The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-28 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO CASTLE
HOWARD.

CASTLE HOWARD, AUG. 27.
At a season of the year when every one who can
seeks relief from the routine of ordinary lire and
official duty her Majesty the Queen, leaving as many
of the cares of state and as much of the pomp of
royalty behind her as possible, travels northward to
her quiet retreat in the Highlands of Scotland. The
same instinct which sets her subjects i❑ motion in
quest of health and amusement—which sends our
legislators to the moors, our professional men to
S witzerland or the Rhine, and even our shopkeepers
to some well-beloved place by the sea-side, acts alike
upon the Queen and the Royal Family. The declin-
ing year and the close of a busy season warn all
cusses, while " autumn's pleasant weather" enables
them to du so, to dedicate some portion of time
to change of scene, to seek pleasure in the fields,
and throwing away some at least of the formali-
ties of society, to enjoy life by living according
to fancy, and ignoring as much as may be that
hard word, necessity. Iler Majesty's subjects

have an obvious advantage over her in - the
facility with which they can gratify their
vacation longings. When once the back of an
ordinary Englishman is turned upon his street-door,
and the family abode is confided to the care of his
housekeeper, he takes his departure in some cab or
omnibus, and straightway all trace of him is gone.
He may travel earth or sea, but as long as he commits
no crime and pays his way, he passes quietly and
unobtrusively along. Not so the Queen. Whatever
desire she may have for privacy, and however
effectually she may secure it at Balmoral, she cannot
altogether escape observation on her way there. Ac-
cordingly, her annual visits to the north are suffi-
ciently in the nature of a royal progress to justify the
publication of their details. Last year she took Ire-
land in her way. This season she travels through by
railroad, resting on her way at Castle Howard, and
in the ancient Palace of Holyrood at Edinburgh,
Castle Howard, the seat of the Earl of Carlisle, will
be honoured by her Majesty's presence from to-night
till Thursday morning ; and as it is one of the finest
places in England, some description of it may not
prove uninteresting.
The ancient family mansion was Hinderskelp
Castle, but this structure having been destroyed by
fire its barbarous name perished with it, and the new
building which was erected on the site of the old was
appropriately and proudly called Castle Howard. I t
is about 16 miles north-east from York, on the road
to Scarborough, and was built from a design by Van-
burgh. The style of it much resembles that of Blen-
heim, though the plan differs materially. There is
something rather heavy in the effect which it pro-
duces, the broken outlines, the varying elevations of
the roof, and the fantastic chimneys, statues, and
domes with which it is surmounted, being deficient in
grace, but as a whole the building has a sufficiently
imposing exterior, and certainly does not merit the
harsh terms in which Arthur Young speaks of it. He
says :—" The house loses the grandeur as well as the
beauty that ought to attend so large and extensive a
building in the want of unity of its parts, which have
as little beauty in themselves as connexion with each
other. The front, however, of the new wing will be
light and elegant—an advantage which serves for little
else but rendering the rest of the bailding the more un-
pleasing." Such isYoung's estimate of the architectural
pretensions of Castle Howard. At the time he made his
tour in these parts there were many things to ruffle a
traveller's temper and disturb the calmness of his
judgment which do not exist now-a-days. Ac-
cordingly we are not surprised to find duly recorded
by him, under the head of " Roads," the following
entry :—" To Castle Howard infamous ; I was near
being swallowed up in a slough." His estimate of
the park is nearer the truth. "It possesses extraor-
dinary beauty from the remarkably tasteful manner
in which it is wooded, and from the natural lay of the
land, which undulates in such a manner as to se-
cure a succession of the finest perspectives. The view
from the north front of the Castle is particularly
splendid, the eye being carried over a beautiful lake
to distant slopes and rich woodland heights, which
realise to the mind the very perfection of English
scenery." The park timber is of goodly size, and
" ancestral" in its character, as the name of the fa-
mily might lead one to expect. Some old oaks of
great girth, their huge branches still putting
forth leaves, add much to the picturesque effect
of the scenery, and recall to the imagina-
tion those remote times when forests were a
reality in England, and forest laws were enforced
with all the rigour of feudal authority. From time
to time efforts have been made to heighten the natural
beauty of the park by the erection in different places
of ornamental edifices. There is a mausoleum, cir-
cular in shape, terminating in a dome, and surrounded
by a colonnade of Tuscan pillars; an lonic temple,
with four porticoes, and fitted up in a costly manner
with marble ; a small pyramid, various fantastic arch-
ways, a pillar commemorative of the building of the
mansion, and an obelisk dedicated to the glory of the
