The Sun.
London, England, 1826-12-26 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

His Majesty's ship Spartiate, sailed yesterday from Spithead
for Lisbon.
Acting Commander Courtenay Boyle, of his Majesty's sloop
Grasshopper, has been confirmed.

An English officer, said to be related to Sir it.
Wilson, left this port (Dover) on Tuesday for the Netherlands.
He was accompanied by a Spanish Refugee, and their avowed
purpose is to communicate with the proscribed Spaniards in Bel-
gium, and other parts, on the present aspect of affairs in their
country.--Cinque Ports Herald.
A CANDID CONPESSION._A learned divine and
the head of a College stood candidate for a Professorship, which
happened to be vacant at the time his lady was delivered of a boy.
A friend having called ou the Doctor about the time the profes-
sorship was decided, to congratulate him on the birth of his son,
in the usual phrase " wished him joy," the Doctor being rather
deaf, and mistaking his meaning, having lost his election, replied
rather peevishly—" I didn't get it—l didn't get it."—lrish
Paper.

0n Saturday night last, as a man was passing
along the bank of the river Irwell, on the side opposite the old
Quay, he was attacked by some, villains, who, not content with
plundering him of all the money had about him, had the barba-
rity to break both his legs ! We trust the wretches will not long
escape the hands of justice.—Munrhestsr Herald.
A NEW MODE OP RAISING TILE WrND.---At
vale of furniture and other effects of a Bankrupt, in the West Or-
chard, in this Borough, on Tueeday last, among other articles to
be disposed of was a coffin, which was purchased by private con-
tract by a respectable tradesman in the Saltisford, for 11. The
history of this unusual household appendage, unfolds a singular
bet characteristic piece of cunning which was practised by its late
eccentric owner, in order "to raise the wind."..-The individual
alluded to, whose name is Harvey, (no relation we believe to the
celebrated Author of Meditations among the Tombs), about
two years ago, being indisposed with a cold, told a person, with '
whom he was sitting in company, that lie should ' certainly be in
his coffin within a week. His friend thought otherwise, and poor
Harvey considering it no sin either to turn " an honest penny"
whether dead or alive, offered to lay him a wager of 10/. that he
would see hint in the situation which he had described, before
that day week. The wager was accepted. Harvey immediately
commenced active operations ; ordered a good oak coffin to be
made, and then took a melancholy leave of his friend ; notwith-
standing the latter frequently assured him that there was no fear
of his sudden departure : for, taking hold of his hand, and feeling
his pulse, he said "you have no fever upon you, your pulse is
very regular, you say you eat and drink well; your caned cough,
as '.you called it, has entirely left you ; and to tell you the truth,
I never recollect seeing you look better in all my life." In vain
did Harvey tell him that appearances were deceitful; and that
be had a strong presentiment on his mind that the melancholy
evert he had predicted would take place within the time spe:
cited. And curs enough it did ; but not exactly in the way
which Harvey's friend anticipated; for, when the latter made
his usual daily call the next morning, be found poor Harvey
in a coffin lying at full stretch, Whether the feelings
.of re-
gret at the loss of his money, Or sorrow for the loss of his
friend at this crisis, predominated in the mind of the visitor, we do
not presume to determine ; but Harvey's disconsolate widow
thought the former, for she immediately tried to pacify him, by
telling him that he might pay the money due to her poor dear
husband at his convenience. The inmate of the coffin who had
hitherto enjoyed the joke, not relishing this arrangement of his
rib, to the great enrprite of his friend, instantly jumped up-
rieit, divested himself of his prays clothes, contended lie hail
fairly won the wager, And demanded the debt of honour to be paid
down on the nail. The astonished visitor, whose senses were in
no small degree bewildered from this Apparent transition from
death to life, hesitated what, to do; but observing some symp-
toms of a disposition to enclose him in the place train which
Harvey had so recently risen, made some pecuniary overtures,
which were accepted, and then made a hasty retreat, glad enough
that he had escaped'being entombed before his Warwick 1
Advertiser.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

WINDSOR, DEC. 25.—,Yesterday Sir William
Keppel and Mr. Watson arrived at the Royal Lodge,
on a visit to his MAJESTY.

