The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-03 00:00:00

:THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL' 63, 1862.

of the original•" The present Duke, his late
lamented brother, Lord Charles Wellesley, Earl
Russell, and many other of the great warrior's
intimate friends, relations, and associates, have
assisted in furnishing documents ; the authenticity
of the work may be consequently relied on. It is
not necessary to analyse cloeely the merits of a
work. which has been already before the public;
we need only say that the object of the author
in reducing it in form and price is, that it "may
find its way into the hands of Englishmen of all
ranks and callings." ,This hope is likely to be,
in a measure, realised ; and the comprehensive-
ness of the work, its full detail and numerous
maps, will afford valuable assistance to any
reader who wishes to gather all possible informa-
tion respecting the career of one of whom his
country is justly proud.

Readings on the Prophets: Isaiah. By Dr.
Cumming. Bentley.
The numerous admirers of Dr. Cumming will
doubtless welcome these popular expositions of the
grand old prophet. They are well adapted for the
use of families and schools, and were originally
read in church on Sunday evenings, aiming rather
at familiar and practical instruction than at learned
or theological display. They will consequently be
more acceptable to many than other works which
dwell more on Dr. Cumming's peculiar views.
The volume before us is the first of a series, and
will be followed by the reverend author's readings
on the other prophets.

History of the Four Conquests of England. By
James Augustus St. John. 2 vols. Smith and
Elder.
Studious readers may ba gratified to mark these
substantial volumes which are the result of careful
investigation, and which bring before us the proofs
of matured deliberations. The theme is in itself
sufficiently important to demand more than a cur-
sory glance, and to ask for more than a brief notice.
The object of the writer is carefully shown in the
introductory remarks, and appears constantly
maintained throughout. The author observes that
during the momentous period that elapsed between
the advent of the Romans and the final victory of the
Normans, an interest appertains to English history
"scarcely to be paralleled in any other portion of
the annals of mankind." After descanting upon
the various causes of the conflicts and the nature of
the changes, the writer impressively states at last
that the power and civilisation of the British Em-
pire must be traced to the circumstances by which
its youth was surrounded and disciplined. "It is
the story of this youth that I have endeavoured to
tell in these volumes to show under what influences
it arose and waxed in strength, with what storms
of adversity it had to contend, how, with the
patience of greatness it braved them all, and how,
though beaten down and bent, it was never broken,
but rising again gradually, it recovered its erect
attitude, towering higher and higher after every
fall, until, at length it came to constitute the acme
of political commlnities, the model and exemplar
after which other free states have been proud to
fashion themselves." Without in any way laying
claim to distinguishing superiority of style, these
volumes are certainly above average merit, and
seem to bear traces of solid sense and a general
rectitude of judgment which go far to stamp ap-
proval on a work of this class, It is, of course,
peculiarly interesting to dwell upon the passages
that relate to Alfred the Great. This star in the
horizon of regal celebrities, is the endless subject of
romance, legend, and song, and his deeds impart a
lustre to the pages of history, while the chronicles of
his reign illuminate the annals of our country's
history in those dark days of ignorance and oppres-
sion. It is thus appropriately observed of him,
"Posterity has not been disinclined to do justice to
Alfred. His greatness is acknowledged on all
hands, chiefly, perhaps, because his goodness ias
such as to disarm the hostility of envy. In an age
when all Europe was barbarous, his virtues shone
with the full lustre of civilisation. Alone among
modern princes he deserves to be compared with
the greatest sovereigns of antiquity. Taken alto-
gether, he was such a king and such a man as
modern history can scarcely parallel. The circum-
stances of the times in which he lived were pre-
eminently unfavourable to the cultivation of the
mind, yet he applied himself unceasingly to thought,
and to all those elegant arts which tend to soften,
purify, and elevate a nation. His name is still
held dear, not only in England, but among our
kindred the Germans, and throughout those vast
colonies and commonwealths which our children
have founded beyond the ocean, and which will
concur to perpetuate his glory as long as the Eng-
lish language and literature shall endure." It is,
of course, a congenial theme on which the writer
can descant in flowing strains and measured periods
when he is once fairly launched upon the efforts
made by this man. Of him it has been truly said,
"Replete with soul this monarch stood alone,
And built on freedom's basis England's throne,
A legislator, patriot, warrior, sage,
He died the light of a benighted ago."
It may be presumed that many persons will be glad
of this opportunity afforded them of regarding the
events of an important period of our national
history thus succinctly stated and ingeniously put
before them. From the past we may learn of the
present and predict for the future. In those far-off
days of old now slighted and disregarded by many,
the germs of high import were taking root and the
shadow of great things to come was apparent. The
men who toiled or fought then were the nurturers
of the great works of English freedom, and the
framers of the mighty edifice of English fame.
Since then, time has tried with its searching tests,
and nations have followed in the wake of these
pioneers of civilisation, and these heralds of the
glory of the aftertime. One generation passeth
and another eometh, but the voice of truth speaks
immortal through the ages, and the records of hero-
ism survive the moth and rust of earth to bear
witness to men of the favour of heaven. The history
of this country is always of sufficient importance to
arrest the notice of the student, and if its earlier
pages shine not with the clasesie grace of Grecian
splendour, and glow not with the fire of ancient
Rome, the dwellers in the cities of the Violet Crown
and the Seven Hills had no prouder reminiscences
and could trace no more glorious ancestors. We may
conclude then that Mr. St. John's efforts may
be attended, at all events, with a partial success in
most circles of the community, and will afford a
satisfactory insight into the modes and methods of
an earlier age whose peculiarities may now be in-
fluencing our lives, and whose events are important
as they have shaped the destinies of our land in a
fashion that may endure to the end of time.

