The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-01 00:00:00

summary of general knowledge to the reader,
concerning a dominion which exceeds thirty-five
degrees of latitude.

Bentley's Miscellany._" The Fall of liinburn"
is the opening subject In this miscellany. The par-
ticulars are by this time generally known, and there
is nothing very original in the comments. The
continuation of the editor's new story of " The
Spendthrift" follows. Only one chapter is given,
which relates the meeting of the hero with the
family of Sir Hugh Poynings at Bury St. Edmund's.
" Prosings' by Monkshood" is generally the most
interesting feature in the number. The criticisms
are written in a kindly spirit, and evidence con-
siderable talent. " Arthur Helps," the gifted and
original writer of " Friends in Council," " Com-
panions of my Solitude," &c., is the subject of the
present notice. It is less a criticism than a
series of extracts, the critic being more eager
to exhibit the author's opinions and argu-
ments than to display his own. " Ins and
Outs of Paris" is a brief notice of an American
work recently published under that title. It does
not appear to be anything more than the usual
series of anecdotes and sketches of French man-
ners and cooking. Dudley Costello contributes &
story for the lovers of the horrible, with the roman-
tic title of " The Roadside Inn at Champion," a
suitable title for so dismal a romance. A reader
.of very little experience such narratives will
readily conjecture that the inn is situated in a wild
and deserted spot—that a young traveller arrives
there one evening—is captivated by the land-
lord's beautiful daughter, and remains another
day, sending a letter, to his banker meanwhile--
that the beautiful daughter warns him not to
drink her father's wine, at the same time hint-
ing that travellers who come at night are sel-
dom seen in the morning—that he follows her
advice, that his hospitable landlord comes in and
tries to strangle him while feigning sleep, that the
daughter rushes in with some gendarmes to his
rescue, just in time to be shot by her father, by
mistake—that the landlord was arrested, that
seven skeletons were found in the cellar, and that
there was an end of the "Roadside Inn at Champ-
ion." This pathetic tale being concluded, the
reader is not sorry to come to the more lively nar-
rative of Mr. Shirley Brookes. " Aspen Court,"
though published in three volumes, has not yet
come to a conclusion in the pages of Bentley. The
two chapters which form the present instalment,
however, herald its speedy termination. A paper
entitled " The Steppe " gives a thorough descrip-
tion of that remarkable feature of the Russian domi-
nions. A summary of its geology, meteorology,
soil, agriculture, zoology, and vegetation is given.
They are divided by some writers into the eternal
steppes and the accidental steppes, the former being
natural deserts, with very thin soil, and the latter
those spaces which accident has converted into
wastes. The " Adventures of Benjamin Bobbin,
the Bagman," which appear interminable, are con-
tinued, and a " Sketch of Venice" concludes the
number.

Colburn.—The first paper in the New Monthly
is on the " Progress of Russia in Europe," which
subject having been sufficiently discussed we will
only say that it follows the phases of the Russian
empire during the last century and a half, that is
to say, since its first possession of any influence in
Europe. A lively paper on " French Almanacs for
1856" gives us several amusing extracts from them.
" Ensign Pepper's Letters from the Crimea"
are concluded, which is not much to be re-
gretted, as they had too much of the serious
realities in them to be merely amusing, and too
much vulgarity to be pathetic. "My Exile in
Siberia" gives a sketch of the life and adventures
of the writer of that remarkable work. Those
who have not perused M. Herzen's memoirs
will learn the comforts of a life iu Russia, when
suspected of liberal opinions, from this paper.
A sketch, entitled " Little Speculators," treats
of that mania which has darkened so many
lives and brought ruin and desolation to
many happy homes. A somewhat ambitious
poem, en titled " Se vastopol," is not at all striking.
Though of a considerable length it does not rise
above mediocrity. The " Occasional Notes of
French Literature " are continued. Cuvillier
Fleury is the subject of the present notice. "Stoke
Dottrell" progresses, with the enlivening incident
of a murder. The "Riding to the Tournament"
is a graceful and lively poem, though its meaning
is not very clear. "Millicent and Philip Crane "
is an old story, p!easingly told by the author of
" The Unholy Wish.' It is melincholy, as
all his stories are, and terminates sadly.
A gcsiip about "Modern Song Writers" contains
an interesting notice of our living English lyrists.
Due honour is rendered to Barry Cornwall, Thomas
Haynes Bayly, Charles Swain, and their com-
panions ; and among lady writers, to Eliza Cook,
Mary Howitt, Mrs. Norton, and Lady Dufferin.
It is justly observed that the reason why so few
lyrics are suitable for music is, that though the
words may come in, the accent falls in the wrong
place. The secret of successful song writing, we
are told, is the combination of a musical ear with
a poetic temperament. A curious tale from the
German is entitled "Death and the Doctor."
" The Eighteenth Century " is continued, and the
present instalment treats of the appalling subject of
the punishment of criminals. Well might London
in those days be called " The City of the Gallows!"
The number of executions for comparatively small
offences is perfectly frightful, while the tortures to
which the unfortunate victims who refused to con-
fess were subjected, is even worse. We have little
cause to boast of modern humanity when we find
that in 1735, a man was crushed to death for re-
fusing to confess a murder, and that, in 1742, the
torture of thumb-screws was applied at the Cam-
bridge assizes. J. E. Carpenter contributes one
of his pleasing lyrics.

