The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-21 00:00:00

A VISIT TO VOLTAIRE.

In passing through the village to the Chateau, the chapel
erected and dedicated " Deo Optimo Maximo," over the
entrance, led the travellers to ask who preached there.
They were told that sometimes Voltaire himself officiated
to the peole,
standingover whom he was lord of lire and death, of
which a gallows on the estate was proof, it being
Seignorgie which confebrred that power. The constant
official, at the chapel was a Jesuit named Pere Adam, of
whom Voltaire humorously observed—" Quoique it fut le
Pere Adam, it n'etoit pas le premier des hommes."
At the Chateau the visitors were received by Madame
Denis, Voltaire's niece, and she announced their arrival to
Voltaire. Ile was then a very dark-complexioned, shrivelled,
thin old man, stooping much from age, being eighty-four,
though not naturally a very tall man. The chief, and
indeed most striking impression made by any of his features
was by his eyes, which were remarkably large and pene-
trating.
Upon his entrance he bowed, for his address was that of
a finished gentleman of the time, taking each of the party
in turn, and he then said :
" You see, gentlemen ' un pauvre Octagenaire,' about to
quit this world ;" then making a few observations about
himself, he turned to young Beckford, and spoke some
words highly complimentary of his father. He next asked
some general questions about England; what his visitors
thought of Switzerland; and for ten minutes addressed the
party, all standing, upon topics of the day. He concluded
his audience with addressing the Englishmen, with some
little htunour, in the parliamentary mode, "My lords and
gentlemen, many thanks for your visit. Pray take some
refreshment, and then, if it will amuse you, look into my
garden and my situation, and give me leave to retire ;"

which he did immediately, not apparently ill-pleased at the
visit.
A cold collation was served up under the auspices of
Madame Denis, and a walk in the poet's garden followed
It was laid out in the formal French style. The house scr.
not large, and plainly furnished, but its situation was ad,
mirable.

COMING OF AGE.
It was on the 29th of September, 1781, that Beclcfnrel
became his own master; the following letter is an account
of the festivities upon this occasion. It is dated October 11
1781:
At last, My dear A., the festive tumult and bustle nt,
Fonthill have begun a little to subside, and I take the firs"
quiet moment I have had since my arrival, to give you
short account of it ; I say a short one, for I have not ti°
to mention a thousand particulars, and that only just at the
time they were going on. On my arrival, on Wednesday
last, I found the house half full of company. There had been
music, dancing, and feasting foam the beginning of
week. But Thursday and Friday being th two princiPt
days, I shall confine my account chiefly to them. On th
former day we sat down to breakfast in the great arch%
Grecian Hall, not less than a hundred persons, at several lea,
tables. This being finished, a concert succeeded ; the
pany every moment increasing, till about five o'clock en
Friday. Not less than three hundred, one-third of when!
were nobility and persons of fashion, sat down to dinner'
not to mention a great addition to the numbers in the set;
vants of the company visiting, those of the family, and tfiel
friends, who dined, some before and some afterwards, 00,4
fewer by many than those upon whom they attended. P,
night there was an illumination, and a brilliant ball, f,e':
lowed by a supper at one in the morning ; at which tn,;
guests were not fewer than they had been at dinner. T'd
company danced, and played at cards after supper, 811,
the festivity was kept up till daylight. Having slept a fe"
hours, we all met again at breakfast and that was scarab'
over before the whole park, woods, and plantations vee.°
filled with country people, flocking from the town of gi';
don and the surrounding villages. By the afternoon there
could not be less than ten or twelve thousand assemble,,
On an extensive lawn before this noble house, there we'
erected three long booths. In one of them dined Mr. Beei!i
ford's Wiltshire tenants, with their sons, about two hund
persons. In the other two booths were entertained, jut
same manner, the people of the town of Hindon—a
borough in the neighbourhood, in Mr. Beckford's parhad
mentary interest. These might amount, men, women, as,
children, to about a thousand persons, and these as well
the tenants, had their band of music. A great quantity °
strong beer was also given away to the populace. The CO's;
pany in the house dined at five, o'clock the second cis.,l
about as many as on the day before. Dinner being 01
another grand illumination succeeded. Some thousla,
lamps were beautifully disposed on the lawn, in the vre
and along the river ; and three great bonfires lit up on
distant ground. The company having observed and e?t9
joyed these sights, they were, after tea, entertained "n i
magnificent fireworks, followed by a concert of vocal ett
instrumental music, in which was performed an Its 10:
pastoral in honour of the day. There were, perhaps, 01,,,1
musicians of the first eminence there,. than ever TA
together at our greatest oratorios. The evening conchn
with a very splendid and crowded supper. The nest ow'
Sunday, the best part of the company that stayed, as
bled in a large room, where Dr. Lettice gave them a.,0
mon. At dinner, the company was reduced to three tav,i4
A concert was performed in the evening, and all who ni,`;
present were invited to supper. On the following morn,
the company began to depart, about a score of Mr. Pe;
ford's more particular friends and relatives only contiun%
for some time ; but the birthday celebrity was consiclet
as finished. I feel as if I had written myself out of brO
and am glad to lay down my pen."
The expenses incurred upon the foregoing occasion 1c1„:
very considerable •, but the property into which y(,)v
Beckford came, after nursing during his minority, Ins;,y
him in the position of one of the richest subjects in Ein'i
The amount, according to his own statement, consistlil
nearly a million in ready money, and an income
hundred thousand per annum.

