The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-25 00:00:00

ITALY.

The Opinione of Turin devotes a leading article
to the rumours propagated by certain jeurna.a of a
pretended dissension between the King of Italy and

his Cabinet, and his Majesty's intention of dismiss-
ing his Ministers and dissolving the Uhambers. It
remarks that the King is placed above all factions,
and that those who are desirous of mixing up his
name with party feuds are either enemies to the
welfare of the country, or else ignorant of the mis-
chief they are preparing. The same arts, it adds,
were practised when a certain party desired the
downfall of Cavour. It was said that he was only
tolerated by the King, who openly disapproved of
his policy. It concludes with recommending par-
ties to forget persons, and to adhere to principles
instead;

The Illovimento of Genoa says :—" The Deputies,
Mordini, Crispi, and Micelli, have returned from
Caprera. They are the bearers of a letter from
General Garibaldi to the Italian Liberal Associa-
tions which are to be represented at the general
assembly on the 9th March." The following is the
letter in question, addressed " To the Committees
of Provvidemente and to all the Italian Patriotic
Associations," as published in the Liritto:—
" Caprera, 17th.

" The meeting of the 9th March next may pro-
duce the best results, if all the Italian Liberal
Associations are there represented. I therefore
think it necessary that they should all send dele-
gates to it. Convinced as lam that all the acts of
assemblywill be worthy of the practical good sense
which distinguishes the Italians, and that the con-
clusions it may come to will respond to the legiti-
mate expectation of the serious friends of liberty
and to the wants of the country, I abstain from any
recommendations. With the programme which
led us to Palermo and to Naples, and with the great
principles of the Plebiscite of the 21st Oct., 1860,
the Italian revolution may be gloriously accom-
plished. If particular circumstances do not pre-
vent me, I shall visit Genoa on the 9th March, and
if I cannot, I shall here await the news of a result
on which I may congratulate myself as an Italian.
Salutation fraternity,

" I. GARIBALDI,"

PRUSSIA.

A letter from Berlin, dated Feb. 22, says :
" The negotiations respecting the Treaty of Com-
merce between the Zollverein and France are ter-
minated. The adhesion of the French Government
arrived last night. The French negotiators had
already adhered provisionally to the Prussian pro-
posals, reserving the approval of their Government.
The treaty may now be considered as concluded.
A note from Count de Rechberg, in reply to that
of Count Bernstorff of the 14th of February, is
shortly expected. It has been deemed necessary at
Vienna, because Prussia, in her reply to the identi-
cal notes, said she could not express an opinion on
propositions of the basis and bearing of which she
was ignorant. M. de Rechberg, in concert with
the members of the Coalition, will draw up a plan
of reform. Prussia will find very little difficulty
in showing that it would be impracticable, and the
exchange of these notes will, probably, be termi-
nated for the moment. A Treaty of Commerce is
said to be under negotiation between Prussia and
Turkey. Count Goltz will be sent to Constanti-
nople for Prussia."

LITEB.97UBE

The Tale of the Great Persian War. By the Rev.

