The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-13 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THE NORTH BRITISH REVIEW—No. IV
This new Review, which has already acquired a
justcelebrity among those who have read its able
articles, fully maintains its character in the present
number, and as a proof of the varied fertility and
historical knowledge of the contributions, though it
contains not less than five articles, all relating more
or less to the Christian religion, they are entirely
exempt from monotony and repetitions. These are
" The Scottish Monks," " Life and Writings of Dr.
Arnold," " Palestine," " Essays on Christian Union,"
and " The Jesuits in France." The first is founded
on several publications which, within the last few
years, have appeared at Edinburgh, edited by Mr.
Casino Innes, and extracted from manuscripts which
had been mouldering for ages in the Advocates'
Library. The wild hatred of Popery which all at
once blazed up in the north about the time of Knox,
the destruction of the magnificent cathedrals which
adorned the coun!ry, and the almost savage treatment
N;liich the Queen of Scots and the bigoted adherents
of the old religion experienced at the hands of the
Reformers, have appeared to many incomprehensible
on any other imaginable grounds than that the people
were reduced to the lowest degree of barbarism, that
their uncultivated nfture wax taken advantage of by
designing Churchmen and greedy nobles, and that a
sprk thrown among such dangerous materials was
only necessary to light up the conflagration which
destroyed every vestige of the established religion.
The abominable conduct of the clergy, and especially
the bishops, abbots, and monks, however, fully ex-
plains the phenomenon. They were not only men of
immoral lives in private, but they harassed and
oppressed the people. The Church laid its iron grasp
upon everything suited to its purpose, terrified the
dying to force from them bequests, spent their days
in hunting and fishing and other carnal amusements,
and their nights in revelling and debauchery. The
following picture makes the wonder cease:—
" The abbots and monks were wholly given up to
luxury and idleness ; and thc, unmarried state of both
the seculars and regulars, gave infinite scandal to the
world ; for it appeared, that the restraining them from
having wives of their own, made them conclude, that
they had a right to all other men's. But their own re.
corded evidence of their guilt, will go farther to settle
the sad truth of the charge. In one of the last Provin-
cial Councils held in Scotland, the canons it promul-
gated, bear the humiliating confession, of the corruption
and profane lewdness of the clergy of almost every de-
gree, at the same time that their gross ignorance of
literature and science is candidly admitted:—' Ornniunt
fere graduum, morum corruptela, ac vita; prgfana obsce-
nibs, tam bonorum literatum, altiumque omnium, crassa
iynoraatiu.' The Popes, too, beheld with dismay, the
tottering condition of their ostentatious dominion ; and
one of the Innocents directed to three English Bishops a
Bull, preserved in the cartulary of Moray, by which
they were enjoined to redress, by all the terrors of the
ecclesiastical and civil powers, the atrocious evils that
reigned unpunished among the Scottish clergy. They
marry, he says, in defiance of all ecclesiastical rule, they
resign the clerical character, when necessary for their
interests, or the gratification of their passions ; and re-
sume it again at will, in order to enjoy, under priestly
privilege, immunity from their crimes, (No. 260.) They
disobeyed, too, the commands of their superiors, and the
thunders of the Vatican in vain called upon them to re-
turn to the strict discipline of their Church. (Glasgow,
No. 22.)

This is the condition to which the Puseyite would
bring the Reformed Church, and here we cannot help
extracting from the article on " Palestine" some just
strictures on the principles of Newman and Pusey,
and the other mischievous innovators in the English
Church, premising at the same time that " sincerity
in their professed faith as Christians," is, we fear, a
very rare quality among them. The writer thus de-
scribes them :

