The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-01 00:00:00

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.

In some remarks on the " Income-tax and-the New
Tariff," a lame attempt is made to defend the
former inquisitorial impost, which is described as
being remarkable for its just and equable character.
It required a great deal of intrepid effrontery in a
writer to praise the justness of a tax whose inequali-
ties are obvious to every one, and were frequently
pointed out in Parliament; but your Tory partizan
is seldom encumbered with diffidence, and as seldom
scrupulous in his statements. The Income-tax is as
unjust as it is unintelligible ; indeed, so obscure
and perplexing is it in its details, that the daily
journals are filled with advertisementsof men offering
themselves—for a due pecuniary consideration—as
interpreters, so that hundreds, possibly thousands,
will have to pay, not only the tax, but the dragoman
also ! In " Jack Hinton, the Life-Guardsman," Mr.
Lever, the author, gives a very spirited account of a
, party being overtaken by a 'high tide on the west
coast of Ireland, and escaping the danger not
without considerable difficulty. The incident will
remind the reader of a similar sketch in Sir W.
Scott's best tale, the " Antiquary." The " Gallery
of Illustrious Irishmen" contains a biographical me-
moir of Barry the painter, who, after having for years
been greatly overrated as an artist, has at length at--
tabled his just level in public estimation. If he be
now remembered, it is not by his absurd drawings in
the Society of Arts, but by his connexion with Burke
—his most generous and influential patron. In the
notice of " Boaden's Life of Gregory. the Seventh"
occurs a judicious portrait of this celebrated Pontiff,
who, during a great portion of his troublous career,
kept Europe in the condition of ayassal, and sacri-
ficed health, peace of mind, justice, and even common
sense itself, to his insatiable ambition. With the
single exception of Napoleon, we consider this Pope
as the most ambitious man of whom the modern world
can boast. His life has been often written, but it has
yet to be written in an impartial and philosophic
spirit. "St Sinan's Warning" is an Irish legend, told
with much vivacity. " A Narrative of the Affghanis-
tan War" is from the pen of the late Col. Dennie, who
was himself an actor in the stormy scenes he describes.
The Narrative bears every appearance of the strictest
accuracy, " Levawn's Eye" is a humourous poem of
the Ingoldsby school. The " Dream-Tryst" is grace-
fully versified. We subjoin the opening stanzas :
We meet in dreams ! to-night thou shalt be mine,

Mine, and mine deeply, wh—eresoe'r thou art !
Mine in that shadowy world, the phantom-shrine
Where Fancy bowers the idols of the Heart.

Through the dim air, blank midnight's pathless waste,
O'er haunted wood, wild dell, and dashing stream,
My Spirit summons thee, I bid thee haste,
Come to me, Lady ! meet me in my Dream !

Ah, there each timid hope, too fond for Day,
In deepening colours flushed, shall learn to glow ;
There those soft eyes shall shed a softer ray,
Than waking eyes have seen, or dare bestow !

There nought can come to sadden or to chill,
Each untold wish still known and still forgiven ;

There every lovely tint is lovelier still, •
And all of Earth in thee refines to Heaven !
Skies even of hue more cloudless shall be there
Than charm those climes where first my spirit found thee,
The mute enchantment of Italian air,
And all Heaven's softest sounds shall float around thee.
But these are words of weakness ! Earth bath nought.
In its least earthly forms so pure and deep,
As fills that gorgeous inner world where Thought
Builds her own phantom Paradise of Sleep,
Immortal longings not even yet subdued,
Though hushed by day, at such dim hours half free,
And struggling in their chained infinitude,
Lisp the strange music of Eternity

The broken echoes of celestial songs,
Caught from the heaven immortals should inherit,
And whispering still the glory that belongs
To that lost homeland of the exiled Spirit

Splendours confused, in glory glory hid,
Cities of sunset clouds and shadowy gleams,
All that our dead material bonds forbid,

Meet in the living Poetry of Dreams.

FRASER'S MAGAZINE.

