The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-12 00:00:00

magnum opus amuse the multitude-tot-1
with the twin fictions of "Jack Hintori,the CIo
man," and "Tom Burke, off" Ours' "2--bi1ne..1.444
us acquainted with the Dub,o4rmenwho 'tossed
up for their " fare" directly lAkset foot on the
.1
shores of the emerald isle at I'rngston, as later on ;
with the whims and oddities of cross old Cornek,4
Delaney, or still better even with the fortunes of
the steeplechase depending on the wilful temper of
the high-nettled racer Moderideroo. Besides nu-
merous off-ventures in his literary career—such,
for example, as the little national story about " St.
Patrick's Eve" (written upon the model of the
Christmas narratives rendered popular by Boz's
immortal " Carol"), or such again, for instance, as
the lengthier memorial of the haps and mishaps of
queer, stout, old blundering "Arthur O'Leary"—
our novelist has advanced steadily and untiringly
with serial novel after novel, duly illustrated in
monthly numbers by the equally inexhaustible
Phiz—iioni de crayon of Hablot Knight Browne.
Introit acing us atter this fashion now to "The
O'Donogliue," now to the "Kni«ht of Gwvnne"
and his pliant friend Daly, now to " Roland
Cashel," now to " The Daltons," now to the "Dodd
Family" at Home and Abroad, and now again, as
we are just beginning to be so delightfully aware
in instalment after instalment to the latest groups
iu this numerous family of fictions, " The Martins
of Oro' nirtin." It would be difficult, not
to say injudicious, to express any decided
opinion as to the general merits and demerits of
the narrative here commenced by Mr. Lever,
without waiting yet awhile for its somewhat further
development. Enough if we venture to observe as
yet, that the work promises almost as largely as the
majority of its predecessors. Already we have
learnt to recognise, if not quite yet to admit into
the inner circle of our affections, the strange wild
Irish girl—Mary Martin—in character having
something analogous to that of Mr. Lever's own
" Baby Blake," and something reminding us too of
Sir Walter's " Di' Vernon," the brave and beau-
tiful. Martin himself, the lord of Cro' Martin, is
well depicted ; as also may be said of his lady wife,
the elegant, haughty, and insouciante. Maurice
Scanlan, moreover, is already a veritable creation
—the dapper attorney driving his tandem, to the
horror of his proud patron of Cro' Martin Castle.
Though the latest instalment of the fiction, the num-
ber (III.) for tie present month of February, we have
become rather more interested in the intermingling
fortunes of the low-born genius Joe Nelligan,
and of the high-born man of the world Jack Mas-
sing,bred—as well as in those of the wayward Mary
Martin, and of the gentle Catty Henderson. We
can almost foresee even now how Catty will, before
the end of the book, marry Joe Nelligan, and
Mary, perhaps, in like manner, become the spouse
of Jack Massingbred. About the most humorous
character already sketched upon the canvas
by the hand of our eminently pictorial fiction-
writer is that of Mrs. Nelligan, a sort of Irish Mrs.
Nickleby, who thus comments, at page r 5, over
the dearness of provisions, wken Joe calls the said
dearness a fact beyond denial :—" A 'very melan-
choly fact, my dear ; and so I said to Betty Gar-
gan yesterday. It's well for you,' said and
the likes of you, that use nothing but potatoes;
but think of us that have to pay sixpence a pound
for mutton, six-and-a-half for the prime pieces, and
veal not to be had under eightpence.' They talk
of the poor, indeed ! but sure they never suffer
from a rise in butchers' meat, and care nothing at
all what tea costs. I assure you I made the tears
come into her eyes with the way I described our
hardships." Besides the personages already men-
tioned as taking part in this story of " The Mar-
tins of Cro' Martin," there are already sundry
others worthy of mention, conspicuous among
them, Slimily Crow, the obscure, impoverished,
and threadbare artist enthusiast. Enough, how-
ever, yet awhile as to the incidents and characters
of the new serial story by Harry Lorrequer. Com-
menced as agreeably as these have been in the
three numbers already published, we shall watch
with interest the course of their gradual inter-
mixture and development.

History of Woman. By S. W. Fullom. 2 vols
Longman.
When we call to mind the influence which
woman has exercised in history, when we reflect
on the alterations and vicissitudes which have
affected her social position, and the various de-
grees of estimation in which she is even now re-
garded in different countries, we shall feel that her
history and " her connection with religion, civilisa-
tion, and domestic manners, from the earliest
period," is neither an uneventful nor an uninterest-
ing record. To be convinced of this we need but
to recal the names of a few of those heroines of
ancient history who have affected the fate of em-
pires or ruled the destines of nations, or shone in
the paths of learning or literature, or, better still,
have distinguished themselves by the exercise of
their more characteristic qualities by their self-
sacrifice, their devotion, or their endurance. The
darker side of the history, too, presents a no less
striking lilt. We may all remember some whose
names are rothoothered but to be denounced—who
have shown haw the fiercest passions, the most in-
, human cruelty, the most violent hatred and mali-
cious revenge, may transform the nat are of woman
into a rival of the most ferocious and unrelenting
tyrat.t. But the opportunity of displaying her
innate virtues was no sooner offered than embraced.
Women may remember with pride that it was in
them the New Faith, which exposed' its dis'el •Pl 1 •
to every iinaginable trouble and difficulty, fond
many of its earliest awl most steadfast supporters,.
Though through so many ages degraded and slighted,
women soon proved to the world how ill they had
judged who had regarded them as as inferior race,
and attested in the flames of martyrdom their devo-
tion, their constancy, and their faith. Whether
we .regard these heroines of later days or their pre-
decessors, Cleopatra, Zenobia, Semiramis, Boa-
dicea, or their successors Queen Elizabeth, Mar-
guerite of Valois, Maria Theresa, and her unfor-
tunate daughter, Mary of Scotland, Lady Jane
Grey, all of whom are mentioned in the present
volumes, we cannot fail to be interested and
attracted. Mr. Fullom has chiefly devoted his
volumes to the heroines of antiquity. They are
not, however, so much a succession of bio-
graphies as a general narrative of the position
and influence of woman in the various great
eras of history, though sketches of the most
remarkable lives are interspersed. In the intro-
ductory chapter on the antediluvian world the
author remarks that its inhabitants must no doubt
have attained a high degree of civilisation ; and if
we consider the changes and events which have
swept over our modern world during 2,000
years, we shall feel convinced that their progress
iu general knowledge must have been very groat.
He cites, however, as a proof of the true regard in
which women were held, that the names o only
five can be collected during a period of 20 centu-
ries. He traces their social position during the
patriarchal period, and in the Assyrian, Persian,
Grecian Roman, and Byzantine empires, during
the middle ages, the Tudor period, and the com-
prehensive epoch of " Latter days." He gives a
brief but graphic sketch, interwoven with accounts
of the most remarkable characters and events, and
gives rather a general than an elaborate sketch of
his subject. The work is likely to fascinate and
interest the reader, and let us hope that, haying
thus provided us with the outline and delineated
the celebrities of the ancient world, Mr. Fullom
will resume his task, and give us the history of
som© of those illustrious characters who have
adorned the pages of modern history.