Principles of Social and Political _Economy. P
William Atkinson. Vol. I. Longman. ,
The attention of cultivated and thoughtful 0111,
has often been turned to the very defective staff
the science of political economy. The conflict
opinions and contradictory principles of its gc,
exponents have divided their followers into 0,
sects ; and the deep thought and laborious rese.
required for its study have rendered the numbe,`,.
its students comparatively limited. It is, ther
a subject of congratulation to the nation, that?,
ligent and earnest men are now endeavourn*
expound their principles in a clear and 1,11,
manner, and to place the fundamental truths elu,
science in a position, where those uninitiated
mysteries of scientific reasoning may gather ro
ideas of their import and tendency. Hod
much much the opinions of these reasoners may 1,,
and however much they may be mistake'.
their theories or examples, the free disc
and argument on the principles of govern,'
and national prosperity is beneficial. Though
circle of thinkers will always be limited, in co'''
rison with the men of action, and though froili
very nature of the subject few will devote
time or labour to its abstruse study, yet a
diffusion of its principles, and a more Re°
knowledge of the differences of its chief wri
very desirable for a nation that aspires to
government. Mr. Atkinson's work treats the
ject in its broadest view, and makes a the '
examination into the theories and arguments of
its most eminent followers, from Adam Smith
wards. Without coinciding with all his princlr,
we commend the work to the studious and thos
ful reader, who desires to form his own oro
from a careful examination of the rival theorieli
their practical results, and a thorough anal,'
their merits.

THE SHANNON'S NAVAL B.RIGO

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—As the Unites Service Gazette has pubILI
statements affecting the discipline and charge
the Shannon's naval brigade, I shall feel r.
obliged by your giving insertion to the accoraP
ing letter, which I have just received fool
Ed. Lugard. I feel it due to the memory 1,,0
late Sir W. Peel that such grave accusations
not remain unanswered.—l have, &c.,
14?
J. W. VAUGHAN, COlll. '
Late H.M.S. Shannon. I
Craven, Hotel, Jan. 20.

" Teignmouth, Devon, lan. 17, 18„1
"My dear Vaughan,---I have just seen the Kly
graph in the United. Service Gazette, of the 15th de
commenting commenting upon the state of the naval brig)
the Shannon. The writer of the paragraph
be grossly ignorant of the truth, or hale
wickedly misinformed, to state that the lifeaid
led in the naval brigade was the reverse of
ef
plined'—' they were the terror of friends as sc,
foes no orders restrained them.' I consiuebi
allegation to be a gross libel upon our late 1,,
friend, Sir W. Peel, as well as upon the
brigade, and, as such, it cught to be at once
tradicted.

" I am unable (owing to a sad accident) te,
more than a few lines at a time, or I should
to the editor on the subject ; but I give you ett,
friends authority to contradict the stateinell
me in the strongest and most direct manner. s(
Shannon's brigade advanced upon LucknoWelo
my division, and acted with it during the
operations, as you well know. The men were I
I may say hourly, under my sight, and
sidered their conduct, in every partictli
example to the troops. During the whole pi
eve
was associated with the Shannon's brigade Tb
once saw an irregularity amongst the men.
were sober, quiet, and respectful, and oftelle
marked to my staff the high state of disciplil/0A
W. Peel had got them into. From the cO4l
of active operations until I was detached to 1'
ghur I commanded all the troops in the 61'
all measures for the repression of plunderioge?
carried out through me. During that I:09'
not one irregularity by the men of the Sli
was reputed to me. Indeed, „
whole course of my life I never saw 501/
conducted a body of men. All 'no°
written about the good conduct of the Shall;
men would, I am convinced, be confirmed lift
unanimous opinion of the army at Lucknow. 0 c
Adrian Hope and I often talked together 'el
subject, and many a time I expressed to I'
high opinion I had of his men, and thy P
adi10'100:
of his cheerfulness and happy, contented loolepe
all circumstances of fatigue and difficulty.---"
me, my dear Vaughan, sincerely yours„ i,9,
(Signed) " EDW. LITG'
" Capt. Vaughan, C. 8."