The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-30 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Philip Courtenan ; or, Scenes at Home and
Abroad. By Lord William Lennox. 3 vols.

.urst and Blackett.

There is nothing very original in this work either
in plot or character, but a variety of amusing anec-
dotes are interpolated in the course of the narra-
tive, and some interesting descriptions of scenery
are given, especially in the part relating to Ame-
rica. The hero is a very wild, careless, thoughtless
young man, who rushes after every scheme and
pleasure he fancies, without considering its conse-
quence or result. After a very retired youth, passed
in a lonely country house with his tutor, Philip
Courtenay entered the army. Here his life soon
changed, and after a very short time he mixed
himself up in a quarrel with a very disagreeable
person, and fought a duel in which he was vic-
torious. This circumstance soon made him popu-
lar in the regiment, for Lieut. Chudde was disliked
for his own sake, and also for being the friend and
ally of Major Prout, the terror and disgust of every
one. After a short time the scene changes
to America, and here the hero passed a most
delightful time in exploring the wonder of the
Northern States. A characteristic anecdote of
American assurance is related in the description of
the Falls of Niagara. An Italian traveller ex-
claimed with enthusiasm, " You have no delights
in America that we have in Italy; we have there
the beautiful sky, the exquisite landscape; we have
there Vesuvius, that sends its fire to the heavens."
The Yankee was very indignant at this. He turned
to the Southerner, and with impatience replied,
" Vesuvius Vesuvius, why, we've got a Niagara,
and that will put her out in less than five minutes."
The most pleasing part of the story, is that which
passes in the New %V orld. After Courtenay's return,
be essays to make himself famous in the sporting
line, but all his efforts result in getting himself in
possession of bad horses, which he sells at about a
fourth of the price which he has purchased them
fur. He went to Ireland, after some time, and
new misfortunes came upon him, for he ran away
with the daughter of an Irish squire, thereby mor-
tally offending his parents, and after having sold b is
commission, and sacrificed his prospects forler sake,
Kate O'Crokon ran away while he was on a visit to
his father, who had at last relented. Tho partner of
her flight was Walsingham, who had known her
before marriage, and whom Philip had very im-
prudently allowed to domesticate himself at their
little cottage. After many stormy scenes, and
several extraordinary adventures, the unfortunate
Kate died ; and Philip, having renovated himself
by foreign travel, returned to his friends. He met
Ellen Ramsay, the daughter of an old friend of his
father's, to whom he had been attached in early
life, and who he had been erroneously informed
was married while he was in America. He was
delighted to find out his mistake, and Ellen having
never changed in her feelings since they had parted,
Courtenay was again induced to enter into matri-
monial engagements. The conclusion leaves them
happy, which, considering the very imprudent
course of the hero, is a consummation he had
hardly a right to expect.

