The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-04 00:00:00

THE LATE COLONEL IIIUBB.

In Colonel. William Mure, of Caldwell, the ac-
complished historian of the " Literature of Ancient
Greece," the nation _ha.slost 'one of its deepest and
ablest scholars. He was the head of an old and
respectable landed family, who have been settled
for some ages in Ayrshire and Renfrewshire, of
*hid' latter county the gentleman now deceased
held the honorary office or vice-lieutenant, as his
father had done before, him. The son of ,the late
Colonel Wna. Mure, of Caldwell, by Anne, eldest
daughter of the late Sir James Hunter Blair, Bart.,
of Dunskey, and grandson of another Wm. Mure,
who represented Renfrewshire in Parliament from
1742 to 1761, was born at Caldwell in 1799 or early
in 1800, and having received his early education at
Westminster School, he passed thence to the Uni-
versity of Edinburgh, and finished the curriculum
of his studies in Germany, where he imbibed that
taste for criticism for which he eventually became
so famous. About. 20 years ago he first carne before
the public as an author, having published "A
Journal of a 'Tour made in Greece, &c., in 1838,"
which was followed, after an interval, br a more
strictly learned and very elaborate disquisition " On
the Calendar of Ancient Egypt." In 1841 he was
an unsuccessful candidate for Renfrewshire against
the late Mr. Patrick Maxwell Stewart, but ob-
tained the seat on the death of that gentleman
shortly before the close of that Parliament. Ha
was again returned in 1847 and in 1852, on both oc-
casions without opposition, but retired from public
life in 1855, when he accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
He was a moderate Conservative in politics, sup-
ported the free trade measures of the late Sir It.
Peel. He held the office of Lord Rector of the
University of Glasgow during the year 1847-8, an
honour which could not have been more worthily
land more appropriately bestowed. Colonel Mure
took the greatest interest in Scottish agriculture,
and, indeed, joined heartily in promoting every
movement which had for its object the improvement
of the condition of his fellow-countrymen. Among
other matters we may mention that he took great
pride in the efficiency of the Renfrewshire
of which he was for many years colonel-comman-
dant, thus proving, like Xenophon, that the charac-
ter of a scholar is not incompatible with that of a
soldier. It is, however, as the author of the
" Critical History of the Language and Literature
of Ancient Greece" that Colonel Mure's name will
be longest remembered, if not by the public at large,
still by scholars of every rank and of all shades of
opinion. The first instalment of that admirable
work, as grand and comprehensive in its outline as
it is elaborate in its details, was given to the public
just ten years ago, and only five volumes of the
entire work have as yet appeared. The name, there-
fore, of Colonel Mure must, unhappily, be added to
those of Niebuhr, Arnold, and Macaulay, as one who
has not been permitted to see the fruit of his labours,
and to add " Finis" to his last proof sheet,
" Atque opere in medio defixa reliquit aratra."
Some idea of the depth and learning which
characterise the work may be formed when we
add that the three first volumes are exclusively
devoted to the mythical period of ancient Greece,
including sketches of the epic, cyclic, and lyric
poets. The fourth volume (of which a reprint is
now at press) treats of the early Greek historians,
ending with Herodotus. The fifth and last volume
comprises the remaining historical writers of the
Attic period, including not only Thucydides and
Xenophon, but about twenty other authors of whose
works fragments only, more or less extensive, have
come down to us. In what state of forwardness the
remainder of Colonel Mure's treatise may be we are
not aware ; but we fear that the " History of the
Literature of Ancient Greece" must and will long
stand, like Arnold's " Rome," as a mutilated me-
morial of its amiable and accomplished author.
Colonel Mure, as we learn from the " County
Families," married, in 1825, Laura, second daughter
of William Markham, Esq., of Becca-hall, York-
shire, and grand-daughter of the late Dr. Markham,
Archbishop of York, by whom he leaves issue. His
eldest son and heir, who is a lieutenant-colonel in
the Scots Fusilier Guards, was recently married to
the Hon. Constance Elizabeth Wyndham, third
daughter of Lord. Leconfield.

MANCIIESTER, April 3.—Messrs. R. Irving and
Co., in their circular, state that the advance in the rate of
discount on Thursday naturally contributed to increase the
inactive tone which was noticeable in Manchester on this
day week. To-day tho market was very dull and inani-
mate, and although prices of either goods or yarns were nut
quotably lower generally, owing to the heavy contracts in
the hands of producers, and the consequent scarcity of im-
mediately available supplies, the prevailing feeling was in
favour of the buyer.

