The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-21 00:00:00

BAIL COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

THE QUEEN V. MOTTRAM.
Mr. HAwKnis applied to have the defendant in this
case, who was now lying in Derby gaol, on a charge of
manslaughter, admitted to bail in the country. The
charge was for having caused the death of a person by
administering improper drugs. He was a poor man, and
an itinerant vendor of medicine.
Mr. Justice PATTESON, after reading the affidavits,
granted the application—the prisoner to find bail, him-
self in the sum of 2001., and four sureties in the sum of
501. each.

BANKRUPTCY.—(THIS DAY.)
(Before Mr. Commissioner GOULBURN.)
IN RE THOMAS DAY.
To-day was appointed for a dividend meeting, under
the estate of this insolvent, who was secretary to the
Southwark Commercial Savings' Bank, and clerk to the
Commissioners of Sewers. His debts amounted to about
5,7001.
In the course of the meeting a point of considerable
interest arose, on a claim being put in to prove for the
sum of 3001., for money advanced on an annuity granted
to a gentleman named Tapon. The question was whe-
ther the proof could be admitted for its present value,
or its value at the time the money was advanced. Se-
veral cases were quoted, in one of which 8,000/. had
been paid, but the party, whose life was assured, was
so improved at the time of the bankruptcy that it was.
estimated at 10,0001., and it was held that the proof
should be admitted for the full amount.
The Learned CommissioNEß, after hearing a long
argument, held that the Act 6, Geo. IV., prevented that,
and that he was bound to take into consideration the
value at the time of proof, having reference to the
money paid. He should, therefore, admit the proof, not
for the full amount, but take the Government scale of
its value at the present age of the bankrupt. It was
granted when the bankrupt was fifty, when an annuity,
is held worth 11i years' purchase ; he was now sixty-
four, and it was worth eight years' purchase.
The proof was then admitted for 2141. '
This will be a second dividend, hnd will be declared
lin a few days.

CLERKENWELL.—(THIS DAY.) •
Henry Kelly, a young man employed by Messrs. Piek-
ford, the extensive railway carriers, was brought before
Mr. Greenwood charged as follows :—lt appeared that
the prisoner, about nine o'clock last night, was driving
one of the Camden-town station waggons with three
horses at a rapid pace along the New-road on the wrong
side of the way, when he came in contact with a cab,
which he completely turned over, and smashed the two
shafts, the springs, and a part of the body, and so vio-
lent was the shock that the horse was also knocked down
and very severely injured. The driver was pitched out
over the horse's head and had a most miraculous escape
from being killed. When the prisoner saw what he had
done, he whipped his horses as hard as he could, and
set them a galloping at top speed ; but a large body
of the G division of police, who were marching out of
the station-house on night duty, having witnessed the
occurrence, stopped him, but not without some difficulty
and danger.
For the defence, a fellow-servant of the prisoner,
named Whittlemore, was called, who swore that the
prisoner was driving at a very moderate pace, and that
he neither whipped the horses, nor, in fact, had any whip
with him.
Mr. GREENWOOD said he did not believe one word the
last witness had stated. He should fine the prisoner 40s.
for furious driving, and, in default of payment, one
months' imprisonment ; and he should also order him to
pay 21., on account of the damage done to the cab.
Two notorious females, named Perrin, who are the
terror of the publicans in the neighbourhood, were sen-
tenced to twenty-one days' imprisonment for violently
assaulting Mr. Goodwin, a licensed victualler in Bald-
win's-gardens, Gray's Inn-lane, and smashing a number
of panes of glass in his shop.

