The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-27 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION.

LITERATURE.

LETTERS.FROM THE COURTS OF
FRANCE, NAPLES, 'c.-2 Vow.
Colliers, London, 1641.
I3Y a short biographical memoir prefixed to
the first volume of this work, we learn that its
Mr.
Swinburne, was an accomplished
Baronet
gentleman, third son of a northern
•Lsaronet .of that name ; that he wrote a highly
Popular book, entitled 44 Travels in Spain and
Italy ;'' and died in the West Indies in the year
1803, of
a coup de soleil. From the volumes now
lying on our table, we should judge that he was
ontleinan of very accomplished tastes, and a
'an of the world in the best midmost comprehen-
!lye sense of the term; and we may add—what
Possessing
Is evident indeed in all his letters—that without
one tithe of the fancy and sprightli-
rless of Horace Walpole, that prince of epistol-
ists) he possesses much of his easy, sketchy
Power of narration, especially when detailing a
Court
or fashionable anecdote. Though in these
volumes Mr. Swinburne refers to times,char acters,
and!oeidents long since passed away—for the date
of his last letter is as far back as 1802—yet his ob-
. ervations and gossiping stories will be read with
interest, affording us, as they do, a clear insight '
into the character of fashionable continental
ZietY towards the close of the last century..
ee
Louis the Fifteenth, and his favourite mistress
uli 13arri,
we have many interesting reminis-
,i,Le,"; the latter, to whom our author was
(rTallY introduced, he describes as follows
We found the favourite Sultana in her morn-
ing
her capuchin on, and her hair un-
dressed she was very gracious, and chatted a
rod deal about the opera. I could hardly re-
rain from laughing 'at an involuntary exclama-
•,,en from my brother presentee, the Duke of
t'cirset, whose Ahern istress, Mrs. Parsons, has
847,,n long out of teens. Good Heavens !'
is `" his Grace in a whisper to me, why her bloom
quite past !' Madame du Ban is of a middling
4,
Just plump enough, her face rather in the
'eduw leaf, her eyes good, and all her features
regular ; but I cannot think her a pleasing figure
11('v, whatever she may have been, or may be
when made up, and decked out in her pride."
11,P quitting- the Court of France, where he met
Oh, a cordial reception from all classes, our
\s", author set out for Spain, and here he was equally
verll received by the Royal Family and the No-
el lt,Y. According to his own account, nothing
'1(1 exceed the magnificence of the Spanish
ig court at this period. " There are," he tells us,
twelve thousand head of deer in the Royal
Woods of Aranjuez. The King alone has
0„e hundred and fifteen sets of mules, and
feu
iithousand persons follow the Court whenever
e",anges palaces. The Duke of Infantado gives
allwards of ten thousand pounds sterling in wages
lid Pensions." From Spain Mr. Swinburne
s!()eeeded to Rome, Naples, and thence to
tiic"iY, where nothing surprised him more than
le e exceeding ugliness of the women of Pa-
-Btrine. Br done if we remember rightly, was
landwith their beauty. On his return to En.g:-
nin„tl our author mixed much in the higher cir-
cles of the metropolis; and among others whom
6-eoften met in company, were the celebrated
rege Selwyn and John Wilkes, of whom he
tes these anecdotes.
hih,4 w, e had a turtle dinner at Wilkes's yesterday. I had met
thZ the day before on the parade, and the warmth of the ea-
-11,-. and walk had carried off all the powder from his bald pate.
gre•!t co.mplimenter, and would stand king to me
anti h hat in his hand. A drummer and his son. passed us,
,!'s I was going their way, I overheard their discourse.
,i),,,tat a queer-looking bald fellow that was,' said the boy.
Wir",r''t you knew him ?' replied the other ; "tie Johnny
re 7", and that bald head has more brains in it than all our
W~lput together, drummers and all.' I told this to
tQl(es, and it made him chuckle. He was very amusing, and
d Trie several droll things.
• t: In 1783-4, the House of Commons went up every day with
:•ddress to the King, praying to remove Pitt and his Mi-
gas,rY; The King always received them on his throne, and
Sele them an answer. One of these days, at the club, George
t wYn had been asking the Prince of Wales some questions,
which he did not choose to reply otherwise than by Pshaw!
hall:er'se !' Not long after, as they were both leaning on the
said looking at the Speaker going to Court, the Prince
suer.
I wonder what will be his Majesty's mcst gracious an-
;i' ` I cannot tell,' answered George Selwyn, what may
1:14""e gracious answer of his present Majesty—but I can tell
will be the answer* of our next gracious Sovereign.'
r wt
what will it be ?' said the Prince. Nonsense !' he
of" The other day, at a dinner, in company with the Prince
ki „
ales, Wilkes being called upon for a toast, gave The
ac bg' and long life to him !" Since When have you become
hav,;),ll, Wilkes?' said the Prince, laughing. Ever since I
he 94 the honour of knowing your Royal Highness,' said
",,,'lll a respectful bow.
sq, "ben the Prince was a little boy. havingbeen very trouble-
h~m his father's room, am' several times turned out of it by
or,
,' ne returned at last, and thrusting his head into the door-
), !creamed out, Wilkes and Liberty !'"
I
" Mrs. Siddons, whom our author frequently
metsi while in London, he says that " she is hand-
butut too stately for common life," to which
an' using the Editor, Mr. White, appends this
'.•kuslng note
isle true. Mrs. Siddons almost always, to use her own
fonten, spoke in the language of Shakspeare, and accounted
the by Dy her mind being constantly absorbed in meditating upon
itworke of our immortal•bard, so that she identified herself,
he
'"ere, with Ins phraseology. The last time almost 1 met
ths` How fares your good lady Passing well,"
rl.ered I. Bear ray kind greetings, and commend me to
4 i'avur," replied Mrs. Siddons, waving her hand. Then
"1"n,
\.°llc day at dinner, I proposed to help her to something ;
Your mercy," said she, " I've feasted sumptuously."
r 1 Lockhart's life of Scott there if we re-
reellber rightly, a somewhat similar anecdote
41;ated of Mrs. Siddons. She was dining at
er,hotsford, when, happening to call for a glass
to heel', the servant, by mistake, brought her a
tller of cold water, on which, looking at him
with
the severe, majestic air of a high tragedy
Q Teen, she addressed him in the following blank
•
called anner,brought me water, boy,
itth for beer." In closing our notice of this
itlus,ing, desultory work, we must observe that
"Y no means so carefully edited as it should
deve bt el. Here, for instance, is a strange blun-
iar on. tile part of the Editor. Mr. Swinburne,
vi,4l,g ''asiiallmentioned that he, had.paid a
zrls
h "Duchess de la Valliere, aged sevent-p-
-4.`) \vim was a famous beauty, and has yet won-
with eyes," Mr. White, confounding this lady
lia.`t the celebrated mistress of the Grand Mo-
ka,'e) observes in a note :—" It is, I believe,
ArZulted that Madame de la Valliere, from her
lies'iipresentation at Court to the latest moment of
titidr"fe) continued most constant both to the person
,"lentory of her Royal lover... The history of
nre daisoit with Louis XIV., and her abandon-
4rentt by that dissolute and capricious Monarch,
it hrio° well known to require comment." Now,.
"Wens that the Duchesse de la Valliere did
• °t survive
17 Louis, but died five years before him,
sh, 1°) and yet Mr. White gravely states that
Swi 'visas alive in 1787—the period to which Mr.
after ti"lle's visit
't refers—just seventy-seven years
'ter decease ! This is sad negligence.

