The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-25 00:00:00

and that this Gothic ornament would ill suit his head.
Sometimes he precipitated himself on the future, at
others fell back on the past; and whether goirg against
or with the stream of the age, draw with him or re-
pulsed the waves by his mighty strength. Men were in
his (yes hut a means to power ; nu s)mpathy united
their happiness and his : he bad promised to deliver
them, and he fettered them ; he isolated himself from
them, and they became estranged from him. The kings
of Eg pt built their funereal pyramids, not amidst ver-
dant &Ids, but amidst sterile plains of sand; these vest
tombs rise like eternity in solitude—Bonaparte followed
their example in erecting the monument of his renown."
With this grand historical parallel, worthy in dignity
if not in truthfulness, of the pen of Plutarch, we
cannot better conclude our observations upon these
memorable posthumous confessions.
EL BUSCAPIE. By Cervantes. Translated

from the SpanishalFrj Thomasina Ross.
It is difficult to say vii* h portion of this volume is
the more interesting an attractive, that which con-
tains the " Buscapie•" or That which relates the his-
tory of Cervantes. Tai hiStory of CervantLs as here
detailed, is almost as''fielli'iellous and eventful as are
the adventures of the,Knight of La Mancha himself,
as a brief epitome of his fortunes may testify.
Destined for one of the learned professions, the young
Miguel was educated at the University of Salamanca,
where he distinguished himself by some pcetical corn-
posi,ions. His education completed, he entered the
service of Cardinal Acquiviva, in whole suite he
visited Rome. He some time after entered the army
as a- private soldier, and wes present at the battle of
Lepanto. Although suffering from fever, he insisted
upon taking part in the action, and gloriously distin-
guished himself. He was severely wounded, and lust
his left arm on this occasion, but nevertheless
" the memory of this day," says his biographer,
" the 7th October, 1571, was to Cervantes like a ray
of light beaming through the clouds of this past re-
collections." 'Cervantes was twenty-four at the
battle of Lepanto. In 1575, while returning to his
native land, having in the meantime continually taken
part in the enterprises of Don John of Austria,
Cervantes was made prisoner by the Algerines, and
spent five weary years in captivity at Algiers: The
narrative of his attempted escapes—escapes planned
with so much skill, and undertaken with so much
courage as to cause the Dey of Algiers to exclaim,
"he should consider his slaves, his barks', and the
whole city of Algiers perfectly safe, could he but
get rid of that one-handed Spaniard"—is given in
such an interesting manner by Miss Thornapifia
Rcss, that we will not diminish its attraction's iy ab-
breviating it. Suffice it to say, that after rAny cruel
disappointments, and many imminent perils, Cer-
vantes returned to his native land at the close of five
years' captivity. Here his literary history begins,
but even this, the most tranquil period of
his life, is crowded with extraordinary incidents—at
one time he is thrown into prison on an unfounded
charge of embezzlement, on another occasion he
writes a prize poem and is rewarded with three silver
spoons; and again he is arrested on suspicion as a
homicide. For a further detail of these very inter-
esting adventures we must refer our readers to this
newly published volume. One incident, however, is
too curious to omit quoting. " Don Quixote" on its
first appearance created such general eucitement,
even in royal circles, that King Philip, standing one
day in the balcony of his palace, and happening to
observe a student on the opposite bank of the Manza-
nares earnestly reading, who at intervals struck his
forehead with his hand and burst into fits of

laughter, exclaimed, " That student is either crazy or
he is reading 'Don Quixote." The King's conjecture,
on inquiry, proved correct. This very interesting
biography of the great Spaniard is prefixed to a
translation of "El Buscapie," a work which is in-
deed a curiosity of literature, for, after having baffled
the researches of the learned, it has been introduced
to the public for the first time; more than two cen-
turies after it was written ! The importance of the
work is naturally enhanced by the mystery which
has hitherto enveloped it. It was originally intended
as an explanation and defence of "Don Quixote," which
work has, however, fought its way without the assist-
ance of "El Buscapie." "El Buscapie" is composed
of a dialogue between two travellers who meet in the
course of their wanderings. The conversation, which
is lively and sarcastic, turns upon the merits of ro-
mance and r( mantic literature in general and of
" Don Quixote "in particular. It is well worthy of
perusal for its own sake, while the circumstances
under which it was written and preserved considerably

increase its interest. The little work-written to support
" Don Quixote" owes its own existence, at this day,
to the celebrity of " Don Quixote." It is not the
first time that the patron has been patronised by the
protegee. The elegant little volume containing Miss
Ross's admirable translation is adorned with a
very beautifully engraved portrait of Don Miguel de
Cervantes. It appears from this biography that Cer-
vantes died on the same day as Shakspere.