" But, in starting to enter upon this ground, we can-
not refrain from an expression of the mingled feeling of
grief and shame—of perplexity and alarm, that has at-
ten led our perusal of some of the volumes before us.
English literature,—and especially so much as is biblical
and topographic, is seen and read in Germany ' • and,
moreover, books of this class, embodying as they do
facts and narratives,bnportant or entertaining, are heard
of, and sometimes read by many of that now large class
of cultured persons, at home and abroad, who, choosing
to turn away from that mass of direct and irrefragable
evidence which sustains the Gospel history, dwell
with malign pleasure upon the dark history of the
Church ;' while at the same time they are catching at
the indiscretions and follies of their Christian contempo-
raries, as affording to themselves reason enough for their
unbelief. In this view then, mortifying and distressing
it is to think that men, occupying responsible positions
in the Church,—men who, if one may judge by the
alphabetic honours which float at the rear of their names,
are well informed persons, and therefore are precluded
from the apology of ignorance, should exhibit them-
selves before the world as the credulous and unscrupu-
lous swallowers of the monkish nonsense of the East ;
and as the dupes of the most flimsy sort of enthusiasm
which a man can be moved by, and which is only just
pardonable in ladies under eighteen ;' and that these
persons—clergy and laity—while they seem, and we
doubt not are, sincere in their professed faith as Chris-
tians, yet employ their energies, and show themselves all
alive. not in defence of their evangelic history, such as
inspired men have left it, but of the old wives' fables of
the most debauched periods of clich history !"
The history and character of the Jesuits are full of
interest, and lay bare the unsupportable despotism
which the modern reformers would establish in these

days of freedom. The vast authority p3ssessed by the
General of that dangerous sect, would not be at all
unwelcome to certain of the bishops in our own
church, if we may judge from recent exhibitions.
"In order," says tho writer, "that an opinion may
be formed of the enormous uncontrolled power of the
General, we shall now enumerate some of the principal
acts he can perform. He admits whom he pleases, when
he pleases, and on the terms he pleases, into the Society;
he can order any member of the Society to perform any
duty in any part of the world, without a moment's notice;
he may recal from any part of the world any Jesuit sent
thither even by the Pope's orders, and transfer him to any
other country or duty ; he may dismiss from the So-
ciety, at will, any of its members ; he may direct a num-
ber of coadjutors to be sent to a general congregation,
and may name the two persons who are to act as dele-
gates from any province, together with the Provincial,
either by directing them to be elected by the provincial
congregation, or electing them himself without farther
trouble ; he alone can summon a congregation ; he ap-
points and dismisses at pleasure all the officers and dig-
nitaries of the Society, of whatever rank they be, to
whom he grants more or less of his own power as he
deems expedient, recalling it at pleasure, no one having
any power whatever but as his delegate, and he having
the power of annulling any act which may have .been
performed even in virtue of his own authority by any of
his subordinates ; finally, he can inflict what penances
and punishments he thinks just, or freely pardon any
misconduct or misbehaviour."
Besides these articles there are others which will
be found interesting to the general reader, among
which are Dana's System of Mineralogy, Thornton's
British Empire in India, and Travels in Kashmir and
the Punjaub.

CHARGE OF ASSAULT AND

CRIM. CON.

