The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-28 00:00:00

TILE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 28, 1845.

Paris and Strasbourg ... 2
Royal North of Spain ... 2
Sambre and Meuse 4

Strasbourg and Bale ... 14
JOINT STOCK BANKS.
Provincial of Ireland ... 25
MAxCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 26.—,The sales
are :—Manchester and Birmingham, New Quarters, 514 1/s
prem. ; North British, New Shares, 4 ; Barnsley Junction,
3%; Ditto, Half Shares, 1% ; Birkenhead, Manchester, arid
Cheshire Junction, 8 ; Blackburn, Burnley, and Accring-
ton, 6% ; Blackburn, Darwen, and Bolton, 4%. ; Cam-
bridge and Lincoln, 7% 7 ; Clitheroe Junction, 3 prem. ;
Churnet Valley, 7% ; Direct Northern, 4% ; Glasgow and
Dumfries, 114 ; Goole, Doncaster, Sheffield, and Manchester
Junction, 17s. 6d. 19s. ; Great Grim,by and Sheffield Junc-
tion, 51/2 cum new ; Huddersfield and Manchester Railway
and Canal, 8 ; Huddersfield and Sheffield Junction, 7% ;
Leeds and Thirsk, 514 %; Leeds and West Riding Junction,
6 14 ; Liverpool, Ormskirk, and Preston, 2% 3 ; London and
Worcester, Rugby and Oxford, 4 ; London and York, 4 ;
Manchester and Buxton, 5% ; North Western, et ;
Preston and Wyre Extension, 2 34 prem. ; Sheffield and
Lincolnshire Junction, 1% 9-16 ; Shrewsbury, Oswestry, and
Chester Junction, 5 ; Trent Valley, 1814 ; Trent Valley Con-
tinuation and Holyhead Junction, 24 prem. ; Great
Northern of France (English), 5% ; Manchester and Liver-
pool District Bank, 12%.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DAY.)
LONDON, APRIL 2S.—Wind southerly breeze, and cloudy.
DEAL, APRIL 27.—Wind W.S.W. fresh.—Arrd. Mary
Gray, Stork, Valparaiso; Agnes, Fox;Trinidad ; Chanticleer,
Hoare, Jamaica. 27. Henrietta, Henderson, South Seas;
Elkabeth Buckhann, Bowley, Launceston; Castle Eden,
Reade, and Forfarshire, Symons, China; Agincourt, Nesbitt,
Ellenborough, Close, Bucephalus, .Bell, Southampton,
Bowen, Florist, Huggup, Maria Somes, Baker, Bolton,
and United, Bertrand, Calcutta; Malabar, Pixie, Bombay;
Royal Albert, and Lotus, India; Thomas Blyth, Hay, Janet,
and Kite, Ritchie, Mauritius; Zenobia, Owen, and John,
Ichaboe; Betty-, Valparaiso; Dorothea, Craig, Grenada;
Prince Albert, Sebor, New York; her Majesty's ship Nauti-
lus, Portsmouth. Sld. Cambria, Quebec; Hannah, Mont-
real ; Boding, Bordeaux and Calcutta. Put back, Sir Chris-
topher Forbes, Honduras; and Lady Faversham, for Quebec.
SHIELDS, PRIL 25.—Percival, Kay, Ichaboe.
WHITEHAVEN, APRIL 24.—Sid. Ainsley, Quebec.
SOUTHWOLD, APRIL 25.—The Sarah and Ann, Tweddell,
of this port, sailed from Newcastle prior to the late gale, and
has not since been heard of.
MARGATE, APRIL 27.—The New Holland, Parsons, from
Alexandria, was in contact to-day in Pace Sand Hole with
the Southampton from Calcutta, lost bowsprit, foremast, &c.,
became leaky, and was towed into the bay and run. aground,
where she remains, but is expected off this tide; cargo dis-
charging. The Post Boy, from Lisbon, got on the Long
Nore yesterday, but came off without assistance, and pro .
ceeded. •IF o
OFF NORTH FORLAND, APRIL 26.-.-4 Ernst Gustav, Bre-
men, for the westward, with emigrants.
LIVERPOOL, APRIL 26 AND 27.—Wind W.S.W., fresh.—
Arrd. Pickwick, Cornish, Islay ; Barlow and John M'Lellan,
Ichaboe; Eliza Ann, Burns, Rio Grande; Unicorn, Tobasce ;
Mentor, Angostura; Crescent, Antigua; Charles Kerr, Free-
man, onduras ; Loehlebo, Taylor, Mobile ; Mersey, Tucker,
Apalachicola; Aderondack, Europe, J. R. Skiddy, and Shef-
field, all New York, sailed Ist inst. ; Concord, Herald, and
John, Ichaboe. 27. John Laud and Lysander, China; An-
gelina, Gray, Singapore. Arrd. Bengal Merchant; John
M'Vicar, M'Leod ; John natter, John Woodall, Williams,
Mary, Hartley, Bartlett, Thomas Mellor, Palethorpe, and
United, Calcutta; Thomas Whitney, umatra ; London,
Madras; Earl Lonsdale, Mauritius; Coquett and Cadet, Cape
of Good Hope; Mary, Lloyd, and Prompt, Panjore, Ichaboe;
Ann, Wright, Sierra Leone; Jos: Porter, Fred. Huth, Wil-
helmina, and Mary, Cousens, Africa; Tera, Gay, Valparaiso;
Homily, Rio Janeiro ; Envoy, M'Kattrick, New Orleans ;
Rosalama, Buckley, Mobile; Acadia, M'Kenzie, Savannah.
LOSS OF THE ISABELLA, OF ABERDEEN.
Advices were received at Lloyd's this morning from their
agent, the British Vice-Consul at that port, informing them
of the loss of the above ship. It appears that the barque
Isabella, Captain Leask, of and from Aberdeen, in ballast,
and bound to St. John's, New Brunswick, sprung a leak,
which filled her full of water, and caused her to heel over on
her beam ends, thus obliging the masts to be cut away to
partially right her. In this perilous condition, having
lost all their boats, and nearly all the fresh
water and provisions which were stowed in the
hold, they remained for seventeen days, keeping the [vessel
afloat by the employment of buckets, their pumps being
choked. Exhausted with continued fatigue and privation,
and reduced for quenching their thirst to the only fresh
water that fell from the clouds, they would inevitably have
perished had not ProVidence sent to their relief the Spanish
brig Trasmerano, Capt. Pola, who was bound from Havannah to
Santander, and having discovered them bore down upon
them, and sending his boats to the wreck received them on
board (seventeen in number), where they remained sixteen
days, when they were landed at Santander, during which
time they received from the Spanish captain and his crew the
most kind, humane, and generous conduct.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.

