The Sun.
London, England, 1834-05-27 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

We have just seen two engravings published,
we believe, within the last few days, by Moon,
Boys, and Graves : one is a likeness of the
Princess Victoria, and the other entitled the
Gentle Student. The former is from a paint-
ing by Westall ; and though we cannot under-
take to speak of its merits as respects accuracy,
yet we can say with justice, that it possesses
all Westall's elegance, without any of that stiff-
ness and cold formal precision for which many
of his paintings are so remarkable. As an en-
graving, it is executed in Finden's most careful
and elaborate style. The countenance is hit
off with marked delicacy and freedom of touch.
The Gentle Student represents a young lady
busied in the perusal of some captivating vo-
lume (Rousseau's " Eloise" perhaps), which
engrosses her utmost attention. Her eye is
full of a certain pensive, thoughtful expression,
which the engraver has well preserved.

A man named Richard Tallis, who resided
at Sealand, near Chester, put a period to his exist
ence on Tuesday last. He came home in a state of
intoxication, and, as we have been informed, demanded
from his wife a sum of money. On her refusing to
comply, he declared that he would put an end to his
life in some way or other. The inmates of the house,
not conceiving that he was in earnest, did not pay
very particular attention to what he said ; and in a
short time he left the house. Soon afterwards it was
ascertained that he had walked into the Dee, beyond
his depth, and sunk. Every effort was immediately
made to get him out of the river, and when this was
accomplished it was discovered that, the more effec-
tually to secure his purpose, he had filled his pockets
with stones 1 Exertions were made to restore anima-
tion, but it was too late—the " vital spark" had fled.
—Macclesfield Courier.

We have seldom had to record a more me-
lancholy instance of the uncertain tenure of human
life than that which has occurred in the family of Mr.
William Bickerstaff, captain and owner of a smack,
and well known on the Ribble as having been many
years captain of the Lytham packet-boat, and who
resided at Freckleton. A few weeks ago his daughter,
a fine young woman, was seized with what was said to
be black fever, and died on the 28th ult., and so ma-
lignant was the disease, that she was interred on the
same day. The same illness seized other members of
the family, and in a few days afterwards his wife (by
a second marriage only 18 weeks before) also paid the
debt of nature, and on the 7th instant, he himself (but
recently a remarkably stout and healthy man) fell a
victim to the same fatal malady,—the whole three hav-
ing thus perished within ten days ! The neighbours
were naturally under considerable alarm, and during
the illness of the deceased, and while the bodies were
being removed, offices of necessity were alone attend-
ed to—such was the dread of contagion. Bickerstaff
was much respected as an industrious man and a good
seaman. One of two of his sons, both young, whom
he has left, and who was also seized with the epidemic,
is expected to recover. The bodies of the dcceakei
were interred at Kirkham.—Blackburn Gazette.

IMPORTANT HISTORICAL WORKS COM-
METED. —We are requested to state that the following
highly interesting works are now completed by the
publication of the concluding volumes ; and the pur-
chasers of the earlier parts are requested to send their
orders to their respective booksellers to prevent dis-
appointment. 1. The third volume of Dr. Nare's
Life and Times of Lord Burghley--2. The second
volume of the Memoirs and Correspondence of David
Garrick-3. The third, fourth, and fifth volumes of
Mr. D'lsraeli's Commentaries on the Life and Reign
of Charles 1.-4. The third volume of the Evelyn
Memoirs, in quarto, comprising all his miscellaneous
writings, now first collected-5. The third, fourth,
and fifth volumes of Dr. Doddridge's Diary and Cor-
respondence—and, 6. The third and fourth volumes
of the Memoirs and Correspondence of Thomas Jef-
ferson, late President of the United States.

In a book kept at an inn on the banks of
Windermere, for the entry of strangers' names, we
have the following enrolment :—" Mr Augustus Adol-
phus Snip, Cheapside ; Mr. Frederick Augustus
Snooks, Minories, half-pay Cornet City Horse Ma-
rines." How exceedingly satirical on proud patrony-
mics !—yet how odorous of the land of Cockaigne !
Whitchaven Herald.

