The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-20 00:00:00

KING RENE'S DAUGHTER.

The following letter on the subject of the rival
translations of this drama has bee❑ addressed to a
Morning Contemporary :
" Sir,—ln your notice of the performance of
Ilenrik hertz's celebrated Danish lyrical drama,
King Reno's Daughter, at the Strand Theatre, you
state ' the present translation appeared in the Dublin
University Magazine for June, 1848, and is from the
pen of a gentleman of high literary attainments, who
has assumed the pseudonyme of "Bon Gaultier."
Another version of the same drama, by Edmund
Phipps, Esq., has been recently performed at Dublin,
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean acting in the chief cha-
racters:

"On inquiry, you will find both the above named
transh.tions t.re from the German translation of the
Danish publication. The only English translation
from the original Danish—which excited great in-
terest in Denmark, and called forth the unqualified
approbation of Henrik Herta himself—appeared in
1845, published by Smith, Elder, and Co., Corohill.
It is by an English lady, many years resident in
Denmark, well versed in Danish and Scandinavian
literature, as shown in the notes attached to the trans-
lations of ' Waldemar the Victorious,' and King
Eric and the Outlaws,' by the celebrated Danish
author, Professor Ingemann. Perceiving that no
allusion has yet been made to the existence of this
previous translation from the original Danish, which
so truly renders the poetic spirit of the original, I am
induced, Sir, to appeal to your love of fair play, feel-
ing assured that , our sense of justice and gallantry
will induce you to insert this simple statement of
facts. "I remain, Sir,

"Yours, respectfully,
" A DANE."
" London. Dec. 15, 1849.

DIAMOND DUST.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)
Strange that a few hours of rest and oblivion should
so change our mood. Without being a❑ apologist for ill-
temper in any, may not the body have txr more to do
with the mood than many imagine? Else why, without
any new pain or pleasure, or any other imaginable cause,
is one happy this moment. miserable the next.
Exi►tence is only really valuable while it is necessary
to some one dear to us. The moment we become awaro
that our death would leave no aching void in a human
heart, the charm of life is guile.
The poor man who patiently endures his want, is rich
enough.

Zeal, without judgment, is like gunpowder in the
hands of a child.

Money got by gaming, is like a pyramid built of snow.
Seek the world without; it is for art, the inexhaus-
tible pasture ground and harvest to the world within.
Victory ever inclines to him who contends the least.
It we lay our le..f-gold upon touchwood, we must not
feel surprised to see it crumble a% ay under our fingers.

DANGER OF LIGHT STEEL-GUN

BARRELS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—Having yesterday attended the meeting of
the committee at the proof-house with Sir Claude
Scott, accompanied by Mr. Purdey, and other emi-
❑ent gun makers, I beg leave to enter my protest not
only against ironmongers selling guns, which they
know nothing about, but also the dangerous new
fashion of making light steel barrels. Yuur article
in the Times of to-day will, I trust, justify me in the
one case, and the following information will be suffi-
cient to support me in the other :—Mr. Westley
Richards, in a letter to his agent, Mr. Bishop, says,
" Sir Claude Scott has been the victim, fortunately
without injury. I always told you what would
happen. Light steel barrels won't do. I have had
too many experiments to be deceived." Greener, in
his able work on the gun, says—" if you want safety,
you will not find it in steel barrels. Purdey, Wil-
kinson, and Evans are of the same opinion, as are
almost all the good practical gun makers and barrel
filers. I am, Sir, your humble servant,
PETER HAWKER.
Dorset•place, Dec. 19.

EXPLOSION OF A POWDER MILL AT HOUNSLOW:.
On Tuesday evening, between six and seven o'clock, an
explosion took place at Messrs. Curtis and Harvey's
powder mills, Hounslow-heath, which was beard as far
distant as Richmond, and the hemisphere was so bril-
liant for some minutes that it was feared that a very
dreadful and disastrous accident had taken place, From
inquiries made it appeared that the explosion was con-
fined to a drying-house,in which a quantity of gun-
powder in an unfinished state, called a " gun charge,'
had by some unknown cause ignited, and blown the
roof of the building off ; thus causing the lurid appear-
ance of the sky. The amount of damage has not been
stated.
TORTURE IN SWITZIRLAND.—A strange clrcum-
stanco has just taken place at Herisau, the capital of
Inner Appenzell, in Switzerland, showing how much in
these countries of old liberties civilization is behindhand
in some matters. A young girl of 19, some months
back, assassinated her rival. Her lover was arrested
with her, and, as she accused him of the crime, bath
were put to the torture. The girl yielded to the pain,
and confessed her crime ; the young man held firm in
his denial; the former was condemned to death, and on
the 7th of this month was decapitated with the sword in
the market-place of Ilerisau. This fact is itself a start-
ling one, but the details are just as strange. For two
hours the woman was able to struggle against four indi-
viduals charged with the execution. Atter the first
hour the strength of the woman was still so great that
the men were obliged to desist ; the authorities were
then consulted, but they declared that justice ought to
follow its ccurse. The struggle then recommenced, with
greater intensity, and despair seemed to have redoubled
the woman's force. At the end of another hr4ur she was
at last bound by the hair to a stake, and the sword of
the executioner then carried the sentence into effects