The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-12 00:00:00

COURTSHIP.
A CHARADE. IN THREE ACTS.

-As soon as prisoner is safely secured behind fire-screen
he again breaks out in a hornpipe, when
Enter the tight Plaintiffs (ladies whom the inconstant
Prisoner .as respectively married in the several ports he
has visit( d). They are natives of various countries, and
dressed in their different national costumes.
At sigLt of the vile Sailor they aro deeply moved, and
intimate a strong desire to get at him.
Enter Jurymen, who are immediately packed into the
sofa.

Counsel for prosecution, in the most electrifying
dumb-show, proves, by pointing and frowning at Pri-
soner, who is still dancing, what a villain the man is.
He shows the validity of each marriage by putting an
imaginary ring on his third finger; and having referred
to the case of " Lachi darem—in Re Don Giovanni,"
Italian Duets, Vol. 11., demands, by a thump on the
ottoman, that the scoundrel should be punished with the
utmost rigour of the law.

Judge, putting on the black hat, proceeds to pass sen-
tence of death on the wretched prisoner, who evinces
the utmost callousness by doing the split in the horn-
pipe:

The Wives no sooner bear their joint Husband's
doom than an affectionate rush is made towards him,
which the wretched man perceiving, he seeks safety in
flight.

AsT IL
-SHIP.
DRAMATIS PERSONZ.
Captain. Sailors. Passengers. &c.
Scene—The deck of that fast-sailing craft the Fron

Drawing-room.

Enter Captain, with noble cocked-hat, made out of
yesterday's Times, and hair brushes for epaulettes. He
shouts through a set of quadrilles, when
Enter several tight lads, who proceed to the music-
stool to heave at the capstan and weigh the imaginary
anchor; whilst others pulley-oiat the larboard bell-rope
to let out gallant maintop ceiling. Two more brave
boys take the wheel, and, by means of the arm-chair,
steer the room beautifully.
Passengers on after-ottoman now begin, by wild gesti-
culations—the turning up of eyes, and the sudden ap-
plication of handkerchiefs—to intimate that they have
passed the Nore Light; whilst others, leaning over the
backs of their chairs, implore their neighbours, in the
mo t affecting pantomime, to throw them overboard.
Enter Steward with basins, at which the passengers
make a simultaneous rush. He also enables several poor
creatures—who are walking about in the most extraor-
dinary manner, and rolling from side to side of drawing-
room—to reach their berths.

Presently a fearful storm is supposed to arise. The
Passengers, binding life-preservers of comforters round
their waists, jamp hurriedly from their berths, and
springing over the sides of the ship, strike out for the
door, where exeunt ornnes.

ACT 111.
COURTSHIP.
DRAMATIS PERSONS.
Old Father. His Daughter. Her Loyer.
Retainers. Lawyer. &c. &c.
Scene—Apartment in Mansion of Uri Father.

Enter Daughter, who shows, by pressing her side and
swinging about, that she is deeply in love. She com-
mences laying a table for two, and, having set down a
lovely round of cold bandbox, she again expresses her
fondest devotion fur one of the knives and forks.
Sweet plaintive sounds of a splendidly-executed
whistle arc heard without. She claps her hands, and
Enter Lover i❑ full uniform of the new police, richly
silvered with chalk. He glances anxiously at the cold round
of bandbox, and then gives vent to the wildest movements
of joy. They advance to table, and feast commences.
Just as he has helped himself to the lid, a loud and con-
tinued knocking is heard without. They become agi-
tated; and Lover, endeavouring to avoid an angry
parent's just wrath, seizes some bread, and plunges be-
neath table.

Enter Old Father, suffering acutely from an attack of
suppositious gout, and forced to use brooms whilst
walking. lie expres.ei his surprise at banquet, but is
wl ea he learns it was itveaded for him. Lover,
growing ti,ei of bread, eadeavours to snatch some meat
hi* angel's pla!e. Old Fail er alarmed on seeing the
mysterious hand, and, jumping from his chair, drags
Lore: tr(ln under the table. Grand exposure. He is
ab,ut to curse the villain, wten

Enter L.iw)or with placard, announcing that the
scoundrel bas just come into a coroLetcy and 2,000,0001.
He downs him with a ducal meat color. Old Father
resents, and blesses his children. Retainers and maid of
all work rush in, and arrange tlealselvea into a grand
tab-e so.

The little volume contains no lees than twenty-six
similar definitions profusely embellished with pictorial
examphe. It may afford amusement to turn over its
pages even when it fails in fulfilling its avowed ob-
ject—" to make a long evening short."