Narrattve of the North China Campaign of 1860.
By Robert Swinhoe, of H.M,'s Consular Service
in China. Smith and Elder.
Among the many histories of the late China war
the present volume holds a prominent place, and
the fact that its author acted as staff interpreter to
Sir Hope Grant during the campaign, gives it a
decided advantage over most others, inasmuch as
speaking the language and having an übiquitous
appointment, which continually brought him into
contact with the natives, Mr. Swinhoe was enabled
to study their character and habits more minutely
than those whose military occupations and igno-
rance of the language deprived them of similar
facilities. But, while devoting the greater part
of the work to China and the Chinese he
does not neglect to sketch the military operations,
but as these have been described by so hinny able
writers, we are glad that Mr. Swinhoe has devoted
his attention mostly to social life and politics. He
speaks highly of the bravery of the Chinese under
fire, which is acknowledged by all writers, but he
discloses one horrible cause for their maintaining
their position. In describing the capture of the
first of the Takeo forts, he remarks that the wall
afforded very little protection to the Tartar gun-
ners, and it was astonishing how they managed to
stand so long against the destructive fire that our
Armstrongs poured upon them ; " but I observed, in
more instances than one, that the unfortunate
creatures had been ttea to the guns by the legs.
This seems almost incredible ; but several officers
and myself saw the poor victims lying dead
or dying, thus tied to the 'weapons they em-
ployed against us." This is not to be wondered at
Wien we consider the entire want of humanity
among the Chinese. When in pursuance of his
duties as interpreter he had to make arrange-
ments for homing some of the troops In the
adjoining village, he discovered many wounded
and dying Chinese men as well as women and child-
rend all ages. These were collected together in
some spare huts, and after a while an inferior man-
derin came with two letters to Lord Elgin and
Baron Gros. At the request of Mr. Swinhoe he
agreed to take charge of the remaining villagers
who were forthwith brought out, but the want of
feeling so peculiar to the Chinese here showed it-
stir. Amongst the number was an old hardy
womanthigh. Agirl s
rsnedtd tehheeerxmoddoautlge
was
daughter
sor
a;
btwhooou about to
leavetl
oi asdta
her,ar t
thes
ur at
ponyin
thee ft
old woman turned a deaf ear to her entreaties,
whereupon Mr. Swinhoe caused her to be carried
on a litter by two of her countrymen. There were
also two children, a child about two years old, and
a poor idiotic crone in her second childhood; these
he also caused to be taken out. When the party
arrived at the mandefrin's escort, that functionary
asked each individual if he or she had any friends
,
at Takoo, to which all answered in the affirmative
except the old woman ,and the child th© former
not being able to
_understand, and :the latter not
being able to speak; whereupon he refused to take
them, saying that he should not be able to feed
them, but at the particular desire of the author he

