The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-24 00:00:00

PURCELL

For the just appreciation of the poetry of Purcell's
music, we must look to posthumous praise, a kind of
late generosity, a sort of tardy justice, which even
malice renders to the illustrious dead when they are
as insensible to applause or censure as they were once
indifferent. Dr. Burney observes that, "if a parallel
were to be drawn between Purcell and Ray popular
composer of a different country, reasons might be as-
signed for supposing him superior to any other great
and favourite contemporary musician in Europe. '
However, although in his own country he was not in
his own lifetime at the pinnacle of all English musicians,
a traditionary anecdote (with which the writer of this
article was made acquainted in Italy,) will sufficiently
show that his fame had spread to the Continent, and
procured him the most extravagant admiration on the
part of one whose opinion was " worth a whole theatre
of others ! " Corelli, having seen some of Purcell's
trios in the possession of an English nobleman then
travelling through Italy, was so struck by them, that
he conceived the romantic idea of visiting their author
in his native land (a journey by nomeans so facile or
pleasant en route in those days), where he unfor-
tunately arrived three days after the death of our
Orpheus. Single-hearted and single-minded in the
ob;ect of his journey, Corelli exclaimed, " Henry
Purcell dead ! then I have no further business in this
land ;" and, turning on his heel, departed for his home.
Many compositions have been ascribed after his
death to Purcell (for instance, " Mad Tom," of which
celebrated seem the chief and best portions were in
existence before he was born); while, on the other
hand, it is to be feared that he has been defrauded of
many others which bear internal evidence of his mas-
terly hand. Notwithstanding all that has been said in
favour of Locke's pretensions to the music in Macbeth,
the suspicion that Purcell had more than a little to
do with it is still strong and supportable. But this is
not a place for a controversy o► the kind. Henry Pur-
cell was born in 1658, and died in 1695 ; conse-
quently was about thirty-seven years of age, a term
of existence which has, to a curious extent, awaited
many a glorious genius. Purcell excels all other mu-
sicians (not even excepting his mighty follower, Han-
del) in the rigid application of his music to the sense
of the words; for which reason we regret to see his
Te Deum laid aside for even the grand Dettingen. In
the passage, " Holy, holy," &c., nothing can surpass
the devotional grandeur and simplicity of his treat-
ment of the sublime words. He was buried in 'West-
minster Abbey, where a monument was raised to his
memory. _ _ _

The following humorous rebus, in Latin rhymes,
was written in praise of Purcell, by a person named
Tomlinson, and an English version of it, set to music
in the old p9pular catch style, by a composer of
the name of Lenton We subjoin the original and
translation :
Galli marita, par tritico seges,
Prcenomen est ejus, dat chromatii leges ;
Intrat cognomen blunditiis cati,
Exit eremi in cedibus stati ;
Expertum effectum omnes admirentur ;
Quid merent poette ? ut bene calcentur.
A mate to a cock, and corn tall as wheat,
Is his Christian name, who in music's complete ;
His surname begins with the grace of a cat,
And concludes with the house of a hermit ; note that.
His skill and performance each auditor wins,
But the poet deserves a good kick on the shins !
This last line is severe, and evidently points ht some
individual poet ; and in candour we must say that, if
by this passage an allusion be made to " glorious
John," it is perfectly just; for King Arthur, with its
chivalrous and romantic subject, has been scurvily
treated by Dryden.—lllustrated News.