George W. Cox, M.A. Longman and Co.
It is impossible for any one to comprehend by an
inspection of a modern map the extent of the
ancient Grecian empire, if such a combination of
States, always more or less antagonistic, can be so
termed. We do not refer to the time of Alexander,
when the world was too small for the conquest of
the first and greatest of practical generals, but when,
some century before, the great Persian chief,
Xerxes, led his myriads to subdue the revolted
States of Thrasia and Macedonia, and to bring the
whole of the Helenic population under contribu-
tion. The direst, or perhaps indirect, influence of
Greece in the fifth century B.C. extended over what
are now the provinces known as Servia, Macedonia
and Romillia, and along the banks of the Bos
phorous, and into the territory of the Scythians.
These districts, if not actually belonging to the
Grecian Confederation, were at least so much under
their influence that they had to bear the brunt of
any war waged between the States and the Per-
sians. Under such circumstances it is not unnatural
that with a relentless foe on the one side, and
vacilating and contending allies on the other, that
these intermediate States should make terms with
the first bidder, and join their arms with those
who seemed to have the best chance of success. It
is to this interesting period in Grecian history, the
beginning of the fifth century, that Mr. Cox has
devoted his attention. The volume is simply a
transcript from the histories written by Hero
dotus, in which the author gives sketches of
the old traditions of the Greeks, which account for
the continual strife waged between them and the
Persians, and which are not content to go back to the
abduction of Helen as a casus belli, but trace the
origin of the feud to the little affair of Made-
moiselle Io and the Celestial Bull. After furnish-
ing, in a brief and concise form, a sketch of the
lives and doings of Crcesus, Cambyses, Cyrus, and
others whose biographies lapse into the twilight of
fable, Mr. Cox leads the reader through the most
interesting portions of the history of the Persian
war as related by Herodotus. Those passages which
refer particularly to the position of troops, oracular
decisions, and important speeches are given almost
as a literal translation ; while, on the other hand,
tedious details which, although they might interest
the Athenian some two thousand years ago, are now
held at as much worth as the modern Greek holds
liberty, are passed over with a brief summary. The
history of the few years which brought to light
the devotion of the Greeks to their country's liberty
—the brief space of time in which Miltiades,
Leonidas, and Themistocles achieved victories which
will bear their names down to posterity, and who
left behind them the names of Marathon, Thermo-
poli, and Salamis to lure an after generation to
carry Grecian arms to the bounds or the Asiatic
continent, cannot fail to interest all who admire
the deeds of brave men and the writings of ancient
scholars.

Barrington. By Charles Lever. Part I. Chapman

and Hall.

It is impossible to form any estimate of a serial
from the perusal of the first number; but the name
of so popular an author as Charles Lever is a suffi-
cient guarantee that the work will repay perusal.
The story opens in Ireland, as matter of course.
Barrington, who has formerly been possessed of a
large estate and great wealth, is ruined, partly by
his own extravagance, but chiefly by the prodi•
play of his son, who, having gone out to India,
kept up regal state; and while the pride of his
father was gratified by the accounts which from
time to time reached him of the sensation that his
son's magnificence created in India, he encumbered
his property to such au extent to maintain this
false position that he -ultimately became a ruined
man. The greater part of this number is taken
up with the description of the few characters as
yet introduced. His sister, who is decidedly the
" grey mare," takes. the direction of all his affairs,
and her picture is well drawn; showing that of a
woman who once having got the upper hand is de-
termined to keep it. Just prior to the break up of old
Barrington's estate his son sent home a child,
which he stated to be his daughter, he having
married a native princess, requesting his father to
see that she was properly educated; but on her ar-
rival Barrington was in the crisis of his disasters,
and the child was sent to a convent in the Nether-
lands to be taken care of and educated. This indi-
vidual will figure prominently hereafter no doubt,
together with a young officer, who is introduced
in the last chapter. It would be premature to pre-
dict who he is at the present early stage; but we
nevertheless have a notion that he is the hero and a
nearer connexion to Barrington than is yet
avowed.

Orley Farm. Part XII. Chapman and Hall.
This is one of the best numbers of this interest-
ing serial. The scene between Sir Peregrine Orin°
and. Ledy Mason, after she has confessed her guilt,
is written with great feeling. The old baronet's
sense of justice makes him condemn the criminal,
while his kind heart inclines him to assist the un-
fortunate woman. Mrs. Urine, on the other handoe-
yd
is actuated by no such scruples; all she sees is her,
friend in distress, and the arguments
of to convince Sir Peregrine that i
befriend Lady Mason, if not logical, ar©
e at
tated by kindness and generosity. She points out to
,
him that he has, by pe:sistingin his suit, obliged her
friend to make a confession to save him from a false
step, which otherwise she would
gives have kept secret.
The kind-hearted man at length and
Lady Mason remains at the Cieyeflorets ayhewpresent
At Noningsby Felix Graham is in an awkward
position, he is engaged to the young woman whom
he has placed at school to train up after his own
idea of what should be perfection in a wife, but on
meeting Madeline 8 tavely he finds that he has been
in too much of alurry, and that although his theory
of training a wife might be all correot enough, yet'