great Duke of Marlborough. So many objects of a
miscellaneous character, however elegant in them-
selves, produce a disagreeable effect upon the eye, and
almost justify Arthur Young's censure, when he pro-
nounces them to be "in a style so heavy and clumsy
as to be perfectly disgusting." The obelisk is finely
placed at the intersecting point of two noble avenues,
the stately trees of which surround it on every side,
except where it may be seen to the best advantage.
Where the effects of natural beauty have been relied
upon the park is delightful, but the attempt to
heighten the effects of scenery by artificial embellish-
ment has not been very successful, and the stranger
will find at least as much within the Castle as with-
out it to engage his curiosity and gratify his tastes.
There is something singularly imposing in the
spectacle which the mansion of one of our great no-
blemen on such occasions as this presents. The im-
mense extent of accommodation, the huge domestic
establishment, the suites of noble apartments dedicated
to state, and the atmosphere of comfort and luxurious
elegance which pervades the rooms appropriated to
the quiet tenour of family life—all these things
crowd upon the mind of a visitor as he enters the
great hall of Castle Howard and surveys its lofty
ceiling, its massive columns, and richly decorated
walls and staircase, and as he passes thence through
a long series of apartments filled with paintings and
sculpture, with costly and rare marbles, with splendid
tapestry, and with whatever else the cultivated and
high-born esteem precious. The rooms are well-
proportioned and excellently arranged, both as to
position with reference to each other and their ge-
neral keeping. The dining-room is ornamented
with bronzes, with slabs of Sicilian jasper, an urn
of green porphyry, and ancient busts. The saloon
above-stairs has some beautiful tables, and on its
walls and ceiling classical subjects are painted. The
drawing-room is adorned with rich tapestry from the
designs of Rubens, with pillars of green porphyry,
and with busts and bronzes. The pavement of the
blue drawing-room is mosaic. The state bed. room is
hung with fine Brussels tapestry, after the designs of
Teniers, the chimney-piece is highly ornamental, and
among the other embellishments of the apartment is a
painting by Canaletto, of the Doge of Venice marry-
ing the Adriatic. Then there is the breakfast-room,
the museum and antique gallery, 160 feet long, con-
taining a vast assemblage of curiosities, and several
other apartments, all decorated with the works of
great masters. The most celebrated picture in the
collection is the Three Marys, by Annibale Ca-
racci. It once belonged to the unfortunate Philip
Egalite, and having been, during the first French
revolution, brought over to this country with
several others, passed into the bands of the
Carlisle family. The apartment in which most
of these pictures are now hung is called the
Orleans Boom. The collection of paintings by Ca-
naletto is very large and fine, one apartment being
entirely filled with them. Among the works of art
may be noticed a very extraordinary picture, by Ma-
beuse, of the Adoration of Christ by the Wise Men;
the Entombing of Christ, by Ludovico Caracci ; a
portrait of Snyders, by Vandyck ; St. John the
Evangelist, by Domenichino ; and some fine family
portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir Thomas
Lawrence. Two conspicuous objects are pointed out
to the visitor in connexion with the present amiable
and accomplished representative of the Carlisle
family—a monster address, some 400 feet long, pre-
sented to him on retiring from office as Chief Secre-
tary for Ireland, and a splendid memorial of attach-
ment'presented to him by his constituents after being
defeated in the representation of the West Riding.
From the style in which Castle Howard is embel-
lished let us revert to the character of the reception
prepared for her Majesty. That reception is to be a
private one, and not extravagantly or absurdly mag-
nificent, though suited to the exalted station of the
guest and the noble rank and ancient family of her
host. The Earl of Carlisle has invited a
select circle of friends to Castle Howard, who are to
have the honour of meeting her Majesty. Among
the company are the Duchess of Sutherland and her
daughter, Lady Constance Leveson Gower, Lady
Dover, the lion. Miss Ellis, the Hon. Miss Diana
Ellis, the Hon. W. and Lady Caroline Lascelles, the
Hon. Francis and Lady Elizabeth Grey, the Hon.
Mr. Leveson, and Mr. Prescott.

The early part of the day has been wet, cold, and
disagreeable, a mist worthy of the Grampian Hills
enveloping the landscape, and a drizzling rain descend-
ing. Notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the
weather, however, numbers of people flocked in from
the surrounding district to witness her Majesty's ar-
rival. Trains laden with loyal subjects arrived from
Scarborough, and we encountered one indefatigable
lady who had come all the way from Bath to have a
good view of her Majesty and the Royal Family.
At the Castle Howard railway station, which is
about three miles distant from the Earl of Carlisle's
seat, a few very simple preparations were made
for her Majesty's reception. An awning, decorated
vath flowers and evergreens, was erected in commu-
nication with the station, through which the Royal