Evelyn Lascelles. Edited by Julia Addison,
author of " The Curate of Wildniere," &e.
3 vols. Newby.
This is a clever and interesting work, and displays
considerable ability in its author. it is the auto-
biography of a young girl gifted with great powers
of mind, joined to a gentle and feminine disposition,
and recounts the lights and shadows that sbequsred
her course in life. Her great ambition was to be a
successful authoress, which hope was realised,
though at the expense of another, which had be-
come still dearer. Her literary adventures, how-
ever, occupy but a small part of the story, although
they exercise a powerful influence on her destiny.
She is engaged to a Mr. Devereux, to whom she is
deeply attached, though he is of a haughty and
gloomy disposition, and has an imperious and ex-
acting temper. He had killed a friend in a duel,
through a misunderstanding which was explained
too late, and r( morse for this had rendered him
miserable. Added to this, his natural suspicion
and jealousy were increased by the treachery of
his early love, Lady Clara, who, a short time be-
fore the period fixed for their marriage, was mar-
ried to another—one who had been an early friend
of Devereux's, though unaware of his engagement.
It was this friend whom he killed, aud, after this
double misfortune, he became gloomy and unsocial,
taking no part in the duties and pleasures of life
until he met Evelyn Lascelles, whose original and
attractive character soon awoke his interest. But
his devotion to her did not make him less jealous
and exacting. He had a strong aversion to literary
women, and Evelyn, knowing this prejudice, did
not tell him of her favourite pursuits till one day,
when he was admiring a new work, she told him
she was the author. His conduct is hardly natural.
Had he really loved Evelyn as deeply as we are
told it is difficult to believe he would have ad-
dressed her in such terms. Their engagement is
broken off, but, we are sorry to say, by him. Had
Evelyn possessed proper spirit and self-respect
she would never have given him the opportunity
of waiting some days, and then calmly informing
her that they must take " an eternal farewell."
The heroine does not enlist our sympathies in this
case ; she is too gentle and yielding. However,
Mr. Devereux excites them still less, for his con-
duct is simply ridiculous. He is subsequently
married to Lady Clara Arundel, who did not
know he was the cause of her husband's death.
He is induced to do this by a promise he had made
to the dying man, and her sudden loss of fortune ;
but if he did so with the idea of reparation he quite
failed, for he makes her wretched by his coldnessand
tyranny. Through the influence of Evelyn they are
at length reconciled and are happy, though but for
a short time. Devereux's sudden death puts an
end to their happiness, and closes a life in which
with great talents and opportunities, deep feelings
and a singular faculty of winning affection, he con-
trived to make himself and every one round him
wretched. Evelyn, meanwhile, has rejected the
affection of one far superior to Devereux. We are
given to understand, however, at the end that they
are eventually married. This is the mere outline
of the story. There are numerous other characters
and incidents. The interest is well sustained
throughout, and the style, is lively and agreeable,
though in some places rather abrupt. The conclu-
sion is rather confused, and throughout the work
there are two many narrow escapes from death,
and of attacks of violent illness, &c. The authoress
need not descend to such manoeuvres to render her
works exciting, as she is quite capable of arousing
the reader's interest without them. Some of the
ideas are original and striking; and the story will
prove an acquisition to readers of fiction.

The National Review.—The first number of a
new and not unpromising aspirant for popular
favour. " Administrative Reform "is the subject
selected for the opening article, the writer under-
taking to point out what is " just and unjust in
the popular discontent." While approving of the
general objects of the movement, so far as securing
the appointment of competent persons to public
offices and the proper discharge of their duties go,
he denies that all could be set right by a trans-
ference of public functions either into Tory or ex-
clusively middle-class hands. Corruption and in-
capacity, in his opinion, do not reign so supreme
as is supposed among the present or habitual pos.
sessors of official power, who are, however, chargeable
with ignorance of men and want of moral courage ;
the nation, on the other hand, being to blame for
an injudicious parsimony in relation to its humble
servants, which aids and aggravates the preceding
evils. Bell's edition of " Cowper's Poems " has
suggested an able article, in which the history,
works, and genius of the gifted poet pass under re-
view. " The Novels and Poems of the Rev. C.
Kingsley" subsequently meet with a laudatory, but
discriminating notice. Among the remaining
papers will be found a thoughtful article on " In-
ternational Duties, and the present Crisis," in
which the propriety of handing over the Crimea
(when we get it) to the keeping of our Sardinian
ally, and of evoking the Polish element to our aid
now that Austria has forsaken us, is pointed out.

The Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of
England maintains its claims on the agricultural
interest—the same ability and variety being ob-
servable in its contents that established it.

Whom shall we Rang ? James Ridgway.—
This somewhat startling question has not inaptly
been answered by the Times, which suggested " the
author." The pamphlet may be described as an
impudent attempt to whitewash the sepulchres of
the members of the Aberdeen Administration more
immediately connected with the war, at the cost of
truth and reason. The Duke of Newcastle, who
deserved least, and suffered most, has no reason to
feel grateful to this Jack Ketch for his advocacy.

The Assurance Magazine. Charles and Edward
Layton.—The system of adecimal coinage forms the
subject of two papers, in the latter of which, embrac-
ine, answers to fallacies on the subject, the writer,
Mr. Brown, M.P., urges the speedy adoption of
the facilities we already possess fora decimal coin-
age, as be conceives nothing can be gained by wait-
ing upon the chance of further changes in France
or other countries. Among the remaining contri-
butions are original tables, a useful paper on the
value of Government securities, and a curious one
on "The Analogous Results of the Operation of the
Human Will."