INTERESTING VISIT OF H. M. S.
CURACOA, TO PITCAIRN'S ISLAND,

EMIO, &c.
On the 10th July, 1841, the Curacoa took her de-
parture from Valparaiso, to visit the St. Leo Islands,
and after touching at Callao, proceeded direct to Pit-
cairn's Island, which she reached on the 18th Aug.
The inhabitants of this island have increased in num-
ber to 114, the oldest person on the island being the
wife of Christian, the chief of the mutineers, and the
last survivor of those Otaheitians who sailed in the
Bounty from Otaheite to Pitcairn's Island, and he
perfectly recollects the landing of Captain Cook at
Otaheite. On the 29th of August the Curacoa pro-
ceeded to the adjacent island of Emio, where the
Queen and her principal chiefs were residing A few
days after she returned the Captain's visit, accompa-
nied by her husband the King, and the young
Prince and Princesses. After her Majesty had
walked ,round the decks, she was conducted to
the Captain's cabin, where a sumptuous en-
tertainment had been provided for her. What ap-
peared to strike her fancy most was the appearance of
the marines and of the marine drummer, with whose
able performance she was so pleased, that she re-
quested as a particular favour that he might be al-
lowed to play during the time of dinner, and any re-
laxation from his labours was immediately followed
by an exclamation from her Majesty in the Otaheitian
tongue of " More drum, more drum." Pomare; the
Queen, is a very large and tall woman, of appa-
rently thirty years of age, and has a pleasing and
good humoured countenance : her husband, the King,
appears to be younger. From Emio, the Curacoa
proceeded to the Sandwich Islands, anchoring in Ka-
rakakoa Bay, in the Island of Whyke, on the 24th
of September. It was here that that celebrated but
unfortunate circumnavigator Cook lost his life, and the
only monument which marks the spot on which he
fell is the stump of an old cocoa-nut tree, with a sheet
of copper nailed on it some years ago by her Majesty's
ship Imogene. A large party of the officers visited
the famous volcano of Kirawea. The Curacoa
stayed at Honolulu until the 14th October, when
she sailed for Monterey, on the coast of Upper
California; previous, however, to her departure,
Captain Jones was honoured by a visit from
the King, who had been absent at an adjoining
Island. During the greater part of the time of the
Curacoa's' stay he came on board without pomp or
parade of any sort, in a large double war canoe,
attended merely by his secretary and the governor of
the town and fort. He was dressed in a kind of
half military blue surtout coat, uniform cap, and is a
man of apparently thirty-five years of age. The
Governor is the same who accompanied the late
unfortunate King and Queen of the Sandwich
Islands to England, and who returned with their
bodies in her Majesty's ship Blonde to Oahee.
He is a man of a shrewd and inquisitive mind,
and of a superior address to even the King
himself. On the sth of November the Curacoa
arrived at Monterey, a small settlement under
the Governor of Mexico. The object of her visit
to this so little frequented port was to inquire into
the nature of certain grievances sustained by some of
the English settlers, in having been imprisoned by the
Mexican authorities under the plea of attempting a
rebellion in the country. Some of the officers enjoyed
themselves much during their stay, in bear, deer, and
duck shooting, with which kind of game this fine coun-
try abounds. Several of the English and Scotch settlers,
proud to see a vessel of war of their own country in this
out-of-the-way corner of the world, were not slow in
offering their best accommodations to the Captain and
officers of the ship, and the Mexican authorities went
so far as to get up a ball on the occasion ; and in the
hastily decorated ball-room were to be seen various
mottoes, complimentary to the English nation. On
the 16th November, the Curacoa sailed for San Blas, in
Mexico ; and from that time to the end of May follow-
ing was employed on the Mexican Coast, receiving on
board treasure destined for England, to the amount of
1,900,000 dollars, with which she sailed from Sarrßlas
for England on the 3d of June, encountering on the
night of the 9th a tremendous hurricane of wind,
which caused her the loss of a complete suit of sails,
blown from the bolt ropes. On the 28th July she
arrived at Valparaiso, having been absent more than
twelve months on her interesting trip, and having re-
victualed sailed for Rio on the 6th August, from
which she sailed on her homeward, voyage on the
21st September, and anchored at Spithead on Wed-
nesday last, the 16th inst.—Portsmouth Herald.

THESIMPLON.—The Debats contains a letter from
a municipal - councillor of Montpellier, pointing out
the present dangerous state of the route of the Sim-
plon :—"I look on this magnificent work," says the
writer, " as one of the greatest that has emanated
from the conception of man, and which has not a little
contributed to render illustrious a reign fruitful in
great events. Whilst the northern declivity of the
road of the Simplon is in a perfezt state of preserva-
tion, the southern part, from its entrance into the
States of the King of Sardinia, is in such a state of
ruin that if a speedy remedy be not applied, it will be
impracticable for any kind of carriage, and will not
be without danger for even beasts of burden. Ido
not write to you on mere report. What Istate I beheld
myself, having crossed that part of the Alps in the early
part of September. Both before arriving at Isolha, and
at the other side of that place, the torrents have burst
the dikes, swept away a part of the road, and it was at
the risk of a hundred times dashing my carriage to
pieces from making long circuits on the side of the
mountain, through rocks and stones, that I could ar-
rive at Domo d'Osola. The repairs necessary for the
purpose of rendering the road passable would at pre-
sent he comparatively trifling, but there is every rea-
son to fear that the autumnal rains and the melting of
the snows will so much aggravate the evil, that the
Government will hesitate at the expense that will be
then required, and that this magnificent road will be-
come absolutely impracticable, to the great prejudice
of commerce, and of those travellers who admire
noble works It is asked how it happens that the
Sardinian Government, whose roads are so fine, and
which executes such admirable works at the passage
of the Bochetta—in fact, a direct communication be-
tween Genoa and Turin, should abandon to the devas-
lations of the torrents which descend from the Sirop-
ton, a road not long since so excellent."