JUVENILE CALENDAR AND ZODIAC
OF FLOWERS. By Mrs. J. K. Hervey. With
twelve Illustrations by Richard Doyle.
Never has the graceful pencil of Doyle been more
gracefully employed than in sketching the charming
illustrations of this charming book. Every month
is illustrated by a fanciful picture and a fanciful tale.
That for January is called " The Child's Dream of
the Snowdrop," and the picture represents a sleeping
child holding a snowdrop in its folded hands, while a
graceful group of fairies gather round. February
The Crocuses ; or the Child's Footprints "—is
accompanied with a natural sketch of a child throwing
crumbs to a robin. March_" Titania and the
Violets"—gives a graceful glimpse of the floral
b
fairy-land. And so on through all the months
ofeatuhteieys of spring,
ear. tolnadditiocand the elfin sprites of
the graceful pictures of
Doyle, and the fanciful stories of Mrs. Hervey, there
is appended to every month an interesting chapter
on the " insect world," or on the hybernating ani-
mals. Many little readers will find these recreations
in natural history even more attractive than the
stories. Also for every month is given a calendar of
important days, memorable customs, and old sayings.
That for January is—

" As the days lengthen
So does the cold strengthen."
For February—

"If Candlemas be fair and clear
There'll be two winters in the year;"
and so on. In addition to this is a list of the birds,
and insects, and flowers chiefly peculiar to each
month. Thus January—Flowers : Snowdrop, Christ-
mas Rose, Changeable-flowered Hydrangea, Winter
Aconite, Round-headed Cyclamen, white-leaved
Coltsfoot. The little volume is thus rendered as use-
ful as it is attractive.

THE POOR ARTIST; or, Seven Eye-sights and

One Object.
Scieece is fable," is the very appropriate motto of
this delightful little book. It is seemingly but the simple
narration of the fortunes of a poor artist, but it really
possesses much scientific interest. The poor artist at
the opening
of the volume is
others, of acquiring fame and fortune. d.drous,
like many
Hitherto he
has worked for a painter, whose pictures (some of
them 'wholly the work of the poor artist) always
sold for pod prices. lie soon learns the value of
" a name." No one will purchase the works of an
unknown hand. The poor artist paints a green-
house for an old lade, and falls in love with the grand-
daughter, the beautiful Aurelia. With redoubled
anxiety he pursues his work, and falling asleep in a
wood dreams a strange dream, or meets with a re-
markable adventure, we cannot say vvbich. A
humming bee comes to him, and declares she has
that morning witnessed an extraordinary " object,"
and would like the artist to draw a picture of it after
her description. She describes and he draws ; when
the task is done up comes an ant with a similar tale,
he has seen an " object" very different from that seen
by the bee. The artist draws the second picture.
Successively comes a fish, a bird, a spider, and a cat,
each has seen an object. At last it is discovered that
these six objects so differently described are all
the same! The artist at last sees it, and his human
eye-sight discovers a sovereign. The idea is inge-
nious, and most ingeniously worked out. The dif-
ferent powers of vision of the various observers led
them each to form a different idea of it. The for-
tunes of the poor artist, however, illustrate a differ-
ence of sight in a moral as well as in a scientific
point of view. The artist exhibits a picture, and
overhears the various criticisms of a body of ob-
servers, all scrutinizing the same " object," but each
interpreting it a different way. Of the personal ad-
ventures ( f the artist, of the bribes offered by Aure-
lie's sun', and the violent conduct of her determined
uncle, we shall say nothing, contenting ourselves with
recommending the " Poor Artist" on scientific and
moral grounds, independent of the agreeable nation
which serves to convey them pleasantly to the reader.
The volume is dedicated to Professor Owen.

TALES AND SKETCHES FOR FIRE-SIDE
I?EADING. By Charles Fleet.
A delightful volume of miscellaneous reading for
an idle hour—an hour which will be anything but

ever y incident is accompanied with a black-figure
illustration) :

ACT. I.
COURT-
DRAMATIS PERSONAL
Loid Chiet-Justice. Counsel.
Prisoner (a Sailor). Eight Ladies (his Wives).
Jury men. Policemen. Spectator; &c.
Time—Before supper-time.
Scene—A Court of Justice. At back of drawing-roots
the Lord Cidef-Justice's easy-chair, and ottoman ,`'or
Counsel. To the right, sofa for Jurymen. To the
left, fire-screen for Prisoner's dock.

Flourish of splendidly-imitated trumpets. Enter pro-
cession in following order:—The Usher, holding the
carpet broom of (Ace; his Honour, robed in gorgeous
dressing-gown, and wearing a magnificent wig of ermine
victotine; the Counsel, carrying carpet-bags, holding
briefs of music, and properly wigged with night caps;
►the wretched S,ilor, who stands charged with the dread
tel crime of polygamy, in the close custody of the
Jailor, bearing the s;rt et-door key of office, and endea-
vouring to restrain his Prisoner from dancing the horn-
plp~•*