The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Family _Romance ; or, Episodes in the Domestic
Annals of the Aristocracy. By J. Bernard
Burke, author of the " Peerage and Baronet-

age," &c. 2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.

The claim of these volumes to public attention
is very great. No one would suppose, from the
mere title, that they possessed such varied and in-
teresting information. From almost every anec-
dote something worthy of remembrance may be
gathered. The style is very pleasing ; and, alto-
gether, the work is a superior one. In diligence of
research into the archives of past generations, in a
clear and lucid account of many complicated and
mysterious events, and in the art of rendering all
the different subjects edifying and agreeable to the
general reader, this author stands almost unrivalled
amidst his contemporaries. The numerous legends
Presented to us preclude the possibility of entering
into details of each, but some of the most striking
e the following :—" Maria Stella, Lady sew-
borough,". suggests a very extraordinary idea, that
Louis Philippe, late King of the French, was a
changeling, and Lady Newborough the first prin-
cess of the blood after the Duchess of Angouleme•
xne story is a very complicated one. Of course, it
7:si not to the interests of those concerned to
si.a-fie inquiries concerning the claims of Maria
; and, as it is remarked here, " their truth
and falsity will probably remain a mystery until
the
time when all secrets shall be revealed !" The
story of Colonel James Roche, the swimmer, is
thery
exciting in its interest. It is observed of him
at had he
lived in the days of old Rome, his
!tattle
would have graced the capitol ; but he is
4.ofc'w little known. It was at the time of the siege
tDerry, when the garrison was reduced to the
Most extremity, that vessels of succour arrived,
but the commander of the expedition was unwilling
to brave the enemy till further assistance could be
Procured. He wished to send a messenger to the
Idr lispeople to explain this, but no one would un-
dertake the dangerous mission till Colonel Roche
volunteered to risk his life. It is in moments like
ese that true heroism is illustrated. Many can
rush into the conflict, surrounded by brave com-
es, and cheered on by hopes of exulting victory,
ut to engage in a dangerous enterprise alone—in
ofe dead of night to pass unarmed through hosts
kimealleraies—this requires courage of the sublimest
and self-denial of the highest order.
h-Vicissitudes of great families" demonstrates
o the highest ranks, the greatest wealth, and the
favoured positions do not protect their pos-
.ii,ers from the decay and decline incidental to all
Z: world contains. " Actresses raised to rank by
these informs us that no fewer than 12 of
grace
ladies " have been taken from the stage to
Ze, the ranks of the nobility," and, it is sub-
/*ie' that, none so elevated failed to conduct her-
betwith " unerring propriety." " Queen Eliza-
cf :8 talisman" shows us the extreme superstition
co those days. " Spains' Hall" is a remarkable re-
aelcl of a man who imposed 7 years silence on him-
(lt,' Which he maintained rigorously to the great
Vroent of his property ; but at last during the
sight preceding the day when his vow would be
zie•ed) he was struck with palsy, and could
butther speak nor move. " The Swans of Close-
-1: illustrate an extraordinary occurrence
that family. The present Empress of the
pate,tich is descended from this race of Kirk-
to :_eks of Closeburn. The visit of James the Third
in,,,"u,e Earl of Somerville mentions that amus-
otttakuventure, when the mistaken Lady Somerville,
arri the receipt of the letter intimating the King's
at, ,val, concluded her husband required assistance,
ofd instead of preparing a feast, she sent out a band
alined men. Happily, all was explained in time,
kenfthe misadventure only increased the amuse-
the-:l,°f all at the subsequent festivities. From
toc,.4've specimens an idea may be formed of the
a ~,,"48 of these volumes, and it is certain that, after
regarding
of them, the reader will be better informed
ottaprdi,lig many celebrated characters than he could
eiNTllvise have been from a longer and more labori-
wer- sury
e•Y in various works. The knowledge is
here presented in an abstract form, condensed to
tira,"„'lC necessities of such subjects, so that a short
our-i:ItY suffice to place one "au courant" of what
mend'B has of the most attractive in tradition,
and romance.
13i

