The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-08 00:00:00

LTTERATURE.

Bentley's 211e:tee/Zany.
This magaz'ite contains an amusing story by
Dudley Costello, entitled " Uncle Jasper's Ghost."
It is certainly original. The " Outreuaanche
Correspondence" is continued. There is a paper
on the exploded humbug of "Table Turning anti
Spirit-Rapping." It is certainly surprising that in
the nineteenth century, in a country claiming high
mental development, such a hoax as Spirit-
Rapping should ever have been entertained :
" The witch of Endor hae been declared to be a necro-
mancer, or one of those persons who, like Joseph Balsamo,
in almost our own times, pretended to call up the spirits of
the dead to converse with the living :

IMee cantu finditque solum, manesque sepulchris
Elicit, et tepido devocat ossa rogo.
And it has been argued that the true witch, in the modern
acceptation of the idea, that is a female working through
the agency of Satan, cannot be traced higher than the
middle ages, and was probably derived from the wild and
gloomy mythology of the northern nations. Let this be
granted, although we should be sceptical as to the justness
of any such conclusions, the mythology of the northern
nations being anterior to the middle ages, and itself derived
' from the East—still it can only be said to be another mode
Gf manifestation of the same folly and weakness inherent
in our nature, and so on with every other strange and
seductive fancies which have pervaded the human mind,
and spread, as it were, by contagion, till they have, in our
own, as well as in times long gone by, assumed all the im-
portance of a national demonstration.
"The spirits in the new world are as good as those in
the old, but they are no better, only that they are more
numerous, and their invasion of the United States has
positively presented all the characters of a vast moral epi-
demic. It was in 1846 that an inhabitant of Hydesville,
in Acadia, was first honoured by a spirit rapping at his
door. He went to open it, and saw no one. The opera-
tion was repeated. Determined not to be caught a third
time, he lay in readiness, opened the door with prodigious
force and celerity at the next rapping, and—broke his
nose. This was not all ; the spirits too pleasure in dis-
turbing the peace of this unfortunate man; they rocked
his furniture, moved his chairs, and made him so uncom-
fortable that he was glad to get away from the house and
place altogether. Another party then came on the stage.
These were Mr. and Mrs. Fox and their two daughters,
Catherine and Margaret, who undertook to confront and
tame the spirits of Hydesville. Mr. Fox does not appear
to have taken a prominent part in the conflict—the ladies
were the heroines. At first they were rather terrified by
the spirits, which were always most importunate at the
time that they were going to bed. But after a few trials
they summoned up courage to address them. ' Who makes
that noise ?' Mrs. Fox ventured one night to inquire. No
answer. ,Is it made by a living person ?' Still no reply.
'lsit by one no longer of this world ?' A rap. 'lsit by
an unhappy spirit ?' Another rap. 'ls he unhappy him-
self, or on account of family misfortunes ?' No reply.
' ' How old is my eldest daughter ?' Fourteen raps. ' And
the youngest 1' Twelve raps. The answers were quite
correct, and Mrs. Fox went on with her interrogatory, but
the spirit vouchsafed no further replies."
"The House, Blaswick," is continued with its
usual ability. The biography of " Diana of
Poitiers" will be read with interest by those who
take an interest in the history of the continent in
the middle ages. The history of this remarkable
woman is an exemplification of the wonderful
fascination which beauty even at an advanced period
of life holds over the minds of men. A review of
" German Almanacks of 1861 " gives a sketch of
principal productions in this line of the Father-
land ; and although the writer contrives to extract
some amusing passages, he winds up by declaring
that—

" Such, then, are the German almanacks, an institution
peculiar to the country, and which, we think, wouldfluurish
nowhere else. Evidently founded On the French alma-
nacks, they are very inferior to them in humour, though
superior in useful knowleige. As for the almanacks in-
tended to imitate the Almanach Comique ' and the
Almanach pour Rire,' we have omitted any notice of them
out of kindness to our readers, for they are the mist melan-
choly reading that can be conceived. When we state that

Glisbrenner's Comic Almanack ' is the best of a bad lot,
we have more than done our duty by them.
"As a curiosity. then, we deal with the German alma-
necks, and if our readers will listen to a much-tired man,
they will be satisfied with the sample we have affordei
them, and not weary their patience by trying to read the
works themselves. We have sacrificed ourselves on beh tit
of the community, and nu one need be called upon tofollow
our awful example."

