The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-02 00:00:00

TIM MAGAZINES FOB APRIL.

Colburn's New Monthly.—The chief feature -in
this magazine is the continuation of the editor's
story of " The Flitch of Bacon." The fourth part
is entitled." The Haunted Chamber," and is full
of mysterious romance for the benefit of the lovers
of the supernatural, from the first chapter, which
tells hoW the room came to be haunted, to the last,
which chronicles the appearance of " Phantoms."
The first pm of the tale of " The Unholy Wish,"
promises to convey an impressive warning of the
sin committed in desiring that evil niay befalothers.
The first number of " American Authorship" gives
a -sketch of the writings of Washington Irving.
" Oriental Archteolog,y" is an interesting article,
founded on Mr. Layard's " Second Expedition to
Nineveh." "Un Poisson D'Avril" is a comic tale,
relating the fortunes and misfortunes of Mr. Ship-
grave, butler to the Dean of Dronesford. No.
7 of "Literary Leaflets" is entitled " Causeries
du Lunch," and is a criticism on a work by M.
Sainte Bettye de l'Academie Frangaise. "Up
the Hudson" gives us an account of all the chief
towns in that neighbourhood. The poetical con-
tributions consist of " .Ea.ster Morning," a dream
by Mrs. Bushby, and two little poems, by J. E. Carpenter—" The Fairies Home," and " The
'Mother's Farewell."

Bent!cy's Miscellany.—:There is a good deal of
variety met with in this month's number. "Aspen
Court" is continued in three chapters ; it is an
amusing tale. " The Siege of Cabezon" is a
ballad describing the generous conduct of Peter,
who sent some of his bravest knights to succour his
adversary when betrayed by his own followers.
" The Tuilieries till 1815" gives minute details of
their ancient history, reserving the more modern
arrangements and changes till a future occasion.
It is remarked that the French vary greatly from
the English in their institutions. " They have no
Windsor and no Westminster, and no spot in either
town or country kept sacred as haunt, as resi-
dence, or as temple, by the family of sovereigns
no spot hallowed by recollections of glorious, of
feudal, of chivalric time." " The Last Years of the
Emperor Charles the Fifth" presents an account of
that monarch preparing to relinquish his mighty
empire for the seclusion of a cloister. It has ",
been said that he soon grew weary of re-
tirement, and again that he lived a most
austere life. Both these assertions have been dip-
proved by the discovery of authentic documents.
He never wished to return to active life ; but, on
the other hand, he lived a calm, temperate life,
and to the last interested himself in the concerns
of his relinquished empire. " The Imperial Four,
Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and Napoleon,"
are continued. It is remarked, as worthy of atten-
tion, that Egypt was conquered in turn by three
of these mighty warriors.
" Eighteen hundred and forty years passed away be-
tween the time when Omar fought his war of barricades
against the last Ptolemy for the sake of Cleopatra's eyes,
and the time when Napoleon left his Josephine to invade
Egypt. More than twenty-one centuries had intervened
between the foundation of Alexandria, by the great King
of Macedonia, and the restoration of its fortifications by
the French engineers under General Buonapai Z;e's
rections."

The United Service commences with an article on
" The Austrian Occupation of Central Italy," with
all.usicins to British commercial interest. It consists
of a brief sketch of the condition of Central Italy
before and after the Austrian occupation. The
writer states, from the experience of six years'
residence in that country, prior to the events of
1848, the great injury that Tuscany has sustained'
in a commercial, social, political, and religious
point of view, from the tyranny and injustice of
Leopold the Second. " The Deviation of Projec-
tiles in Naval Firing" must prove useful both to
those about to ent the navy and to those who
take an interest in the theory of projectiles, which
has lately engaged so much public attention. The
first two chapters of "A Cruize in. the Ida" give
promise of an interesting tale in its continuation.
Captain Spencer, in his remarks on the Turkish
question and its connexion with European politics,
gives a clear account of the intrigues of the Austrian
and Russian Cabinets with regard to that fast-
decaying Ottoman dynasty in Europe. "A French
Account of the War with China" is continued.
" Observations on the Mental and Moral Status of
Kafir and Hottentot Races," by W. T. Black, assis-
tant surgeon in South Africa:, are interesting, and
his comparisons between wild and domesticated
animals, and savage and civilised races of mankind,
are novel, but certainly not without a semblance of
applicability.