The Sun.
London, England, 1844-10-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

NEW QUARTERLY REVIEW. No. VIII.
Smith and Elder, London, 1844.
There is an elaborate article in the present Number
of this new quarterly periodical on the subject of the
celebrated German author, Werner, whom the Re-
viewer regards as one of the greatest geniuses that
his country ever produced; and alluding incidentally
to his infidelity, accounts for it by the fact that, for
the last seventy or eighty years, free-thinking has in
too many instances possessed itself of German schools
and universities, and planted the germs of doubt and
unbelief in young minds at the season when they
were most open to all external influences. In the
course of his criticism, the author gives translations
of portions of some of \Verner's best dramatic poems,
which certainly go far to bear out his assertion that
he was a man of high and rare powers of imagination.
In the notice of a recently published work, entitled
"Revelations of Russia," which has attracted public
attention in no ordinary degree, the daily press of the
metropolis is taken to task for having lavished so
much flattery on the Emperor Nicholas when he last
visited this country in the spring. We were not aware
that the press was liable to this charge. On the con-
trary, to the best of our recollection, it studiously re-
frained from any obsequious flattery of his Imperial
Majesty ; and merely expressed a wish that English-
men would receive him with cold and decent respect,
instead of hooting him from the country. At any
rate, The Sun carefully abstained from paying any
fulsome compliments to the Czar, for it could not
forget his tyrannical conduct to the Poles, whom he
had first goaded into rebellion by the severity of his
government, and then punished for not submitting,
like abject slaves to their hard lot; and still less
could it forget his unprincipled attempts to bring
Circassia under his domination, a country to whose
possession he has not the shadow of a claim. In the
essay on the " State of Portugal," the Reviewer justly
remarks that the crying evil of that kingdom—the
cause which has prevented the development of her
many valuable resources, and which has been alone
sufficient to keep her behind other countries, has been
the want of communication between different parts of
the kingdom. Of the few remaining articles, the one
which at the present season will be found most accept-
able to the generality of readers is that "On the
Present State of Morocco."

ACTION AGAINST THE PRINCE OF
Considerable excitement is at presentcaused at Mayence,
by a trial which is to be brought before the correctional
police in that city, at the opening of their sittings on the
Ist of November. The party inculpated in the affair is
a member .of a former reigning family in Germany, is
related to several Royal families, and also closely allied
to the Royal family of England, being the young Prince
of Leiningen. In the course of last month, while the
drawbridge of the Rhine was raised for the purpose of
various vessels passing, the Prince of Leiningen crossed
that river in a boat, and on landing, the wife of the toll-
keeper of the drawbridge, who in the absence of her
husband was charged to receive the tolls, demanded
such of the Prince, who, according to the established
custom for persons passing the river in a boat under
similar circumstances, was entitled to pay it. The
Prince refused, on the ground of not having crossed the
bridge. The toll-keeper's wife insisted on her right of
having the toll, upon which an animated altercation
arose between them, and in the heat of the moment the
young Prince raised his walking stick and aimed a blow
at the woman, which, unfortunately, fell on her breast,
from the effects of which she fainted. On recovering
she immediately lodged a complaint to the authorities,
and the Prince was arrested the same day, but in the
course of the evening was liberated on bail. The Vice-
Governor of Mayence, unele of the Prince, and various
members of his family, as well as his friends, have of-
fered considerable sums of money to the plaintiff to
forego the prosecution, but the woman has pertinaciously
refused all and every offer of' compromise, and insists on
the Prince being tried for the offence, which causes some
annoyance to the relatives and friends of the defendant,
the laws in such cases being rather severe.
INCENDIARY FIRES AT WEST BERGHOLT.—It IS
with the most painful regret we have to announce that
the spirit of incendiarism has again manifested itself in
this neighbourhood. About twelve o'clock on Saturday
night last, an outbuilding upon the farm homestead of
Mr. Bradbrook, at West Bergholt, about three miles
from Colchester, was discovered to be on fire. An alarm
was instantly given throughout the neighbourhood, andon
a number of the inhabitants and labourers wereeresogieling
the spot, and rendered every assistance; and th
happily got
a plentiful supply of water, the flames werei.reei
Colchester.
under before the arrival of the
was engine distance of about
At the same instant,
discovered to
Asae et
barnthae off-handtaw?s
be in flames, which burnt with otlfu-pai-emdibley, wispri.chnreprdoabvfireeredetok. be
determined fury, and
1. The damage is estimated about , . Mr.
;rnasdubmroeo( k is fortunately covered by insurance in the
defied the exertions of the firemen, and the,
3e0.110(;le, wss
brfooonkrtsh
property
b‘l'e:'isitsnleigixuattEthacieellilciaetsadtbatleinr;°eefflo3en.eesa.urisn eTodfhiintssiari.si3 rt
ah
similarde manner. There
has been no less than nine incendiary fires in that neigh-
bourhood within the same period, and only in one in-
stance has the delinquent been discovered and brought
to justice. Mr. Bradbrook is highly respected as a good
neighbour and kind master. Therefore nothing but the
vilest spirit can have actuated the perpetrator of so
diabolical an act.—lpswich Express.
MILITARY SAVINGS BANKS.—By a return made
during thelate session. of Parliament it appears that ur
to March last one hundred and eight military savings
banks had been established' under the Act sth and 6th
Victoria, C. 71. The total amount deposited by soldiers
to the period mentioned was 15,0021. 19s. 6id. ; the
amount withdrawn was 3031. Os. Sid. ; the interest
allowed 981. 16s. 3d. ; and the number of depositors was
1.840. The officers commanding troops and companies
are to receive the savings, and to apply them in the pub..
lie service. The interest to he allowed shall be 3/. 155,
The maximum of a soldier's deposit in one year o'3 e
30/, and 200/. in the whole. By the Act of last session
respecting general savings bank the establishments have
arranged to pay to depositors a sum far below the suit
to be allowed to soldiers, and at present it is understood
that no alteration has been made as to military savings
• banks.