consented to take charge of the child on the chance
that it might be owned by some one in Takeo, and
he made one of the men take it up, and so the party
started ; but before they had got far the fellow was
observed to turn deliberately round and place the
child on the wet ground and proceed on his jour-
ney—whereupon one of the English soldiers walked
up to the poor little thing, and after looking for a
few moments after the retreating savages, as if to
say " Can it be possible" he picked it up and returned.
So the two children, old and young, were left on
the hands of the barbarians. The author held an
amusing conversation with a garrulous old C hina
man on the polity of the country, and his remarks
go far to show the feeling of :the Chinese proper
towards their old masters the Tartars, and the
English whom they look upon as deliverers from
thraldom. The description of the native carts is
very good. We cannot enter into the details of
their construction, but let the reader picture to
himself a high coffin with shafts fixed to it, and
placed on wheels, and he may form some idea of
the curious vehicle. The author remarks that it
would be in vain to seek for the date of its inven-
tion, which was probably many centuries before the
Christian era, for he believes that the Chinese ar-
rived at the full extent of their civilisation at a
period when in the Western World—
" Wild in woods the noble savage ran."
That the Chinese are great epicures, their love for
bird's nest dainties, stewed deer's sinews, and many
other wonderful dishes has long ago proved—but
fancy the luxury on a boiling hot day to lie down
for a siesta on an ice bed—yes, a bed in which
pounded ice is ;substituted for feathers. This is a
common practice in China, and the Europeans were
not slow to avail themselves of it. The book is full
of instructive details and amusing incidents.
Among the latter we may mention that
of a trooper of a cavalry regiment, who
after a successful charge, dismounted to examine
what he supposed to be a dead China man ; but,
judge of his terror, when in turning it over the
corpse opened one of its eyes and winked at him.
The soldier who would have faced a hundred living
men sprang on his horse, and fled at the wink of a
single dead one. It seems to be a common practice
among the Chinese when unhorsed and unable to
run away to simulate death, to avoid being made
prisoners or slain. The closing chapters of this
interesting work are devoted to the products and
resources of the country:

Defence of the Rev. Rowland Williams, D.D., in
the Arches Court of Canterbury. By J. F.
Stephen, M.A., of the Inner Temple. Smith,
Elder, and Co.
It would now be somewhat late in the day to
enter again into the vexed question of the ortho-
doxy of " Essays and Reviews ;" but the recent
defence of Dr. Williams in the Court of Arches
having attracted someattention, it has been deemed
desirable to publish it in a commodious and general
form. It was delivered, as the reader may re-
member, partly in last December, partly in Janu-
ary of the present year, by J. Fitzjames Stephen,
M.A., Recorder of Newark-on-Trent, a gentleman
seemingly very well qualified for his difficult and
onerous task. The copy before us is printed from
the shorthand writer's notes, revised and corrected.
We may therefore commend it to any who desire
to acquaint themselves with the able and ingenious
arguments employed by the learned author.

Memorable Events of Modern _History. By J. G.
Edgar, author of " The Boyhood of Great Men,"
&c.; with Illustrations. Allen and Co., Water.

