The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-19 00:00:00

SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1851.

AMERICAN NEWS.

ARRIVAL OF iTt-11,; FRANKLIN.
SOUTRAMPTON, FRIDAY, APRIL 18.
The United States mail steam-ship Franklin, Cap-
tain J. A. 'Wootton, arrived off Cowes this afternoon,
at three o'clock, and after transferring the mails for
England to a small steamer, proceeded on her voyage
to Havre.
The Franklin had on board 101 passengers, of
whom about 20 landed at Southampton. Her freight
list comprises 78 pack sges of s pecie, value 500,000(lolls.,
for Havre ; also 300 bales of cotton, and 100 packages
of sundries.
The Franklin has encountered heavy westerly wea-
ther during the entire passage. On the 16th inst., in
lat. 49 50, long. 14 30, she saw the French brig
Francais, from Cette, hound to Havre, showing signals
of distress. On communicating with her, she found
that she was short of bread, and an ample supply was
immediately afforded by the steamer.
The American mail steam-ship B iltic arrived at
New York on the 3J, after a passage of twelve days
eight hours.
By the Franklin we have accounts from New York
to the sth inst.
Tne negro excitement still continued at Boston,
in consequence of the continued arrest of fugitive
slaves. On the 4th inst. Mr. Fletcher Webster, son
of the Hon. Daniel \Whiter, was arrested and im-
prisoned at B iston. The following telegraphic dis-
patch in tlh.. Anew York Herald explains the parti-
culars :

_
" BOSTON, APIVI. 4.
" At a late hour last night a fugitive -slave, named
Thomas Sims, was arrested while passieg Endicot-street,
by a Deputy United States Marshal, assisted by mem-
bers of the police and wa.ch. lie at first :supposed that
he was arrested for thunkenness, but as be reached the
Court-house the true nature of the case was made
known, when the cry of • Kidnapper!' was raised, and
the prisoner drew a knife and stabbed officer Buckman
in the groin. He was, however, safely lodged in the
Court-house. At about ten o'clock an Abolition
lawyer, named Samuel E. Sewell, met Deputy-Marshal
Riley in the street, and was so violent and abusive,
that he was sent to.the watchhouse, where he remained
for an hour. Late in the night, Mr. Fletcher Webster
found a watchman ringing the bell of Stone's chapel, and
supposing an alarm of fire had been raised by the
Abolitionists in order to collect. a mob,- he -ordered the
watchman to desist. Mr. Webster attempted to
_drag
the man from the rope, and afterwards assaulted him.
The officer called for assistance, and Mr. Webster was
taken to the watchhouse and thence to the gaol.
" This morning the Court-house is completely sur-
rounded by Marshal Tukey and his police force, who
had drawn a chain completely about it. There is a large
crowd about the place, tew of whom are blacks. Sims
came to this city about the 7th of March last. He is 23
years of age, and has a wife and several children in
Savannah.

" The examination of the fugitive slave was com-
menced this forenoon, at nine o'clock, before Commis-
sioner G. T. Curtis. Seth J. Thomas appeared for the
claimant; the Hon. Robert Rantoul, Charles G. Loring,
and S. E. Sewell, for the fugitive.
The complaint was then read, alleging that Sims
escaped from James Potter, rice planter, Chatham
county, Georgia, on the 22d of February last. Several
depositions of persons in Savannah were read, to the
effect that they knew Sims as the slave of James Potter.
Some deposed that Sims had confessed that he was the
slave of Potter, and also that his mother had acknow-
ledged that both she and her son were the slaves of
Potter.
" Edward Burnett testified that he lived in Savannah,
and that he knew Thomas Sims, the prisoner at die bar.
Sims had worked with him at bricklaying. Had told
him that he was the slave of Potter. Also heard his
mother say that she and her son were the slaves of
Potter.
" John E. Bacon, the agent of the owner, testified
that he had known Thomas Sims well for a long period
of years. Ha had resided in Savannah, and was the
slave of James Potter. Had lived within 60 yards of
his mother, and the prisoner passed witness's house
twice a day going to his work. Was positive that Sims
was the man. Had seen the mother of Sims pay over
his wages to Potter in Sims' presence.
" There was one other witness, but his testimony was
not put it.
" Defendant's counsel prayed for delay until Tuesday,
but the Commissioner only granted a postponement for
24 hours. The counsel fur the defence stated that they
believed Sims to be a free man, even under the laws of
Georgia.
•' The case was then adjourned until to-morrow, and
the Court• house cleared.

