The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-27 00:00:00

honoured by the presence of its Sovereign, we have ne-
cessarily given an immethodical, and but very imperfect
representation of the transient but brilliant scene which
has been witnessed, and still less have we been able to do
justice to the feeling which has been manifested on all
sides. Her Majesty's gracious visit, although wished for,
was scarcely expected. No preparations for the gratify-
ing event were therefore made, and consequently what•
ever demonstrations of respect, of joy, and of loyalty were
offered were spontaneous and imperfect. But there was
hearty goodwill amongst all ; and hence, if her Majes-
ty's reception was less ceremonious than could have been
desired, there was a cordiality, a spirit of welcome, about
it, which, it is to be hoped, has more than atoned for its
deficiencies.

The courtesy, the kindness—we might almost venture
to say the friendliness—of the manner of her Majesty to
all who had the honour of approaching her, as well as to
the loyal crowds by whom she was surrounded, would
appear to justify the belief that her Majesty understood
the feelings by which her Guernsey subjects were ac-
tuated, and accepted as they were meant the manifesta-
tions of their joy and affection. There has been, per-
haps, but, little of state and ceremony in the too short
intercourse which has taken place ; but there has been
a warmth and cordiality in it which gives it a grace that
we would not willingly exchange for more formal and
more stately proceedings. _ _

We lean; with pleti;ure that her Majesty and the
Prince expressed themselves well pleased with their
visit and reception. On entering High-street they
seemed agreeably struck with the profuse display of de-
corations which were there observable, and with the
thousands of faces which were beaming welcome on
them from the houses. On approaching the entrance to
the Fort the Prince appeared struck with the beauty of
the surrounding scenery, and asked, with much interest,
of one of the special constables, who were near the car-
riage, the names of the islands in sight. When the
French coast and cape La Hogue were pointed out to
his Royal Highness, he spoke to the Queen, who ap-
peared to take an equal interest in the scene, and the
Prince was heard to say that he was not sur-
prised that General Napier had chosen that
view for their inspection. On the whole we have
reason to believe that her Majesty was well-pleased with
her visit ; and indeed it is said that her Majesty inti-
mated that she might, within a short time, repeat it,
when she would also honour our sister island, Jersey,
with her presence, which engagements in England pre-
vented her doing on the present occasion.

ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
THE TURNER FAMILY.
The Turner family, consisting of three infant sisters,
Caroline, aged eight, and Rosina, aged six, harpists;
and tho little Sophia, aged four, a violinist and harpist,
whose musical performances in private have recently
created a great sensation in the fashionable world, gave
yesterday afternoon their first and only public perform-
ance for the season at this theatre. These children
are natives of Somersetshire, and they have, we
understand, had no musical instruction, save that
which they have derived from their father ;
and yet they play part music in a manner which, for ac-
curacy of tune, for accuracy of time, for fair, honest, un-
trickey playing, might put performers of double their
united ages to the blush. To the mere common obser-
ver, the performances of these children are very wonder-
ful—to the musical tyro, who is acquainted with the
mere A B C of music, they are astonishing—and to the
accomplished musician, who is perfectly acquainted with
the difficulties of his art, who knows how hard it
is to get even professors to play together so as
to produce one whole as contradistinguished from an
inharmonious conglomeration of solos, the performance
of these children is miraculous. That which it takes
long years of toil to drill into others, these children
have by intuition. They have the divine gift of genius,
" And toiling art pants after them in vain."
Not that they are wanting in art. Everything that art
can teach they have—they are artistes in the highest
sense of the word.

" Ars est celare artem,"
is an adage which does not apply to them—they have
nothing to hide. Nature in them has done the work of
art, and done so more effectively than mere unaided art
could ever have done. They—we will not say under-
stand, for understanding comes of reasoning and of
study—but they intuitively perceive that which to
ungifted mortals comes only by years of study and re-
flection and practice ; and they are gifted with
such power of execution on their respective instruments
as to be enabled to develop perfectly those intuitive per-
ceptions. We have in a former notice described the
manner of the performances ; such, for instance as the
two sisters performing on one harp and with regard
to the matter of them, whatever was done was perfectly
done, and there is nothing in the way of harp music
which these children could not perform in a manner
equal to the most celebrated professors, save
those pieces which as yet it is physically
impossible for them to compass—that is to say,
it is impossible to give to a child of eight years of age a
hand equal in width, from the thumb to the little finger,
to the hand of a man of forty. This advantage the
grown up professors of the harp possess over these
children, and this is the only advantage they possess;
but for taste, for expression, for accuracy, ay! and for
power too, as far as their stretch of hand goes, we will
back the little Turners against any harpist of the present
day. And then with regard to little Sophia, the little
violinist of four years old. Her performances are even more
wonderful than those of her sisters. The violin is dif-
ferent from the harp. In the harp the instrument is at-
tuned—you strike the chords, and you know beforehand
exactly the sound you will produce. In the violin, on
the contrary, all depends upon the player. If each note
is not accurately stopped by the fingers of
the left hand and a hair's breadth differ-
ence in the stopping makes a sensible differ-
ence in the sound—if the bow is not most accu-
rately applied to the strings, all is discord. Yet this
child of four years old performs on this most difficult
instrument in the most perfect and masterly manner.
She .laughs while she overcomes difficulties, which
nothing but the most constant practice can enable a
professor to overcome. There was no shrinking—no
slurring over of hard parts, which one so con-
stantly meets with in juvenile and amateur
performances—every difficulty was fairly met and
fairly conquered. Every piece was played in the
most prononce style. The bowing was full, sweep-
ing and free, and the stopping close and accurate. We
have chosen rather to describe the general system of the
performance of these wonderful children than to criticise
minutely the different airs performed. With inferior
artistes a particular criticism might be necessary ;
but with such artistes as these it is not neces-
sary to descend to particulars. They have no crack
tunes, into the performance of which they have been
drilled, and beyond which they cannot go. They are
natures own musicians, and are not to be " cribbed,
cabined, and confined " to any particular programme.
The house, notwithstanding the lateness of the season,
was most fashionably attended.