This forenoon, his MAJESTY, attended by the
Duke of Dorset, Sir • William Keppel, Mr. Watson,
with his household attendants, heard Divine Service,
at the New Chapel Royal. The Bishop of Chiches-
ter, assisted by the Dean of Salisbury, officiated. Af-
ter Divine Service his MAJESTY descended from his
pew to the altar, where he received the Sacrament,
administered with the usual solemnity by the Bishop
of Chichester.

The following distinguished personages were enter-
tained at dinner, at the Vice-Regal .Lodge, Dublin, on Tuesday
last:—Sir George Murray, Lord Ed*atd Hay, Lord William
Graham, the Earl of Howth, Miss Cuton, !It. and Mrs. Goul-
burn, Mr. and Mrs. Bowles, Sir William and Lady M'Mahon,
the Chief Baron and Mrs. O'Grady, the Knight of Kerry, lion.
Mr. Howard, the Surgeon-General, Mr. Lynch, Colonel White,
Colonel Russell, Colonel Shawe, Sir S. Bruce, Sir IL Hunter,
Captain Montague, Captain Vignoles, Captain Graves, &c. &c.
Mr. Lambton has arrived at Naples. 'We are glad
to hear that, according to the latest accounts which have been re-
ceived from him, Lady Louisa Lambton and the family are quite
well, while his own health continues in a state of gradual un-
provement.
We understand that a Parliamentary Inquiry is to
be moved for shortly after the Recess, as to certain acts said to
have taken place in a certain Irish Diocese, shortly before the de-
mise of the Diocesan, in which the Temporalities of the Established
Church aro concerned, as well as the religious character of the
Diocese,—Cork Morning Chronicle.
We arc happy to state that the Honourable George
Edwards is nearly recovered from the effects of the wounds re-
ceived from the poachers, without apprehension of any serious
consequences.
Independently ofthe Cabinet Councils, several private
meetings of the Ministers are held almost daily. This,
it is said, is done to silence the suspicions of the French
Government, likely to be more on the alert, were the Cabinet
Councils more frequent.—Chronicle.
The repeated examinations before Sir Richard Bir-
nie, at Bow-street, relating to certain alleged peculation, at one of
our National Theatres have hitherto been altogether private.
When the investigation is brought to a close, the whole affair will
be made public.
LORD GEORGE BERESFORD.—Lord George
Bereeford has been for some time very alarmingly ill in Dublin,
under the care of the most eminent physicians ; and we regret to
state that by the last accounts his Lordship's recovery has been
despaired of. The complaint under which his Lordship labours
is, we understand, a cancer of the worst and most incurable cha-
racter in the nose—it is said that his physicians are anxious for his
Lordship's removal to London, but are apprehensive that his coin-
plaint may prove fatal before his arrival there. His Lordship is
at present living in Harcourt-estreet.— Waterford Chronicle.
A grand dinner is to be given in the town :of En-
niskillen, on Tuesday, the 3d of January next, to Colonel Verner,
Lord George Beresford, Henry Maxwell, Esq., Colonel Leslie,
George Ogle Moore, Esq., and to other distinguished supporter"
of the Constitution in Church and State.
Stephen Maberly, Esq. of Reading, and father of
the Member for Abingdon, has distributed forty-five fat sheep,
and a number of odd joints, amongst the poor of the neghhourhood.
Mr. Thomas Smith, of Newbury, on Saturday dis-
tributed 17 sheep and a quantity of beef, with a proportion of
potatoes, thus making provision for upwards of 200 families ; and
also 6d. for each adult, and 3d. for every child in the poor-house,
being his annual bounty conferred for many years on the deserving
poor of Newbury and its vicinity.
Penny Club Subscriptions for distribution to the
poor of elothing during the winter have very laudably been set on
foot in several places.
A public dinner was given at Gottenburgh on the
12th inst. by the members of the British Factory, to Mr. Wise,
who has been many years resident there as Consul-General of
Sweden.
It affords us peculiar satisfaction in being able to
point out to our readers a source of amusement, which, at the ap-
proaching festive season, cannot fail giving to the juvenile branches
of families the most lively gratification. We have this week
visited the Royal Menagerie in the Tower of Landon, and we
must say, in justice to the conductor of it, that we never saw a
finer collection, nor a better arranged Exhibition of Wild Beasts,
Birds, and Reptiles, than this great national depot has now within
its walls.
LIBERAL THEATRICAL MANAGEMENT.---It is
said, how truly we know not, that last year the subject of the
Pantomime to be performed to-morrow at the Adelphi, was
given to Drury-lane, and by them rejected with some imperti-
nence. If rejected at all, we should hope the latter part were in;
correct. But when it was known, through some of those chan-
nels by menus of which the best guarded dramatic secrets some-
times escape, that the Adelphi was getting up a Pantomime on
the subject, the Drury-lane people immediately took up the rejected
subject, the manuscript of which they never had returned, and set
it up ma rival. If these circumstances be exact, it is, to say the
least of it, but shabby conduct.—The Opera Gloat.
MR. JOHN TAYLOR.—We have, with great plea-
sure, observed the general eagerness of all the directors of the pub-
lic journals, to assist a subscription for the works of Mr. John
Taylor, the late proprietor of the Sou newspaper, and author of
the comic poem of Monsieur Tonson, the song of " Monsieur
Non Tong Paw," and various productions of a higher character,
though lase universally known. The circumstances by which their
recommendation is enforced have been too eloquently described to
require repetition. We would add but one word. All persons
connected with theatrical affairs are by gretitude bound to promote
the interest of Mr. Taylor. In the course of a long career, he
never missed an opportunity to protect those whose dependence
was upon the drama, from the poisonous reptiles of the press,
whose ruling instinct seems to be destruction ; and even where
justice forced him to be unfavourable, he censured like a man of
feeling and a gentleman. Many have reason to thank him, and
none to rejoice that lie has lost his power. Shall such a man be
neglected In his old age? Shall he be left to endure the conse-
quences of having been too daring in his zeal to afford the aid
which he himself might find convenient now ? The Opera
Glass.