The political tone of Fraser is this month unusually
bitter and intemperate. In the very first article, 'on
" The First Session of Sir Robert Peel's Parliament,"
the writer fires a tremendous broadside at the Whigs,
accusing them of all sorts of meannesses and incon-
sistencies, and putting them in direct and artful con- ,
trast with the Tories, who, of course, are represented
as so many spotless angels of light. Despite its vehe-
mence, the diatribe is ludicrous—in fact, is a mere
political extravaganza, like some of the more ferocious
speeches of the. Hon. and Gallant Member for Lin-
coln. Not the least amusing feature in it, is the cir-
cumstance that the writer attributes to Sir R. Peel
the salvation of the country ; and yet in his postscript
he is compelled to acknowledge—alluding to the re-
cent alarming riots in the north—that this same
country is just as far removed from salvation as ever
it was, even under the sway of the Whigs ! " Wilkie
and his Works " is evidently the production of one
who lived in habits of intimacy with the great artist,
and who says of him, that " with all his love of
study, he was fond of a frolic, or what he was wont
to call high jinks. He was also fond of dancing,
whether at civic parties, or at quiet Kensington par-
ties. His mind was naturally playful. He had no
sombre seriousness of character. He never made an
enemy ; it would perhaps be saying too much to as-
sert that he never deserved one. He was the most
cautious of all human beings—the most unwilling to
wound the sensitive nature of.another ; and one of
1 the most reserved of creation." There is, we think,
some little inconsistency in this portrait—at least,
we cannot understand how a naturally " playful"
man, could also have been an excessively " re-
served" one. Wilkie might have been either one
or the other, but he could scarcely have been both, for
playfulness is incompatible with reserve. " Excursion
to Port Arthur" is an account of a visit paid recently
by the writer to this thriving Australasian colony, • in
the course of which visit he had the honour of an in-
-1 terview with the celebrated Chartist leader, Frost,
who, it appears, was by no means enamoured of the
beauties of the country, but was exceedingly anxious
to get back to England, notwithstanding Govern-
ment's refusal to recognise the five points of the Char-
ter. " Neglected French Poets" is a lengthy criticism
on some of the principal works of Du Bartas. The
extracts quoted by the Reviewer are in no respect re-
markable for excellence, whether of thought or ex-
pression ; but France has produced few original poets;
there is not sentiment enough in the national character
to foster their growth. We should rather say, was not
sentiment enough, for there can be no question that
the first great Revolution has produced an extraordi-
nary change in the French mind, giving it a far deeper
and more impressive tone than it ever had during the
long sway of Absolutism. In "My Life and Times,"
Nimrod—Mr. Apperley—makes some observations on
public schools, which he says, and there-is no ques-
tioning the fact, are infinitely better for the purposes
of education than private academies, where the spirit
of emulation cannot be so surely and strongly
ex-
cited. The chief defect in all our leading public
schools is the absurd pedantry that insists on
considering Latin and Greek as superior to every
other branch of study. Perhaps there is no
knowledge so utterly useless, in proportion to the
time wasted on it, or that so disqualifies a man for
w
active intercourse with the
`world, provided he is not
born to a fortune, but has his own way to. make. In
" Hoaxing Histories" we find the following sketch of
the late James Smith—a well-known wi▪ t about town,
and one of the authors of the "Rejected Addresses :"
James Smith was a happy mixture of gravity and
levity. As Solicitor to the Ordnance, Ins morning passed
in strict attention to business k but as the Ordnance did
not require his evening superintendence, i▪ t was at that
period that ho fired away his jokes, let off his puns,
wholesale, old or new, and exploded in song.
He had an ingenious method on launching a new
story or jest; he could not endure to hazard a failure as
Ins own ; so he would commence his essay thus, " My
brother liorace, the other day, said," then came the
story. If it was victimised (which was very rare), it
fell on the well-earned and fully-established reputation
of brother Horace. if the joke was successful on its
debut, it afterwards became the undivided property of
I brother James.

He made use of another device, which completely an-
swered two purposes. He would very amiably ingra-
tiate himself with the junior branches of the families he
visited, and first try the joke or song with them.
The prime point was certain to be gained—a sure
laugh ; the secondary view was, that the mammas and

I par as were always flattered that so pleasant andzentle_
l ma; aly a person should condescend to notice their
1 chi ldr.!n. A brother author haring several' time's oh-
sw ved this, remarked to Mr. Smith, "'That he pursued
a 1? ery cautious course, and produced all his pieces at the
mit 'or theatres, where there was little chance of con-
dem nation."
IN .ho does not recollect his tall, well-built figure (much
reset" bling that of the Emperor Alexander of Russia),
mount. td on a grey horse, wending from the neighbour-
hood of Austin-friars to the West- end ? But have they
ever noticed (every one will recollect it, now it is
pointed out), that after the grey charger has been drawn
up to the side of the pavement, a brief friendly chat has
lensued, accompanied by the bland smile of the cavalier,
and e-dt on ajoke ? On which a sharp clicking of the
horse's hinder legs is heard. From whence does this
proceed ?
James Smith was perfectly aware that when a gentle-
man on horseback pat is with a friend, and rides in a
,entrary irection, that the pedestrian friend, it canot
)-,,, reasond ed why, naturally turns his head andn has
n„ ,rther look at the cavalier. Conscious of this, although
srni:ll was a humane man, he always dug the rowels of
his snx..rs into the fat sides of .his white steed ; and, hold-
ing'lmbs Afquite erect, his charger also made a good exit
curveting,, lid whisking his tail about in all directions.
This was , momentary ; for so large an acquaintance
had Smith, that. immediately the horse was again at the
corner of a street, ..-
hen the same gracious smile was re-
peated, and probably the same joke ; but most certainly
the same tickle with the
spur, and toe subsequent pran-
cing on taking leave.
Smith looked well as an equoriftv, he might• have
y ht lIorse" in its.
been taken for a captain or the `• City JA
best day ; and we remember that as a track volunteer
,
regiment, albeit unlike other dragonns, h 'me of these
warriors rode in spectacles. To be sure the troops of
of Messieurs Ducrow and Batty do the same.

