The Sun.
London, England, 1842-07-09 00:00:00

THE WILKIE TESTIMONIAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—Previous to the recent meeting of the Wilkie Testi-
monial Committee, Mr. Joseph, the sculptor, put the accom-
panying letter into my hands, thinking it might be of service
to him if lead to the Committee. I had no opportunity of
reading the letter, and Mr. Joseph's object has been already
gained. It occurs to me, however, that such a letter might
prove interesting to the public, as everything must do which
helps to link together two such names as Scott and Byron.
Your obedient servant,
JAMES HALL.
Athenaeum Club, Pall-mall, July 5.

P. S. I ought to have mentioned that Mr. Joseph was pre-
vented by Lord Byron's death from having an opportunity of
presenting the letter or making the bust.
SLR WALTER SCOTT TO LORD BYRON.

My dear Lord Byron,—Should this reach your hand, it will
be delivered by Mr. Joseph, a young sculptor of rising emi-
nence, who very wisely goes to Italy to improve himself in
his art. His busts have attracted much attention, and many
consider him as our most hopeful artist after Chantrey, who
has more work on his hand than a lifetime can execute.
But you will be enabled to judge of Mr. Joseph's proficiency
from you own observation, as he carries with him several speci-
mens of his labours, and some of your acquaintances' heads in
stone and plaster, nearly as good as the original specimen [s]
from which they were taken. Now, the upshot of all this is,
an earnest request on my part that if you think Mr. Joseph
worthy of encouragement, judging from your own observation,
not my recommendation (which in the fine arts is worth no-
thing), that you will spare so much time as to lit to him,
which will be a high feather in:lais csp when he returns to
Britain, and cannot but have a %limit important effect upon his
fortunes if he is happy enough to succeed.
Besides, I cannot disguise from you that I have a little pri-
vate self interest in your granting Joseph this request, for, as
Tony Lumpkin says of his company, I should not so much mind
your Lordship disappointing him if 1 did not at the same time
incur disappointment myself, since if you spare so much time as
to let him model your bust, he has orders to 'finish a copy for
the in marble, to be one of the Lares at Abbotsford.
I am always, my dear Lord, very truly yours,
Edinburgh, July 1823. WALTER SCOTT. •

SUICIDE FROM DISTRESS OF MlND.—Yesterday'
an inquisition was taken before Mr. Wakley, M.P., at the
Middlesex Hospital, on view of the body of Mrs. Rehecca Shaw,
aged 22, a respectable married female, who committed self-
destruction by swallowing arsenic. Mary Knox, No. 22, St,
lartin's-street, St. Martin's-in-the-Fields, the mother of
the deceased, said that her daughter had been separated
from her husband, who is a law-stationer, in Fetter-lane,
about a twelvemonth. She frequently expressed her regret
that she had no home to go to, and shed tears frequently.
Last Tuesday forenoon she went out about ten o'clock, and
returned at twelve o'clock, when she sat down to needle-work.
Soon after she became very sick, but made no remark that she
had taken poison. Witness gave her some brandy, and she lay
down in bed. About three o'clock, on witness's son assisting
her out of bed, he observed a paper in her bosom, when on ex-
amining it he saw the words " arsenic—poison," written on it.
She was then questioned if she had taken it, when she admitted
that she had swallowed a pennyworth. She was immediately
conveyed in a cab to the Middlesex Hospital, where she died in
about three-quarters of an hour after her admission. Nine
months ago she attempted to poison herself, when she was ad-
mitted into King's College Hospital. Verdict—" Temporary
insanity."
THE ECLIPSE OF THE SUN,--AlthQllol the weather
yesterday morning was not particularly favourable for observ-
ing this celestial phenomenon, in consequence of the partial
obscuration of the sun by light clouds soon after his using,
yet those who had the courage to rise from their bed were not
disappointed of a very beautiful spectacle. The calculation of
the time of the commencement of the eclipse was exceedingly
accurate. Soon after four o'clock one digit was darkened, and
the obscuration gradually increased, The sun presented a very
curious aspect, and assumed an oblong shape at one period.
Soon afterwards it appeared like a crescent, and at the period
of greatest obscuration the sun's appearance was that of the
moon at about four days' old, Indeed, the effect resembled
much that of the moon, as at no period were the rays sufficiently
intense to preve4 its being looked upon without inconvenience
to the eye. Occasionally the light floating clouds altogether
prevented the sun from being seen, but, upon the whole, the
morning was favourable for the observance of the phenomenon,
and it was no doubt an object. of interest to many. At gig
o'clock the appearatw.o of the mornhaa relonDltd ti•••• •
•••e• period
when the shatlea of evehini Ogi 141