The Sun.
London, England, 1840-08-11 00:00:00

THE DAGUERREOTYPE
1 89, HIGH HOLBORN.

VIEWS of LONDON ; representing the River, its Bridges,
St. Paul's, Somerset House, several Churches, and other
Public Buildings.
VIEWS of PARIS, Rome, Naples, Venice, Florence, Mi-
lan, and other Towns.
PORTRAITS from NATURE, and Figures from the Liv-
ing Model.
.MICROSCOPIC OBJECTS immensely magnified.
Such are the principal Specimens of this wonderful Process
now exhibited for SALE'by CLAUDET and HOUGHTON,
at their Warehouses for French Glass Shades, ft,heet, Crown,
and Painted Window Glass, 89, High Holborn.

In cloth, price 65., with Maps, 'Woodcuts, &c.,
A TOPOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL
GUIDE to the ISLE of WIGHI, com-
prising Authentic Accounts of its Antiquities, Natural
Productions, and Romantic Scenery. With ample Information
respecting the Arrival and Departure of Steam-boats, coaches,
&e. ; and a complete List of Excursions and Tours through )ut
the Island.

By THOMAS BRETTELL.
London : Leigh and Co.' Strand ; and 011ivier, Pall-mail ;
Sharland, Southampton ; Harrison, Portsmouth ; Hell) er,
Ryde ; and all Booksellers in the Isle of Wight.

WEEKLY DISPATCH.
SALE OF NEWSPAPERS.
The following Table shows the number of Stamps taken by
the various London Journals during the months 9f April, May,
and June, of the present year (1840), by which it will be per-
ceived that the Dispatch stands pre-eminent in public estima-
tion:—

Gross
Number
taken.

WEEKLY DISPATCH .: . 850,000
Showing a circulation ex- •
ceeding the whole of the
Daily Press by 13,824 •
copies each publication., •
The Times took •.. 1,230,000
Morning Chronicle•... 585,000
Morning Herald
• „ Morning Advertiser 380,000
Mori-lilt Post ' . 295,000
Public Ledger
• •• ' Stin , • • • 315,000.
_ _

Standard
• Globe
Shipping Gazette $8,000•.
„, „Courier, 63,000

4,021,600

Average
•Publica•.
tion.

and more than these four
together, viz.': —Bell's 'Life in Loudon 291,000
Bell's Weekly Messen 228,000
Sunday Times 280,000
Satirist
aid in the gross 20;150,
sir 1,550 more per week,
than all the following 23
aided tof,,,ether, viz. :
Age
Athenteum
,Atlas 31,000
Argus
Bell's New Messenger 36,000
Britannia
County Herald.. ...... 8,000
County Chronicle 20,500
Court Journal
Conservative Journal 23,100
Examiner 76,750
Era ..., 39,000
Farmer's Journal 12,250'
Gardener's Gazette 32,000
' - John Pull
•.... . .
..... 27,500
.- • • Mark-lane Express
Mining Journal 15,200
Naval and Milit. Gaz 29,000
Observer
Old England 58,500
Southern" Star
" ' Spectator-
United Service Gaz 24,500
Weekly True Sun 38,500 .

65,385

849,500

829,850

THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES OF

PARIS.

The public libraries of Paris contain altogether above
two millions of volumes. We have not magnified the
number, though we eannot know it exactly, until the
catalogues be complete. Those libraries are superin-
tended by learned men, academicians, and even by men
of wit ; • no .doubt, since wit and science, and some-
times academies, write books. Those libraries cost
large sums, which figure every year in the national
budget ; they cost iscareely more than the encourage-
ments given to the cod fishery ; yet the librarians, em-
ployes, messengers, or frotteurs, the -women and chil-
dren, the dogs and cats, of that bibliotechnic population
must all live. They, therefore, all live, increase, and
multiply, and will live, increase, and multiply in pro-
portion to the progress of intellect and of readers ;
consequently those readers for whose benefit the books
are b )und, the tables provided with ink-stands, and
the floors are waxed, at a large expense, are
particularly deserving of the sympathy of the
Chamber of Deputies and Administration. It may,
indeed, be naturally inferred that science and literature
reckon those readers among their most zealous votaries.
Who are they ? Just walk in observation about the
immense salle de lecture of the Royal Library, follow
those various classes of readers to the Librarian's desk,
sit down by them, address them, and you will be edified
at the use made of the public libraries in the year of
grace 1840. This it was that made our great bibliophile,
M,• Van Praet, die of sorrow.

The clock strikes ten, the grand .door ..of the Rue
Richelieu reluctantly opens ; the concierge, in his livery;
stands on the:threshold with crossed arms ; the sentinel
points out the cane and umbrella bureau to the bearers
of those articles of furniture ; the bureau where they
are deposited sans retribution, according to its fresh-
painted inscription, would, nevertheless, yield as clear a
profit as a tobacco bureau, if a duty were levied upon
between a thousand and twelve hundred canes and um-
brellas, representing as many faithful habitues at every
sitting. They push one another, rush on, and are anxious
to get to their posts, for the throng daily increases, and
they who are late run the risk of finding no places.
At a quarter past ten all seats are occupied, and
one must then sit on the floor, in the window embra-
sures, roost on the steps of a ladder, or lean against the
walls. Oh, how miserable those librarians must be who
have to listen to all applications, and to answer them
without laughing or shrugging' up their shoulders !
How cruel the tortures inflicted for five hours together
upon those men of more or less knowledge, more or
less lettered, among whom are to be found real savans
and distinguished authors ! We admire their fortitude,
devotedness, and patience, and wonder at their not suc-
cumbing to their task after rapidly, undergoing 'all the
stages of cerebral palsy and intellectual degradation.
A prim personage, tidily dressed enough for, a retired
aaindd vgrocer,theul
vulgar
pooraormfease
lefi:br.rawfrd
siainri his h
is
ob,liagt off,
,e,dlvt bowing
ohalto6iisi.y oand sm
iling,
and
intor
that
pleasure,
sl
iy
Sir ?" replies the librarian, lowering his eyes upon the
volume he is turning over, or, the paper he is loailing with
numbers, in order to indicate searches to be made at the
four cardinal points of the library. " A book, Sir."
" What book ?" " Oh, Sir, a book ; I don't care which,
provided it be a - book.". " But. Sir, there are
books only here, and if you don't tell me which
you want " It is not to read, Sir, but
tbhuot
lib-
rary look at." " Then, Sir, just look about you, and you will
see as many as you can possibly wish for, byt I beg to
remind you that the curious are admitted into
rary but twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays ...... "
" You are too good, Sir ; I shall come back on Tues-
day next, and bring my wife, and my daughter, a very
forward child for her 'age ; though not yet twelve years
old she can " I'm sorry, Sir, that I have not
time to listen to those details, which are quite foreign
to our duty in this library." " And the hook I demand,
Sr ?" " Pray, Sir, tell me which it is," exclaimed' the
librarian, with a warmth which he immed ately checks.-
" YeS, Sir, that's it, the largest, the best gilt one on
lionder Shelves, and I shall say every where that I have
toneed a book belonging to the King's library," - ,
The librarian conceals his vexation under a smile of
pity, and orders the book to be handed to his tormentor,
He resumes his occupation, but is at the very moment