The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-04 00:00:00

.-....---.....-e-. -
a satisfactory view of. And that one, as it hap- hastening to London with his ill-gotten wealth, be
pencd, one that was hung very low down encounters in the railway carriage a Mr. St. Aar
namely Miss Bouvier's sweet little cluster who is represented as wholly a knave and partially
of —" Wood Violets," she calls them, for the a visionary, and who in that double capacity easilY
title applies, we take it, more to the pretty contrives to plunder and mystify the bewildered
little lassies who have been gathering those " rath and conscience-stricken Norman. Enough, low'
violets" than to the lovely flowers themselves. ever, of the details of this very extravagant plot.
Numerous pictures besides the few here We must mention, however, that it introduces tone
' mentioned claim our attention, of course. in a a young melodramatic Baron, Ernest of Dern-
collection numbering (with the water-colour eleugh, who is driven mad by a cruel stepfather:
drawings) upwards of one thousand. There were and Valeria de Romani, the romantic and" queenly
gorgeously coloured AI oolmers, reedy pellucid medium, and her passionate black slava Dinah,
country, brooks by Williams and Boddington, who claims to be her own sister. We have said
flowers, fruit, forest scenes, one ambitious scrip- nothing of the heroine Stella—she, in fact, pills a
taral scene, one oppressively " goody " picture of very secondary part in her own history, the real
an old grandsire, apparently in a very maudlin heroine being, after all, Rose Trellick, the farmer a
state, listening to " our pastor," as the latter reads daughter, for a time the companion of the Medium
to him, in the oddest attitude for reading, surely, Valeria. In one chapter where Rose, under the
than any visitor, lay or otherwise, could well choose. influence of a trance, is spell-bound, and compelled
Enough, however, when we have said this for the to follow and obey St. Aubyn, the writer, has
1 mere glimpse caught by us at the " private view" unintentionally, perhaps, introduced a very similar
lon Saturday. incident to that which befell Lilian, in " The

Strange Story" of Sic Bulwer Lytton. Mrs.
Bennett does not profess to be a believer in the
mysteries of the spirit. world. In fact she betrays
many of the secret contrivances of Valeria end
St. Aubyn, Nevertheless Rose is spirited await
as we have said, and many other impossible won-
ders are introduced in the course of this novel.
Had the authoress attempted a less elaborate and less
complicated composition she would, undoubtedly►
have achieved a greater success than " Stella" ca°
lay claim to.

THE ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA,

Our instant impression as to the brilliant success
achieved on Tuesday last by Mdlle. Lagrua upon
the occasion of that, her first, appearance before a
London audience as Norma, has since then been
fully and triumphantly confirmed by the great
soprano's double repetition of that same cha-
racter, namely, on Thursday and on Satur-
day. It is no pas;ing success, therefore, as we
felt satisfied upon the first impression would prove
to be the case, that we have, in this instance, had to
record. It is a resplendent and a secured victory
over immense difficulties—paramount among those
obstacles to Mdlle. Lagrua's triumph as Norma the
certainty there was before her of being brought into
comparison—it was feared (erroneously) into invi-
dious comparison—with her renowned predecessors,
one of them still her great popular contemporary
at the rival opera house : Madlle. Titiens, and that
perennial Queen of Song, "la Diva," as she is still
tenderly called be her hest of admirers, Madame
Grisi. The event has preyed, however, that
Mdlle. Lagrua need fear no comparison—even
in Norma. On Thursday, and again on
Saturday, the gifted prima donna elicited
from large and appreciative audiences at
the Royal Itali .n, still more earnest plaudits
than nose which greeted her impersonation of the
love-lorn Dcuidess upon the occasion of her first
performance. An advance of cordiality, on the
part of her audience at Covent Garden, attributable
probably to her own increasing confidence in this
fresh arena, for her, of victory over all competitors.
To-morrow evening, Mario's first appearance this
season—a first appearance delayed from Saturday,
the 2d, until Tuesday, the sth instant, by reason
of the remarkable success of Madlle. Lagrua as
Norma—will be enhanced in interest by tb.e Great
Tenor's then and there impersonating Massaniello.
On Thursday, both Madlle. Destinn and Signor
Wachtel will make their first appearance—not for
he season alone, but their first appearance at all,

