The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-16 00:00:00

LIIBRATURE.

English Writers. The Writers before Chaucer, with
an introductory s:etch of the Four Periods of
English Literatur,. By Henry Morley. One
vol., pp., 778. Chipman and Hall.
Mr. Morley has uldertaken an ambitious task.
He has, as he reminds us, attempted to tell " with
something of the sus,ained iaterest of national bio-
graphy, the story of the English mind. When the
first pages were written" he goes on say, " it seemed
possible to do this by illustrating main principles
with little regard to completeness of detail. But
detail is the life-blood of all healthy generalization,
and it was soon food that more blood must run
through the body of the story if there was to be
any force at all in the expression of its character.
To a larger scale therefore the work has now been
planned, but it will be strictly limited to three
volumes, each complete in itself, with an Index."
The large and elaborate scale on which the work
was ultimately alanncd is evidenced by the goodly
volume now before us, in which after 700 pages of
minute analysis and cireful research we only arrive
at last at Chaucer, the father of English verse.
Truly Mr. Morley with an over attention to detail
has fallen into the error of so many historians and
narrators who, deeply impressed with the importance
of the theme on which they are
engaged, think it
necessary to begin as the saying is even " before
the beginning." The sire and elaboration of this
work will, we are inclined to think, deter many
from undertaking a close scrutiny of its pages ;
those who venture to do so will admire the pa-
tience, and perseverance, and editorial discrimina-
tion of which it affords such praiseworthy evidence.
As a work of referencefor the book-selves it will be
found invaluable, while the two following volumes
which are promised will of necessity possess greater
attractiveness for the- general reader than can be
claimed for these introductory chapters. Mr. Morley
returns thanks to his fellovy-studeats in the evening
classes at King's College, who, representing " the
quick-witted intelligence of the great middle -class
of English society, bring unflagging energy to
studies of their choice." In all his deep and widely.
diffused investigations, 11r. Morley recognises in
the writers of the past, even in periods of remote
antiquity, the English miad predominant through
all our literature. His own 'work is in itself a his
tory and an evidence of sone of the noblest charac
teristics of the theme of wiich it relates.

A Box for the Season : A Sporting Sketch. By
Charles Clarke, author o! " Charlie Thornhill"
Two Vols. Chapman and Hall.
The lovers of sport, especially of steeple-chasing.
cannot do better than avail themselves of Mr. Tom
Crackenthorpe's agreeable invitation to share with
him in the perils and pleasures of his sporting box
at Lushenham Chateau, in the neighbourhood of
Pumpington, which he has taken for the season,
having selected a locality famous for " the biggest
fences, the widest brook, the largest grass field, and
the sloshiest mud in the kingdom." To this happy
resort Tom Ceackeatborpe and hie fides achates
Bobby Munster gladly welcome all comers. We
cannot say that the story of which these
gentlemen are the heroes, possesses any very
absorbing or concentrated interest, or that it is
written in a style cf particular elegance; but it
abounds with life and animal spirits, will provoke
many a hearty laugh, and among the natastrophe3
of its closing chapters includes a happy marriage of
a supposed heiress—a marriage which " was very
like an Armstrong shell : for it disabled the couple
itself, two fathers, a mother, several sisters, and an
indiscriminate phalanx of money-lending Jews.''
The chateau at Lushenham has passed into other
hands, but we are glad to learn that it continues to
this day the pleasantest Bachelor's Box in the
county.

The Smuggler Chief. By Gustave Aimard, Two
Vols. John Maxwell and Co., Fieet•street.

The translator of M, Aimard's story, " The
Smuggler Chief," in his preface tells us, " That if
there has been any fault In the author's previous
works it is that the ladies introduced are too subor-
dinate, but in the present tale the primary interest
hinges upon them, and they are the most prominent
characters." Wo canna: for our part but regret
that M. Aimard did not place his heroines of the
book under review, in the same unattractive and
subordinate position as toe female characters in his
other works, for we should not in that case bs scan
dalized by the want of modesty of Inez and
Maria, and shocked by the indecency of the scenes
in which they are unwillingly compelled to bear a
part. The incidents recounted in "The Smuggler
Chiet" are irreconcilealqe with all probability, and
the growth of the frieedship which has sprung up
between Diego and Lean, from the accident of the
latter having rescued the former from the fangs of
a panther which had overpowered him, is accounted
for in a manner quite inconsistent with Diego's own
subsequent account of his previous mode of exist-
ence for many years before; he had been a spy,
sent by,his people to Swell amongst the Spaniards
to ascertain the nature of their tactics, the strength
of their armies and fortresses, and thus discover the
best means of attacking and overthrowing their
power ; but our author tells us, forgetting
all this, that Diego's
unbounded affection
for his friend arose frothself-
denial of virgin tatures Whom the narrow
The sublime
civilisation of towns has not degraded." Why
"
Diego, who turns Ott to be the most powerful, and
talented, of the
Indian chiefs, should be called a
" half-caste" we are at a loss to discover; and still
more are we surprised that a merciless savage, such
as he is represented to be, should have so often
spared Leon, who tot only taunted him with his
crimes, but baulked him of his revenge when he
was completely in ais power. " I believed you to
be a man of heart, and you are a precious brute,"
exclaimed Leon, "I no longer hate you, I despise
you. .... I curse you, and I swear by the ashes
of my mother, that if you let me leave this place,
" "
my vengeance shall pursue you ;
you will ever find
me on your road, ready to fight you, and overthrow
your plans." 2fotwithstanding this declarat ion
of hostility Leon is allowed to leave the Indian
camp, where he had come without protection, and
when " the friends" meet
again, it is in the
shock of arms, at the sack of Santiago, where
Diego, covered with blood, and fighting like a de-
mon, has emote down the brother of Leon's mis-
tress with a blow of his axe, and is about to de-
spstch him. "A t last,' he said. At the same
moment he received a violent blow,
and he fell
back blaspheming. He rose with lightening speed,
and saw Leon Delbes before him, who had rolled
him in the dust by dashing his horse's chest at him.
6' Oh," exclaimed the Indian, as he let his axe fall,
"always he between this family and me." And
then the clemency seems all on the side of Leon,
who, knowing that Diego had dishonoured his in-
tended sister-in-law, would quietly have allowed
the unrelenting enemy of all he holds dear to depart,
at the very moment when his destruction would
have secured victory to the which on he fought,
were it not for the interposition of one of his fol-
lowers, who shot hick dead. Some portions of this
book are graphically written, and the author seems
to be intimately acqnainted with the habits and
manners of the South American Indians; but it is
perusal
absolutely unfit for the of pure-minded
persons, and we cantot but regret that at a time
when our own light literature teems with immo-
rality, an English gentleman should have added to
our stock of mischielous productions, by borrowing
from the French.

THE CASE OF SUSPECTED POISONING AT STOKE
NSWINGTON.—Last etening, the inquest on the body
of Mr. Joseph Hankin, exhumed in Abney Park Cemetery
last week after being inerred for several months, was re-
sumed at Stoke Nowingten. It may be remembered that,
in consequence of the disappearance of some money belong-
ing to nankin after hie dmth, the subsequent claiming of
some of it at the bank, aid other circumstances, the rela-
tions of deceased became suspicious of the pople with
whom he had lodged, andhad the body exhumed. A post-
mortem examination resutcd in the discovery that a part
of the intestines of the deceased presented an unusually
yellow appearance, and it was decided that Dr. Letheby
should make an analysis. yesterday it was announced that
Dr. Letheby was not yet prepared to give evidence, and the
inquiry Was accordingly adourned again.