MR. BURKE'S HISTORY OF THE LANDED GENTRY
OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, AND IRELAND.—This im-
portant, and truly national work is just concluded by the
publication of the Fourth Part, and may now be had com-
plete in two volumes. This work has been undertaken as a
Companion to Mr. Burke's " Dictionary of tke Peerage and
Baronetage," and upon a similar plan, in order that the two
publications may embrace the whole body of the British
Peerage, Baronetage, and Gentry, and may furnish such a
mass of authentic information in regard to all the principal
families in the Kingdom, as has never before been brought
together. It relates to the untitled families of rank, as the
Veerage and Baronetage" does to the titled, and forms, in
fact, a peerage of the untitled aristocracy. It embraces the
whole of the landed interest. The landed gentry of Eng-
land are so closely connected with the stirring records of its
eventful history, that some acquaintance with them is a
matter of necessity with the legislator, the lawyer, the his-
torical student, the speculator in politics, and the curious in
topographical and antiquarian lore ; and even the very
spirit of ordinary curiosity will prompt to a desire to trace
the origin and progress of those families whose influence
pervades the towns and villages of our land. This work-
abounding in interesting anecdote, and displaying deep re-
search, must rank among the first class of those publica-
tions which elucidate, or connect themselves with the annals
of our country, and is indispensable to the library of every
gentleman.
WILD NUTMEGS.—The Commissioners of the Cus-
toms have received a communication from Mr. Parker,
one of the Secretaries to the Lords Commissioners of the
Treasury, stating that with reference to a letter from their
Lordships, dated the 12th instant, transmitting resolutions
of the House of Commons, altering the duty on certain
articles (among which was the article nutmegs, on which
the duty has been reduced to 2s. 6d. per lb.) he was com-
manded by their Lordships to desire that the board would
give directions for the admission of " wild nutmegs in the
shell," at the duty of 3d. per lb., as heretofore. Copies
of this order have been issued to the several departments
in the port of London, and the outports of the kingdom,
with directions to the officers to take care that the same be
duly obeyed.
AN OLD MONSTER.—It may be remembered that an
old man, seventy-nine years of age, named Lacombe, was
taken up at Niort, on July 12, for having fired four pistol-
shos, and killed the servant-girl of his daughter, and
wounded one of her workwomen. The case came on for
trial last week before the Court of Assizes at Deux.Sevres.
The prisoner, though of such advanced age, appeared
vigorous, with an eye of unusual brightness. He was dressed
respectably in black, and wore a white cravat. It appeared
' from the evidence that Lacombe lived at Niort with his

daughter, a marelcande des modes. He had on several occa-
sions paid attentions to one of the workwomen, named Vic-
torine Dubois, aged twenty-three, and at last absolutely per-
secuted her with his prayers to become his mistress. The
young woman, who was perfectly well conducted, constantly
refused. It would appear that the prisoner pursued pre-
cisely the same course with the servant-girl, named Celeste
Simonet, aged twenty, and always met with a similar re-
pulse. He at last became exceedingly irritated, and threat-
ened to do them an injury. On July 12 he went out early in
the morning and bought a pistol, having already in his pos•
session three others. He returned home and charged them
all, and then entered the part of the house inhabited by his
daughter. Finding Celeste Simonet in the first room, he at
once fired at her and missed. He then took better aim, and
shot her through the heart. He quietly proceeded towards the
salle a-manger, and perceiving Victorinc Dubois through a
glass-door, he took aim at her and tired also. She saw his
intention, and mechanically pot her hand before her face.
She received the ball on one of her fingers, which was dread-
fully shattered, though in all probability it saved her life.
He then fired the fourth pistol, and the ball struck her on
the side of the forehead, but glanced off. The prisoner was
then going tranquilly out of the house, when the neighbours
rushed in and arrested him. On his trial he declared that he
knew nothing whatever of what had taken place on the
morning in question, and he could not have been in his right
mind. This was, however, disproved by the testimony of
a number of witnesses who had spoken to him during the
morning, and who declared that he was perfectly calm and
collected. lie was found guilty, and sentenced, in con-
sideration of his great age, to only solitary confinement
for life.—Galignani's Messenger.
The Right Hon. Henry Labouchere, Chief Secretary
for Ireland, will leave town on Alonday next, for his official
residence in the Phcenix-park, Dublin. Tjljß will be his Lira
Yjeiir W 'Mad iu tgfical capacity,