The Sun.
London, England, 1826-05-17 00:00:00

THE 'ECCENTRIC TRAVELLER.

A NOVEL, in 4 vols. 13rno. with cut9.--Publishetl by Longman

and Co. Pitternooter,row.

The plan of this Novel is conceived and executed
!in the style and manner of'Oil Bias, without any of
those iinproperincidents which detract so much from
the nient,ofthat otherwise unriValled production.
is nut a little creditable to the. author of the work, that
he has often successfully imitated the humour and
naivete of Le Sage, and caught the living manners
as they rise," by displaying the foibles,' caprices, and
follies of several classes of men with great powers.:of
judgment and ridicule, derived from extensive observe_.
tion and experience. The scene of the narrative is
,laid in Spam, and the hero is ayoung man of fortune,'
who is seized with an eager desire Of seeing the world,
and accordingly sets outs on his travels, during which
he meets with several comical adventures and extraor-
dinary characters, outr? indeed, but true to Nature.
Among the characters represented, there Don
Riazo, who, from the humble profession Of a barber,
is raised to opulence by the discovery of a hidden
treasure--a Don Mar, who had dissipated a large
inheritance in purchasing apparattisler attempting dis-
coveries, as chimerical as those, of the elixir vine, or
plailosoplun'aDolt Vida, a vinegarimann-
'faCturer and apothecary, who, to save his cash, forced
every one with whom he had any money transactions,
to accept of vinegar or drugs as vast of payment—
and a' Dr. FisCttri, who had collected as large an assort-
.
merit of birdS,"beii4s, and creeping things, as might
have formed a menagerie, together. with various other
s characters equally eccentric and. ridiculous. The in-
cidents • recorded throughont the work arc no less
amusing ; and, as a iiroof that the author has a good
spice' of humour in his Composition, we select the fol-
lowing anecdote, which, if the word London ,be sub-
-I.itituted for Madrid, wonldbe equally correct in point
of fact. The: hero represented' as engaged in
conversation, with a friend at a'tavern, and the nar-
rative; thus proceeds .
In the meantime the landlonl.,who,. daring these Aiscussinos,
' had:. got .no. orders for supper, sawed.- tit* It Mt: abruptly. with au
apology for his intrusion, which however, war intended as indi.
cation that be wished our traveller. a to be'gone; as tbey. were ef
•!. too, sober a cast, and did .not fill this: bowl so last Jui would pro..
duce him a good reckoning.. Don, Dire saw his object, and
galled for a newspaper. to Learn the lattintelligence -about the price
of stocks..

.„ newspaper !" cried' die innkeeper, " 1 get two papers
every day; but I never have the use- of one of them for half a
econti.)
. " How can that:bor,' inquired James, who Witi always trying
0 dial:over something new. . '
" I'll tell you why," said the' laitdlertl4...:." my Madrid paper;
which should arrive daily, is frequently picked out of the case and
Ipat, omit ft rea4 by ell the clerks in the post-olllee, while another,
aentinstead of it; and, when it does arrive, and I
tcginict look at, it, in tOnlei neighbour, who, before 1 got' my
spectacles adjusted, asks so many questions, and teases me so much
ahout.„foreign and domestic intelligence, that 1 am glad to give
1144 tine paper in order to get rid of his importunity. 11e. then
begimil,tg,reul,it in such summer, , that 1. can make nothing of
it 'ICOnt4:IIIS ;• for he passes'over,,witlt a monorous whine,
the ituportant.fiabjecti of intelligence, anti bawls out the names
oftnitus -and places that luiye no existence, or the titles of French
raileil,tlitt were never beard of ; and thus be makes a newspaper
of his'Awo, which to me is quite unintelligible. If, after all this,;
hint. " what's the news?" he throws down the paper within.
digilatioe,--,4nd Nays; that '4 there's nothing...worth- readingl",--.so
that you .may eavily conceive 1 neither know the news myself, nor
ean'l accontruodate my customers with a newspaper; as I ought
to do,

Nay, hot only am I deprived of toy daily papers by a set of Os..
visit vs neighbours,--even when. get-the Madrid Gazette -Extra-
,orilinary, (which is the only one worth reading), it.is no sooner
laid :tart the parlour table, than rnyson Janniieslipa it up, and tears,.
'nut,4ll OW choice pieces of news with his. fingers ;--for his nails,l
which.. formerly aerved this purpose, are. worn. to the click byl
pickitt out the accounts about the'siege of St..-Sebastian, and.
thetiefore they cannot now- he. etupkiyed. :-destroying the piper.
'.Wheti I catch him tearing it, cud give hint a slap on the cheek for
his paitis,.he tiji"o4V4down the Gazette in a rage i while his brother
1.-flecarge, who is always QU the watch, instantly runs off,ivith it ;
thin .tita whole forenoon is spent in chasing the -papers instead
'of reading them.'
I have nt)Sooner recovered. them limit these mischievous boys,
dish neighbour Fyffe gets-theur, for an hour, which4he geuerally.
Jontrattslo two or. three, as "he begins- with "The Madrid.ebro-
nick, Np. 10,154, let June, 1818, .prica.lo reale," terWeirery
:4,4vintisetpent in nod flinches Ar the end with.:-.4.4'Priated by.
Dott fillveater Grady. Perdnva de Lora, at the Madrid. Chionielo'
Office, No. 7,.peulo.4l3nildings, East Pervert Street t—where oe--
derw -and advertitatittents are thankfully iecalved."'

. ,
~.
The'thiltitiri.of Oriel.; arid ecirripiplyi` at ' N trairia, has
itiect—Agt.:ihe'tirineipal partner, M. David Parish, hat put,
'f(,?. <(Vitiliti, iirt4i.
'A" tqZrOitiih`AliA;llllllll a ono clay-visited-a: Lawyer at
his office, in which, atifietimeithere was a biasing fire, which led
*hi to n•• 144 your.9lfiee is. iis hot gur an sties.":.
f! Si) it iliv#4 ilhtri;lny Lorsl,":.:l4io the,Laner, !, at it it here
4ii.at LT make toy' /44:."` ' - .
~A. ,,..., ~ limit '-• ; -
:iii..47 UV Prittfrioaat u wall Or6rlglY L'll3lu:i
g
l'une t rtrlne tft stiti`gthttiqii, ca",'ll4lNily of •it putlit',
who destroyed himself at the Tateistock Hotel. The clialilbbri
maid had gone into hit room, and found him weltering in his
blood—an which abe ran down stairs exclairning—i, Number
Five is dying ± send for a doctor."