On Thursday last, a journeyman carver and gilder,
named Patrick Murdock, preferred a charge of assault
before the magistrates, against John Ringham, of Ips-
wich. The defendant, it appeared, kept an eating-house
in the parish of St. Margaret, and the complainant was
in the habit of taking an occasional meal there. Ile
lodged at Mr. Franklin's (the librarian of the Mechanics'
Institution), in Coyte's-gardens, and on Wednesday
morning, about a quarter before eight o'clock, the defen-
dant, llitigham, called at the house and asked to see the
complainant. The complainant was not down, but he
replied, "Show the gentleman up." When the defendant
got into the room, he seized complainant by the hair of
his head, tried to choke him, kicked him, and eventually
beat him with a stick in a very violent manner.—The de-
fendant said in his defence, that he had full conviction the
complainant and his (defendant's) wife had spent a great
deal of time improperly together. He had spoken to
his wife upon the subject, but she had denied that any-
thing wrong had taken place between them. Last Tues-
day his wife left the house to go to her father's, on the
Woodbridge-road. Ile said to her, " Don't go, there is
much work to do, and I would rather you did uot." His
wife said she would go, but would not be long. Sus-
pecting something wrong, however, he went to the
house, and there found his wife and the complainant to-
gether. After this (continued the defendant) I had ra`
course a great deal of unpleasantness. I spoke to my
wife about it, and she abused me. Last Sumlaay evening
I saw something I did not like. Whispering took place
between the parties. I did not approve of this, and I said
so, and then my wife blackguarded me. Turning to the
complainant, the defendant then said, "Do you
know anything of these letters ?" Complainant—.
Yes, I do. Mr. Mayor, I am only a third party here
'I hese letters, though in my hand-writing, are, in oint
Of fact, written for another person. There is no harm in
them whatever. (To the defendant.) I told you I would
bring you to the party for whom they were written, and
lam willing to do so now. Defendant—Were they not
written to my wife by you 2 Complainant —That perhaps
is right, but not for myself. The Mayor—Stay a minute.
The charge here is, that a violent assault has been com-
mitted on some person. Defendant—There is enough in
those letters to agitate anybody, and make any man com-
mit an assault. The Mayor—Are these letters in the
hand-writing ofthe complainant? Defendant—He admits'
they are, and I have a witness to prove his hand-writing.
Complainant—l adwit they were written by ase. I said
yesterday, that if a proper investigation were made,
there would be nothing found to implicate me in what
the defendant would now charge me. The Mayor—
Does the defendant wish
_th_esea_rlrtters read in his de
fence? The defendant—l do, Sir. Mr.. Lawrance then
read six or seven letters, which contained a mass of
endearing language. The' following are passages :—" I
ION •
e you ; by God, I love you, and should like to run
away with you, but that would not be right. . . . .
You call me dear friend,' but I should call you dear
Anne.' I read your note with pleasure
I do not think I have said any wrong. The
feelings of the heart can't be controlled, and for
what you have said to me I think none the worse of
you, but indeed the bett,r. I would have said more,
Lan can't on paper. • . . I write this note to you
—What to say I can't tell. There is a bar between us
which no man can break. Though you are another's, I
do not see the sin of feolina an affection." The Mayor
(to the complainant)—Vroy, alter the reading of these

etters, do you wish to press your complaint ? De-
fendant—Yes, I do. Other expressions of the com-
plainant's feelings were then read ; such as, " You said
you loved me ; God knows I do the same by you
. . . . Nothing would please me better if one you
know w,.;uld die." These Zillet-doux were directed
"A. E. L.—To Ann Last, otherwise A. R." The de-
fendant—Gentlemen, these letters fell into my hands ;
was not this enough to drive a man to do what I did ?
Are not these provocations ? I wish to say no more., but
leave the case in your hands. The Mayor—When
were you made acquainted with the existence of these
letters? Defendant—On Tuf aday night. The Mayor
(to the complainant)—What can you say to these letters?
The complainant—These letters are not written upon
my account, but for a young man whose name is not
known, but which I will make known, if necessary.
There is no criminality between us. The Mayor—Why
did you not bring this young man here ? The Com-
plainant—l sent for a witness (looking through the
window). I dare say he will be here directly. The
Mayor—What you have to do is to rebut these lettcrs.
The defendant has committed an assault upon you; in
other words, he has given you a hearty drubbing. You
have been moralising, in your peculiar way, with the
man's wife. Complainant—No, I have not. The Mayor—
I say yes. These letters show you have been on terms
with the woman—terms which inevitably would produce
a want of confidence between her and her husband, and
yet you say you have written these letters on the repre-
sentations and for the feelings of a third party? Corn.
plainant—Yes. The I:layor—Yeu have made your
complaint and shown your case, and the defendant has
shown his justification—the letters; and I must say no
sound drubbing was ever more soundly deserved than
that he has given you. We dismiss the complaint.
(Applause in the court.) Defendant—Sir. The Mayor
—No, not a word. We say that under the circumstances
you were provoked, but you are not to repeat this
drubbing, or excite one party or the other.—Sufiat
ChroAick.

THE HORRIBLE MURDER AT
LAMMONBY.

