The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-15 00:00:00

THE POET LAUREATE'S NEW HOUSE.

The Builder says Mr. Alfred Tennyson's new house near
Haslemere is a stone structure of considerable dimensions,
approached by a broad carriage-drive to the principal
ontrance, which is a large porch of five pointed arches, so
arranged, however, that visitors cannot alight under it,
as it is paved and approached by three steps.
J'i.e style of architecture does not carry us back to
the days of Arthur, nor have we in the new house any
strong reminders even of the age of knights of chivalry;
,ts architecture being a free treatment of domestic Gothic
of the Tudor period. In the principal rooms the windows
are two lights in height (divided by a transom), and
divided again into five by mullions; it is virtually two
stories high, with heavy slated mansard roofs, with large
slats and lead flashing. The upper part of the house is
most attractive, having a series of rich dormers, three in
front, two at back, and one over the porch. These
dormers have two double lights in front, and one
on either side to light the third or attic storey, each
dormer having a stone gable supported by two buttress-
pinnacles, the gable itself being enriched with a shield
(Earlier in character, however, than the rest of the house).
The chimney-stalks are very large, square, with bevelled
edges, and well carved with diaper work; round the
I Mire cornice is an opened panelled parapet, and the
ground and first floors are divided throughout by a richly-
carved band in panels, only breaking into a series of open
quatrefoils over the entrance porch.

ART, SCIENTIFIC, AND LITERARY GOSSIP.

The Athenceuni has the following:—Mr. Henry Sweet,
of Balliol, is to edit the Anglo-Saxon version of St.
Gregory's Pastoral from two MSS. of King Alfred's time,
with an English translation and the Latin original.—The
Chaucer Society will next week issue its publications for
the past and the present years, consisting of the Miller's,
Reeve's, and Cook's Tales, with the spurious tale of Game-
lyn, in the Six-Text edition, and in separate parts, together
with the second part of Mr. A. J. Ellis's work on " Early
English Pronunciation, with special reference to Chaucer
and Shakespere."—The Latin Professorship at University
College, London, vacated by the appointment of Professor
Seeley to the Regius Professorsoip of Modem History
At Cambridge, has been awarded to Mr. Robin-
son Ellis, M.A., Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford.—
Mr. Whitman has written a poem on Mr. Peabody called
the " Galaxy."—A theory has been started that a form of
typhoid fever, of which several examples have occurred
daring the winter, is the same disease as that known to
reterinarians as cattle plague. Pathological evidence is
brought forward to support the hypothesis.—We hear it is
likely that Captain Burton will go and look for " the
Mount of God" in a direction quite away from the Penin-
sula of Mount Sinai, as it is called—in the Desert of Arabia,
altogether to the east of the Gulf of Akaba and the Valley
of the Jordan.
Nature says :—Her Majesty has been pleased to signify
her desire that the Historical and Archaeological Associa-
tion of Ireland be henceforth called the Royal Historical
and Archaeological Association of Ireland, and that the
members of the Association be styled "Fellows."—The
Erasmus Smith Professorship of N'attu•al and Experimental
Philosophy in Trinity College, Dublin, is now vacant,—
The oxy-hydrogen light is now largely used in Paris for
illuminated advertisements and theatrical purposes. Carts
'with metal reservoirs containing the compressed oxygen
for the supply of customers may be seen in the streets.
At the Gaiete Theatre, which is one of the largest con-
sumers, cylinders of magnesia or zirconia take the place of
the lime cylinders ordinarily used for this light.
The Orchestra states that a new historical play, by Mr.
Tom Taylor, is in active preparation at the Queen's
Theatre. It is reported, however, that the piece is likely
to give some employment to the lawyers.—The latest
,omit song has the unusual feature of funniness in idea.
The chorus runs thus :

I saw Esau kissing Kate
And the fact is we all three saw;
For I saw Esau, he saw me,
And she saw I saw Esau.