pfirty might pass, protected from the weather, to their
carriages. The road thence to the castle is exceed-
ingly hilly, and at many points reminds one of
Devonshire. From it fine views of the surrounding
country are occasionally obtained,
and glimpses of
cultivated fields and harvest labours appearing amidst
the deep woods. The wayside presents at first a very.
rural countryfied aspect • a small village and an ex-
tensive quarry, the working of which has been dis-
continued for some time, being the principal objects.
Then the road passes- under an old•faihioned arch-
way, flanked by battlemented walls, terminating at
either end in small turrets. Another equally old-
fashioned archway, crowned by a pyramidal orna-
ment, is passed through, and then the road, turning
to the right by the obelisk, is carried forward to
the north front of the Castle. A few ornaments of
flowers and ever-greens decorated these archways,
and completed the preparations for her Mijesty's
reception.

At the time appointed for her Majesiy's arrival the
platform was lined by a guard of honour belonging
to the 2,1 Dragoon Guards, under the command of
Major French. A party of special constables also
were drawn up at the station and in front of the
Castle to preserve order. They were marshalled by
the county police, and arrayed in the favourite drab
of Yorkshire agriculturists. Such being the state
of matters at Castle Howard, a few words will suf-
fice to describe her Majesty's progress northward.
The royal party left Osborne this morning at, eight
o'clock, proceeding by the South-Western Rsilway,
and reached London about eleven. The departure
from Euston-square took place shortly before twelve
o'clock. At Wolverton her Majesty and suite partook
of refreshment ; at Rugby the directors and principal
officers of the Midland Company took charge of the
special train, and conducted it in safety to Normanton,
where the directors of the York, Newcastle, and
Berwick Company were waiting to receive the royal
party. Thence by York to Castle Howard the train
proceeded, reaching its destination shortly before six
o'clock.

As her Majesty alighted at the station, the band
of the 2d Dragoon Guards played the national
anthem, the guards of honour presented arms, and
the assembled spectators testified their luyalty by
loud cheers.

In fact, all along the route, notwithstanding the
unfavourable state of the weather, the Royal party
was most enthusiactically greeted.
Her Majesty and suite were received at the station
by the Earl of Carlisle, and conducted at once to
some seven or eight carriages waiting to convey them
to the Castle. At the most convenient points along
the route the peasantry were collected to see the
Queen, who acknowledged very graciously their
simple-hearted demonstrations of loyalty. Arrived
at length at Castle Howard, whitheir they were ac-
companied by a mounted escort, the Royal party
were received at the grand entrance by the Countess
of Carlisle and other members of the family assem-
bled on an occasion which will long be remembered
by them with natural emotions of pride.

VISIT TO KNEB'WOR rx, THE
SEAT OF SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON.

(From the Lincolnshire Chronicle.)
We are not unfrequently reminded of the superior
attractions of those olden days when baronial hospi-
tality was certainly more extensive, and less exclu-
sive, than at present ; and for that nob'e and generous
hospitality we could almost forgive the rudeness of
the times. But why the polish of civilisation should
be a bar to any practice of the elder time, good and
humanising in itself, we could never understand. Why
the landed gentleman, whether baron, knight, or
squire, should no longer met his agricultural tenants
or the neighbouring burghers in his halls, has been a
problem which we have only been able to explain by
presuming that the present age Is transitional, and
that a higher civilisation will more intimately unite
classes too far sundered by a change which has, per-
haps, refined more than it has elevated society.
It is not difficult to suppose that some such thought
—some aspiration after a unity of classes, rendered
necessary by the inevitable unity of interests, ani-
mated Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton when he invited
his tenants, together with tradesmen and neighbours
from the neighbouring towns, to share the hospitality
of his ancient and magnificent home, with the distin-
guished guests visiting there.
The invitations were issued for Monday last, and
on that day 200 ladies and gentlemen attended at the
bidding of the illustrious owner to inspect the grounds
and mansion of Knebwortb, and beneath the fair
towers of that ancestral home to enjoy the social in-
tercourse which, more than anything else, tends to
obliterate the prejudices of class, and to wear down
the asperities of too absolute an individuality.
Of the guests in the Muse it is sufficient to say
that they included gentlemen well known to the
public for their position in society and their elevated
tastes. One poet, whose graceful compositions have
delighted the solitary hours of thousands, and shed a
cheerful radiance over domestic and social circles;
one writer, whose exquisite wit and powerful under-
standing have been an enjoyment and a good to many
who scarcely knew his name ; and one actor, whose
transcendent genius, high scholarship, and moral ex-
cellence, have, perhaps, raised him to a higher posi-
tion than any member of his profession ever attained,
were present. Add to this, that the owner of that
fair estate, whose writings are household words to the
people of these kingdoms, and have done more to
elevate the taste and cultivate the imagination than
any modern fiction, was himself present on the scene,
entertaining his guests, and it will be admitted that a
more interesting occasion, a more inviting gathering,
could scarcely occur in the oldest and the noblest
times of merry England, either in olden or in modern
times.

