The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

THREE YEARS IN PERSIA. 2 Vols.
Colburn, London, 1841.
Though these volumes cannot be said to add
much to the stock of useful and entertaining in-
formation respecting Persia and the adjacent
provinces, with which Fraser, Morier, and other
recent travellers have supplied us, yet they will
be read with pleasure, penned as they are, in a
light, easy, familiar style, by one who has not
wandered through the country deaf and blindfold,
but made good use of all his faculties. Though
Mr. Fowler's accounts of Persian manners,
tastes, scenery, &c. amount to little more
than sketches, which are strung together
in the loosest possible fashion, they are
superior in interest to many more formal and
elaborate details, if only for their evident truth
and freshness, and the general vivacity of their
character. The work is one of those rambling,
desultory ones, which it is not necessary to read
regularly chapter by chapter, for, strictly speak-
ing, it has neither beginning, middle, nor end,
but is merely an unconnected series of personal
reminiscences, jotted down, apparently, just as
they occurred to the author's memory. Per-
haps the most important, if not the most amus-
ing, portion of them is that which is devoted
to a consideration of the present political re-
' lations between Great Britain and Persia, which
Mr. Fowler assures us are far from being of an
amicable character. "Of the British residents,"
he says, " only three remain ; of the British com-
merce I am not aware that there are any re-
mains. Where our name formerly was exalted,
it is • now degraded; where our influence
was predominant, now it is null. We are
held by the Persians in contempt ; nay,
onr military prowess is derided, in consequence
of some paltry rencontres lately with the natives
at Bushire, in which they were successful." The
author adds that Russia, a subtle, sagacious Power,
which, unless we keep all our energies on the alert,
seems destined ere long to circumvent our in-
fluence in the East—is looked up to by Persia
as its natural protectress, and, as such, treated
with a deference denied to every other foreign
State :—" Men of rank," continues Mr. Fowler,
" fed by Russian bribes, attack the vitals of
Persia, betray her interests, and they accelerate
her downfal. They make no secret of
being in the Russia pay; her merchants
engross the commerce, and exercise a
tyranny in the bazaars which the native
merchants cannot exercise. Greek establish-
ments are formed under Russian protection.
Thus Russia in every way insinuates herself,
which it might have been imagined to be
British policy as far as possible to coun-
teract." In the second volume—which by the
by, is by far the most interesting of the two—
occur some curious particulars respecting the late
Shah of Persia, who, it appears, was the richest
man in the world, as respects family ties, having
not less than one hundred and fifty sons and
about as many daughters ! The work is embel-
lished with several characteristic lithographic
plates.

ANCIENT AND MODERN YORK.
Linney, York, 1841.
An instructive little volume, which antiqua-
rians of the Britton school may consult with ad-
vantage, inasmuch as it contains minute details
respecting the Roman, Saxon, and Anglo-Nor-
man antiquities of the city of York, and exhibits,
besides, a statistical survey of the city as it now
exists.

THE LOVE-MATCH. 3 Vols.
Colburn, London, 1841.
The title of this novel—no slight recommenda-
tion to a light work of fiction—is well chosen,
and will be pretty sure to attract the attention of
a numerous class of readers. The Love-Match !
The very name is enough to ensure the success
of the tale among the fair frequenters of our
fashionable watering-places; and great, doubt.
less, will be the demand for it at the cir-
culating libraries of Brighton, Cheltenham,
Ryde, and elsewhere. The work is the produc-
tion of Mrs. Maberley, to whom the novel-
reading portion of the public—a large and increas-
ing majority'-is already indebted for " Emily"—
a sentimental story which was, we believe, re-
ceived with much favour last year. Like its pre-
decessor, the " Love Match" abounds in senti-
ment of the most ad captandum character.
We have a broken heart at the end of the third
volume, accompanied by its natural sequitur, a
tolling death-bell, and a funeral, with the "rays
of the setting sun falling upon the embla-
zoned pannels" of the principal mourning
coach; a remorse-stricken London roue ; a
virtuous Lord or two thrown in, we
suppose, by way of novelty —an uxorious
country Baronet, of ancient descent and unble-
mished honour; an interesting Sister of Charity ;
and a high tragedy fiend, in the shape of a dis-
appointed old maid. The plot of the story is re-
markably simple, and regards the love of Flo-
rence Brandon, for a handsome young profligate,
Gerald de Grey, who, after inveigling her
into a clandestine marriage, and putting her to
the exceeding inconvenience and embarrassment
of maternity, gradually wearies of hersociety, and
is consequently the cause of her death. There
are some tender scenes in the story, and one or
two passages written in an eloquent and im-
passioned spirit; but, as a whole, it is sadly des-
titute of originality.

