ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 395, 16 May 1849, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

The Royal Academy of Sciences at Stockholm has elected Sir John Rennie, and M. Elie de Beaumont a member of the French institute, foreign associates of its body. On the 29th of November, Lord Hardinge dined with the 50th regiment at Dover Castle, when his lordship presented a massive gold cup to the officers, the gift of his Royal Highness Prince Waldemar of Prussia. Colonel Petit acted as chairman, and was supported on his right by the guest of the evening, Lord Hardinge, and on his left by E. R. Rice, M.P. for Dover. A partial shock of an earthquake was felt in various parts of Dover in the month of November last. Cruikshank's plates on the " Bottle and Drunkard's Children," will soon be familiar as "household woids." The Sunderland Pottery Company has purchased the copyright and has brought out copies of these plates in splendid style upon articles of earthenware. Dr. Reynold's, the Liverpool pike-seller, has arrived safely in America, Twenty -six hunting establishments have been given up in the south of Ireland, owing to the poverty of their owners. 'The Sliqo Journal says, we happen to know a clergsman in Leitrim who has been l-eceiving out- door relicf — two gentlemen, one a captain of militia ; the other having property of £600 or £700 per annum, being now reduced to pauperism in an adjoining county, having been for years defrauded by his tenantry Another sad instance of reverse of fortune and station is that of a ladycandidate as inmate of the workhouse — this melancholy victim of fortune's frowns is sister of a gentleman once possessed of property amounting to £5000 a year. Mr. Macauley had accepted the rectorship of the University of Glasgow, — and announced his intention of visiting that city at the commencement of the new year; for the purpose of being installed. The Senatusof King's College, Aberdeen, have unanimously re-elected the Earl ofEUesmere as Lord Rector of the University. General Lamoriciere, Minister of War, had submitted to the National Assembly his plan for the re -organization of the army in 1849. He stated that he would reduce its effective force from- 5 60,000 men to 292,000 men, namely/ 155,000 iniantry, 55,000 cavalry, 28,000 artillery, 6000 engineers, &c. The remainder were to be sent to their homes, but at certain periods, to be hereafter fixed, they should assemble at the chief towns of the cantons, to be exercised and drilled by the officers and non-commissioned offipers of the 3rd battalion, which would also be employed in organising and instructing the mov'eable National Guards. The army thus organised, would only cost 270^000,000f: and the saving obtained would amount to 160,000,000f. annually.' The plan of the Minister was most favouraj bjy % received, and in conclusion he announ»u' fi '"• ' ' ' ' ■'■-,--'-•-

ced that he would shortly hring forward two projects of a decree relative to the organisation of the moveable National Guards, and the new mode of recruiting the army.

PUBLISHEUS AND AUTHORS. Some of our most approved standard works went begging from publisher to publisher, and were only accepted by a sort of accilent at last. Prideaux's Connexion between the Old and New Testament was for instance, banded from band to hand, between five or six booksellers, for two years. B^ one publisher the author was gravely told " that the subject was dry ; it should be enlivened with a little humour." At last Echard recommended it to Tonson. Robinson Crusoe, it is well known, ran through the whole trade ; finally, a bookseller, more knowing than his brethren, published it, and realised a thousand pounds from it. Iristram Shandy was offered by Sterne to a bookseller for filty pounds, and was rejected ; Dodsley eventually published it. The public, too, were ofuimes as s'upid as the publishers. For instance, the Rot-ciad was perfectly unsuccessful at first ; only ten copies were sold in five days : at length Garrick, finding his own praises in it, patronised it, and then Churchill reaped a harvest from its sale. Gray's Ode on Eton C ollege, according to Warion, excited very little attention. What may surprise some people still more is that Blairs Sermons were refused by Stra! an the publisher. To turn lo another class of works. Burn's Justice was sold by its author for a small sum, for he was weary, as he declared, of importuning booksellers to buy it ; it now realises an annual income. Buchan's Domestic Medicine was purchased for five pounds. In light literature the author was also sacrificed to his own penury and eagerness, and to thp blindness or cupidity of the publisher. Miss Burneys Evelina', all the world can remember, sold for five pounds ; 7 he Wanderer, by Savage, produced only tui ; .The Vicir of Wakefield was purchased, it is true, for the sum of sixty gui >eas, but it gained not thaf success until thp Traveller had made its author's name famous. The narrow escape which Fielding had of selling Tom Jones for an " old song," must not be omitted. , He had disposed of the cop\wtight of that work for twenty-five pounds, when in great distress. Thompson, however, happening to see the manuscript, advised his friend to get rid of his bargain, promising to introduce the novelist to Andrew Millar, the eminent publisher. Accordingly, Millar and Fielding met at a tavern. " Mr. Fielding," said the publisher, " I a'ways determinp on affairs of this soit at once." He paused — the heart of the author sank. Mr. Millar resumed :" I cannot offer more than two hundred pounds for your woik." " Two hundred pounds !" cried the delighted Fielding; and ushing from his chair he shook the publisher by the hand, then turning to the bell, summoned the waiter, and ordered two more bottles of wine. Alas poor Fielding ! there was no saving that ill-starred, ill-condi-tioned, but most interesting man, from ruin. The independence of Fielding was of s-hort duration ; eventually he borrowed upon his works five hundred pounds from Millar, a sum which that generous man cancelled in his will. One sickens ov r these details, which bring to mind the heartache of many a true gpnius, the disappointment, the degradation, of despair. We daie not dilate on modern days, one trait of which will perhaps suffice. I he Pleasures of Hope were refused by every publisher of London and Edinburgh, and were published on condition that the author should be content with the sum of ten pounds only, and that not until a second edition had appeared. — Frasers Magazine for October.