The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-22 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

LONDON AND BIRMINGHAIII RAILWAY.

Tilt, London, 1839.

This volume is well timed, and will be read with
pleasure by those who take an interest in the origin,
progress, and completion of; what the author very
justly calls, " The greatest public work ever executed,
either in ancient or modern times." It describes the
entire course of the London and Birmingham Railway,
together with the home and country scenes on each side
of the Line, including sketches of Kenilworth, Lea-
mington, Warwick, Guy's Cliff, Stratford, and several
other places. The Plates illustrative of these various
scenes are eighteen in number, and are for the most
part finished with the same care that we see displayed
in the best Annuals of the day. Among the best, are
the sketches of the " Entrance to the Railway Station
at Euston-square," the " Viaduct over the River
Colne," and the " Sherborne Viaduct near Coventry."
The literary department of the volume is executed by
Mr. Thomas Roscoe, and enters into several interesting
details respecting the progress of the Railway. To
enhance the value of the work, which we should ob-
serve is got up with remarkable neatness—there is an
excellent map of the whole line of road from London
to Birmingham.

THE FERGUSONS. 2 VoLs.
Colburn, London, 1838.
Though avowedly a tale of fashionable life, the Fer-
gusons is far from insipid or monotonous—as is almost
invariably the case with such tales—in the first place,
because the incidents, which are numerous, and well
put together, are each of a sufficiently exciting charac-
ter ; and, secondly, because the characters have an in-
dividuality about them that never fails to beget an in-
terest in the mind of the reader. But the great recom-
mendation of the tale is the good taste that pervades it
throughout. There is no affectation of fine writing, or
wire-drawn enthusiasm ; no exaggerated praises of high
life, or elaborate comments upon dress, and the art of
dining out—matters of such all-engrossing importance
in the eyes of the great vulgar as well as the small ; the
author describes scenes and pourtrays characters just
as they may be supposed to exist in real life, with mach
spirit and vivacity, but at the same time in a subdued
and chastened style. His account of the dinner where
" John Thompson," the celebrated wit, is expected to
show off as a lion ; but where, to the infinite horror and
astonishment of his patronizing hostess, he turns sulky,
and refuses to perpetrate even the smallest pun, or crack
the smallest joke, is a description which it is evident
that the author has drawn direct from the life, without
any attempt at display or caricature. His sketches of
Arthur Ferguson, the hero of the story, a tolerably
clever and well-bred young man, whose great ambition
seems to be to render himself a " general favourite in
society ;" and of the old faded flirt, Mrs. Trevor Ash-
ton, have not less merit. On the whole, we have no
doubt that the Fergusons will be much admired by those
more fashionable and lounging readers to whose tastes
it chiefly caters, for it is clearly the production of an
author accustomed to mingle in, what is called, " the
better circles" of society.

SMITH'S STANDARD LIBRARY.
Smith, London, 1839.

Under this title, a variety of our standard works in
prose and verse, are now from time to time in the course
of re-publication, in a handsome octavo form, varying,
according to the matter it contains, from one to two
shillings.. Mr. Smith has already published Scott's
Poems at a shilling each (they originally cost nearly a
guinea each), and the Poetical Works of Burns at half-
a-crown—infinitely cheaper, we believe, than they have
yet been brought out at. Other equally excellent
works, we are told, will follow in due course. Consi-
dering the correctness of this edition, its elegance of
form and execution, and above all, its remarkable low-
vess of price, we think there can be little doubt that it
will soon grow into favour with the public, if it have not
done so already.

RAMBLES IN THE SOUTH OF IRELAND.
2 Vols. Saunders and Otley, London, 1839.

" My principal object," says Lady Chatterton in her
advertisement, " in publishing this book, is to endeavour
to remove some of the prejudices which render so many
people afraid either to travel or to reside in Ireland."
This object she in a great measure bids fair to accom-
plish, by showing bow numerous are the attractions to
be met with in the sister-country ; and how greatly ex-
aggerated are the majority of Englishmen's notions re-
specting the difficulty—not to say, hazard—of travelling
through its wilder and more secluded districts. The
volumes consist merely of a collection of rough notes
penned in a light, and kindly-natured spirit, willing to
look to the sunny side of things, and, above all, deter-
mined to decide, not from the reports of others, but
from personal Observation. Perhaps the most accept-
able portion of the work is that wherein the authoress
describes, which she does with much minuteness, the
rude mountain scenery in the neighbourhood of Darri-
nane Abbey. From the numerous diverting anecdotes
interspersed throughout the work, we select the follow-

Lnir, :

