The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-02 00:00:00

BLACR'OOOD.—" The Fleet of the Fixture" is the
first subjtct that engages attention, and the im-
portant question is treated in an appropriate
manner. It is mentioned as a curious coincidence
that when the first sea voyage was made by a
steamer, Lord Palmerston was Secretary at War, and
that now, when our iron-clad leviathans are almost a fleet,
the same statesman is at the head of the Government. After
a careful analysis of the different modes of ship- building,
and the new discoveries in the way of attack and defence
which have recently engaged so large a share of public at-
tention, the writer concludes by urging the Government
to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself,
and not allow foreign nations to take the lead of us in
the adoption of the striking inventions of the day. There
is great sense in this advice, and no reason whatever to doubt
the truth of the concluding observation, that if our Govern.
ment will thus avail themselves of the chancey offered to
them, and " maintain the British navy in its traditional
position as the first navy in the world, the future history of
this country will contain records of achievements as bril-
liant and successes as decisive as the annals of the past dis-
close to us." " Tony Butler," is continued with some
spirit in this instalment. Not that the hero himself does
very much, but some other of the personages met with aro
very entertaining, and Maitland comes out strongly in
his arrogant self-assumption and impertinent foppishness.
The Commodore, with his vulgar brusqueness, is really
quite a relief. The style of living at Mrs. Maxwell's is
very aptly sketched, and we are shown how the excess of
freedom allowed to the guests provoked some of them to
tyrannise, and others to give themselves airs. " Louis
Napoleon as a General," is the subject of an article of some
and will doubtless attract considerable attention just
nove,when political affairs aro so momentous and the most far-
seeing are afraid to divine what will next occur, There aro
some striking remarks on the peculiar position which is
held by the French Emperor, which aro well. worthy of
attention. It is observed that " there is only ono man
living who knows what the feeling is of having the whole
civilised world intent on his words and gestures." Further
on the vast military resources of France are mentioned, and
a tribute to the zeal and efficiency which has constructed
this huge machine, " thus complete, it is moved by the will
of one man, and this it is which causes all nations, great
and small, to watch, as Swiss peasants might watch a
2oised avalanche, as villagers on the slopes of Vesuvius
watch the aspect of the volcano, the signs from which they
may divine the intentions of the French Emperor."
" Chronicles of Carlingford".brings the curate before us in
a sea of troubles, but he does not succeed in ending them,
although he offers the most vigorous and determined oppo-
sition to the attacks of those around him. Tho author is
fond of sketching very complicated situations for the heroes
and heroines of the tale to figure in, and Mr. Wentworth's
situation is about as unfortunate as any of the ill-fated
individuals previously sketched before us. Events are
approaching a climax in the little circle of Carlingford, and
the sad fate of the Misses Wodehouse ex3ite3 general pity
and indignation. Mr. Morgan's conduct is very ably
described, and the manner in which he takes up the affair
is likely enough, considering the prejudice he entertained
against Mr. Wentworth. The Perpetual Citrate oniy adds
another to the long list of victims, who are crushed by the
manoeuvres of the suspicious and envious. Thomas Wode-
house is a clever delineation of one of those selfish natures
who are continually working for their own ends, and care
not whom they offend, so long as they carry out their own
devices. "Cornelius O'Dowd upon Men and Women, and
other Things in General," is very well written, and afford
some lively sketches of divers adventures, and sundry
scraps of intelligence are imparted in a novel fashion. " A
Letter from Schleswig-Holstein" treats of the question of
the day, and animadverts upon the present course of
British foreign policy.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—The editor's story
proceeds with its usual animation, and chronicles
some of the vicissitudes in John Law's eventful
career. Love and finance divide the interest of the
story, and a whole crowd of characters and incidents
servo to gratify the reader who likes to watch an
historical panorama. Dudley Costello continues his story
of " Mr. Grimshavr" in his accustomed style, and the in-
defatigable Mrs. Bushby begins another tale. The editor
is determined not to spare his readers political discussions,
for " The American War" and " Denmark and the
Duchies" are both subjects of articles. Monkshood enters
upon a " typical consideration" of Mr. Micawber, and un-
fortunately finds only too many of his class in life as well as
in fiction. "At the Play" is the title of a pleasant notice
of our theatres as they now are; and the first part of the
narrative of a ramble among the peaks and dales of beau-
tiful Derbyshire, provides some agreeable reading.