- - -
" APRIL 4, 1 30 P.M.
" The following notice has just been issued from the
Commonwealth office, and pasted about the streets:—
" PUBLIC MEETING—KIDNAPPERS IN BOSTON.
" Men of Boston ! One of your fellow-citizens was
last night seized by slave•hunters. He is in most immi-
nent deadly peril. The citizens of Boston and its
neighbourhood are earnestly invited to assemble, without
arms, in front of the State-house, at half past two o'clock
P.M , to consult for the public good.'
The Court-house is still surrounded with chains, and
guarded by a large body of police-officers.
" The fugitive is in a roosn'in the third story, which
is secured by six two-inch bolts upon the inside.
" Several military companies are at their armories, in
readiness for action in cas•3 of any disturbance or at-
tempt at rescue ; indeed, every precaution has been
taken to prevent a second Shadraeh affair.
" The city remains in an excited state. The square
around the Court-house has been cleared once or twice
of the crowd collected by detachinents of the city watch,
and one or two who refused to stir were taken into
eustoly. The square, however, is again half full
Sixty resolute men guard the Court-house upon the in-
side, and others are ready at the different watch-houses
upon the least alarm.
" No blacks are to be seen abroa,l, but knot; of white
men are collected all over the city discussing the
matter. The great majority are in favour of obedience
to the law.
" The agent of the owner refuses to sell the slave; his
orders are to take him out of Massachusetts, to test the
law."

The Herald also publishes the following :
" GOING TJ THE WORLD'S FAIR.—A portion of the
Irish Directory of this city—at least a slievegammon
slice of it—has engaged state-rooms in one of the Oeeau
steamers which is to sail for England in the latter part
of April. Queen Victoria had better look out fdr her
Crown, if not for her salary."

The subjoined extracts convey all the items of in-
terest received by the present steamer :
" The mild weather of spring has broken upon New
York, and the public promenades abound with fashion-
able pedi,strians anxious to enjoy the genial atmos-
phere. The spring trade has set in very fairly, and, as
some of the more northern cities have been deserted by
southern merchants, the present season will be very
beneficial to New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore,
the merchants of these cities holding the principal cor-
respondence with southern houses.
The Bill for the completion of the enlargement of
the canals of this state was discussed at great length,
and finally carried, in the Assembly yesterday. The
friends of the measure were determined, according to all
appearances, to fore: it through, although its unconsti-
tutionality was clear. Its advocates evidently resorted,
to the higher law' for the accomplishment of their
purpose.
s. The Senate of this state yesterday passed the Bill
for the bridging of Lake Champlain at Rouse's Point, a
subject which has been debated at great length for some
four years.
" Postal arrangements of a reciprocal character have
at length been perfeoed between the United States and
the Canadas, the postage ta be 10 cents for half-ounce
letters under 3,000 miles, and 15 cents for any distance
over that. Such an arrangement as this has long been
wanted, and we have no doubt it will be; attended with
good effects. All that is wanted now to make Canada
, virtually a portion of the United States is the passage of
the reciprocity Tariff Bill. When that measure is passed
we shall be as intimately connected with Canada as
would be desired.
" We learn by telegraph that American vessels are
daily passing through the Welland Canal, thus proving
that, up to this time, at all events, that branch of naviga-
tion has not been closed against us. It would be folly
in the Canadians to shut out our commerce, for, in this
age of the world, when free trade is the ruling principle,
it would be suicidal in them to do so. Such a policy they
cannot but know would injure them more than it would
us, and postpone, indefinitely, the Reciprocity Act which
they are so anxious of entering into, and which, pro-
bably, will be passed by the next Congress. The history
of this country shows that it cannot be driven into any
treasure."

