The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-11 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Alison's History of Europe, from the Battle of
TVaterloo to the Accesszon of Louzs Napoleon.

People's Edition. Part I. Blackwood and Sons.

Among all the popular editions of modern litera-
ture which have been issued from the press in a
cheap serial form, we should imagine that this one
of the continuation of Sir Archibald Alison's History
of Europa would be certain to be, welcomed the
most eagerly, and would be sure also of obtaining
for
Itself the widest circulation. In shilling
monthly parts, the Historian of Europe supplies
the People, through his publishers, with a pic-
turesque and comprehensive record of the events of
their own time. Taking up the thread of his great
narrative at the point at which ho had dropped it,
or at which it was for a while suspended—viz., at
that grand turning point in the annals of the human
race, the epoch marked in bloody characters by the
Battle of Waterloo--Sir Archibald pursues that
thread through all its devious and manifold involu-
tions long afterwards—in effect through a momen-
tous interval so nearly approaching in the aggre-
gate to a complete half century, that, when it is
again dropped, the reader may be said to have dis-
tinctly " sighted " his own time. The People's
Edition, of which the First Part now lies before us,
will be completed in 28 parts altogether, that is in
a little more than two years from the present
moment, We commend it to the attention of the
readers and purchasers of what is besides being one
of the' most usefully instructive, certainly, at the
same time, not by any means the least entertaining
and attractive, among all recently completed contri-
butions to the historic literature of the age,

Once a Week, Part XLVIII. Bradlnry and Evans.
In this, the latest of the mrnithly instalments of
Once a Week —prafasely illustrated, and singularly
varied in the lette):l)ress furnishing the themes for
these numerous embellishments—six weekly num-
bers of the periodical are comprised. What is yet
more noticeable about the June number now under
consideration, is the circumstance of its bringing
to its completion, the eighth half-yearly volume of
the publication now dating exactly four years from
its commencement. " Eleanor's Vengeance" is still
the chief serial attraction of Once a Week, of which
tales, incidental narratives, and various kinds of
light and amusing sketches form the staple among
the contributions.

The Boy's Own Volume.. Pp. 552. Samuel 0

Beeton.

Collected together, the twenty-six numbers
making up this half-volume of the " Bay's Own
Magazine." certainly presents to its young readers
a right goodly appearance. It may take its place
on the favourite bookshelf of the boy-student, aide
by side with the Peter Parley's of old. Bound in
radiant cloth, glittering with gilding to the very
edges of the leaves, the Boys Own Volume is crowded
from cover to cover with delightfully interesting
stories, like " Cressy and Poictiers," with narra-
tives of hairbreadth 'scopes and perilous adventures,
with records of travels and voyages made in all
parts of the habitable and even of the uninhabitable
globe—the whole of the varied letterpress being
profusely illustrated with woodcuts, some of these
latter exceedingly clever in an artistic point of
view, as animated and picturesque embellishments.

BACON'S WAR MAFS.—Three new War Maps,
just now issued from the press with wonderful
rapidity, illustrate the very latest movements of the
Federal and Confederate armies respectively. One
of them shows the new seat of war or battle ground
selected by General Lee in Pennsylvania.
Another displays to view, not only Pennsylvania,
but with that State the whole of Virginia and of
Maryland. The thir3, restricting its range to Virginia
alone, enables those who consult it for information
to trace at once with the utmost facility every battle
field and every separate fortification, with the names
of which the English public has recently become
familiar, along the banks of the Potomac.

ENGLAND'S GREAT LANDOWNERS.—As a supple-
ment to to-day's Spectator the readers of that very
able weekly journal, receive an outline Map of Eng-
land and Wales, upon the counties, marked on
which are clearly inscribed the names of the great
local landowners. The idea appears to us to be in
every way a novel one. It is admirably well
thought of : and, what is more, as here given in
the Spectator's Supplement, it is admirably well
executed.