The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-30 00:00:00

SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE.

The Academy of Sciences of Paris not having de-
cided the mathematical prize for 1826, proposes again
the same prize for 1827. The question is thus
enounced, " A method of calculating the perturba-
tions in the elliptic motion of Comets, applied to the
determination of the approaching return of the Comet
of 1759, and to the motion of that Comet which was
observed in 1805, 1819, and 1822." The Academy
decided that it was important to call the attention of
geometers and astronomers to the theory of cometary
perturbations, with a view to a new examination of
the known methods, and their application to the above
two cases, in which the elements are wholly different,
and which both of them (independently of this consi-
deration) present circumstances of the greatest pos-
sible interest. The prize will be a Golden Medal of
the value of three thousand francs, and it will be ad-
judged at the public sitting of the first Monday in the
month of June. All Memoirs must be sent before
the Ist of January, 1827.

ORIGINAL POETRY.

A DRAMATIC SCENE.—MrasucnT.
Enter a MUJIDIERIap wandering.
It is most horrible to be alone--
With conscience murmuring to the guilty mind.—
The night is black around me—but my soul
Is darker than the storm. I hear some footsteps!
But whither shall I hasten to avoid them ?
Perhaps I'm moving now towards them—hark !
I never was afraid of ghosts till now,—
In every reed that stirs, I see the spirit
Of retribittive -vengeance cross my path
With his appalling bloodiness of aspect.
The elements are up in arms against me—
And horrible rejoicings fill the air,
As if the chorus of deep hell kept time
With murder's hurried footstep to perdition.—
I cannot rest a moment :—Conscience haunts me
With heaviness of spirit, like the nightmare
Smothering the pulse of being. Motion soothes me,
And I must still be wandering.—On the land
lam not safe—for now the cry is up--
Parana! pursue ! Macdonald is the man."
Oh lam doubly tortured :—in my madness, •
Thinking one crime would blot the other out
I smote young Hector,._but his mother's curse
With parching agony fell on my soul
Before she spoke--and when she bless'd the stranger
That blessing went in horror to my heart,
With its unconscious welcome. There's no hope
For me but on the sea.--Yet who will ship me,
And brave the danger?—Hark hear some foot-steps.
The pack are in pursuit.---No--'tic my brother,
Whom I would now avoid. The guilty mind
Abhors communion with associate guilt
Dreading distrust. Self-preservation drowns
All other cares. He wanders more afraid
Of contact than myself. I must away...—
Oh thou dread spirit of immortal being,
Say whither wilt thou urge me ?—Gracious God !
May I not die before the light of morn
Break forth again to mock me with its beauty ?
For I am mentally estranged from nature
And blind to all her charms, as if my eyes
Had not the power of vision. In despair
I drew the sword of vengeance on myself,
But some invisible spirit dashed it from me,
And wrapp'd my memory away from crime
To scenes of boyhood, when I dreamed of heaven,
,And Angel spirits blessing innocence.
But who will bless me now?—Oh, dark and doubtful
The future holds the mirror of the past,
Yet dare not look into the present:--there
The curse of blood appals her gaze—but here
Damnation hurls the dagger at her heart,
While madness laughs applause ! Oh God ! Oh God!
If there Is, hell for sinners, or a devil
To bear thy sleepless vengeance—let me join him,
That fellowship of suffering may soothe
This spirit-damning torment !—Here he comes—
Enter another Murderer.
Second Murderer—We are not safe-
-Ist Murderer—Not safe? There is no proof
To speak against us. You shall see ma now
Superior to the cowardice of conscience.
Ifiturdsrer—lt is too lute !—you should have been before.
Suspicion's tide has flowed to certainty,
And overwhelms, the landmark of your honour
With its calumnious torrent,.—when resolve
Should have withstood its first approach, and turn'il
Its course aside, preserving so your fame
Untainted. But that precious hour's gone by
Through indecision ; and your footing now
Is swept before the flood of destiny.
Ist Murderer-111 brave it yet.
2d Murderer—Now the attempt were vain,
For being set against you once, its course
Leads to perdition.
Ist Murderer—We are girt by friends
And may command their services.
2d Murderer—Too late.
The bond of fellowship is burst asunder,
When guilt pollutes one link of friendship's chain.
Here let us part. The morning breaks.__(E.rit.)
la Murderer—Could I escape--but how ?—I dread the lighe—
My brother leaves me—yet I would shun him
As dangerous company. My heart beats quick
With apprehension—leet we meet again.
Oh for the wilderness to rest my feet
And still this perturbation!
(A Stranger enters.)
betray'd !
But no—no—no—he knows it not--111 go
Another way—bus follows !—. -
Stranger—Have you seen
The Murderers ?
Murderer—No.
Stranger—They came this way—dressed?—
Murderer--Sir—What did you ask ?
Stranger—Suspicion marks yourself.
Murderer—Suspicion errs my friend ; it is not just
To let suspicion shadow out my guilt,
Darker than guilt itself. For men will 64k.
What never was or will be, in their mood
Of horrible conjecture ! And so take
The coinage of their fancy for the truth,
Stamping it with the die of their belief—
Till it pass current into circumstance,
With damning proofs of probability.
Stranger—The proofs against you lowa produced conviction.
Murderer—Not if my judges were unprejudiced.
Stranger—The
public voice declares against you.
Murderer—That
Teo oft confounds distinction by example,
Aid judges by infection—with grave look
Boasting its sags impartiality.
StraxPer—That's when the guilty suffer.
Murderer—Innocence
Too often falls a victim to its rage.
But when the multitude commit a crime,
Participation lessens the offence,
Which on an individual head would heap
Accumulated horrors. - He must sink
Like the cast pebble in the sea ; but they
Swim like the spreading circle on its surface, •
And,
by enlarging, melt the crime away.
Stranger--This sophistry proves nothing. You are deemed
By far report, one of the murderers,
And held responsible to
public justice
To prove your innocence.
Murderer—Aud so 1 CAD !-
(Aside)- oh! it
cause were good as it is bad,
I would confront the devil and confound him.
But conscience hurls me from
the hill of virtue--_
Which all beneath my feet is heartless sand
`vino" CFI away like worldly-minded friends,
When they should staid moot firm.
StranYsr—(Aside)—Upon that brow
I see the hand of destiny depicting
His troubled mind in characters of horror,
And fiendish desperation !--While his eye
Enlarging—hende its evil-boding gaze
On some dark deed whose phantom stalks before bins
In murder's gory mantle

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

There is nothing important in our Port Letters this morning.
. _

The Espiegle has sailed from Portsmouth for the West Indies.

Mr. Lethbridge, formerly Secretary to Rear Admiral Sir Home
Popham, has been appointed Steward of Greenwich Hospital, vice
Godby, deceased.

It is said, in a letter from Constantinople, that it appears, by
advices from Smyrna, of the 20th April, that the boats of his Ma-
jesty's sloop Alacrity had been attacked by some Greek pirates,
and an Officer, and four men wounded. The Rose sloop of war
had just arrived, and it had been arranged that some merchant
vessels lying there should wait for convoy.