NNT4eaiticbili.ause• No. XV. By Charles Dickens.
House any
;:fB.4‘' question the best number of Bleak
Worthv2
has yet appeared. Everything in it is
pathetic incomparable author. The exquisitely
The -eeeriPtion of Jo's death—for Jo dies !
tan dsc)rahre ami
awful narrative of Tulkinghorn's
lakinghorn is murdered ! The co-
' 41.ti.cirtaileesrariodff°rethaTpeltal account of the domestic fes-
-I,l'N'sa Baguets—for by them the an-
'tter, 17 of the old girl's birthday is duly cele-
tier, u• ! All are admirable—admirable in concep-
t h and in treatment. The wonderful scope o
e novelist's powers of description are here once
again delightfully exemplified. A webwork
life
°f poor
is thrown over the closing scenes in the
koor Jo, from the influence of which escape is
"'bidden to the most fastidious. Allan Wood-
Fc'llrt's kindness to s .Flite's interest
In him,
Mr. George's hire'n .
generosity in giving him
shelter in a corner of his shooting gallery, Phil
Squod's gentle ministerings to the wants of the un-
fortunate, Mr. Snagsb y,s
method of relieving himself
of the emotions oft pity inspired by the dying
wanderer, by depo siingnear him half-crown after
half-crown, mr Jarndyce's humane solicitude
in watching the close of that homely tragedy—all
are beautiful illustrations of the same under
current of benevolence—but
all is the foregiving tenderness in regard to the
N2Fetched crossing-sweeper of Esther Summerson.
There is a grotesque pathos . poor Jo's notion of
Propitiating (after death) the pardon of Mr. Wood-
c2urt in reference to Esther's disfigurement, wind-
lug his appeal to Mr. Snagsby with—" If the
writing could be made to say it wezy large, he
aught,' There is an exquisite touch o 1 nature in the
remark which follows the stopping of Phil's
little hammer, and the carrying out of his
Nvork-table, as the last scene closes in—" When the
little hammer is next used, there will b
terminates be a speck of
l
rust upon it." But most exquisite of all is theactua
It
account of Jo's calm, though darkened, dissolution.
rininates indeed, with all the eloquence, and
w,,lth much of the solemn rhythm, of poetry. Re-
14_'erting to the Dedlock's, the tale informs us of
discharge as Lady Dedlock's handmaiden,
,nankl of the subsequent declaration made by Mr.
j'ulkingliorn, to the haughty wife of Sir Leicester,
that her real history shall be forthwith revealed.
The old lawyer strolls home to his house in Lin-
eaWs-Inn-Fields, it being a beautiful moonlight
night, so hushed in its tranquillity that "every noise
merged into a distant ringing hum, as if the city
were a vast glass, vibrating." A new meaning has
!Lllcldenly become infused into the pointing finger of
lane Roman on the ceiling. A shot is fired sud-
,e4l, Y in the stillness—startling everybody in the
:elghbourhood for a moment, and then being for-
Vt,te,n• Next morning the old man of the name of
Nvll,?Qughorn is found lying on his face stark dead,
a little stain of blood soaked into the hearth-
A superficial reader would conjecture from
oft \whole of the context that the guilty perpetrator
: Wthe deed was—Lady Dedlock. We shall be mar-
nl,.easlY surprised if our good friend Hortense, who
once so mysteriously through the wet grass
ram"er stockings, do not prove, in the end, the real
hen-,.4-e,ress• Suspicion at present falls on brave-
generous, manly, honest George, the
the of the shooting gallery. He is captured by
daY
at the Barinet's, in commemoration of the old
gts o,l's:birth—the said old girl being, on that occa-
tL7',„,:alvariably regaled by a dinner, consisting, for
cla,:nst part, of a couple of fowls, which are de-
' tough°Y the historian to be perfect "triumphs of
unlkileSS''' Speaking of those same fowls further
of' --r• Dickens says delightfully, "Every kind
0./potteittendon and ligament ment that it is in the nature
In the ry to possess, is developed in these
.81n9utar form of guitar-strings." specimens
says—
their ueir limbs
• appear to have struck firocots into
casts and bodies, as aged trees strike roots
(c th,.the earth ;" nay, adds, furthermore, that
that
° '
thel legs are so hard, as to encourage the idea
„nl must have devoted the greater part of their
t and arduous lives to pedestrian exercises, and
their'r' regard,
matches.' Finally observing, in
chum g
" How young Woolwich cleans the
anxiostleks, without being of ostrich descent, his
11411113113 mother is at a loss to understand." The
capture Closes, as we have intimated, with the
rflui,l4.,°f Mr. George, on the charge of having
rapt "I, Mr. Tulkiughorn, and the reader is left
, , auzurationthisßucket's, oe, not of Mr. Turvey-
L of Mr. deportment.