2111 E NAVAL SURGEON. 3 rms.
, Th. . Colburn, London, 8
it --,re is no want of mysterylin4l.this story, but
is u-h(n el violent and melodramatic character, and
det;'ravelled with an appearance of effort that
sp,,`'aets from the effect. The hero is a high-
/ri:lted, adventurous young man, the son of an
OCiT Baronet of ancient descent, Sir Maurice
14 °,nnell, who having been rescued from death
stt:eld of battle by a brother officer of the
he name, is so grateful to his preserver, that
Curiln'ehases him a small estate near his own at
who e Maurice; adopts him as a brother • 'and
sio„.n both O'Donnells subsequently mary]tt.hee.yr
4p to live together, so as to form with
Po-;(1:en one large, happy, and united family.l
;-,c4ne years nothing can surpass their mutual
a'll-‘3T, but unfortunately circumstances call
Pions ,O'Donnell to England, and during his ab-
Ithe his wife, who is a confirmed sleep-walker,-
Wit:ever anything weighs upon her mind, meets.
ver,-or rathei• is the occasion of—the following
%Ai-awkward mistake, which is thus related by
Darraurice O'Donnell, who was one of the chief
imams compromised by the accident, to his son,
„" tong year after the event :
• LP.62 aXtreme care this habit of slcep-walking in Mrs.
grtei ;2°l had been, as we believed, quite cured; and
•RtierwtoK itself only when externalbircumstances had
d
11•11? oppressed the mind, a long interval elapse
,^°td'u" all recurrence, and we ceased to fear that sut•h
'e the cause. Colonel O'Donnell, her husband,
tshi—i,`st forgot that it had ever occurred, and this led
,‘il,B"7lecting the precautions that guarded against its
LVhert he as you are aware, left Castle Maurice
of 4,1-6'4,0(1, his 'wife greatly wished to accompany him ;
olait,q(- had a peculiar aversion to such a step, she rr-
icitt di.lojud, and. it being their first separa,tion, was
and
'tre's• At this time both my brother room an
Rife were doubly furriabei chambers, and when my
The disc (1 th. foliowing morning, she came to my side.
You seeuvery which ensued, I cannot, dale not, relate to
Ong blast ; suffice it to say that the happiness of a life
4Y tul.e'mcment for all three. The unspeakable
e horrihlC e ehate that follomed I cannot dwell
fcllslTs• O'Donnell became a gibbering ideot; my
t ",th ntn almost as pitiable a state; and I w.is t'ience-
"r• rh, 1 incholy t•e:ng you have always known. At
th,
thoo“ls d • b'e to conceal the truth from
•I• a visua • • impossible,l wrote to
h le I but that becoming
tb-hl let cooj, lady with your mother. To her part of
'hl7, pli..d But whether hit reason tottered
t:tlo4eerfl':eitiso-e:atutelinfepr: -know not ; 1 cannot, however, think
e:nusy ed to btli •ye ant thing but the vilest
• %'°*Pil to °n luY part—spoke cf his immediate return, and,,
life, whenever he should meet me.
°,1)01-ke,nrse after this " untoward" affair the
I.tle Bata no longer reside under the same roof;
iTtajor 01.°.!,,et still ''coutinues at his castle, but.
j'eo t„ Donnell retires with his wife and chil-
,lapno -,4 small estate in the neighbourhood; and
deaailitng' to meet with 1 • old friend, but now
hi y
ene_yits
to a ? one day in hunting, he provokes
afte'tnl, and is killed by the Baronet.
'• rwards the survivor's son encounters