The Sun.
London, England, 1835-07-01 00:00:00

FRASER'S MAGAZINE.

The " Gallery of Literary Characters" contains
this month a portrait of Lord Francis Egerton, which
has a very downcast, lack-a-daisical look, as if the
Interesting original were suffering under the horrors
of a brisk dose of salts. The brief memoir pre-
fixed is smart and lively, commencing with a maxim of
the sage O'Doherty, that the " man who writes any-
thing, except for money, is an ass"—a maxim re-
markable for its good sense—and concluding with an
exhortation to his Lordship to make the most of his
ninety thousand per annum, seeing that the " revolu-
tionary times" are at hand, when he will be able to en-
joy it no longer. "On Politicians, Public Opinion,
and the Press," is more candid in its remarks
on the Tories than we should have expected from
such a fiery Tory zealot as Fraser. The notice
of " Victor Hugo's Lyrical Poetry," contains some
spirited translations from the pen of old Father Prout.
We prefer, however, its prose to its verse. " Mac Vicar's
Balaam Box" is a long, dull affair ; in fact, one of
the choicest productions of Oliver Yorke's Balaam
Box. " The Jordans of Grange," is an interesting
tale, something after the manner of the late Andrew
Picken.

THE LADY'S MAGAZINE.
Dobbs and Page—Fetter Lane.

A full-length portrait of Madame de Montespan,
one of the celebrated mistresses of Louis XIV.,
embellishes the July Number of this beautiful periodi-
cal. A well-written interesting memoir of this lovely,
but wicked woman accompanies it. Of all the mis-
tresses of Louis XIV. Madame de Montespan was
the most universally detested. Her, death, which was
miserable, is thus related :
" She was seized by death on a journey to the baths of
Bourbon. The circumstances were dreadful: she testified
agonies of remorse and the utmost terror at her approaching
dissolution; she rejected franticly the last aids of religion, be-
cause she would not allow she was dying. She expired at a
little inn by the road-side, without consolation or hope, entirely
abandoned to the care of mercenary domestics : she saw but
one of her children, who merely came to plunder her; for his
first care was to search in the bosom of his dying mother for
the keys of her treasure chests, and these he took by force
from her—this was the Duc d'Antin, her eldest son by her
husband.
" Madame de Montespan bequeathed her heart to the con-
vent of La Fleche, her body to the abbey of St. Germain,
and her entrails to the priory of St. Menoux, which was only
three leagues distant from the place of her death. La Fleche
and St. Germain received their legacies ; and, in order that
the wishes of the deceased might be strictly followed, a coun-
tryman was entrusted to carry to the priory of St. Menoux
that part of her mortal remains which was destined for it.
Unfortunately, they forgot to acquaint him with the nature of
his burthen ; half way on the road, impelled by curiosity, he
opened the box, and thinking that he was the object of some
joke, he threw the contents on a heap of rubbish which was
close at hand—and a herd of swine, animals in their nature
esteemed to be the lowest, passing at the moment, devoured
eagerly this portion of the mortal remains of this once high,
haughty, and abandoned woman ! I I"
There are several very pretty tales and sketches in
this Number. " Too Late" is the most affecting in-
cident we have read for some time. By the way, how
did it happen that the publishers of the Lady's Maga-
zine neglected to send us the June Number ? There
must have been some mistake here. We trust that
care will be taken to prevent its recurrence.

MONTHLY REPOSITORY.
C. Fox. London. 1835.

There is always some readable matter in the pages of
this Periodical, though it is too apt to be crotchetty
and pedantic in its notions. This fault, however, we
cannot find with the Editor's remarks on Lord Stanley's
late letter on Conservative Associations, which heads
the present Number, for they are characterized by a just
tone of thinking, and pointed by much pungency of
style. The cursory remarks too on old Cobbett, are
worthy of Mr. Fox, the Editor, who contributes by far
the most intelligent papers in the Repository.

WALKER'S PRONOUNCING DICTIONARY,
Part 11. Cadell. London, 1835.

In noticing the first Number of this useful work, we
find that we were in error in stating that Mr. Smart's
additions to Walker would comprise about fifty sheets,
for the truth is, that the whole volume will make only
this quantity ; we hasten, therefore, to rectify our mis-
take. The Number before us bears every mark of mi-
nute and attentive research, and if completed in the
same spirit in which it has been commenced, will go
far to supersede the use, in schools and among stu-
dents, of the original Walker. Though necessarily
small, the type is easily read, being remarkable for its
distinctness.

COURT MAGAZINE.
Edward Churton: Holles-street. 1835.

There are two well-engraved embellishments in this
Number : one, a sketch of the Old Palace at Kew ;
the other, a portrait of the Countess Howe. The last
is the best, being finished with greater care, and dis-
playing much grace of attitude, and correctness of
drawing. The literary contents are of average merit,
with the exception of a sprightly poem, entitled .‘ The
Rival Demons," which, in the ingenuity of its
rhymes, is worthy of Whistlecraft's mock epic.

BRITISH FARMER'S MAGAZINE.
Ridgway. Piccadilly.

The most important articles in this Number to any,
save the class to whom the Magazine is peculiarly ad-
dressed, are " Proposals for a Commutation, and Re-
demption of Tithes," and " Mr. Gray on Taxes."
The latter is full of fallacies, especially as far as re-
gards the question of Government employment. If the
works in which a Government engages are really useful,
they will defray all the expenses attendant upon them
either presently or prospectively ; so that in point of
fact, no taxes will be necessary to carry them on. Thus
in building a bridge, digging a canal, or laying down a
new line of road there will be a certain outlay, or
advance of capital in the first instance, but ulti-
mately this outlay will be realized by tolls, freight-
age, or some other description of impost. When,
on the contrary, a Government carries on works
more with a view to provide for its creatures and
dependants than the public interest, and levies
taxes on the community to pay them wages, the
nation loses to the amount of difference between the
intrinsic value of the labour done, and the expense
incurred by it. It is a gross fallacy to suppose that
under any circumstances a country gains as much by
the employment of a given number of labourers in any
department, through the agency of the Government,
as if the same individuals were employed by private per-
sons. This is evident from the mode of paying. The
private person puts his hand into his desk, and pays his
workmen. This costs him nothing but a few minutes,
which would have been spent in doing something
equally unproductive. The Government, on the other
hand, has to employ an army of tax-collectors before
it can raise a shilling ; so that its money is well nigh
wasted in passing through so many hands, all eager to
retain a share of it. Then there is the expense of
Commissioners, or rather super-visionaries of labour,
which they more frequently retard than accelerate.--
But we cannot now pursue this enquiry.
The present Number of the " /1
gazine" embellish.' - • ,:!::ish Farmer's Ma-
of Na.__
—. with an engraving by Landseer,
_..yard s Durham Heifer, exhibited last season at
the Smithfield Club's Shew. The size of the animal
appears enormous. We are almost certain that the

Dun Cow, whose defeat crowned the triumphs of Guy
Earl of Warwick, was but a calf in appearance to her.

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.
Cochrane, Pallmall.

A cleverish Number, containing some indifferent
verse, and much good prose. The best written article
is that on the " Lakes of Scotland "—a trite theme,
but one, of which, somehow or other, we never tire.