The Sun.
London, England, 1835-12-10 00:00:00

THE FUNDS-(THIS DAY).

CITY. TWELVE O'CLOCK.
Both the British and Foreign markets have improved this
morning. Consols are at present 91- for the Account; Re-
duced, 94+; Exchequer Bills, 16 16 ; India Bonds, 3 5 ;
Bank Stock, 2104 2111.
In the Foreign market Spanish Active Bonds advanced to
; Portuguese, 84i ; Three per Cents., 55i

HALF-PAST ONE.
The Bills drawn by the Portuguese Minister of Finance on
his agent here, amount to 60,000/.—out of them 25,0001.
were drawn in favour of the Bank of Lisbon, for whose
honour they have been accepted by their holders, Messrs.
Forster Brothers, and Mr. Soares, both houses being agents
for the same Bank.

For the remainder of the Bills—it is said that nobody has
yet come forward to accept them, and it is believed they
will be sent back to Lisbon by the next mail.
The French and Spanish Funds having come higher this
morning from Paris, had the effect to improve the British and
Foreign markets.

Consols at present maintain the morning price, of 914-i for
the Account. Reduced 904 t ; Exchequer Bills 16 18 ; India
Bonds 3 5 ; Bank Stock 2102 2111.
In the Foreign Market, Spanish Active Bonds reached 46,
since which they have receded to 452; at present they are
452 i. Portuguese, 834 1 ; 3 per Cents. 544 ; Colombian,
32i; Mexican, 391 i; Dutch, 544 55.
A report prevailed that an express had arrived from Madrid,
with information that Don Carlos had made proposals to the
Spanish Government to enter into a negociation. We have
made inquiry into the subject, but cannot trace the report to
any authentic source ; therefore we suspect it is a stock-jobbing
trick.

Consols for the Account, 91

THREE O'CLOCK
i•

THE FUNDS.-C
BRITISI
Bank Stock .11
3 per Cent. Red tAi
3 per Cent. Cons
'3% per Cent.
3% per Cent. Red S7S
New 3% per Cent 100►4
4 per Cent. Assented
Dissented
Long Annuities to expire
Jan. 1860 l6
Oct 1850
Jan. 1860

LOSING PRICES.
1 FUNDS.
Omniam 3 Pm.
India Stoc'•
Ditto Bonds
South Sea Stock
Ditto Old Annuities
Ditto New Annuities
1.1:x. Bills,
Ditto 530/ lB p7i.
Ditto WV lB pm.
Bank Stock ibr Opp.
India Stock tbr Act.
Consols for Act.

LITERATUEE.

ENCYCLGPiEDLA XIL

PART I.
Black, Edinburgh, 1835.

There arc some admirably reasoned articles in thig
Number, foremost among which we may mention that
on " Instinct," which is the production of au enquiv
ing, acute writer, who is metaphysical without dealing
too much in the mysticism of the science: " Hydro'
dynamics" is also a shrewd and elaborate treatise,
which traces the science from its first origin under the
auspices of Archimedes, the t,.e1l known Greek philo'
sopher, down almost to the present period, when the
power of water is so well understood, and is rendered
serviceable in such a variety of ways. Among the,
most successful hydrodynamical experimentalists °I
late years have been, it appears, M. Eyetelwein of
Berlin, Dr. Matthew Young, late Bishop of Clonfert,
who has explained the cause of the increased velocity
of efflux through additional tubes, Mr. Vince, and Don
George Juan. Those who desire to acquaint them'
selves with this interesting branch of science will find
much to answer their purpose in the present treatise,
The .subject occupies a considerable portion of the
Number, and does not merely skim the surface, but
sounds the depths of it. The essay on " Interest" i 3
treated in a sound, practical spirit, and may possibly be
the production of Macculloch, who is every way Val';
fled to discuss and throw light on such a complicated
theme. Under the head " Interment," the reader will
find many curious and entertaining particulars respect'
ing the mode of sepulture as practised among the
Greeks and Romans, and more particularly among the
Egyptians. But, indeed, the whole Number is got UP
with the most diligent and minute attention to facts;
every subject being thoroughly sifted, and leaving
little or nothing unsaid that could possibly be said 0f
it. Ina -word, the " Encyclopedia Britannica" is a
library itself, and .he who poSsesses it, may well gs'
pense—so far as absolute necessity' is coneerned---
with the purchase of any other books, except those
which are exclusively devoted to the lighter and more
amusing branches of literature. The Number is em'
bellished with a variety of engravings, illustrative of
zoological and scientific subjects.

SCOTT'S PROSE WORKS, Vol. 20.
Cadell, Edinburgh, 1835.
This is-the most interesting volume we have yet,
seen of Sir Walter Scott's " Periodical Criticisul%,
It contains his able article on the " Culloden Papers
which the late Mr. Charles Mills—no mean judge of
such matters—pronounced to be one of the ablest essaYs
that had ever appeared in the Quarterly Review, andi°
which the character of the Highland Chiefs, and the
feudal system of clanship, as they existed previous
the memorable year 1745, are delineated with the slaii
of a master ; a clever gossipping notice, intersperse'
with much anecdotal observation, of " Boaden's
moirs of Kemble ;" and another of the late Sir 11111 e,:
phery Davy's " Salmonia," in the course of which ~
Walter gives an admirable criticism on old Isaac
Walton's "Complete Angler," which we like the better'
inasmuch as it is wholly free from that absurd Cockney
enthusiasm which, for some years past, has beep
endeavouring to raise the Cheapside gudgeon-fisher,
into a sort of intellectual prodigy. The volume
embellished with two engravings, one of which,
trative of a scene near Abbotsford, has been execute
by Mr. Richardson with much skill.