A commodious pavilion was erected before the
eastern front of the mansion, where tea and refresh-
ments were provided by Mr. Lowden, of Hitchen.
The following gentlemen consented to officiate as
stewards over the entertainment :—Mr. Passingham,
secretary to the Herta Agricultural Society; Mr. G.
W. Roberts, Mr. Beaumont Cole, Mr. Groom, of
Hitchen; Mr. Inskip, of Hertford; and Mr. Good,
of Stevenage, &c.

The company began to arrive at three o'clock, and
from that time until half-past five, perambulated the
beautiful grounds, and went over the mansion for the
purpose of viewing its noble apartments, and their ex-
quisite artistic decorations, and magnificent antique
furniture.

The day was fine, and as the sun gleamed on the
richly ornamented front, and the light breeze dallied
with the bright-hued flag floating from the tower,
the tout ensemble was strikingly beautiful. Turning
our eyes from it into the delicious garden side walks,
imagination conjured up visions of the noble owner
wending thither, wrapped in those beautiful dreams,
and gathering from the depths of his richly-endowed
mind those exquisite pictures with which he has de-
lighted thousands ; and our appreciation of the place
became intensified when we reflected that its fair
scenes, its superb adorument9, and even its antique
furniture, might have been agents in exciting trains
of thought which have been so skilfully elaborated to
the world.

We concluded our perambulation with a visit to the
church—which is situate within the park, near to the
mansion, but is not remarkable, except as the sepul-
chre of many members of the Lytton family. Here
were inumerous memorials of the departed owners of
the estate ; some elaborate inscriptions in Latin,
others brief to a fault ; but on a mausoleum near the
church there is one of exceeding beauty in sentiment
and language, for which we must find a place. In
thin mausoleum reposes the ashes of the late Mrs.
Bulwer Lytton, and the writer of the elegant and
touching inscription is
,the present- owner of lineb-
worth :

" Within this mausoleum, which sbe'erectedi and by
the side of her mother, its first inmate, repose the
mortal remains of Elizabeth Barbara Bulwer Lytton.
Uniting with the justice of a man the charity of
woman, her life was devoted to useful and noble pur-
poses. At once self-denying and munificent, she
saved in luxury to be liberal in distress. In her re-
ligion she made manifest the earnest faith by the ac-
tive works; and the heathen, in remotest lands and
far distant times, may, under the blessing of the Al-
mighty, owe the light of Divine Revelation to the
generous hand and the pious heart that moulder within
p
these walls. Obiit 1843."
Having concluded our survey of Knebwortb, we
repaired to the pavilion, where we found Mr. Lowden
already preparing tea, and most of the com an
seated, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton occupying they
head of the table. The air of Knebwortb, and the
occupation of the afternoon, had evidently produced a
healthy exhilaration, and the tea was discussed with
a delicious vivacity, occasionally interrupted by a very
good band from Shefford.
At the conclusion of the repast,
Sir EDWARD BULWER LYTTON rose, amidst loud
cheers, and said—Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you
cordially for the great pleasure you have given me in
coming—many of you from a great distance—to so
simple and humble an entertainment as the present.
I feel it as a sign that you reciprocate the feeling of
good will and neighbourly kindness which induced
me to request the pleasure of your eompany.—(Hear
and cheers.) It is my belief that the safety of this
country—and indeed of every other—consists in an
affectionate union between all classes—(Loud cheers)
—not only between landlord and tenant, but between
farmer and tradesmen—between town and country....
(Much applause.) Therefore, I rejoice on Every oc-
casion like the present, which brings us more sc.,
ciably t-Tether.—(Cheers.) Ladies I have to thank
46 "
you especially for the grace and charm which your
presence gives to the present meeting; for I am one
agricul-
of those who think an entertainment without ladies
is a garden without flowers.—(Laughter, hear, hear,
cheers, and cries of
Bravo.) I know that we
tcountryu ral
exhibitions—fatfol k ar
are uppos
sheepe d t on
and
de overprim fond of
on f_but we
have not such bad taste but that we shall 411 agree in