COMMERCIAL NEWS.
NEW YORK' APRIL 4.—The activity of the Stock
Market is well sustained, and the prices still show an
upward tendency, although the advance is not so re-
gular as it was at the commencement of the movement.
Canton, however, continues to advance with rapidity, and
went to 71, a further improvement of 21 per cent. Har-
lem was active, opening at 711, going to 72, and closing
at 714, an improvement of per cent. Reading shows
an advance of I per cent. Erie is I better than yester-
day, closing at 844., bid. New Jersey was firm at 16,
with sales. Norwich fell off per cent. at the First
Board, but improved / per cent. at the Second Board,
closing firm at 64i bid. Morris is per cent. better.
Hudson River improved 1 per cant. Farmers' was more
active, and improved per cent. Portsmouth was rather
heavy, and went to 12g. Edgevvorth fell off per cent.
Mohawk was in demand at 94k, an improvement of 2
per cent. Rochester and Syracuse also improved 2 per
cent., and Utiea.and Schenectada were also better. The
largely increesed receipt on this whole line of road is
calling oct 3 demand for investment. There are a con-
siderable number of shorts in Mohawk, which iccre:o„,
the demand for that stock. Stonington was not
very firm. A sale of 59 shares was made at 46, buyer
twelve months, 21 per cent. over the cash price. A similar
sale of Farmers' was made of 300 shares at 70, being
21 per cent. above the cash price. A seller six months
sale of Morris was made at 181. Long Island was steady
at yesterday's rates. Madison advanced per cold.
There is more movement in North American Tract,
which has been dull for some time past. Indiana Pre.
ferred Fives improved per cent., and the special were
held at higher prices. Erie Securities were firm, and
convertibles with considerable titles went at 9111- per cent.
Second mortgages improved 41 per cent., and incomes
/ per cent. There were no transactions in Government
. or State stocks, but higher prices were demanded.
In Exchange there is no activity, but rates were, firm
for Sterling at 10 to 101; Franca are heavy, ;it 5,10 to

5.071; lismburgh, 37 to 37A-; Bremen, 791 to 791;
Amut-I.dam, 411 to 42.
Freights real Ada unchanged. About 1,00) bales cot-
ton wero engaged at 3-16 to 7-323 ; 1,000 obis. flour,
12d.; 1,000 bb!tk. turpmtiae, 151.; 700 bbl:, resin, 9d.;
and dead, weight at 12s. 6d. to 15s. To Cuba two vessels
were ertg,aged at 21. aad 21. 7s. 6d. for Europe. To
California there is a moderate amount of business doing
at 403. to 60c.

Cotton— rile unexpected advance, by the Baltic, of

-II to 11, instead of a decline of abort that line, has not
stimulated our market as much as was anticipated, from
the great desire evinced by holders to make sales at a
small improvement on previous rates. The transactions
were reported at 4,000 bales, at ic. advance, say on the
basis of 1 lie. to 111 c. for middling Upland.
Feathers—Within a day or two 5,000 lbs. live geese
changed hands at 40c. cash.
Fish—la dry cod there was rather more doing, and
the market was v‘ry firm. A cargo of 1,100 quintals,
ju=t arrive 1, vi OA taken from first hands. at 3 dolls. 12c.
Of mackerel 300 hblv. sold at 10 dolls. 120. to 9 dolls.

