The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

History of the Plague of London, By Daniel Defoe.
18mo. pp. 206. Longmans.
Another—the fifth—instalment of the Shilling
Entertaining Library, edited by J. S. Laurie, and
published by the Messrs. Longman, has, in this
wonderful little book, but just now made its appear-
ance. Already we have taken occasion to note the
really remarkable merits of this same charming little
series of English Classics ; when directing, that is,
attention to the four earlier volumes introducing it
to the reading community. The very selection of
the works picked out for re-issue in this lovely
little set of bijou volumes, indicates on the part of
Mr. Laurie a perfection of good taste, eminently
befitting him, in his capacity as editor of the series.
Besides the volumette containing a miscellaneous
cluster of Christmas Tales," calculated of itself to
render the Miniature Library welcome at every
hearth around which a good story of any kind can
be appreciated—what are the other books Mr.
Laurie has in this form selected here for republica-,
tion ? " Robinson Crusoe," " Gulliver's Travels,'
" Sandford and Mertcn," and now another book of
Daniel D.3foe's, the famous " History of the Plague !"
These—immediately to be followed by such old
familiar worms as " Evenings at Home " and the
" Swiss Family Robinson !" So far, we are informed
at least in regard to the future, by the publishers
own advertised announcement. Let us hope that'
among the pet books of the nation thus selected for
re-issue in this delightful shape—in the form, that is
of a pretty little square 18mo volume, or
as we have called it volumette, illustrated,
each one of them, with half a dozen graceful
and most of them very original embellishments, the
whole printed on excellent paper, in clear large type,
and published in a good serviceable cloth binding, et
the rate of no more than one shilling foreach volume;
let us hope, we say, that among the works destined
to follow those already anuounced,thus, for republi-
cation, may be found, later on, the "Old Manor
House," the " Old English Baron," the " Children
of the Abbey," the " Vicar of Wakefield," eunz
(there are but few, certainly, coming under this
denomination) eteteris paribus. Here, however,
instead of thinking about the "pippins and cheese"
that are " to follow," let us be thankful for the
feast already spread before us. Have we not,
in the little volume now at our elbow, a feast
of horrors as enthralling as any ever writ by
the hand of an Englishman? And that Eng-
lishman, foremost and best beloved among all our
story-tellers—the immortal Author of Robinson
Crusoe, Daniel Defoe, one of the earliest, one of the
bravest, one of the most consistent, sterling,
thoroughly outspoken, bravely and honestly inde-
pendent of British journalists ! Here in, this mar-
vellously realistic record or diary of a citizen of
Landon during the ravages made by the Great
Plague, we have, as in " Robinson Crusoe" itself, a
fictitious narrative founded upon indisputable facts,
reading from first to last as though it were
virtually what it purports to be, and what
in the inner sense of it, it is artistically,
an ower true History. Well might Hazlitt
write of it, as he has written, that it is penned "with
all the characteristics of the author's genius !" And
those ? Hazlitt himself thus enumerates them—
" intense reality, rich natural pathos, and exqui-
site moral feeling !" What more could be wished
--that is, in a narrative of this kind ? The grass-
grown desolate streets of the great city in 1665 are
traversed awfully by us as we turn the pages. We
hear the death cart going its dismal round, the
wheels creaking under its ghastly load, the sexton-
driver's bell tolling, his voice crying aloud, "Bring
out your dead !" We think of the 100,000 souls
who perished during that appalling visitation—
that Great Plague of 1665, which was to be followed
up and purged out, as it were, by the Groat Fire of
1666. One while, as we read, there flits past us
the stark-naked form of the half-witted fanatic,
who was wont to shriek through the streets, night
and day, with a distracting monotony of repeti-
tion, " Oh, the great and dreadful God!" Again
and yet again those six wild words and no
others ! Another while, it is a kindred form,
the form of another, but this one a really his-
torical, religious enthusiast (Solomon Eagle)
with nothing but a napkin about his loins and
a burning chaldron of fire upon his head ! In every
minute detail, the Great Plague of London, with all
its attendant horrors, Defoe has here depicted in this
extraordinary little narrative. Often as the work
has been reprinted before now, it has never, until
now, appeared in a form so compact, or one in every
way so acceptable. It is here placed at last within
reach, moreover, of all ranks and classes of Defoe's
fellow citizens and fellow-countrymen.

Croquet. By Captain Mayne Reid. Bvo, pp. 46

Skeet.

