The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-06 00:00:00

authenticity doubtless does, the minds of weak and
credulous persons, such as in the last generation would
have watched for coffins from the fire or windinesheets in
the candle. One thing is very evident, that education is at
a very low ebb in this uncanny spirit world, judging from
the caligraphy of the officiating mediums.

DUBLIN,—" General Garibaldi" is the subject of
the first article. It gives us a brief resume of some
of the most striking incidents in that remarkable
man's career, and will doubtless be attractive to the
large class of readers who wish to know as much as
possible of his doings, and like to study the chief
attributes of his character. " Madame George Sand's
Early Opinion of Herself" is a paler which is written with
care, and, while acknowledging the great talents displayed
by this remarkable woman, it justly condemns her want of
principle and exposes her want of faith. There is ono thing
to say in part extenuation of her strange ways and objec-
tionable opinions—hat her surroundings were very unfor-
tunate, and the influences to which she was subject were
not at all beneficial ones. S ill it seems rather effrontery
for one so situated to attempt to put the world to rights, and
to discourse so fluently on the bringing up of children, and
other matters which intimately concern the welfare of
society. As so much exaggeration has been employed in
discussing this writer's career, it is very desirable that some
one should take up the subject who deals with it in a calm
and moderate tone. " Yaxley and its Neighbourhood" is
continued at some length. It is a well-written story, and
is now approaching the climax of its interest. Mrs. Pilmer's
selfish and cunning plans seem likely to triumph, but before
the close of the tale it is most probable that she will come
to a sad termination of her unworthy attempts. Bessie is
naturally described in her levity, and little Lisette, as usual,
is quite an exception to the others, with her peaceful de-
meanour and thoroughly unselfish disposition. " Nineveh"
is a poem which describes that majestic spot, but it is
written in rather too heavy a style to be attractive to many;
though some of the thoughts are good and the ideas welt
expressed. " Orpheus' is a more ambitious attempt. The
first part here is given : it is melodious in its strain occa-
sionally, and well calculated to please the reader. "Ala Old
Irish Actor and his Times" recounts the adventures of
Thomas Dogget. It is interesting, and the man put before
us must have been no common character, " The Grand
Tour," in its fourth excursion, treats of the Court of Saxony.
This series of papers is worthy of notice, since they bring
various places before the reader who may not always have
time to study them in a more detailed form. "Notes on
Dante—Epic Poetry" will suit classic tastes; and two or
three other articles of interest complete the contents of this
number.
Dn. JOHN BROWN'S NEW CHAPTER OF GOSSIP,
—Under the odd title of " Jeems the Doorkeeper,"
the author of " Rib and his Friends" has another
of his delightful chats with us. He calls it by a
sub-title a lay sermon. He prefixes to it the
whimsicallest woodcut of a bottlenosed fellow, knife in
hand, round whose effigy we decipher the words—" `Full
oo ripp 'er up noo ?'' We needs must read on through the
twenty-three pages. Dr. John Brown has us fairly by the
buttonhole : and what is more, while listening to him we
never for an instant have a sense of feeling bored,
DALZIEL'S ILLUSTRATED VICAR OF WAKEFIELD
—in this third part for May—sustains its high
reputation. The artist, G. J. Pinwell, and the engravers,
the Brothers Dalziel, vie with each other. How success-
fully, the very first embellishment in the current number
before us will of itself sufficiently attest,
DALZIEL'S ILLUSTRATED ARABIAN NIGHTS EN-
TERTAINMENTS—Part V. of which is published with
the May magazines —we may speak yet more
highly of than of the Daiziel's Goldsmith just
particularised. Yet, while saying this, it should be borne
in mind that whereas the fancy of one clever artist alone is
called into play for the illustration of the Vicar of Wake-
field, several artists—two of them men of no less celebrity
than Mr. Millais and Mr. Tenniel—supply embellishments
to the Arabian Nights. The best of all the drawings this
month is the first, viz., that of Bedreddin Hassan and the
Pastrycook.
ARCHBISHOP TRENCH'S SERMON ON SHAKSPERE
—the sermon, that is to say, that was preached by
his grace in the parish church of Stratford.upon-
Avon, on Sunday, April 24, 1864, at the celebration
of the Tercentenary of Shakspere's birth—has been recently
published in the form of a shilling pamphlet of 20 pages, by
the Messrs. Macmillan. " Every Good Gift from Above"
is the suggestive and reverent title of it—a title hinted, of
course, by the text, which is from James, ch. i. v. 17. As a
memorial of the tercentenary celebration at Stratford, it
will be especially interesting, of course, to those who lis-
,ened to it.