TRADE AND FINANCE.

FRIDAY EYRI,TING.

There have been few features of interest in the nioney
market during the past week. The large influx of capital
into Lombard-street, in connection with the payment of
the dividends, has caused considerable ease in dis-
counts, while the prospect of a further large
addition to the already extensive accumulation of
money has created an unusually easy feeling in the
market. At one period, however, there was some activity
in the demand owing to the Stock Exchange settlement,
which was completed to-day, and which was a heayy one.
This prospect of continued ease in money, coupled with
declining prices for bread and a more abundant supply of
cotton, has led to increased purchases of stock, and
accordingly we find that most classes of secu-
rities have tended upwards in value during the past
week. All speculative stocks have been in demand
although it does not appear that they are yet held to any
LI-eat extent under advances. Probably an early feature
in the market will be an extensive holding of foreign
stocks under advance, as the present tone of the market
is of a character to encourage such operations. In
Etch event, the immediate future history of the
money market will be but a bare repetition
of the past, and will consist of alternate spasms
or stringeny, followed by periods of depression. At the
same time there is reason to believe that money will again
be directed to its ordinary commercial channels, and that
with the rise in prices that must follow the anticipated
return of speculation, more capital will be required to
carry on trade.
We still hear from time to time of the probable intro-
duction of further foreign loans at an early date.
Russia is still in the field with £12,000,000 stock, but this
cannot be brought forward yet as the Imperial Govern-
ment is under a guarantee, which has not yet expired,
not to enter the money market for a stated interval. Tho
last Italian and Turkish loans may be considered failures,
but the portion taken up is, in both instances,
strongly held, and there is , little fear of the
market being affected by sales. With regard
'o the condition of Russian finance, it is
very difficult to get at reliable information, as the accounts
that reach us are much garbled in the Russian Govern-
ment offices. The ostensible purposes of the new loan will
oe the construction of railways, but rumour states that the
:ccent amounts raised under similar circumstances have
not been applied in the manner required by the contracts.
There is no reason to believe that Russia will
violate her contracts—her whole past financial
history leads to better conclusion—but the Imperial
tiovernment would do well by affording the necessary
information as to tho real state of the Treasury, and by
snewing in an unmistakeable manner that the recent loans
nave been properly applied.
Our readers will be glad to learn that there is at length
a prospect of lower prices for meat. Throughout the
year the quotations for live stock have ruled very high, as
might have been expected from the depletion of the flocks
and herds that took place in 1807. In this way meat dif-
fers very materially from other articles of consumption.
Meat is very difficult to create, and slow of growth when
created, while any scarcity of cereal produce can be easily
remedied by laying a largo breadth of land under the
required grain. These facts have been amply verified
during the past year, as wheat has come to
hand in very large quantities, while meat has
continued scarce and dear. The season, however, has
been a very favourable one for graziers, who have been
enabled to raise a large quantity of meat at a minimum of
cost. Up till very late in the year there was a good bite
of grass in the pastures, and much expense has con-
sequently been saved by the comparatively small quantity
of artificial food which hasbeen required. With the opening
of the now year the Norfolk season commenced, and tho
large arrivals of boasts from that quarter have come to hand
in excellent condition, being weighty and very full of
meat. As a natural consequence of these increased sup-
plies, prices have already tended downwards, and there is
c,-ery prospect that a further reduction will take place, as
we may expect abundant supplies from Norfolk for some
time to conic.

THE FORCE OF IMITATION.—The Lancet draws
attention to the statement that the Troppmann affair was
causing insane acts cf attempted murder, and says This
is not an unusual state of things, arising as it
does from a morbid condition of mind. Murderers
or suicides of an especially revolting or unusual class
have at all times their imitators among individuals
whose intellects are generally sufficient for the ordinary
affairs of life, but when any additional strain takes place,
their ill-regulated mental faculties give way, and they
commit crimes for which a short time before they had the
greatest horror .°