LLOYD'S SH7PPING.
EAST INDIA SHIPPING.
Arrivals at Mauritius—William Barber,
Man-
thorpe, Aug. 22d, from London ; Neponset, Rowell,
24th, from Sumatra ; Samson, Browne, 30th, from
the Cape; New Express, Hewitt, 31st, from Ascen-
Rion ; Rachel, Harnon, 30th, from Marseilles ; Ram-
bler, Hutchinson, Sept. 1, from Bordeaux ; Lady
M'Naghten, Doutty, Sept. 2, from Calcutta; Ex-
mouth, Cook, 3d, from Calcutta ; Vanguard, Gar-
wood, 4th, from Calcutta ; Arabella, Jackson, sth,
from London ; Faith, Mattison, 6th, from Diego;
Garcia, Leon, Bonnet, and Concurrent, from Bour-
bon to Calcutta; Nautilus, Thomas, 10tb, from
London.
Departures from Mauritius—Levant Packet, Batto,
Sept. 8, to Bourbon ; Mary, Wakeham, 3d, to Sey-
chelles ; Catherine Hall, 4th, to Madras; Zenobia,
Sutherland, 6th, to,Batavia ; Allerton, Chatterton,oon
to
Liverpool; Agnes Ewing, Reed, 6th; Bthßang
Luminy, 7th, to Marseilles ; Briton, Davidson,
to London.
Arrivals at Madras—H.M.S. Siren, Sept. 24, from
Bombay ; Neptune, Ferris, 25th ; Ocean Queen, Van
Zuilecom, 26th, from London ; Princess Royal, 29th,
from Moulmein; General Kyd, Oct. 4, from Londo
Departure from Madras—Sering,apatatn, Hopkins'
Oct. '2, for Calcutta.
Arrival at Bombay—William Bryson,
M`Lean,
Oct. 2, from Mauritius.
Departures from Bombay—London, Johnstone,
Oct. 4 ; Oriental, sth, to China. don,
Arrivals at Kedgeree, Bengal—Viscount Sand
Sept. 21, from London ; Seppings, from Hobart
Town ; Albatros, from Bombay ; Mary Ridley, 23d,
from London ; Argyll, 26th, from Greenock ; Vo"
guard, Walker, 28th, from Cette; Trident, from
Bourbon; Phantom, Miller, from Launceston, So
gapore, and Penang; Monarch, from Bombay.
Arrival at Sourabaya—Ann, WAlpine;from Chins,
and it was expected would be condemned.
Arrival at Batavia—Chusan, from China to London.

STATE OF TRAME•
:::..(From the Manchester Guardian of theyesterdaq.
, . MANCHESTER.—
The accounts of the settlement ° _
dispute with China, which reached this town theour.
day evening, causedconsiderable excitement
mount of bush
.
ket yesterday ; and, though no great a for most
ness was done, higher prices were obtained
kinds of manufactured goods, and for seule di the
of yarn suitable for the eastern markets. indee ,
.1
so exdin _i,
stocks of both goods and yarn are now work.i_uro.
lo w, and the manufacturers are so generally
to order, that anmaterial increase of demand is eehn
effect IV° the
market. to produce adecidedly
favourable e
market. N 1 21;
inma
ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARxrr, 31oNDA4, - ° ' nei
—There has been very little change in the
flbeen
market for some weeks past ; the demand 1135
Plea
quite equal to that of former weeks, and the n
obtained about the same. The wool market hot
dull, and prices stationary.
_