(THIS DAY.)

Group T.
SYSTON AND PETERBOROUGH RAILWAY.
MONDAY, SIXTH DAY.
The Committee met to-day, to consider the clauses of this
Bill • Sir George Grey, Bart., in the chair.
dr. WHATELET, on the part of Lord Harborough, re-
marked that he could not assent to the clauses the Com-
mittee had drawn up since Saturday, relative to the mode in
which the line was proposed to be taken through his Lord-
ship's grounds. . . _
The clauses had been drawn up on the recommendation of
the Committee at the close of its sitting on Saturday, founded
on an arrangement which it was said the Company had ef-
fected with the proprietors of the Oakham Canal, which
passes through his Lordship's grounds, and along which it
was proposed to take the line of railway.
The CHAIRMAN suggested that any opposition to the clauses
should be offered when they came in regular order before the
Committee, and that the objections should be confined to the
adequacy of the clauses to carry out the arrangement come
to on Saturday. The preamble of the Bill the Committee
had considered proved, and they could not consent to the re-
opening of the main question.
A number of clauses were then read, but no discussion
took place till those relating to tolls were brought under con-
sideration.
The CHAIRMAN and Mr. HINDLEY considered the rates both
relating to passengers and goods too high, and gave several
instances of lower rates in old-established lines. The Great
North of England, the Newcastle and Darlington, and the
Manchester and Ashton-under-Lyne Railways were cited as
cases in point, along with several others. The clauses were
ultimately postponed, in order to enable the Committee to
collect definite information respecting the average rate
of charges on other lines.
The clauses relating to the carrying of the line through
Lord Harborough's estate were then gone into.
The first clause in reference to this matter was then read,
which was to the effect that the line might be taken through
the park, according to a line marked in a plan produced,
either on the site of the canal, or outside of it to a distance of
a hundred yards, as circumstances might require it.
Mr. WIIATELEY said it was the understanding or. Saturday
that the railway should be substituted for the canal through
his Lordship's grounds. Now, there was nothing respecting
this in the clause just read, so that it gave the Company the
power to take the railway through the grounds, without
using the canal as had been agreed to. There was, there-
fore, the possibility of a double nuisance ; there might be both
the canal and railway existing at the same time. There was
no security whatever that the canal would be used for
the purposes of the company, as the latter
could do nothing in regard of using the canal without
an Act of Parliament. He thought the Bill ought to
be postponed till an Act, empowering the company to take
up the canal, was passed.
The CHAIRMAN stated that the Committee had considered
the objection of Lord Harborough to the original plan of the
company as one of a serious nature, involving a con-
siderable violation of private property ; hence, they
had felt desirous of a better arrangement being come
to. Now, however, he thought the clause proposed
quite as favourable as the proposition for taking the
line along the canal, inasmuch as the line if not carried
along the canal, in the event of the arrangement
Stith the proprietors not being satisfactorily concluded, it
would be taken outside of it, and at a greater distance from
his Lordship's house.
Mr. TALBOT, on the part of the company, said they were
willing to add an additional clause to the Bill, in order to
give time for negotiations with his Lordship, and the canal
proprietors. It was in substance that no land should be
taken from his Lordship's ground without his consent within
a twelvemonth from the passing of the Act.
After some further discussion this clause, in addition to the
other clauses relating to this portion of the line, were
agreed to.
The clauses respecting Stamford-bridge were next taken
into consideration, and severally agreed to. They provide
that 5,0001. shall be applied by the company to the widen-
ing of the bridge ; and that, for the additional accommodation
of the inhabitants of Stamford, a footbridge shall be erected.
A clause was also agreed to, that at the point where the line
meets with the Eastern Counties Railway, near Peterborough,
the speed of the trains should not be more than four miles
per hour.
After agreeing to several other unimportant clauses, the
Committee adjourned till Thursday, at twelve o'clock.