100-place.
Mr. Edgar is already well known as a benefac-
tor to the rising generation, since he combines
amusement and instruction in a remarkable degree,
and contrives, by his ingenious sketches and con-
cise memoirs, to awaken an interest in the men of
the past and their deeds which is not often felt by
youthful minds. Those who read his book are
likely to go further, and pursue the subject which
has so pleasantly excited their attention. The
work before us is very comprehensive in its cha-
racter, and somewhat ambitious in its aim. It
recall to our mind the able and ingenious work of
Mr. James White, " The Eighteen Christian Cen-
turies," since, although the plan is not similar, it
groups and condenses information which in old
days would have been slowly and painfully ac-
quired. At the same time, the dry and objection-
able character of a summary or abridgment is
dispensed with as much as possible, and the author
has striven to render it as picturesque and attrac-
tive as possible. In this laudable endeavour he
has been assisted by the numerous illustrations ; and
the general appearance of tne volume renders it very
suitable for a prize or gift-book. It is written in a
succinct and simple manner, which qualifies it as a
work of reference for those of maturer years than
the readers for whom it is especially designed, and
it narrates, as the preface tells us, " many of the
principal events of modern history, from the century
when Clovis, after being elected King of the
Franks, was baptised in the cathedral of Rheims,
when the Saxons landed in Britain, when Adolph
the Goth found his way into Spain, to that period
which witnessed the French Revolution find the
Peninsular war, the emancipation of the Catholics
of Ireland, and the passing of the Reform Bill in
England." It is therefore, as will be seen, com-
prehensive in scope as well as just and moderate
in tone, while combining something of the interest
of history with the succinctness of an abridgment.

ASSIZE INTELLIGEIV CE.

HOME CIRCUIT.—KINGSTON, APRIL 2.
CROWN COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Wightman.)
DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MURDER.
Alfred Edward Stevens, 18, a good-looking lad,
was indicted for feloniously shooting at Eliza Dew-
bury, with intent to murder her, and in other counts
his intent was laid to be to do grievous bodily harm.
The prisoner was also charged with intending to
commit the crime of murder without stating upon
whom.
Mr. Robinson and Mr. Harry Gifford conducted
the prosecution. The prisoner was defended by
-Mr.
Ribton.
The case created considerable interest, on account
of the youth of the prisoner and the circumstances
under which the crime of which he was accused
was alleged to have been committed, and also on
account of the prosecutrix having been subjected
to an attack of the same description about two
months prior to the occurrence that was now the
subject of inquiry. She was at that time in the ser-
vice of a gentleman named Lake, at Chobham, and
one evening as she was passing across the dining-
room, her master and livstress being both in the
room at the time, a gun was discharged through the
window, and the bullet broke a large ihimney glass,
but fortunately did no other injury. The prisoner,
it appeared, had been forcing his attentions upon
the prosecutrix, but for some reason or other she
refused to receive him as a suitor, and there was no
doubt that he committed this act of violence in a fit
of jealousy and passion. Sufficient evidence, how-
ever, could not be obtained to justify criminal pro-
ceedings being instituted against him, and the pro-
secutrix, as it would appear, left her service in order
to avoid the chance or a similar outrage being com-
mitted, and went to live with her father and mother
at a village called Sutton, about five miles
from Chobham, and it was here that the
offence was committed that was the subject of
the present inquiry. The daring character
of the crime, and the evident determination of
the prisoner to do some serious mischief to the
prosecutrix, caused a great deal of excitement in
the neighbourhood, and through the instrumentality
of Sir Denis Le Marehant, who resides near Wok-
ing, and Mr. Lake, the girl's master, Mr. Hum-
phreys, the solicitor, was instructed to conduct the
prosecution, and take the necessary steps to bring
forward all the evidence that could be procured in
support of the present charge.
The learned counsel for the prosecution gave a
brief narrative of the facts he imposed to lay before
the jury, and the following witnesses were then
examined : _ _

