The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-07 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY.

Albeit the poem by Horace Smith, with which
this number opens, which is entitled " The Mur-
derer's Confession" is (to make use of the three pet
participles of the writer) a " staring," " flaring,"
" glaring," example of the manner in which pathos
may degenerate into bathos, and a good subject be
spoiled by injudicious treatment, yet on the whole
the present is an excellent number of the .1% ew
Monthly. " The Vision of Carl Van Quiet," by
Charles Hooton, is a sketch of which Washington
Irving might be proud. Carl Van Quiet is an old
Dutch American backwoodsman, who, somewhat
after the manner of Rip Van Winkle, retires to
the mountains and meets a mysterious old gentleman,
and has a wondrous vision. We will not deprive
the reader of the pleasure he will derive from the
perusal of the story by stating who the gentleman
was, and what the vision was about, suffice it to say
that Carl Van Quiet is even a more amusing fellow
than the immortal Rip Van Winkle himself. This
is succeeded by the following graceful sonnet :

THE WESTMINSTER PLAY—DEc. 1845.
B
Not from the I.mRSERGEANT
youth-illumined
T A
stageLF'OUltD.
alone
Is gladness shed : it breathes around from all
Whose names, imprinted on each ho
Speak deathless boyhood ; on whose hearts s the tone,
Which makes each ancient phrase familiar
New by its crisp expression, seems to farlrown
A strain from distant years; while striplings, still
In careless prime, bid younger bosoms thrill
With plaudits such as lately charm'd their own—
While richest humour strangely serves to fill
TimWelsrncueryteasinwfirtobinchtihldeliske p-irtitesa,rhs ; foroliestbslteangleo,ry lifts
And makes even strangers share the precious gifts
Which clasp in golden meshes Youth and Age.
We have then the continuation of Captain Maryatt's
" Privateer's Man ;" we have also continuations of
the " Lights and Shades," the " Life of a Gentleman on
Half pay," of " Beauchamp," of the " Lives of Lords
Stowell and Eldon," of" Mr. Jolly Green," and of the
" Revelations of London," and we are happy to say
the conclusion of the " Robertses on their Travels."
Captain Levinge commences a series, entitled,
" _Echoes from the Back Woods," in which he gives us
some spirited sketches of life in Nova Scotia, and
Mr. Oxenford contributes some exquisite translations
of old Spanish romances concerning Bernardo del
Carpio. The present number is embellished with a
portrait of Mr. Ainsworth, beautifully engraved
by Finden from a painting by Maclise.

THE UNION.
This is a new candidate for public favour, and,
judging from the first number, we are inclined to
think it will be a very successful one. The editor
evidently understands his craft, and knows that the
true secret to success in magazine editing is variety.
There
is something in this number of the Union to
suit every taste. Is the reader a metaphysician,
he will find an admirable paper on the "/Esthetics of
Milton's Comus," exactly suited to his taste ; is he a
"Easy Chairs" will just suit him. INCENDIARISM AND ARSON IN NORTHAMPTON-
Iiterary lounger,
The admirer of our classical essayists will revel in sHlßE.—Monday's Government Police Gazette contains in-
the "Letter from the Hindoo Gentleman travellinformation that, on the night of the 23d ult., the stockyard of
g Mr. Kelborn, in the parish of Desborough, Northampton-
in England." It reads like a stray paper from the saltiaireek,,waabsefaenlo;iloiousily set on fire, and a barley rick, a peas
" Citizen of the
,World." The letter describes an quantityhaw of straw, and several farming
"Evening Party "in London, and, as a specimen of implements, together with waggon, were destroyed.
the author's style, we give the following extract from Also that, on the morning of ult., Christmas Day,
about six o'clock, the dwelling-house of John Wallis, _ printer
the conclusion of the paper :
and bookbinder, in the parish of Kettering, in the same
"There was a species of dancing performed different county, was found to be on tire, and the house, with its con-
from the ordinary dancing, called 4 waltzing, ,
~ in which tents, were entirely destroyed. There being some strong
a man and a woman take each other round the waist, rteoatsholeissatoulsuspieldet that the said John Wallis wilfully set fire
and turn round and round as fast as they can, until they e,a a
waving sinehe absented. himself from the
are each so giddy that they can continue the process no neighbourhood,Likewise hasthat
teut een issued for his apprehen-
longer. You will say that this account does not agree sion.eleven o'clock, on the night of
with the common opinion which is entertained of the the same day (25th ult.), the stack-yard in' the occupation
strict morality, propriety, and grave manners of the ofz, Christopher Gotheropp, farmer, in the parish of iarßarton,
strict in the same county, was discovered on fire, when a
English people; but you wrong them if you suppose
rang of hovels, at the top of which was barley, as also a barn
that there is really anything improper in the perform-
acre:,
barley, the whole being the produce of twenty
ance; you have only to look at their faces, when you
incendiary.
snedrlatirely destroyed, and is supposed to be the act
would at once be convinced, that so far from there being of an'
any levity in their thoughts, they are evidently exe- THE LATEryNkTA
T ER-TANK ACCIDENT AT LIVERPOOL.
outing a grave, and, in their opinion, an important re- —We understand that another person has fallen a victim to
ligious ceremony. I did not venture to attempt this per- the accident which occurred The
tdth Harrington Water-works
formance, though repeatedly solicited to do so, for I felt, on Christmas-day last. individual whose sufferings have
that however ridiculous the religious ceremonies of this now been terminated, was Mrs. tteTnin7.. She died of in-
people might appear to me, I had no right to make light ' fiammation of the lungs, the result
eeived on the day in question, on satujnuiraieslwasti.eh shee re-
of them in their presence, which I certainly should have .
happy to add, that up till last night, all the remainingare
done by joining iu this particular one, fur I felt I could
sufferers were going on favourably, and that no
not possibly summon up that devout but sober en- death was at that time autieipated.