The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-03 00:00:00

Fraser.

The continuation of the ably-written but some-
what disconnected story entitled " Thalatta Tha-
latta I ""is the first thing that meets the reader in
this number. It is followed by an article on " The
Non Regulation Provinces of India," which dis-
cusses several important features in our Indian go-
vernmental system. We are glad to welcome the
familiar initials of A. K. H. B. appended to an
essay " Concerning the Sorrows of Childhood,"
written with a conciseness and vigour in which this
able writer has of late seemed to us to flag.
The truth and force 3f many of the observations in
this paper deserve to be appreciated. It would
be well, indeed, for the rising generation if parents
were more careful of the influences surrounding
the timid and sensitive little being, whose early
years may be darkened by the tyranny of a nurse,
the injustice of a teacher, or even by the mismanage-
ment of the parents themselves. With regard to
an evil far too common in these high pressure days,
the essayist makes some remarks so just and sen-
sible that we commend them to the notice of the
reader :

Then a great trouble, always pressing heavily on many
a little mind, is that it is over-tasked with lessons. You
still see, here and there, idiotic p,,rents striving to make
infant phenomena of their children ; and recording with
much pride how their children could read and write at an
unnaturally early age. Such parents are fools ; not neces-
sarily malicious fools, but fools beyond question. The
great use to which the first six or seven years of life should
be given, is the laying the foundation of a healthful con-
stitution in body and mind ; and the instilling of those first
principles of duty and religion which do not need to be
taught out of any books. Even if you do not permanently
injure the young brain and mind by prematurely overtask-
ing them ; even if you do not permanently blight the bodily
health, and break the mind's cheerful spring ; you gain
nothing. Your child, at fourteen years old, is not a bit
further advanced in his education than a child who began
his, years after him; and the entire result of your stupid
driving has been to over cloud some days which should have
been among the happiest of his life. It is a woful sight to
me to see the little forehead corrugated with mental effort,
though the effort be to do no more than master the multi-
plication table ; it was a sad story I lately heard of a little
boy repeating his Latin lesson over and over again in the
delirium of the fever of which he died, and saying piteously
that indeed he could not do it better. I don't like to see a
little face looking unnaturally auxious and earnest about a
horrible task of spelling : and even when children pass that
stage, and grow up into schoolboys who can read Thucy-
dides and write Greek iambics, it is not wise in parents to
stimulate a clever boy's anxiety to hold the first place in
his class. That anxiety is strong enough already ; it needs
rather to be repressed. It is bad enough even at college to
work on late into the night ; but at school it ought not to
be suffered for one moment. If a lad takes his place in his
class every day in a stee of nervous tremor, he may be in
the way to get his gold medal, indeed; but he is in the way
to shatter his constitution for life.

Those who like to travel while sitting by their own
fireside, and to see the wonders of foreign lands
through the eyes of others, will derive much plea-
sure from the vivid and animated sketch entitled
" The City of Victory," which records a lady's soli-
tary voyage to the olden world, ani describes her
intense delight when she looked upon the glowing
waters of the mighty Nile, and caught a distant
view of the Pyramids. " Pap3l Vuh" is the title
of an interesting essay on the early writings of the
ancient Aztecs. Many curious passages will excite
the attention of the reader, and give rise to reflec-
tion. Mr. Peacock, the author of some articles on
Shelley, and the friend of the poet and his wife,
adds a supplementary notice to his former essays,
refuting the assertions of a recent writer !na the same
subject.. "The Twice-revised Code" re ceives a care-
ful examination. The clever author of " Guy
Livingstone" proceeds with his tale of " Barren
Honour," in his usual strain, sometimes power-
ful, sometimes with a straining after effect,
but always worth reading in these days of com-
monplace. An essay on Austria and Hungary sets
forth opinions from which we totally differ. It re-
commends the Hungarians to abandon all claim to
thatindependent constitution for which they have
struggled with such faith, such constancy, such
suffering, and to send their Deputies to the Austrian
Parliament, forfeiting all their ancient privileges
by that mock representation, and abandoning that
attitude of passive resistance which has defied the
attacks of tyrants and their subordinates, by taking
a false step which could never be retraced. Rather
let us sympathise with the patient firmness of a
brave and martial people, to the swords of whose
warriors the empire of their tyrants is indebted for
its very existence.

