The Sun.
London, England, 1826-07-15 00:00:00

SKETCHES OF PARISIAN SOCIETY.

(From the New Monthly Magazine.)
A ludicrous adventure lately took place ,at the . house of
one of our Ministers, who is remarkable for the gravity and
hantfur of his manners. He invited to dinner a poet, a
member of the Institute, a man distinguished fur exces-
sive diffidence ,auttabsence of mind,. and who, like the
Master of the house, is a good Jesuit. The poet some-
what astonished at receiving an invitation from his Excel-
lency, made his appearance in the dress worn by the mem-
bers of the Inatitute, consisting of a black coat embroidered
with green silk, and a sword. What was his consternation
'When, on entering the drawing-room, he found he was
the only , person in official costume, all the rest of
the company being in plain . dresses I . The sword
which dangled awkwardly; by his side, striking his legs
the
eo cost
neg,.;
rao
on din
hwhen6 e tvvedm ptoanrye nlNavieureb
ashuiranci
and impeding every motion, was the most inconvenient
mparoLodf htois
the rest, and taking his sword from his side, he hid it un-
der the cushions of an Ottoman.. About nine o'clock
the company began to depart, and only a few of the Mi-
nister's particular friends remained. Tlik was the littiitg
moment for the poet to take his departure—but he still
kept, his seat. .At eleven o'clock almost all 'the compa4
Were gone ; and when twelve came the poet was left
alone with the Minister and his wife. His Excelleney
naturally concluded that his guest had some favour
to solicit; but at length, finding that he said not a
word, he wished him good night, and left him alone
with his wife. The Lady who was still reclining
on the Ottoman, was not a little astonished at the
pmt's protracted visit. The poor member of the In-
stitute,. overwhelmed with.. confusion, was very silent
'and very cill, and at length the Lady oppressed with
drowsiness, closed her eyes. The poet thought this a fa.
vourable moment for regaining possession of his sword.
He cautiously approached the lady, and putting his hand
beneath the cushion, seized the hilt, but not having reach.
ed the scabbard; drew out only the unsheathed blade.
facilitate this awful operation the poet knelt down, and
She opened her. eyes
just as he had extricated his sword from its hiding-place,
te4rtyt,.'s_ treLptiet on inc knees, pale
a drawn sword in his hand,
andthe pboeibenthtioitvicihthe(nTaszeie
pointed towards her.. :She, thought herself about to be
tuid trembling, and hol4ing
murdered by an insane lover. The. poet stammered out
an unintelligible attempt at explanation, and hastily re-
in hand, while the Lady in her terror, ex-
claimedt r c tetl ,
tBh*vdantrhe was a monsterl The friends of the Mds-
ter affirm that this is an old story--that the affair happened
ftait(i theoctirit,i hero ereto();of theek arsadventure; but the real fact is, that the
place Iv, and that a celebrated geometrician
' laSt week.

The r
Calcutta have noticednoticedthe arrival at
that 1e
of Ins Highness Shenis-al-Dowla, the
brother of the King of Oude, with an intention, it is
said, of undertaking the pilgrimage to Mecca,
)iadieennet y ta

Dr. Brain—Undoubtedly, my good Mrs. `Atkins. Dif-
ference of sex is attended with difference' of faculty. The
perceptive organ., for instance, are usually more deve-
loped in women; ;he reflective in men. This is quite a
boy's forehead. Come, sir, let me feel. I shall do you
no ham.

[The Doctor feels the child's head; Mrs. Atkins
walks about the room, looking at the casts, and
talking to herself.]
Mrs. Atk.—Dear me, bow ghastly these faces look, as
if they had been chopped off just under the chin Were
the poor people all beheaded, 1 wonder! Perhaps they're
taken from the French folk long ago that were guillotined!
That skull looks, for all the world, like it horse's. Have
horses bumps like Christians ? Oh the wonderful works of
nature !

