The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-08 00:00:00

THE LATE M. HAREL.

The vicissitudes of a player's life were proverbial,
even before Golthmith's charming narrative of the
strolling comedian, with which, we presume, no Eng-
lish reader is unacquainted. Far more interesting, how-
ever, would be the details of the hopes, and struggles of
the eventful life, just closed, of the highly-gifted, but
unfortunate, gentleman named above. We hope some
pen worthy of the task may, before long, give his me-
moirs to the world; but, in the meantime, the reader
will not be displeased to read the following biographical
sketch of the deceased, which we borrow from a con-
temporary, and which, from his long connexion with
the drama, is not inappropriately placed here:—" M.
Harel, who died about a fortnight ago, was born in
Normandy, in 1790. He was of a good family, and
was, when very young, made Sub Prefect of Soissons.
On the return of Napoleon from Elba, M. Harel,
who was then only twenty-three years of age, was made
Prefect of the department of the Landes, but on the
Restoration he was exiled, and was not permitted to
return to France until the year 1821. ,M. Harel wrote
succeesively for the .Nain Janne, the Minerve, the Cour-
tier Francais, and the Constitutionnel up to 1827, when
he contracted a liaison with Mlle. Georges, and took an
interest in theatrical affairs. In 1828 he obtained the
privilege for the Ochisen Theatre, and in 1832 purchased
the Porte St. Martin Theatre of M. Crosnier. In this
speculation, note ithstanding occasional successes, he
was a great loser; and at length, all his pecuniary re-
sources being exhausted, he was overwhelmed with debt,
and judgment was obtained against him by 150 creditors.
In order to preseve his personal liberty, without which
he could not carry on the business of his theatre,
he took care never to go out until after sunset,
but the remedy was ineffectual, for the recors
(Anglice, Sheriff's officers), accompanied by the com-
missary of police, frequently found their way into the
theatre during the rehearsels. The danger having
become imminent, M. Harel had a trap made near the
prompter's place, and it was so contrived, that by press-
sing a spring with his foot, it would lower, and carry
him with it into the regions below. As soon, therefore,
as one of the myrmidons of the law made his appear-
ance, M. Harel pressed the 'spring, and disappeared. In
vain would he have been searched for in the place to
which he descended. But, in order to prevent any officer
from venturing upon the stage in pursuit of him, he got
a paragraph inserted in the newspapers, stating that
there were traps all over the stage, unknown except
to the performers, and that an unfortunate recors, whilst
pursuing M. Harel, had fallen through one of them, and
had broken his leg. This was quite sufficient to pre-
vent any attempt being made in that Ray. In order
that M. Harel might be apprised when any new judg-
ment had been obtained against him, nearly halt
the clerks of the huissiers were in his interest, for he
gave them free admissions to his theatre. His pier-
send liberty being secured, it was next necessary to
prevent a seizure being made at the theatre, for this
would have prevented his bringing out his pieces,
and he was constantly going on, in hopes of a picas.
He had an inganious mechanism made, by which all the
dresses, properties, &e., could in an instant be re-
moved from one flight to another. Thus, when an officer
came to effect a- .seizure, he was shown into an
empty space. On his leaving that to proceed to
another part, everything contained in it was
whisked off to the place that he had quitted, and so
on, until the officer, finding nothing worth seizing,
went away The receipts of the theatre being almost
nominal, M. Harel was about to strike his flag, when
he heard of the arrival of Van Amburg and his lions
at Havre. M. Harel engaged him, and for a time there
was at the Porte St. Martin what the French call a
succes fou. But as the novelty wore off the receipts di-
minished, and some new gag—to use a theatrical term—
was to be tried. It was announced in one of the journals
that a superb lion had been landed at Havre, of such a
ferocious nature, that even Van Amburg would not dare
to undertake the taming of him. Two days afterwards
the same journal stated that Van Amburg's pride had
been roused, and that he had set off for Havre to under-
take the task. A third article announced that he had
succeeded, and would appear the following evening, at
the Porte St. Martin, with the now lion. The theatre
was crowded to the ceiling. A fine black lion appeared
and obeyed all the orders of his master. The shouts
of the audience were tremendous. The lion was only
one of his former menagerie, which had been dyed
black for the purpose. The trick was never found'out,
and MeHarel had a few more good houses on its strength.
It is related of M. Harel, that one day, when completely
destitute of funds, he went to the Minister of the Inte-
rior, to implore M. Thiers to advance hire 10,000 f. M.
Thiers sent out word that he was too busy to receive
him. M. Harel, who was in the cabinet of the Secre-
tary, wrote—" I am a desperate man—l have a brace of
pistols with me, and if you refuse to receive me, I will
blow out my brains here." M. Thiers was alarmed, re-
ceived the applicant, and gave him the 10,000 f. At
length all the expedients of this extraordinary man were
exhausted. He was compelled to give up the theatre,
and went on a strolling eipec'ition into the country with
Mlle. Georges, and a wretched company of tragedians.
He had, indeed, previously shown a desire to
live a More tranquil life, and had written an 'Eulogy.
on Voltaire,' fur which he obtained the chief prize at
the French Academy, and some theatrical pieces, which
were rather successful. Ilis strolling expedition was a
miserable failure; he returned broken in health and
stricken in spirit, and the curtain finally tell upon his
'strange eventall history' in an asylum for the insane,
whenshe died at Chatillon, near Paris, in his fifty-sixth
y ear. Many witty things and clever sa..ings are attri-
buted to Al. Hare!, and there are many, the credit of
which has been taken by other men, but which were
really his—as, fur instance, the remark so long earl•
huted to Talleyrancl, that La parole a etc donne a filename
pour diguistr sa pensde"

