The Sun.
London, England, 1826-02-23 00:00:00

DEPARTURE;) FROM TOWN.

Lord Nugent,-forStOwe'; Wm. Walker, Esq. for Brighton ;
F. ,C. Wattan, Esq. :for ,Boulogne ; James Hamilton' Esq.
for Cambridge; John Flandson, Esq. for. Hants; LordFarn.
for' Devomhire ; IL Maxwell, M.P. for Devonshire; A.
Hillhouse, Esq.ifor Clifton ; .1. Moss, Esq. for Liverpool; Sir
lt. Anstruther, for Yorkshire ; Mr. and Mrs. Dupree, for
Salisbury.: .

Tnesday Prince Leopold left town for his seat at Claremont.'
Surrey.
Yesterday the Duchess of Kent visited the Honourable Mrs.
Lee, at licr residence, in the Flag yard of St. James's Palace.
The Duke or Clinniierland returns to England in Mai next,
• accompanied by ate rating Prince' of Cumberland, for the pm,.
poseiof commencing l!,itt
,Yol4th education in this country.—
PIM -Bishop of London kes .lieeit appointed to superintend the
you Prince'X txltiratiun, fir which education ti,ooo/. » ycitt is
11owcil by Parliament;' rod it ix expected that the Rev. Mr.
King'; offielatipi; ,Clutplain apt Windsnr, will be
nominated Tuterto the I'ritice, Onder the Bishop of London.
' The 'Duke of Devonshire hi on Ole eve of leaving town for
ow a visit•toltisi.lreee's favourio sister, Lady Granville.
The . Duke will (..lttra to .Lundon.after a short residence in
Paris, to prepare Or his"joitiney to St. Petersburgh.
!Yesterday the Cabinet Ministers dined with Earl Bathurst; at
his house in Stanhope-strcetc•liloyfair. - •
:\ Ir. Secretary Peel giver a grand dinner to a numerous party
c.a timidity.
EXi!teru:entettitittell'a distinguished party at
dinner, yebterdity, itt lilt jilnatte in. Great George.street, West-
‘VCllitnil;''.l,Ng. had a dinner party, yesterday, tit his
',louse, in ,Cork.street,- • • • • -

Tlia,Vtiunte!;sJd Airtrint entertained a Select party, yester-
(l;q, at 4i;r 4crkeley-square.

The publicans, On the road between London
;onOireutford
,are quite in dismay at the report
that
.there is to be no contest for Aliddlesex at
ihe,opuin4 General Election; and are not with-
out 'hopes that, when the timo comes, some Gm-
((alie will be found to kicli up a dust, and create
a sufficient number of thirsty souls to suit their
purpose.

MATRIMONIAL MANIA.-At this moment pro.
edings are taking for the interdiction of two
old men, who wish to marryarat that age
when one usually blesses the union of one's chil-
dren, The one, M. le Marquess de Lingaunay,
the possessor of a hundred thousand livres a year,
and already at the age of 69, intends to give his
name to a young villager, the daughter of one of
Isis tenants, and whose age of 18 is her sole fortune.
T Ike demandeur en intedictionisson.in-law , M. le
'Marquess de Bridges. The other old man, named
Thomas Lalfe, a fat mer,and owner of 8 or 9 hun-
dred francs a year, wishes, at the age of 83, to
become the husband of a young girl, whose
grandfather he might be considered. These two
proceedings, which are carrying on at. the same
time before the Civil Tribunal of Caen, excite
curiosity in a very great degree. Two hundred
itnesses are to be heard, and the inquiries have
already commenced. A Gascon, of the depart-
ment of l'Arriege, the servant of the village Cu-
rate, has just given the most singular example of
matrimoniomania. Bound formerly by a vow of
Chastity, he journeyed to Rome to obtainif3raereis-
dual from his oaths, and has returned to marry a
;•oman of seventy-five, without fort:l:it:oil:marry
Paper.)
• widow( t the
heiressll e
(I?futkhee ofp ullkleoortir
Newcastle, then
the Duke of Albemarle. There Seemed two how-
p'"-"le bars to the union—the lady was insane,
and she determined to marry none but a Monarch.
However, he addressed, prevailed, and wedded
her, as Emperor of China ; and so firmly fixed
was this, as a reality, in her deranged mind, that
until her death in 1734, she never would sillier
any one to approach her but as EirlpreSS• and
she was, accoalingly, always served upon. the
knee.

