The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-24 00:00:00

spiritual revelation regarding which has been made to
serve even such vile purposes as the suspension, in particu-
lar cases, of the tenth commandment. The eastern king who
declared he was the Holy Spirit, and, like Tien-wan, had fre-
quent pris ate intercourse with Gott the Father, upon one
occasion said be had been directed by Him to transter some
particular wife or concubine (I forget which), from a
friend's harem to his own. Those who are determined to
discover good in these people aver that prostitution and
adultery are punished amongst them by death ; that I think
quite probable i but as such a penalty is inflicted for the
most trivial offences, it does not prove that they consider
those sins as peculiarly heinous.
"Not long before our arrival two women, who were
heard to speak deprecatingly of the existing government,
and to make some comparison between the present misery
of their situation and their former lot—were beheaded at
once. Although the social eNil' may have death for its
declared penalty, and although it may be to a certain extent
abolished after the manner in which many wise people in
England would wish to see a stop put to it—namely, by
making the offence criminal—c et of this lam satisfied,
that it has not improved the morals of the brethren.'
The work is replete with interest, and much curious
information is to be found in its pages.

The Literary Budget for England, India, China,
Australia, and the Colonies. Saunders and

Orley.
This publication is continued with the same spi-
rit and energy which distinguished its outset. A
complete resume is given of tl'e literary events of
the day, and the reader who peruses its plges
will be perfectly au fait with all of importance or
interest that has transpired during the month. It
is most probable that this periodical will meet with
considerable success on account of the peculiar ad-
vantages which it possesses. "The Philosophy of
Common Place" is a well-written article, that con-
tains much truth ; but it is, at the same time, too
severe in its strictures occasionally. The following
passage exemplifies some of the evils of the present
day—" There can hardly be a doubt that the constant
contemplation as it were in a looking-glass, of our
own poor, petty, sordid, daily lives, and our own
mean aspirations, gradually unfits us for the appre-
ciation of loftier things. It seems as if what has
been called "the grand air" is departing from our
character as well as from our manners. Nothing
is done now upon so great a scale as formerly.
Everything is little. In statesmanship we have
no Pitt. In literature we have neither a Johnson,
a Gibbon, a Byron, nor a Walter Scott. On the
stage we have no great actor. We have no great
historical painter. We are not so absurd as to say
that this is an age of mediocrity. On the contrary,
it is an age full of the highest excellence, but it is
an excellence content with lower ends than we could
wish to see. Why cannot people now Bit out a
five-act tragedy? Why cannot they appreciate the
classic eleg ince of style? Why is it that a man
" talking Blue Books for three hours" is hailed as a
great orator ? The answer is that " we have grown
smug, sensuous, and commonplace." All who atten-
tively dwell upon this subject will acknowledge the
force of these observations, as it is a well known
fact that there has been much retrograde movement
in all elevation of sentiment, and the standard of
principle has sunk much lower of late days. All
tastes may be suited in these contents. They range
from grave to gay, from lively to severe. There are
reviews of long works, and notices of small ones, arti-
cles on publications of prominent interest, and an
immense variety of anecdotes on all topics that
are of immediate and remote connexion with litera-
ture. Among the incidents of interest in " Literary
Intelligence" is the mention that her Majesty so
highly appreciated the tribute to the memory of the
late Prince Consort in Blackwood's Magazine that
she has ordered twelve copies to be struck off sepa-
rately and forwarded to her. Saunders and Otley's
Literary Budget is decidedly a success, alike front
the skill with which it is arranged, as from the
ability which distinguishes its writings.

seven Answers to the Seven Essays and Reviews,
By J. Wash Griffin, M.A., of Trinity College,

Dublin. Longman.
These able essays were originally published in
special supplements to the London Review, and in
that form attracted some attention. They are now
re-issued in a collected form, with an introduction
by the Right Hon. Joseph Napier, late Lord Chan-
cellor of Ireland. Those who are interested in the
questions raised by the recent controversy will do
well to possess themselves of this volume, which is
evidently the work of a man of study and reflec-
tion, who brings to the discussion of weighty sub-
jects the intelligence, cultivation, and temperance
of tone indispensable to their proper consideration.

Shakspere's Seven Ages. Drawn by John Gilbert.
Engraved by Thomas Gilks. Published by Dean
and Son.