DEER, STALKING AND GROUSE

SIIOJTING.

The gay and festive soene of the Northern Meeting
last week brought together a greater number of sports
men than was ever seen at once in Inverness. Although
for a time the moors gave place to the b,All-room, still
the deeds on the mountains were not forgotten. Th(
subjoined notes of sp..rts have been received since our
last notice.:—On the Eskadale moors, Mr. Hutton 'thou
on the 24. h, 30 brace of grouse, on the 25th, 37i brace.
and on the 26th, 22i brace. At Invercassley, Ross-
shire, Mr. Robertson and the Messrs. Christie have.
bagged 700 head. During a few days tour in the island
of Lews, Major Houston and Mr. Denys bagged 210
brace of grouse. In the Corries of Dundreggan, Sir H.
Meux, Bart., stalked and shot 2 .tags. At Lochlaggan.
the Marquis of Abercorn captured 3 stags. From the
forest of Fasnakyle, Lord Bateman took 2 deer, killing
them right and left, at once. In the forest of Glen-
Strathfarar, Lord Lovat, the Master of Lovat, the Hon.
A. Fraser, and Captain Mostyn, have had excellent sport
among the red deer-12 large stages, one of them with
14 antlers, were stalked ; and on the moor, in one day,
Captain Mostyn bagged 54 brace of grouse ; the fol.
lowing day, 43 brace and 2 hares. The sport at Invere-
shie has been first-rate. W. Evans, Lg. M.P., and
friends, have bagged nearly 800 brace of grouse, and
have stalked 13 stags on their deer grouni. On the
Diebdale moors, Mr. Forde 'shot on the 12th, 42 brace
of grouse, 3 plovers, 1 hare ; on the 17th, 37 brace, and
on the 19th 35 brace of grouse. At Strathvaich, Sir St.
George Gore, Bart., continues to get excellent shooting.
On the 22d, he shot 64 brace of grouse and 13 hares ;
on the 24th, 90i brace, a snipe, and 6 hares • on the
25th, a double shot of stags—killing both ; and on the
27th, 81i brace of grouse and 6 hares. At Belleville,
Mr. Mackildowny and friend, on August the 12th,
bagged 651 brace of grouse and 2 hares ; Mr. M'G.
Casement and friend, 524 brace ; 13th, Mr. Macgil-
downy and friend, 34+ brace and a hare—Mr. M'G.
Casement and friend, 41 brace ; 17th, Mr. M'G. and
friend, 73 brace and 2 hares—Mr. M'G. Casement and
friend, 51 brace and a hare •, 19th, Mr. Macgildowny,
34 brace and 2 hares—Mr. M'G. Casement and friend,
43 brace and a hare ; 26th, Mr. M-G. and friend, 19
brace and a hare—Mr. M'G. Casement and friend, 11
brace and a hare ; 22d, Mr. AVG. and friend, 36 brace—
Mr. M'G. Casement and friend, 344 brace ; 24th, Mac-
gildowny, 31 brace—Casement and friend, 37 brace ;
23th, Mackildowny and friend, 16 brace.—lnverness
Couriet.