Dr. Brain.—A large qisanetiveness—a prodigious eons-
bativeness---firmaess strongly developed—adhesiveness
small. Really, Mn. Atkins, this boy is the most striking
instance of the truth of our 'science that I have ever met
with in the thousands that I have examined. I never saw
the propensities so strongly indicated. Let him go to sea
by all means—indeed it would be of no use if you were to
try to keep him at home. With such afirmness and ten,
ritiveness at large, he would certainly run away. Besides,
it would be a thousand pities. Here are all the organs
that make a great warrior ; a superb distinetiveness—a finer
combativeness than Lord Nelson should like to have a
cast of the boy.
Mrs. Atk.—Ab, well-a-day
Dr. Brain—Acquisitiveness strong too!
Mr,. A tk.—A v---A y —what's that P.
Dr. Brain—Why, it means a desire to possess, which,
in a boy, probably shers itself in a love of marbles, and
apples, and nuts, without being very scrupulous as to the
means by which they are acquired.
Mrs. Atk.—Ob, it's a wonderful art ! See, William,
how the Doctor finds you out. . Yes, he--I take shame to
say it, but the boy stole all the tipples off our nonpareil
tree last year; and we can't keep a gooseberry. in the gar-
den for him. I can trust his sister any where, she's such
a good little quiet thing—but William
Dr. Brain—Never fear, Mrs. Atkins; it's an excellent
organ, under proper government, and will turn to a desire
to capture Dutch spice ships and Spanish argosies. You
must send him to sea.

WS. Atk.-,-*All well a-day I But Doctor, how is it that
you can tell all these things
Dr. Brain—Why, look here, my good modem I Do you
see that projection on the side of -----. Just here, Mrs.
Atkins—here, my good lady. If 1 had another child, I
could spew you what I mean in a moment.

Mrs. Atk.—Rtin and fetch your sister, William.
Dr. Brain—Ay, then I can explain the difference. I'll
venture to say there is not such a combativeness—why
don't you go for your sister, my little nUtft, as your nutttuna
bids you ?

Atk.—Why do you stand there like a simpleton ?
Go tor Fanny this moment.

Child—Pray, mamma, don't besangry, I am Fanny.
Mrs. Atka—Oh, dear me! Dear me! This is one of
William's unlucky tricks! Get out of my sight, you
good-for-nothing hussy. What will the Doctor say tti be
made such a fool of!

Dr. Bruin. —Make a fool of me, Mrs. Atkins ! I should
like to see the persota that could do that. It is not all the
tricks or men, women, aml children, that can put down
phrenology. But I give you warning, my good unidam,
that whatever trouble you truly- have with your son,.. YOU
will have more with your daughter. I was never mistaken
in my life, and there are organs in that little noddle, fit to
belong to Joan of Arc. Good morning Mrs. Atkins!
She'll follow the drum, I tell you ; or, very likely, go to
sea herself. Good morning, ma'am. Make a fool of a
phrenologist indeed I—Blackwood's Magazine.

THE OSTAgtigx.l4s, Manso, al-
ready advantage-044y known to the lovers of historical researches
by his History ofConstantine the Great, has presented them with a
work not leas important, " An History of the Empire of the Ostro-
goth* in Italy." In the rst pinee, he rapidly sketches the domination
of the Ostrogoths in Italy, until the death ofTheodorie the G real, from
493 till 51,5, mingling very interesting remarks with very valua-
ble facts.. The second division of the, work commences with 4
picture of the state of Italy, from the time of Augustus, in which
the: author reviews the various administrative branches of the Go-
vernment of the Italian people. The third part of the work is
entitled, " Of the immediate &trees:sirs of Theodorie,- from 526
till 536 ;" here the author draws a parallel between the till* an^
terior to the invasion of these people called Isabariims, and that
of their domination. The fourth division of the work compre-
hends. a narrative of the misfortunes of the Goths, fiom P 37.11,1,1,
Mt. The fifth division contains an history of the latot, perhol
of their empire, under their kings, Totilas, Tejas, And the th_
Of the Francs, from 542 till .555. it is imprwsible to tr 3" r
outlet interest tilviiitahpasortukirelr ohr,rathpeidvoit:,:uantnei
sequences. in the fistrth division, AL moo!:
_itionv
on
the
atilt of his own reflessions, some general 4,* '0"
14 or their twenty
misolookable work tiraehea
years' struggle :q4.ainst Hyrantium..
,grinodiu, with a mu-
ltistory of the
with the panegyric of Thendorm,
Mentary. tate* times of the olovegot