Colburn's United Service.—" The War in the
East" meets as usual with an appropriate share of
editorial attention, and much useful information
and noticeable comment is to be found in connec-
tion with it. " The Services of Sir John Bur-
goyne," both in a civil and military capacity, are
ably vindicated, and in connection with this sub-
ject a paper on the " Earthworks and the Defence
of Sebastopol " may be read with advantage.
" Bessarabia, Nicolaieff, Oczakoff " are noticed in
a useful paper, and " A Visit to the Camp at
Helfaut" will repay perusal. Attention may also
be directed to an article on " Naval Cadets and
their Education," in which will be found many
sensible remarks, as well as to a leaf in the " Edi•
tor's Portfolio," in which General Simpson is ac-
quitted of mismanagement and want of forethought,
and sarcastic remarks are to be found on the
dis-
gusting affair at Wind or. Lord Harding°,
in the
latter, passes for Dame Quickley, and our brave
fellows in the Crimea are said to have reason to
exclaim " deliver us from Lord Ernest Vane.

The Law Magazine has an able and elaborate
article on " Limited Liability," in which telling
arguments are advanced against the unlimited lia-
bility of shareholders in joint-stock companies and
of sleeping partners in ordinary trading partner-
ships. In addition may bo noticed a paper on the
important subject of "Personal Protection acquired.
through Bankruptcy and Insolvency ;" and a bio-
ee
graphical sketch of Lord Lyndhurst, Whose career
is described as " a game of chess," and who a
Parallel drawl' between him and Lord Brougham--
at the conclusion, though given the precedence as a
lawyer, shows to less advantage than that public-
spirited nobleman in other capacities.

The Merchants' 3faga:;iite contains a number of
papers
of more or less value to the mercantile Com-
wunity. The questions, " flow are the War Ex-
penses
to be raised?" "ghat ought the Bank to
do ?" and "Is it right to conceal the Insolvency
of Bankers ?" are fairly discussed. The reply given
to the first is in effect " by loans ;" to the second,
" refuse discount accommodation with the decrease
of its means ;" and to the third, as a matter of
course, " No." Prussia, strangely enough, finds a
defender in the present number.

RAILWAYS ON ROADS.—The Lyons journals state that
there is some idea of establishing a network of railways_
on ordinary roads within the town, for the purpose of
connecting together the principal arteries of the place.
The fir,t line is to unite the Vaise station, on the. '.as
to Lyons line, with that of Perrache, on the Ide diter..
ranean Railway.
SALE OF LORD WATERFORD'S STUD.
quis of
stallions, hunters, &c., the property theof
Waterford, took place in the large
Catrrea adjoining bis
raghmore-house.
lordship's magnificent residence,
Mar The auction of
dL,y buyers from France,
egan to
From an early hour of the
England, and the severa ,
1 ck the extensive court-yard
a,semble, and before 12 0 c 0
A earance. At oneo'clock
;anthdenotbablelmesenwteore pfialrlteadk,
- ted a very animate. aPPietor
of
___
pmsen l counties in Ireland b
Curry in-
the noble and generous propr
which
magnificent luncheon was prepared in the
partake
dining-room of
vt,ii.ltee dt he assembled
the
ho gce:titrryt
were in abundance, of every variety
necessary
to add that his lordship's invitation was exten-
sively
necessary
accepted. The large room in a few minutes became
• '
so crowded that it was with difficulty many could at all
enter , • about 400 persons partook of luncheon. The sales
shortly after commenced, and the lots (66 in num-
ber) were disposed of at half-past five o'clock, the entire
amount realised being 7,0621. 10s. The yearlings sold
enormously high ; for instance, a bay colt, by Sea Horse,
brought 4001. ; another by the same sire, 300/. ; and a
bay filly by Magpie, 300 guineas. It was thought dur-
ing the day that M. Delkins attended on behalf of the
Emperor of the French, but it was afterwards knows e
that the party for whom he was purchasing :wosceti,
Count Raworoski, a Polish nobleman of sporting_
brit y. The count, we understand, has no fewer t4lla so
brood mares.