The Sun. — 1837-02-01 (London, England)

THE MAGAZINES.  BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE.  The opening article in the current Number, which is entitled " Whig Radical Prosperity" is an attempt to sound. an alarm to the monied interests, by exposing the joint stock banking system. It is very pompously and elaborately written, bUt will fail of effect, for the writer's drift is too obvious throughout. The cloven hoof of party peeps out in every page. Yet the article is by no means devoid of ingenuity ; and will, no doubt, " create a sensation" in the minds of those who have a taste for a grievance, and who imagine that because the Tories are out, the commercial interests of the country arc all in jeopardy. " The World we Live in" is an agreeable omnium gatherum, made up of all the floating topics of the day. It is shrewd, sententious, and highly-seasoned. We extract an anecdote (which the writer introduces in the course of some re marks on dreams) respecting the murder of the late Mr. Percival. The authority for this extraordinary anecdote is Dr. Carlyon, formerly a Fellow of Pembroke College :  " The dream in question occurred in Cornwall, and the gentleman to whom it occurred was Mr. Williams, late of Scourier House, from whose own lips I have more than .once heard the relation. Six days before the murder of the late Mr. Percival (of whom he had no personal knowledge whatever), Mr. Williams dreamt that he was in the lobby of the House of Commons, and saw a small man enter dressed in a blue coat and white waistcoat. Immediately after he saw a man dressed in a brown coat with yellow basket metal buttons, draw a pistol from under his coat, and discharge it at the former, who instantly fell, the blood issuing from a wound a little below the left breast. He saw the murderer seized by some gentlemen who were present, and observed his countenance, and on asking who the gentlaman was that had been shot, he was told that it was the Chancellor of the Exchequer. He then awoke, and mentioned the dream to his wife who made light of it ; but in the course of the night, the dream occurred three times without the least variation. He was now so much impressed with it, that he felt much inclined to give notice to Mr. Percival, but was dissuaded by some friends whom he consulted, who told him he would only get himself treated as a lunatic. On the evening of the eight day after, he received the account of the murder, it having occurred two days previously. Being in London a short time subsequently, he found in the print shops a representation of the scene, and recognised in the countenances and dress of the parties, the blood on Mr. Percival's waistcoat, and the peculiar yellow basket buttons on Bellingham's coat, precisely what he had seen in his dream. All this, I beg to repeat, I have myself heard more than once circumstantially related by Mr. Williams, who is still alive (February 1836), and residing at Calstock, Devon, and who, I am sure, from his obliging disposition, would be most ready to corroborate the wonderful history to its full extent." In the article on " Historical Paintings" occur some remarks on the Fine Arts, well worthy the consideration of the Managers of the New National Gallery. " Dispatches of the Duke of Wellington" are pleasant reading enough, anti will be still more so, when the writer comes down to the period of his Grace's campaigns in the Peninsula. The " Page" is a tall replete with romantic incident. It professes to be a translation from the Getman.. " Hero and Leander" is front the Greek of Muscats. It is a spirited and poetic version.