The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-04 00:00:00

DOUGLAS JERROLD'S SHILLING
MAGAZINE.

The present number fully maintains the high charac-
ter which this magazine has already acquired. The
tale of St. Giles and St. James becomes intensely in-
teresting as it proceeds. Our readers will remember
that in the last number young St. James, for the murder
of whom St. Giles had been apprehended, had been dis-
covered to be alive. The present number begins as
follows :

" And now,' thinks the reader,' St. Giles is free. There is
no charge against him ; ha is not the murderer, men, in his
wretchedness, took him for. St. James, with his injuries upon
him, has withdrawn himself ; and once again the world lies
wide before St. Giles.' Not so. There still remains, to his
confusion, a hard accuser. Si. Giles is destitute. In the teem-
ing, luxurious county of Kent, amidst God's promises of plenty
to man, he is a guilty interloper. He may not grasp a handful
of the soil, he cannot purchase one blade of wheat ; he is a
pauper and a vagrant; a foul presence in the world's garden,
and must therefore be punished for his intrusion. Every rag
be carries is an accusing tongue: he is destitute and wander-
ing : he has strayed into the paradise of the well-to-do, and
must be sharply reproved for his whereabout. And therefore
St. Giles will be committed for a season to the county gaol,
as a rogue and vagabond. The roguery is not proved upon
him, but it has been shown that whilst decent people have
goose-beds and weather-proof chambers, he, at the best, has
si raw and a barn. It is, too, made a misdemeanor against mo-
ther Earth to sleep upon her naked breast, with only the
heavens above the sleeper ; and as St. Giles had often so of-
fended—he could not deny the inquity—he was, we say, com-
mitted to gaol by Justice Wattles, as rogue and vagabond. Now,
to punish a man for having nothing, is surely a sport invented
by Bed.zebub for the pleasure of the rich ; yes, to whip arascal
for his rags is to pay flattering homage to cloth of gold. No-
thing was proved against St. Giles but want ; which, being
high treason against the majesty of property, that large offence
might be reasonably supposed to contain every other."
It happens, however, that a murder has actually been
committed—a certain farmer Willis, the brother-in-law
of Justice Wattles, has been found murdered. A pocket-
book falls into the hands of Wattles, which proves that
Robert Willis, a rustic mauvais sujet, the nephew of the
murdered man, is the murderer. This evidence Wattles
suppresses, not desiring to bring disgrace on his family.
Robert Willis, however, is apprehended on the charge,
and committed, and in prison he meets with St. Giles,
and to him confesses his guilt. Willis, at his trial,
is defended by Mr. Montecute Crawley, a man who, by
virtue of wearing a wig and gown, is entitled by law to
become accessory after the fact to the crime of murder,
provided only his principal gives him the usual fee. This
honourable member of an honourable profession,
so badgers and browbeats the witnesses of truth
that Robert Willis is acquitted, and St. Giles, who
had given evidence against him, is exposed to the danger
of being torn in pieces by Willis's pot-house companions.
St. James, however, who is on the bench, is struck with
the manner of St. Giles. He sends for him after the
trial is over, and engages him as his groom, and thus
fit. Giles has, for the first time in his life, the chance of
becoming an honest man. " The Spirit of Chivalry" is
a well written paper on the exhibition in Westminster
Hall, and we are glad to see that the writer does justice
to the noble cartoon of Maclise on this subject. Coven-
try Patmore contributes a somewhat coarse, but very
powerfully written poem. entitled " The Murderer's Sa-
crament." And Juniper Hedgehog continues his piquant
correspondence on the events of the month. " The
Englishman in Prussia" is the first of a series of papers
on the manners and customs of Old Prussia. It promises
to be an extremely valuable series. The author is evi-
dently a shrewd observer, who has studied well the
nation which he undertakes to daguerrotype. There are
various other papers, to which, for want of space, we
cannot further allude ; but we may sum up all in these
few words—" There is not a single line in the maga-
zine which we should desire to see cancelled."