Group X.
The Committee appointed to investigate the merits of the
Bills comprised in group X met this morning in Committee-
room No. 16 ; present, Lord Courtenay, Chairman, Mr.
Darby, Mr. P. Scrope, Mr. M‘Geachy, Mr. B. Wall.
The Committee had the following Bills before them,
namely,—London and York—Lincoln, York and Leeds
Direct Cambridge and Lincoln Direct Northern
Eastern Counties (Cambridge and Huntingdon)
Eastern Counties (Ely and Whittlesea)— Eastern
Counties (Hertford and Biggleswade)—Eastern Counties
(Finsbury Extension)—Eastern Counties (Ely and Lincoln
Extension)—Midland Railways Extension (Swinton and
Lincoln)—Midland Railways Extension (Lincoln and Ely)
—Rotherham, Bawtry, and Gainsborough Junction—Shef-
field and Lincolnshire Junction—York and North Midland
and Doncaster Extension—Tottenham and Farringdon-
street Junction.
At the sitting of the Committee, this morning, strangers
were ordered out of the room in order that the Committee
might deliberate as to their mode of proceeding. On the re-
admission of strangers, they were informed that no one but
agents and counsel would be allowed to remain. The reporters
were rudely expelled, but they forwarded a note into the
room to Lord Courtenay, signed by the reporters for the
Times, Morning Chronicle, Morning Herald, and The Sun.
The answer to this note was, that one reporter might be ad-
mitted, but only one. This proposition was, of course, rejected,
and another note was sent into the Chairman, and the answer
to this note was, " that the press could not be admitted to-
day, but perhaps they might be admitted to-morrow."
We may add that the Committee Clerk, whose name is
Creed, was principally instrumental in the refusal to admit
the reporters.

Group B.
WEST YORKSHIRE DISTRICT.