this, that the finest exhibition in the world is such a
one ea we have now the pleitatre to witness—the EA •
hi'aition of fair women's faces.—(Loud cheers and
laughter.) Ladies aud gentlemen, I wilt no longer
detain you at present. The tea tables shall inew "he
remove so as to give you an opportunity of having
a dance beneath the bough.—(Laughter and cheers.)
I only hope that you will enjoy yourselves, and be
-merry, and if there are any deficiencies in the ar-
rangements of this day, I hope you will be indulgent
and forgive them, and accept the will fur the deed.
As practice makes perfect in this as in other matters,
I hope that on another occasion you will give me an
opportunity of remedying any defects which may
now be apparent. And now, in a cup of tea (holding
a cup in his hand), I have the pleasure of drinking
your healths, as cordially as though it were a glass of
X±.—(Laughter)—wishing prosperity to trade, and
better times to farmers.—(Ubeer,.)
The pavilion was then cleared of its forms and
tables, and dancing immediately commenced, and en-
gaged in very enthusiastically by a large portion of
the company. After the "poetry of motion" had con
tinned to the accompaniment of "sweet sounds" for
about an hour, it was temporarily interrupted by
Y. CRAWLEY, Esq. (Mayor of Hertford), Wno ad-
vanced and said :—Ladies and Gentlemen,—l have
been requested to seize this opportunity—and, though
I fear I am somewhat disturbing the order of the
proceedings, I hope you will cheerfully allow me, as
I have not been able to address you earlier in the
evening—to thank, on the part of the company pre-
sent, our host, Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, for his
kindness and hospitality on the present occasion. I
hoped I should have had the opportunity of doing so
before; but as Sir Edward suddenly made his escape
(to use a vulgar phrase), that opportunity was lost.
And now, therefore, on the part of the company, I
express our heartfelt thanks to him for his great
kindness in suffering us to inspect one of the finest
mansions in the country—a kindness which I, for one,
duly appreciate. On this occasion lam forcibly re-
minded of the lines—
" The stately homes of England,
How beautiful they stand ;
Amidst their tall ancestral trees,
O'er all the pleasant land."
lam not much in the habit of indulging in poetical
quotations, but these few lines struck me as so singu-
larly appropriate to the mansion of Sir Edward that
I shall be excused for quoting them.—(Cheers). It
was suggested to me that as I. happen to hold an offi-
cial station in a neighbouring town it would not -be
inappropriate if I were to express, on the part of the
company, our great thanks to our illustrious host—
illustrious, indeed, he is, and his character casts a re-
flected honour on the county of Hertford. I, fur
one, have often luxuriated in his admirable writings,
and I do feel that I owe him no small debt of gra-
titude for the many hours of enjoyment he has
afforded me.—(Applause). I cannot help again
saying that the high position he has obtained in
the literary world reflects singular honour on
the county that gave him birth ; and, indeed, his re-
putation is world wide. I know it may be said that
my language appears somewhat like adulation; for
somehow or other people are apt to think, that when
one expresses admiration of an individual in the pre-
sence of the individual himself, he is an adulator.
But I desire only to express my ardent feelings of
gratitude to Sir Edward for the extreme enjoyment
he has afforded me and hundreds of others here as-
sembled. I should think that I was not doing justice
to my own feelings—and I believe I should not be
doing justice to the feelings of the ladies and gentle-
men standing around me—if I did not indulge my.
self in the expressions of gratitude such as those I
have given utterance to. Pardon me if I have
taken more upon myself than I ought to have done
—(Cries of " No, no")—and if I have done so let
the occasion itself be a sufficient apology.—(Cheers.)
Again, in the name of the meeting, I tender our
heartfelt thanks to Sir Elward Bulwer Lytton for
his kindness to us this day.—(Applause, and cries
of "Bravo:')
Sir EDWARD BULWEIL LYTTON rose, amidst loud
and continued cheering, to return thanks. He said—
I must thank you most heartily for the kind manner
in which you have received the honourable mention
Mr. Mayor has made of me. You see already how
prophetic I was in saying that occasions like the pre-
sent serve to bring together town and country trade
and agriculture—(Cheers)—and it is a great satisfac •
tion to me to think that an individual holding the
honourable position of Mayor of Hertford was the
person to propose the health of a country gentleman.
—(Cheers.) I can only say, for the rest, it is I who
am the obliged party, and that I hope this sociable
meeting may frequently be repeated. I regret ex-
tremely that, partly from ill health, and partly from
severe domestic calamity, I have been so little in this
county since I have had property in it ; but I hope,
in future, to see around me more frequently the cheer-
ful, smiling faces that I have the pleasure of observ-
ing now.—(Applause.)

