The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-14 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

" The paths of glory lead but to the grave."
Nevertheless, as it seems to us, there can be no valid
reason whatever why the exact date of birth, when-
ever it can be given, also should not be given quite
as well as the exact date of death. We would
seriously urge this upon the attention of both the
compiler, Mr. Hole, and the publishers, the Messrs.
Macmillan—with an eye, that is (supposing, of
course, that they should think favourably of our
suggestion) that, so far, the merits of the next issue
of this charming little biographical hand-book
might be enhanced. A very little addition
to the present width of the pages would admit of
this additional date being interpolated, without
any risk whatever of the average one-line being
flawed by over-running. For—the wonder of the little
book is precisely this—that it is on the average a
marvellous accumulation of one-lined biographies!
Instance among the long past,—
EUTYCHMS, Patriarch ; Arabic Annalist. 870—May 12, 940
Or instance again among those recently deceased,—
Iluxr, Jas. Hen. Leigh. Poet and Essayist. Aug. 28, 1859
Nevertheless—in enforcement here of our previous
argument as to the preferability of the two precise
dates, instead of the one only exact one, the date of
death—we cannot by any means understand why
the Great Napoleon's biography, for example,
should not be summed up (tersely enough,
in all conscience, even then) in those two
dates—Born, 15 August, 1769—Died, 5 May,
1821. It is at any rate worth thinking of—whether
the value of Mr. Hole's exquisite little volume (re-
markable though that value is even now) might
not in this way very readily, and yet it should be
added very considerably also, be enhanced ? Small,
compact, condensed—the tiny volume is a perfect
treasury of information. It is as full, as an egg
is of meat—of information. It answers
instantly, pertinently, and to the point,
that ever - recurring question among all
classes of readers—on coming to this name, that
and the other-IVheu did he live ? The span of each
life is before us, at a glance of the eye—down to the
very day when each life was " rounded to a sleep,"
as Shakspere has it so wonderfully. And—in re-
gard to the more important and interesting person-
ages mentioned in the volume, each in his duo and
alphabetical position—the sources of further and
completer information are indicated by a series of
names, the names, that is to say, of the
biographers. Occasionally we find, in this, an omis-
sion of some well- known biographer's name—as,
let us say in regard to the great St. John, Henry
St. John, Lord Bolingbroke_' Life by Goldsmith,"
says Mr. Hole. He might have added, and by Win-
grove Cooke ! A careful revision of the little
volume, however, exactly as it comes before us even

now at this its first venture into publicity, may be
very easily accomplished—judging of the work
by the " few " faults, " and far between, "
that we have, .upon a very careful scrutiny of
the book, been as yet able to detect in it. Brief
though the account here given of each individual,
necessarily is, purposely and designedly is, it is—for
precisely what it is intended to be—amply sufficient.
Hitherto we have only been very vaguely aware of
our want of any such book at all. Now that it has
actually made its appearance, however, we recognise
in it a hitherto but half-suspected want, a want
that—thus seen and satisfied—suddenly merges
into one the satisfaction of which must be looked
upon as henceforth a sort of necessity.

Legal Forms for Common Use, being 200 Precedents,
By James Walter Smith, LL.D. Pp. 219. Effing-
ham Wilson.

A third thousand of this Legal Handbook having,
herewith, by this reissue of it made its substantial
appearance, clearly enough attests the utility of the
work and—as indicative of that utility being recog-
nised—of its unquestionable popularity. Appre-
ciated already as a very excellent and reliable com-
pilation, this little handbook of Legal Forms, ar-
ranged together in 13 chapters, by Mr. J. W. Smith,
is worthy of being yet more widely-known and yet
more fully and generally appreciated. It bears
evidence throughout of a minute and scrupulous
and conscientious revision. It is a series of deduc-
tions drawn from not less than 200 precedents.
The thirteen chapters into which the Legal Forms
under appropriate heads aro distributed, will be
found upon examination to have been made very
plain indeed by elucidatory introductions, and yet
plainer still by a multitude of explanatory notes.
Many a momentary doubt, to the man of business
who is not a lawyer, may be instantaneously set at
rest by a few moment's reference to the pages of
this excellent little guide or pocket companion—re-
ference to it being wonderfully facilitated by a
copious index, alphabetically arranged.