THE LATE EARTHQUAICE
CAPE HAY TIEN. were
The newspaper accounts of the earthquake not
but little, if any, exaggerated. There is literlli. the
a whole tenantable house left in the place; and; rths
9,000 or 12,000 inhabitants not less than three-,ea is
are beneath the ruins. Here and there a r°°!,l
:ors
occupied in the old town, but most of the survl
live in a little valley called the Passette, running norrallel to the town, in huts having neither
windows, and most of them inferior to the arersrst ce°ll„t;
houses on our farms. Of suffering, however,
_lex the
among the sick, there is little, as vegetable feeubna.
chief absolute necessary of life, is cheap al3cl a -
dant; that is, it may be had for the gathennfc;
And of grief I saw none. The people aPPe,ar44l_l, be-
be as gay and cheerful as if no misfortune en",.. 0
fallen them. Ido not consider this indifferen'
it to
sat.
characteristic of the people. I believe
generally the case where a calamity is taivevr aff
Every man sees that his neighbour is as I'7:fa.
as himself. No eye is directed with esPee'ina. 25
pathy to him • and he soon finds that vo"-ibis,
superfluous and " won't pay." And not will up
but, in the excitement consequent to the breaklittic,
of all conventional arrangements, civil and dots
all w-
all external restraint is removed, and each In
comes as bad as he dares. Licentiousness bas_,l6:ar
increased, since the earthquake. Almost eve') at
appeared to drink largely of gin, taffa, or other
spirit, and many a man "of standing" keePs a c:oofe
bine openly, who has not taken the trouble te,rbu-
his wife from the ruins, and give her a decen" ore-
Marriage, however, has never been a favottrito_Ara
mony on the island. Some two or three h'eedail
couples were married during the panic which °lee ever
the earthquake ; but this is now over. Did ?
remark that intense fear created intense 'lv all
Within a few minutes after the first shock, 'I
all
the
the survivors were raging for water, and feast
th Of
fountains in the place but one were buried,, ried,
gling over this was described to me as like that'
brutes in similar circumstances. Many l'e,reahr;ried
instances are related of tenacity of life in tue f the
alive. I was told by an English merchant, °De° girl
a iittie
most respectable men in the place, that after the
or
was taken out of the ruins alive nine days
earthquake. She was asked if as she w hungry °r
thirsty. She said no. If she was in any, ri3uo isbe
the bruise, &e. She said no—she felt very vial;'/)
died the next day. A young man who haa the
sent at Port-au-Prince returned seven daYs ,paibere
earthquake. He inquired after the varieus„ /13,," eat to
of Ibis family. Nobody had seen them. 12,e re. otber
work among the ruins of his house, found e."' and be
and sister dead, but took his father out alive' Cape
is living now. It will be many years before_..nue,
Haytien regains its former mercantile inerer;va-
No movement has yet been made towards Itana store-
tion. There is little money, no credit, and plaea
houses, consequently only a retail trade in
at present.—Nantucket Inqu' er zr •

—We are r
ojSheer, Ine
NOVEL BY THR AUTAOR or ' Futt,liciy;
NEW '
8v Paul. Pry," " Little Pedlington2,l sze. filer
dqousetsrtye,d,, tobystajtoehtnhaptoolei:Trisgeo.sar
osl
in 3 vols;,Prot
libraries.
Marlborough-street,
. , i s
Mr. dc
othis u r dna y h a
.bsy
alsior. Colburn, of
all tile
and may now be had at d the
following popular works of fictioni:ll—stlP.
S
Club, by M. H
H. Barker, Esq., (The 011,4 De-
a%uthor of " Tough Yarns," Ste , 3 vols.-4 11
•otion ; or, the Histor of Katharine RandolO be
editeds liiie
t_the authoress of "The Only Daughter,"
isiheabaoubthor of " The Subaltern," &c., 3 Yolol .:I,thot
at Home, by Mr. Alexander C mpbei” - bi
r. a Reeve,e
of " Life in I (1, ' '
India," ' 3 vols.-4. Percival Estrical
Ca pt. p . Marryat, 3
- vols.-5. The Czarina, so ft iisad,
3Rovomiance of the Court of Russia, by -5111' —lore's
of
...,, vols.-6. The TishteorAyfaonf cea uEvlrii
Flirt,"
M 3 ovtohles r. , by the all
ufrblhisehessitorli
LlONS.—Within the last twelve years P."-* • adcioit
Mr. Virotob'
wellupphim.l7:i
athermaddss borfedl3aonldioroesa.red within the United gull'
0 „The
s
NsketchesEß S
OF
oTffilleEredQbuyEEMNrss. OBFushFnirilant ideiibn;
lis
Consort,
of EVERY Queen of France, whether annals
unidgen
r ofNCahpiolldeeonoi? tfoortmhe ctoognceltuhseirons
roer. onsort, from the earliest authentic op' ire
of the latefesnloPysi
o
Portraits, as well as a fund of Courtg:dilveernYtureui and:
dote, and ana, that has rarely, if ever, been kit dour'
ther within the same space, unless it be in, "—lles its
able work to which the present probahl °O-e- the
origin. Mrs. Bush's work, however, posse;",,,: el
additional attraction of being completed in I'd-- raed
gant little volumes ; and it will 116 datlbt belo-seerf.
an indispensable acquisition to 11
.