12c. for 1 and 2. Nothing new in herrings.
Freighta—There was wore cotton .)ficring for Liver-
pool; about 1,000 bales were engaged at 3-16 d. to 7-32(i.,
with some Pmalt lots at i. There was no change in
rates to London or Flays. To Caiifornia the clipper
Eureka had completed cargo, at about 70c., while ordi-
nary sailers were obtaining 40c. to 502. There was
rather more offering.
Fruit—Since our last there have been sales of 1,000
boxes Mollt2a ritAns, at 8 dolls to 8 dolls. 12c.; 200
ditto halves, at 1 doll.
Breadstuff,—biour —There was a firmer feeling in the
market for the low and medium grades of State and
Western, and with a better Eastern and local inviry;
7,500 bbls. domestic changed winds at 4 dulls. 25c. to 4
dolls. 31c. for No. 2 super. ; 4 dolls. 50c. to 4 dulls. 621
for ord. to choice State ; 4 duds, 56c. to 4 dol 6.
75c. for Indiana and Michigan ; 4 dulls. 680
to 4 dolls. 87c. for New Orleans, and 4 dol s.
94c. to 5 dolls. for pure Geneses. Other brand:
sold to a fair extent at unchanged rates. Canadian
was inactive, and nominal, at dolls. 4 62c., in bond. Fo
Southern flour the market was more buoyant, and prices
have advanced. Transactions add up 4,500 barrels.
mostly for shipment, at 4 dolls. 68c. to 4 dolls. 81c. fur
common; and 5 dolls. to 5 dolls. 56c. for fancy. Of ry.-
flour the sales reached 100 bbls., at 3 dulls. 37c. to 3 dolls.
50c. Meal sold to a limited extent at former quota-
tions. Wheat was held with more firmness, while the
demand was fair. The sales, however, were confined to
a parcel of ordinary Canadian in bond, at 96c. Rye
was scarce and quiet at 75c. Barley was in request.
with sales of 1,500 bushels, at 7 dolls. 6e. to 1 dolls.
120 , a decline. Oats have not varied. Corn has been

pretty active, without marked alteration in value, SOM3
18,000 bushels yellow. New. Jersey and Southern,
changed hands at 68c. to 68ic.
Coffee had a drooping tendency, with sales of 500 bags
Rio at 10-la.; 150 ditto Java, at 12ic.; and 200 ditto St.
Domingo, at 91c. to 9i3. cash.
Wool-The stocks have materially decreased, and
there is now a good supply in the market. Prices gene
rally are a shade lower;- below we submit a revised list
of current prices. Sales during the week were made of
200 bales Smyrna and other Meditterranean unwashed
at 13c. to 16c.; 100 bales Smyrna washed at 24c. to 26c.,
six months, and 50,0001b5. fleece, of low and medium
qualities, at 45c. to 46c. cash. American Saxony, fleec( ,
per lb., 50c. to 55c.; American, full blood Merino, 44e.
to 48c.; American, and a Merino, 39c. to 43c.; Amer-
can, native and Merino, 35c. to 38&.; superfine, pulled.
country, 40c. to 43c.; No. 1, pulled, country, 36c. to 380.;
superfine, pulled, city, 38c. to 39c.; No. 1, pulled, city,
36c. to 37c.; Peruvian, washed, 263. to 35c.; Valparaiso
unwashed, 11c. to 13c.; South American, washed, 18c.
to 20c.; South American, unwashed, 10c. to 12c.; South
American Cordova, washed, 24c. to 25c.;. South Amen.

can Cordova, unwashed, 12c. to 13c.; East India, washed
28c. to 30c.; African, unwashed, 10c. to 18c.; Africa!,
washed, 27c. to 35c.; Smyrna, unwashed, 14c. to 17c.
Smyrna, washed, 25c. to 28c.; Mexican, unwashed
16c. to 17c.

WEST INDIA MAILS.

ARRIVAL OF THE CLYDE.