The huntsman of the wild prairie has dismounted

from the saddle, hung up his rifle for a while,
sauntered on to a pretty English lawn, amongst
the flower-beds, taken in hand a croquet mallet, and

told us here, clearly and pleasantly, from
beginning to end, all we can possibly wish
to know about the Game of Croquet, about

the fascinations of Croqueterie. The mere
circumstance of Captain Mayne Reid having
done precisely what we have, in the foregoing sen-
tence, described him as doing, is proof positive, in
itself, that about Crcquet, as a game, he is a bit of
an Enthusiast. Nothing bat what we are accus-
tomed to call an infatuation could ever have in-
duced Hercules to exchange his club for a distaff,
for however brief an interval. And something
very much like what the big Pagan demi-god is
described as having condescended to do according
to the fables of the old mythologists, Captain Maine
Reid has here done in exchanging, as we have
said, the rifle for the croquet mallet—namely,
succumbed to an odd kind of sudden fascina-
tion. He is fairly infatuated (to repeat the right
word) not by a woman but by a game. That
game we cannot but think he estimates just a trifle
too highly, where he says of it in the very first sen-
tence of his present hand book, not only " that Cro-
quet is the most attractive pastime of the age ;"
but that "in point of intellectuality it will dispute
the palm with billiards or whist—perhaps even,"
he hesitates not to add, almost with a sneer, " per-
haps even with that selfish duality, chess," Truly,
after that, he may be recognised as, indeed, an en-
thusiast about Croquet ! But, at any rate, this good
has already come of his enthusiasm. It has led him
to produce, in the shape of this little treatise, a
handbook upon the Game of Croquet, that will hence-
forth stand, in regard to that game, precisely on the
same footing asthat so tenaciously held for years upon
years by Hoyle's Handbook on Whist—namely the
footing of an elementary guide, or book of rules, in
every way unrivalled as an authority. What
" Jonathan" is in regard to Billiards, that we sus-
pect the author of this brochure must needs prove
to be,
in regard to Croquet—i. e., the most formid-
able of antagonists, What Howard Staunton is
at the chessboard, that we conjecture Mayne Reid
must be on -the turf among the croquet bridges
—the most reliable cicerone through all the un-
traversed tracks of amusement opened up
there enticingly to the novice. "Major A." we are
certain, must at all times be pleasant reading to
those who love a ruhber. " Captain R.," we are
equally certain, will be found at all times precisely
the same, that is the pleasantest possible reading,
to those who care at all to handle the mallet of the
croquet-player, through all the mazes of the new
fangled recreation variously entitled by our author,
in a burst of enthusiasm for it—the King of (games,
the Queen of Sports, the Prince of Pastimes.

Mr. J. H. Foley, RA., is advancing with his
colossal equestrian statue of Sir James Outram, which is to
form a companion to the sculptor's admirable equestrian
statue of Lord Hardinge at Calcutta.
Franz Liszt has composed a hymn for the
thousandth anniversary of the inauguration of Christianity
in Panonnia by the Bishops Cyril and Method, celebrated
a short time since at San Giorolamo degli Schiavone, in
Rome.
The literary Times, after half•a-year's trial, pub-
lished its last number on the sth instant, having just pre-
viously raised its price from ono penny to twopence. The
Critic, which for some time past has ceased to be a weekly
publication, and has become a monthly journal, announces
that it will in future abandon criticism, and Nano itself
to the collectieß iQrWatiou►

Lord Brougham and the Negroes of Jamaica.

The following address from the Jamaica negroes
to Lord Brougham has been sent to us for pub-
lication :

" To the Right Honourable Lord Brougham :
" May it please your Lordship—We the inhabitants of
St. John's, Jamaica, at a public meeting held this day,
commemorative of Negro Emancipation in the British
West Indies, desire with feelings of affection and grati-
tude to approach your lordship, and to express our great
obligation for the valuable services which you have for
so many years rendered to the cause of liberty, in pro-
moting every object of benevolence and enterprise,
for the benefit of humanity • and the general improve-
ment and enlightenment of the people of the
world. Nations and creeds have alike derived benefit from
your lordship's generous liberality, unwearied exertions,
and enlightened advocacy. We, the people of Jamaica, in
giving expression to our gratitude for your lordship's past
efforts, would humbly solicit your kind consideration for
the future.

" May the Author and Giver of every good gift, who has
granted to us the blessings resulting from your lordship's
benevolent life, spare you for many years further to develop
your noble designs, and when His righteous purposes with
you are ended, may He receive you into His everiastfng
kingdom and glory, are the prayers of your lordship's most
grateful and ever faithful servants —On behalf of the
meeting,

" G. FRASER, Chairman.
" F. A. B. VINEN, Acting-Secretary.
" Point Hill, St. John's, Jamaica,
" August 1, 1863."