The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-25 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

FAIRY LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS 04° f
THE SOUTH OF IRELAND. LoNDox.
Murray.
Mr. Murray has acted wisely in republishing these
delightful legends in his " Family Library." No
can doubt their genuineness, for the true Irish imress
is on them all, though we doubt not, Mr. Crofton
Croker, for obvious reasons, has been tempted to
colour them a little. Those who desire to know 0,
what strange motley materials Irish humour and Iris':
fancy are made up, will find their curiosity more bengratified by a perusal of this little volume. Here theY
will find samples of rich drollery and melting pathos.;
the fantastic mixed up with the real, and the terrible
with the ludicrous, in a way that beggars all description;
and sets all imitation at defiance. Talk of the legends
the
old countries ! There are none comparable to t°.
old Milesian ones—none that approach them in hoar
nation—none that come near them by many degrees 1
rich humour, and that peculiar absurdity whose
very breadth and quaintness almost amount W
genius. Our English fairies, though laughirleo
and mischievous little creatures enough, yet are ST
and common-place compared with their brethren on the_
other side of the channel. Such mad pranks as these
last imps play off ! Such original—such irresistible
powers of roguery as they develope I Why, eveo
Puck himself never showed half the wit, humour, in;
vention, or ingenuity of the " Cluricaune ;" and his
will back the " Merrow” or dancing crab, with
cocked-hat on, against all the elves, warlocks, 0r
gnomes that ever played tricks with travellers in the
meadows, glens, or mountains of Scotland, Germany', or
Norway. An Irish fairy looks for all the world like
an English fairy drunk ! There are limits to the areh
drolleries Of the one. Those of the other know /10
hounds. The peasant character of Ireland is ln°re
fully laid open to us in these light, unpretendin.c!,
legends, than in all the ponderous and elaborate i
serLations that have ever yet appeared on the "stlbiee
The Irish peasant cherishes faith in the national sir
perstitions, because, in their mingled humour, gr
tesqueness, fancy, pathos, and absurdity, lie ree°g;
nizes the qualities of which his own motley charnet
is made up. They are the mirrors in which he see
himself reflected. A work like this, therefore, enlb°-
dying, in a characteristic manner, all the floating P°:
pular traditions of Ireland, is something better th 3 r
a work of mere amusement : it is one calculated to se
us thinking—one from which the philosopher may
ther the soundest materials of wisdom. The v°ll.lllli
is neatly printed, and embellished with a variety
wood cuts. Some of these are capital. For instane
the figures of the two dancing crabs on the sea-sh°re:
who are sticking their legs (arms) a-kimbo,
and Pi-
rouetting each on one claw, exhibit just that langnis"led
and self-satisfied spirit, which has so often overpower
us in John Reeve's Cupid !

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

SEPT. 24.—Wind light
light
River, and s(FaillteOdN,f
DEAL, SE
for Bombay. An Austrian brig from till'eLOLDp'selror Alexan- - A',,ririrqvue! from the
1 din. hunt,
andTrvieasrfieabalen.d--a
,Th.,ht
from the westward, passed for- Loomndon.--Five 1::,000c;"dia
breezes from the N.E.—The American brig '
sailpoedncorsAUT
Übes.SIOLH, SEPT. 24.—Wind S.EArr
: ed On
Plawgworth, Nesbitt, from Onega. Sailed his "e st ' 3'.94
ivf-
ship Zebra, for the Cape of Good Hope.
PLYMOUTH, SEPT. 23.—Wind E., strong and_is9;l3l,lY::4
Arrived his Majesty's
FALMOUTH,Water
sGibbs,EpT.
squally.—Arrived_ the 2S2ta.—r,
frosmhipmValiacgtozia, from 0..., a%
Nish,
from
tosEt.Sp.Boin.,ilflFriceiofse.llshairridel
PENZANCE, SEPT. 23.—Arrived off port, Jamaica.
from Ancona, and LadyFitzherbertr,oFmerries, ftrie'me
BRISTOL,SEPT. 24.—Arrived the Ada,
and
Stephens, Honduras and Princess Charlotte, Pike,
Stephens, f.rom Jamaica.
LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 23.—Arrived the Ellen GGerum;t:
Blundell, from Oporto. Off port, the Sarah, La
an Virginian, Harris, from New York.
CLYDE, SEPT. 02. Arrived the Ariel, Nichol, from
Trinidad.
LONDEORNF,DSEPT.PT 24.—Arrived the Resolution, Sigswick°
from Limerick.
WAT
OR , SEPT. 22.—Arrived the Diana, pales
from Oporto.
CoRK, SEPT. 22.—Arrived the James Lyon, Turner'
from Antigua.
BELFAST, SEPT. 22Arrived the Iris, Shaw, from
.
London.
HULL, SEpT.22.—Arrived the Pinnet Margaretta,Briak,
from Kiel.
JERSEY, SEPT. 21.--Arrived the Maria, Le Bas, from
Gibraltar ; and Minerva, Le Breton, from Dantzic.
LEITH, SEPT. 22.—Arrived the William and Ann,
Scotland, from Archangel.
WHITBY, SEPT. 23.—Arrived off port, tb© George,
Day, from Miramichi.
LYNN, SEPT. 22.—Arrived the Isabella, Stewart, from
Stettin.
----------- .---
cis
In Wharfdale, and the other dales and highergroun. ,
ve
of Yorkshire, a great quantity of corn is still in the field"
though nearly all cut. We ha only heard of a few instareg
in which it has been damaged by the late rains, and we op.
e
the present fine weather will enable the farmers to secure $ll
the crops.—Leeds _Mercury.
A horrible crime was committed a few days since ti.t
Saint-Clair, near Gourney. One Gaspard, against svhomsl
proceedings for separation was instituted by his wife, receive,.oo
information that the cause was decided in her favour. Furire_
at the news, lie loaded his gun and shot her. Hen are
e then .01
loaded, and blew out his own brains. Four chil
orphans by this twofold crime.