Dakiel's Illustrated Arabian Nights.
Dalziel's Illustrated Vicar of TVakefield.
Which of these two splendidly embellished editions
to admire the most we know not. They have moro
than sustained the great promise with which they
commenced. The " Vicar"—only, as yet, in his
second number, and illustrated solely by the pencil
of G. J. Fin well—reflects the highest credit upon
the artist, to whose vivid fancy and skillful hand
the delineation of the scenes recounted by dear
Giver Goldsmith has been most judiciously en•
trusted. Here, do we not see poor, simple young
Moses ambling along on the colt, with the deal boa
before him, prudently prepared for the family gc"
curies ? Here, have we not vividly depicted the
detection of Mr. Burchell's villainy ? and
by no means as the least meritorious among the
particular engravings referred to, have We
not a capital limning of the good Vicar and Ills
womankind, musing wistfully over Moses' bargain
of the spectacles in the chagreen cases ? As for the
Arabian Nights, not one clever artist alone has been
engaged thereon, but several gifted artists therein
vie with each other in the work's embellishment'
Yonder is Sindbad making a saddle for the king--".
yonder is Sindbad braining the Oid Man of the Sea'
Here he sleeps on the raft—here he is freed Iron
the elephants. Now we behold the Fisherman
drawing his net—now the black man stealing the
apple. When completed, the two volumes will each
of them deserve resplendent treatment at the hand°
of the bookbinder.

before a London audience—in Verdi's 17 Trovatore :
Mario appearing for the first time these eight
years—and perfectly well do we remember his
doing so then—as Fernando, in La Favorita, of
Donizetti.

Curiosities of Savage Life. By James Greenwood'
Author of " Wild Sports of the World," Teo
Vols. First and Second Series. S. O. Becton. ,
specimens of Mr. Beeton's very effective illustrated
These two exceedingly handsome volumes are
happy editions of popular works. The " Curiosities
of Savage Life" are adorned with innumerable
woodcuts and designs by Mr. Harden Melville!,
and are, moreover, embellished with a variety
brilliantly-coloured pictures from water-coloar
drawings, by Messrs. Kepi and Huttula. The
letter-press narrative gives a glimpse of the Datil:
savage from his cradle to his grave. l'Ve behold
the Samoan baby, with its cap of stones compress'
ing its cranium to the desired beauty of a Flathead'
and we witness theilast dismal rites attending the ill:
terment of a Dahomean king, accompanied to
grave by a troop of willing living victims. 00
course the majority of the manners and custolll
described in these volumes have already, in sole
form or other, appeared before the European public'
but the various records of savage life are beef
grouped together in a very skilful and interestiaa
manner. A variety of anecdotes and adventures'
illustrative of native life, are opportunely illtrc
ducal, together with many Indian tales a°
legends.

a
Trairt.lo,
14

HER MAJESTY,

WINDSOR CASTLE, April Ys,i,
The Queen walked and drove in the grounds
morning, attended by Lady Augusta Stanley.
Prince Leopcld took a carriage drive.

April 3' g
The Bishop of Worcester and Sir Charles All
Lady Mary Wood arrived at the Castle yester(lolo,
Sir Charles and Lady Mary Wood had the 13°,1.
our of dining with the Queen, the King of the
gians, and the royal family.
Her Royal Highness Princess Helena, attee-,i
by Lady Caroline Barrington and Major Gel3°e4
Seymour, went to London yesterday and honelit-of
the performance at Covent Garden Theatre with'

presence. „e 0
The Quell, the King of the Belgians, P013:40
Helena, Princess Louise, Prince Leopold, Pop
Beatrice, and the Ladies and Gentlemen in Niraitioto
attended Divine service this morning in the priltbs
chapel. The Bishop of Worcester preached
sermon. .1

HER MAJESTY has passed through the priecirtie
streets of Windsor this week in an open carriage tbß
first time since her bereavement. A marked change 1611014
style of her Majesty's costume was noticeable.--""
Journal. to t 0
THE KING OF THE BELGIANS, according for
Court Journal, will shortly leave Windsor Castleolil
Buckingham Palace, where his Majesty will remai°
his departure for Belgium. 019
His Excellency the Belgian Minister 1,10
Madame Van de Weyer will return to the Belgian Legii,"
in Grosvenor-square either to-day or to-morrow, fronl
seat near Windsor. if 4
Prince Theodore of Tours and Taxis has or-

at Ciaridge's Hotel from Germany. 0):(
The Duke of St. Albans arrived in town °"
turday evening from visiting the Duke and DO-
as
Roxburghe, at Floors Castle, near Kelso. agree
Cardinal Wiseman has very courteousli
to deliver an oration on Shakspere early in June, '"
benefit of the Monument Fund.
The Duchess of Somerset and Lady Owl js
St. Maur, together with Lord Edward St. Maur wl," pc'
Ulrica Thynne, intend to prolong their sojourn
h I till the 13th inst.