'I'IIE NEw MONTHLY.—The many various aspects
of nature, animate and inanimate, in those African
wastes lately trodden by the foot of the adventurous
English explorer, have already given rise to a good
many essays and articles. In the New Monthly we
find a careful analysis of tho information we have
gained respecting the vegetation of that part of the world,
and the writer concludes by observing that from the new
and useful plants indigenous there, as well as from the rich
additions held out to floriculture, there is enough attraction
in the Lake districts of Eastern Africa to induce any hor-
ticultural or botanical association to send out a collector
and explorer on their own account. Sir Naihaniel discourses
of the fortunes and misfortunes of that hero of Highland
romance—Bonnie Prince Charlie. This writer is never
very original in his papers, but he has a whole tribe of
authors and authorities at his command, and he continues
to compile very readable papers. Sir J. E. Tennant's
" Story of the Guns" is the subject of an interesting notice,
and " The Last Aldenburgers" gives the outline of a his-
tory of some importance. Throe stories are going on in this
serial, none of which deserve very high praise. Of
"Strathmore" we need only say that in high-flown descrip-
tions, fervent love scenes, and questionable morality, it
eclipses " Granville de Vigne," its author's former pro-
duction.
FRABER.—A lengthened article on the " Congress
Correspondence," will attract the political reader in
opening this number. Those of literary tastes will
prefer to pass over M.Drouyn de L'huys's despatches
and Earl Russell's replies, to the ensuing paper,
"The Campaigner at Home," which discourses on
the various aspects of memorial poetry of which we have of
late years had several specimens. Dante's tribute to
Beatrice, Tennyson's "In Memoriam" and Mr. Woolmor's
" Beautiful Lady" are the most prominent of the memorial
works brought under consideration in this essay. It:is justly
observed that early death is usually one of the incentives
of these poems—a fact duly remembered by Edgar Poo in
his wonderful pourtrayal of the sorrow for " the rare and
radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore." Miss
Cobbe scarcely does justice to a well improved and sugges-
tive paper by calling it " Hades"—an unattractive title
whose meaning is not immediately perceptible. The essay
recapitulates the various beliefs current among
different nations respecting their future state.
" From the opposite ends of the earth," says
Miss Cobbe, " from remotest time till now, from
the Brahmin to the Greenlander, from the contemporary of
mammoth to the civilised man of to-day—all hare borne
the same testimony. The faith of immortality is written
on the heart of humanity. There is but one Hand which
could have engraved it there, and that Hand writes no
falsehoods." The account of "Village Life in Oudh" is
continued, and gives us some particulars respecting the
official programme to be observed at births, deaths, and
marriages. The weddings aro a most serious affair, and
their absurb ceremonials are productive of crime and disas-
ter, being the primary incentive to female infanticide, from
fear of the marriage expenses, The difficulty of dealing
with the deep-rooted and fanatical superstition of the people
in some parts is clearly demonstrated. " Jem Nash, the
dill boy," is a picture which, though highly coloured, is
unfortunately true to life in its leading features. The cruel
mistakes so often made by parents and teachers in con-
founding natural dulness with wilful inattention, or lazi-
ness, have produced much domestic mieery ; and irrepa-
rable mischief is sometimes done to a boy's subsequent
character and career by forcing upon him a lino of study for
which he is naturally unfitted, and in which ho is certain
to reap nothing but discomfiture and disgrace.
land tenure question," and other papers, are also worth
reading, though the number is hardly up to its usual
standard,
MACMILLAN.—The chief attraction in Jfaenallan
is still Mr. Henry Kingsley's tale of "The Hillyars
and the Burto'ne," The author appears to be draw-
ing the tangled threads of his story together, and
the plot is gradually thickening. As yet the reader
cannot unravel it, but doubtless before long he will
get a clue to the discovery of the double mystery which
links George Hillyar with James Burton and Reuben Bur-
ton with the hidden "pigeon fancier," whose advent cer-
tainly bodes no good. The " Competition Wallah" con-
tinues his letters from India, discussing this month the
views of what is styled the Anglo-Saxon Party. His
letters are generally characterised by good sense and shrewd-
ness, while he fully recognises the claims of the natives on
our consideration. Archibald Maclaren of the Oxford
Gymnasium contributes a very useful paper on Private
Schools for Boys. There is much sound sense in what he
says, and it would be well if parents paid a little more heed
to their children's physical training as well as anxiously
W g their mental advancement. A want of phreo-
logical knowledge is often the real cause of much apparent
unkindness or neglect, and the more the laws of health are