The Sun. — 1841-08-12 (London, England)

TRAGEDY IN HIGH LIFE.—A horrible tragedy has just taken place at Florence. Two sons of Lord A. (who has a villa near Florence) went into the town a few days since to look at some horses at a livery stable, when a quarrel ensued, and words ran high between them; nevertheless, they returned home apparently reconciled to. each other, and dined and slept as usual under their father's roof. The next day they again went out, ostensibly to shoot ; but the younger • brother, a lad of 18, still nourished a deadly resentment to Ms elder brother, a young man of 23, on account of the dispute of the preceding day, and upon a bird getting up; he deliberately levelled his Fun and aimed at his brother ; but only succeeding iu slightly wounding him in the side; he drew a pistol, and took a surer aim by shooting him in the back of the neck, and raising ,up part of the skin of the head. As soon as his brother had fallen this modern Cain fled into a neighbouring vineyard, where several contadini seized him, and, remonstrating with him upon this horrible conduct, told him that he would come to the galleys at last. To which he replied, with great defiance, "No, no, thank you; I shall never come to the galleys 1" drew another pistol from his pocket, and, opening his mouth, shot himself dead on the spot. The corpse of this unfortunate suicide and fratricide was left to blacken for many hours, unheeded, beneath the scorching rays of an Italian sun, while the wounded body of the elder brother was conveyed home to his father, who is said to have exclaimed on seeing it—not knowing the fate of his other son—" If that most unnatural wretch escape the gallows, it will not be my fault." His Lordship was heard the next day giving, with self-collectedness, a detailed account of this horrible affair at Fenzi's, ,the banker's, previously to his departure for Leghorn. .Meanwhile a council of some hours' duration was held at Lord Holland's, as to whether the suicide should be buiied in'consecrated ground or not ; it was at length decided that he should ; so accordingly, by torch-light, with 'no other, attendants but the clergyman and sexton, the body was consigned to the grave, and thus closed 'this fearful domestic tragedy, worthy of the Borgias and their times. ' The life of the wounded brother is still precarious.—Court .Journal.  AN IDIOT'S HAPPlNESS.—Barnaby's joyments were to walk and run, and leap, till he was tired; then to lie down in the long grass, or by the towing corn, or in the shade of some tall tree, looking upward at the lii,ht clouds as they floated over the blue surfacie, of the sky, an& listening. ,to• ttso lark as she poured out her brilliant song. There were wildflowers to pluck—the bright red poppy, the gentle harebell, the cowslip, and the rose. There were birds to swatch ; fish ; ants ; worms ; hares or rabbits, as they dashed across the distant pathway in the wood, and so were gone ; millions of living things to have an interest in, and lie in 'wait for, and clap hands and shout in memory of, when they had disappeared. In default of these, or when they wearied, there was the merry sunlight to hunt out, as it crept in aslant through • leaves and boughs of trees, and hid far down—deep, deep, in hollow places—like a silver pool, where nodding branches seemed to bathe and sport ; sweet scents of summer air breathing over fields of beans or clover ; the perfume of wet leaves or moss ; the life of waving trees, and shadows always changing. When these or any of them tired, or in excess of pleasing tempted him to shut his eyes, there was slumber in the midst of all these soft delights, with the genti.e wind murmuring like music in his ears, and everything around melting into one delicious dream. —Boz.  BREAD USED IN ENGLAND FOUR HUNDRED YEARS Aco.—lt would appear that bread of different degrees of fineness was used ; thus there is " bread purchased for the Countess" and " bread for the kitchen." Loaves or cakes made of bolted flour, and called " bole-tella," are twice mentioned, as well as " gas . . telli," cakes or wastels, perhaps. biscuits; on one occasion, half a quarter of flower is set down for pastry. It is reasonable to infer, that the bread generally used in the family was made of the grain called mystelon, a term yet in use at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and applied to a mixture of wheat and rye. As the dogs were fed on corn, it may be concluded that the servants fared no worse, at any rate there is no distinct notice of bread made of barley, oats, or the more inferior grain which were commonly used in France and other countries. It is not clear that, their bread was leavened with yeast, as that article occurs but once, and then in connection mith malt. The price of the quarter of wheat or rye varied from ss. to ss. Bd. ; of oats, from 2s. to 2s. 4d. ; twenty -five, however, were bought at Sandwich, at Is. 10d. When grain was brought from the Countess's mpnors, some of the prices were below' the average. The bililiff of Chalton was allowed ss. the quarter for wheat, -4s. for barley, and 2s. 4d. for oats; the bailiff of Braborne had 4s. 4d. for wheat, and is. 3d. for oats. The item which follows bread is wine, of which only two sorts are named in the early part of`the roll, red and white.' The wines drank in England during the thirteenth century came chiefly from Guienne ; others from the vineyards of Anjou, Aucerne, and Poitou. Gascon wine is not especially mentioned until towards the end of the document, in August, when that and the wine called Bastard became the general drink of the family, The term Bastard was given to all mixed and sweetened wines ; an English writer, however, who lived in the fifteenth century, reckons Bastard among those wines which were naturally sweet, and, therefore, unwholesome. It is called sweet wine in the roll. Little information is given as to the price of wine : we find that the sum of 9s. 2d. was .paid for twenty-twa.galllons—and_that two tuns Cost 31. Bs. Gd.—Manners and Household Expenses of 'England in the Thirteenth Century. .._  A