Eliza Dewbury, a rather plain-looking young
woman, said—l am a single woman, and live with
my parents at Sutton, near Woking. I have known
the prisoner for some time. He wished to keep com-
pany with me, but I objected to it. I was in service
at Mr. Lake's, at Chobham, until December, and
when I left I went to live with my father and
mother. On Sunday, the 9th of February, I was
at home, and I saw the prisoner go by the house,
but he did not come in. On the evening of the
13th of February I was sitting in the kitchen
with my mother, and heard the report of fire-arms,
and directly afterwards I saw two holes in the
wall. I was sitting between the table and the wall
and there was a candle on the table. The blinds
were down, and the bullets went through the win-
dow. I found a bullet in the room on the same
evening. It is the same now produced. Any per-
son standing outside the house where we lived could
see through the window into the room.
Cross-examined—lf I was standing outside the
window the bottom of it would be nearly as high
as my head, and the floor of the room would be level
with the ground outside. My head would not have
been concealed when I was sitting down. I have
met the prisoner accidentally in the village several
times, but he never asked me to meet him. He only
asked me once to let him keep company with me,
and this was two months before he shot at me. He
was always very polite and kind to me, and we
never had any quarrelling. The table at which I
was sttting was directly opposite the window.
There was a white blind to the window, and any-
body outside could see whether there was any one
in the room or not. There were no guns in my
father's house. My brother was somewhere outside
the house at the time the shot was fired, and I saw
him the moment I went out.
Re-examined—My brother is 16 years old: He
is not hero as a witness. At the request of the po-
liceman, I and my mother afterwards placed our-
selves in the positions we were in at the time the
shot was fired. When 1 refused to keep company
with the prisoner he did not seem either angry or
pleased.
Jane Dewbury said—l am the stepmother of the
last witness. I know the prisoner. He called at
our cottage on the Sunday before this happened,
and inquired if my daughter was at home, and in
consequence of a conversation I had had with my
daughter I told him she was not. My daughter
was at home, but she did not wish to see him. -:
5 Oa
the Thursday following, about' half-past 7 o'clock
in the evening, I and my daughter were sitting in
the kitchen, when a gun was fired, and immediately
afterwards two bullets struck the opposite wall.
The table was in the middle of the room, between
the window and the wall that was struck. I picked
up one of the bullets afterwards and gave it to Lam-
bert, the policeman. The holes made in the wall
by the bullets were exactly on a level with our
heads.
Charles Lambert, one of the Surrey constabulary,
said—l produce the bullet that was given to me by
the last witness, and I examined the window and
saw two holes in the sash, and there were correspond-
ing marks in the wall, but they were rather higher.
James Miller proved that he had measured the
distance from the floor to the window sill, and the
bullet holes in the window, and he gave the dif-
ferent measurements explanatory of the position in
which the person, whoever he was, stood when the
gun was fired. He also proved thatl while the pro-
secutrix and her mother were sitting in the room in
the situations they occupied on the night in ques-
tion, he stretched a tape line across between the two
holes, and it passed within half an inch of the head
of the prosecutrix, and one inch by the side of the
head of the mother. The blind was pulled down,
and when the light was on the table the shadow of
one person sitting at the table could be seen dis-
tinctly, and the bullet lino was completely within
the shadow.
In answer to a question put by Mr. Ribton this
witness said that ho did not hear anything about
the boy being outside on the night the occurrence
took place.
The mother of the prosecutrix was recalled, and
she explained that the lad in question came home
from his work about the time the shot was fired,
but said he did not arrive until after the alarm had
been given.
Henry Moir, a baker, at Chobham, proved that
on the night of Feb. 13, about six o'clock, he saw
the prisoner at that place. He appeared to be coming
' from his father's house, and he went in the direction
of Sutton. He had something under his coat which
appeared long, like a gun, but it was concealed
under his coat, and he could not say positively what
it was.
Jane Elliott deposed that at a little after six
o'clock she saw the prisoner going in the direction
of the prosecutrix's residence, and he was carrying
a gun.
Emma Tucker said that on the evening of Feb. 13
ehe was passing the prosecutrix's cottage about 20
minutes past 7 o'clock, when she saw the prisoner
standing opposite the window withsomething in his
hand, wialch looked like a long pistol, and when
she had gone on about 15 yards, she heard a loud
report. A young mai: named North came up, and
she then saw the pri-
she wont back with him, ai;,,fl
II Boner in the act of running c",,-lev towards Chob-
ham. The prisoner was shown to her o:: the follow-
ing morning, and she recognised him immee:.itelY•
Several witnesses were then examined, Nei:o
proved that they saw the prisoner at different
places on his way towards his father's house, and
that he had something like a gun concealed under
his coat. It was also proved that uprn searching
the house of the prisoner's father three guns were
found, one of which had been recent', discharged,
and the prisoner admitted that he tad discharged
it on the previous evening, and he said that he had
shot at some rooks. When he was told that he was
charged with shooting at Eliza Bewbury, with
intent to murder her, he made no reply.
Charles Barker, an inspector of the Surrey con-
stabulary, deposed that after the prisoner was com-
mitted for trial he took him in the train from Guildford
to Horsemonger-lane Gaol. When the train had
gone a short distance from Guildford, as they were
crossing a road, the prisoner asked him if that road
did not lead to Sutton, and he told him it did. The
riee"er then said, " It is a bad job, but if the mo•
'.
tier of 1.:10 girl had lot we see...h.er on the Sunday it
11 right. IV hatever made me do
would have te:Til q 4 I can't think. When I fired I
such a thing as the. but I did not intend to
nearly Hhot the mother, e Witness then asked
shoot her---only the girl."
Chob-
him if he had shot at her when eqhe lived at
He then in-
ham, and he said be did not do so,
quired what time he left Chobliam €;vto k: to Sutton,
ted out
and ho said about half-past six, and he poll, ~,J.-
~
the bridge he had passed over in going and rot...
in g.
Cross examined—The prisoner made this state-1
niiint quite voluntarily, and witness wrote it down
with a pencil and read it aver to him, and when
. l
they arrived at the prison he signed it.
Mr. Ribton then addressed the jury on be
onf
the prisoner, and said that although the this
o
on the part of the prosecution was that
desperate crime had been committed by him out of

