The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-07 00:00:00

A► GOOD SUGGESTION.

(From Punch)
TO TUE LADIES OF ENGLAND,
" Ladies,
"Windsor Castle, Aug. 1.
"The Queen has commanded me to express the pain
with which her Majesty reads the account of daily acci-
dents arising from the wearing of the indelicate, expensive,
dangerous, and hideous article called Crinoline.
Her Majesty cannot refrain from making known to you
her extreme displeasure that educated women should by
example encourage the wearing a dress which can be
pleasing only to demoralise) taste.
"For the miserable idiots who abjectly copy the habits
of those conventionally termed their betters, it is impossible
to entertain anything but pity.
" But to the Ladies of England this appeal to abandon
the present degrading, dangerous, and disgusting fashion,
is made in the belief that they will show themselves the ra-
tional and decorous persons whom they are supposed to be.
"I have the honour to be,
" Ladies,
" Your most obedient humble servant,
"C. B. Piturs."

Mgr• Plantier, the Archbishop of Nimes, has
recently published in the form of a Pastoral an elaborate
refutation of M. Ernest Renan's " Vie de Jesus." No less
than ten columns of L' Union are occupied to-day (Friday,
7th August) with extracts selected from this masterpiece of
logical and persuasive eloquence.
M. TIIIERS'S STAY AT BADEN-BADEN, says the
Court Journal, has proved an interesting topic for news-
papers as well as private conversation. It is recorded that
this celebrated personage was a constant evening visitor to
the gardens attached to the liursaal. His constant corn
panicn was the Due de Morny, and amongst the ladies in
his train the Princess Menschikott may be mentioned, but
she was only one of a bevy of beauty of the highest dis-
tinction.

THE CAPE MAILS.-PLYMOUTH, Thursday.—
The Royal Union Mail Company's steamship Saxon,
Commander Hoffman, arrived in the Sound this morning,
and is appointed to leave at 4 p.m. for Ascension, St.
Helena, and the Cape of Good Hope. She takes out a full
general cargo and nearly 80 passengers, among whom are,
for St. Helena, Chief Justice Phelps and family and Captain
Childs; fur the Cape, Colonel Rawstorn, Major Jones,
Captain O'Brien, Rev. M. Mqtahon, Rev. M. , tewart,
Dr. Kellner and Dr. Fritsch; and for Algoa Bay, Dr.
Al`Lecd. The next mail ship homeward is the Eriron,
Commander J. Boxer. She is due on the 29th, but may
arrive on the 24th inst,

LITERATURE.

--+----

Iceland : its Scenes and Sagas. By Sabine Baring-
Gould,!M.A. One vol., imp. Bvo., pp. 447. Smith
and Elder.

" Farewell heat and Welcome frost," exclaims the
author with the " Merchant of Venice," and very
heartily does he enter into this aspiration. The
record of this recent visit of Mr. Baring-Gould to
Iceland fills a most goodly volume, of handsome
appearance within and without, copiously illustrated
with most beautifully-coloured sketches. The his-
tory of the traveller's adventures is narrated in the
most animated and delightful manner possible.
Never before, assuredly, did such an ungenial theme
evoke such glowing descriptions !—never heft); e did
such an unpromising expedition produce such feli-
citous results ! "My object in visiting Iceland,"
says Mr. Baring-Gould, " was twofold. I purposed
examining scenes famous in Saga, and filling a port-
folio with water-colour sketches." Both these ob-
jects have been most satisfactorily carried out, and
the full benefit of the result is at the service of the
reader. The legendary tales or sagas of the North,
are, for the most part, possessed of a singularly
romantic interest. Some half-a-dozen of these
venerable fictions are here presented to us in a
most attractive guise. Interesting as they are,
however, they would possess a higher value in our
eyes were we assured of their absolute identity
with the originals. Mr. Baring. Gould tells
us that the alterations he has made are very
trifling--if so, they had better have been
entirely omitted. The illustrations are many
of them very felicitous. We obtain from them
a vivid idea of the picturesque character of
this land of "mountain and flood." The music of
many Icelandic hymns and ballads is continued in
this very interesting and marvellous volume, and
some curiosities of the Icelandic language, from
which we learn, among other things, that our
English word " gammon" is a derivation from the
Icelandic '• Gaman," to amuse !

Recollections and Anecdotes : being a Second Series
of Reminiscences at the Camp, the Court, and
the Clubs. By Captain R. H. Gronow, formerly
of the Grenadier Guards, and M.P. for Stafford.
One vol, pp. 232. Smith and Elder.
Those who are familiar with Captain Gronow's
former volume will not require much recommenda-
tion to induce them to renew their acquaintance
with his very delightful gossip. The anecdotes
contained in the volume now before us are as diver-
sified in subjoct as " the Battle of Waterloo," and
"Sally Lunns ;" Mademoiselle Mars" and "Lord
Althorpe;" "Revolution of 1848" and " Snuff-
taking," &C.; while the style throughout is lively
and amusing. In his portraits and sketches of his
friends and acquaintances, Capt. Gronow is almost
as happy with his pen as the subject of one of
these sketches (Count D'Orsay) was with his pencil.
Here, for example, is Captain Gronow's descrip-
tion of—

COUNT D'ORSAY.
He was rather above six feet in height, and when I first
knew him he might have served as a model for a statuary.
His neck was long, his shoulders broad, and v aist narrow,
and though he was perhaps somewhat underlimbed, nothing
could surpass the beauty of his feet and ankles. His dark
chestnut hair hung naturally in long waving curls; his
forehead was high and wide, his features regular, and hia
complexion glowed with radiant health. His eyes were
large and of a light hazel colour, he had full lips and very
white teeth, but a little apart; which sometimes gave to the
generally amiable expression of his countenance a rather
cruel and sneering look, such as one sees in the heads of
some of the old Roman emperors. He was wonderfully
strong and active, and excelled in manly exercises. He
was a fine horseman, a good swordsman, and a fair shot.
I knew him intimately, and saw a good deal of him. He
had an amusing naivete in speaking of his own personal
advantages. i remember on one occasion, when about to
fight a duel, he said to his second, Monsieur D—, who
was making the preliminary arrangements, "You know,
my dear friend, I am not on a par with my antagonist : he
is a very ugly fellow, and if I wound him in the face, he
wont look much the worse for it ; but on my side it ought
to be agreed that he should not aim higher than my chest,
for if any face should be spoiled ' ce serait vrainment dom-
mage.' " He said this with such a beaming smile, and
looked so handsome and happy, that his friend, Monsieur
D---, fully agreed with him.
Here, again, in a few lines, is a very effective por-
trait of—