Mr. PASSINWHAM, of the Holt Farm, Kimpton,
rose and said—The company had experienced a great
treat in being permitted to view this noble architec-
t tural pile, so adorned and beautified under the direc-
tion of tea master-mind of the owner, and which
was a place worhy to be the residence of such
a man as Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton—a place
which must please the most fastidious taste, and
the most critical eye, and administer even to the hap-
piness of those who were accustomed to all the
luxuries of life. He considered that one great
elenient in England's prosperity was her possession of
an abundance of such noble seats as this one. The
revenues connected with those seats were generally
spent in the neighbourhood, thus promoting the local
prosperity; and not only in this way were they ad-
vantageous to a place, but the vast amount of labour
they employed, and the number of munificent charities
they supported, materially restricted the amount of
poor-rates, contributed to the comfort of the poor,
and smoothed the pillow of affliction.—(Loud cheers.)
The best way in which the company could show their
thankfulness to Sir Edward for his great kindness,
was to comply with the request in the invitation to the
meeting—that the proceedings should terminate at
nine o'clock. As, therefore, it was now nearly nine,
he would call on his friend, Mr. Croome, of Hitchin,
to sing " God save the Queen."—(Cheers.)
Tae National Anthem was then sung by Mr.
Croome, all present heartily joining in the chorus.
The company then severally took their departure
from the beautiful scene where they had spent a day
of enjoyment.

COURT CIRCULAR.
OSBORNE, TUESDAY.
The Queen and Prince, attended by Viscountess
Canning, Lady in Waiting, and Major-General We-
myss, Equerry to her Majesty, left Osborne this
morning at seven o'clock, and crossed to Gosport in
the Elfin steam-vessel, en route to Castle Howard, the
seat of the Earl of Carlisle.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness paid a short
visit of condolence at Claremont, to the French Royal
Family, at that place.
The intelligence of the sudden death of the Count
de Neuilly reached Osborne yesterday by a special
messesiger.
Her Majesty and his Royal Highness, in conse-
quence of the receipt of the announcement of this
melancholy event, immediately countermanded the
military music and other celebrations of his Royal
Highness's birthday.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, the
Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and Prince Al-
fred, attended by the Hon. Elizabeth Lennox, Miss
Hildyard, Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. A. Gordon,
Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, and Mr.
Birch, embarked in the Fairy, at eight o'clock, to
join her Majesty at the Ether Station, to proceed
from thence to Castle Howard.
The august party, on arriving at the Nine Elms
Station, proceeded in royal carriages to the Euston-
square terminus of the London and North-lVestern
Railway, escorted by a detachment of Lancers.
Her Majesty and Prince Albert were received at
the terminus by Sir George Grey, Secretary of State
for the Home Department, who attended tne Queen
to Castle Howard. The Marchioness of Douro,
Lady in Waiting to her Majesty, attended at the
Euston-square terminus, and left in the Royal
suit. The special train quitted the station at twelve
o'clock.

Mr. Leonard C. Wyon has had the honour of
sittings from his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales
and the rest of the Royal Family for wax models
executed by command of her Majesty.
Sir William C. Ross, R.A., had the honour of
attending at Osborne, by command of the Queen, to
execute a likeness of his Royal Highness Prince
Arthur.

His Serene Highness the Prince of Leiningen
landed at Dover at an early hour yesterday morning
from Calais, and left by the eight o'clock train of
the South-Eastern Railway for town, arriving at
Clarence House, St. James's, the residence of her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, at eleven
o'clock A.M.

THEATRE-ROYAL, HULL.—Mr. Caple, the new
lessee of the York circuit, opens the Hull Theatre on Monday
next. Money is announced as the opening play. Mr. Wm.
Harrison, Miss Louisa Pyne, Mr. and Mrs. Weiss, Mr. H.
Corri, Miss Goddard, and a full corps dramatique, are an-
nounced, with a promise of many other attractions in rapid
succession. Judging from Mr. Caple's late management of
the Queen's Theatre, where he had the honour of receiving
the patronage of his Royal Higimess Prince Albert, we think
he will be supported by the elite of the town and neigh-
bourhood.

CURIOUS EnTAPIL—Tbe following epitaph may he
seen in Longnor church-yard. Staffordshire:—"Here lieth
the body of William Billinge, who was born in a corn-field.
At the age of 21 he enlisted in his Majesty's service, and
fought at the ever-memorable battle of the Ramifies.: Re-
turned to his own country, and died within a hundred and
twenty yards of where he was born, at the age of one hun-
dred and twelve year.
" Milted by death I quartered here remain,
Aud when the trumped sounds I'll rise and march Again."

