The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-06 00:00:00

L I T .E .R A T U lt B .

Popular _History of British Messes. By R. M.
Stark.

Popular British Conchology ; a Familiar History
of the Molluscs inhabiting the British Isles. By
G. Brettiogham Sowerby. Lowell Reeve.
We have frequently had occasion to commend
the very excellent series of popular scientific works
issued by Mr. Reeve. Each volume is embellished
with numerous illustrations, beautifully coloured,
which considerably enhance its value,-rendering the
explanations doubly interesting. The students of
the two works above-mentioned will learn, perhaps
with surprise, what marvels are connected with the
lichens and mosses they tread under foot in a coun-
try ramble, and the shelly habitations of the
"creeping things" they would otherwise consider
unworthy of attention. As a means of rendering
some among the wonders of nature more attractive
and intelligible to the unlearned, the volumes of
Mr. Stark on British Mosses, and of Mr. Sowerby
on British Conchology, are valuable additions to
Mr. Reeve's excellent series.

Arvon ; or, The Trials. By C. Mitchell Charles,
author of " Hamm and Catar," dr,c. 2 vols.

Routledge. and Co.
This work is entitled a legend, but it may rather
be considered an historical romance. The author
is already favourably known by his earlier produc-
tions, which display much vigour of style and ori-
ginality of construction. His favourite epochs are
evidently ancient • ' and although this tale is not,
like his first,
of an antediluvian era, it relates to a
comparatively antiquarian period. The year 134. 1
is the date selected, and the scene is laid in Brit-
tany, at the time when the rival claimants for the
dukedom, the Earl of Montfort and Lord Charles
Blois, nephew of the King of France, were
for the possession of Nantes, thechief town fightin' gf
Brittany. The interest of the narrative does not,
however, rest with the leaders of the factions. The
reader is somewhat startled at opening gof the
story to be introduced to no less than three youths
_
of undiscovered parentage, residing at the court of
the Earl of Montfort, then Duke of Brittany.
This extraordinary coincidence is subsequently ex-
plained by two of them being brothers. The plot
is somewhat elaborate, and, to add to the diffi-
culty, we are led to suppose, and, indeed, it
is stated by one of the parties interested that one
of the three is Edward Arvop, the brother of the
hero, while in reality it is his companion who is
Edward Arvon. This intricacy of plot will, no
doubt, be very attractive to many, and certainly
it has the recommendation of arousing the reader's
attention, for it would be difficult for the most ex-
perienced novel reader to foretel the conclusion.
The heroine, Alice de Leon, is a very attractive
character. She is the niece of Sir Herve de I4on,
a haughty and violent man of much power, one of
the councillors of the duke, who, on some provo-
cation, went over to his rival and surrendered
Nantes to him. In youth he had committed many
crimes, of which the greatest was the accusation
of murder, which he had brought against his for-
mer friend, Henri Arvon, knowing it to be false.
The poetical justice by which his unrelenting per-
secution of the supposed child of his victim leads
him to kill his own long-lost son is powerfully
drawn. The style and language is quite modern,
which, if not so correct, is certainly more agree-
able to the reader. It is an interesting romance,
in which love and hate, private quarrels and public
war, escapes and murders, plots and discoveries 2
romance and history, are skilfully blended.

Railway Reading.
The great demand that has arisen of late years
for cheap literature-, more especially for works of
fiction, has given rise to a rapid increase in the
publication of shilling volumes. While the benefits
of education for the lower classes are now generally
admitted, and while none can deny a taste for
reading to be an elevating and profitable acquisi-
tion, yet there are many disadvantages attending
the perusal of works of this class. In the first
place, the copyright question having been so long
in so unsatisfactory a state, many foreign works of
a questionable tendency have been among the
novels selected for publication, and secondly, the
lowness of price, when the works were original,
have necessitated their being of a very second-rate
character. This would signify very little to those
who had opportunities of a better kind of reading,
' who, directed by a cultivated taste, would be quite
above their influence. But those who would most
eagerly peruse these volumes as the only ones
within their reach, the half-educated of the upper
lower class would be those most unable to see their