BIRTHS.
On the 17th inst., at Duke-street, Westminster, '
Airs,w -
„to
Reid, of a eon. -
On the 21st inst., at Bt. Paul's-terrace, 141°6" '
Palliser, of a daughter. the gel. tr•
On the 21st inst., at Cheltenham, the lady r
of •
Knox, of a son. ward cha
On the 23d inst., at Old Brompton, Mrs.
Go
man, of a daughter. vsotoscis
On the 23d inst., Mrs. John Linklater, a
North Brixton, of a daughter, still-born- % —...-

MARRIED.
On the 2d inst., at Memel, Constance Grano, ..,_l4 A 00,001.
tan, to Lucinda, fourth daughter of John Griffia,Dorrils
' Esq.,
On the 21st inst., at Alveston, John Style rdtclogir
(Captain in the 11th Foot), to Elizabeth Annel
A tott,
, young°ooocor
ter of Captain W. Norris Tonge, R.N., of ees
tershire. .4 Geed°
On the 22d inst., at St. Pancras New Church, lui,r•wier, of
Bartholomew, of Linlithgow, to Miss Mary Ann ".' t
Rutland-street, Hampstead-road. - r,4°
On the 22d inst., at Bromley, Kent, Mr. Robert Cooff_„ri
Croydon, to Sarah, ycungest daughter of the late Rev, "'"-
Smith, D.D.
___...------------'''

---------
DIED.
On the 27th of August last, at Anrungabad, Captain 6°41
John Fraser, of the Ist Bengal Native Cavalry, and Assibtt
to the Resident, Nagpore, fifth and youngest son of the late
S. Fraser, of Reelick, Inverness-shire, Esq., aged 49.
On the 18th inst., at Shirley House, near SoutherPeas,'
Arthur, the infant son of Lieutenant-General and Mrs....Slirtng, '
On the 20th inst., at Uxbridge, Middlesex, Mr. W. lar;
On the 22d inst., at Sherington, Bucks,
the Re'. 4n"
Pretprian, aged 57. nth
On the 22d inst., at Staple Inn, Osmond Dunn, Esq., c't
Legacy Ditty-office, aged 46.
On the 22d inst., at Upper-terrace,
Ormes, aged 88.
On the 23d inst., Sarah Dionisse, the wife of Mr. Grrge
Hooper, of Churchyard-row, Newington, aged 76. _,. ~,,I
On the 23d inst., at Critchell-place, Holton, Mr. Wiau•—
.Been, aged 79. Ipiece
Islington, 00 Sarah
On the 19th inst., Caroline, wife of Mr. Thomas Stnni
of Botolph-lane, Thames-street, aged 47.
On the 19th inst., at Montpellier-road,
Brig hton, —llannib'
relict of the late J. N% . Unwin, Esq., aged 64. ~,,,a
On the 20th inst., at Failight, Hastings, Brice .. ---ile'
Esq., of Mankharn, Woodford, Essex.
On the 20th inst., Septimus Burton, Esq.,
at Chilifie
grove, Middlesex.
—__—_--- ,
Londuit ; Printed and Pubii;kied by MURDO YONG, )1
No. 112, Strand, at The Sun ()Bice, N 0.112 SUP di la
the County of Middlesex, Thuraday, November 24, 4421