MY NOTE BOOK, 3 Vora.
Macrone, London. 1835.

Mr. Macgregor, the author of these volumes, is a
experienced traveller, who, like the Grecian wandcre,r,
of old, " mores hominum multorurn vidit et urbes•
Few places of note, either in the Old World or the Nov'
have been unexplored by him ; and we rememberfioloe
few years ago, having read with much pleasure his de'
borate work on British America. The volumes before
us are of far less pretension, being sketchy and de'
sultory to a degree—mere fragments, as it were, of the,
author's travelling reminiscences. Thev contain fe ,
matters of novelty—for what is to be said of Conti'
nental cities, and habits and scenery, that has not been
said a thousand times already?—Nevertheless, they ore
amusing, and will attract attention, if only from the
light and unassuming manner in which they- ore
written. Mr. Macgregor gives us a humorous se
count—a little caricatured, however, we suspect—of 111
ostentatious, thorough-bred Cockney merchant and 11P
seven gaunt unmarried daughters, whom he picked 1.11)
at an hotel at Boulogne, and who astonished the whole
table d hote by the energy and desperation of their or
sault and battery on a fine sirloin of beef, which was
was the only thing at the hotel that thqy prf-
nounced fit to be eaten by a Christian. Tve
sketch of the passengers on board the Boulog,oe
steam-boat is equally amusing, though liable to
the- tame objection that we have before hintea.,
After' a day or two's stay at Bologne—quite
enough in all conscience, for there is little or nothing
to see, though a great deal to smell, especially on the
ramparts of the upper town—Mr. Macgregor quitted
the place for Belgium, of whose King, Leopold, bet
draws an accurate character, asserting, however,
he issfar—very far indeed—from being a popular Sore
'
reign. We should • have supposed otherwise, eS}
cially as, on the author's own shewing,
" He allows the people to govern themselves, without
scarcely any interposition of the royal prerogative. He 5
a prudent, peace-loving Sovereign ; is fond of peace age
security in what he possesses ; is too unbending not to .
honest ; and interferes not by appointing favourites as My
nisters, but by following the admirable instruction of Will"
Penn—leave the people to govern themselves, and the).
will think they govern.'
If these are not qualities to make a Sovereign pOPu;
lar with a peaceable, well-disposed people, we Icio`
not what are. The reason, however, of Leopold '5
unpopularity is subsequently explained, as follows
"He would be an admirable King in a country freie
from the shackles of bigotry and priestly power ; but Be'
glum has a religious, nay, an ecclesiastical aristocradi
which assumes the almost supreme authority in politics Or
public instruction, besides the disposal of an immense Fo
non of the public revenue. Leopold must therefore eiti"
be ruled by, or rule through, the influence of the clerg,:'
otherwise he will be a thousand times more hateful. 00
the King of Holland."
It would seem from this, that in Belgium, as els';#
where, priestcraft is the great stumbling-block in tt'e
way of good government, neutralizing all the gcs3
qualities of a Sovereign who allows the people to gef
vern themselves, with " scarcely an interposition at
the Royal prerogative." It will be a proud day
humanity when this grinding tyrannythe most ye: sa
tious and oppressive, though the most insidious, of all
tyrannies—is trampled under foot, never to rise agi 1111:
Religion would be an infinite gainer by such an eve-0;
for it has no worse enemy than priestcraft, who, Ilif
wearing its mask, and counterfeiting the very tones -43 j
its voice, is the cause of its being constantly subject('
to undeserved obloquy. From Brussels Mr. givc:
gregor sets out on a tour through the Dutch provincel';
thence he proceeds towards the Rhine, of course seeifr,
all that is to be seen on its romantic and diversified shor es,;
and afterwards hurries off for Switzerland, of wh obb
Alpine scenery, he gives us some descriptions, whiAs,
serve no other purpose than to convince us that he
out of his element when treating of the picturesqu4,
1
He mistakes exaggeration for force, as where he ,
the sun was setting in effulgent grandeur bey'of
the western heights ; below was the buzzing sound
congregated man—of closing labour, as it plod
Nor
,'
inwards from the fields to the vallies beneath."
dialer
this is not description, but bombast—the mere
of the Minerva-library novelists. Mr. Macgregor 11. s
a sound, clear-headed man ; but lie has not an Orli:,
of fancy or imagination, and should forswear all
"tempts at the picturesque, which require soinethio,-;
more than mere common sense. At the end of tl'
third volume there is an appendix, full of useful std'
tistical information, chiefly as respects the general
provincial, and municipal administrations of Prussia'
which is worth all the rest of the work put together.