MONDAY, EIGHTH DAY.
The Committee sat this day at twelve o'clock.
P. M. STEWART, Esq., M.P., Chairman.
The CHAIRMAN announced that there were some clauses in
the Bill they had under their consideration on Friday which
they should postpone the consideration of, as they related to
tolls; other Committees having adopted the same course in
respect to similar clauses.
The Solicitor to the pill then read the other clauses left
undisposed of on Saturday, - in 'which' some mere verbal
amendments were made.
. Several Counsel announced that they appeared on behalf
said
dNhDe
would occupy
of the Lomore Company, Mr. Edwards, Mr. Slayden, Col.
Pepys, Mr. Jenkins, the Bradford Board of Surveyors, and
others, against the Leeds and West Riding line.
The CHAIRMAN said they would now proceed to business
with the
LEEDS rocßculDpylNvGeryLlliNttlEe of the time
.
Mr.
Au BTEN
of the Committee with his opening statement of the Leeds
and West Riding scheme. In this line he begged
to say that he included the branch from Cooperbridge
to Huddersfield: but of that he would say no more now, as
he would leave that to the witnesses. The line be was now
advocating was proposed to be undertaken by the Leeds and
Manchester Company, and was in the form of an in-
verted S, and included Halifax and Leeds, and
Wakefield and Dewsbury, and many other im-
portant places before the Committee on the
map. The Leeds and Manchester Company had already
'nude one line, which had been found to be of great advan-
P tage to the public. The communication which the
Leeds and Manchester Company had already given be-
tween Leeds and Manchester was sixty-one miles;
and they now proposed, by what they called the
West Riding Line, to give the shortest possible mode
of communication, by reducing the length of the distance
from 61 to 47 miles, thereby saving a journey of 13 miles,
by opening a communication by way of Halifax. Resides
that, they brought within the sphere of Leeds and Man-
chester the important town of Bradford, which was
eight miles from Birmingham. The population of Bradford
was 105,000, and therefore it would be a great convenience to
that mass of people to bring a railway station within 21,
miles of them, instead of eight miles, and they also put
Halifax on the line ; and that town had a population
of 130,000 inhabitants, and therefore it would be unnecessary
to point out the importance of having this line carried
us to this town. The second object of those who proposed
this line was to cause an inter-communication with Brad-
ford, Halifax, Dewsbury, and another district, not on the
map, but which he would call the Clackheaton Valley, and
which was a most important branch. In fact, what
was wanted was, that some giant station should stand
at the cross of Lomore and spread out his limbs all over this
line of country, in order to enable the people engaged in all
the departments of such trades as dyeing, weaving, fulling,
slubbing, wool stapling, &c., all of which were of very great im-
portance, as well as for the convenience of a number of people
who did much of their work at home, and therefore wanted a
cheap and expeditious mode of going for and taking back
their work to the manufactories. Therefore, the objects of
the Leeds and Manchester Company in this scheme
was economy of construction, quick transit, and low
fares, all of which could best be achieved by the
lines being made by one Company. There was already
a branch from Leeds to 'Halifax, and therefore it was pro-
posed to begin at Copley Mills, where the gradient would
only be 1 to 100, and no private property would be inter-
fered with. They then went on from Halifax to
;-loomore, which was the highest point on the line.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

the very name of Nelson, that they had chained to--
gether all their gun-boats to prevent them being cut
out. He makes no allusion to the circumstance,
because he knows it to be a fact. No men-
tion is made of chains, though he admits
an iron cable saved one boat. That boat was com-
manded by Gueroult, an energetic officer, and
,while
he was defending himself on deck, the English
vessels which surrounded him endeavoured to cut the
cables. " Fortunately one was an iron cable, and
resisted all the efforts to break it." This is the
only allusion to the scheme which saved the flotilla.
From these details it is evident that M. Thiers'
history of every battle between the English and
French must be regarded as a mere fable, and
utterly destitute of truth, except the conclusion,
which he could neither gloss over nor deny. He
does not injure England, but he injures himself
and his gallant countrymen, by perverting the truth
of history, and exhibiting one of the bravest of na-
tions in the most contemptible light. 'What a con-
trast between his chicanery, his inventions, his
falshoods, and his bigoted hostility to Englishmen,
and the animated descriptions of Colonel Napier, in
which the fullest merit is given to the French
officers and soldiers engaged in the Peninsular war,
and if any favour is shown, it is by the candid
and generous Englishman shown to the enemy. We
may read a lesson, however, of vast importance, in
this single volume. Should M. Thiers ever be re-
stored to the Cabinet, war with England will be
his darling object. His vanity makes him confident
of success, and his malignant spirit will never
rest satisfied till he has tried the hazardous expe-
riment of another bloody contest. Some have been
inclined to blame Lord Palmerston fOr the rapidity
with which he brought the Eastern question to
a crisis—but Palmerston was right—he knew his
man—he was admitted behind the scenes—saw the
storm must come soon or late, if Tillers remained in
power, and like a man of spirit he brought the
question at once to an issue. He was resolved
that there should be no mistake, and M. Thiers,
finding he had met with his match was forced to
resign. Luckily for the peace of the world, this far-
famed work proves that M. Thiers is utterly desti-
tute of judgnaent.