LORD Rosses ^MONSTER TELESCOPE. —ln the
course of the lecture on Lord Rosse's Monster Teles-
. cope, delivered a few days ago at Whitby by the Rev.
, Dr. Scoresby, of Bradford, the reverend gentleman
described the appearance of the heavens. He remarked
that the nebula already observed were between one and
two hundred, which was a great deal, considering how
often observations were prevented by cloudy nights ;
and that the telescope, although erected about eighteen
months, had not yet been in complete operation more
than three or four months, already several of the nebula
hitherto not fully examined were dis Covered to be a col-
lection of suns ; and with regard to the moon, the
Doctor stated its appearance to be magnificent. It
appeared like a globe of molten silver, and every object
of the extent' of 100 yards was quite visible. Edifices,
therefore, of the size of York Minster, or even of the
ruins of Whitby Abbey, might be easily perceived if
they had existed. But there was no appearance-of any
thing of that nature, neither was there any indication of
the existence of water nor of an atmosphere. There
was a vast number of extinct volcanoes, several miles
in breadth; through one of them there was a line in
continuance of one, about 150 miles in length, which
ran in a straight direction like a railway. The general
appearance, however, was like one vast ruin of nature ;
and many of the pieces of rock, driven out of the
volcanoes, appeared to be laid at various distances. The
Doctor said he expected it would soon be competent to
Daguerrotype the image of the moon upon the speculum,
which could not be done at present, as the moon was not
stationary, but the Earl contemplated a niece of mecha-
nism to move the telescope to a certain distance, with a
motion corresponding to the movement of the moon. The
Doctor enlivened the lecture with many interesting
anecdotes of the Earl, all of which were calculated to
raise him in the estimation of his countrymen, and con-
cluded with an exhortation to the upper classes to sup-
port institutions like the present, as calculated to promote
good feeling and to benefit society.
EXTRAORDINARY INTREPIDITY..—A correspondent
in Swansea gives us the particulars of a remarkably cou-
rageous action performed by a Mr. Thomas Shepherd,
lately a chemist, in that town, who, returning to his
lodgings, on last Tuesday evening, was surprised to find
his family, and that of Mr. Rowe, in whose house he
lodged, shut up in different rooms, from which they were
afraid to emerge, in consequence of a dog belonging to
Mr. Rowe -having suddenly become rabid. Mr. Shep-
herd instantly determined to attempt the destruction of
the furious animal, and having provided himself with a
heavy hammer, and guarded his hands, he scaled the
garden wall, and, watching his opportunity, threw some
bed furniture over the dog, and while entangled in it,
grasped him by the throat with his left hand, and in-
flicting several heavy blows on his head with the ham-
mer in his right, speedily dispatched the ferocious
animal, to the great delight of the household and his
neighbours.—Sunday Paper.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—Yesterday morning the Lords
of the Admiralty, accompanied by Sir Charles Ogle, Col.
Jones, and a distinguished party of officers, left the
George Hotel, in carriages provided for them, and pro-
zeeded to Cumberland-fort to inspect in field exercise,
&c., the Royal Marine Artillery Corps, under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Colonel D. A. Gisbsone.
Their Lordships first proceeded to the fort, and wit-
nessed practice from an 8-inch howitzer and a 12-
pounder medium gun with common shell, at a floating
target, range 1,350 yards; practice from a 24-pounder
howitzer and two 12-pounder howitzers, with spherical
case, at a floating target, range 900 yards; practice from
four 6-pounder guns with round shot, at a floating target,
range 900 yards. The whole of this was most perfect
practice, the targets being riddled at every discharge,
and highly creditable to the officers attached—Major
Castieau, Captains Westley, Logan, and Holloway; and
Second-Lieutenants Davies, Meade, and Baynes.
After the above their Lordships witnessed practice
from a 32-pounder sea service gun, mounted within the
fort, with common shell at a floating target, range 1,500
yards, which also elicited their warmest approbation.
Captain Dwyer was the officer attached.
Their Lordships then proceeded to the usual place of
exercise adjacent to the Coast-Guard station, and wit-
nessed practice from three ten-inch land service mortars,
in rear of an epaulement, at the flag-staff ; range 560
yards. In nearly every case the shells pursued an
astonishingly accurate direction, much to the gratifica
tion of the gallant and distinguished officers assembled.
Officers attached—Captain Westley and Second Lieute-
nant Meade.

