopted as the integer, in place
of the L. ; by this arrangement, two decimals only would
be required instead of three; Id. would stand .04 instead
of .004—in calculation would work thus :

71.25 =.- 71 Queens and 25 farthings, or 71.29.6 d
5

Multiply by

)356.25 356 queens 25 farthings,
35 L's, 6 queens, 25 farthings,
or, 351. 12s. 6d.
As above the two decimals would stand as farthings ;
the units' integer as queens, and the remaining integers
on the left, L's sterling.
The Currency to remain the same as proposed by Dr
Bowring.
May 6, 1847.

W. G.

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE.—On Saturday night
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent honoured the
performances at her Majesty's Theatre with her pre-
sence. Her Royal Highness occupied the Queen's box,
and was attehded by Lady Augusta Bruce, the Baroness

de Speth, and General Sir George Couper ; the Ladies
Mary and Fanny Howard, Hon. General Upton. and
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce, had the honour of joining her
Royal Highness's party. In the Queen Dowager's box
were his Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimar, the Marquis of Ormond.), Viscount and Vis •
countess Barrington and the Hon. Miss Barrington,
Miss Wakley, and Captain Somerset. The Duchess of
Cambridge's box was occupied by Mr. Hubert de Burgh
and party. The general company included the Prince
Louis Napoleon, his Excellency the Russian Minister,
the Baronessßrunnow, and Mdlle. Olger de Lechner, the
Duke of Wellington and the Marchioness of Douro, the
Duke and Duchess of Cleveland, the Duchess of Hamil-
ton and party, the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailes-
bury, the Marquis of Clanricarde, the Marquis of
Granby, the Marquis of Huntley, the Marquis of
Donegal, the Earl of Chesterfield, the Dowager Countess
of Essex and Miss Johnstone, the Earl and Countess
of Wilton, the Earl of Lansdale, the Earl of Strathmore,
the Earl of Munster, the Earl Granville, the Earl of Fal-
mouth, the Earl of Belfast, the Earl of Chichester, the Coun-
tess of Chesterfield, his Excellency Prince Castelcicala, Vis-
count and Viscountess Maidstone, Viscount Clifden, Viscount
Canterbury, Viscount Somerton, Viscount and Viscountess
Newport, Count de Courcy, Count Boudriaffsky, Lord and
Lady Willoughby D'Eresby, Lord and Lady Brougham, Lord
Macdonald, Lord Otho Fitzgerald, Lord and Lady Temple-
more and the Honourable Misses Chichester, Lord William
Lennox, Lord Gardner, Lord Forester, Lady Lyndhurst and
the Hon. Misses Copley, Lady Joddrell, Lady Foulis, the
Hon. Mrs. Erskine, Lady Monson, Hon. G. Byng, Hon. J.
Macdonald, Hon. F. Petre, Sir G.' Wombwell, Bait, Sir H.
Meux, Bart., Colonel Wildman, Colonel T. Wood, Colonel
Bowers, Captain and the Hon. Mrs. Rider Burton, Captain'
Revnelts, Mr. Trelawney, M.P. and Miss Trelawney; Mr.
T. S. Duncombe, M.P.; Mr. C. W. Packe, M.P.; Mrs.
Packe Reding; Mr. E. St. John Mildmay, Mr. and Mrs.
Martin, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler, Mr. and Mrs. E. Phillips,
Sir Alexander Duff, Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Coutts Marjoribanks,
Mr. Barry Baldwin, M.P.; Mr. Parnther, Major Baring, &c.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN.---On
Saturday night her Majesty's box was occupied by the
Hon. Mr. and the Misses Pepys. There were also pre-
sent his Excellency the Austrian Ambassador, the
Duchess of Bedford, the Duchess Dowager of Bedford,
the Duke and Duchess of St. Albans, the Dowa2.er
Duchess of Cleveland ; the Marquis of Douglas and di,
Princess Mary of Baden ; the Marquis of Titchfiehl,
the Marchioness of Hastings, Earl of Granville, Coun-
tess Powlett, Viscount Neville, Lord and Lady Car-
rington, Lord Henry Lennox, M.P., Lord W. Lennox,
Lord Gi( rald Fitzgerald, Lady Elizabeth Dawson Mr. ,

and Lady Georgiana Romilly, Colonel and the Ho
Mrs. Fitz4ibban, Hon. Captain Duncombe, Hon. George
Dillon, Lady Saltoun, Sir Henry Webb, Sir William
de Bathe, Sir Thomas Hare, Sir Bellingham Graham,
Lady Scott, Sir Arthur Aston, Sir John and Lady
Cambell, Lady Macfarlane, Lady Molesworth, Si!
Charles Douglas, Lady Rothschild, Sir Jasper and
Lady Atkinson, Sir Charles Kent, Sir Charles Ibbot-
son, Sir Charles Marshall, Lady Smith, Lady Butler,
Miss Burdett Courts, W. Wilshire, Esq. M.P.; Henry,
Baring, Esq. M.P.; General Wolfe, Colonel Blane, Co-
lonel Brownlow ,Knox, Colonel Williams, Colonel Bin.-
grave, the Misses Byrne, Henry Greville, E-q. E-
Delafield, Eaq.; H. Neal Reboul, Esq. P. M.istyn,
Esq.; Mrs. Vilebois, Mrs. Beaumont C,,les, Captain
de Bathe, Captain Lyttelton, Captain Carleton, Mrs.
Bates, Miss Howard, , Mrs. Dennistoun, Mrs. Berm
Martyn, &c. &c.
DRURY-LANG THEATRE.—Mr. W. V. Wallace,yreus
with whose delightful compositions every loveerxt,f
and it
is familiar, takes a benefit here ono.:Monodhar
is a matter of the highest com
ve geodered
plimyrha-rinto ha
all the principal pro!,,ssors now i Lon
him the aid of their al bizska
ictiasnaiinwt
will
be
played anniversary.
oh
His own charmin
the occasion, w't original cast of characters, and
his concert, whafr follows it, will embody
the names of
Jenny Liitzpr, MadrshoesaDu,lcken, Madame Knispel, the
Misses Pyne, Miss
Herr
Kuhl, the renowned Jules the Brothers Hellmesberger,
Signor Shepanow-skr, ,
Schuluff, and many other names of the highest distrac-
tion.
TUB NEW NOVEL, by the Author of " Tempta-
tion, or aliirife's Perils," entitled "Evelyn Harcourt," ie. an-
nounced for immediate appearance. We have no doubt it
will fully sustain the well-earned reputation of the writer,
who now acknowledges herself in the pe Mrs. Gas-
coigne. It has been justly observed the productions of
this lady, that " they belong ,to "that estimable clans of
novels, the aim of which is not merely that pleasant and
piquant amusement_which results from presenting a vivid
and striking ulatttfe of actual manners and society, but also
to convey lessons of the deepest moral and practical im-
portance." The author writes chiefly for her own sex, and
her productions forcibly remind us of the excellent works of
Miss Edgeworth and Miss Austin. Like them, they are cal-
culated to refine and strengthen the morals and to amend
the heart.

Prince Oscar of Sweden is expected soon to visit
this country in the frigate which he commands, told will
probably be received by her Majesty on a visit.