said of the French authorities being so terrified

back behind some slight eminences of sand, scarcely
high enough to cover them. Meanwhile, the first column,
which Lanusse had left to proceed towards the second,
had just carried the first redan of the redoubt, erected on
the hill towards the right. It then marched onwards to-
wards the main work, with a view to storm it, but, being
baffled in this attempt, wheeled round in order to attack
it on the flank. The centre of the army, under Rampon,
perceiving that column foiled in its attempt, likewise
turned from its object in order to support it. The 32d demi-
brigade, detached from the centre, also came up to storm
this fatal redoubt. These general concurrent efforts led
to a sort of confusion. They pressed furiously against
this obstacle, and the rapid operation, which was to have
consisted in carrying, in double quick time, the line of
the works, was converted into a long, obstinate attack,
in which much valuable time was lost. The 21st
demi-brigade, which belonged to the centre, leavine. the
32d engaged before the redoubt, the possession of which
was so hotly disputed, alone executed the plan originally
laid down, passed the line of entrenchments, and, ad-
vancing boldly, deployed in the face of the English
army. It received, and returned, a most tremendous
fire. But it needed support, and Menou, during this
time, incapable of commanding, paced up and down the
field of battle, issuing no orders, but allowing Reynier to
extend his line uselessly in the plain on the right, with
a considerable force, without any duty to perform.
" Menou was at this time advised to undertake with
the cavalry, which was 1,200 strong, and of incompara-
ble valour, a general charge upon the mass of English
foot, which the 24th had alone advanced to encounter.
Menou, adopting this advice, gave orders to charge. The
gallant General Roize placed himself immediately at the
head of the 1,200 horse, crossed rapidly the line of the
enemy's destructive fire; formed by the redoubts which
our infantry were in vain attempting to carry by storm,
got safely over to the other side, and finding the 21st
demi-brigade at close quarters with the English, fell im-
petuously upon them. This gallant body of cavalry first
leaped the ditch which separated them from the enemy,
and then dashed fiercely upon the foremost line of the
English infantry, drove them back in disorder, and cut
down a great number of men. The enemy was thus
forced to give way. If Menou, at this moment, or rather
Reynier, supplying the place of his chief, had brought
up our right wing to the support of the cavalry, the
centre of the English army, thereby thrown into canfu-
sion, and driven beyond the works, would have left us a
secure victory. The works, isolated, cut off from all
support, would have fallen into our hands. But the case
was far otherwise. The French cavalry, after having
broken the enemy's line, seeing before them still other
lines to overcome, and having only the 2 tst demi-brigade
to support it, fell back, repassing under the exterminat-
ing fire of the redoubts.
"From this moment the battle could not possibly have
a successful issue. The left, deprived of all energy by
the death of their general, poured an ineffectual fire upon
the entrenched positions, which returned it with most
murderous effect. The right—deployed in the plain,
near the lake Mareatis, in order to make a diversion,
which had no longer any aim in view, since the en-
gagement, now become general, had fixed each party in
its respective position—in this way performed no ser-
vice whatever. Without doubt an energetic general
who would have recalled it to the centre, and with this
additional force have renewed General Roize's attack,
might have attempted a second inroad upon the main
body of the English, and thus have changed, perhaps,
the fortune of the day. But General Menou gave no
such commands, and Reynier, who at that moment might
have taken the initiative, which he assumed inoppor-
tunely on other occasions in civil matters, confined him-
self solely to venting complaints at not receiving direc-
tions from the Commander-in-chief. In this state of
matters, the only thing which remained to be done was
to retreat. Menou issued the orders, and the division
fell back, presenting a bold front to the enemy, but suf-
fering fresh losses from the fire of the works.
" What a spectacle war becomes, when the lives of
men, when the destinies of empires, are thus confided to
incapable or disunited chiefs, and when blood is made to
flow in torrents, commensurate with the inaptitude or the
dissensions of those who are invested with command !
"It could not be said that the battle was lost, the
enemy not having made a step in advance ; but it was
virtually lost, inasmuch as it was not completely gained,
for it was essential that our success should have been com-
plete to enable us to drive back the English towards
Aboukir, and compel them to re-embark. The loss was
great on both sides. The English had about 2,000 men
killed and wounded, and amongst them was the brave
General Abercromby, who was carried on board the fleet
in a dying state. The loss of the French was about the
same. Exposed during the whole day to a downward
fire, both in front and in flank, they had suffered severely.
The troops displayed admirable coolness. The spirit
with which the cavalry charged had filled the English
with surprise and admiration. The number of officers
and generals wounded during the battle was greater than
usual. Generals Lanusse and Roize were killed ; the
General of Brigade, Silly, commanding one of Lanusse's
columns, had his leg carried off ; General Baudot was
wounded so severely that his life was despaired of.
General Destaing, also, was badly wounded. Rampon
had his uniform riddled with balls.
" The moral effect was still more disastrous than the
physical one. No hope now remained of being able to