CALLS TO THE BAR.—INNER TEMPLE.—The
under-mentioned members of the Inner Temple having
completed their terms were called to the bar yesterday
(the 20th inst.), and sworn in before several of the
benchers:—George Hibbert Deffell, Esq., of Trinity
College, Cambridge, M.A.; Burton Archerburton Esq.,
of Magdalen College, Cambridge, M.A. ; Edward
Francis Halsall, Esq., of University College, London ;
Augustus Freeerick Mayo, Esq., of Oriel College, Ox-
ford, M.A.; Richard Meredyth Richards, Esq., of Mer-
ton College, Oxford, M.A.; Tom Taylor, Esq., Fellow
of Trinity College, Cambridge, M.A.; John Best, Esq.,
of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, 8.A.; James William
Ferguson, Esq., of Caius College, Cambridge, 8.A.;
John Coucher Dent, Esq., of Magdalen College, Oxford,
8.A.; Samuel John Wilde, Esq., of King's College,
University of London ; Frederick Kingston, Esq.;
Matthew William Thompson, Esq., of Trinity College ;
Charles Cavendish Clifford, Esq., of Christ Church Col-
lege, Oxford, M.A.; Robert Anstruther Strange, Esq.,
of Christ Church College, Oxford, M.A.; Samuel Lucas
Esq., of Queen's College, Oxford, M.A.; Alexander
Kyd Curtis, Esq., M.A.; George Henry Money, Esq., of
Trinity College, Cambrdge, M.A.; Stephen Cave, Esq.,
of Balliol College, Oxford, M.A.; Charles Griffith
Smith, Esq., of Clare Hall, Cambridge, M.A.; Thomas
Francis Crosse, Esq., of Exeter College, Oxford, M.A.;
and John Charles Conybeare, Esq., of Downing Col-
lege, Cambridge, M.A.
CONDITION OF THE JEWS..--WARSAW, Nov. B.
Eighty Jews, headed by their Rabbi, arrived recently at
Warsaw, to request the governor to allow them to retain
their costume. They were taken to the police, where
their beards were shaved off and their long hair cut,
and then sent away. They demanded their beards and
hair, to place them in their burying-ground, but this
was refused them; they, however, received the barber's
bill, which they were made to pay.
TROTTING MATCH FOR 401.--Yesterday the trot-
ting match of two miles between Mr. Baker's horse, of
Westminster, and Mr. Reynoldson's mare, of Edmonton,
was decided in the Seven Sister's Road, Tottenham.
The mare won easily, and accomplished the two miles
under seven minutes.

-----
THE LATE ACCIDENT ON THE LANCASTER. AND
CARLISLE RAILWAY.—On Tuesday last an inquest was
held at the Bridge Inn, Kendal, before Richard Wilson,
Esq., on the body of Thomas Gaweth, one of the unfor-
tunate sufferers in the late accident on the above line,
when a verdict of Accidental death was returned.
Yesterday a very fine woodcock was shot by Mr.
ling, of Walworth, in a field near lionnington,

