The New York herald., 1850-04-08


and works of captivating popular style which the
fame Of such men Dickens, Hood, Charles Lamb,
Thaekeray, and Disraei has been mainly construct
cd is the charm which belongs to what one Of thom
20 expressvely calls "old wine, old friends and old
books" The main attraction Of Europe lies in its an
tiquity. There is something sacred and venerable
even in the dust which has accumulated by the slow
progress Of ages One Of the great secrets Of the popu
larity which Dickens enjoyed for shortlived period
the tenderness and affection with which he
unde his readers look upon "Old Curiosity Shop, with
all It's strange dusty, useless Invaluable, innumerable
objects which linked themsclves so touchingly with
the carly days Of little Nelly and the last days Of
her poor old grandfather We have not gone far
enough TO decay even In New York although Heaven
knows are likely to have more dust than antiquity
eyer thought of lodging upon any part OF the world
in consequence of the barbarous practice Of sweeping
the streets during the day time. when all the doors
and windows open. and it must OF necessity md
its lodgment upon persons among our habita-
tons) to have many 0ld Curiosity Shops, where fur
niture books pictures. and those thousand and one
curious relics of former arc collected together
ard offered for sale to the idle spectator OF the streets
The spot in New York which in high life, approached
nearest to those places which in the old cities of Eu-
rope every street and hold the gaze ofevery pas
ser-by every the great and curious coec
ton of Wm A. Colman which by order ofthe assignee
and administrators is this week to be brought under the
hammer at 304 broadway. The catalogue Of the books
alone extends over more than two hundred finely
printed pages embracing some Of the most valuable,
rare curious and magnHcently illustrated works which
have ever been published many Of which have never
been offered sale and of which supposed to
be the only copies this continent The sale Is to
cupy eight days, commencing in the morning at ten
o'clock and in the evening at seven.
But the books only portion of tho collection.
There be several hundred engravngs and water
color and pencil drawings; scrapbooks Of original
drawings. by American and English artists; some
valuable paintings in OIL by artists Of distinction; and
perhaps-something valuable than all-six busts
the Napoleon family. brought from France In the
United States ship North Carolina and formerly owned
by Napoleon himself, comprising the Emperor, by
Thorwaldsen; Pauline, by Canova; Josephine, Marie
Louise, and Charles and Lucen Bonaparte. 1t is
understood that Mr. Colmans entire private collection,
as well as the immense contents Of his curiosity
shop all 10 be thrown together in this sale, and
put up under the hammer, without any reserve. 1t
will make Of the most curious. interesting and
racy auctions known in this country particularly
as John Reese is to be the auctioneer and it is uni
versally Acknowledged that he is the most witty and
funny auctioneer in the known world. It will un-
doubtcdly bring together from all parts Of the
try collectors Of curious and strange things; and
already for several days the great at 3o4 Broad
way have been crowded by eager bookworms, half Of
them out at the elbows rich and elegant ladies from
uptown, strangers from every part of the Union old
hunkers, barnburncrs free soilers the latter class
being pretty much out of busines) wings clergy
saints and sinners, with pretty fair sprnkling
Of jews and old clo men all Of whom looking out
for the qualification in the coming sale Of pas
sion hobby, taste pursuit 1t will constitute when
assembled decidedly the most motley funny. inclablc
and ndcscrbebe old curiosity congress that has ever
assembled; and, probably. Of more dignity and.
We are not sure but we may say. OF more public
utility than the great national in Wash.
ington, where bloody noses and humbug seem to be
the chief order Of the day.
We have taken brief survey OF the "shop" AID we
think Mr. Barnum must have like old Joyc gone to
sleep during these proceedings, or he would have
bought out the whole concern in one batch Perhaps
~ t. more than enough to keep him busy for
the present At all events petsua.cs there
collection i'm this country Of this description,
that can be all compared with the Coman "Curiosi-
ty shop We understand that bids Of the most
NOUS outrageous, and extravagant kind for some Of
the most curious and valuable articles have already
been sent in from u distance. as well from the city;
for II be easily conceived that there many oys-
Lis, who would cxpend a good deal of money, rather
than give up the tremendous satisfaction Of having 1t
sad that their parlors libraries cabinets and boudors
were by buts which stood In the pa
latia Of the Corscan soldier. in the boudors Of
European duchcsscs and In the cabinets Of princes.
So go. II all comes out right in the end. The pco-
pie, the almighty people will have their own way at
last The glorious clam, the incIabe Goldfish the im
mortal oyster, run the Corsican soldier OF the
track any time The Boulcvards are nothing. COM
pared with the Avenues. The Louvre grows dim in
the midst of socialism, and presume that most Of
its contents will be sold to clam gentry before the
close Of the present century. There Is amusing
story told Of a tall lean Yankee who found lean
ing against the nearest lamp post day looking in
tently upon the colossal proportions of the British
Museum and whose cogtations disturbed by some
mpertinent John Bull who, divinins his nation asked
him what he cogi,atng about. oh" says Brother
Jonathan II was only kinder calculating how much
would cost 10 take that there shop TO the United
states Of North America for II will be to come,
sooner or later. II is great country" IL makes
think also Of the Yanke. who towards the close Of the
reign Of Gregory xvIthe last Pope ~hen revolution
rife throughout the provinces and all Italy was
ready for the volcanic movement which had begun Its
march the death Of the late Pope proposal
In writing to Lambruschin to take the states Of his
govern tncm' haNe th' r''fhucS support his
Holiness the Cardinals and Ministers Of State by the
job and give him three million. e cellars year fOs
the chances ft-ss known at the time that there was
deficit In e.1 fevcoucs Of about millions aud
halfa year IN. rankec saw where the leakage was.
and could undous'ssdiy have stopped It. Iti., how
ever serious Art that his proposal deliberately
entertained; and ss the learned could not un
dcrsiand how he could make speculation out OF u
when they had sgnay failed they found. to their
utter horror and dismsy ON inquiry that the first
step in his speculation would be to set up republic
since. ss he said monarchy was mighty ecstive and
could not produce much as " absorbed" This put
sudden stop to the negotiation. Brother Jonathan
went down to take peep into the crater Of ve-uyiu
and we OF II was very funny however some
years afterwards to take up the newspapers and find
that Destiny had played the same dcmoera,ie Joke
with that government, which the Yankee delbe-,,.,,
proposed spee ulation some time before p,, ,hs