force the enemy to re-embark. We were about to have
upon our hands, besides the English who had landed at
Alexandria, the Turks, already on their march from
Syria ; the capitan-pacha, about to arrive with the
Turkish squadron, and to disembark 6,000 Albanians
on the coast at Aboukir ; besides the 6,000 Sepoys
brought from India, by way of the Red Sea, and ready
to laud at Cos: 61r, upon the coast of Upper Egypt. What
was to be done in the midst of so many en, mies, with
troops whose courage, doubtless, was unimpaired, when
called upon to fight, but who, when the affairs of the
colony grew deperate, were always ready to say that the
expedition was a dazzling act of folly, and that their
blood was sacrificed unavailingly to a mere chimera ?
"In the three engagements of the Bth, 13th, and 21st
of March, we had lost the services of nearly 3,500 men,
of whom one-third were killed, one third severely
wounded, and one-third incapable of returning to the
ranks for some weeks to come. Although the army was
greatly. weakened, we could, nevertheless, now, as at the
beginning of the campaign, manoeuvre rapidly between
the various bodies tending to form a junction, beat the
vizier, if he should enter by way of Syria, or the capitan-
pacha if he should attempt to penetrate by way of Ro-
setta, or the English, if they should advance on the narrow
tongues of land which communicate with the interior of
Egypt. But the 3,500 men whom we had lost rendered
this plan more difficult then ever. If 3,0(.0 men were left
in Cairo, and 2,000 or 3,000 in Alexandria, only 7,000
or 8,000 would remain to manoeuvre in the open field,
even supposing that all the available forces were col-
lected, and that the secondary posts were evacuated,
without any exception. With a very resolute arid able
general success would have been doubtful, yet still within
the bounds of possibility ; but what could be expected
of Menou and his lieutenants ?
It is hardly necessary to give more instances of M.
Thiers' total want of fidelity as a historian • but the
affair of Algeziras, which in honour of the French he
calls a brilliant engagement, and the flight of the
French.and Spanish fleets from the Bay of Gibraltar,
pursued by Admiral Saumarez, are too characteristic
to be omitted. At Algeziras M. Thiers claims a
great victory, the French and Spanish fleets too—at
least what of them the English and accident had
spared, entered Cadiz, in a sort of triumph, and the
inhabitants " filled the air with acclamation, at the
sight of the Formidable, returning victoriously into
the harbour ;" but it is a curious fact that all the vic-
tories which M. Thiers recounts were gained when
the French were in full flight, either before only one-
half of their numbers, or before an imaginary enemy,
when the Swiftsure was taken by four ships of the
line and two frigates under Ganteaume. The French
were flying as fast as wind could carry them to
Toulon before Admiral Warren's ghost, and Jerome
Bonaparte was one of the runaways—at Algeziras,
Linois run his ships aground to escape from Sau-
marez, and by aid of the batteries, and owing to one
English ship, the Hannibal, running aground in the
pursuit, even according to Thiers, she was taken.
Another English ship, also, according to the same
faithful narrator, was taken, but, unfortunately, the
victorious Linois could not keep her, and when the
combined fleets entered Cadiz in triumph, they had
only saved themselves by flight, and such a dis-
graceful flight ! They consisted, says M. Thiers,
of nine ships of the line and six frigates, while
Admiral Saumarez had only five ships of the
line and several frigates ; but M. Thierstakes care not
to say how many (probably not more than two), yet
with this disproportionate force the Englishman took
one ship of the line, destroyed two, and the forts of
Cadiz saved the remainder. But this result, ac-
cording to the ex-Prime-Minister, did the English no
honour, for it required not fewer than three English
ships of the line to capture the San Antonio, and be-
sides the San Antonio " defended herself without that
order and coolness which are indispensable to put in
motion these gigantic engines of warfare, and the
other two vessels were destroyed, but not by the Eng-
lish. They absolutely fought with each other like
the Kilkenny cats, though their destruction was
more complete. The English, of course, must have
been at the bottom of the mischief, for agreeably to
the dishonourable system of warfare carried on by
"perfidious Albion,' Admiral Saumarez ordered the
Superb to fire red-hot balls int) the San Carlos,
which took fire—ran foul of the Santa Hermenegilda,
and the two friendly ships, taking each other for
enemies, fought like very devils, till both blew up
with frightful explosion. M. Thiers of course claims
thewwas
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eless t haasn
having
minighthtebsee
several encounters, but for the accidental circum-
stances of the night." His words are :
" The English could not deny that the glory of these
engagements was on our side ; and, as respected
the actual loss, it was equally divided. If the French
had lost one hip and the Spaniards two, the English
had left one vessel in our power, and had two so dis-
abled as to be rendered quite unfit for further service.
But for the accidental occurrences of the night, they
might be considered as having been quite beaten in these
several encounters. The battle of Algeziras, and the re-
turn of the Formidable into port, were amongst the most
distinguished exploits known in the annals of our naval
history."
A similar false account is given of Nelson's attack
on the Boulogne flotilla. "On that occasion,"says the
author, "it was not an unsuccessful attempt, it was
a positive defeat. That which added still more to the
delight occasioned by this brilliant action was, that
we had *ten -eLso n in person.", Not a W0r4.01

