The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-02 00:00:00

CHESTER-FRIDAY NIGHT.

The following horses have arrived :—Bees wing, Bees-wax,
Clinker, Mr. Grayden's Clinker 'colt, Cruiskeen, Zelmyra,
Fidhaun, Rory O'More, and Retriever, Scott's and fleseltine's
lots are on the road, and several others in the neighbourhood.
Theground is very hard.
LATEST BETTING IN ST. JAMES'S.

CHESTER Cur.-7 to 1 apt Lord Chesterfield's Marshal
Soult (8 to 1 laid once); 8 to 1 agst Mr. Holmes' Vulcan
(takf ) ; Bto 1 agst Mr. Greville's Rory O'More (taken);
10 to 1 apt Mr. C. St. Paul's Jolly Tar ; 10 to 1 agst Mr.
Kirby's LanercoSt ; 12 to 1 agst Lord Egfinton's The Young-
un ; 8 to 1 agst the leathers.

DERDY.-1; to 4 agst Scott's lot (taken); 3 to 1 agst Col.
Anson's Attila; 11 to •3 agst 11Ir. Trelawny's Frederica colt
(taken); 9 to 1 agst the Duke of Grafton's Canadian (taken);
18 to 1 asst Lord Westminster's Auckland ; 25 to 1 agst Lord
Chesterfield's Jack (taken) ; 25 to 1 agst M. G. Clark's Lord
of Holderness; 25 to 1 agst Mr. Dixon's Ballinkeele (taken)l.
30 to 1 agst Mr. Rogers's Tiptoe (taken); 35 to 1 agst Colonel
Peel's Chatta n ; 50 to 1 agst Mr. Gregory's Barrier (taken) ;
1000 to 15 agst Mr. Booth's Prince Edward; 600 to 490,
twice, on the Lord of Holder: ess agst Tiptoe (taken).
OAKS —S to 1 agst Lord Jersey's Adela filly (taken).
In the Derby betting given in our last, 9 to 1. was quoted
agst Chatham—it should have been Canadian; Chatham had
no price.

FASHIONS FOR. MAY.
(Abridged from the Ladies' Gazette of Fashion.)
BONNETS.—Rice-straw Bonnets will lose. nothing
of their vogue. A new trimming has been intro-
duced, consisted of shaded ribbons.—The centre is
pure white, hut the shading, which at first is scarcely
perceptible, deepens into a variety of rich and glowing
hues, as it approaches the edge. A knot of this ribbon
is placed on one side, and • a feather or bouquet of
marabouts on - the other. Drawn Bonnets both of
silk and crape, continue in favour; the former are
adopted for morning bonnets, but both may be worn
in half-dress, according as they are trimmed. Flowers-
only are employed for the first. A style of trimming
has appeared for the interior both of silk and Italian
straw bonnets, •• compoSed of transparent tulle and
small flowers, arranged in the style of a half-dress cap.
Trimmings are placed mulch higher, which is a very
tasteful alteration.

SCARPS.—Scarfs will be . very predominant during
the summer, not only of Cashmere, plain, shot, and
fancy silks, but also of black and white lace ; the
,latter will be generally lined with sarsenet or gauze.
Muslin and tarlatan scarfs, lined and beautifully em-
broidered, will also be much in favour.
DREssEs.—Mousselines de laMe are decidedly out
of vogue ; but plain silks are much in request in
morning dress, with the exception of foulards, which
are stripped and quadrilled in new patterns. Watered
and shot silks predominate in half-dress. A very
pretty watered silk is also adopted, in different colours,
in evening dress. Moire Ninon is adopted in evening
dress only ; it is a superb watered silk, fringed in
small detached b. linnets, which are so highly raised
as to have the effect of embroidery.
RODES.—Little alteration has-taken place in robes.
Those made high will continue their vogue, and muslin
robes, lined with slight silk, will be much in request.
'trimmings are but little adapted for the borders of
robes ; but the styles of decorating them, en tablier,
is more fashionable than ever. Lace and fancy trim-
mings are the most employed.
CAPS.--Cap 3 continue as fashionable as ever.. Those
made quite round, or very short at the ears, have in-
creased much in favour since last. month.

We are sorry to learn, that Charles Hindley, Esq.,
M.P., is suffering from severe indisposition, at Pau, in the
south of France.