THE VOLUNTEERS.—Yesterday, at 8 a.m., nearly
100 members of the 26th Middlesex (her Majesty's Cus-
toms) Rifle Volunteers, formed a guard of honour, under
the command of Capt. Ogilvie, the senior officer present,
near the Spur Gate of the Tower, on the departure of the
Coldstream Guards for Windsor. This compliment was
paid by her Majesty's Customs corps as a grateful recomai-
ma of the assistance and encouragement received from the
adjutant and other officers of the Coldstream Guards.
THE AFRICAN EXPEDITION.—Mrs. Livingstone,
the wife of Dr. Livingstone, our celebrated traveller, has
just arrived from the Cape, per Mr. D. Dunbar's ship Vit-
toria. At the railway station the name of Dr. Livingstone
on the luggage having caught the eye of the bystanders,
she and her sable attendant were soon surrounded by a
crowd eager again to see the great geographer. Upon being
informed, however, that he was still in the centre of Africa,
they warm-heartedly inquired respecting his health, and
shook hands with her. Mrs. Livingstone having pro-
ceeded from the Cape on a visit about 800 miles into the
interior to her father, the renowned missionary Moffat, re-
turned to the Cape, upon his journeying again north to see
Moselekatse, where he hoped to hear of his son •in-law. The
missionaries from the London society had already proceeded
onwards to Sekeleta and the Makololo. Mrs. Livingstone
has brought with her an interesting addition to her family
in the person of another little daughter, born in Africa ;
and has come with the hope of proceeding with the steamer
about to be sent by Government to the Zambesi, and of at
length rejoining her heroic husband.
PRICE OF GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris
is about at par, and the short exchange on London is
25.121 per £1 sterling. On comparing these rates with the
English Mint price of £3 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standar.,
gold, it appears that gold is nearly 2-10ths per cent. dearer
in Paris than in London. By advices from Hamburg the
price of gold is 422} per mark, and the short exchange on
London is 13.31 per V. sterling. Standard gold at the
English Mint price is therefore at about the same
price in Hamburg as in. London. The course of ex-
change at New York on London for bills at 60 days sight is
about 1084 per cent., which, when compared with the Mint
proportions between the two countries, shows that the ex-
change is slightly against England ; and, after making
allowance for charges of transport and difference of inte-
rest, the present rate leaves no profit on the transmission
of gold between the two countries.

THE SOCIAL EVIL-STARVATION AND DEATH.

—On Saturday Mr. Wakley held an inquest at the Elephant
and Castle, Camden-town, on Frances Bennet, aged 36. The
evidenee in this case was a painful exhibition of the career of
an unfortunate. The deceased, who was a native of Derby,
of respectable parents, was found in a dying state in an un-
furnished room in Wilstead-streot, Somers-town, where she
had managed to crawl for shelter; and the police being in-
formed of it she was conveyed to St. Pancras workhouse in a
cab, but died whilst being lifted out to be taken to the infir-
mary. Evidence was given by the police, showing that in
her earlier years she was a very handsome woman, kept by
a baronet, and had a splendidly furnished house of her own
in the vicinity of Euston-square. She had, however, been
discarded, and became gradually reduced to the most abject
state. Mr. Carter, surgeon, gave evidence that he had made
sport ntortent examination, and that the cause of death was
disease, coupled with starvation and destitution. Deceased,
before she died, stated that no food had passed her lips for
three days previously. The jury returned a verdict of death
from exhaustion, produced by disease and destitution.--
Observer.

PARTIAL DESTRUCTION OF A RAILWAY STATION.
—A little before 10 o'clock yesterday morning a portion of
the iron roofing over the Victoria Station of the London and
North-Western Railway, at Manchester, fell in, through a
train coming in contact with and breaking one of the cast-
iron pillars supporting the north-west corner of the roof.
This pillar was exceedingly near to the line of rails, and,
in shunting a train, one of the carriages got off the rails,
and came in contact with it. About 16 or 17 yards of, the
roof, by about 30, fell in upon the railway, and a carriage
cleaner was severely cut across the forehead by a bar of
iron, but though the unfortunate man was sent to the in-
firmary, it was believed his life was not in danger. The
other railway servants escaped uninjured. Fortunately
there was no train taking up or discharging passengers
under this part of the roof at the time, or the consequences
would probably have been more serious. The loss to the
company, it is believed, will not exceed £l,OOO. Until the
fallen materials had been removed—a work of some hours,
no trains could enter the station, and departing trains had
to be despatched from outside the station, so that passen-
gers were necessarily put to some inconvenience.
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 3.—During the past week
the Channel has been swept by a succession of fierce gales
from S.W. to W.N.W., and, in the heavier squalls, from
N.W., accompanied by hail, rain, and snow. A large num-
ber of vessels had anchored inside the Isle of Wight for
shelter, and among many others off this port are the Guid-
ing Star, for Calcutta; the Damascus, for Sydney, N. S.W.;
the Antonio, for Iquique; the Bordeaux, for Bordeaux;
the Beta, for Cardiff; the Sultan, for Bombay; the Ulidia,
for Singapore ; the Ein Dracht, for Bilboa ; the James
Montgomery, for Alexandria, Alany persons were
startled from their sleep this morning about half-past 3 by
a tremendous clap of thunder, or rather a rapid succession
of reports like a simultaneous discharge of a battery of the
heaviest ordnance. One vivid blue lightning flash accom-
panied it, and was instantly succeeded by a heavy fall of
hail and sleet, which, however, was not of very long dura-
tion. The day previous, up to sunset, had been excessively
wild, and blowing so furiously at times on the water that
no communication could be held between the Lloyd's cutter
afloat and the various merchant craft as they ran in for
shelter. After sunset the weather had cleared up, and the
night gave promisd of finer weather. Since the thunder.
storm this morning the weather here has been much finer,
with a fresh breeze westerly. The Dutch ship Beta, lying
at anchor at Spithead, was struck by the electric fluid at
the commencement of the storm this morning, and carried
away her fore-topgallantmast, injured fore-topmast and
yard, and passing downward, tore up three planks in the
vessel's deck, in which were driven three iron. bolts, and
appeared to have afterwards passed alang the chain cables
and out through the hawse-pipes. The crew were all below
in their hammocks, and luckily no one was injured.
Two BOATS LOST.—On the 17th ult. two boats.
with fourteen men on board, were blown from the coast of
Lewis during a vary severe gale, and no hope is entertair et
of the safety of their crews. This great calamity has com-
pletely paralysed the fishing in the neighbourhood, as ti •
men are exceedingly superstitious, and weeks may elapse
ere they again proceed to sea.—Greenock Advertiser.