LITERA TUBE.

LIVES of the QUEENS qf ENGLAND.
°Aunt, London, 1842.

Vol. Y.

The best and most carefully written Life in the
Volume before us, is that of Queen Mary, through-
out Al hich Miss Strickland, the biographer, evinces a.
more than ordinary degree of research. The ma-
jority of our English historians have insisted on the
homely, and even repulsive expression of this Queen's
countenance, but Miss Strickland quotes a variety of
curious contemporary authorities to Prove that she
was far fromill-looking, and indeed, at one period of
her life, was of an attractive exterior. The biography
of this bigoted Sovereign will well repay an attentive
perusal, for it abounds in interesting matters of in-
formation, some of which will be quite new to the
majority of readers.

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of the
Incorporated General Steam Navigation Company wns
held on Tuesday, at the office of the Company, in Lom-
bard-street. The chair was taken by Wolverley Att-
wood, Esq., at two o'clock. The Report and half-yearly
accounts were read, and gave general satisfaction. The
usual dividend was declared ; and after voting the cor-
dial thanks of the proprietors to the chairman and direc-
tors, the meeting separated. _ _

The lateral canal of the Aisne, begun in 1838, is at
present terminated, and will be soon opened to the public.
This noble work, of 51,500 metres in length, extending
from the canal of the Ardent;es to Conde, has been
finished by the State in four years. The second part of
the works for the improvement of the Aisne, consisting
of the canalisation of this river from Conde to its falling
into the Oise, will soon be completed.

The Town Council of Glasgow, on the 24th inst.,
addressed a letter to the Home Secretary, urgently re-
questing the honour of a visit from her Majesty to that,
city. The request was !aid before the Queen, and her
➢lajesty directed Sir James Graham to express her great
regret that it would not be in her power, during the
short period to which her stay in Scotland was limited,
to visit the city of Glasgow.

ILFORD SPECIAL SESSION.-IMPORTANT TO PUB-
LICANS AND BEEB-HOUSE KEEPERS.—On Saturday last,
a special session was held at the Angel Inn,•llfbrd, Es-
sex, before William Cotton, Esq. (the Governor of the
Bank of England), chairman, and a full bench of Ma-
gistrates, for the purpose of renewing the licenses of the
numerous victuallers in that district tor the ensuing year,
and also for the discharge of other magisterial business.
After the licenses were renewed, applications were made
to the bench, to grant a spirit and wine license to five or
six houses that have lately been held as beer-shops. The
Chairman, after the various claims had been heard and
duly considered, said that the Bench was of opinion that,
with the exception of one case, where a license was to
be transferred from a licensed house to a beer-house,
sufficient grounds had not been shown to grant the
prayers of the petitions. The Chairman further said
that, for his own part, he had a very serious objection to
conferring licenses on beer-houses, and would at all
times prefer granting spirit licenses to new houses, or he
should rather say, houses built fer the purposes of public-
houses, than beer-shops. Indeed he much regretted the
Legislature had not inserted a clause in the Retail Beer
Bill, to prohibit all houses that were opened as beer-
houses, being licensed for the retail of spirits and wines.
The fact was, that these houses were unnecessarily mul-
tiplied, by the hope on the part of their owners, of getting
them licensed some time or other as victuallers' houses.

About a fortnight ago a glacier, near the village of
Setnpeiu, in Switzerland, fell, and destroyed three cot-
tages and their outbuildings. Several cows were killed,
but happily no human life was lost.