THE IMPROVISATORE; or, Life in Italy. From
the Danish of flans Christian Andersen. Translated
bv Mary Houng.
To Mrs. Howitt we owe our acquaintance with the

literature of the North ; by her translations the novels
of Sweden are familiar as our own. She now directs
our attention to Denmark, introducing us not only to
a new country, but to an author differing entirely
from the preceding. Miss Bremer's tales were cele-
brated as descriptions of real life—as perfect delinea-
tions of domestic character ; " The Improvisatore,'
on the contrary, is the history of genius, the faithful
picture of a poet's trials, described with all a poet's
power. In the introduction we find a sketch of the
author's life; and here we have a key to the whole
work. What he relates, he has himself endured : the
hero's adventures are the reflection of his own. " Hans
Christian Andersen," says the biography, " is one of
those men who, from their earliest youth, have had
to keep up a warfare with circumstances ; a man like
Burns and Hogg, who seemed destined by Fate to
end their lives unnoticed in a village, and yet through
an instinctive sense of their destined pre-eminence in
the beautiful regions of art and literature, and sus-
tained by an irrepressible will, have made themselves
a part of the great world." Like all those who have
fought their way to fame, the life of Andersen
has been a constant and unceasing struggle,
a continued series of frustrated hopes, an un-
ending source of bitter mortification. Of humble
origin, reared in penury—he had no education, no
hope of improvement ; but the mighty spirit was
strong within him—the seeds of genius find deepest
root in the soil of adversity. Like many an ardent
enthusiast, he battled with the storm, but unlike the
majority, he lives to see his triumph. At the age of
fourteen he was to become the apprentice of a tailor,
when he earnestly implored his mother to let him
first make a voyage to Copenhagen, to see the theatre;
she reluctantly consented, and friendless and alone he
reached the capital. Here he remained for many
years, struggling with his fate. Here, by the aid of
chance friends, he obtained the instruction he so
much desired, being ignorant even of his own lan-
guage ; and here at length he appeared as an author.
His poems obtained celebrity for a time, but the un-
known poet had many enemies. His rivals were
powerful and relentless, and again he was doomed to
despair. At this time he received a royal stipend to
enable him to travel through Germany and Italy.
This good fortune excited 'general envy—even his
friends wrote to him to say they too thought that
" his day was past." His day was past indeed, but
it was the day of doubt and despair—the day of his
triumph was to come. Full of hope he reached Italy,
and there " a change came o'er the spirit of his
dream." The genius which had dawned amid the
northern snows, burst forth in full glory under
the Italian sun. In that beautiful land he awoke
to a new life —his was no common patriotism.
Italy was the country of his soul, to her he turned
with all the ardour of a poet—the devotion of a
patriot. In the " Improvisatore" he poured forth the
feelings of his soul ; the hero, like himself is a child or
song ; in him are reflected his own daring hopes, the
bitter realities of experience, the proud consciousness
of genius, above all, the adoration of the sunny south
A tone of melancholy, the melancholy of his own
life, peivades the whole poem; for it is a poem, though
dressed in the garb of prose, though translated to
foreign language, no transformation can affect the
poetic spirit breathed in every line. Though ur-
acquainted with the original, we feel certain Mrs.
Towitt has done it justice, even as we decide on the