Practice from a 68-pounder, three 32-pounders, a 24-
pounder Congreve, and 32-pounder carronade, with
round shot, at a target ranged at 450 yards, concluded
the inspection. Officers attached—Major Castieu, Cap-
tains Parke, Logan, and Holloway, and Second Lieute-
nants Davies and Baynes. This was undoubtedly as per-
fect shot practice as could be at the present day wit-
nessed. The target was blown away at every discharge.
with one or two exceptions.
The ivhole must have been highly gratifying to the
assembled spectators, and was we know especially so to
the Earl of Auckland, who, as did his hon. and gallant
colleagues, expressed the warmest satisfaction at the
highly efficient state this imprtant and invaluable arm
of the naval service has attained, and complimented Cul.
Gibsone thereon prior to leaving the ground, which was
about halt-past twelve.

On leaving, Sir Charles Ogle inspected the coast-
guard force under the command of Lieutenant Robert
Taylor, of the Langston-harbour station. At 1 P.m.
they embarked at Sallyport, with the Port-Admiral and
Rear-Admiral Parker, in the Lightning, and proceeded
to Ca!shot Castle, with the Dasher, surveying steamer,
Commander W. Sheringharn, to select a spot for a
steamers' coal depot. The two Admirals here took a
final leave of their Lordships, going from the Lightning
to the Dasher. Their Lordships left Ca'shot in the
Ligtning at 3 P.M. for Southampton, the Dasher return-
ing with tie Admirals into the Harbour.
The Lightning, after landing the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, returned to the harbour in the evening.
The Scourge, steam bomb-vessel, Commander J. C.
Catlin, arrived yesterday from Woolwich, and came into
the harbour.