the United Service nagazine.
This magazine opens with a chapter on " The
Defence of Canada," the chief object of which
is to inquire if our military system can afford
it. The writer maintains that it cannot, for
that, if Great Britain is to take upon herself
the whole responsibility of the defence of so
extensive a territory, it will be necessary to
keep an army of some thirty or forty thousand men
as a permanent garrison, which he does not coas-
der fair, and that it would be far better for the
Canadians- to keep up a standing army instead i
of
only a militia, and that in that case, in the event of
a war with the States, England could support them
without materially weakening herself. This is
hardly fair to the Canadians after the bold and
patriotic front they showed at the late threatened
war. Theseus contributes a paper on " Naval Dis-
cipline, and Recent Naval Appointments," in which
he criticises with some severity recent alterations.
The second article on " The British Cavalry, and
its Organisation" commences with the refutation of
an error which was made in an article on this sub-
ject which appeared in last month's number, in
which it was stated that it required thirty
years to make a cavalry soldier, whereas three
was the number fixed by the writer. The
article is ably written, and the author defends
the cause of British cavalry against all attacks.
Sir John Burgoyne comes in for his share of
castigation for having gone out of his way to
abuse an arm Jf the service with which the author
says that he is perfectly ignorant.
Amongst others who have voluntarily come forward to
decry our cavalry is Sir John Burgoyne. Now who is this
gentleraan who puts an ignominous brand upon that noble
service ? a general, a baronet, G.C. 8., end inspector-gene-
ral of fortifications. An officer of eminence in his own de-
partment, or he would not have received so many re.,vards.
pause to enquire what
These high titles will be avt to deceive mar— who do not
ala j to consti,
tute him a judge pi
i~ali&Mims
possessesses • h
—.Lee, It will be sufficient for the gene-
"4l I/414144W thoy wnolly disconnected with is

rality of non-military readers of his writings that he is
General Sir John Burgoyne, loaded with honours for past
services. But in reality, what can ho know about cavalry ?
lie never served with them, much less commanded any
body of them, and never had anything to do with them
in any shape whatever, unless, l,ossibly, in the course of
his duty as an engineer, he may have had to report upon
the state of, or see to the repairs of, some cavalry barracks.
Yet he comes forward, without his opinion being asked,and
stigmatises the British cavalry as the worst ire the world,
just in the same manner as he bas rrouounced judgment
upon the volunteers. Now Sir John is the last man•who
should have done either the one or the ~ther, for be bears
the name of an officer who was signally successful in the
command of British cavalry during the last century, but
whJ subsequently gained an unenviable notoriety by sur-
rendering a British army to an unorganized mass of volun-
teers I There are no cavalry officers of the past or present
day who care mush for such opinions, they naturally laugh
a them, but the case may be otherwise with the general
reader, who may look only to the position of the person
who expresses them, and receive for truth what is in fact.
calumny. Sir John likewise should have been cautious in,
giving publicity to his opinions on matters with which he
had no concern, for he was supposed in his early career to
have committed faults as an engineer—who has not, what-
ever his profession ? An officer of his own corps, of the
highest merit, under whose orders Sir John had served,
was asked shortly before his death what he thought of him
as an engineer ? the laconic answer was, " there are two
opinions about him." The worst cavalry in the world.
could scarcely have made two such %charges as did thet
heavy and light brigades at Balaklava, both of which Sir
John must have witnessed, as well as some onsets in for-
mer days. He had better have left our cavalry and volun-
teers alone, for in his condemnation of the former he will
find that he has to measure his length against persons far•
better informed on the subject than himself, and as to the
latter, they have assumed a proportion and a perfection per-
haps little thought of by him, and which give a flat contra-
, aiction to his assertions.

