The Sun.
London, England, 1817-09-25 00:00:00

WINCHESTER, StPT. 24.

'LTh
e won.e of the Company assembled at the
4iCAI kcstivid, last week, in this City, have

nearly departed. A few visitors are, however,
still to be observed. One of the gretlt objects of
attraction here, at this time, is the improved state
of the Cathedral, which is undergoing a thorough
repair. The correct taste shewn by the Chapter,
in their anxiety to restore tke building, as nearly
as circumstances will adMit, to its original state,
and ' the success which has attended their endea-
vours, cannot tail forcibly to strike the Traveller's
attention, and the Antiquary will be delighted
with the care and circumspection which has been,
shewn throughout this great work, by the Rev.
Dr. Nott and Mr. Archdeacon Hook.'--Last night,•
that veteran Mr. Maxfield had his benefit et our,
Theatre. The Play was The Dramatist, and was.
• bespoke by the Dowager Lady Mildmay. The
Play was got up with spirit, though there was too
much languor• in Mr. Maxfield's Ennui; he should
have resigned it to some younger son of the Thes-
pian family. We were surprised that Mr. Maxfield's •
good sense did not suggeit to him the propriety
of omitting, in the representation at this Theatre,
the illiberal attack made by the Author of this Co-
medy, on the Bench of Bishops, which has been
frequently mentioned for its falsehood and malig- •
nity. It was not our intention to have noticed
individually any of the other Performers, hut we
cannot, in justice, onOt to express our approbation,
of Mr. Hallam's Peter, which was a correct and
chaste performance, not outstepping nature; and
we are convinced, by proper application and study
of the best masters of his art, that be will become
an excellent and favourite performer. The Or-
chestra is so deficient, that it is a reflexion on the
liberality of the Managers, and discreditable to the
respectable individuals who compose the Company,
as well as an ill return for the continued patron-
age which the Managers have received for nearly
a quarter of a century.—The advantages which
this City and neighbourhood have derived from
the great concourse of the people who attended
the Musical Festival have been very extensive,
and a vast deal of money has been expended in
the town. We therefore hope, on a future occa-
sion, that the Nobility of the County, and the whole
Body of the Clergy belonging to this City and
its suburbs, will attend to give permanency to an
institution which, exclusive of the immediate ob-
jects who are benefited by its receipts, produces
so much general good to the co.nmunity. The
attendance of both the County Members through.
out the late Festival gate great satisfaction.

ST. JAMES'S•SQUAR,F.—No expellee is to he
spared that can improve the area of this gloomy
assemblage of dwellings. The wall on which the
iron railing of the new inclosure is to be placed
having been found so high as to obstruct in some
measure the view of the intended green-sward,
it has 'been lowered, although the coping had
been laid on, astd great part of the iron-railing
fixed. The gas-lights will be scarcely more than
20 paces distant, from each other, raised upon
hamlsome iron stands, through the hollow of
which the gas will ascend. the form of these
is nearly that of a cannon, as far .as three feet
from the ground ; afterwards they become ,slen-
der tubes, of a figure not unlike the stalks of some
plants. The lamps they are to bear will be large,
end not curved, but angular, according to the
present fashion. The eastern and western sides
are to have seven each ; the northern side six. It
may be hoped that the improveffient which tvill
be made here by the introduction of those lights,
will lead to their use iu St. James's-park, where
they are still more necessary.
VAGRANTS.—The LORD MAYOR upon coming
into office abolished the fees to officers for the aps
prehension of vagrants, and appointed two officers
to the duty of bringing them before !rim. The
fees alluded to existed up to the time of Mr.
Nlroon's election, and the mischiefs resulting from
such a regulation were the ground of its removal.
It has been found necessary to search the clothes
of the Irish vagrants very strictly, the LORD
MAYOR having expressed his determination to pass
none home except those who are unable to pay
their way. It was discovered from a curious cir-
cumstance that deceptions have been carried on
by several of those persons for the purpose of
having something to begin the world with again
in their own country. By the Act of Parliament,
vagrants must go to Bridewell for seven days be-
fore passes are granted. Three or fouririshmen
were last week deposited in that place, and it was
observed that one of theta always remained on the
watch while the rest slept. A relief of the guard
took place at stated periods,
.and suspicion was
entertained that they had something to be alarmed
about, besides their lives. They were searched,
but before that they were questioned its to the
length of their purses : " Oh, they had not a
farthing ; they did frothing but starve since they
left Ireland ; and they would rather go back and
die by the fever, than be killed here by starvation,
and never recover it in their own country."—
Stitched up in their clothes, parts of which were
unapproachable, were found several bank-notes:
in the collar of one, 71. ; and in the waistband of
the breeches of another, fig. They afterwards
acknowledged that they kept watch over the pro-
perty, because Bridewell was full of thieves.

CAUTION TO DEALERS IN LACE.—lnformations
were preferred against several respectable drapers
in Dover, for selling British thread lace without
having taken out the proper licenses, and came
on to be heard on Saturday, the 13th inst. before
the Mayor, and three other Magistrates of that
town. On the part of the defendants it was con-
tended, that the lace in question was cotton lace,
and not thread lace, and was not in existence at
the time of the passing of the Act, and there-
fore could not be contemplated thereby. In sup-
port of the information a variety of arguments was
adduced to show that the Act must necessarily
contemplate every description of British lace,
and the lace in question being composed of cotton
thread was therefore literally thread lace, and
clearly within the meaning of the Act. The Ma-
gistrates coincided in this opinion, and convicted
all the defendants., who immediately paid the
penalties,
_ _ _

ZOOLOGY.—Thete is a hedge-hob at present in
the garden of General CARNEGIE, ill Montrose,
which has littered bix young ones. It was sent
from the country to adorn the museum of an in-
genious connoisseur in natural history in that
town, who, from motives of 'hilmanity, placed it
in the garden, where it was discovered some days
ago suckling its young.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

BIBLIONIANIA.
If Folly did not mark mankind,
We well might he surpriz'd to find
So many idly waste their gold
'On Books most volu'd as toast
• Though all within this kat ned show,
Perchance the duliest Readers know.
,Others, as prodigal of pelf,
With dull BIAou-LETTEtt. load the shelf,
Preserving thus, with empty pride,
What TIME had wisely thrown aside,
Full proof these Coxcombs, pert and vain,
Were Blockheads born, and so remain.
Blockheads, to those an easy prey,.
Who thrive in quite a novel way;
A set of cunning Ekes, who prate •
On 7/t/c-pus•-e, Edition, Date,
Who bring forth heaps of anrient trash,
And change the mass to modern cash ;
While, by this venal, base parade,
The BOOKSELLERS are robb9d.of trade.

Yet there art, Spirits forni'd to soar,
Who feel the worth of ancient lore ;
Spirits by Nature taught to rise
On wings of Genius to the skies,
Or fondly traverse classic ground,
And all the depths of Learning sound.
Such are the men by Fate design'd,
Sagacious, sound, acute, reined,
To teach Old Time what works to spare,
Or rather guard' with aweful care,
Works that to erring Man can tell
Where Virtue and where Wisdom dwell.
Such HEBER, GIrFORD, sonic few more,
Who think like Bard and Sage of yore,
And add new treasures to the store.

Addressed to Mr. TIAINs, Editor of " The Lecds Mercury.'
It appears, Mr. BAINS,
'you have taken great pains,
Of the guilt of the Traitors to wash out the stains ;
But I'm afraid, Mr. BAINS,
Notwithstanding your pains,
You will not not lie Aldo to white-wash those colas.
OLIVER.

REGISTER OF FASHION.