The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-20 00:00:00

LITERATURE

A GENEALOGICAL AND HERALDIC
DICTIONARY OF THE LANDED
GENTRY OF GREAT BRITAIN AND
IRELAND. By John Burke, Esq., and John

Bernard Burke, Esq.
This great national work is now complete, and,
with the supplement, which brings clown the infor-
mation relating to the families of the gentry of Great
Britain to the present time, occupies three handsome
octavo volumes, which have been got up with all that
care and elegance which distinguishes the works
bearing the imprint of Mr. Colburn. This great
national work has been now for many years in pre-
paration, and we have before us the fruits of the
deep research, the indefatigable perseverance and the
unremitting labour of the two great genealogists to
whom we are indebted for having raised genealogy and
heraldry to the rank of a science, and who have
rescued the study of family history from the neglect
into which it had fallen. The present work contains the
genealogical history of that class which is at once the
pride, the boast, and the distinguishing characteristic
of England, the untitled country gentlemen, the
descendants of the men who laid the foundations of
English liberty as we at present enjoy it ; from
among whom Cromwell recruited his Ironsides,
Marlborough the victors of Blenheim, and
who in our own time have furnished the
majority of the Peninsular veterans. This great
national work records the family history of this
class. It is the first and only work of the sort ever
published, and every care has been taken to ensure
accuracy, as a proof of which we may state, that up-
wards of 6,000!. has been expended writs production.
Every head of a family who. has any feeling,
of respect for " gentle blood'? should possess him-
self of a copy of this unique work.

DESCRIPTION OF THE LAKES OF AIL-
LARN4Y, and the Surraunding Scenery.
This little Tiolume is excellently well-timed. It
makes its appearance at a moment when her Ma-
jesty's visit concentrates public attention upon Ireland
generally, and the royal route in particular. The
beauties of Killarney are already familiar to us all,
at least by hearsay, and this little work makes us
pleasantly acquainted with the various attractions and
peculiarities of Killarney and its surrounding scenery.
It also gives abundant information for the benefit of
the tourist, and it is furthermore illustrated by a map
accurately taken from th*. Ordnance survey.

SCHOOL BOOKS.

CHERVILLE'S FIRST' STEP TO FRENCH.

New Edition.

The old system of teaching, or rather of attempting
to teach, children by rote is, we are happy to find,
nearly exploded. M. Cherville's very excellent little
work is founded upon a new and improved plan. He
has endeavoured " to blend grammar with practice,
and to save both learner and teacher the tediousness
of associating the rules with practical exercises."
The greater part of the work consists of a
series of conversations between the various mem-
bers of a family, which, while calculated to
amuse the young learners, also familiarises them
with words and phrases necessary for ordinary
conversation. For example, we take a page at ran-
dom. "411 on ami, va chercher ma guitare et mes ca-
biers de musique. Oui Maman. Constance, ouvre ton
piano, prends ta romance et tes deux sonates." This
is the beginning of a dialogue in which the possessive
pronouns mon, ma, mes, ton ta tes, &c., are taught by
examplea. The dialogues in this volume are so na-
tural and so well contrived that were it only for the
sake of acquiring facility in conversation, this little
work is worthy of attentive study.

LEPAGE'S FRENCH MASTER FOR THE
NURSERY. Second Edition.
This is another work founded on that excellent
principle which trusts more to the understanding of
the learner than to his memory. The object of this
" French Master " is principally to enable his scholars
to speak and understand French. This is attempted
not by means of dialogues in which the English and
French sentences are placed side by side. On the
contrary, the pupil is required to translate the simple
phrases here prepared for him, and then to learn his
own translations. The plan appears an admirable
one; moreover, the name of the author of "L'Echo de
Paris" is a sufficient assurance of the excellence of
this work.

UGO BASSI AND HIS EXECU-
TIONERS.
TO THE EDLIOR OF THE SUN.

Silt,—TheJnloriunate priest Bassi carried no arms,
but he certainly carried the wounded to a place of shelter
and assistance ; he certainly administered religious
consolation to the dying. At the battle of Mestre I
saw him commit such acts myself; I can, therefore,
bear witness to his guilt. He was born in the Roman
states, and therefore he was not an Austrian subject.
When taken prisoner by the Vandalo -Austrian blood-
hounds he sought refuge at Venice with the ever
gallant Garibaldi. After a secret mock trial, they
shot him at Bologna for having carried arms. Will
not his blood stain Louis Napoleon ? Austria can no
longer be stained; it is too incarnadine scarlet already.
AN OFFICER IN THE VENETIAN ARIIY.
London, Aug. 18, 1849.

Deaths.