During the storm of Tuesday, the church at Net-
tleton, in this county, was twice struck by the lightning, which
did considerable mischief. The roof of the church ignited, but
by prompt exertion thole was soon ex' inguished. About 150
panes of glass were shinied to pieces. The thunder was ter-
rific, and the lightning rflost vivid:—Derizes Gazette.

Thursday being the anniversary of the birth of
Queen Christina, the Queen, Madame Adelaide, the Princes,
and the King and the Queen of the Belgians paid a visit to
her Majesty in the Rue de Courcelles. After the Royal visit
she received a great number of Spaniards.
By the accession of M. Lacave-Laplagne.to the Mi-
nistry, he leaves vacant two posts, viz., those of Councillor of
the Cour des Comptes, and of Administrator of the estates of
the Duke D'Aumslo.

SOUTH EASTERN OPENING.—We understand the
Directors and some of their friends are going over the line on
the 2d proximo, and that the line will be opened to Toubridge
on the 16th.—Railway Magazine.

MAGAZINE DAY.

BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.

The absurd mania for old and worthless editions of
()Id and worthless books, from which even Sir \Valter
Scott was not exempt, though he has' ridiculed the
inney in his incomparable character of .Jonathan Old-
buck, the Antiquary, is here treated with the
contempt it deserves in an .article, under the apt,
comprehensive title of " Things of the Day." Of all
the fools in the world we hardly know of a greater
than a professed Biblioinaniac.. A virtuoso of this sort
cares nothing for the intrinsic merit of a work ; it is
enough for him if it be scarce and old. He would,
prefer a shabby, mutilated first edition of " Tom
Thumb," or Jack, the Giant Killer," to the most
perfect modern copy of the finest poet that ever issued
from the press. The very worms that burrow in the
leaves of such an edition are sacred in hiS eyes ; and
he Would deem it an act of special sacrilege to nib off
one atom of the dust and dirt that time has gathered
about it. There is no mistaking a professed Biblo-
maniac. He is usually a withered, middle-aged gen-
tleman in spectacles, dressed in rusty black or brown,
with a "shocking bad hat," and one of Thorpe's or
Rodd's-catalogues sticking out of his coat-pocket. On
fine spring days he'may be Seen o:?ling 'some wretched
old scare-crow of a volume On a book-stall, turning it
now this way, now that ; holding the title-page close
up to his eyes, in order to examine the date ; and in-
dulging in the grin of an ogre When satisfied that it is
a scarce edition. We cordially concur with the
author of " Things of the Day" in his censures on
Biblionianiacs; but must protest against his remark
that " Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis is a vile poem,
and ought to be extinguished as a blot on the memory
of the great dramatist. Has he e'er read this poem ?
We doubt it, or he surely could not be insensible to
the many exquisitely melodious and fanciful passages
in which it abounds. , The description of the horse—
the distinction betiveen true and false love—the por-
trait of Venus herself—and the details of her grief
after the death of Adonis ;—these are passages that
could .not, be "extinguished" without great loss to
the admirers of genuine poetry. "Who is the Mur-
derer ?" is a striking narrative of- a trial for murder,
which took place at the last York Assizes. Tbe'crime
was committed in 1830, but-it . was not until eleven
years after, that the supposed criminal was put on
his trial. He was, and we think justly, acquitted, for
the evidence against him, though plausible, was far
from conclusive. The narrator, who was in Court at
the time, thus describes, the - prisoner's appearance;
when the skull and bones of the dead man were
brought in for the inspection .of the Jury :
" To the eye of a close observer, the prisoner's coun-
tenance now evidenced the miserable and almost over-
powering agitation he was...experiencing—and that,
withal, he was nerving himself, up so to speak, to a great
effort. I perceived his breast twice or thrice heave
heavily ; and, though conscious of being watched
closely by those around him, he could not keep his eyes
for more than a moment away from the box, with whose
mysterious contents he was to be so quickly confronted.
At length a dark brown skull, the hinder part appearing
to have been broken off, was lifted out of the boi ; the
prisoner's under lip drooped a little, and perceptibly
quivered for a moment or two—anti after one or two
glances at the skull, he looked in another direction, his
eyes—if I know anything of human expression—full of
suppressed agony and terror. Yet againand again—
he glanced at the dumb but fearful witness
.produced
against him ; and from a certain tremurnnsimotton of the
ends of his neckerchief, I could perceive that his heart
was beating violently. Still he never moved from the