The Orestes, 18, Commander E. St. Leger Cannon,
completed stripping last evening, and will be paid off on
Tuesday or Wednesday.
The Nautilus, 8, Lieutenant-Commanding J. Mac-
donell, sailed on Friday evening to resume her station
off Brighton for the protection of the fishery.
The Manceuvrer lighter arrived with stores from Ply-
mouth yesterday.
Captain Alexander Milne, son of the late Admiral Sir
David Milne, late Commander-in-Chief at Devenport, is
appointed to succeed Captain Sir Richard Grant, as flag
captain to Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., the Com-
mander •in-Chief at this port.
A system of punishment similar to that pursued in
military prisons in the cases of bad soldiers is under
consideration by the First Lord of the Admiralty for
adoption in the cases of refractory seamen, to supersede
in a great measure flogging in the navy. The sugges-
tion emanated from a gallant and humane Admiral, and
we trust will be carried out, to his lasting honour.
The Avenger, steam-frigate, Captain Williams, was at
Malta in quarantine, on the 28th of August. A private
1-ater dated the 26th states, " We left Alexandria on
the 20th. Daring our stay there the officers and ship's
company were4upplied with every luxury by the orders
of Ibrahim, who, prior to our departure, presented the
following officers of the Avenger with a valuable Turkish
sa,hre:—Captain Williams (and also a splendid shawl);
Lieutenants Crawley, Sibbald, Rowles, Hawkins, and
Tate (R.M.A.); Mr. Tucker, master ; Mr. Mackay,
,urgeon ; Mr. Brickwood, paymaster and purser; Mr.
Speed, naval instructor ; Mr. Robinson, assistant-sur-
geon ; Mr. Moore and Mr. Yound, midshipmen ; Mr.
Cleveland, master's-assistant ; Mr. A. W. Chimmo,
clerk; Mr. Rowe, clerk; Mr. Phillips, naval cadet; and
Ir. Brooker, clerk's-assistant. His Highness also pre-
sented the ship's company with 5001., besides an
immense quantity ot sugar, rice, coffee, and other
articles of consumption. His Highness invited all
the officers of the ship to a sumptuous banquet
given at his palace, placing at their disposal
carriages and horses and attendants. Altogether,
so prince or potentate could have been more splendidly
feted than we have batn. His Highness appeared to
'cal that he could not seem too grateful for the wtention
;hewn him in England. We expect to sail about the
20th of September, and to arrive at Portsmouth about
• the latter end of that month; when there the defective
siato of our boilers, &c., wipl detain us two months at
least before we can proceed on any further service."
By an extract from a private letter we have learned
that her Majesty's ship Inflexible arrived at Madeira
in six days and 19 hours. The distance by the patent
log is 1,240 miles. This extraordinary run was accom-
pli,hed, notwithstanding delays occasioned by being
compelled to stop more than once to arrange the bear-
;ng,s and expansion valves, during which time they were
compelled to disconnect, and were forced to run under
sail for some hours. The gross quantity of fuel con-
sumed has been only 86 tons, which is rather more than
lcwt. per hour. The Inflexible was worked on the 6th
'or last grade of the expansion nearly the whole way, and
yet, with this small consumption of fuel, and the wind a-
head a great part of the way, she averaged 7 knots
7-10ths per hour. At the time this letter left the lu-
flexible, she had just fallen in with the trade winds
nlowin fresh from E.N.E. It was expected she would
sail direct for the Cape, and would arrive in 35 days.

APPOINTMENT.
Lieutenant Robert Willcox, to Recruit.

THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER
AND HIS CONSTITUENTS AT STOW.
The Marquis of Worcester dined with a party of' his
constituents at the Unicorn Inn, St)w-on-the-Wold, on
Friday, Aug. 28. The festivity partook both of a sport-
ing and of a political character. It was formerly an an-
nual custom with the late Duke of Beaufort, when' he
hunted that part of the country, to send a present of ve-
nison as a compliment to the farmers over whose land he
hunted ; but that custom has been discontinued for seve-
ral years until the present time, when a renewal has been
thought politic, having an eye to the possible contingen-
cies of a general election. Accordingly, in the early part
of last week, the following note of invitation was sent to
a very large number of the Tory residents within a range
of eight or ten miles of Stow :
"In consequence of his Grace the Duke of Beaufort
having sent some venison to Stow, as a compliment to
the yeomanry of this district, the Marquis of Worcester
has expressed his wish to meet with his constituents and
to dine with them, at the Unicorn Inn, on Friday next,
at four o'clock in the afternoon, when the pleasure of
your company is requested.
" Stow-on-the-Wold, Aug. 24, 1846."
The gathering, however, was not by any means so nu-
merous as was expected, and as a political demonstration
it was a signal White. Thirty-eight gentlemen and
farmers sat down to the dinner; the company including
Lord Redesdale, who was in the chair, H. E. Waller,
Esq., of Farmington, about six clergymen of the neigh-
bourhood, a few professional gentlemen, three or four
tradesmen, and the remainder consisted of a sprinkling of
farmers and some old sportsmen who formerly hunted
with the duke's hounds. It was a comfortable " venison
dinner" enough, but the marquis's " wish to meet his
constituents" was certainly a disappointment. The ho-
nour of a visit from the self•invited nobleman, even
though the privilege of a cut at a haunch of venison was
superadded, was not a sufficient attraction to draw the
agriculturists from their useful occupations in their
fields ; and if he is wise, the most noble the Marquis of
Worcester will take this circumstance as a hint that the
electors of East Gloucestershire are not so enraptured
4ith their representative as to make hi, re-electon et all
a matter to be very confidently calculated upon.—Glou-
cester Journal.