HEALTH of LONDON DURING the WEEK.
(From the Registrar-Gener.l's Return.)
The health of the inhabitants of London continues
as good as it usually is. The deaths last week were
905, which is more by 31 than were registered in the
previous week, but less than the average, after ex-
cluding the corresponding week of 1849. In that
week 2,456 persons died in London, 240 of diarrlices,
and 1,272 of cholera. The deaths from cholera last
week were fire; from diarrhoea 118 ; of the latter num-
ber 105 were children under the age of 15, 4 adults
under 60, and 9 old persons passed the age of 60.
The deaths by cholera in the five preceding weeks,
including the last, were 13, 11, 15, 8, and 5, so that
the disease in the form it has usually visited London
in August is declining. The deaths from diarrhce iin
the same weeks were 104, 136, 152, 139, and 118.
Although the mortality of London is now below the
average, that average is itself high. And it appeers
scarcely to be a natural state of things that, in ordi-
nary times, of 905 persons whose career ter:nina'es in
the week only 155 pass the age of 60; that 318 end
their cour,e in the middle of life, and 432 die in their
way through childhood to youth. Yet the return gives
this result.
One hundred and twenty-nine of the deaths
oc-
curred in ' public institutions, namely 79 inwork-
houses, 4in military and naval asylum:, 39 in hos-
pitals, 4 in lunatic asylum., 2 in military and naval
hospitals, and lin prison. The proportion of deaths
in public institutions is less than it has been ; for
from an earlier return it was shown that about 1 in
10 of the inhabitants of London died in the work-
houses, 1 iti 21 in the hospitals, 1 in 551 in prisons,
1 in 102 in the lunatic asylums, and that 1 in .5 or 6
of the people die in a public institution of some kind
or other.
By the Greenwich observations the barometer was
low last week, the wind was west or south-west,
rain fell on 'Wednesday ; on Saturday there was a
thunderstorm, the mean temperature of the air was
37 deg. through the week, or 3.5 deg. below the
average. The mean temperature of the Thames was
62.5 deg. The air was dry, the dew point having
been 48 deg.
The following are the particulars of the five deaths
by cholera :
On the 20th August, in Westminster Hospital, an
itinerant piper, aged 48 years, brought from 72,
Great Peter-street, Westminster, " excessive want
(some weeks), cholera (3 days)." On the 19th August,
at Eton Villas, Haverstock-hill, the son of a gentle-
! man, aged 3 months, "English cholera (36 hours),
diarrlcea (10 days)." On the 18th Aug., at 116, High-
street, Camden-town, widow of a butcher, aged 56
years, "English cholera 5 days." Mr. C. H. Soong,
the Registrar, states that an open sewer is at the back
of this house. On the 4th August, at 27, Gloucester-
street, Clerkenwell, an apprentice to a watchmaker,
aged 18 years, " English cholera, no medical attend-
ant."—lnquest. On the 18th August, at 30, George=
street, Shoreditcb, a man aged 44 years, " Asiatic
cholera, 18 hours." Mr. E. Earles, the Registrar,
states that " this man had been idiotic from his birth,
at all times subject to diarrhea, and requiring
medical assistance on every occasion of the attack
The neighbourhood is healthy and well drained."
The following selections are made from the Regis-
trars' reports :
In St. James, Westminster, Berwick-street sub-
district, a carpenter, aged 55 years, died of consump-
tion (3 months). Mr. Walker, the registrar, states
that " the deceased had been under his medical at-
tendant for 3 months, but had been a sufferer from
phthisis 3 or 4 years."
In Holborn, St. Andrew Eastern sub-district, the
son of a wire-drawer, aged ten months, died at No.
5, Union-terrace, of marasmus, diarrhea (9 days).
Mr. Holmes, the registrar, states that '` Union-
terrace is open to a large yard and cowsheds, thickly
inhabited by working people. There is plenty of
water and good drainage."
In Fulham sub-district, at 2, Orchard-street,
North-end, the son of a single woman, aged 3 weeks,
died of diarrhcaa (1 week). Mr. Knight, the regis-
trar, states that " the neighourhoud is unclean and
badly drained."
In Hrggerstone West sub-district, at 25, Mill-
row, the son of a fellowship porter, aged 9 years, died
of effusion on the chest from previous inflammation ;
duration uncertain. Mr. Bowring, the registrar,
states " that this case was not seen by any medical
man (nor was any one sent for) till within a few
hours before death."
In Waterloo 2d part, at 50, Charles-street, the son
of a bricklayer, aged I month, died of diarrhoea (14
days). Mr. Daws, the registrar, states that
" Charles-street is crowded with inhabitants; the
smell from the drains in this house is very much
complained of ; the water is also described as unfit
for drinking."
In Tottenham sub-district, at 3, Southampton-
court, the son of a labourer, aged 5 months, died of
diarrhoea (3 weeks). Mr. Wells, the registrar, states
" that this court is close, and overcrowded."
In Hackney-road sub district, at 10, Collingwood-
street, the son of a turner, aged 4 months, died of
atrophy from birth, convulsions (5 hours). No medi-
cal attendant. Mr. Murray, the registrar, states that
"this street is a close and crowded street, with cess-
pool drainage."
In the same sub-district, at 6, Half Nichol-street,
the daughter of a labourer, aged 5 years, died of
meningitis. This street is close, crowded, and un-
drained.
In the same sub-district, at 37, Old Castle-street, a
box-maker's daughter, aged 17 years, died of phthisis
(6 months). This street Mr. Murray states to be a
close and crowded street, having an excellent sewer
with few communications therewith.
At Charing-cross subdistrict, St. Martin-in-the-
Fields, on the 26th August, in Charing-cross Hospital,
a cabriolet driver, aged 32 years, died of "diseased
liver, general debility ; apparently from long intem-
perance:'