As we announced yesterday, the West India mail
packet Clyde, Captain F. E. Moss, put into Falmouth
on Thursday morning, at 8, A.M., short of fuel.
Her dates of sailing are as follow :—Tampico, March
8 ; Jamaica, March 17 ; Porto Rico, March 21; De-
merara, March 16 ; Tobago, March 16 ; Trinidad.
March 17; Grenada, March 18; St. Lucia, March
19 ; Barbadoes, March 19 ; Martinique, March 20 ;
Guadaloupe, March 20 ; Montserrat, March 21 ; St.
Thomas, March 21 ; Fayal, April 7.
The Clyde brought home 928,777 dollars on mer-
chants' account, 8,182,876 dollars on account of Mex-
ican dividends, and 8,460,504 dollars value in gold
dust. Her cargo consisted of 144 serons of cochineal,
9 serons of indigo, 33 serons of jalap, 12 hhds.
or
coffee, 5 bales of sarsaparilla, and 67 packages of
sundries.
Her Majesty's ship Bermuda was at Grey Town ;
the Imauw, Alarm, and Persian, with the steamer
Alban, were at Jamaica; and the surveying ship
Scorpion, with the Spanish man-of-war Solon, at St.
Thomas's, when the Clyde left.
The Company's ship Conway was en route to Ha
vannah; Derwent, at St. Thomas's, March 22 ; Eagle,
at Barbadoes, March 28 ; Great Western, at St
Thomas':, March 22. The Trent arrived at St. Tho-
mas's on the morning of March 18, and was coarint,
when the Clyde left.
Tne following is the list of passengers who cam,-
home in the Clyde:—
Mr. Caillavet, lady, and child, from Greytown; Mr.
Bertrand, Mr. DesplaLque, two ladies, and three chil
dren, Mr. Baney, lady, and two children, from Chogre.,;
Mr. C. Matinez, Mr. A. Haupois, from Carthagena; Mr.
Pcgenhandt, two ladies, three children, and servant,
Madame Ribousch, Count Reglas, Mr. Monziles, Mr
Blumenkron, Mr. Gutman and servant, Mr. Jose Pojal
Mr. C. W. Duck, from Vera Cruz; Mr. and Mrs. East.
Mr. Forster, Mr. and Mrs. Jaffnay, three children, and
two servants, from Jamaica; Mr. Woppumann, two
ladies, fire children, and servant, Mr. Smith, Mr. Cun-
ningham, Mr. Irvine, Mr. Chambers, from Demerara:
Mr. Johnson and son, Mr. Cockerton, from Trinidad;
Dr. and Mrs. Swanston, Mr. G. Swanston and servant.
from St. Kitt's; Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, three children.
and servant, Mr. B. Cohen, Mr. P. Garcia, from St.
Thomas; Captain Taylor, from Fayal.

JAMAICA MARKETS.
Sugar sold at 21s. 63., 19s. 6d., and 198.
SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY EVENING.
The Clyde steam-ship arrived here this afternoon
about five o'clock.

---
INTERESTING FROIII THE WEST INDIES.
By the arrival of the B.oyal Mail steam-ship
Merlin, Captain Samson, we have received dates from
Sr. Thomas to the 221 ult., and from Bermuda to
the 27th.
The drought which had prevailed for several week,'
at Bermuda had been somewhat relieved by some
heavy showers; but no continuous rain, sufficient to
replenish the exhausted tanks, had visited the islands.
Vegetation had improved, but the want of water was
much felt.
On the 7th inst. the Legislature meets for the dis-
patch of business, in accordance with a proclamation
of the Governor.
Vice-Admiral the Earl of Dundonald arrived at
Bermuda on the 231, in his flag-ship Wellesley, from
a cruise among the West India Islands. His sue
eessor, Sir George Seymour, is expected early this
month.
The Trinidad papers, in noticing a rumour that
the Pitch Lake hid been granted to the Earl of Dun-
donald by the Government, expresses a hope that
their rulers "have nut made any concession without
s o guarding it that the Pitch Lake may not become
an injurious monopoly in the hands of a few indivi •
duals." This grant is supposed to have connexion
with some experiments lately made in this city rela-
tive to the value of mineral pitch for producing gas
for lighting cities.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, FRIDAY, APRIL 18.
The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert
took their usual morning walk.
The Royal Family took walking exercise in the
grounds around the Castle.
Her Siaj,sty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, her Royal
Highness the Princess Royal, the Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Court, and the domestic Household, attended
divine service in the private chapel in the Castle, Her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent also attended the
service. The Hon. and Rev. Gerald Wellesley 018
ciated, and administered the Holy Communion.
Dispatches were sent off yesterday to the Governor
of the Canadas, and the Governors of the other North
American Colonies from the Colonial Office.