" The Stamp on the Paper," by Ouida, is a story in
this author's pecr liar style, although the charac-
ters are by the way more original than usual.

Colburn's United Service Magazine.

The United Service commences with a chapter on
"Our Military Reforms," and enquires what they
hare done for us ? While admitting that reform
has not as yet made the progress at the Horse
Guards which is to be desired, we cannot agree
with the following passage. There is quite enough
roundabout work carried on there already, which
we do not think would be less were military men
employed in places quite out of their province :

" If the War Department and the Horse Guards were
weeded of civilians, gabbling about matters which are not
in their province, and which they do not understand, besides
being the cause of half the blunders that take place, and
officers, non-commissioned officers, and deserving soldiers
Lon the army, as the situations might require, substituted
for them, as would be the case if common sense ruled our
measures, there would be something to look for in the pres-
poets of a soldier's life, which even the well-to-do middle
classes might not contemn. The field of our recruiting
would be greatly extended, and a great deal connected with
it, and which ne country; least of all England, ought to tole-
rate, would be get rid of. There would be no occasion for
a money bounty then; for the best of all bounties would be
offered—that of hope. This last, and a fair and reasonable
day's wages, which would be real, and not deceptive and
fallacious as at present, should be the basis of our military
system. At present, a soldier's prospects are the merest
pittance, and no hope whatever; none, at least, that can
take any possible hold on the mole respectable classes in
the community. There is nothing in connection with our
military system, as far as the soldier is concerned, that
would bring a reflecting man into the army."
" The Naval Discipline Act" is carefully examined
and criticised, and while agreeing with many of the
rules of the service, desires to have several altera-
tions made. The following cases do not seem to
be very just to our notions on shore, whatever they
may be to the captains afloat :
- -

" Clause 17 (rives the penalty for disobedience of the
lawful commandb or using threatening language to his supe-
rior officer.' We should be very glad if the Admiralty
could make out a list of what are the ' lawful commands'
allowed to be issued by a superior officer. We suppose the
task is impossible ; but it would be a great boon to the
navy if some fuller explanation was published regarding the
term ' lawful command." Seim captains consider all their
orders to be ' lawful commands,' whilst the subordinate offi-
cers are always carping at and disagreeing as to the com-
mands of their superior officer being lawful. Perhaps some
of our readers may recollect the court-martial on a lieu-
tenant of the Vulcan for refusing to obey his commander,
who ordered him to go and call his successor on the watch,
who was a mate, and consequently his junior officer. The
lieutenant declined to call the mate, stating that it would
degrade the rank he held if he did so. The court-martial
reprimanded the lieutenant for not obeying the orders of his
commander. It was a most unjust sentence, and much
sympathy was expressed at the titne for the unfortunate
lieutenant. A worse case has lately occurred on board the
steam sloop Alert, and if the reports in the naval papers
are correct, a more ungrateful abuse of power has not been
published for many years. Yellow fever breaks out on
board the Alert to an alarming extent, the surgeon is ill,
and the assistant-surgeon of the Vixen volunteers to take
medical charge of the ship. He comes on board the Alert,
and finds the commander ill of the fever, attends upon him
and gets him well, and after a while the fever leaves the
ship. The commander, apparently annoyed at being under
obligation to the surgeon, taunts him before the crew, and
orders him to cut his whiskers closer. The doctor declines
to obey this strange order, and being no longer urgently
needed, is put under arrest. He is brought before a court-
martial on this trivial charge by the commander, whose
life he has already saved, and sentenced to be reprimanded
and to lose a year of his time. Thus for an act of courage
and benevolence, he is to be punished instead of reaping
the reward of promotion. Is there not much more courage
required to go on board a ship infected with yellow fever,
and to witness death all around you in the most hideous
form, than to go into action with an enemy ? Surely the
case of the assistant- surgeon is very similar to that recorded
of Dr. M'William and the ill-fated Eclair. Both the Alert
and the Eclair were infested with yellow fever, but the one
is stationed far away in the Pacific, whilst the other returned
home from the coast of Africa. Dr. was praised
and given a post of emolument, while Mr. Carroll, is repri-
manded and his promotion denied him. If the Duke of
Somerset earnestly wishes to put down tyranny in the
navy, he could not do better than appoint another comman-
der to the Alert, and try the present one by a court-martial
for abuse of power."
We have three consecutive articles of three de-
parted gallant admirals ; the first is a review of
the lately published " Memorials of Lord Gambier,"
in which a brief sketch of his life is recorded. Then
follows " The Life of the Earl of Dundonald,"
in
which the gallant Cochrane is done justice to, and
his misfortunes lamented; the writer, however,
considers that his impatience of controlh and hasty
temper had a good deal to do withl
stt,eamhadttewr.e I.a'hree
late Sir Charles Napier is thethe
last,
is tt
happy to see that his career
in
in a fair and manly reformer of naval
spir_eitsrlaessd that, now throated
gallant seaman and f
ab'ises is no more, justicea is accorded to the victim
of an incapable ad
mind
that part of Sir Charles' life which
justice
"Web eve now reached
been exposed to so much obloquy and
has most unjustly
abuse. owing to his brilliant services in the
o It was, doubtless,
Mediterranean
that lie was selected, in preference to seve-
rald admirals, to the command
other distinguished of the
Baltic fleet during the late Russian war. We all recollect
the
dinner given to him at the Reform Club in anticipation
of the wonderful deeds he was to perform. This
was a bad sign to begin with. It showed a foolish,
premature enthusiasm, a superstitious confidence, which
would almost have disgraced school-boys. Had such an
ovation greeted Napier after the capture of the Miguelite
fleet, it would have been perfectly right and rational, but
whilst for that his name was struck out of the Navy list,
for mere visionary exploits, in posse, not in esse, he was, at
this very doubtful moment, exalted to the sk es. This be•
trayed that sanguine kind of fluster of the spirits which
arises often from a sense of unpreparedness, which one de-
nies, to which one wilfully shuts one's eyes, when there is
not vigour enough to remedy it. That so it was in this ca e
is proved by the irritation of Sir James Graham, when
Napier pointed out the ineffective condition of the fleet, and
proposed that a bounty should be offered, by which hi-s
ships might have been manned by able seamen, insteaedr
by a draft of inexperienced hands. He insultingly sneered
at the Admiral for hoisting what he called sign2e
tress,' and thought, no doubt, that the applauses re:source
ceived at the Reform Club dinner was the chi
he should rely upon for victory. The same absurd blind-
. Ines to difficulties, and reliance on prestige pervaded the,