MiscrE.

JiLLANEOUS MAGAZINES.
I;e"°n's London Journal gives us a description (lt eighteen recent patents, and its usual scientific
e Ports and notices. A list of celestial phenomena;
or May is added.— The two plates of the Farmers
Magazine represent a short-horned bull and a
rup of Cochin China fowls. The " Agricultural
NraPhY" is continued, and there are useful
articles on poultry and sheep. A description and
Illustration of a new rat-trap are gives, with a
!"_.riet of other subjects of agricultural interest.-
1-;,/a»tbers's Edinburgh Journal has more variety
1',A14 month than usual. Among the articles may
z iilenwa " Small Beginnings," " The Indian's
~,,l' ;" and a curious paper on the derivation of
;;,41.
is.--Chambers's Pocket Miscei/any contains a
_`7oer of subjects of general interest, at the very
Tzierate price of sixpence. A new volume of
4 tructive and Amusing Tracts has also been

recently published by the Messrs. Chambers, who
have contributed so largely to the benefits con-
ferred by cheap and good literature. One of the
most interesting papers is on the writings of Ma-
caulay. Lawson's Merchants' Magazine has
articles on the National Debt, the Financial State-
ment, and the Customs' Reform. A paper upon
Gold Statistics will be useful to Australian gold-
diggers.—The Ladies' Companion gives a portrait
of the Emigrants' Friend, Mrs. Chisholm. " The
Woman of the Writers," by Mrs. Cowden Clarke,
and a tale by Miss Pardoe are continued ;
with
the usual amount of directions for work and
fashions.--The British Journal has a romance from
the French, and several amusing stories and sketches.
—Home Thoughts is an agreeable little miscellany.
It gives an account of the works of Charles Dickens.
—The Church of England Magazine presents a plate
of Martin Church, Lincoln, which exhibits no great
architectural beauty, and several sermons and other
theological essays.—The Home Companion has
commenced a new series, of which the chief feature
is "The Star Chamber," by W. Harrison Ainsworth.
It contains many miscellaneous articles on instruc-
tive and interesting subjects.—A new serial has
recently appeared, entitled The Poultry Book,
containing information respecting the charac-
teristics, management, and medical treatment
of poultry. It is conducted by the honorary
secretaries of the Cornwall and Winchester
Poultry Societies. It has three coloured plates of
the Cochin China fowls, which have lately attracted
so much attention.—Sharpe's London Magazine ap-
pears with its usual assemblage of light and pleasing
composition. One of the most agreeable stories
is that entitled " The Irish Daughter." It is
written with great taste and feeling. " Helen
Lyndsey, the Star," by Mrs. S. C. Hall, is conti-
nued in one chapter.—Longman s Traveller's Li-
brary contains the " Life of Marshal Turenne," by.
the Rev. Oswald Cockayne, which will be gratify-
ing to many readers.

The Art Journal.—The subjects chosen for this
month's engravings are " The Carrara Family,"
from the picture in the Vernon Gallery. It is a
very effective representation, the expression of
anxiety depicted on the countenances is vividly
portrayed. The second is entitled " Falstaff and
Anne Page;" the third is the beautiful veiled vestal,
engraved by Astell, from the statue by Monti.
It is admirably done; the face is clearly seen through
the transparent drapery, which gives it at the same
time a softened expression. There are various
smaller engravings to be met with here, some of
which are pleasing and graceful.

The Sporting Review contains two plates—one
which represents an angler in the act of landing a
trout, entitled " Playing out the Play ; " and the
other " Cochin-China Fowls," in which a group of
these outlandish birds are feeding. " Actaeon "
furnishes some interesting sketches on the compa-
rative state of "La Chasse " in England and
France at the present time. A few words on
snipe shooting in Perthshire and the hills, fur-
nishes some hints to sportsmen very similar to those
practised in the southern fens. Lord W. Lennox
" Scenes at Home and Abroad" is continued ; and
Ernest Atherley pays a visit to the Sister Isle, and
describes in glowing and ludicrous colours the hos-
pitality of an Irish squire—the welcome he receives
from Paddy, and how he establishes his character.