" The Irish are very fanciful in their signs. One made
use of by a tailor at Cahirciveen illustrates the truth of my
favourite doctrine, that misfortune, defects, and ignorances
may often be turned to good account by a mind deter-
mined to make the most of every circumstance. A tailor
who lived in the little town made once upon a time a long
journey to see the world; and on his return put up his
name and trade over his shop, adding in large and tri-
umphant letters From London.' His business of course
increased immensely; and all the other tailors (for there
were many in a place which furnished clothes to the dense
populatisn of the surrounding country), were in despair.
At last the poorest and most miserable of them all resolved
to make a desperate attempt to carry away the custom from
the usurping traveller. Ile lived opposite the tailor from
London,' and one fine morning a large sign appeared over
his door, bearing the words Thady O'Shaugnessay,
tailor,' and in gigantic letters, Never was in London.'
The sign created first a laugh, then perhaps a feeling of
admiration for Thady's honest audacity, and soon the
custom was transferred from the illustrious traveller to the
honest man who never was in London.' "

METROPOLITAN PULPIT. 2 Vora.
Virtue, London, 1839.

The work before us is by the author of " Random
Recollections of the Houses of Lords and Commons,"
and gives biographical sketches, accompanied by critical
opinions, of many of the most eminent preachers in the
metropolis. The volumes are somewhat loosely and
carelessly written, in point of style; but they contain
considerable information, and justify the author's re-
mark in his preface, that they are " penned in a spirit
of fairness and impartiality." The two most entertain-
ing memoirs are those of Rowland Ilill and Edward
Irving, which arc full of characteristic anecdotes related
with much unction. As a specimen we subjoin a re-
miniscence of the former Rev. Gentleman :—" Mr.
Rowland Hill was always annoyed when there happened
to be any noise in the chapel, or when any thing oc-
curred to divert the attention of his hearers from .what
he was saying. Oa one occasion, about three years before
his death, he was preaching to one of the most crowded
congregations that ever assembled to hear him. In the
middle of his discourse he observed a great commotion
in the gallery. For a time lie took no notice of it, but
finding it increasing, he paused in his sermon, and
looking in the direction in which the confusion prevailed,
he exclaimed, What's the matter there ? The Devil
seems to have got among you!' A plain country-
looking man immediately started to his feet, and ad-
dressing Mr. Hill, in reply, said, No, Sir, it arnt the
Devil as is a doing on it; it's a lady wot's fainted; and
she's a very fat un, Sir, as don't seem likely to come to
again in a hurry.'—' Oh, that's it, is it,' observed Mr.
Hill, drawing his hand across his chin; then I beg the
lady's pardon—and the Devil's too.'"

SIX YEARS IN ALGIERS.
Saunders and Otley, London, 1839.

This work consists, for the most part, of extracts
from a diary of occurrences kept by the wife of the
English Agent, and Consul General at Algiers, Mrs.
Blanckley, mother of Mrs Broughton, editor of the
present volume, during a residence in that city, from
the year 1806 to 1812. The diary is written in a
terse, condensed form, with evident haste, but bears in
every page the appearance of perfect authenticity. The
writer sketches some of the most familiar customs
of the Algerines of nearly thirty years back in a lively
piquant, observant spirit, and relates an anecdote with
remarkable felicity. More than one Dey died while she
was a resident in the city—by poison, of course, or
strangulation—for this seems to be the invariable means
by which the Algerine monarchs made their exit
from life. Of one of the Deys, we are told that "a
cup of coffee containing the powder of ground diamonds,
a most effectual poison, was offered to the late unfortu-
nate Paella, out of respect as they said ; but he refused
to drink it, saying that he did not choose to be accessary
to his own death. He therefore politely declined the
honour which the Turks intended him, preferring rather
to be led out by the Chaousses, like a culprit, to the
usual place of execution, where he was strangled." Of
the last Dey but one of Algiers (Hadji Ali) Mrs.
Broughton, on the authority of a captive Spanish mer-
chant, gives the following anecdote :—" He was mur-
dered by his own negro slave ; a short time before his
death, he wantonly murdered five Greek children, the
eldest of whom was not above twelve years of age, and.
consequently could have (riven no provocation. These
atrocious acts b.e executed with his own hand, assisted
indeed by the negro slave before mentioned. Three of
the unfortunate innocents, horrible to relate, be burnt
over a slow fire till they were literally reduced to
cinders. He cut up the bodies of the other two, which
he preserved in salt, and in this state they were found,
when the world was delivered from this atrocious mon-
ster!" If the French conquest of Algiers has
been productive of no other beneficial results, it is
at least entitled to the merit of having put an end to
these atrocious crimes—which is a great boon rendered
to humanity. We would advise those who read this
entertaining volume, to read immediately afterwards
" Campbell's Letters from the South," when they Will
be greatly struck by the startling contrast that exists