LITERATURE.
JOHN OF ENGLAND. 3 vols. By Henry Curling.
Until within the last half century, the advantages
derivable from the combination of history and fiction
were to a very considerable extent unrecognised.
We might almost say that until the, commencement
of that period they were unrealised. During a con-
siderable interval, indeed, novels were literally scouted
by a large proportion of the community. From an
idle and contemptible affectation of wisdom, many
individuals were formerly disposed to treat those
productions as detestable or frivolous, or even
both sometimes. A remarkable alteration in
this particular is now-a-days perceptible. The
novelist is admitted to the position to which he
is entitled in literature, and that position is by no
means contemptible or uninfluential. He is treated
with the distinction. which his profession deserves.
Influencing society more than almost any Other class
of authors; inculcating generous sentiments and
enobling principles_ under the most alluring guise;
depicting the superficial, and disclosing the hidden
characteristics of society with a faithful pencil; and
elevating the aspirations by acting upon the sus-
ceptibilities of his readers, he has a peculiar
claim upon our attention and consideration, 'and
that claim he has forced us (meaning society) to
acknowledge. We are of course alluding to the most
eminent class of novelists. Although many distin-
guished writers had conduced by their compositions
to this extraordinary change in popular opinion, it
was reserved for Sir Walter Scott to demonstrate in
a remarkable manner the solid benefits Which might
acrue from the sagacious intermixture of fictitious in-
cident and actual occurrences. By a succession of
inimitable works that Prince of Novelists rendered
the real dignity and merits of historical romance ap-
parent. He showed that by that beautiful species of
composition a more vivid idea of past ages and of lay-
gone events was conveyed to the perception of the
million than by more sober and more voluminous
records. He showed that a clearer conception of the
characters of the departed illustrious might be formed
from those agreeable delineations than from the por-
traitures of more didactic scribes. He showedivith
a singular felicity the mode in which instruc-
tion might be inextricably mingled with amuse-
ment, and how' in the pages of the historical ro-
mancist the spirit of departed generations might be
revived, for the improvement as well as for the re-
creation of the living multitude. " Kenilworth" re-
stored us to the days of Leicester and Elizabeth ;
the " Fortunes of Nigel" to those of James I. and
jingling Geordie ; " Anne of Gierstein" to the mys-
terious proceedings of the Veremgericht ; the "Talis-
man" to the deeds of Coeur de Lion in Palestine ;
" Waverley" to the tribulations of the young Pre-
tender and his upholders; " Quentin Durward" to
the reign of Louis XI. ; " Ivanhoe," again, to the
first Richard; and so on through the whole cata--
logue of those splendid productions. Eminently sue--
cessful, however, as the great Scotchman was in this
style of narrative, he has, in that very eminence of
success, shown the difficulty of making any such
achievement ; he has proved to all his successors, that
if one of the most arduous undertakings in literature
is the composition of a good tragedy, one of the next
degree of difficulty is the penning of a good
historical romance. The author of the present work
has been evidently fully aware of the many perils be
would have to encounter, of the Many pitfalls he
would have to overleap, of the many obstacles he would
have to annihilate, before he could hope for its fortunate
completion. The very excellence of the entire story
is a testimony that the narrator was conscious of the
existence of the obstructions he has vanquished so
well. Mr. Curling is already known by his novel-
entitled" The Soldier of Fortune." The three vo-
lumes lying under consideration assure us that he
may acquire a familiar and distinguished name
amongst our novelists, if he only persevere in the
course upon which he has adventured. " John of
England" is a picturesque and beautiful revival of one
amongst the most striking and eventful periods of our
national history. As the title indicates, the
plot is . situated partially in England, partially
in France, during the reign of the meanest and
vilest of our Kings John, the brother of Richard
Coeur de Lion, and Geoffrey Plantagenet. Mr.
Curling has admirably discriminated the disposition of
this cowardly and treacherous monarch; but, aware
of the disagreeable impressions which are alone con-
veyed by a contemplation of his actions, he has ren-
dered the incidents connected with King John subor-
dinate to those of the fictitious characters introduced.
And in this we conceive consists the principal success
of the romance. The story associated with the
heroine, Bertha Daundelyonne, is most felicitously
conceived. From the interest excited in her fortunes,
from the anxiety aroused by the perils of her capture
and imprisonment, and from the yet greater anxiety
experienced in her behalf during her withdrawal from
the power of her profligate. captors, we shall not de-
tract by giving a cold epitome. There is almost
as much art visible in the construction of
the plot as there is nature in its development.
In the beautiful and curiously accomplished
Bertha, and in her companions in the romance, the
IL hopes and wishes of the reader are aroused and sus-
' tamed throughout. The author has thoroughly en-
tered into the singular character of the age of which
King John was what Byron calls " the Thunderer of
centuryph
oasndtion hasoo
tsfkmtehtiecs
hrnueadl
teilohanen
asdmaaintuitive
s. s aa gAn adicdidet
iyds
phboi;
the scene." His imagination has reverted to that
withiatn nt
he reasnn
the monkish bookmen of that period, he has pour
trayed the people with a peculiar and charming
vividness ; from the palace to the dungeon, from the
cottage to the battlement. We observe that Mr.
Curling has introduced, as an episode to the principle
tale, the sufferings and mysterious assassination of
Prince Arthur Plantagenet. If our memory serves
us faithfully, this mournful catastrophe has already
been introduced to modern novel readers in Mr.
G. P. R. James's ".Philip Augustus." It is, however,
treated with so much of artistic skill in " John of
England," that we are persuaded the majority will be
grateful for the revival. In his description of the
murder committed upon the unfortunate prince, we
observe that Mr. Curling attributes it personally to
the base monarch himself. Whether he is justified
in so doing we think is extremely questionable. The
simple circumstances are, that Prince Arthur was
murdered in a dungeon of the Castle of Rouen, April
3, 1202. It does not appear who was his actual de-
stroyer, and the imputations upon John are attribut-
able rather to the inuendoes than to the positive
assertions of the different historians. One writes
that the Prince suddenly disappeared, but in what
manner nobody could conjecture, " Subito evanuit,
modo fere omnibus ignorato ;" another says, "feria
quintet ante Pascha propriamanu interfecit ;' while a
third is • .more explicit in his insinuations,
" Rex suspectus," he writes, " habebatur
ab omnibus, quasi ilium mane propria occidisset!"
William Brito, indeed, confidently maintains (Phi-
lipid. VI. 167.) that John stabbed his nephew twice
with a dagger, in a boat, and subsequently threw his
corpse into the river. But how does he attempt to
substantiate this bold assertion ? He merely states
it. We cannot but coincide with modern historians
in thinking that this assassination by John's own
hand is highly improbable, seeing that so many vil-
lains were in the world who would have snatched at
so facile a means of obtaining emolument. Mr.
Curling, however, with the allowable license of the
romancist, has given implicit credence; to
,Brito.. A
more interesting fiction has not been issued from the
press for a long period than " John of England. It
reminds one of the oriental metaphor of the reflection
of a rainbow upon plates of gold.

