The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-23 00:00:00

" SUPERSTITION.

" 1. The high priest of Ow temple of ignorance.
"2. The swaddling clothes worn by suciety in his
cradle.

" 3. The dethroned pretender to the crown of reason.
"4. The nightmare caused by swallowing crude
creeds."

" DUEL.

" 1. Folly playing at murder.
" 2. An appeal from reason to insanity.
"3. A game of chance for two persons, in which it is
possible for both to be losers.
" 4. The only instance in which a man may fire in the
air without being expected to hit something."
The lovers of " home pleasures" are under great
obligations, to Mr. Wallbridge for having added so
materially to their stock as he has done by his inven-
tion of his game of definitions.

THE COMIC ALMANAC FOR 1948. Edited by
Horace Mayhew. Illustrated by George C:ruikshank.
This, the oldest of the annual " jokers," like old
wine, improves every year. It is, like the laughter-
moving frontispiece to this year's number, " a good
pennyworth." George Cruikshank has been pe-
culiarly felicitous in his illustrations, and he has
met with a most efficient collaborateur in Mr.
Horace Mayhew, who seems to possess the enviable
knack of " hi•thig folly as it flies" with unerring
aim. As a specimen of the contents of the Comic
Almanac for 1848, we give
" THE RESPECTABLE MAN.

"A highly respectable Man
Is Iscariot Ingots, Esquire,
Ile's post obits' on half the ' Blue Book,'
And a mortgage or two in each shire;
And having more cash than he needs,
Why he lends the poor all he can,
And only takes sixty per cent.,
Like a highly respectable man.
" He's a house like a nobleman's furnish'd,
His side-board, too, blazing with plate,
And half silver, half gold, you'd declare
It belonged to some peer of the State;
So it did—till he seised it in pa) meet
Of his sixty per centum per ann.;
And now he gives dinners to show it,
Like a highly respectable man.
"His father-in-law's an attorney,
And his brother a dealer in wine,
And his brother in-law's a bum-bailiff,
And his son in the auctioneer line;
So first you've half wine' for your bills,
Then are sued, seiz-,d, sold up by the clan;
For he lovt s to assist his relations,
Like a highly respectable man.
" For the assurance of lives he's an office,
To make his small profits the mere;
If you ask him to discount, he tells you
'For security, you must insure.'
Adding • all honest men ought to do
Besides it's so easy a plan,
And with something to leave on your death-bed,
You die such a respectable man.'
" It is said he's a tyrant at home,
That the jewels his wife has for show,
Were all of them salves for some wound—
That each diamond's heal'd up a blow;
That his children, on hearing his knock,
To the top of the house always ran—
But with ten thousand pounds at his banker's
He's of course a respectable man.
" Yet he's kindness itself to young bloods,'
And when lordlings solicit his aid,
Why he talks like a lather, and asks
flow is sixty per cent. to be paid?
Such extravagance really would ruin
The richest in all Ilindostan;
But to serve them he'll do a • post obit,'
Like a highly respectable man.
"Still some 'scoundrels' declare he's hard-hearted—
That he curses each beggar he meets—
That for rent he unhous'd his old father,
And of want let him die in the streets;
Pooh! pooh! he subscribes every quarter
For the missiou'ries sent to Japan,
And if that doesn't make one respectable,
Why what is a respectable mail?
" Of religion he well knows the value,
For he wus the first of beginners
To run up a fashionable chapel
For elegant mis'rable sinners;'
And to hire a good-looking parson
To tell dowagers life's but a span,'
For he loves to serve both God and Mammon,
Like a highly respectable man.
" His daughter has married for love,
Though she 'd offers from persons of rank,
And my Lady' at least might have been
With the money he had in the bank ;
But since she thought fit to disgrace him,
She may live in the best way she can,
So he leaves his own daughter to starve,
Like a highly respectable man-
" Then he makes a fresh will every quarter—
Or when he 's a fit of the blues'—
Or his wile has offended him somehow—
Or some son will not follow his views ;
And he threatens to leave them all beggars,
W hene'er they come under his ban—
He 'll bequeath all his wealth to an hospital,
Like a highly respectable man."

A TABLE for: Finding the Day of the Week or Month

at Sight, from the Year 1840 to 1900.
This useful table does great credit to the ingenuity
of Messrs. Letts and Co., by whom it has been con-
structed. The mechanism is simple—a circular moveable
table is attached by its centre to a circular fixed table,
the moveable table is turned on its axis until the year to
which it is desired to refer appears underneath a vacant
space left in the card on which the moveable table
is printed—the table is then complete, and will show
the day of any month or week in the year. It will
be found a most useful companion in the library or
counting-house.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—The Queen and his Royal
Highness Prince Albert walked this morning on the
slopes.
The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise
this forenoon, in the Little Park.

The royal dinner party at the Castle, this evening,
included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent,
Baroness de Speth, Lady Augusta Bruce, and Sir
the Lorgaedy in
cou ll:peaiting of the Duchess of Kent, the
The band of the Grenadier Guards was in attend-
ance during dinner. Her Majesty's private band
afterwards attended in the Castle.

HiHighness the Duke of Cambridge
visited
Loyal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and
Mary visited her Royal Highness
t itheoyGaelrman Hospital at Daiston, yesterday.
the Their
rtrincess,
the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday at Gloucester
House.
The Archbishop of York had an interview with Sir
loy
George Grey yesterday at the Horne Office.
The Earl of Devon had an interview with the
Chancellor cf the Exchequer yesterday. Lord Mont-
eagle had also aninterview yesterday with the Right
Honourable Baronet at his official residence in Down-
ing-street.
The Right Hon. Edward Strutt, Chief Commis-
sioner of Railways, and Mrs. Strutt, left town yes-
terday for their seat, Kingston Hall, near Derby.
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial
Office from the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope,
and also from the Governor of St. Helena.

Gl,Asp OPERA, TiIEATRE ROYAL, DRURY.LANE.—
present yesterday evening were—
the Duke of Cambridge, attended
co
b
ngEnelisliae ns3srthe Earl of Shelbourne, the Earl of
Amongyis
Royal
Colonel the
Jones;
Munster, Lord Durham, Lord Donegal, Lord Alexander
Gordon Leanox and party, his Excellency the Brazilian
Minister and party, the Baron and Baroness Rothschild
and party, the Count Rosen, Sir John and Lady Camp-
bell, Sir Bellingham Graham, Sir George Carroll, Sir
Y, Honourable Major
Needham and party. Honourable Bower Lyon, Captain
Cuddy, Captain Brand, W. Broadwood, Esq.
General
Gcrea yv,:-nidrish \V.
and Ball,
party,
W. Clay, Honourable