Star.
London, England, 1825-05-19 00:00:00

ST. PAUL'S SCHOOL.

The public distribution of prizes to the scholars, an,! 1
the recitation of speeches, took place yesterday, at the
meeting technically called " the Apposition," at St.'
Paul's School. The new and beautiful edifice 'A as for
the first time opened for this purpose. Pr iace Leopo!d
honoured the solemnity with his presence. The Bishops
of London, Ltandaff, Chichester, Chester, and Nova
Sc. tia ; Sir John Sewell, Sir Thomas Lawrence, Sr
George Burgmann, the Master and Wardens of the
Mercers' Company, Governors of the School, the Head-
masters of the Charter-house, Merchant Tailors, and
Christ's Hospital Schools, and a great number of Cler-
gymen and Gentlemen, assembled at neon, at the house
of the Rev. Dr. Steads, the high Master, by sthum, at
one o'clock, they were conducted to the scho .1-rootn.
This magnificent apartment is 12 feet larger than the
former room ; and it displayed a splendid assemblage of
elegant females, the boys of the schoel, their parents, &c.
The young Gentlemen who were selected for recita.
tion on the occasion, were eighteen of the seniors. It
is an ancient envoi] to commemorate the virtues of
Dean Colet, tie founder of the school, tijt three orations,
Greek, Latin, and English, which tasks were ably exc.
cuted by Messrs. Soames, Steele, and H:issall.
prize compositions were then recited, of which Mr.
Soames had gained three, viz.--
1. In Latin verse, on the advances made by England in Greek
literature during the reign of Henry VII 1.-2. - In Latin prose,
on the peculiar merit of those who found -schools.—And 5. A
Greek Sapphic Ode, on the late naval victories of the Greeks.—
The other prize was gained by Xs% Steele, in English verse, ou ths
lonian Islands.

. Several scenes and orations from
_classical writers
were then recited in Greek, Latin, and English,
Messrs. Wakesly and ormrod recited Lucian's dialogat
of Charon and Mercury, with greAt ease of mow,
freedom of action, and an entire conception of the dty
humour of the author.

Megsrs. Tawney, Burgmann, and Wilkinson, gave
great effect to the first and second sc: nes of the 2d Act
of Terence's Eton/thus; all of 'hem performed well,
but Mr. Wilkinson's Guatho was. peculiarly happy. In
comic expression of countenance, iruleed, this yang
Gentleman evinced very extraordinary powers; and,
without degenerating into caricature, he gave varying
but appropriate force to almost every. word of the Dia-
matist ; as in the line—
Qui color, tutor, vestitus, qua habitudo est corporis!
And again—
Quicquid dicunt laudo: id rursum si negant laudo id quoque.
Negat quis? nego. Aitt aio. Postremo imperavi egomet
Omnia assentari-..
Mr. Williams delivered the first Philippic of Demos-
thenes With much energy, and Mr. Hassall told the
story of Vulteius, in Horace's Epistle (L. 1, Ep. 7), very
pleasantly. Horace was, perhaps, the best story-teller
of antiquity, and the reciter happily contrasted the case
of Vulteius in his original state—
vacua tonsoris inumbra,
Cultello proprios purgantem tether unties,
With his subsequent miseries as afarmer—

übioves fusto morbo perifre capelln,
Spem mendta mires, boo en enectus atando.
In short, the exhibition' was very gratifying in respect
to the talent 'evinced by the young Gentlemen, and
equally so with reference to the skill and industry of
their preceptors.

Wednesday morning, after the division on the Roman
Catholic Relief Bill, the Duke of Strums immediately
proceeded to the 6. Dissentient" book and entered his
name as a dissentient against the decision on the Bill
which had just been come to by the House. His example
was followed by Lords JERSEY, HOLLAND, and ELLEN-
BOROUGH ; Earl SPINCIR, Lords KING, SUITI/IRLD,
MINTO and MENDIP; but such 4‘ Dissentients" are un-
accompanied by any reasons for the same. Lord
ELLENaostouost had reasons to assign, but he was too
late to enter them. The majority of forty-eight would
have been AN-three, but for the absence of the Duke
of NORTHUMBERLAND and Lord PRUDHOEthey de•
clined leaving proxies—and the deaths of the Bishop
of SALISBURY, Lord WHITWORTH, and .another Noble
Lord. Five votes against the Bill were thus calculated
as having been lost.
Mr. PLUNNIITT, Mr. O'CONNELL, and other dhtin-
guished advocates of Catholic Emancipation, were is
the House of Lords during the whole of Tuesday night,
and, from their situation precluding them a seat, it is
plain that the standing orders of the House were not
dispensed with.
A very alarming fire broke out in the house of Mr.
,Clark, butcher, in Thornton-street, Horslydown, about
' a varier lsefote ten o'clock this morning, which en-
tirely destroyed the building and furniture, and has
done considerable damage to the houses of Mr. Chap-
man, a baker, and Mr. Gaffer, corn-chandler.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.
Sta—Seeing the Arabic Professor of Cambridge mentioned is
some of this day's 1' ger. as having signed a Petition In favor of
the Catholic Claims, 1 have thought that, as my opiniims are know*
to differ from those expensed in the prayer of that Petition,
would be but right to state, that my name was not appended to it.
I am, Sir, your humble Servant,
Loudon, May IS. SAMUEL LEE.