faults and absurdities, and most likely to be charmed
with the wild romance or exaggerated sentiment of
their stylo. Aftet loadini; a rew or such works,
those of a higher class, should they obtain
them, would appear dull and tame. Hence-
forward they would only seek fresh excitement,
and require it of a more stirring kind. Even
should they possess no decided fault in the moral
they are very apt to disgust the reader with real
life; and instead of teaching him that "life is
earnest," and showing him that " we can make our
lives sublime," they tend to make him dissatisfied
with his position in the world, and to take away
his interest in practical life. The obvious method
to counteract the influence, it is to be feared, very
largely exercised over the lower reading classes of
the community by these pernicious works, is the
publication of novels of a high class and standard
character, with the prestige of well-known names.
Novels are no longer what they were. A hundred
years ago none but the most trifling and silly could
have devoted their time to their perusal. Now,
genius of the highest class, taste the most refined,
and knowledge the most varied, unite to produce
works that elevate, while they enthral and in-
struct and fascinate the reader. There no longer
exists a dearth of works of fiction of the highest
class ; and could they be brought to supersede the
worse than nonsense now so freely circulated the
benefits would be very great. It is, therefore,
with much pleasure that we see that many
respectable publishers are meeting the demand
for cheap literature with a re-issue of many
standard works, formerly published at a high
price. Conspicuous among these we may men-
tion the production of the " Waverley Novels,"
now publishing at eighteenpence each, by Messrs.
Black, of Edinburgh. The " Select Library of Fic-
tion," published by Chapman and Hall, contains
works ot a superior character, and of great attrac-
tions. Among those now ready we may mention
" Mary Barton," a novel of deep and thrillingin-
terest ; the " Blithedale, Romance, by the well-
known American author, Nathaniel Hawthorne ;
" The Head of the Family," by the talented writer
of " Olive;" and the lively and clever " Bachelor of
the Albany." Those who wish for standard romances
are also supplied by Messrs. Routledge and Co., who
are now bringing out the novels of Sir E. Bulwer
Lytton, in monthly volumes. The entire series
will be included. Two sets of Cooper's novels are
also being published—one by Messrs. Routledge
and Co., and the other by Mr. Hodgson, the
founder of " The Parlour Library," which has been
so long in existence, and includes, among many
others, the works of G. P. R. James and Mrs.
Marsh. Among recent American works issued in
this country, one from the pen of Miss Mcln-
tosh sustains her character as a simple and
pleasing domestic writer. " Ida May," a story of
the slave states, is also an attractive and truthful
tale, while a new romance entitled " Fashion and
Famine" is one of the sentimental and unprofitable
class 'above alluded to. The fifth edition of G. .
Warburton's celebrated " Hochelaga," and Miss
Pardoe's " City of the Sultan," have recently ap-
peared at one shilling and sixpence each. In the
„
Railway Library, " Rookingham, a well-written
and interesting novel, and one of the
.most enter-
taining of Mrs. Gore's clever stories, " Pin Money,"
have been lately included. Among naval novels
we may mention the " Albatross," by Kingston,
and "Singleton Fontenoy," by J. Hannay. " Sybil
interesting
story, a somewhat improbable but nteresting
story, by Mrs. Grey, and " Modern Flirtations,'
by Miss Catherine Sinclair, are also among recent
reprints. With such works as we have mentioned
widely circulated among romance readers let us
hope that the good will conquer the evil, and that
translations of French novels, and tales of which
n and murderersbut tha t
arethe the
works
heroes,o f
ourw
illo
lhoinghgewrabY:i tolerated,e
first-
rate romancists, who in this century have eclipsedof
gest and
h taste
all their predecessors, may fulfil their
noblest task—the elevation of the literary highest
the people.

HO? DRYING NUISANCE NEAR
peGs:iseale
slagnh
Yesterday, at the Surrey Sessions, William Trower and
Jacob Mass, extensive hop factors and dryers, were in-
dicted for carrying on the business of drying and colour.
ing hops in furnaces, or kilns, by means of sulphur, o
the premises, Queen's Head-yard, High-stre?t,
South-
wark ; such being a publio nuisance aTn.hd
healths of the inhabitants, more
mates of Guy's Hospital adjoining.
whole day, and excited great interesetseit, great injurious
f s
_at Oelastt theetmdo attinhhnyee.
eminent medical gentlemen were
Severalr of the wards
were Drs. Taylor and Letheby.
oa fn
dt the hospitalcontendedadjo adjoin tbhye
the
eck
phuric acid from the defendant's
health of the patients, and,taleedxeaerad,inheadd
tofio an
,child.
Dr.D .
LethebyTaylor f
' after nearly an
jury, prosecution
factory affected the
roofs edceufteinodnallttsla a' tprthe me
issue4l-
-
rh e defence. A good many
The defendants w
other witnesses were also called on
ere
teal,
fondants guilty.. caused ethdethperodseeacuth.
each
hn
boundsid over
went
igunodiately. hour's deliberation, found the de-
they undertaking to abate the
in their own recognipsnannsces in 500/. to appear for judg.
t when called u