The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-14 00:00:00

LITERAT URE.
E 4DABLE BOOKS. illustrated.

Renry

Shilling volumes Vizetelly.
have by this time become familiar
uxuries with the population. The most eminent
Publishers of London have emulated each other in
producing works of standard value at a price such as
iPtaes them within the reach of the most moderate
.11,eume without any extraordinary deterioration,
theseith paper, in size, or in typography. Among
delightful results of competition between the
_Purveyors of literature must now be ranked—and
letiked in a position very far indeed from subordinate
—the series of volumes, now popularly known as the
reusable Books, profusely and some of them very
ileverly illustrated—published in Gough-square by
thisrY Vizetelly. Already there have appeared in
Way several works of a really remarkable cha-
racter. Five volumes have now been issued—and
three out of the five merit from their peculiar in-
to, rest and importance to be especially particularized.
oremost amongst these three in order and in singu-
larity was the book containing a selection from the
prose and poetical effusions of Edgar Allan Poe, one
°f the most gifted as he was also one of the most ill-
starred of the literary children of America. Under
the, title of " Tales of Mystery, Imagination, and
4lumour—and Poems," from the hand of Poe, many
an English reader was thus made acquainted with the
11;enderful stories, in the construction.and composi-
tion
iwhich thatl unfortunate and accomplished
roan__

Three fifths true genius, and two-fifths mere fudge"—
showed such marvellous and almost bewildering
etu teeesg: They found themselves thus enthralled
followingby the strange and astounding discovery of
buried l
d and jewels recounted in the " Golden
lheyl
as the English edition calls it, the " Gold
paused in rapt attention over the
unravelling of the tangled plot relating to what the
author not extravagantly designated the "Mystery of
Marie Roget." They marvelled over the subtlety
and yet simplicity of the detection of the " purloined
letter" regained from the public reception-room of the
statesman who held that missing document threaten-
ingly over the head of Marie Antoinette. They
hearkened in horror and amazement to the grizzly
narrative of the " Murders in the Rue Morgue," per-
petrated by—an Ourang-Outang! They read all
this and more perhaps for the first time—and if
for the first time certainly with mingled
wonder and admiration—and for the rare
gratification placed thus readily within their
reach they had to thank the enterprise of the
ißeadable Books published by Mr. Vizetelly. Within
that introductory instalment of the serial, moreover,
the subscribers became possessed of the musical
stanzas of " The Bells " and with the whole of that
strange
K poem of " The Raven," which will.perpetuate
" name of Poe, if nothing else does, and which has
to
a comparison in the range of modern literature. for
",,s`e,Paetic blending of genius and originality—with we
of
the one exception of " The Ancient Mariner "
"4,' Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Second among the
and
volumes we are here anxious to particularise,
4114 Stamping the series called Readable Books with
merit of superiority—was a selection from the
poll merit
writings of the Reverend Sydney Smith-
-114.1e of the wittiest of mortals—comprising several of
11.8 essays, several of his speeches, and the whole of
„13 celebrated " Letters of Peter Plymley." Both
"slue%e volumes, like the rest of the instalments of the
Pies Upon which it is gratifying to observe that Mr.
viit.eelly has adventured, and in the development of
eatich we hope to remark that he perse-
a eel were sprinkled very plentifully with
aion variety of neat wood - block illustra-
t,.
aa„' embellishments to Edgar Poe were, of
w'rse, with the exception of a little sketch of the
ear, purely imaginative. Those to Sydney Smith
in altogether different, as might have been expected,
~s_their character—consisting for the moat part of
Fretraits
of himself and his contemporaries—among
14,, latter George Canning, Spencer Perceval, and
e'etaria
tl Edgeworth. The subject of the volume re-
ye°y issUe3 from the press in continuation of this.
, 7 interesting undertaking, is one cont.ras.ti.n,
"ran 1
tub. ge Y and agreeably with the already dignified
formects of its predecessors. It gives in a popular_
qii a succinct and anecdotal history of "The Old
04 all" of the Great Napoleon. Sixteen engravings
to woos, illustrated the animated text of J. T. Head-
ta",--Pourtraying among other things and personages
like artillery of the Old Guard under Drouot, and
k,,,n;elses of Ney, "the Bravest of the Brave," and
.of
of ieeres—Commander of the Old Guard—Captamf
the favourite ph tenth legion of the modern Cmsar—leader
R,oalanx of the French Alexander. Ao
41) of the Old Guard shows us, together, the foot
7atee: ad ic r, the Chasseur, the Polish lancer, the Cuir. as:
Iwo: and the Mameluke—a group as historical as it is
lat'redlY picturesque. As was inevitable from the
11103' nature of the history described, the story reads
taarhelike the romance of some accomplished fabulist
mom the narrative of sober reality. At the present
of trut--when it is not wholly extravagant to dream
the Le Possibility of the Old Guards' re- organizAtion—
att_uook becomes, naturally enough, more than ever
litractive. When the southern provinces of France
Neegain resounding to the cries of Vive l'Empereur
eco3 leas than even idle to turn to the account of
I.l3°leou's warlike achievements. For the chapters
faderte upon the exploits of the " 0:d Guard" the
~. will esteem himself under peculiar obligations
lleadlam, as the subscribers to Readable Books
ttll4ll4t not fail to do under all circumstances to the
Ile and enterprise of Mr. Vizetelly.