The Search for a Publisher. Fifth Edition. Pp. 67,

Alfred W. Bennett.

Although this very. curious -and interesting
pamphlet almost amounts to an independent trade
advertisement, it is so excellent of its kind, and so
directly to the purpose held in view by its author-
publisher, that we gladly direct attention to it, less
in the interests of that same author-publisher, than
in those of the authors to whom he announces him-
self as prepared to act as publisher, if they list
" Counsels for a Young Author" is the sub-title
of the brochure. Fifth Edition, it will be recog-
nised moreover, is conspicuously enough embla-
zoned upon its title-page. Such as it is,
the pamphlet under notice is also amply
embellished with illustrations—vignette woodcuts,
steel engravings, photographs. All the mysteries
of the publishing trade moreover are here laid bare
for the information of the multitude. The printers'
art being minutely and carefully explained, in regard
to thin and thick leading and solid, to Brevier and
Bourgeois, Long Primer and Small Pica, Minion
and Nonpareil, Ruby, Pearl and Diamond. Mr.
Bennett's frankness and lucidity are alike entitled
to the young author's recognition, even, we will
say, to his grateful acknowledgment.

The Channel fleet left Portland roads this morn-
ing for Cherbourg,

THE CABMAN'S ARCADIA.--•A letter from Quebec,
dated the 28th of July, says :—I was amused with
the dilemma created by an intelligent, although
quick-tempered, Jehu who, on bringing me back from a
short country drive, repudiated all adherence to fares set
down in print. "It's not by the hour you'll pay me," said
he, "nor yet by the distance ! " "All right," said I, " much
obliged for the lift ;" and prepared to walk away. "You
don't go like that," exclaimed Pat warmly, "I'll charge
you whatever I wish ; there's no law about it." " Then,
I'll pay you whatever I choose," was my answer. Our
conversation became animated. We repaired to the nearest
police-station, where an arbitrator was found who advised
timely compromise. " Sair," said he, "dare is no laws. It
true, what he tell you." And a compromise was accord-
ingly arrived at.

Little Golden Handbooks.
A Brief Biographical Dictionary. Compiled by
the Rev. Charles Hole, B.A. Macmillan and
Co.

The publishers, we observe, announce through
their advertisement of this little work, that they are
sanguine as to its being welcomed far and wide by
every lettered gentlemen as a book of reference,
that he will always be glad to have lying beside
him on his writing-table, close at hand, at his very
elbow ! And with reason, as it seems to us, do
they anticipate this instant and hearty acceptance
of the compiler's ingenuity—Mr. Charles Hole's
" Brief Biographical Dictionary" being, to our
fancy, about the very handiest of all the handy
little guide books that we can recall to mind
ever having had the opportunity of welcom-
ing ! Within less than 500 tiny pages of beautifully
clear and distinct letter-press, we have the quint-
essence of the biographies of almost all the famous
or in-famous human beings who have ever lived—
men and women and even (very rarely) children
(instance Chatterton)—fellow mortals of all times
and climes and countries and conditions ! The
quintescence of all these biographies, we say advisedly
—seeing that in addition to the names we have two all-
important dates, the Alpha and the Omega, the be-
ginning and the end, the date of birth and the
date of death. The:latter, whenever it can be given
with minute precision to the very day, is, we per-
ceive, throughout the book, alone so given. Possibly
alone so given by the reverend compiler in enforce-
ment of that exquisitely impressive line of Gray's
in the immortal Elegy—(a whole sermon in a single
verse !) I