! country, so much so, that Sir M. Seymour, in a letter to
the Admiral, says, I am doing all I can to moderate the
expectetions of my countrymen, and to explain to them
that a fleet cannot sail on the ice, or take Cronstadtoby the
wasp's nest process ; and that even if Cronstadt were taken,
the winter's palace is too large to be packed up for erection
in Trafalgar-square.' The issue might have bean foreseen.
Enormous expectations—all the essential means of fulfilling
them be denied—were met by an enormous disappointment.
Yet there is no one at present who will not promptly ac-
knowledge that Napier did all that it was possible for him
to do in the Baltic. The highest naval authorities have
expressed that opinion; Lord Palmerston has very em-
phatically expressed it; his successor to the command of
the fleet, more amply furnished with means, effected less
than he did ; but his complete justification lies in this :
that the Admiralty have felt the absolute necessity of
adOpting all the measures Sir Charles called for, both with
respect to men, vessels, and armaments, the which, had they
—when he required them—been forthcoming, would have
enabled him to add another splendid chapter to the naval
history of England.
"As it is, he rendered important services to the country,
in the Baltic expedition. He caused,' says his cousin, Sir
«'m.Napier, 3 sail, comprising the powerful Russian
fleet, to shrink like rats into their holes; he took Bonier-
sum], caused Flange to be blown up; interrupted the Bus-
?lan commerce ; and for six months kept in a state of
inaction 80,000 or 90,000 good troops. He restored
enlarged the knowledge of the Gulf of Finland to nevlga-
non ; ascertained what large vessels can do there, and what
they cannot do. He carried out an ill-manned, undis-
ciplined ;he brought unharmed a well-organized, wel
tlisciplined one, with crews exercised in gunnery' and
seamanship-Tin fine, a fleet now really what it was falsely
called when it started—that is to say, one the most irre-
sistible that ever floated on the ocean for the legitimate
purpose of naval warfare'
'‘ When on his return from the Baltic, through an incom-
petent and dishonest naval administration, he was offered
the Grand ( rosy of the Bath, he indignantly refused the
proffered hush-money' bribe, and the blunt old sailor is
said to have indignantly exclaimed, ' I'll have none of their
honours; to screen themselves, they would havedisbgeramcot
and hanged me, if they could, like Byng ; they may
on ethers their G.C.B.'s-I'll have none of them.' I'his
may be considered one of the most brilliant actions of Sir
Chas. Napier's life."