a feeling of revenge at his addresses having been
rejected by the prosecutrix, it appeared to him that
the evidence did not support that suggestion, that
there really was an entire absence of motive for the
commission of such a serious crime, and that the
jury ought under such circumstances to pause before
they convicted the prisoner of an offence of such a
heinous description. He said he should not attempt
to deny that the prisoner was seen going towards
the rez,idence of the prosecutrix on the evening in
question, and that he had a gun with him, but he
argued that there was nothing to show that he had
wilfully discharged the gun, and that the discharge
might have been accidental. He also urged that if
the jury should be of opinion that the weapon was
wilfully discharged, the evidence would rather tend
to show that the prisoner intended to wound the
mother and not the daughter; and if they should
be of that opinion, be said he ought not to convict
the prisoner upon the present indictment, which
charged him 'with intending to murder the young

girl.—
The learned Judge having summed up, the jury
almost immediately found the prisoner guilty of
wounding the prosecutrix with Intent to murder
her, but recommended him strongly to mercy on
account of his youth.
His Lcrdship, in passing sentence, said that every
one must regret to see so young a man„ who ap-
peared to be in a respectable position of life, and to
have been respectably brought up, standing at th©
bar of a criminal court convicted of so serious an
offence ; and it was also painful to see the want of
feeling he exhibited when convicted of the crime of
shooting at a fellow.creature with intent to commit
murder. If the bullets he had discharged had taken
effect either upon the mother or the daughter, his
crime would, undoubtedly, have been that of wilful
murder, and it would have been his duty to have
sentenced him to death. His lordship then said
that the jury had strongly recommended him to
mercy, and he was at all times most anxious to give
effect to such a recommendation; but in the present
instance h© considered the offence was one of such
an atrocious character, that the interests of society
imperatively demanded that heshould pass a severe
sentence, and he felt it his duty to order him to be
kept in penal servitude for 15 years.
The prisoner did not exhibit any emotion when
the sentence was pronounced, and when the learned
judge had concluded, he turned round and walked
quickly out of the dock.
The remainder of the day was occupied in dispos-
ing of several cases in which carmen in the service
of the London and South Western Railway Com-
pany were charged with defrauding that company
by means of forged turnpike tickets.
Sergeant Ballantine was specially retained with
Mr. Wood to conduct the prosecution ; and Mr.
Lilley, Mr. Ribton, and several other learned coun-
sel appeared for the prisoners.