The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-08 00:00:00

TIIE BASHFUL MAN,

John Leicester was one of this unhappy race. With
talents above the average, with personal advantages which
alone would have brought most men into notice, an unac-
countable diffidence had laid its frozen hand upon his soul.
The world in general is too busy to observe those who
withdraw themselves from notice ; but even among those
who did observe, Leicester was misunderstood. He had,
by the exertion of common sense and by natural strength
of character, so far conquered his shyness as to subdue
some of its outward signs, He had learnt not to stand
waving his tall body, as many shy men do, when a seat
would set him at ease ; he taught himself to go through
the common forms of society, and to speak common forms
of speech with a grave composure which concealed his in-
ward trepidation ; but the very conquest of outward weak-
nesses made him but the more liable to be misunderstood ;
and, while it displaced pity, brought criticism in its stead.
He was called proud, when often he would have been
thankful for a child's notice ; cold and indifferent, when
his heart was beating with sympathy ; dull and apathetic,
when, had he dared to speak, his words would have won
golden opinions from men. He know his infirmity, and
ownod his woknoss ; but knowledge brought neither

No. XVII. Chapman and Hall.
Mr. 'Tr°Hope's story—the title of which/ by
rights, ought to have been given in the plur3
th
number, as " Can you Forgive Them?" -oit,r
heroines; as it appears to us, about pretty 0(1113";,
needing forgiveness, Lady Glencora, indeed, eN„:„
more so towards the close of the work than.
Vavasor—Mr. Trollope's current monthly Ori
ci3s
story is now evidently winding its way towilr;,
its conclusion. It might even be averred, 'c
point of fact, that the Pronoun Felnill4l''
upon the interrogative title page of i'ci;
tale, applies, for that matter, u°
positively to Kate Vavasor and to "`"--5.
Grenow, than it does to either Lady Glencor,
Palliser, or to Alice the real heroine of the fleti°filbf
as the wooed and won and lost more than once 11-0
John Gray, the Squirt, and George Vavasor, to
member of Parliament. The widow, we as reacierc;
might not unreasonably be asked to forgive for b
preposterous flirtations with Captain Bellflehl 311:0
Farmer Cheeseacre—Kate needing somepardeil DIOO
at the reader's hands for-her perverse interpositiof
between her cousin and her betrothed in favour,
her own vagabond of a brother. Alluring ill i°l‘lci
though the story is, the characters in it are one II;
all of them simply detestable. George is a sworilluc
blaspheming villain—MrPalliser, though a chivalf°
11,
gentleman at heart, is a horrible bore, yawning
self, and nearly everybody else, too, into Pieeesof
John Vavasor, Alice's father, is the very dulleo j,
old fogies—Cheeseacre, a selfish vulgarian—Delta,
a petty, scampish fortune-hunter—while of
~,va
Kate, Mrs. Greenow, and Lady Glencora, '""re,
already expressed our opinion, both upon the I:tily,
sent occasion and before now pretty frequell to
Altogether the book is in effect no more litelYtilo
live upon the bookshelves than a periodical of
Fashions.
the
THE FIFTEEN NEW F.R.S.—Last Year ;,Is
selected list comprised four M.D.'s ; this year it Nett" ,
one poet and three astronomers—physical science Prep
the
derates over physic. The. election is announced fefler.
Ist of June :—H. Christy, Esq., the Hon. J. Cock-1°7,00t,
W. E. Dawes, A. Geikio, Esq., G. Gore, Esq.., 1-1'
Esq., G. R. Gray, Esq., G. Harley, M.D., W. Huggins,
Sir F. L. M'Clintock, M`Donnell, M.D., W. .01
Esq., A. Tennyson, Esq., G. H. K. Thwaites, x 49."
Lieut.-Col. J. T. Walker, R.E.
0f tile
THE POPULAR REVIEWER.—The part
the
Graaculus esuriens is now played in London by ais•
popular reviewer. Omnia nosdt. He is an oncyclope) it.
Tom Sayers is itot beneath his notice, nor Mill abov.etico
He will instruct one in boxing, and the other in P°ll
otDor
economy. He will slap one in the face, and pat them