•
truth of a portrait, without knowing whose likeness
it is, because we feel the spirit that animates it, and
know that it must be real. This book changed the
fate of Andersen—envious murmurs were turned to
flattering plaudits, his enemies became his humblest
friends—he found, like all the world, " success is
virtue, and misfortune blame." This sudden altera-
tion is related in the biography.
" Immediately after his return he published his novel,
The Improvisatore, which was received with universal
applause—which was read and re-read, and which the
public never tired of reading. That a work of such
singular originality and beauty was universally admired
was not at all remarkable ; but an extraordinary effect
was produced which. it seems to me, tells greatly to the
honour of the Danish heart. Not only did Andersen's
friends, and the public generally, acknowledge the merit
of his work, but they who had treated the poet with
severity came new forward and offered him the hand of
congratulation, and among them was the rector of the
school, the hard-hearted teacher of the poor youth, who
had taken all possible means to crush into the dust the
talent which God had given him. He now came for-
ward, acknowledged his fault, and deplored it, which
touched the good heart of Andersen not a little; And
this is but one of the many instances of generous enthu-
siasm which was excited by this beautiful work towards
its author."
We cannot join in Mrs. Howitt's astonishment at this
change of conduct, it is ever thus, it seems the stern
decree of Fate (luring the hard struggle up the hill
of fame every obstacle is thrown in the way of genius—
when he has reached the summit and is above assis-
tance every hand is proffered. The 'history of the
world has no severer trials than those endured by the
young and ardent ; where can they look for counsel
in their hour of need—
" Who will hear the friendless la) ?
Who dare the modest youth approve?
The world is mute—he turns away,
While envy tears the laurel'd hay,
By Fancy's fairy fingers wove.
Andersen has passed through the trying ordeal, may
he long live to enjoy his hard-earned fame. We
subjoin an extract of his praises of Italy, and one
of his poetic descriptions :
" Beautiful Italy shoutd Federigo, triumphantly.
Yes, thus stood thy image before me in the distant
north. In my remembrance blew this air which I now
inspire with every breath I draw. I thought of thy
olive-groves when I saw our willows ; I dreamed of the
abundance of the oranges when I saw the golden apples
in the peasants' gardens beside the fragrant clover-field ;
but the green waters of the Baltic never become blue
like the beautiful Mediterranean ; the heavens of the
north never become so high, so rich in coloui, as the
warm, glorious south. Its gladness was inspiration, its
speech became poetry.
" What longings I had in my home ?" said he ;
" they are happier who have never seen Paradise, than
they, who having seen it, are driven forth, never to
return. My home is beautiful ; Denmark is a flowery
garden, which can measure itself with anything on the
other side of the Alps ; it has beech-woods and the sea.
But what is earthly beauty compel ed with heavenly ?
Italy is the land of imagination and beauty ; doubly
happy are they who salute it for the second time !

. •
" We had now arrived at the great blocks en which
many strangers were standing. I also mounted one,
and before me, down the mountain-side, glided slowly
the fresh torrent of lava ; it was like a redly glowing
fiery slime, as of melted metal streaming from a furnace
and which spread it out below us far and wide, to a vast
extent. No language, no picture, can represent this in
its grea'ness and its fearful effect. The very air ap-
peared like fire and brimstone ; a thick steam fl•isted
upwards over the lava stream, red with the strongly
reflected light; but all around was night. It thundered
below in the mountain, and above us ascended the pillar
of fire, with its glowing stars. Never before had I felt
myself so near to God. His omnipotence and greatness
filled my soul. It was as if the fire around me burned
out every weakness within me ; I felt 'strength and
courage ; my immortal soul lifted its wings.
" Almighty God breathed forth my spirit. I
will be Thy Apostle. Amid the storms or the world I
will sing Thy name, Thy might, and majesty ! 1-I.nighciar
shall my song resound than that of the montlt his
shall pre-
lonely cell. A poet I am ! Give me
and of
serve my soul pure, as the soul or ThystrperTest
Nature's ought to be !' I f?ldecl y hands in prayer,
and, kneeling amid fire and cloumorrured.or
..ntry than
to
ks
him whose wondors end who3e ,reatn SD spoke
tv
Lay soul.