ORATORIO.

- • •• -- CoVENV-GARDEN„,„ new Ora-
torio by Sir Joust. STrirrmsom, was performed last night.
An Oratorio is, and necessarily must be, a musical novelty of
peculiarly rare occurrence. The difficulties to be surmounted
are formidable, and ,probabilities of success but Music,
deprived of all the appliances and means" which the deep-
rations of the stage and the excitements of the drama soppy,
must be of commanding merit, to engage and gratify a mixed
and numerous audience. And sacred mmtie, especially, from,
its solemnity and severity, is likely to proire tedious to all but
those who have a mutual aptitude or a cultivated taste for the
an. The lasting popularity of Handel .is the best answer to
those who flippantly talk of England as a country where genuine
musical feeling, and sound musical judgment, arc not to be
found. In the fine arts, as well as in more serious concerns,- our
choice has been fixed upon substantial excellence, instead of
falling on the brilliant trifle* of an hour. The proditctionaof the
German school—productions not only unequalled, but not even
approached by any competition—have no where found so warm
a welcome or so permanent a home as amidst the congenial ad,
miration of the people of Great Britain. This circumstance adds
to the dangers which surround a liVing writer of sacred music;
and, upon the whole, it may be said, that in such a situation,
not to have failed, is to have succeeded in no inconsiderable de-
gree. This success, Sir John Stevenson may congratulate hito-
self on having achieved. If he has not accomplished any thing,
that will raise him to a level with the great men who have pre-
ceded him; on the other hand, he has not incurred the impu-
tation of temerity. The words of The Thanksgiving consist.
almost entirely of , texts from Scripture, put . together without
any obvious attention to arrangement. Art' a musical coin-
position' it sheies the piste and skill for which the repute-
tion of Sir John was already established, together with a.
general adherence to the character of Sacred March, which
could not have been expected from his previous eilbrts,
in a style less serious and austere. •This praise, indeed,
is not uniformly deserved. There Is here and there a touch
of patch-work, a streak of gaudy colour, intermixed with the
sober gray, or a fragment of tinsel glittering on the black &a.-
pery—and where these things appear, they are offensive,enough
but they are far less frequent than even a favourable critic would
have anticipated. The great defect of the Oratorio, as far as its
popularity is concerned, is the wantof some striking solos. With
the exception of a tine air, The Snares °Meath, which was en-
cored, there is not a solo which leaves a strong impression,
nothing of spirit-stirring energy, or delightful melody. 'This
air was admirably delivered by Mr. Phillips, a young singer,
who bids fair to be a standard acquisition to the orchestra.
His upper notes arc remarkably good, and are not only brought
out with accuracy, but sustained with an effectiveness of which
a bass voice is rarely capable: Witham and Miss Stephens
sang with their accustomed ability, but had no opportunity
for the full display of their powers.' Miss Paton give her
portion of the recitative, with much spirit and expression.
Madame Vestris had an air, in which site was accompanied by
Sir George Smart, on the organ. Tito air is not without beauty,
but Madame Vestris did not sing it with her usual felicity,
The main reliance seems to have been on the chorusses, and on
the concerted pieces for three, four, and five voices. In the
former there is much occasional force and animation, and
although passages occur, now and then, which 11111), be re.
cognised as old acquaintances, they exhibit a fair portion of
nality. The concert appears One rather pleasing than powerful.
A quartet by Miss Farrar, Mr. Robinson, Mr. llorncastle, and
Alr. Phillips, beginning, And bow thine ear, succeeded by a elm-
rus, possesses considerable beauty. In the accompaniments, the
powers of the orchestra are sometimes misapplied, and particu-
lar instruments rather awkwardly introduced. It would be
well too, to expunge, or alter, some brief. pasiages in the ac-
companiments, which are either inappropriate of themselves, or
already familiar in Opera or Melo-drame. The success of the
Oratorio may render it worth while to correct any blernisheit
which can be easily removed, and to give it a diligent rehearsal
before the next performance. The applause on the conclusion
of The Thanksgiving was warm and unanimous. A miscel-
Lneous Act; consisting of popular airs; concluded the' enter-
tainment. The house was well,attended. ,