A French view of English Volunteers is concluded,
and it is but justice to our neighbours to state that
on the whole the view taken is a fair one. An:
article on the Porthmouth Fortifications contains a
full description of the works in progress there, and
will be read with interest. Under the head of
Naval Education, it is proposed that a united ser-
vice college should be provided for the sons of offi-
cers of the army, navy, and marines, and of gen-
tlemen in the imperial and Indian civil service. In:
a paper on the Eastern Provinces of British North.
America, the resources of Canada are considered,
and considerable details furnished about its pro-
ductions. Among the critical notices, " Red, White,
and Blue" is reviewed with some severity f;)r its
absurd French tendency. Such a thorougbly Eng-
lish publication as the United Servioe i'dagaine is
not likely to pass over a matter of this sort in
silence, the more especially as the work is in
many respects very clever. Chapters are devoted
also to the consideration. of Military Murders and
Naval Promotion.

?he New Monthly.
The new tale by the authoress who has lately
attained considerable celebrity as a novelist is con-
tinued with unabated int( rest. " The Shadow of
Ashlydyat" belongs to the more ambitions efforts of
its writer, and the number of characters introduced,
whose distinctive features are all preserved with
Mrs. Wood's peculiar skill, promise a story of some
length and elaboration. The attention which has
lately been drawn to our great Canadian colonies
has given rise to many essays and disquisitions upon
them. A lengthened paper in this magazine enters
thoroughly upon the sub.iect, and wakes some in-
genious comparisons of the respective capabilities of
the British and French for colonisation. " Joan of
Naples," a "ell-known figure in Italian history, is
the sulit et for Sir Nathaniel's sketch. There is a.
curious parallel between the chequered lives of
Queen Giovanna and Mary of Scotland. Both
were suspected of complicity in the murder of their
husbands, both were remarkable for their personal
attractions and fascination of manner, both passed.
from the swaying of a sceptre and the splendours
of a throne te the prison and the executioner.
Those who are interested in the adventurous ex-
ploits of the Alpine Club may turn their attention.
to the narrative of the " Ascents of the Volcano
Orizava," the highest of the Andes in Mexico.
" Granville de Vigne" is continued in its accus-
tomed style. We fear trouble awaits the haughty
hero and the brilliant little artist, as it does also the
colonel and his charming fiancee. Nicholas Michell,
whose poems on the shipwrecked mariner were
recently so well received, contributes some verses,
entitled "The Last on the Rock," which display his
accustomed powers. There are also pers on the
" Holy Land," and one on the "Prophets of the
Desert."

Bentley's Miscellany.
" The Adventures of Lorn Lorie.A" are drawing
to a close. He is received by his parents, and the
crafty pawnbroker is settled with, and we suppose
retires from the scene for ever. Esther meets with
a friend in need in the shape of the housekeeper a
hotel, who takes compassion on her destitute condi-
tion. Mrs. Drakeford pays a visit to Dr. Snow-
balle, and contrives to extract fifty pounds from
him, and gains the unpleasant intelligence that Mr.
Drakeford hasbeen committed to prison to take his
trial on a charge of arson. No hint has as yet
been given as to whom Esther really is, or
what is her parentage. The characters of Sir
William Cumberlanj and Mrs. Drakeford are well
sustained, and Mr. Costello deserves great credit
for having kept up the interest of the story so
steadily, " The Forgotten Dead," by M. Dumas,
frere is reviewed at some length, and several
in-
teresting extracts are taken. The writer says he
believes that this is the first occasion in which
Alexander the Great has attempted what may be
termed contemporary biography. This is a subject
in which M. Dumas is pre-eminently qualified to
deal. As a specimen, we extract the following re-
lating to-Chateaubriand

Chateaubriand, who had once on a time been captain of
the Royal Guards, was glad to march to the siege of 'Mon*
ville as a private. As he marched along he met a home.-
man, who asked him, "Where are you going ?" To
fight." "What is your name ?" "N. de Chateaubriand.
And yours ?" " Frederick William." It was the King of
Prussia, who said, as he rode away, " There I recognise
the nobility of France."

