The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

the Jew, but, adds Mr. Curzon, a Persian dealer
in Kirmaun shawls standing by ohserves, " By the
name of Ali, I am glad that the Jew hanged him-
self, but I am sorry he did not leave me the 200
piastres in his will." So does our humorist-tra-
veller chuckle over "ye manners and customs" of
the motley Orient population, as he saunters obser-
vantly among them, jotting down notes for
the " prenting " with a sense of the droll as
sly and dry as ever scrawled a grin upon
Hogarth's thumbnail ! It were superfluous,
however, to consider either the beauties or the
comicalities of this delightful book, seriatim et
literatim, sprinkled plentifully through it as they
are—yea, as plentifully as plums and candied peel
in a Christmas pudding. Scarcely less a matter of
supererogation would it be so to analyse the merits
and demerits of the volume recently given to us by
the same deft hand, and coloured into picturesque
life by the same skilled ability—the volatile de-
scriptive quite as luminously of a residence in
Armenia and a year's sojourn in Erzeroum as its
predecessor was of our author's far-famed visits to
the ancient monasteries of the Levant. Enough
for our present purpose if we commend Curz.on's
Armenia with the like unstinted cordiality with
which the heartiest eulogist could ever lip the
praises due to Curzon's Monasteries. Both are
books of a rare value to the lover of adventurous
travel and picturesque description—of a value as
difficult to estimate with anything like minute
accuracy as it would be to calculate that of a solid
ton of ambergris, or of an extended hill-side of
unflawed and unbroken malachite.

A Century of Acrostics. Sitnpkin, Marshall, dr Co.
This elegant little volume comes before us with
a strong title to consideration. We don't mean
the merit attributed to it of containing the first
series of acrostics which has appeared in a sepa-
rate form ; but the fact that its contents have
been composed in order to relieve the tedium con-
sequent on the author's deprivatien of sight. We
are the more gratified, therefore, on being able to
award it a considerable degree of approbation, be-
cause, however deplorable the fact of the author's
affliction may be, that were an insufficient reason
for us to aid in extending the tedium he experiences
to others. It is decidedly a clever little book, all
thinus considered, and turns the acrostic to really
useful account, the hundred it contains being writ-
ten on some of the most eminent names in litera-
ture, science, and art, down to the present time,
the whole, commencing with Homer, being chrono-
logically arranged with dates of birth, iitc. The
peculiarities and merits of many of the subjects are
very happily hit off in elegant verse, and in several
instances where exception may be taken the fault
lies mainly in the exigency of the restricted lines.
Among those most successfully delineating the
moderns are Burns, Burke, Dickens, Brougham,
Tennyson, and Macaulay. Singularly enough,
" the Lard Hamlet" is the subject of two acrostics;
and, after all, why should not the philosophic prince
of Shakspere be treated as a celebrity that has
moved and breathed, that moves and breathes,
indeed, in human form ? To thousands he
is less of an abstraction than his creator, the im-
mortal dramatist himself. We would rather take
exception to the introduction of Prince Albert,
who, though real enough, is somewhat imagina-
tively dealt with. Passing this by, however, we
have felt pleasure in the perusal of the work, a
pleasure greatly increased by the proofs it affords
not only of the writer's talent, but also of the
cheerful spirit in which he contends against his
• misfortune, evidenced in its healthy tone and the
puns lie perpetrates in it. We cordially recom-
mend the " Century of Acrostics" to the notice of
our readers.

My First Season,. By Beatrice Reynolds. Edited
by a the Author of " Counterparts." Smith,

Elder, and Co.
One of those books which will be welcomed in
most circles and be asked for at the libraries. The
heroine records in propria personce her experiences
in her " first season," prefacing the account with
a sketch of her early life. Until fourteen she haR
owed her desultory learning to her own fancy, and
her father, a studious clergyman and a widower's
tuition ; and afterwards her naturally vigourous
powers of mind are further strengthened by the
instructions of her cousin's tutor, a Pole of com-
manding abilities and character. Thus prepared
she enters on her first season, during which ample
scope is given by the author for the exercise of her
keen analytical powers on the folly, duplicity,
worldliness, or virtue of the characters introduced.
Some of these are sketched with masterly skill,
more especiaLly her chaperone, Lady Barres ; and
of the work generally we may say, to a neat and
vigorous succinctness of style are added the re-
sults of a keen. observation of character and much
independence of theaght—by one duly alive to
high and generous influences.