,-------:--
We hear that a movement is about being made to
form an asylum in Wales for the education and main-
tenance of the deaf and dumb children of the poor.
Several gentlemen in London have promised to come
forward and subscribe liberally in aid of the above ob-
ject; and it is hoped that the respectable portion of the
community in the Principality will take an interest in so
laudable an object. There have been found in more
than one instance in south Wales five deaf and dumb
children in the same family, and, being destitute of in-
struction, they are consequently bordering on idiotism.—
Welshman. .
TILE LATE TUNNEL ACCIDENT AT PERTH.—We
o thenthe falling
supposed
to thebe roof.ent
notnoticeded ,the week before last a serious accident which
had taken place on the Tuesday previous, at the tunnel,
f
must have been instantaneous. He was
The
amongbody
found on Friday, and from appearances his death
aonf thetlhr ei swhmorak
manrubbishn
was
On the samesday apother of the sufferers
died in the in-
firmary.
The others n theinjtired o . same occasion are
convalescent.—Perthshire Courier.

SUSPECTED MURDER TAT SUTTON.—The inquiry
into the case of George Taylor, whose body was dis-
interred after being in the grave two years, to ascertain
the presence of arsenic, which it was suspected had been
administered by Elizabeth Smith, his housekeeper, was
resumed on Tuesday last. Further. .evidence having
been given to show that the accused parties in recrimi-
nating each other had implicated themselves, the coroner
referred to a report which had been received from Pro-
fessor Taylor, who stated 'that he had completed the
analysis of the remains transmitted to him, and had been
unable to detect the presence of any metallic poison.
Mr. Pettinger, the surgeon, gave it as his decided opi-
nion, after hearing the evidence, and from the symptoms
he saw in Taylor, that he had died from the effects of
arsenic. Dr. Hugh Morten, of Newark, coincided in
that opinion. After the coroner had summed up the
evidence, the jury returned a verdict of manslaughter
against Elizabeth Smith and Sarah Taylor.
DARING BURGLARY.—Yesterday information was
forwarded to the police that the premises of Mr. Tylery,
No. 70, Long-lane, Barbican, had been entered on Friday
1 morning, and the entire stock of watches and jewellery
carried off, as well as ninety gold and silver watches,
valued at 2001., that had been left for repair.
A BLUE HARE.—On Tuesday last, a hare of a
singular colour, which had been seen in Mr. Wood-
'bridge's coverts, at Bigods, for a year or two, and called
the " blue bare," was.killed by Dr. Barnes. Its fur re-
sembled that of the grey squirrel, and had a very singular
appeanuce,—Chelinsford Chronicle,