The poet was not born to fight : he was wounded, re-
ceived a bullet which lodged in the manuscript of " Atala,"
which he carried in his breast, and lastly was attacked bY
smell-pox. As he walked along the streets of Namur,
trembling with fever, a poor woman threw an old blanket
over his shoulders; it was the only one she possessed.
Seys M. Dumas, " St. Martin, who was canoni.ed, only
gave the poor man half his cloak." On quitting Namur,
Chateaubriand fell into a trench, and was picked up by
some compassionate soldiers, and deposited at the gates of
Bussels. " The Belgians, who did not guess that one day
the piracy of the works this young man would publish-
would enrich thre .or four bookaneers,' closed their gate 8
against the poor wounded man." He was on the point of
death whe his brother came to his aid, and gave him one-
half the 1,200 francs he possessed. He also proposed to
remove him, but, fortunately, our poet was too ill to follow
him. He went to a barber's, where he recovered; his
brother returned to France, where the guil otine was
waiting him. When convalescent, Chateaubriand pro-
ceeded to England, where the doctors warned him that his
fighting days were over. He took up his pen, wrote his
" Essais," and sketched the plan of the " Genie du
Christianisme."
" An Arab Village" is a sketch of life in Algeria,
and a description of Arab manners and customs.
" Table Talk," by Monkshood, is continued, and
relates the breakfast table. "Fayette and Thar"
gelie ; or My Pastel Portrait by La Tour," by Ouide4
is one of this author's light and amusing tales.
A review of the memoir of Edward Forbes, the
naturalist, gives a general sketch of the life of that
gifted individual.

Good Words. Edited by Norman Macleod, D.D.
it is with great satisfaction that we see this in-
teresting periodical instead of diminishing is
interest, increase in its attractions. The number
before us need not fear comparison with many older
and more expensive publications, and to the hearths
and homes of the poor it must be a real boon, being
so entirely devoid of the didactic character and
bitter tone too often found in periodicals designed
pages with pleasure, although the/
for their benefit. A member of any faith might,
read these
often contain papers of an openly religious charac-
ter. The essay by the editor himself in this
month's number entitled " What if Christianity
is
guni
doet tarnude
e?
e" n
sputsolat
itoh
ne h e question to the
would
offer itnoflde
humanity'l , wh at
in place of the faith which has been found capable
of sustaining and influencing the most diverse
nations, and supplying
the moral needs of the
changing ages. A. K. N. contributes a thoughtful,
and pleasantly written essay on " Atmospheres,'
meaning thereby the insensible influence which
"
every human being diffuses around him. The at-
tractive story of Mistress and Maid," by
the
author of " John Halifax," proceeds with great at-
tractions, and the characters increase in interest a°
they are further developed. Miss Muloch's ad'
mirers are acquainted with the charm which that
gifted authoress can throw over the little domestic
details of daily life, and this happy power{
is fully displayed in the history of Elizabeth Hand
and her three mistresses. There is another story'
of a pleasant genial nature, entitled "A cast in the.
waggon," and some very able articles on general
subjects. Among these are papers on the causes,
and remedies of colliery calamities, with four illus-
trations, and on the structure and powers of the
eye, which will well repay the reader, and contain
most interesting information.

PRESENT OF SALMON OVA TO GARIBALDI.-3/1--r#
John Miller, partner with Mr. Andrew Buist, of Perth, in
the lease of the Galway fisheries, has received the following
letter in acknowledgment of the present of salmon ova for-
wad ded to General Garibaldi some time ago :--44 Caprero,
Feb. 6, 1862. Dear Sir,—Many thanks to you and y°lll-
- Mr. Buist, for your assistance in obtaining for me
25,000 impregnated ova of salmon, and for the vessel in
which you so carefully sent them from Ireland to Glasgow.
With earnest wishes for success in your fisheries, I am your
grateful friend, G. GARIBALDI.—Mr. John Miller, Salin'
Weirst Oalwah Irelau