The Sun.
London, England, 1823-06-24 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICE.

THE DUKE OF MANTLTA, a Trage(ly, by-
The title-page of this Work, instead of giving
the name of the Author, displays a head, the
chief part of the face 'being covered by a mask
held by the Person, and only one eye is seen.—
It is evident, however, that this vignette is in-
tended to represent Lord BYRON. The Dedi-
cation is also peculiar, and is simply as fol-
lows :

To
Lady Bvnos.,
The folhAving pages are dedicated
By

The Tragedy is written in the same style that
characterizes the other dramatic works of the
Noble Author. The fable is not without inte-
rest, and the characters are properly distinguish-
ed, but the work altogether is better suited to
the closet than the stage. The plot is soon de-
veloped. The Duke of Mantua is happily mar-
ried, but liermione, a lively young lady, visits
the palace, and unconsciously excites his affec-
tion. Ilei-1111one is followed by her lover Carlos,
who serenades the lady, and excites the anger
of the Duke. A challenge ensues ;he acts
merely on the defensive,and disarms Carlos. The.
tatter vows revenge,and,r%ith the assistance of his
friend Bertrand, resolves to kill the Duke, and
carry off Ilermione,to be degraded into his mistress.
The Duke is cautioned to check his love for
Hermione, but in mystic terms, by Zorayda, a
Gypsey, who tells him he will ptherwise fall a
victim to his fatal passion. The Duke disregards
her monition, and at length he and Herntione,
both innocent of all licentious feelings, ai•e sur-

prised by four assassins hired by Carlos. In the
struggle one of the assassins. is killed. Heraiione
is held by Carlos, but ,gets free, and stabs hini
with the sword of the dying assassin : Bertrand;
makes a desperate, lunge at the Duke, who falls;
and he then kills Hermionc. Bertrand is seized,
and is reserved for punishment. The Duke would
have forgiven him, but the Laws of Mantua. must
be obeyed, and the Duke solicits ,the pardon
of Heaven for his errors, and the tragedy con-
cludes with his removal to take a dying leave of
his wife.—There is a kind of under-plot, in
whiCh Laura, a Lady of the Court, is made
to suppose that Carlos is not the lover of
liermione,•but of-herself.—This Tragedy, as we
have hefore.sai4 strongly resembles the former
Dramas of Lord Ilynox. There are many
striking passages, marked by poetical beauty, a
strong imagination, and a philosophic spirit, and
they will be read with pleasure. It is brought for-
ward with all the accuracy and elegance of the
press of Mr. DAvrso

1:?.1)1NBURGII, JUNE 21.

NATIONAL MONUMENT OF SC,OTLAND.

The. first statutory animal meeting of the Royal
Association of Contributors to tins great national obiect, took
place at the \Vaterloo -Hotel. 013 AVOtillOillay the 111tH current,.
at twelve o'clock, noon, The minute of the special general
meeting on the .11th of April last having been read, as also the
minute of a special quarterly meeting of Directors held on the
7th instant, the Association approved of the Report of their
Committee, and, agreeably to fluor recommendation, elected
Sir David Hunter Blair, Hart.
General Sir,lohn ).:waltl of Dunnikicr, Bart.
• The Right Honourable Sir Robert Liston, •
'William Allan, Esq. younger of Hillside—and
Alexander Henderson, Esq. one of the Magistrates
. of Edinburgh, ..
Directors in place of the hve'who go out by rotation.
The Secretary reported that new.s9bscriptiOns were almost
daily coming in, anti that, besides Several very handsome 'mil-
meeting of Directors on the 7th
Vidtial contributions since the
current, he had to announce a subscription of 501. by the 'mt.-
,poration of Goldsmiths of Edinburgh ; that the SUMS already
paid into the hands of the general treasurers since the 7th
of this month, averaged at 100/.'per day, and now amounted to
5,4041. 17s. Id. which must speedily increase to a large sum,
and that nearly 17,0001., would, in consequence of the Resolu-
tions of the Special General Aleeting of the 11th of April; bear
interest from this day; so that the whole-fund at present sub-
scribed, with the exception of the foreign subscriptions not yet
rernitted_, was now rendered productive.
The Fleeting expressed' their approbation of the continued
exertions making at home and abroad, and of the disposition
every where manifesting: itself to further the great and desir-
able national object for which they are associated anti incorpo-
rated, and which they ninthly and confidently hope the pa-
triotism and liberality of their countrymen will enable them. to
Commence early next spring viand under that impression and
conviction, they instructed their Secretary to obtain plans and
estimates of the adopted deem so as to be able to report them
to the next special quarterly meeting of' the Directors, to be
held in terms of the Act on the first Saturday in October next.
Thereafter, several of the Members composing the Meeting,
proceeded to Witness the interesting ceremony-of infefting his
(}race the Duke of 'Athol], his ;race the Duke of. Montrose,
and his Grace the Duke of Mrellington, the Presidents, and the
Vice-Presidents, Directors, Treasurer, and Secretary, and their
successors in &lice, for behoof of- the Royal Association, in the
Piece of ground on the Cal ton Hilliso very handsomely conceded
by the Magistrates of Edinburgh' for the site of this national edi-
fice. Admiral Sir David.Milnec 1C.C.13. as Procurator for these
noble personages, received front John Hay, Esq. of Haystouu,
as authorised by the Magistretes of Edinburgh, delivery of earth
and stone, being the formal and symbolical act of possession pre-
scribed by the ancient law soul practice ofSeotland ; a number of
Highly respectable gentlemen witnessed the ceremony, and signed
the Inst rumen t which eontained.ashort historical summary of the
leading vL:2 is 011e)link this- great national undertaking, in
order that they might enter the record and be transmitted to pos-
itrierterityes;tianngd:tNi rnau;
elreliiapsltirteere never were a charter and satine more
it tore important in tlicir consequences,
or more likely to be stamped with perpetuity, in alt•much Its the
property and the national etlifice, about to be erected upon it,
must
be Identified with the very name and existence of the
country, ono must be maintained and uphold as sacred and in..
violable, as long its Sctithind loves ,and her honour
and her glory, ..and, cherishes the memory of her illuStrions
sons ' -