EAti. —A New York Paper of the 310'
ult. (received last night), states that Mr. KERN
was re•engaged to perfor4t in that city.---The
same Paper announced, that, in conoquence of
the indisposition of Sigaitr G tact tbeile' Would
be no Italian Opera that evening (Jan. 31).
Madame CATAI.ANI is nt present in Naples,
where she holds Academies during the Carnival.
On the 20th of last month she sung at Rome,
in the Tentro Valle. Never did that theatre
overflow with 'an audienCe so select and so ,nu-
nrerous ; never was seen gathered in one place so
great an assembly of all the illustriodi persons
whore Rome contains.—(Nitan Gozeite'..)
A petite piece, entitled The Suieideel has been
produced in Paris, avowedly written
. 'excite
laughter at the expence or poor Jean Buhl. The
Parisians have welcomed The S'aieides for many
successive nights; with applauSe commensu-
rate to its national importance. It is curious
enough, not withstanding the notions of the French
on the subject, that in Paris there are about four
times as many suicides as in London, and-there
are other cities of the Continent where the pro-
portion of self.slaughter is still greater. When
the ,Frenchman find oat this fact, they will,
suppose, swear that we are not gay enough to
kill ourselves.

CUMBERLAND GAttror,tis.—Our renaers aro
ready aware that this favourite place ot' resort
has, since the destruction by tire of the tavern
attached to it, pn4sed into the lauds of the South
London Water-works Company. We, n're glad
tod
learn,irevtois 9f that hotly have
witha; hatis::.vo the
praiseworthy attention io the wishes of
the public, come to the resolution of restming
the eSta 1/H0111)1a upon an improved and more
attractive scale, reserving for the erection of
their new water-works that portion only or the
grounds which had formerly been occupied by
out-houses. The building of the water-works is,
we understand, On the eve of commencement.—
The water is to be raised From the Thames on a
plan not hitherto adopted, and ww liich combines
greater purity with copiousness of supply: Tiro
steam-engines, of 80 horse power each, are to be
erected, and the water will be forced a far as
the summit of Brixton Hill, where a piece of
ground, several acres in extent, has been pur-
chased for the formation of a te,,ervoir,

UNrouTuNATE Occtiuttcser..-----A sehot,imas-
ter, by the name of 13Iftke, in Salisbury, 1, er-
mont, has unfortunately caused the death of
a young man, by the name of Howard, aged
eighteen. It appears that the deceased, with two
younger brothers, had been in the habit of
:defy-
ing the teachers, and disturbing the school, for
years ; and Blake was engaged under the belief
that he possesse'd sufficient energy to pre.
serve order against the !Towards. Last Satur-
day week, however, a younger brother behaved
badly, anti ran out of school. lie was called
buck, and admonished that if he did not return,
he would be punished. On Monday, he came,
tvhee
111:: other
a
with his elder brother, the deceased, to pro-
tect -him. Blake called, him up
,for punish-
ment, and deceased interfered, and told him to
let; his brother alone. Blake ordaeLedga
to sit down ; but he refused. Blake then seized
haeal(ii.mi-llsocwhaqrldar,clenched
him)
and
'tllllllcoar?!‘cigihiatvflreloernhim another blow, which fractured
his k 11 , and he died the same day. Blake sur.
rendered himself into the hands of justice,—
Imerican Paper.,)

NORTH AND SOUTH AMETtiCAN
SUBSCRIPTION ROOM, FEB. 23.

