The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Travels on the Shores of the Baltic, extended to
Moscow. By S. S. Hill. Hall and Virtue.

This book is rather novel in some points. There
are two styles of description—one concerning the
less-known countries of Northern Europe, the other
relating to the places recently made memorable to
us in Russia. There is a long account of Moscow,
which many may be glad to see. A great deal of
information is condensed into this small volume.
There is a wide range for observation, and an im-
portant focus in which the interest may. centre.
Vast as is the aggregate of works of this class, the
same subject may be viewed differently by two per-
sons, and thus something desirable may be met with
in any of them in which care and attention have
been bestowed to record the impressions and recall
the circumstances that occurred during the junc-
ture of the author's sojourn in foreign capitals.

The Brief Career ; or, The Jew's Daughter. A.
Novel. By Captain Horrocks. 3 vols. Newby.

As may be surmised from the title of this work,
it is of a melancholy and sombre description. The
hero's career was indeed brief, but it could not be
called " bright and glorious." The events of the
story are very well described, and they may con-
vey a solemn warning to many thoughtless and im-
prudent ones, who are led away by designing per-
sons, partly from love of pleasure, and also from
want of resolution and principle to keep from
temptation. The plot is too elaborate to attempt
to give an outline of. The heroine, Carlotta, is an
interesting character, far different from her rival,
the courtly Lady Edith. The simple and inexpe-
rienced daughter of the people possessed a native
dignity and self-respect, while the polished and
self-complacent votary of fashion trusted to her
own vanity and resolution to carry her through the
awful struggle, and she failed completely and sig-
nally. The concluding scene is very exciting, and
after a life of frivolity and unworthy actions, the
unfortunate and misguided Gerard Quintin met
with a death of grandeur. He met his end in a
noble and self-sacrificing spirit, in endeavouring to
save Carlotta. The last minutes of his life threw- a
brightness over his memory.

" They were hurried to eternity amid the roar of
waters, and the crashing of the ice-blocks."

In the solemnity and sublimity of such a scene
the mean and the paltry might well disappear, and
thus the intrinsic nobility of Gerard's nature was
triumphant in the last great test of human actions
—the hour of death.

A Manual for Articled Clerks. By J. S. Wharton,
M.A., Barrister-at-Law. Butterworth.

The fact of this being the seventh edition of this
little compendium sufficiently proves its utility.
It contains courses of study in " Common Law,
Conveyancing, Equity, Bankruptcy, and Criminal
Law, and in Constitutional, Ecclesiastical, Colo-
nial, and International Laws, and Medical Juris-
prudence." It also affords a digest of all the ex-
amination questions, with the forms of articles of
clerkship, notices, ahidavits, (tc., and a list of the
proper stamps and fees. It has been re-written
and enlarged since the earlier editions and newly
arranged. It is divided into two parts, with
various subdivisions. The first part treats of the
five branches of Common Law, and gives an
analysis of all the examination questions from 1836
to 1854. This must prove a valuable assistant to
the student. The second part is devoted to the
consideration of constitutional, Roman, civil, and
ecclesiastical law, with a chapter on medical
jurisprudence. An Appendix, at the conclusion,
gives a sketch of the career of an articled clerk,
and the duties attached to it. To those practically
unacquainted with the study of the law, this work
will afford valuable information respecting the best
method of study, the authorities to be consulted,
and the nature of the various forms to be complied
with at the outset.

The Law of Turnpike Roads. By G. C. Ake.
Butterworth.

The author of this work informs us that it is
eighteen years since any new work on this subject
has appeared. Since that period many changes
have been made, and consequently there has been
much need of a more modern arrangement. This
volume contains the general acts now in force, the
recent acts introduced, with cases, notes, &c., and
an extensive index. it has been arranged in a
simple and practical manner, and from the mode of
compilation, and the elaborate notes and index, it
will, no doubt, be found to be a valuable work of
reference, owing to the facility for finding any
clause, &c., required.

Tables for Seamen's Wages. By John Wilson.
Neely.
This work consists of
calcu-
lating series of tables for calcu-
latin seamen's wages' both by time and money. It
struck the author as singular that while every kind
of commercial calculation was assisted by tables,
there
was no such assistance afforded to the pay
offices of mercantile marine. It was the practical
experiences of the difficulties met with, and the
great labour occasioned by them, in the pay office
of the Royal Mail Steam-packet Company that in-
duced the author to compile a set of tables for his
own use, to diminish the toil required. He found,
however, that it would bo too extensive and useful
to be reserved for private use, and therefore having
rendered it more complete, though simple in its
form, ho has offered it to the public, feeling con-
vinced that those for whom it is intended will do..
jive the greatest assistance from it. He has
adopted the calendar month throughout, and
laments the great diversity of practice on this point
which produces many misunderstanding
the work more complete, a table for leap-year
To make
has
been added. Although only
course,
ydesigned for seamen's
wages the tables will, o
ser-
viceable for any similar purporssee: be equally

PETITIONS IN BANKRUPTCT.---lander the now set,
which has just been printed (17 and 18 Viet., c. 119),
traders who have available estates to 1501. may petition
for an adjudication of bankruptcy. Hitherto the priv.i•
lege was only extended in cases where there were 50.
the pound iQI the creditors.