-
On Thursday and Friday, the 30th and 31st ult., at the
lonely village of Lammonby, near Grey-stoke, and about
eight miles and-a-half north-west of Penrith, in the county
of Cumberland, a respectable jury was impannelled on the
inquest held before Mr. W. Carrick, of Brampton, one of the
coroners for Cumberland, to investigate the circumstances
attending the cruel murder of Sarah Ann Crosby, a fine
little girl, aged about seven years and a half, who was burnt
to death by her own mother, Jane, the wife of William
Crosby, an industrious husbandman, and keeper of, the
small public-house known by the sign of the Blue Miller,
in the village of Lammonby. The investigation commenced
a little after noon on the 30th ult., and was continued till
midnight on Friday, when it was adjourned till Monday last,
the 10th instant. From the evidence produced on the first
and adjourned meetings of the inquest the following facts are
deduced :

William Crosby, the father of the murdered child, is a
labourer in husbandry, and is only at home on the Saturday
evenings and Sundays. Ile has a wife named Jane, and two
daughters, namely, Mary and Sarah Ann, aged respectively
about twelve and seven years, the only issue of his marriage with
his wife. Mrs. Crosby is a woman of most dissolute character,
passionate, and greatly addicted to drinking spirituous
liquors, and taking laudanum in large quantities. The mur-
dered child was the greater favourite of the father (the mother
having poisoned the mind of the elder with indulgences
and threatenings), and was in the habit of telling him on
Saturday nights what her mother had done during the
week; and on that account the mother, from time to time,
manifested a most inveterate and inhuman dislike 'and
hatred to her younger child. She frequently most cruelly
beat her, and turned the poor child out of doors at bed-
tim and kept her out all night, and on several occasions
threatened to put an end to the child's existence. In order
to carry this barbarous and unnatural resolve into effect, on
Tuesday evening, the 28th ult., she made up a large fire in
the kitchen of her own house, with the determination of
sacrificing her child in the flames prepared by her own bands.
For reasons only known to this wretched woman herself, she
stripped off all the child's clothes and hid them in a hole
behind the inner door and in the ash-midden, and having
done so took the child by its legs and arms and literally
roasted it to death. One side of the face was much burnt
and the eye nearly out, and its breast and neck and back
were most shockingly burnt. It appears that the child on
being held over the tire had turned its head on one side and
thrust it forward, and by doing so one side of the face was
more burnt than the other, and that she had thrust ber;breast
against the red-hot bar, which accounts for the severe burn
on that part of the body. The wretched woman then took
the child off the fire, and held her on her knee b 7 the fire-
side till life was nearly extinct, the little innocent faintly ask-
ing her other sister for a drink of water. Oa calling in the
neighbours, she said that Sarah Ann (the deceased) had
set herself on tire while she (the mother) was absent at a
farmhouse about two miles oft; and made other incredible
excuses. A person was sent to the farm-house to inquire if
Jane Crosby had been there that day or evening, when it
was aseertmeed that the tale was a fabrication. Mr. Car-
rick, the surgeon, was sent for, but on his arrival he found
the child in a state beyond the reach of medical aid,
and the poor child died about two o'clock next morn-
ing. On examining the child's shift it was found to
be burnt about the neck and back, but the burnt places
had been made with a red-hot poker, and the other
articles of dress not being visible, suspicion became
stronger, especially when the prisoner's former bad conduct
was taken into consideration. Richard Weston, one of the
witnesses, searched the house, and found the clothes hidden
in a hole of the wall behind the inner door. On the first
investigation of this horrid murder, the elder girl 'seenid
reluctant to give her evidence freely, alleging that, if she
told the truth, she was afraid of her mother, who would ill-
use her. At the adjourned inquest, she gave her testimony
more frankly. Fourteen witnesses were examined: and, the
voluminous evidence having been gone through, the Coroner
in a lengthened address, explained to the jury the nature of
their duty on such a distressing case. The jury then retired,
and shortly afterwards returned a verdict of " Wilful
Murder." The wretched woman was committed to Carlisle
Gaol, to take her trial at the next assizes, which commence
on the 22d inst.
This shocking tragedy has given rise to the greatest
excitement at Lammonby and the surrounding neighbour.
hood, and, indeed, throughout the whole of Cumberland.