The following Pal„.N have been received this
morning : . ,

New York of thall Feb. ; .11altimore, 28th Jan. ; Charleston,'
21st Jan. ; Morbile; 6th Jan. ; Philadelphia, 30th Jan. ; Que.
bee, 19th Jan.; Savannall, 20th Jan.; Richrnana, 21;t1) Jan.;
Boston, 2fith Jan. Montreal, :loth Jan. ; Potersburgh, 27th
Jan. ; Norfolk, 25th Jan. ' '

Ltvr!:at,oot., FEB.
the Packet Ship Thompson, Bowden, from New
York, sailed on the evening of the :Id in:u, and arrived in the
river: Mersey on the tiOth in t. at ten p. tn. ; sailed in ~,,,,npany
with the Corks, Sprague, for Lontion.—Tito Leeds, Stodd,art,
from Liverpool, off—lsl,ew York, 4:11 Peb. ; America, Davis, at
Boston, 21,)th Jan. Broughton, Love; Pauline, Bartlett, at
Mobile, 7th Jan. Caskey, Tracey, at New Orleans. Likewise
arrived the Allerton. Davis, from New Orlean-, sailed 12th
Jan. and from the Balls, lath Jan. Lady of the Lake,. Gray, ..
from St. John's, N. B. Julian, frcan Trinidad. The
colossus, Marshall, fur Philadelphia, put into Holyhead 19th
inst., with loss of main-yard, Brazilian, Nichols,. for Rice
Janeiro, has put baCk, having struck on, the. Copeland 'Rocks,
,and lost part of her false keel. George Clinton, Rawson, for
New, York, has put back. Moses Bottsford, Watkins, from
St. John's, N. B. is on shore near Lytham. • ' -
Dtar:, PER. 22.—Arrived the American ;ship Nautilus
from Boston in 16'days, and passed through for. the River..
Remains a large fleet of: outward bound vessels, fOr the 'East '
and ,West Indies, North and South America, and Ports fn
riurope,, ' * ' •

[nom raLovrrs.l
DEAL, FEB. 22.-I[' W.S W.—Passed through for the
River the Orpheus, Findlay, from the Mauritius, sailed the.
20th November. It has blown very strong all day, so that we
have had no communication with the shipping in the Downs,
but. they all appear to ride well.. •
PotresstouTii, FED. strong
Arrived his Majesty's omen Viper and Arrow, from a cruize.
FALMOUTH, FEB. 21.—Wind S.W.—Arrived the Bebe,
Foreman, from the Cape of Good Hope, for London, sailed
Dec. 10, with lass of main-yard, gaff, stern, boat, bulwarks,
and nearly all her sans, on the night of the 19th instant, in
dreadful gale ;„ was obliged to run .between' Scilly Rocks, and
miraculously escaped destruction. Also arrived the Rambler,
Knight, from Malta, sailed 28th ult. ; David Walter, Phillips,
front ; on the sth last., off Malaga, spoke the Sove.,
reign transport, from Cork to Malta. •
v Ettrour., FED. 21.—Wind S.—Arrived the Will'arn
Thomson, Boyne, front New fork, sailed 3d inst. ;
Williams, from Trinidad ;- Lady of the Lake, (lray, St. John's,
New Brunswick ; Hazard, Davis, Demerara; Mary Ann of
Scarborough, Odessa ; Dolphin, Marseilles ;
and the Aderton, Davis, from New Orleans, sailed Jan. 11.
The Aloses Battford, Watkins, from St. John's, New Bruns-
, .
Ivies, for Liverpool, is on aheronear Lytham.
The Brazillian, for Rio Janeiro,' has put back to Liverpool
with loss of false keel, having struck on the Copeland rock.
The Crosthwaite, Wilson, from America: to Limerick, was
on shcire near Galway on the 111th inst.
The Aguilar, Watson, sailed from the Mauritius on the 9th
Novi for England.: _ •

. ,
, .
The Illungrve BaY, *to Detneran‘, is tilAppON,gd to be ar,
rivet] in the Dosims,
'rho -Minstrel, and the Norfolk, from London, have' strived
at. New South Walei.,, ..
•

sti
Cane C W elles)ey,, from London, ltto arrived at the
Cane of (hied Hope.
'l`ll6 Pendepe, Chriatie, and the Ellen, Camper, from the
Cupe, have arrived lit.the Al titititillS, •

Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East India
goose, when Capt. Richard Clitibrd, of the ship Lady Melville.
took leave of the tionrt previous to departing, for Bengal and
China. Captain Thomas 13alderston ‘vati sworn into the sotni
inariti of the ship Asia, consigned to Bengal direct. '