The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-09 00:00:00

LITERATURE,

Popular Edition of Macaulay's History of England.
Part Four. Longman and Co.
This work, now being published in shilling
monthly parts, has already advanced so far
in its regular periodical issue as to have placed
within the hands of its multitude of purchasers, with
the present instalment, the completion of the First
Volume. That first volume, led off, it may be
remembered, with a brief, but deeply interesting
memoir of the Great Essayist—for with all our ad
miration for the marvellous beauties of his magnum
opus, he is far greater, in our estimation of his
genius, as an Essayist than as a Historian. After
the " Memoir of Lord Macaulay," there are here
comprised within the compass of very nearly four
hundred closely-printed double-columned pages (to
be precise, exactly 395 pages) the six opening chap-
ters of his enthralling narrative. First of all, there
is that magnificent Introduction, giving us within
less than one hundred of these pages the whole
survey of our national history ab initio down to
the epoch of the Restoration. Chapter fwo carries
the European annals down to the demise of Louis
the Fourteenth. Chapter Three gives that un-
paralleled epitome of the state of a great nation at
a memorable period in its history—showing us
what England was towards the close of the Reign
of the Second Charles, in regard to its revenue, its
population,. its agriculture, its commerce, its
capital, its country towns, its fashion, police, its
postal system, highways, hostelries, newspapers,
newsletters, literature, arts, sciences, wealth,
pauperism, morality, or rather, it should be said,
remembering what the epoch was—its immorality.
Chapter Four, beginning with the death of Charles
the Second, and ending with the introduction of
the bill for the removal of the attainder of Stafford,
relates, according to Macaulay's view of things, all
about Oates, about Baxter, and about Dangerfield.
Chapter Five contains within it, among many other
Macaulayan records of memorable incidents, the
account of the execution of Montrose, the account of
the Bloody Assizes, the account of the flight,
capture, and death of Monmouth. Chapter the
Sixth and last in volume one, opening with the
power of Jamas the Second atits height, closes with
the dismission of Rochester, with the dismission of
Clarendon, and with the fall of the Hydes. Altogether
a noble volume, rhetorically considered, or viewed,
let us say, as a great literary performance. But
as the work of a historian—according to our ap
preciation of it, about as free from party prejudices
and party predilections as though Lord Macaulay
had been really and truly what one of his cynical
depricators dubbed him, in a moment of excessive
indignation, no better than a great Whig Pam-
phleteer.

The Fast of the Cavaliers. New Edition. Bentley,
The new volume of Bentley's Popular Novels con-
tains the very romantic and interesting story of " The
Last of the CAvaliers." The chivalrous Grahame
of Claverhouse is here depicted with a happy
pencil, and the charming and loveable Alice Scott
will win the hearts of all who read her story. As
a felicitous specimen of the romance of history, this
story has been wise'..y selected for a popular edition.
It is embeliislied with two illustrations—" The
Challenge," and' Rejected Love."

Dr. Sieveking on Epilepsy. Second edition, revised
and enlarged. Churchill.
The recent appointment of Dr. Sieveking in the
household of the Prince of Wales may naturally
render any new work from his pen an object of par-
ticular attention. A very cursory examination of
his writings, however, will be a sufficient guarantee
that his official appointment is not due to Court
favour but to individual ability. His observations
are characterised by so much common sense and
practical wisdom that the un-professional reader
may learn much from his pages, while to the less ex-
perienced of his medical brethren his researches are
likely to prove of incalculable advantage. The disease
which forms the principal subject of this volume
is considered in all its symptoms and in all its
bearings, and very encouraging examples are given
of the beneficial efficacy of medical science and skill
in its ultimate cure. Some very useful and impor-
tant advice on general hygienic laws is given in
the last chapter. The forcing system in educational
training, so much in vogue in the present day, is
very wisely censured for its evil consequences in
after life. "A whole chapter on the moral manage-
ment of the nursery," says the Doctor, " might not
be out of place here, did it not occupy more space
than I can devote to the subject." He has said
enough, however, to afford ample and satisfactory
testimony that the medical supervision of the Royal
nursery at Marlborough House is in excellent
hands.

Dan to Beersheba; or, Northern and Southern
Friends. One Vol. pp. 336. Chapman and

Hall.

This is an interesting story of American life,
which relates the adventures of Sybil Fanning, a
Northern lady on her visit to some Southern friends.
The social life of North and South is brought into
vivid contrast, the author's sympathies being in-
clined to the former, and the horrors of slavery
occasionally darken the pages,

CASSELL'S SHAKSPERE TERCENTENARY POCKET
KEEPSAKE :—ln connection with their wonderful

Penny-a-week Illustrated Edition of the Dramatic
Works of Shakspere, new being issued in anticipa-
.. .

tion of the coming tercentenary anniversary of the
Poet's Birth (on the 23d of April, 1564, in the
upper room of the little old two-storied house at
Stratford-upon. Avon)—the Messrs. Cassell, Petter,
and Galpin have just now published this really ex-
quisite little bijou of a pocket keepsake. The design
of it, as a memento, is " to show the wonderful scope
which Shakspere affords for illustrating, by quota-
tion, almost every conceivable subject." This is
accomplished, readily enough, by accompanying each
of the facts recorded in the calendar of the twelve
months of 1864 with an appropriate quotation.
Opposite the pages of the months are— besides this—
(what is inestimable just now in such a pocket
keepsake) the very pick of the few reliable scraps
of information of which the world has any positive
knowledge in regard to Shafrspere. Opposite
January, for example, in one sufficient paragraph,
we are told all that there is to know about the name
of Shakspere. Opposite February—all about
Stratford-upon-Avon, his birthplace and his death-
place. And so on : opposite March—his Home :
April—his Birthday : May—his Boyhood : June—
his Marriage : July—his Wit : August—his Early
Editions: September—his Will : October—his
Monument : November—Tributes to his Genius :
December—the state of contemporary literature,
that is, of course, in the time of Shakspere. A
perfect Shaksperian Treasury, in fact, this little
Keepsake is, and one, moreover, that ishre
purchasable
by any one for a penny, twopence, o tepence,
accordingly as the said purchaser may care for it,
in gilt paper, gilt cloth, or gilt leather.
THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.—" Mark
Wylder'a Hand" is at last concluded. This story
has gone on for some time, and been a constant
feature of attraction in the pages of this magazine.
The conclusion is a very impressive one, and the
reader is almost bewildered by the succession of
startling changes that take place, "Wylder's Hand" at last
reveals his doom, and from his unhallowed grave tells of
his untimely end. This is a very ably delineated talc, on
the whole, and will doubtless be a favourite with the lovers
of the marvellous, There are many well sketched charac-
ters encountered in its course, and the discomfiture of the
lawyer will delight all who have watched his circuitous
road and his want of good feeling. The new story called
Yasley and its Neighbourhood" is continued, and pro-
mises to be interesting as it proceeds. There is a very
interesting article on "Lord, Lyndhurst," which will be
read with attention, and can afford some entertaining re-
miniscences to those who are pleased to discuss a great
man's career_when he has departed from amongst us,
It is said that Lord Lyndhuist would have been a more
successful man had he devoted himself more exclusively to
either politics or law, instead of endeavouriug to combine
them. " Their Majesty's Servants" affords us glimpses of
some histrionic celebrities, and is worth of notice. "The
Court of Frederic William" is rather a gloomy reminiscence
of that period; and " Etchings of the Confederacy" isa
spirited sketch of the South as it app-ars to us dulino•h
war. It is said that all we know of the Southerners tendsae
I to elevate our opinion of them, and to match their merits
"we must go back to the times of those ancient heroes