A short time ago, two gentlemen, residents
at Bolton, came to attend the Liverpool market. On
their return to Bolton, by the railway, they got into
the same carriage, and lay down very comfortably to
take a nap. When the train arrived at the Bolton
station, the guard (who seems not to have been aware
of these two passengers) looked at the carriage, and
not seeing any heads, fancied that it was empty, and
thinking there was no use in carrying an empty car-
riage back to Bolton, directed that it should be put
up. Accordingly, it was locked up in an outhouse,
and the train proceeded to Bolton. About six in the
evening the travellers awoke and called the guard.
There was no response. " How very fast we are go-
ing !" said one of them. " Ay," replied the other,
" the speed is so great that we don't feel the motion
of the vehicle ! What a wonderful conveyance this
railroad is I !" Accordingly, they again went to sleep,
and did not awake until nine at night. By this time
it was dark, and suspecting there was some mistake,
they loudly called for help, and, after bawling half an
hour, succeeded in obtaining release. They were
obliged to walk to Bolton, which they reached at four
in the morning I— York Courant.
NEW ILLUSTRATED PUBLICATIONS.—
The Countess Cowper's portrait by Sir Thomas Law-
rence, beautifully engraved by Cochran, will be given
in the June number of the Court Magazine. The
new edition of the Memoirs of Marshal Ney will ap-
pear on the 28th inst., revised, and illustrated with
portrait, maps, and plans ; and the important work on
India, by Victor Jacquimont, the French naturalist, is
also just ready, the publication of this work having
hitherto been delayed in order to include a valuable
new
six map
thvolume
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su t
ihl ol
ur
s,
tarna
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da peodrittriaoint Th
e
sixth f
the h e
Romance of History, concluding France, by Leitch
Ritchie, in three vols., the former three vols. having
completed England, by the late Henry Neele ; and the
third number of the Duchess of Abrantes' Lives and
Portraits of the Celebrated Women of all Countries,
will also be ready for delivery with the magazines on
the Ist of June.
NEGLECTED GENIUS.—In the Hunterian
oration recently delivered by Mr. Lawrence, occur
the following just observations :—" It has been a trite,
but in my opinion a most unfounded complaint, that
genius is neglected, and that men of talent and in-
formation are precluded from opportunities of exertion
and display, by favouritism, monopoly, or other ob-
stacles. Within my own experience, the difficulty
has always been to find talent for the place, not op-
portunity for the talent. This, indeed, is natural :
genius being rare, while fit occasions for its exercise
are of constant occurrence. Genius will never be ne-
glected by the public, unless it neglects itself ; it must
not disdain the humble alliance of industry : how can
it expect encouragement, unless its existence can be
manifested by performances? The chemist can apply
tests for latent heat, but what criterion is there for la-
tent ability ? The surest evidence of superior talent
is, that it forces itself into notice in spite of adverse
circumstances ; that it makes a road where it finds
none."

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The public will be glad to hear that their
favourite writer of Eastern Tales is about to publish
another story of the land of romance—we allude to the
forthcoming Oriental novel, by the author of " Zoh-
rab" and " Hajji Baba" (Mr. Morier), to be entitled
" Ayesha, the Maid of Kars." It was in the glowing
East that the art of fiction arose : almost all the fairy
traditions current in Europe may be traced to an Asiatic
origin, where not only amusement, but wisdom, and
even religion, were conveyed by tales of adventure and
enchantment, and by divine parables. It is said of
Gatland, the first European translator of the exquisite
" Arabian Nights' Entertainments," that on his return
to Paris, full of Oriental lore, his countrymen were
so charmed with his splendid narrations, that they have
been known to assemble under his window, and rouse
him from his morning slumbers, with petitions for more
romances. English readers are equally anaioutcsn.
of
a new production by our own delightful
Persian and Turkish fiction, whose familiarity
• derived from
the countries and manners he describes. is,
indeed, has
a long residence in them. Mr. Morier
the field entirely to himself. crea
wit