The following remarkable coincidence in regard to this un-
dertaking May be noticed. The pround, of which a grant
.had
previously been obtained front the Alagistrates..was broke on
Aug. 12 14q, the
birth-day of his gracious Majesty the King.
The foundatforrktone was laid by his' special appointment 011 the
27th of the same month, during and in commemoration of his
visit to the ancient Palace and Capital of his eye) ancestors, tina
on the nntliversiury ntiothot auspicious clay when by the daunt-
less and irresistible 'valour of his navy4Algiers WAS KIC111011811(41,
And, Christian slavery fin. ever abolished. 'The .18th Jude,
the 'anniversary of the glorious and ever theinerable vie=
tory of 'Waterloo, ' was purposely fixed in the Act of Par-
liament as the day of the annual Statutory Meeting, and we
ptirposely sAected for going through the legal Ceremony already

On the 25th ult. the first severe thunder storm,
this season, was experienced at St. Petersburg
accompanied with an opprossive heat, the thermo.
meter-ot RcAumEtt standing at 20 deg.—The rid
merchant, r. Woi,AnnuittoN, died lately in t hal
capital, leaving behind him a fortune of foitrteet
millions of rubles, equal to about 525,0001
sterling.

On Tuesday the Vith inst. Mr. Tiros. Ncw-
aoto, of Wilherfoss, near York, plucked in his
garden a pound of ripe cherries, which he sold
for the sum of three shillings. This would seem
to be a striking proof of the mildness of the
weather in Yorkshire.

COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL.

Yesterday a Court of Common Council was
held. i.

LONDON BRIDGE.-

JONES, the Chaftnina of the Bridge House Committee,
brought up their Report: There-were the drafts of three peti-
tions attached to the Report which were recommended to be
adopted by the Court, and to be presented to the House of
Lords. They objected to the principy of the Bill, and prayed
to be heard by Counsel against particular clauses which were
deem 2d to be injurious to the City of London.
M. Alderman WOOD said the obnoxious clause, which en-
acted that no Engineer, Architect, or Contractor, should be ap-
pointed to build the Bridge, had been introduced in the Bill by
.Mr. Ilolme Sumner in his (Alderman Wood's) absence. The
worthy Alderman joined in deprecatind the clause, which he
said had been introduced in an unfair manner; but he was
convinced it would not have been carried, had it not been far a
strong feeling being excited against the Corporation by the re-
sistance which this Court had given to the measures in Parlia-
ment.