We find a full account of the formation and organi_
ration of the Austrian army, but what i 3 far mcn.„
gratifying is to find also a French view of our
military institutions, written in a fair and ina_
partial manner, and that, too,. by a Frenchtuan,
for our Outremanche neighbours in general take ai
very one-sided view of us and all that belongs to.
us. The general Naval and Military Intelligence
is as usual furnished.

Baily's Magazine of ,sports and Pastimes.
This magazine furnishes us this month with a
portrait of the celebrated Mr. Gully, and in the
biographical sketch we have a history of how, by
perseverance and integrity, he rose from being a
member of the P.R. to that of an M.P., also becom-
ing one of the most fortunate members of the
Jockey Club. In fact, we know of no one who has
obtained so many valuable prizes. From' Oxford
to St. George" is continued, and the following
notion of a cabman's rules for general guidance are
novel, but\ are nevertheless pretty correct :
"No ! the raoe of cabmen is a practical race, pursuing
a course which it follows with undeviating firmness, and
which is based on two very simple rules: the first of which.
is. 1,7G0 yards is a mile and a quarter; 13 minutes by a
fare's watch is hover the 'all 'our, which I tickl•rry
watched the clock when we started, to be twenty-five
minutes to two, and it is now seven minutes past three by
your own watch, as well as the clock over there.' In these
two rules consist all their law and profits.'
" An Account of Bear Shooting in Russia" gives a
vivid description of wild sports in the North. The
" Experiences of Sydney Godolphin Yahoo" are
continued, but the tale is too protracted. There is
not much plot, and the author does not improvt
matters by extending the romance to excess. ''.Oar
Van" recapituk.tes thr events ol'the past month and
other general information.

One of Them. By Charles Lever, has reached
the thirteenth number.
The O'Shea is again before the public, as is also
Charles Heat cote. Mrs. Morris hrs given up the
baronet and taken up with an Irish adventurer,
the ex-M.P. The poor O'Shea is astonished at
his supposed good fortune. Mrs. Morris is playing
a deep game, but the three in chase rre on the right
track, and her identification with Louisa Hawke
has been discovered. There is nothing particular
in the present number, but the conversation
between The O'Shea and young Argincourt are
highly amusing.

CHARLES TOWNSHEND ..4.ND A GOOSE FEAST

It was in the second week of August when the school!
at Musselburgh was publicly examined, and when the
magistrates gave what was called the Solan Goose Feast.
I took this opportunity of inviting Mr. Townshend to visit
the school, and to dine with the magistrates, as he was tutor
to his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, the lord superior of
the town. Mr. Townshend sent them a fine haunch of veni-
son, and Mr. Cardonnel, who was magistrate at this time,
took care to assemble a brilliant company of men of letters
to meet Mr. Townshend, among whom were Home, Robert-
son, Ferguson, and William Wilkie. There was a nume-
rous company, and the best dinner they could make. Car-
donne!, in his anxiety to have the venison properly roasted,
had directed the cook to put a paste round it; but she
not having given it time enough, it came up to the table
half raw, to the great disappointment of the company, but
chiefly of a Col. Parr, whose serious affliction made the
rest of the company quite easy on the occasion, for he lite-
rally wept and shed bitter tears, and whined out what en
unfortunate fellow he was, that the only haunch of veni-
son he had met with in Scotland, and the only one he had
any chance of seeing while hore, should be served up raw t
This set the whole table in a roar of laughter, and recon-
ciled them to their fate. After a little time, the Colonel
recovered from his disaster by the use of .the gridiron to
the venison, and having got up his spirits with half a dozen
glasses of good claret, began to talk away with some effect ;
for excepting his effeminacy about venison, he was not
bad fellow. He was unlucky, however, in one of his
topics ; for, Wilkie having begun to open, Parr, ad-
dressing himself to him, said something rude about the
professors of St. Andrews (of which university Wilkie had
very recently been chosen a member), and wished they
would keep their students and professors within their walls,
for that his corps had lately enlisted one of them, who was
not only the most awkward beast, but the most unruly and
debauched rascal that ever wore a red coat. Wilkie, who
was indignant at this attack, and a very great master of
horse-play raillery, and in scolding feared neither man
nor woman, replied with witty and successful tart-
ness, which, however, did not silence the Colonel ;
when the company took sides, and there ensued a brawling
conversation, which lasted too long. Mr. Townshend had
interpneed, with an intention to support Wilkie against his
countryman; but Wilkie, being heated, mistook htm, and
after two or three brushes on each side, silenced him as ho
had done the Colonel ; and the report afterwards went that
Wilkie had completely foiled the English champion at his
own weapons—wit and raillery. But this was a mistake,
for Mr. Townshend had not the least desire to enter the
lists with Wilkie, but whispered to me, who sat next to
him, that as Wilkie grew brutal, he would put an end to
the contest by making no answer.—From tho " Autobio-
graphy of the Rev. Dr. Alexander Carlyle."

