The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDA Y EVEMG, OCTOBER IS, 186 F

there is no help them." He has been made a
tool of, and now that he has served his turn
he is put aside as a worn-out garment.
All the details concerning the matter of the renun-
ciation of the DUKE'S father were quite as patent to
the world two years ago as now, and why should
any encouragement be given to the DUKE if his
claims were null and void ? It is, however, all alike,
friends or foes must make up their minds to be
hoodwinked and deceived by the unscrupulous and
overbearing Government of Berlin. It is now as-
serted that Herr von BISMARK is well pleased with
the result of his visit to France. If so, it bodes
ill to the cause of progress, and the chances
are further off than ever of rights being re-
spected and principle prevailing in the councils of
Europe. As in the Eastern fable of the ravens who
rejoiced at the reign of a king who made devas-
tating war, so the lovers of misrule and oppression
can consider their star in the ascendant when the
great Minister of Berlin thinks his plans are
flourishing. It is quite impossible to overrate the
importance of the course pursued by our Govern-
ment in dealing with this German-Danish question.
The absurd partiality that was shown to Prussia
throughout virtually decided the matter, and
all the Conferences that took place, and the
despatches that were written, became but as
sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal in
settling the matter or influencing the chief actors.
It is too much the fashion to dwell only upon the
immediate point of discussion before us, and to
overlook the long train of events that have led to
an important issue. Deep-set in, imperishable
records is placed, however, the history of this
Schleswig-Holstein transaction, and the fraud and
cunning that have distinguished its chief actors are
blots on their reputation that can never be effaced,
but will remain fixed in the memories of men, while
coming generations shall read the history of the
past. The eternal principles of honour and justice,
which are above and beyond all political considera-
tions, have also been grossly violated by these un-
scrupulous tacticians of the German Powers.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTERS TELEGRAMS.)
SPAIN.
THE CHOLERA IN SPAIN.
MADRID, OCT. 17.
The number of cases of cholera yesterday was
174, of which 53 proved fatal.
The Correspondencia of to-day says that at a
meeting of the leading members of the Constitu-
tional Progressist party, held yesterday, it was
decided that they should abandon the policy of
abstention, and should take part in the approach-
ing elections.

THE CHOLERA. IN PORTUGAL.
LISBON, OCT. 17.
Cases of cholera continue to occur in Elvas.
The cattle plague is reported to have broken out

in Portugal.

LITERATURE.

Romola. By George Eliot. Illustrated Edition.

Smith, Elder, and Co.

An exquisite edition, in a single volume, very
cleverly illustrated, has here been published by the
Messrs. Smith, Elder, and Co.—of " Romola," by
many considered George Eliot's masterpiece. That
it was designed by her to be her masterpiece, seems
to us to be indicated plainly enough by the mere
tone of the eloquent, alm6st rythmical, and through-
out eminently poetical Proem, constituting the
introduction to this mediaeval Romance. Yet
highly elaborated though the narrative is, as
a work of art, we cannot but still give the
palm of pre-eminence as well as of precedence
to the gifted writer's earlier tale of " Adam Bede."
Portions, too, of "The Mill on the Floss," as, for
example, all the passages relating to the Tullivers,
to the discrimination of character among those
stupid old provincial dowdified sisters, the quarrel
even between Tom and Maggy about the apricot
jam tart—have a value for us far beyond these loftier
day-dreamings of George Eliot's genius in the three
books of " Romola." But " Adam Bede " and all
that makes up the excellence of that delightful
work—the two brothers Seth and Adam—the Dis-
senting Preacheress, Dinah the Methodee !—the
lovely, coquetish, blooming, frail, fallen Dairymaid,
who is the victim of Squire Donnythorne's passion
—above all, beyond all, the immortal Mrs. Poyser !
No—it is justrabsolutely impossible that we can ever
come to recognise in all the unquestionable power
, manifested by George Eliot in her great Prose-Poem
of " Romola," anything beyond those rarer excel-
lencies lavished by her upon the homelier theme of
"Adam Bede." Claiming for " Adam Bede," how-
ever, the right of being still regarded as George Eliot's
masterpiece, there still remains an ample amount of
admiration to be accorded by her readers to the
merits of "Romola." And for the issue of a work
so remarkable, as " Romola" in a form so popular, so
compact, so accessible and, in its pictorial adorn-
ments, so radiantly attractive as the present edition,
the publishers are certain of winning to them-
selves the acknowledgments of all true lovers of
what is best among the more remarkable contri-
butions, of late years, to the imaginative literature
of Europe.

Beeton's Book of Jests. F. Warne and Co. •
Better than the • famous " Shilling's worth of
Nonsense" is this merry little Shilling's Worth of
Sense, of wit and wisdom, of innocent fun and
extravagant comicality. It is the very skim-
ming of the creme de la creme of that good humour
that might very well take to itself the name of the
milk of human kindness ! An outpouring of the
milk of human kindness, it is, by the way, that gets
curdled acridly no w and then by the rennet, let us say,
of a cynicism like that of the late Douglas Jerrold 1
But upon the whole, as a comprehensive collection of
" good things said and sung," the Jest Book under
noticeis sweet and wholesome, leaving no bitter taste
upon the palate after we have devoured its contents.
Its value as a collection of good things, it should be
added, is considerably enhanced by the addition to
it of a couple of very useful indices--one giving
a clue to the subjects, the other to the authorities
or persons mentioned.