The Sun.
London, England, 1829-12-31 00:00:00

ing an ttrrgittsttve writer, than his 'being
petted by a Westminster 'Reviewer. .:What
should the catechisers on the Corn Law's have
in common with the creator of. that " psycholo-

gical curiosity" Christabel ? What possible con-
nection can exist between the reasoners on the

" True Theory of Rent" and the wild unfettered
poet who conjured up the daring sublimities
and diable.rie of the Ancient Mariner ? When

the Westminster Reviewers take up a question
of commerce, or plain practical utility : when
they discuss Mr. Ricardo's Theories of
Rent—Mr. Bentham's Notions of Jurispru-

dente—Mr. Sadler's Political Tenets—the

West India Sugar Question—the Thames

Water Question—or that strange compound of

adroitness and foppery, the Greatest Happiness
Principle—when they discuss these or similar
questions, they invariably bring ingenuity,
vigour, and research to their task. But beyond
this they can effect little or nothing. Their
essays on Poetry—Romance—and the Fine
Arts, are miserably trite and jejune, and as they
set out in their literary career with a profound
contempt for the Classics, it is not to be ex-
pected that any very striking felicities of thought
or expression should flow from their pens. They
commence their notice of Coleridge by an asser-
tion that all first-rate poets are sound reasoners,

forgetting the authors of the " Fairy Queen,"
the " Faithful Shepherdess," and a host of
others of the same stamp, with whose fancy logic
had not the most distant acquaintance—and then

proceed to apply this theory to Coleridge, whose
genius it fits about as well as a lady's lace-cap
would fit the elephant at the Adelphi. There
are various other critical misapprehensions in
this article, which, however, we cannot here stay
to enumerate, so must pass on to something
more agreeable. " The Thames Water Ques-
tion" is an ably drawn-up paper, full of spirit
and sagacity, in which occurs the following sin-
gular remarks respecting the healthiness and
utility of the river mud and aninzakulce :
" There is, however, a directly purifying cause which
has not been noticed, never noticed, while, singularly
enough, it is one of the greatest grievances complained of.
This is the mud of the river itself. We use the vulgar
and prejudiced term : speaking chemically, we mean the
clay, a mixture, properly, of finely divided silica and
alumina chiefly. This is a precipitant to the matters in
solution ; it combines with them, especially with that
obscure mucilaginous or extractive matter, which cor-
rupts or injures that water which is notorious for bad-
ness, and carries it to the bottom, where its decomposi-
tion is afterwards completed ; sometimes, however, not
very quickly. So it is, that there may be pure water
lying upon offensive mud.o Thus the very clay of the
Thames, which renders it so disagreeable to the eye, i,
one of the causes of its purification and its purity. Muddy
water is doubtless an evil, but it is at least innocent ; and
it is seldom very difficult to purify. And if it is the
visible evil of the Thames water, let us at least console
ourselves with reflecting that it produces a balance of good,
and is a curable disease.
" Our limits compel us to be very brief; but we cannot
pass over those formidable shrimps which have been the
source of so much absurd alarm and bad language. It
may surprise an ignorant man, to be told that they are
also purifiers of water, yet such is the fact. We need not
eat them, raw or boiled ; but even if we did, they are as good
eating as any other shrimps. Their office in water is good
and useful ; and, as in so much more of Nature's doings,
they were probably intended to be useful to us, or others,
as well as to themselves. When water, stagnating water
of course, is corrupt, through animal, and often also
through vegetable matter, these animals are small or in-
visible, and their abundance is often such as to render it
absolutely thick ; a sort of soup. These swarms are the
prey and food of larger ones, and of this very terrific
shrimp among the rest ; and it is quite sufficient to intro-
duce a few of these into such water, to purify it in a few
days. They devour the evil ; and the harm which they
may do in return is not diseoverable. Nay, there is not a
boor peasant in England who does not know, that, if he
wants to keep a covered spring or well pure for use, he
must put a frog into it if he does not find one there. The
blockhead who should set forth to kill his frogs would
soon find his spring-water worthy of a real committee of
doctors at Almack's; and vety probably the doctors and
the committee would pass a vote of censure and anathema
on the tadpoles. Such are the advantages of learning in
chemistry and natural history."
" History and Doctrine of Buddhism" enters
at some length, and in an animated manner,
into the nature of that system of religion which
has for •so many centuries exercised an un-
bounded influence over the East. It is well
worth an attentive perusal, especially that por-
tion of it which enters into a minute detail of
the doctrines of the founder, Buddha. " Pro-
vincial Newspaper Press," is a homely un-
adorned account of the different Irish, Scotch,
and English provincial Journals, their merits,
circulation, and a variety of other et ceteras con-
nected with them. The returns of the stamps
of many of these Newspapers are curious to
those interested in periodical literature. " Head's
North American Forest Scenes" is entertaining,
but with little novelty or information to lend it
importance. Its best recommendations are, that
it is divested of superciliousness—the too com-
mon fault of the Westminster Reviewers—and
assumption.

On Monday, the 4th of January next, will be
published a New Weekly Journal, Tim COUNTRY TuiEs,
and Agricultural and Commercial Advertiser, price only
Sevenpence, which will contain fuller and more accurate
Tables of all the Markets in the Kingdom for Corn, Cattle
and Merchandise of every description, than is contained
in any other Newspaper, and give the fullest intelligence
on all Foreign and Domestic subjects. THE COUNTRY
Ties will contain thirty-two closely-printed columns in

eight pages, the subjects so arranged and classified as to
enable the reader to turn at once to any particular article.
It will also be so formed, that it may be separated into two
complete sheets, each having its own department of in-
formation, and therefore capable of accommodating two
readers at once, and, in fact, answering the purpose of
two Newspapers. An Index and Title-page will be an-
nually published ; thus enabling the subscribers to bind up
their papers, which will form, at the close of the year,
a volume of peculiar interest, from the great variety of
topics embraced in its pages. Orders received by all
Booksellers, News Agents, Postmasters, and the Office,
139, Fleet-street, London.
- -

The fall of snow has been heavier this seam
than for the last 14 years. The high wind which pre-
vailed the whole of Christmas-day, caused it to drift to
the glut difficylty of travelling, many vans and coaches
having been dug out within the last few days.
New Dover road, the valley near the turnpike was so corn
pletely choked, that labourers were employed to cut a
road through the snow, which lay heaped together to the
depth of six or seven feet.

THE MURDER OF JOAN TURNER, NEAR
CHARD —JOHN RUSSELL, a man engaged at one of the
factories in Chard, after having undergone several examina-
tions before the Magistrates in that town, was, on Satur-
day last, committed for trial, on suspicion of having perpe-
trated the above offence. RUSSELL had been taken up and
examined immediately after the murder ; but the circum-
stances 'against him were not deemed sufficient to warrant
his committal, and he was accordingly cischarged ; he re-
mained at large until the early part of last week, when fur-
ther evidence having been obtained, he was again appre-
hended, and the result has been that we have above men-
mentioned. The prisoner was lodged in Ilcbester gaol on
Monday.—Cheltenlianz Chronicle.