A curious procession. took place at Besancon a few
days back, occasioned by a gitano or gipsy marriage.
Some horsemen came first, throwing about sugar-plums
on all sides. 'They were followed by a number of young
gitanos, each conducting a young girl, also scattering
sugar-plums. The bridegroom, a sine looking young man
of thirty, walked with a stately step, clad in embroidered
vest, large Spanish hat, red sash, and lace collar. The
bridesmen who accompanied him, scattered sugarplums
over him in great abundance. The bride, a tall haughty
looking woman of forty-six, a thorough -bred gitano,
walked along with a proud demeanour, accompanied by
one of her sons by a former marriage. tier white veil con-
trasted strikingly with the colour of her hair, and the deck
tinge of her complexion. Ikr hair was allowed to fall
on a red shawl which covered her shoulders, and which
was drawn in tight round the waist. As she was the
object of especial honour, she was absolutely ircommoded
by the quantity of sugar-plums thrown over her. This
woman's name is Ilamonde Lopez. She is a native of
Barcelona. and possesses a considerable fortune. She
has been three times married, and has had children by
each husband, but they had all given their consent to her
marriage with her fourth lord, Baptista Antonio, a horse-
dealer. Everything went on smoothly until after the
wedding feast, but wine then (lid its office, and drew
forth the real sentiments of the children of the bride,
who attacked the gay husband and beat him dreadfully.
The honeymoon only lasted half a day. Antonio, who
in the morning had appeared so bright in his handsome
dress, hurried forth in the evening with haggard eye, and
vestments in disorder, to seek a passport, with the view
of quitting Besancon. The night, however, brought
peace to the tribe, and on the following morning the
matter was made up.

RUN FOR GOLD.—Soho ludicrous incidents arose
out of the withdrawal from the banks of the money be-
longing to several sick and benefit societies. One case
has beer. mentioned to us in which the members drew
between 3001 and 4001. from the bank, and resolved to
place it in the hands of the landlord of the house at which
they hold their meetings. The landlord, having no use
for the money, and finding it would add to his cares, de-
terthined to place it in a bank, and actually deposited it
the same day in the very bank from which it had been
taken. The members of another society having 1%-ith-
drawn their money, were divided in their opinions as to
the disposal of it. It was proposed to place it'in the
landlord's bards, but that was opposed. as were several
propositions to place it in the hands of trustworthy mem-
bers, and to divide it, and they ultimately agreed to re-
turn with it to the bank from which it hail been taken.—
Boton Press.
TIM DUBLIN COLLEGE CONTEST.--MF. Smith hav-
ing been promised, or promoted, to the Solicitor-Gene-
ralship, by the elevation to the Bench of that truth-
telling person, Joseph l)evonshir Jackson—the supposed
necessity of the Government having an Irish law-officer
in Parliament has caused, it seems, Mr. Smith to be
started by the Government as candidate for 'Trinity Col-
, lege ; and, of course, against the •` great sacrificing"
Conservative, Alexander G. Hamilton. We are told by
the Government papers that the College will return any
one named by the Government. We shall now see this
assertion tested.—Dullin Pdd.
A singular fact is stated by tbe. Jourjud ice
Belgique. A man confined en the criminal side of the
acknowledged
perpetrator of a
lto'ritTine dle'rolcieutritesurecalrowleZosi atiftealv dh?xsvansgo,
crime committed last year in the parish of Cortenberg,
for which three men, eens, Bonne, and his SOU, all three
pedlars, were tried, convicted, and condemned to death
by the Court of Brabant, but. whose sentence was after-
wards commuted into hard labour at the hulks for life.
and exposure on the pillory, which last punishment they
have undergone. The rest of their judgment is sus-
pended until the truth of the confession is ascertained.
•

DEATH OF, SIR EDMUND CURREY, K.C.B.—Sir
Edmund died at his seat, Eriwood, near Bagshot, on
Saturday last, in his 64th year. lie served in the artil-
lery in the campaigns in Holland and Egypt. He Ivas
appointed Aide-de-Camp to his late loyal Highness the
Duke of Gloucester in 1803, and Secretary and Comp-
troller of his Household in 1805, and received the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel from William the Fourth, and was
honoured with the Guelphic Order. Married 1818
second daughter of Lord Chief Baron Abinger, by whom
Sir Edmund has left an infant family.

GRENWICII lIOSPIT A L.—The number of pensioners
in Greenwich Hospital at this time is 2,710 • amongst
whom there are 732 maimed ; namely, with loss of right
arm 12, left arm 8— total, 20 ; both legs 3, right leg 29,
left leg 36—total, 68 ; both eyes 61, right eye 44, left
eye 45—total, 150 ; ruptured on both sides 162, right
side 152, left side 175, umbilical s—total 494. Grand
total, 732.

WATSON'S GENERAL TELEGRAPH OFFICE,_ 83,
CORNIIILL, LONDON, AUG. 31, 1842.—The _Royal
George yacht, with her Majesty, his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, and suite, was off the North coast of
Norfolk at 6 A.M.: yesterday, in tow by steamers.
It is supposed that the Royal squadron brought up
during the night below Yarmouth, in consequence of
thick weather. Wind W.N.W., light, and rather
hazy.

The paper-mills of Essonne were two days ago de-
stroyed by fire. Upwards of 300 workraen aro thrown
out of oulployment by this disaster