STEAM TO THE CAPE.---.PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY.
The mail steam-packet Propontis, Captain Glover, which
arrived here this morning, left the port with the
outr
mails on the night of the 17th of January, arrivat St.
Vincent on the 30th, reached Sierra Leone on the 4th of
February, and left again on th arrived touched at St. Helena
on the 16th of February, and at the Cape of Good
Hope on the 28th. Her outward passage thus occupied 42
days, and was considerably lengthhened by
ed heherr fresh
go out
water
tanks baying proved leaky, whic compell to
Helena. On the homeward
of her course, and call at St.
passage she left the Cape o h
n te 7th of March, arrived at
Sierra Leone on the 23d, and sailed therefrom on the 24th ;
called at St. Vincent on the 30th, and left on the 31st. She
arrived at Falmouth on the 16th, and Plymouth on the 17th
inst., thus making the homeward passage to Falmouth in 40,
and to Plymouth in 41 days. Although there have been
lately such severe gales in the Channel, the Propontis ex ,e-
-rienced only fresh easterly breezes, but these were accoml2.a
nied by tremendously heavy seas, which caused her to i;ch-
stem down, and frequently threatened the loss of hoerlipisla'sts
sign' aliusehd-
-a casualty which greatly retarded her prog,resshse.
Sun-
day, the 13th, in lung. 10 52 W., lat. 44 N
the large Bremen ship Obers, of 1,000 to 1,20.3 tone, outward-
bound,pt he
pennant n alnstt 15th,
and,e signalised
i num-
bereeel asecond
emigrants.
distinguishing
athSfeaume day a large Dutch ship, blue flag, No. 905,
9iaetrhn-dbound, and passed through a heavy fleet of ships
barki2oni6e, with
receptions announced to take place at the
will' not commence until after the opening of
boundm aTn shi
eounp.
hC oh uasne n
the Great Exhibition, the Lord Mayor being desirous not
only of receiving at them the literati and scientific men of
this country and of the Continent, but more especially of
imelaartktinogthhiiss
epochwarrn ipnartthieciation in the general wish to give
historyi
Mansion-house
itohne.
hou
set
industrial
o
the world
by
offering the hospitality of the foreign
commissioners,' as well as to those contributors who may re-
ceive marks of distinction.