A boy, three years of age, was particularly back-
ward in his tongue, and hie parents feared that he would never
talk.—" Send hint to a girls' school," said a friend. The hint
was adopted, and succeeded beyond expectation.
AN ILLEGAL MARRIAGE.--A person on his
death-bed, who had not been the best of husbands, was mention.
ing many things to Lie wife that he wished her to do after his
decease, m the course of which she asked him whether there was
any hotly in particular that he wished her to marry? "Marry !"
said the RIAU, "Why, aye, you may marry the Devil if you like."
' No, my dear," replied the wife, ".it is against the law to marry
two brothers."—lrish Paper.
Our approaching Winter Assizes promise to be
heavy, as we expect the gaol calendar will exhibit for trial be-
tween 70 and 80 prisoners.—Letees Paper.
As an extraordinary proof of the unusual mildness
of the present season, a lady-bird was yesterday caught in a gar-
den near the town, which appeared as lively as in July.
LONDON PORTER IN THE COUNTRY.--A brew-
er, distiller, and banker, in a well frequented Kent watering place,
has at present no less than twenty-five public-bosses under his
controul which he lets to yearly tenants. In consideration, how-
ever, of their dealing with him for spirits, ale, &c., he kindly al-
lows them to draw London Porter by paying him a ?anus for
every butt they sell.—So much for the present licensing system.
A gentleman in Manchester has, for a bet of '2Ol.
undertaken to walk backward 20 miles in five successive hours,
over a half-mile piece of ground on the Stretford road.
CHESTER, DEc. 23.--The Hon. Robert Gros,
venor, our new Representative, arrived at Eaton Hall, the princely
mansion of his father, Earl Grosvenor, yesterday, on his return
from Russia, where he was in the train of the Duke of Devonshire,
when our freemen very condescendingly returned him to Parlia-
ment as their Representative. He waited upon the Corporation
in the afternoon, to express his thanks for the honour conferred
upon him in his absence. The whole Body Corporate are invited
to dinner at Eaton Hall, on Friday next, to meet Mr. Grosvenor;
and as they are as partial to good eating and drinking as the civic
gentry in other towns and cities, it is probable they will all hetiour.
the Noble Karl with their company. Lady Elizabeth &ICI"
and her infant daughter, are " quite as well as can be expected."
Our eighth wonder of the world, the bridge (one arch, 200 feet
span) over the Dee will be commenced forthwith. The contracts
were all entered into yesterday. It is not unworthy at mention
that among the subscribers to this undertaking (which will pro-
bably turn out to be as profitable as Waterloo-bridge) is" The
Boots" at the Blooms Inn in this city for 5004