LONDON SOCIETY.—There is as usual plenty o,
entertainment to be found under this sparkling
cover, and he must be a very critical reader who
cannot while away an hour very pleasantly over its
lively pages. The anecdotal memoirs of the London
Opera Directors are continued, and this instalment is en-
riched with four portraits. The fifth number of "The
Merchant Princes of England' is devoted to the Greshams
of London, of whom the City bears many a goodly token,
"Notes drawn on the Avon Bank for General Circulation,"
is, of course, a Shaksperian article, end one worth reading,
and is adorned with a very pretty illustration. " The
Ordeal for Wives," which is the chief story in this magazine,
proceeds with interest, and there is also an amusing, though
rather improbable sketch, entitled " How Charley Blake
went in for the Heiress," in which the gentleman met with
batter luck than he deserved. " Notes on Dress at a Fancy
Ball" discourse on the vagaries of costume, and "A Gossip
about Garden Games" is not inappropriate at this season.
There are several other articles of varying merits.
CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL.—This old established
favourite has lost none of its merits in the new
series, but has rather added to its attractions. The
part before us is chiefly remarkable for its Shak-
sperian Tercentenary number, which is the best of
the literary memorials of the poet which we have
seen. In the other numbers included in the monthly
part there is a great variety of reading. The story of
" Lost Sir Massingberd," which has attracted some notice,
is brought to a conclusion, which is certainly original.
" The Station Master's Daughter" is an exciting tale of the
sensation class, while " Mr. and Mrs. Rose's Party" is a
clever humorous paper. "The Becoming of Attorneys and
Solicitors" is a well written sketch, as is also " Dramatic
Failures" and " What it costs to See the 'World." There
are many other articles ranging from grave to gay, from
amusement to instruction, which tend to maintain the old
reputation of the Edinburgh Journal,
THE GALLERY OF GEOGRAPHY. By the Rev.
T. Milner, ALA.—This really beautiful and valu-
able work has reached its seventh number. It is
altogether of a character above ordinary serial pub
lications, the illustrations being really excellent. It
is styled, correctly enough, a pictorial and descriptive tour
of the world. The representatives of Marseilles and Cher-
bourg are very good. The frontispiece representing the
City of New York, is admirable, and Antwerp and Amster-
dam are also highly effective. We advise all who regard
geography as something more than a mere list of names to
place these numbers on the shelves of their library.
THE JOURNAL OF THE WORKHOUSE VISITING
SOCIETY. Longman.—The third report of the
Industrial Homo for Girls and the Home for In-
firm Women, opened some time since under the
auspices of Miss Twining, is the principal feature in this
number. It is very gratifying to find that these excellent
institutions have prospered as they deserve to do, and we
trust that there will be no lack of help forthcoming to on•
able them to extend their operations. There is the usual
amount of correspondence and general information on
workhouse matters. Oue fact, briefly stated, pleads forcibly
for the need of some kindly supervision of such establish-
ments. In the last 10 years, it is said, out of every 1,000
deaths in the city, no less than 145 occurred in workhouses ;
and this large proportion is not drawn exclusively from the
idle and dissolute climes, since half the deaths are among
five classes of persons—labourers, servants, and charwomen,
porters and messengers, and tailors and needlewomen—
thus including some of the most hardworking classes,
Such statistics speak for themselves.
"THE BRITISH ARMY REVIEW."—In the num-
ber for May, just now published with the maga
zines, we find the following excellent remarks in
regard to the extravagance of " Hero Worship" re-
cently evidenced towards Garibaldi. After remark-
ing it to have been in the writer's mind reasonable
" that he (Garibaldi) should receive the freedom of the
largest, wealthiest, and most influential city in the world ;
that ho should be idled and lionised ; that the nobility
of England should extend the hand of friendship to ono of
the finest of Nature's noblemen," the " British Army Re-
view" adds "but, we apprehend, when the present excite-
ment has somewhat subsided, that a reaction to a certain
extent will set in, and that sensible men will acknowledge
in calmer and more impassive moments that we have al-
lowed our feelings to carry us too far, and that it is neither
right nor proper to venerate Joseph Garibaldi as a God, or
to seek to ' kiss the hem of his garment,' as we are told, on
the authority of the daily papers, thousands sought to do
on his entry into London."
THE ROSE, THE SHAMROCK, AND THE THISTLE
MAGAZINE.—This magazine has a special claim on
our attention from the fact of its being issued from
the Caledonian Press in Edinburgh, and conse-
quently being eLtirely composed by females. Its
clear and excellent typography does honour to the fair cons
positors, and may safely compete with any serial issued
from a regular establishment. Its merits, however, are by
no means restricted to the actual letterpress, since its con-
tents are quite up to the average of aerial literature. Tht
present number has several interesting topics, among them
"The Life of the Countess of Nithsdale," famous for the
romantic escape of her husband through her means, and a
memoir of " An English Admiral of the Olden Time," Sir
John Berry, a distinguished naval commander of the 17th
century. The female photographer gives us a sensible