PLAINNESS.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)
Plainness is a sort of half-way stage between
beauty cn the one hand and ugliness upon the other.
Teat some critical persons may perhaps say does not
amount to a definition, and they are right, but then
we should reply that it is not our business to define
but to describe and paint, and so to make more clear
than can be accomplished by the aid of a definition.
For in truth these definitions are not often very
manageable or understandable things, and besides
being very difficult to construct they are not half so
graphic as a description, which is a picture done in
words, showing us what a thing is to our senses.
Dai our readers ever try their hands at a defini-
tion ? If not, we would advise them to make the
attempt, and if they succeed they will perceive at
once how hard, coll., dry, and unsatisfactory a thing
it is; how undescriptive and how ineffectual for
conveying a mental image. In order to define,
it. is absolutely necessary that there should he a
standard and a measure, and that positive qualities
and unvarying quantities, shou'el be the bases,
but if we were to endeavour to apply such a rule to
beauty for example, we should be completely at sea.
There is no cast of features in which beauty nem:-
eerily resides, nor any proportion of face or person
which necessarily insures the possession of that quality
which we call beauty. A man or woman may he
either handiorne or ugly, with a Jewish face a Ilmnan
orofiie, or Grecian contour, with an Eastern s%,.llow-
nesa of complexion, or an Italian sunniness of skin, Or
.vith red and white Saxon cheeks. The beauty unly
on either tall or short, voluptuously full or gracefully
thin of figure, a Jano, a Minerva, a Venus, *or a
4ylpb. In fact, beauty has as many qualities as there
are minds to contemplate it, and while there is an
absence of any universally authorative canon, there
are thousand 4 of individual standards of opinion, and
while this makes it impossible to give a catholic de-
tinition which all may receive, it enables us to appeal
co each man's instinctive feeling of that which is to
him the most beautiful.
But though there is a variety of thought and opi-
lion, there is also some sort of agreement. For ex-
ample, what one calls beautiful, another seldom calls
plain or ugly. They may not recognise in what ap-
pears perfection to others the highest point of attrac-
tiveness to them, but they feel that it is far from re-
pulsive, that it is anything but ugly. The portly
sturdy farmer, for.example, might look upon one of
Rubens's fresh-coloured wide-spread dames as the re-
alization of his highest dreams of loveliness, while the
courtly connoisseur actuated by a more delicate taste,
would call such a specimen of womankind a "fine
woman," and turn for a higher embodiment of beauty
co a Venus by Corregio or Titian, or a Madonna
from the brush of Raphael—forms which the aforesaid
farmer would perhaps be content to designate as
" pretty." Though one might dissent from the other's
opinion of beauty he would not call its visible expres-
sion ugly. That is the amount of agreement which
links together all men's perceptions and sensations,
and blends the Protestantism of individuality into the
Catholicism of universality.
This sort of agreement, too, goes to indicate that
there are some common qualities entering into every
idea of beauty which prevents any one's loveliness
from being any other persons repulsiveness ; but
what they are we have not found out; and poets,
fiction writers, painters, and sculptors, seem from
the diversity of their descriptions and representations
to be equally in the dark. There is, indeed, one
statue to which all bow down as the visible realize-
don of the highest beauty of the female form, the
Venus de Medici, but unfortunately that does not
mond the matter, for if the philosophy of the brain is
to be trusted, such a form and such an expression
could not be blended together in life, for the head is
so small that it could only belong to an idiot, and if
the sculptor, Pygmalion-like, had fallen in love with
the inanimate production of his chisel, and animated
it with the Promethean fire of life, the expression of
mind would have vanished from its countenance, and

the beauty of the face have faded into the listless look
of repulsive imbecility.
We will not therefore attempt to deane beauty or
ugliness, nor try to make them comprehensible, ex -
cept by referring them to the attractiveness or repul-
siveness which they exercise over every one; nor will
we attempt to mend our definition of plainness which
is the mid point between everybody's idea of beauty
end ugliness—that which neither repulses violently
nor attracts powerfully.
Beauty is a good, no doubt, because we all invo-
luntarily admire and love it, and ugliness is also cer-
rainly an evil because we all involuntarily dislike it.
In these respects we not only cannot command our
feelings, but we have not the opportunity of doing
so, because they act before we have time for thought.
If a man were placed between two strangers whom
tie had never seen before and wished for convereatien,
he would be prompted to turn from the least agree-
able looking to the most attractive, as naturally as he
would leave the thistle to feast upon the bright
J °lours and the fragrAnce of the ruse; but while the
dowers never deceive him—while they, instinct with
the truth of nature, al ways are what they seen to be,
tie would °flea find that among men and women ap-
pearances are very dt-ceptive, and that behind the
beautiful mask might be concealed a disagreeable
-pirit or on empty head, and that the coarse, ill-
tCrmed visage was the title-page of a benevolent
neart, and a capacious and well-itored mind—that
the good of the one had bee❑ a source of evil, the evil
)f the other had been a fountsin of good—that when
the pleasant rill had dried up, the solid ruck had
opened and gushed forth in crystal waters—that the
beauty, trusting to mere appearance, had let the
spirit run to waste, and its power wither away,
while the less favoured child of nature bad sought
another staff to lean upon, and unblessed by beauty
of form had illuminated his mind, and made that

