The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

MERCEDL,:I' OF CASTILE, 3 Vols.
Bentley, London, 1840.
The adventures and voyages of Columbus have
long been the favourite theme of historians, but
until now, when Mr. Cooper has devoted to this
attractive subject by far the greater portion of his
Mercedes of Castile, we know not that it has ever
been attempted by any English novelist. We are
surprised at this, for never was there a theme more
abounding in picturesque effects, and startling
vicissitudes, or which presented better opportuni-
ties for the development of character. 'We need
say nothing of its descriptive recommendations, for
the mere mention of the romantic voyage across the
Atlantic, with the ever-shifting natural phenomena
exhibited during the voyage ; and more particularly
of the first landing, and encounter with the natives
at Cat Island—the mere mention, we repeat, of
these things suggests infinitely more to the fancy of
the novelist, provided at least that he have a due
conception of his art, than we can possibly say. Mr.
Cooper has not done amiss in this portion of his
romance ; he has detailed the particulars of the
great Genoese navigator's memorable voyage with
uncommon spirit and minuteness, and we follow
him across the broad Atlantic with all the eagerness
and curiosity he could desire to rouse in the breast
of a reader. But here our praise must stop—or
rather we must qualify it " pretty considerably," as
Jonathan would say. The greater part of the first
volume is tedious and wire-drawn ; and the ac-
c Isabella of Castile, previous to her mar-
riage with the wily and calculating Ferdinand,
might have been omitted with advantage, for it
has little or nothing to do with the story, and
seems: to have been introduced as an after-
thought, with no other view than to fill up space.
We must also protest against the intolerably prolix
dialogues between Donna Mercedes of Castile and
betrothed Doh Luis de Bobadilla, which are
. more episodical, and are not redeemed by any
.ashes of eloquence or passion. The interest of
he story may be said to begin and end with Co-
lumbus's voyage of discovery ; all before this is
tame and apparently laboured ; and what follows
—with the single exception of the adventures of the
young Indian Princess, Ozema, who is brought
home to Spain by Columbus, and whose portrait is
sweetly coloured—serves only to encumber and act
as a drag-alai:l on the narrative. The leading
events of " Mercedes of:Castile" may be disposed
of in a sentence or two. Mercedes is a young and
accomplished Spanish lady of rank, who is attached
to Don Luis dc Bobadilla, a gay, young cavalier,
of equally noble extraction. Being something of an
enthusiast, however, the lady will not hear of Luis's
suit until he has proved himself worthy of her, by
accompanying Columbus on his great expedition of
discovery ; he does so, and on his return is rewarded
with the hand of Mercedes, infinitely to the sur-
prise and regret of the poor Indian girl, Ozema, who
thinks it a very hard case that he cannot marry her
too, and dies of the grief occasioned by this unex-
pected disappointment. Throughout his story, Mr.
Cooper—so far at least as Queen Isabella is con-
cerned—appears to have taken the historian Pres-
cott as his guide, who has bestowed on this Royal
lady various virtues which have escaped the research
of most preceding writers. In his portrait, which
is an elaborate whole length, of Columbus, the no-
velist has been perfectly consistent with truth ; this,
indeed, is the only well-sustained character of im-
portance in the story, for the rest of the dramatis
persome, always excepting Isabella, are little better
than generalities—dim outlines—like those vague
shado Ns which we see pass and repass across a
magic lantern.

count of

DISCHARGE OF THE WIDOW

SARAH YOUNG.

TO THE EDITOR OF TAE MORNING CHRONICLE.
MONMOUTH, JAN. 2, 1841.
SIR—I have much pleasure in writing to say that the
widow Sarah Young was yesterday evening liberated fron►
her long confinement. Her unconditional discharge was
received by the gaoler by the evening mail.
I remain, Sir, yours faithfully,
EDWIN RICHARDS.

SINGULAR CASE OF HYDRO-

PHOBIA.

