The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-11 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 11, 1827.

FROM LAST NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

Whitehall, July 9, 1827.

The King has been pleased to appoint Vice-Admiral
Sir William Johnstone Hope, G. C.B. ; Vice-Admiral the
Right Honourable Sir George Cockburn, G.C.B. ; Wil-
liam Robert Keith Douglas and John Evelyn Denison,
Esqrs. to be Members of the Council of his Royal Highness
the Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom.

LITERATURE.

TALES OF ALL NATIONS.-1 Vol. pp. 331.
London, 1827.

There is some talent—but not much—in
this little volume, which calls itself " Tales
of all Nations," and would therefore be sup-
posed to contain stories either in character,
incident, or description, illustrative of each
peculiar nation, whereas in point of fact, it
is a book manifestly of home manufacture,
and might have been penned by one who
bad never travelled further than Hyde Park
Corner. While, however, we condemn the
general bearing of the volume, we must ex-
cept from our censure one or two parti-
cular tales, which, though illustrative of no
national characteristic, are yet written with ele-
gance, spirit, and in one instance with coßsider-
able humour. It is to the lively little narrative,
entitled the " Ring," (said to be a translation
from the French) that we now allude ; it con-
sists of the tricks played upon their husbands by
three gossiping good humoured wives ; the most
cunning of whom is to be rewarded by their
Umpire—a Spanish Count—with a valuable
diamond ring. The following is an extract :
Each of our heroines was so confident of her own inge-
nuity, that no sort of objection was offered to this arrange-
ment; and accordingly the Count took his leave,
and put the diamond into his pocket. He had not
quitted them many minutes when their husbands ap-
proached them, and as it was now growing late, the
whole party returned to the city, where the desire of con-
quest, and the anxiety to secure the splendid prize in the
custody of the Count de Crapesa, exciting the fertile in-
vention of Senora Francesca, she planned the following
singular imposture, the operation of which subjected her
husband to no trifling portion of annoyance and alarm.
At no great distance from the residence of the steward
Anselmo, lived an astrologer, who enjoyed the reputation
of being one of the most accurate calculators of a nativity
in Madrid. Before Francesca's marriage this great per-
sonage had, it was reported, been among the number of
her admirers ; but since her union with Anselmo she had
given him no opportunity of addressing her. In the pre-
sent emergency, however, she contrived to renew her ac-
quaintance with him, and finally to secure his co-operation
and support in the trick she was about to put upon her
unsuspecting husband. The learned cabalist, who would
have undertaken to raise Beelzebub for Senora Francesca
had she desired it, readily assured her that ail his profes-
sional skill should be at her service.

" Well, then," said she, " the affair in which I stand in
need of your assistance is a mere carnival joke. I only
want you to persuade Senor Fabricio that you have disco-
vered, by the appearance of his natal star, that he will in-
fallibly depart this life in twenty-four hours."
"Say no more, Madam," replied the astrologer, "make
yourself perfectly easy, and rest assured that Senor An-
selmo shall be as dead as a herring in his own opinion be-
fore sun-rise to-morrow."

He then bade her farewell without making any further
inquiries as to her intentions. Her next step was to call
upon Senor. Agras, whom she found abundantly willing to
favour her designs.
" The evening was far advanced, when the steward, re-
turned from his master's palace to supper, encountered the
astrologer, who had been for some time on the look out for
him.

" Why, Anselmo," said the man of horoscopes, " what,
in the name of hciavon, the matter with ynit thist
look so pale to-night. Are you ill, man."
" Ill," replied Anselmo, " certainly not ; I never was
better in my life. lam somewhat fatigued to be sure, for
I hr.ve been hard at.,vork all the afternoon counting twenty
thousand pistoles' worth of silver, but I am well—quite
well, I assure you."
"It may be so," ejaculated the astrologer, " but you
have a mighty cadaverous countenance for a man in good
health, notwithstanding. Allow me to feel your pulse."
Anselmo complied with his request; and after counting
its movements for some time, with a rueful and porten-
taus aspect, and then sighing deeply, his tormentor con-
tinued—

" Had my long and earnest devotion to the divine study
of astrology proved of no other service than that of en-
abling me to warn you of your present danger, I should
think my time and trouble well bestowed. This is one of
these occasions on which the counsel and sympathy of a sin..
cere friend are positively invaluable. Do not suffer your-
self to be needlessly alarmed, my worthy neighbour, but go
home, and settle your affairs with all possible expedition ;
for die you must, and that too before another day shall have
dawned on the city of Madrid. Be composed, my excel-
lest friend, and employ the few remaining hours of your
i lrp replied
e
obliged to yo
existence in balancing accounts with your conscience."
The poor steward, considerably alarmed, although some-
what incredulous, forceda
" I am infinitelyfaint
se a
yours
he
poh for but
if it be not better founded than your meteorological calcu-
lations, I am likely to live a good many years yet ; for I
can swear upon the crucifix that your almanack never fore-
tell a fine day on which (without due precaution) one is
not sure of getting wet to the skin."
Out upon thee for an unbelieving Jew," cried the
teller of the stars, " you may grin if you please, I have per-
formedmy duty ; and if his Satanic Majesty should sue_
prise
you before you have adjusted your roguish accounts,
do not forget to remember that I warned you of his visit."
Having thus spoken, the astrologer wished Anselmo a
good evening, and turned upon his heel.
The " Bride of Glenmoy," has one or two
interesting scenes in it, the disinterment of the
Chieftain's Mistress, for instance ; but the tale
of the " Heir Presumptive," is sad stuff, weak
insipid, and prosy, not unlike milk and water in
quality ; a beverage, from which its writer seems
to have drawn his chief inspiration.