The LORD MAT on stated the. course which he had adopted
in the House with respect to the
Mr. FAv EL L recommended the Court not to petition against
the-nei bridge, as it was impossible to get rid of it.
Mr. II un °mut thought the Court were bound upon prin-
ciple; in, honour and consistency,' to oppose in the House of
Lords, not only, the obnoxious clause introduced in the Bill by
Mr. H. Sumner, but the - other objectionable clauses. If this
opposition did not succeed, let the Court throw up the Bridge-
house funds altogether, and have nothing whatever to do with
the project.: They 'had held those funds only as hontst trus-
tees, mid let them be given up when they could not be held
witfiout involving the Corporation.
MreeleauEs thought there were still just grounds for hope
in the opposition to the BM. The want of respect entertained
in the House of,Cottnnons for the Corporation arose from theie
vacillating conduct. lie hoped the Court would repair it by a
steady opposition to the Bill in the remaining stages. The ex-
pence of the opposition he regarded AS quite unimportant. It
was evident that the Meinber for Surrey was labouring to take
the fan& of the city out of the controul of their Magistrates.
Mr. Rous considered it a great omission in the petition that
it did not state. that the Corporation had been driven to this
opposition by the conduct of the Committee of • the house of
Commons.
Mr. OALLoway was of opinion that the House of Lords
would reject all. the jockeyship which had. been resorted to in
the Coininittee of the Hotise of Opinions. He contended that
the object of the supporters of the Bill was to break down the
funds of the City. ,
Mr. Alderman Worm promised his exertions to get rid of
tite obnoxious clause-in the Bill, which gave the Lords of the
Treasury the right to appoint the architect, engineer, &c.
Mr. Alderman Wmerueteel lamented that the measures of
the Coepomtion were not properly supported by their Repre-
sentatives in Parliament: . .
• After some further observations, the Petition to the House of
-Lords to be heard. by Counsel against- the OH in its ereeent
forma was agreed to. •
• SPANISH SUBSCRIPTION.
The Lome Alnic'on stated, that he had received a letter
from Mr. Bowring, the Assistant Secretary to the Spanish
Committee, ;acknowledging the
.receipt of the sum of money
voted in aid.of the Spenish cause.
The letter was ordered to be inserted in the Journals of the
Court.
The LORD .MAYOR- stated, that he had received a docu-
ment of. a very different description, which he felt it his duty
to lay before the Court. • It. purported to be a Protest against
the votes of sums of money in aid of the Spaniards, and was
signed by ten Aldermen end sixteen Commoners. His Lord-
' ship • did, not really know the course that ought to be taken
with respect to it, tuna having laid it before the Court, -it was
' for them to dispose of it. Were.it not for the vile.mierepre-
sentation which-he had been subjected to elsewhere for the
course he had taken with respect to the Spanish Petition, he
need scarcely- say, that the preeent Protest did not originate
with him. At the same time he must add, respecting the part
he took with regard to the subscription, that he woUld adopt the
same line of conduct should such a grant be proposed again.
Mr..F.itvELL said, the proceeding was of a Very extraordi-
nary nature, and it would for a most dangerous precedent if
the proevedingsof the .co uet were to be _interrupted by such
protests.

Mr. Jur', said, he shOUld object against the protest being
read, as'it was one which 'ought not.to be received.
'Mr. Alderman `ITw Al N in strong. terms, reprobated the
proceeding as a gross attempt to throw discredit on the Court.
no Court ought to be particularly cautious before they re-
ceived such a docament, and, in his opinion, they ought nut
to entertain it for a.motnent. If such protests were admitted,
it would he a means of getting inserted on the Journals matter
of a very offensive nature. There was no precedent for such a
proceeding—such a thing was never heard of in that Court, and
on this ground he would object against the reception of the do-
cument.

Mr. GAL tow At- considered the tendency of the instrument
to be highly: mischievous, and he did not, think that suc.hmeans
should be given to- a party of reiterating their Opinions. The
Court' were, doubtless, obliged to his Lordship for the fair man-
ner in which he had introduced the protest, but unless the
grounds on which it ought to be received were clearly eStablish-
cd,:he would propose that it shoUld be rejected.
'!'he-LORD-MAYOR said, he- had thought it necessary to
mention the nature of the document before it was read, lzst it
should be said that he had taken the,Court unfairly. He con-
sidered it necessary to state, that it was not addressed to the
COtirt, • but addressed, to him, with a request that it should be
presented to the Court. '
A ME &limn considered that the document ought to be read,
as the Court would 'then be enabled to judge more correctly as
to its tendency,: : • •
H Mr. GALLOWAY objected. The Court had no business to
inquire into the subject matter of the protest; and be contended
that it would be derogatory to them to allow it to be read.
Mr. Alderman WAITIIMAN then ,proposed a Resolution to
the effect, That the Lord Mayor had presented a Protest,
signed by.ten Aldermen and sixteen Commoners, protesting
against the-proceedings of that Court on a certain occasion ;
te
that :a protest arinst any proceedings in. that Court Was unpre-
cedented, and trefere could not lie received."
The motion was carried by a large majoriiv.
'The followingis The list of names attached to the Protest :
ALTlERmini Curtis, Atkins, Glyn, yloWer, Magnay,
Bridges, Cox,-Lucas, C. Smith, Thompson. -
CO:11 mowv.nti—Dixon, Rytie, F. G. Cope, Brooli,,Jenning,
Cowie, Peril,,•Croker, Borough, illakesley,, G. D. Grave,
Bedotn,WoOdward; Marshall, Gibbs.