The Sun.
London, England, 1870-06-21 00:00:00

CHARLES DICKENS.

In the evening the Rev. B. Jowett, Regius Professor of
Greek at Oxford, 'preached. He said :—He whom we
now mourn was the friend of mankind, a philanthropist
in the true sense, the friend of youth, the friend of the
poor, the enemy of every form of meanness and oppres-
sion. I am not going to attempt to draw a portrait
of him. Men of genius are different from what we
suppose them to be, they have greater pleasures and
greater pains, greater affections, and greater temptations,
than the generality of mankind, and they can never be
altogether understood by their fellow men. We do not
wish to intrude upon them, or analyse their lives and cha-
' racters. They are extraordinary persons, and we cannot
prescribe to them what they should be. But we feel that a
light has gone out, the world is darker to us, when they de-
part. There are so very few of them that we cannot afford to
lose them one by one and we look vainly round for others who
may supply their places. And he whose loss we now
mourn occupied a greater space than any other writer in
the minds of Englishmen during the last 35 years. We
ead him, talked about him, acted him, we laughed with
him„ we were roused by him to a consciousness of the
misery of others, and to a pathetic interest in human life.
The workhouse child, the cripple, the hall-clothed and
half-starved inhabitant of a debtors prison found a
way to his heart, and, through the exertions of his
genius, touch to our hearts also. Works of fiction would
be intolerable if they attempted to be sermons directly to
instruct us ; but indirectly they are great instructors of
the world, and we can hardly exaggerate the debt of gra-
titude which is due to a writer who has led us to sympa-
thise with these good, true, sincere. honest English cha-
racters of ordinary life, and to laugh at the egotism, the
hypocrisy, the false respectability of religious professors
and others. To another great humourigt who lies in this
church the words have been applied that the gaiety of
nations was eclipsed by his death. But of him who has
been recently taken I would rather say, in humbler
language, that no one was ever so much beloved or so
much mourned. Men seem to have lost, not a great
writer only, but one whom they had personally known.
And so we bid him farewell.

Mr. Vincent Portilla, the first Spanish-Mexican
who laas ever been entered at an English University, has
just gained a scholarship at Emmanuel College, Cam-
bridge. Mr. Portilla, was educated at Bruce Castle School.
COMMEMORATION AT OXFORD.—The Commemora-
tion Week at Oxford has begun in the most brilliant style,
and the city has seldom been fuller than it is at present.
The entertainments began in advance ; a concert taking
'place on Saturday. Yesterday the railway authorities had
more than enough to do to accomodate the numerous pas-
sengers. The Marquis of Salisbury, the Chancellor of the
University arrived, and a levee was held, which was well
attended.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—The great Drill Review by
his Serene Highness the Prince of Teck, and her Royal
Highness the Princess Mary of Teck 'will be held to-
day, which is also the first day of the National Dog
Show at the Palace. 3,000 boys will take part in the
Review, which will commence at two p.m. The
school will march to the cricket-ground, where
prizes will be competed for. The Dog Show will be held
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Upper Terrace. The prizes
amount to £l,OOO, and the dogs number nearly a thou-
sand. The Exhibition continues for the next three days.
Mr. Bright was the only Minister absent from the
Cabinet Council held on Saturday.
The Sair announces that it is about to publish a
translation of " Lothair " as a feuilleton.

The Society of Arts is about to establish examina-
;ions in political economy.
1t is rumoured that the Inconstant proved herself
;he reverse of an efficient sea-boat during the late bruise of
;he Channel squadron.

Charles Stephenson, the Secretary of Lloyds,
has sailed for New York, in order to investigate the
circumstances under which the false intelligence of the
loss of the Dacia was transmitted to this country.
The Prince of Wales has intimated his intention to
be present at the annual show of the Royal Agricultural
Society of Ireland, to be held in Ballinasloe, in the first
week in August.
The select committee of the House of Commons
appointed to inquire into the laws relating to pawnbrokers
met yesterday, when Mr. May, of Salford, and Mr.
Both Brooking, of Exeter, were examined. l witnesses
condemned the present system.

ADMIRAL MlTFORD.—Admiral Mitford died at his
residence, Humnanby Hall, North Yorkshire, on Satur-
day morning, in his 90th year. Admiral Mitford was
much respected in his neighbourhood as a fine old English
gentleman and landowner.
KEEPING UP HER CHARACTER.—Lord F. married
his cook. On the bridal day it rained tremendously—the
coachmen and his attendant sprites were wet through.
" Ab," said a wag, " all quite in character—there's
nothing but dripping wherever she goes."
The question as to whether the Captain or Monarch
is the proper class of turret vessel is now under the con-
sideration of the Admiralty, where, it is said, a wrangle is
going on as to whether Mr. Reed's or Captain Coles's
class of vessel shall be awarded the laurel.

According to the Washington telegrams, a rupture
between Holland and Venezuela is imminent, in conse-
quence of the seizure by President Blanco of the Dutch
mail steamer Honfleur for carrying contraband war
materials. A Dutch corvette has gone to Loquayra to
demand separation.

The Bishop of Winchester consecrated the new
Church of Holy Trinity at Richmond on Saturday, and
afterwards was present at a luncheon in a tent erected in
some adjoining grounds. The church has cost about
£7,000, which has been raised within the ten months since
the foundation stone was laid.
BELHAVEN PEERAGE, —We understand that the
long litigation with reference to the succession to this
ancient Scotch title has resulted in judgment having been
given on the 14th instant, in favour of the claim of
Lieutenant-Colonel Robert William Hamilton (late of the
Grenadier Guards), to be served heir male to the late Lord
Belhaven and Stenton.— Post.

Her Majesty's guests at the State breakfast at
Windsor on Friday are to be conveyed free of expense
from Paddington to the Royal borough in three special
trains, which will leave London at short intervals
between three and four o'clock on Friday afternoon, so
as to reach Windsor before the hour fixed for the break-
fast.

THE LATE UNIVERSITY BOAT RACE.-A contri-
bution amounting to £12195. 3d. has just been handed to
the National Lifeboat Institution by Mr. Robert B. Wor-
maid of Bell's Life, being one moiety of the surplus fund
arising from the hire of a steamer by the gentlemen of
the press on the occasion of the late boat race between the
Oxford and Cambridge Universities ; the other half of the
fund having been generously voted to them by the News-
paper Press Fund.

BALLOON DISASTER AT DERBY.—A balloon acci-
dent occurred yesterday at Derby to Mr. Coxwell's balloon
Express. A fete was held in the Arboretum, and the
balloon in ascending dashed against the trees. The five
persons in the car were rescued, but the crowd, who
wished for a local aeronaut, attempted to destroy the
balloon, and Mr. Coxwell was illtreated. The police had
a struggle with the rioters, who pelted them with stones.

On Saturday evening Mr. Alfred Wigan will take
his benefit at the Gaiety Theatre, on which occasion he
will appear with Mdlle. Leblanc in " La Pluie et
le Beau Temps, " which will be acted in French.
The public will thus have the rare opportunity of
seeing Mr. Wigan personate one of his most successful
English parts dla Fran caise. The bill also presents
another special attraction viz., the drama of " The Poor
Nobleman," a character that tended greatly to enhance
Mr. Wigan's great reputation as an actor. 111 rs. Wigan,
will also sustains a character in the last-named drama,
and the entertainment will conclude with the bur-
lesque of " The Princess of Trebizond. His rate
talent and the high reputation in which Mr. Wigan
is held will certainly secure him an overflowing house