The Sun.
London, England, 1837-05-05 00:00:00

the following specimens will show—some of the stanzas
in which reminds us of Campbell's Lyrics. The work,
which is a thin quarto, is embellished with a graceful
portrait of the young Princei-. 'But. ;or our extract :
H. R. H. THE PRINCESS VICTORIA.
'Twas in a woman's reign uprose
That soul of enterprise,
Which since has borne our English flag
Through foreign seas and skies.
Few were the first adventurous barks
That ploughed the deep—but now
What breeze but bears St. George's cross,
What shore bu' knows our prow ?
And more than glory, or than gold,
May British merchants say ;
Look on what blessings infinite
IlavC followed on our way.
To civilize and to redeem
Has been our generous toil,
To sow the seeds of future good
In many a thankful soil.
Wherc'cr to dark and pagan lands
Our path has been decreed,
Have we not brought the Christian's hope,
The Christian's holy creed ?
'Tis from a woman's glorious reign
Our English isles may date
The honours of their after hours,
" The triumphs of their state.
And yet how much remains to do,
How much is left behind
Young daughter of a line of kings,
Much is to thee assigned.
Great changes have been wrought since first
The Roman legions stood
Beneath the ancient oaks that firmed, •
The Druid's mystic wood.
There frowned above the dank morass,
The forest who -e long night
Of noisome and of tangled shad.!
Forgot the noontide's light.
Men crowded round the victim pyre
In worship vile as vain ;
And God's. own precious gift of lire,
Was flung to him again.
We were the savages—of whom
We now can only bear ;
The change has been the mighty work
Of many a patient year.
The progress of our race is marked
Wherever we can turn ;
No more the gloomy woods extesd,
No more the death-fires burn.
The village rises where once spread
Th' inhabitable moor;
And Sabbath bells sweep on the wind,
The music of the poor.
The sun sinks down o'er myriad spires
That glisten in the ray,
As almost portions of that heaven
To which they point the way.
There is not a more lovely land
On all our lovely earth,
Than that, Victoria, which now gives
Its blessing on thy birth.

G OLD SMIDIr S HIS 7 ORY OF ENGLAND.

Four "Vols.
Allan Bell, London, 1837.

We have here Goldsmith's popular History of Eng-
land, republished in four of the most elegant little
duodecimos that have appeared for years past, and car-
ried down to the year 1836. This new matter coin-

prises just two volUmes, and is written in an easy an
perspicuous style. It is also accurate in its facts ;
and, so far as we have been able to judge from a hasty
glance, temperate and impartial in its wile. The
editor has acquitted himself of a difficult task with skill
and judgment. The work contains many good en-
gravings and half-length portraits of the difFeren
Kings of England. It would form a capital prize-
book for schools.

L.4RD.NER'S CYCLOR/EDIA. No 90.
Longman, London, 1837.
The present volume-of this Miscellany forms the
second of Mr. Moore's History of Ireland. It com-
mences with the invasion of that country by the Danes,
in the year 757, and goes down to the death of Donald
O'Brian, King of Thomond and Ormond towards the
close of the 12th century. It is long after this semi-
barbarous period that Irish hiEtory becomes interesting.
Its early and half-fabulous traditions scarce repay the
labour of research.

ROWB 0 T HAM' S GUIDE TO GERMAN
CONVERSATION.
Dnfau, London, 1837.
A useful practical work, chiefly of an elementary
character, containing, together with a copious vocabu-
lary, tables of German moneys, weights, and measures,
far the use of travellers, schools, and private students.
By the help of this work a man may soon pick up
quite enough of German to enable him to pass muster
in ordinary conversation.

EXCURSIONS THROUGH THE HIGHLANDS.
Simpkin and Marshall, London, 1837. -
There are some able graphic sketches of Highland
scenery in this volume, which .is the production of the
Rev. Mr. Smith, a gentlemen who has a quick_eye to
the picturesque, and a ready talent for describing the
impressions made on him by, what Mr. Bucke some-
where calls, "the beauties, harmonies, and sublimities
of nature." The book is well embellished by a variety
of choice engravings.

MORTALITY.
Fraser, London, 1837.

There is no deficiency of graceful and feeling ideas
in this poem, the versification of which is melli-
fluous throughou•. We must protest, however,•against
the confirmed melancholy, deepening in some instances
to despair, that pervades it. Why should poets take
such a perverse pleasure in singing in the shade, rather
-than in the sunshine ? "It is never too late to des-
spond," as a writer in the last Numher of the " New
Monthly Magazine" has well o)seived. Let Mr. Jones,
then, tune his harp to a blvther strain, and we will an-
swer fur his success.

BYRON'S DRAMAS, Vol:. 11.
Murray, London, 18.37.

The volume before us cc\ntains Lord Byron's " Cain,"
" Two Foscati,'. " DJorirred Transformed," and
•' Werner," which last, by the bye, is the worst of his
dramatic productions. It is illustrated with a beautiful
engraving of Venice, and contains most of the explana-
tory notes that were attached to the seventeen volume
edition.

FINE ARTS.

PICTURES PICKED FROM THE PICKWICK

PAPERS—No. 1.
Ackerman, London, 1837.

There is inficnite drollery in this series of fancy
portraits, which are from the pencil of Alfred Crow-
quill, one of the most humourous designers of the day.
The Fat Boy asleep is a joke as broad as its subject,
which is saying much for it. The sketch to) if the
bland INIr. Pickwick running away without his hat from
the troops at a review, who are charging him %ith fixed
bayonets, is quite eqUal to the best of Cruikshank's
late comic sketches. We hope Alfred Crowquill will
continue these designs in the same droll spirit in which
he has commenced them. The idea is a popular one,
and will be sure to take.

MR. BLAGROVE'S CONCERT.—This concert was
held last night at the King's Concert-rooms, Hanover-square.
The music was entirely of the chamber class. Messrs. Bla-
grove, Daudo, 11111, Gattie, Hausmann, and Lucas, played
several concerted pieces in their own finished style. Madame
Duleken played a brilliant fantasia of Beethoven's ou the
piano, accompanied on the violin by Blagrove. Mr. Labarre dis-
played his powers of execution by a concerto of Hummel's on the
harp ; and Puzzi performed a beautiful solo by Corelli on the
horn. Madame Caradori Allan and Mrs. Shaw were the only
vocalists ; the former sang an air by Lochner, the latter Mo-
zart's: charming " Addio," which was rapturously encored.
We • have named every performer, and it will be seen, that
though their number was small, they were a very choice as-
semblage. Only nine pieces were played, for Mr. Blagrove
seems to have discovered the arcanum (such it is to many givers
.of concerts) that a few first-rate compositions well executed
afford more satisfaction than a vast quantity of works, some
indeed beautiful, and others introduced apparently forth. sole
purpose of making the audience wonder how they found their
way into the list. Not a single piece by an inferior composer
was performed last night.
"'l'o the vulgar mind, display is pleasure, ceremony
is good breeding, and expense is excellence."—" Abel All-
nutt," the new novel by the author of " Hajji Baba."