position which he had occupied since the morning ;
though I learnt from one of the turnkeys who stood near
him in the deck, that at the period I am mentioning, and
also at several other periods of the day. he trembled so
violently, and his knees seemed so near giving way, that
they almost thought he would have fallen."
The fourth part of " Caleb, Stukely"-disphlys..some
vigorous passages. The sketch of the old Cambridge
money-lender is impre:sive, and equally good in its
way is Caleb's account- of his discovering- that his
adored mistress, Emma; was more partial to strong
waters than the strictest propriety would warrant.
The chief fault of this sentimental episode is, that it
is overdone. The lover and his idol are constantly
in a state of hysterical agony, like :unlucky sweet-
hearts in a Coburg melodrame. They. heave sighs
heavy enough to capsize uschooner. The "Northern
Circuit" is written with force
.and earnestness by one
who, to all appearance, is a piaAised scribe. In the
"World' of London" occur soine4udicious remarks on
the subject of acting, and on the injury done to per-
formers by the preposterous fluttery Of 'cliques and
critics. "Sets and
,cliques," observes the writer, "give
reputation at too cheap a rate, at a rate far below the
price a man who Wishes the sterling article is willing
to pay for it ; in the, solitude of h's chamber let a man
study to estimate hiniself, not i.i a circle of applaud-
ing friends ; the greatest mind hwe ever stood alone,
and kept aloof from tittle-tattle criticism, and the
praises that flow from the lips of gossips." The Ob-
servations on " Cireassia" are penned in a liberal and
enlightened spirit. The writer dhes every- justice to
the brave and patriotic rnountaiieers Who,, with a
- numerical forte perfectly . conterniltible -in ain'onnt,'
have hitherto successfully resisted -every. Rifssian:
army that has been sent against 'them.- /They hive
even fought battles, and gained then-14.w, where the
odds have been at least fifty to one agaitist them. The
heroic character of the (ire:is:shin :mountaineers, is
not yet appreciated as it ought to be in England.
From an article lteaded.".Thetrials' we quote a
diverting anecdote of Sheridan, and Holland, the
architect Of Drury Lane Theatre
There is a story extant of Sheridan, the lessee, and
Holland, the architect, much too go d to be omitted.
The' latter could by no means prevail upon the former to
settle, that is, in plain English, to pay up his little bill ;
and after hanging about Sherry's ,house, and hovering
over the theatre day after day, at last caught him one
fine morning attending a rehearsal. As suon as Sheri-
dan saw him, he went up to the architect, exclaiming,
My dear Holland, how d'ye do ? You are the very
man I wanted :o see ; I have a thousand apologies to
make to you, and fully intended to allcall upon you as soon
as the rehearsal was over.' Holland thanked him, and
entered immediately upon the subjeet of their accounts,
upon which Sheridan replied, My dear Holland they
shall all be settled in the course of the morning ; but do
you knf4, although for "my part I -am one of the most
enthusiastic admirers of the beauty of this theatre, which
I think will remain for years a splendid monument of
your taste and genius, yet they tell me that the people
in the one shilling gallery c in scarcely hear at word that
the perfoimers utter ?' Mr. Holland expressing his sur-
prise at this remark, Sherid in said, Now, I will go up
into the gallery, and you sh ill stay on the stage. I will
address you, and you shall ascertain the truth of the ob-
servation yourself.' Sheridan, accordingly. mounted up
into the lofty region allottel to the &is, from whence
he affected, in dumb show, and with maeli apparent em-
phasis, to address the architect, who stool in amazement
below; repeatedly calling out, Speak louder, I can't
hear After some timeisp lit in this. manner, Sheridan
descended, asking Holland if be—heard him tolerably
well ? the latter declaring thithe must confess that he
had not heard a word Mr. Sheridan had uttered; where.
upon the latter exclaimed, Why, Holland, I really know
not how to believe you. Why; I have been bawling till
I thought my lungs would have. burst. , Surely you have
a cold this morning, that has prevented you from hear-
ing me. Now, do you ascend the gallery, and speak to
me.' With this proposal Holland immediately complied,
and when after considerable fatigue_ he had reached that
elevated spot, and had walked down to.the front seat to
address Sheridan from that tremendous height, he found
710 one on the stage! Sheridan had availed himself of the
interval of their separation to leave the theatre, and poor
Mr. Holland, who speedily dismwered the hoax, had to
encounter a thousand shifts and stratagems of the ma-
nager, before he could obtain another saccossfu! inter-
view."