The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-27 00:00:00

with eagerness the occasion of a national fete to
come and acquaint myself with your desire, and to
assure you that my solicitude for all the interests
of the country shall never fail you. You are right
to have confidence in the future. It is only weak
Governments who seek in foreign complications to
divert attention ;from troubles at home. But he
who derives his strength from the great body of
the nation has only to do his duty and to satisfy the
interests of the country, and while holding aloft the
national flag we should not allow ourselves to b.,
drawn away by intemperate impulses, however
patriotic they may be. I thank you for the senti-
ments you have expressed towards the Empress and
our son. Be assured that they share my devotion
for France, and that their most .relent wish is to
put an end to all misery and alleviate all misfor-

utles."

Despatches from Lille state that their Majesties
were received in that town with enthusiasm, and
passed through the streets and boulevards in an open

carriage.

The following is the sense of his Majesty's reply
to the address of the Mayor.of that town :
" It is now fourteen years ago, when shortly after
my marriage and the commencement of my reign,
I was received here in a manner which will al-
ways be remembered by me. I have constantly
sought to make France prosperous and respecte].
If there have been some dark spots, France has
nevertheless again resumel her place in Europe. I
hope to obtain the co-operation of every one in con-
solidating the work begun."
BOURSE, August 26, Two o'clock.—The new s
from Spain attracts attention, and Funds arc gene-
rally held at lower quotations. Threes arc at 69f.
70e., a decline of Tic. Italian Fives have receded
15c., to 49f. sc. Credit Mobilier Shares lose 2f.
75c., at 317 f. 50c., and Credit Foncier 7f. 50c.,
at 1,380 f. Spanish Mobilier are similarly depre-
ciated at 197 f. 50c. Comptoir d'Escompte are 2f.
50c. lower, at 717 f. 50c. Railways aro likewise
dealt in at somewhat lower quotations.

Three o'Clock.—The market closed as follows :
Bank Shares 3305
Italian Loan 49 10
Do. end month 49 10

41 por Cents lOO 50
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 69 65

Do. end month 69 70
Credit Mobilier 317 50
Do. end Month
Credit Fonder 1377 50
Do. end month 1380

Mexican Loan l2 50
Do. Bonds lll 25
Spanish Throes
Home Debt —
Deferred -
rAYS.

RAIL'

For Account.
Orleans
Northern 1157 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 895
Southern

Western
Eastern

Sardinian —
Austrian

Lombard no
North of Spain
Saragona
Roman

GO -

POETA NASCIIUR-ORATOI? FIT.

Under the above title the Bermuda Royal Gazette
of the 23rd ult. has the following comments upon a
lecture previously announced in the subjoined
terms, in the impression of the Bermuda Mirror of
the 20th ult.:--

On Thursday evening last the spacious hall of the
Mechanics' Building was again filled with a highly
intelligent auditory; on this occasion to listen to
the Honourable Miles Gerald Keen, Colonial Secre-
tary, who, on invitation, had kindly prepared a lec-
ture to be delivered on behalf of the funds of the
" Bermuda Mechanics' Association."

The subject chosen for this occasion by Mr. Leon
was " Government—its source ; its forms ; and its

means."

We are unable to furnish extracts from this in-
structive and entertaining discourse, and we feel
that any attempt on our part to give an outline of
that brilliant mental feast of humour, wit, and sar-
casm, would end but in a miserable failure to con-
vey the smallest idea of the reality of the thing. We
therefore shall not attempt it. It should have been
heard to be appreciated.
The hon. gentleman is certainly the best orator
we ever had the pleasure of listening to. Ideas flash
into his mind with great rapidity, and with equal
force and quickness his large mind seizes them, and
clothes or surrounds them with choice and beautiful
language for presentation to his hearers. To bor-
row from the language of another great mind—his
discourse was full of conceptions, points of epigram,
and witticisms.
The subject chosen for the lecture was so exten-
sive that the lecturer found time would not permit
of his getting through with more than a third of
what he had prepared, and as he pleasantly remarked,
if he continued to the end his hearers would " not
go home till morning."
We understood him to say that it would afford
him much pleasure to finish the subject on some
future day.
Poeta nascitur.—Orator fit. We never, three
days afterwards, remarks the Bermuda Royal
Gazette—We never could admit this saying as
truth in its latter division. We grant that
training and practice may do a great deal
in perfecting oratory, but a man to shine in vi
loquendi must have an inborn bias and genius for
rhetorical outpouring. We remember, indeed, in
our earlier years, a talented young man, who was
known and admired for his speeches at convivial
meetings, but who told us that two or three years
previously he could not have spoken five words
in public. But feeling that it was necessary for
the profession into which he had entered—
the legal profession—that he should possess the
faculty of speaking in public, he had bent the ener-
gies of his mind to that object. He rose in life after-
wards, and was in the House of Commons ; and,
though we cannot conceive of him, knowing him as
we did, that he ever attained to any very lofty and
impassioned flights of oratory, yet, being a very
learned man and au elegant scholar, he always
commanded attention. It was said of him that he
was never known to repeat a word. He finally
became Lord Chancellor of England.
This is only one indeed among other instances we
could adduce of what industry and perseverance
can effect iu this department of mental exertion.
Still we adhere to our opinion that an Orator
is not altogether made. He must have a natural gift,
in some degree at least. He must possess, like the
Poet, an innate turn, " a special taste and tact,
which art may develope, but can never implant."
And as we have now quoted M. Bautain in his ela-
borate work on extempore speaking we would
strengthen our position by making another excerpt
from said work—•longer and more distinct to the
purpose. " School precepts may teach a manner,
a certain mechanical skill in elocution, but can
never impart the sacred fire which makes speech
live, nor those animated, delicate, just feelings of an
excited or impassioned soul and of a mind convinced,
which grasps on the instant the peculiarity of expres-
sion and of voice which are most appropriate."
Our readers, we opine, will easily guess to what
we are drifting in this prefatorial—and we at once
say that our remarks have a reference to the Hon.
M. G. Keon and his admired lecture on last Thurs-
day evening at the Mechanics beautiful hall in this
town. We think that he was a conspicuous proof
of what we have here ventured to advance. He
showed himself an orator by nature, and though
he exhibited to his credit much that was in accord-
ance with the art, 3et 113 exhibited also a great
deal that was far above the art, of extempore
speaking, especially in the last part of his lecture,
which was truly an outburst of unsurpassed
and unsurpassable eloquence ; and we cannot but
cingratulate the excellent president, officers, and
members of the association that they have met with
so powerful an advocate of their most useful and
promising institution.
The fecuudial faculty, however, may be reckoned
among the least of Mr. Keon's mental endowments.
Adorned with scholarship, widely and accurately
versed in history, ancient and modern, and other
branches of literature, abstrusely metaphysical but
correctively logical, and at the same time linagina•
five, he cannot but be attractive in his composi-
tions and utterances. No wonder then that his
lecture was listened to with the deepest attention
by a very large audience.