radiant.
More frequently, however, both the good of the one
and the evil of the other, as extremes are said to meet
and blend, produce from opposites precisely the same
results. Beauty is, strange as it may sound, as preg-
nant with repulsiveness as ugliness itself. The fine
face with its carnation lip 3 and delicately cut nose
and radiant eyes, has existed in the region of flattery
and adulation till the proud haughty smile, and su-
percilious stare, and cold, indifferent expression be-
come its habitual companions and freeze up the in.
stinctive feelings which would draw us towards it;
while hideousness, pointed at, laughed at, scorned,
sneered at, and despised, has wound round its heart
the dark veil of misanthropic hatred, and knitted its
unattractive brows in a malicious frown which ren •
ders repulsiveness still more repulsive. Bath beauty
and ugliness wither a great deal of natures goad, and
perhaps are equally to be dreaded, the one as a daa-
gerous gift, the other as a melancholy affliction ; the
ane as the burning sun which scorches up immature
fruis, the other as the cloudy, cold, bleak atmosphere
which forbids the buds and blossoms of the heart to
open into ripeness and beauty.
In the midst then of these extremes of the good and
evil of form--dangerous because they are extremes—
comes the safe mediocrity of plainness, destitute of
!tie attractiveness of beauty, but without the repul-
siveness of ugliness. It is to perfect loveliness what
the mild summer of the temperate zone is to the
burning heat of the tropics, and it is to hideousness
what the genial, bracing healthfulness of an. Englishits
winter is to the frigid cold of the arctic circ
t.mit.
possessor is unassailed by the lofty and yet con. e
free
ible vanity which beauty so often fosters,. and is tr.ee
from the dark shade of misanthropy which the satire
and scorn of the world so often casts around
the ugly.
The plain man is like the man who is " passing rich,"
whose wealth does not suffice to give him a false im-
portance, and is yet too great to suffer him to fear the
grinding hardship and the withering degradation of
poverty and want ; he has the happy medium, and we
are disposed to look upon him as one of the favoured
mortals whom nature has framed for calm happiness
and knowledge.
Whether this be the sole cause or not we are not
dogmatic enough nor sufficiently presumptuous to
say, but if we look at the portraits of great and wise
and good men in alleges, we shall find that the vast ma-
jority belong to the class whom we call plain people;
and when they have had anything of that quality
which men would consent to call beauty, we shall
find that it has been, as a rule, the beauty of expres-
sion and not the beauty of form—that it has been
owing to the character which the mind imparted to
the face, and not to the hue of the complexion or con-
tour of the features. The English are such a practi-
cal people that they think "an ounce of fact is worth
a ton of theory," and a fact like the one we have just
mentioned is likely to weigh with them far more
strongly than a book full of learned argument,
When, then, they direct their attention to the faces
of such men as Luther, Cromwell, Johnson, and Sir
Walter Scott, they will have a better notion of the
power which plain men exercise than any we can
otherwise give them. far
Certain it is, too, that plain people aregenerally
more lovable than either handsome or ugly people. We
..
need not give examples of this, because they
co-
in every Lady's experience ; a few minutes otf f
sideration will convince our readers oft
truth
over
,h
any lady or gentleman doubts the fact lob him run
the list of his best and dearest friends, and onserve
whether the majority are net plain people. We do
not, of course, write this for lovers, because they catch
the blindness which is one of the attributes of their
tutelary deity. "Love's blind, they
lovers are not quite blind they a., say;" am', if
e afflicted, or
ble-sed.—it is hard to '.say which—with a sort of
amorous ophthalmia,
which makes them very short-
sighted indeed. Their love actually makes blemishes
into beauties; and perhaps they have so associated
the imperfections of the object of their affections with
his or her personal identity, that, to take away the
deformities would be to change a beloved individual
for an indifferent stranger. In a Swiss tale, for ex-
ample, there is a beautiful little episode, which is so
true that we fancy it must have been copied from na-
ture. It Valid of a YQVUIR WNW gtrl WhQ wag be'