At a meeting of the Bristol hairdressers, it has
been resolved to close their shops on Sunday on and after
the first Sunday of next year, and also to memorialise the
local magistrate to render it compulsory to close hair-
dressers' shops during Sunday.
IMPORTANT SALE OF SCOTCII BEASTS IN WIND-
SOR GREAT FAIR.—The important sale of Scotch oxen
took place at the Homestead, in the park meadows, near
Flemish Farm, under the hammer of Messrs. Buckland and.
Son, by order of her Majesty's Land Revenues,onT(suoeisn-e
day last. Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the
I weather, a large company of buyers were attracted, and the
prices realised were high. There were 40 old Scots
realising £2B each) averaging upwards of £24 per head, 10
young, averaging £2O each, a proof of their being first-class
animals. The beasts have been feeding on
months past, under the -superintendence ofh
veryi Mg hr .
It is well known that the season has beens unfavour-
able
iffroaoaevrvso,at anti:t:a.
bnecahsts being an ex-
able to the fattening of stock.
caption, is the cause of their realising such
they were of the finest quality and in the highest condition.
VALUE
They were chiefly bought by the royal butchers of Wind-
sor, flosrEsulpN TUE
supplying
ythAe Christmas
or a beef.
LAND
IN S
Land still sustains the advance in
'value it ChasO shownT LA.IC l) .-
for
years. This is
particularly
letularlotfheKcasekwith hill farms, as is
well exemplified.
lii.enuedy, recently advertisedi)ai
in the parish of Carsh rn,
in
nenlooocnugignra and
belonging to
Mealesethoerr farmsclark
tinnockgray and Alarshalloch, and thre ptwagoesCarmTinniochwele
_ e entire rental of which, during the current leases, has
been £360 for the former, and 1180 for the latter—in all,
£5lO. There were a great number of offers, and the highest
were understood to be very close on each other. Knockgray
has been let separately, to Mr. John Mitchell, Townhead,
Closeburn, at £471; Marshalloch, to Mr. Dryfe, Sanqu.-
har, at £191; and the two Carminnochs, to Mr. Campbell,
Laight, Dalmellington, at £341. The entire rental hss
thus advanced from £540 to £1,003. The farm of Drum-
nesa, also in the parish of Carsphairn, belonging to Mr. J.
W. Byrne, the present rent of which is £6O, has been ht
to Mr. Bone, near Dumfries. The rent, under the new
lease, is understood to be upwards of £l3o.—Ayr Advc'r-

tiser.
GROUSE IN FRANCE.—The Minister of the Inte-
rior has addressed the following circular to the prefects :
,4 Monsieur le Prefet,—Seveal dealers in game have soli-
cited permission to import, during the time when sporting
is interdicted in France, grouse, a bird bred in Scotland,
and which is not to be found in France. As the sale of
this bird cannot interfere with the enactments relative to
prohibited sporting, and may have besides the effect of
incroasing, without inconvenience, the supply of food, I
have, after consulting my colleagues of the Departments
tin t
ueee.,
of Justice arid Finance, decided that grouse may be im-
ported and sold at any time of the year on the territory of
sthareyeminpsitrrue.ctionrseqthuaets no tyoium,ptehdeimrefeonrte,mtaoygitvee theu
way of the free circulation of this foreign game indepartment." your