It has been stated publicly, and not contradicted
we believe, that Dr. Lushington is the owner of a sugar
estate in Jamaica, and has thus a direct interest in the
perpetuation of the existing monopoly. We believe,
however, that this is not the fact. Dr. Lushington, we
have been informed, is not himself the owner of a sugar
estate, but one of his very near relations is, and perhaps
this indirect interest it is which has warped his judg-
ment, and induced him to range himself on the same side
with the Gladstones, the Goulburns, and Irvings, to
whom he has been all his life opposed. As to Mr. Glad-
stone he must long writhe under the stern rebuke admi-
nistered by_ Lord Howick on Wednesday evening.—
Liverpool Mercury.

A WOMAN HATER.—Not so much as a foolish
fat scullion will he suffer in his house. Even the white
window curtains were taken down, as bearing too much
resemblance to female drapery. For every why there is
a wherefore, et voici le fait; he formed an early attach-
ment to a very beautiful girl, much his inferior in for-
tune ; he was sent abroad, but continued most romanti-
cally constant. As soon as his father's death made him
master of a noble estate he married her. Two months
after their marriage she ran away with his most intimate
friend, whom she had known a fortnight.—Life and Lite-
••ary Remains of L. E. L.

DEAL AND SANDWICH ELECTION.--The
Deal Pilots amount to upwards of sixty ; they receive
their licenses from the Lord Warden of the Cinque
Ports, who has the power of withdrawing them at plea-
sure. The Duke of Wellington is the present Lord War-
den, whose deputy, of course, employs his powerful in-
fluence with these dependents for the purposes of the
party of which his illustrious master is identified. As
a proof of the effect of this influence, we are assured
that at the recent election but two of the whole number
of the Deal pilots voted for Colonel Fox ; the rest, with
most marvellous unanimity of opinion as to the course
prescribed by the dangers of their position, voted for his
Tory opponent.
THE " TIMES" AND THE CORN-LAWS.—The
last rag of the garment worn by the Times, previous to
its apostacy, consisted of an occasional article in favour
of free trade, and especially of a repeal of the existing
Corn-law duties. It also published regularly a statement
of the price of bread in London and Paris, for the pur-
pose of exhibiting the effect.of the Corn-laws on the price
of that essential' article of htiinan food, which was often
appealed to for the purpose of showing the, injurious
operation of the existing Corn-laws upon the bread-con-
sumers of this country. The Times has ceased to pub-
lish the statement, for a reason sufficiently obvious. It
contains damning evidence against the monopoly which
it formerly opposed, but now defends !

Lusus NA TUR/E.—Last week, a chicken was
hatched at Mr. Denbigh's, Shipley, which had three
bills and three eyes. It was alive when found, but died
very soon, and is now keptin spirits.—Bradford Observer.
DREADFUL CASE OF HYDROPHOBIA.—Last
week Mr. Baker held an inquest at the London Hospital on
the body of William Lingard, aged seven years. Rebecca
Lingard, of 6, Skinner•street, Bishopsgate, mother of the de-
ceased, deposed that one day, about three months since, her
child told her on his return from school, that while on his
way there in the morning, as he was running through Long-
alley he had been bitten in the heel by a small dirty white dog.
Application was made to Mr. Shaw, a surgeon in the neigh-
bourhood, who dressed the wound with caustic, and it had
since healed, but he (deceased) has not appeared in
good health since. On Friday last he appeared
drooping, on the following day he was very ill,
and on Sunday became so much worse that it was
deemed necessary to send him to the above hospital.
where he expired in dreadful agony about half-past one in the
afternoon. He was first attacked with pains in the legs, which
extended up the body to the throat ; he was then unable to
swallow—this was succeeded by fits, and shortly before his
death he foamed at the mouth and growled like a dog. Wit-
ness had been unable to find the owner of the dog. J. E.
Porter, house surgeon, deposed that deceased was brought to
the hospital in a dreadful state of hydrophobia, he was gene-
rally convulsed, could take no liquids, the sight of and even the
sound of water had thrown him into paroxysms, and in one
instance a mere empty cup had had a similar effect. Various
medicines were applied, but to no purpose. Verdict, " Died
of hydrophobia through the bite of a dog, but how inflicted there
was no evidence."

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The late
rains have materially improved the appearance of the crops
of corn and grass in this neighbourhood, and the varie-
ties of spring core, give promise of an abundant harvest; and
the hopes of the farmers were scarcely ever brighter at this
period of the year. The cultivation of the Italian Rye-grass
will probably be attempted to some extent during the present
year ; its prolific and frequent crops, and its nutritious nature
as an article of food for cows, render its growth most impor-
tant to the occupiers of milk farms; and as it has been success-
fully cultivated in the neighbourhood of Halifax, it is to be
hoped that many will be induced to give it a trial in this
nelghlOcnirhood....,Bradford Observer.