An inquest was held before T. C. Maynard, Esq., Cc.
roner, at Sunderland, on Wednesday last, on the body c
W. Brown, whose death had been caused by the bite of a
dog, which he had received seven weeks ago.
H. Bell, cousin to the deceased, said on the 19th of No-
vember I was in Middleton's shop with my cousin, His
dog, which was a cocker, was in the shop. Ile struck it,
and it bit him on the right hand, on the fleshy part of the
thum'. The witind bled a little. He became ill on Sun-
day last, having complained on the Saturday of a stiffness
in the hand. He took his tea on Saturday as usual. On
Sunday night he was very poorly, and complained of sick.
nets. On the Monday morning Mr. Thompson was sent
fur. The deceased died at ten minutes past eight yester-
day morning. We have never seen the dog since it bit
him. Ile beat it with a stick, and it ran out of the back
doer into the low street. We had the dog about six
w eeks, but had seen nothing peculiar about it : it was ac-
customed to snarl and bite. The deceased would have
beer. 35 years of age on the lith of January, and was tin.
married. The dog was black-spotted and white.
Mr. Thompson, surgeon, deposed—l was called to at-
tend tl:e deceased about half-past eight o'clock on Monday
morning last. My young men had previously dressed his
Land when he received the wound. I found him vomiting
and complaining of a severe pain in the stomach, which be
stated was caused by eating an unbaked pie, at Seaham, on
Friday. He had an intense pain in the stomach, and bad
a difficulty in swallowing liquid in particular. 1 sent hint
a mixture and some pills, but on returning found be could
nut swallow the mixture, though he had taken the pills.
It was half an hour after when I called the second time.
He was trying to suck the mixture through a pipe-
stopper, but could not. He at length effected it by
taking a cup of tea. From that time the symp-
tums increased, particularly the difficulty in swallowing,
and tie aversion to water. I bled him to relieve the
pain, and called in Dr. Brown about three o'clock
in the afternoon. Eighteen leeches were applied
over the pit of the stomach. Dr. Brown agreed with
me that it was a case of hydrophobia. I continued with
him till seven o'clock yesterday morning. There was a
violent sighing and a heaving of the diaphragm, and it
sometimes took two or three persons to hold him down.
lie was quite sensible, and called for us to hold hint down.
'I f.e convulsive efforts latterly returned nearly every
minute, and his dread of water was intense. Whenever
he saw or felt it it convulsed his whole frame. He died
about right o'clock yesterday morning. I have no doubt
he died from hydrophobia. He never, while he was ill,
spoke to me of the bite in the thumb, but he mentioned
it to me several times while he was well. It was then
healed. It did not appear to have been a severe one.
lie said to me, when I was looking at the marks of the
wounds on his band, " You do not think anything of that,
do you?"
The Jury returned a verdict of "Died from hydro-
phobia, occasioned by the bite of a dog."

A report prevails in military circles that Lo:d
Hitt is about to retire from the Horse Guards, and that
the post of Commander-in- Chief will be put in commis-
sion We have not been able to obtain information by
which to justify our confirming or contradicting the
rumour. Recent circumstances, which have become
matters of public notoriety, and for which Lord Hill has
been severely censured, have been mentioned as grounds
of the report.—Globe.
CANTERBURY ELECTION.—We understand
IL P. Gipps, E-q., has withdrawn as a candidate for the
representation of this city, and that the Hon. Mr. Smythe,
son of Lord Strangford, intends to come forward. —Can.
terbury Journal.
Some doubts having been expressed as to the
precise nature of the advice to be offered to the Porte by
the Allies after the submission of Mehemet Ali, we fuel
that we shall not be found wrong in stating that the Allies
will advise the Sultan to grant to Mehemet Ali the heredi-
tary possession of Egypt, as the Governor of the Turkish
province of Egypt. arid not as vassal Prince, as some
persons have been led to believe. Connected in sonic
measure with this subject, we cannot avoid bestowing a
few words upon the rhapsodies of the Parisian journ ifs
respecting some communications said to have been made
to the French Government from the Emperor of Russia.
Let our readers give us implicit credit when we assure
them that these boastings about a projected alliance with
Russia against England are merely childish ebullitions of
pique, and silly attempts to sow distrust and disunion
among the Allies. But Austria, Prussia, and England
know the personal character and high sense of honour of
the Emperor Nicholas too well not too laugh at these
little stratagems of the politicians of Paris ; and, more-
.,,er, common sense must suggest to the most ordinary
e, ttprehension, that if there were really any secret under-
standing on foot, or in contemplation, between France and
Russia, the French would endeavour to prevent us from
knowing anything about it, until it was completed, instead
of trumpeting it forth to all Europe before it had even be-
gun.—Observer.
The Treasury, to create patronage, are about to
make the following retirements on superannuated
allowances :—Customs.—Two of the oldest commesi-
,ners, some of the old long-room officers, seven-
teen of the water-side officers, landing-waiters, &c., two
surveyors, several clerks, and several principal officers at
outports, Hull, Bristol, &c.—quite a turn-out in this and
other public departments.—From a Correspondent of the
Morning Post.
On Saturday night a fracas occurred in Clare-
ntrAet between a young man named John 11,14Phan and his
female companion, which resulted in the woman snatch-
ing a butcher's knife from a counter at hand and plunging
it through the man's right arm. The unfortunate fellow
wa; conveyed bleeding profusely to Ring's College Hos-
pital, and the wounded vessels secured. The woman
escapeO, and her victim will give no information respect.
ing her.