Blenham. By E. Elliott. W. and J. G. Cash.
An interesting story, founded on facts, and ex-
hibiting the iniquity of church-rates and the equity
of voluntaryism in religious matters in a forcible
manner. The hero and martyr is a sturdy and en-
lightened village smith, brought before the eccle-
siastical court, and cast into prison, where
contracts jail fever, and suffers otherwise in mi'ad,
body, and estate, for conscientiously refusiv,g to
pay a church-rate, and that, by thy way, iP,egally
levied, the result, though ultimately fats', to the
individual, being the virtual establishmei it in the
parish of the principle in vindication of which lie
suffered. lune work is characterised by a good deal
of fairness and moderation of tone, in comjnnetion
with not a little hard hitting, shrewd :reilec-ion,
and successful delineation, and is likely to conduce
to the spreaal of voluntaryism.

The Harper .Establishment. By Jaccb Abbott.
Harper and Brothers, New York.
One of " Harper's Story Books," in which a lucid
deAcripticin of the magnificent priuting establish-
men,t of the Messrs Harper, of New York, and the
mode in which the story books aie made, is given.
Those who wish to become acquainted with
the mysteries of composing, printing, Engraving,
marblivg, furnhhing, 87,-c., may consult them) pages
with advantage, while those who need no .nfora,a-
tiou on th• ese heads may learn annett,ing from the
admix:Ole arrangement of the establishment, and
the cm istructiou of the building, which is rendered
fire pr( of.

The Li yes of our Heroes in the Crimea. By Georgo

o Jamesthis FipeoLpi
popular
dr
A cl e pltidintieCwoo.rk, which
cannot he perused without emotion, so heroic are
most of the careers therein recorded. It i 3
but
Just, while creditable to Mr. Ryan, that
the chivalry of the humble subaltern should thus
be associated with that of his military superiors.
But 'how came the author, who has executed his
task .con amore, to omit such of the non-commis-
sioned officers and privates as have remarkably.dis-
tinctuis:led themselves in the same field ? In a
futureb edition this omission, it is to be desired, will
be supplied.

Lizzie Leigh, and other Tales. By the author of
_ _

44 yfary Varton. Chapman and Hall.
These tales, which have already appeared in
de gousehold Wo,-ds " and elsewhere, we have here
published in connection with the " Select Library
of Fiction," and which we do not hesitate to say
will be generally regarded as a most valuable
contribution. Among the tales associated with Lizzy
Leigh, that story of homely pathos, deepening to
tragic intensity, will be found " forton Hall,"
" The Heart of John Middleton," " The Nurse's
Story," " The Squire's Story," and the graphic
and amusing " Confessions of a Mr. Harrison,"
the whole forming a more than ordinarily bad.
nating volume of this cheap and startling series.

Was Lord Cevrdigan a Hero at Balaklava ? By
George Ryan. James Field and Co.
The author is of opinion his lordship was not,
and adduces startling reasons (ill or well founded)
for thinking so, at the same time challenging con-
tradiction with the utmost boldness. The inquiry
is taken from the guinea edition of the preceding
work, and contains remarkable additions.

The south of England
papers record numerous in•
stances of dinners, public and private, on the 20th inst.,
to celebrate the anniversary ofthe battle of the Alma.
TESTIMONIAL TO SIR CHARLES NAPIEL—A nume-
rously attended meeting,
object, was held last night at
convened by a committee ay-
pointed to carry out the
the Gordon Hotel, Covent-garden,
obtaining for the purpose of a
testimonial to Sir Charles Napier. Mr.
James Homes, who presided, adverted to the circum•
stances connected with the command of the Baltic fleet
by Sir Charles Napier, and his dismissal on return, and
contended that the Admiral had been goaded, vilified,
and misrepresented. Several gentlemen warmly de-
fended Sir Charles Napier, and called upon the meeting
not only to sympathise with him, but to express a dis.
approval of the mode in which the affairs of the Admi.
rally were managed. Resolutions were then adopted,
to the effect that, having carefully coiridered the facts
in connection with the dismissal of Sir Charles Napier
from the command of the Baltic fleet, and the imputa-
tions cast upon his character and conduct, the meeting
was of opinion that he bad been unjustly treated, and
was therefore determined to present to him a testimonial
both as an expression of their esteem and sympathy, and
as an evidence of the publio sense of right and wrong; that
the qualities exhibited by Sir Charles while in command
were those of sound judgment, firmness, and discretion,
whereby he had rendered great service to his country
and deserved their thanks and gratitude. It was also
determined that subscription lista should be opened
through Out the country, the amount of each individual
subscription being restricted to the sum of ls., in order
to see how widely the opinions expressed were glared.