hid
on the back; and ho will be surprised if either res be-
attentions as an insult. His style, it is needless to s,Vo'cois
longs to the rollicking, fast school. He is on good too
with all the world, but especially with himself. ifen los
off cheap knowledge ; wears the famous sword of Diletto-
constantly by his side ; and has always the coffin °f
met suspended in the air. With two weapons he ag-,,00
lates all the world. For our part, we wish that tile "It tito
sword were reverently placed in the coffin, and
tai
l, hrg
latter were decently buried. Looked at more e
ti°
style is decidedly composite. It is plastered over w4ll (Isoill°
tions considerably the worse for wear. The mud of theut tote
defiles his well of English. For learning he brolcsoe use it
slang, and persists in writing Siren with a 9, be
31,,p-itv
looks more knowing. For humour he adopts the lap-it
the-back style, and wouldn't mind calling her one, far
" Vic." Of real power of criticism he possesses 11, tlie
he has no knowledge but that which he gains fle,t set
book under review. If the author is wrong, lie
cant
him right ; but if the author is right, he can often„ toy'
wrong. Then, like a second Phaeton, he "
"And brings in cloudy night immediatelPa pose
As for any philosophy, you might as well exPect ebtoclYit
ledge of international law from a policeman, °I .1.3 101. Pt
warden to refute the last German theory on St. ° diflica:t
4 u
a popular reviewer despises philosophy. When for
ties, he quotes his favourite Birmingham Latilt, ft°.
iteD. P;
principles comes back to his Stratford-at-Bow litetopoill,lo
in fact, appeals to public ignorance. And the° 'joy
.Pto
never in vain. Every ono applauds him ; anci 11,t of Wi
said to live not so much by his wits, as by thelo
th
in others.—The Reader. of „a
NEWSPAPER PRESS FUND. —A WWl,'
committee of this fund was held on Saturlo se.l:;
Houghton, the president, occupying the chair. tpo et
eO,
tary announced that he had received since the ifterareStd
subscriptions to the amount of £lO5. Severta . elece •'
tatives of the press from the provinces • Bea,
l
ett,
members of the association. A letters
rom w", DiS
the eminent French avocat, was read, joiero
ability, owing to the pressure of professiotrol ditiorrel
during the month of May, to be present at %as orti,,°er.
be held on the 20th inst. In his letter, which,„",
to be entered on the minutes of the asseciaa,lo
ryer said that he had heard with infinite Ple;vrtters col°
formation of the association for the benefit„eif
014110'1;0
While; :the -
nertuo
nected With the daily and weekly papers•
dy.o. ster
your happy country," he said, "that it lilts t docat° ,co
file
honour and reward men who so worthilY 1'1! ot
cause of social and political liberty,
are compelled to confine our efforts to rogaiu bt vet
and the most patriotic of our intellect the liga to vie
liberty to enlighten their fellow citizens, ,t :n
of
their dearest and most cherished privileges•
cconv
ed.
THE BALANCE-SHEET.—The peal ,s6p,
the public income and expenditure ha!, rch 31, 'lctse,
3 isSll ,
The income for the financial year ending lua_to P,co,
consisted of £42,130,000 from Customs post- pot-es""e.
£20,780,000 from stamps and taxes,
£310,000 CroNin lands, and £2,993,436 or
„lids', ,5,436'
eluding £872,750 received from India for
0';£70,310f the
iuter- t pa,.l
serving there); making a total gross incomer
The expenditure comprised £26,369,398 f_os3 for th° tom-
debt, £14,382,672 for tho army, £10,898,
trot be 7,699
£9,160,140 for civil services, to which and •41 oei;
£870,673 for the Post-office packet service,
,ti(n.ra
toll reder°'" ineitt to
for the second moiety of the Scheldt t
_nue trli
£4,606,471 for cost of collection of the rwc_,oditure,
the Post-office establishment) brings the e_sr a_o for
£4,l°°:
ooitaneetitote
In
£66,462,206, leaving a surplus of £3,851,0,5_ itaj out u_dera'
to this expenditure the sum of £620,000 W. of OP
tifications, the amount being raised by to
meat annuities terminable iu 1885.