HOP INTELLIGENCE.
MAIDSTONE, AUG. 26.—The hop is certainly a plant
which seems to puzzle everybody. Last week it was
imagined that the occasional cold nights and great want
of sunshine must operate in checking the growth of the
bines, and in more than one quarter we heard rather
gloomy anticipations expressed. In this district, how-
ever, nothing seems to stop them; wet or dry, cold or
warm, they still grow, and keep up their luxuriant ap-
pearance. The hops are developing themselves in a mot 4
satisfactory manner.
TESTON, MEREWORTH, AND WATERINGBURy.—ThB
hops are likely to exceed in quantity, and excel in qua-
lity, what was expected of them a week since.
YALDING AND HUNTON.—Our hops have not got on
so %/ell raring the past week, owing to the cold nights
we have had.
MALLING.—The.hops in this neighbourhood are in two
crops, and if the weather does not prove more favourable
than of late to bring out the backward ones, we question
whether the duty will reach the present estimate.
HOLLINGBOURN.—The hops continue to look very
healthy and clean.
BRENCHLEV.—Sunday night was extremely boisterous.
The hops are injured materially. The grapes, in parti-
cular, are still backward, and the late cold nights are
much against them.
HoRSEMONDEN.—The hops progress very tardily; they
cannot contend against the ungenial weather which has
prevailed the last ten days. •
S.:TAPLEHURST.—The hops in this parish continue to
do well; they are getting well into hop, and we are likely
to grow a good averege crop.
WRoTHAN.—The late unpropitious weather has not
retarded the growth of hops to such an extent as was ex-
pected.

IGHTRAM AND SEAL.—Notwithstanding the cold windy
weather during the past week, the hops have come out
fast in sheltered situations, and most grounds bid fair for
a crop. _

TENTERDEN.—The hops are progressing favourably.
Picking is expected to commence in about a fortnight or
three weeks.

TUNBRIDGE WELLS.—We have no alteration. The
hops are coming out well all round here.
HURSTGREEN.—The hops are progressing very well,
considering the weather they have had to contend with.
Sussxx.-,Our accounts from nearly all parts of Sus-
sax agree in the complaint that the hops do not come
out freely, and that they are suffering from the ungenial
weather. 'rho high figure of the anticipated duty has
gone back during the past weAc.
WORCESTER, AUG. 23.--The plantations have not
come on much this last week, the weather, being too cold.
All that is wanting now is warm nights/ then we shall
hnye a good crop. Duty called 20,000 . to 25,0001.--
Maidstone Gazdie.

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—With respect to the issue of threepenny and
fourpenny pieces by the Mint, and referred to in a
letter in your paper of this day, I would add, that on
paying cash into the Bank of England some time
since, a threepenny piece was returned to me by the
clerk to whom I offered it, stating that it was not a
legal coin for circulation in this country, but that it
was issued fur the colonies only. If this is correct,
surely they should not be circulated here.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, G. K.
London, Aug. 27.

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC.—Captain Emmons, the
veteran chief steward of the Royal mail steam-ships, came
from Boston in the Asia, on his one hundred and sixty-eighth
voyage across the Atlantic Ocean within the twelve years last
past. Allowing the distance across to be 3,C30 miles, he has
sailed within the period named over 500,000 miles averaging
one trip each twenty-five days.—Liv'erpool Standard.
VALB OF NEATH RAILWAY.—There is now every
prospect of the works for the completion of this railway being
prosecuted with renewed vigour. In a short time ten miles
will be ready for the laying of the permanent way, and no
doubt is entertained that, early next year, the line between
Aberdare and Neath will be ready for traffic. Mr. G. Hen-
nett, of Bristol, has taken the contract for making the bridges
over the Neath canal and Neath river; also for the erection
of the viaduct rear Cadoxton. It is in contemplation by the
proprietors of the Monmouth and Forest of Dean traLlroad
to convert their line into a locomotive one, in order to con-
nect Monmouth with Gloucester ant. South Wales, by way of
Park-end, and the Severn and Wye trainroad. A cort.mit tee
has been formed to effect an arrangement with the Severn
and Wye Company, and tlaus carry out the views of the pro-
prietors.