The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The PUNJAUB, being a brie Account of the Country
of the Seikhs. By Lieutenant• Colonel Steinbach.
This is a second edition of the work published last
year, bringing down the history to the present time, and
including a narrative of the recent campaign of the
Sutlej. Great events have occurred during the brief
space, but even these will not strike the reader more
than the history of the changes that had taken place in
the Government since the death of Runjeet Singh, in
1839. It exhibits but one continued scene of murder
and usurpation. The Old Lion was succeeded by his son,
Kurruck Singh, who was soon deposed by his own son,
Noo-Nehal, and afterwards died of poison. Noo-Nehal,
in returning from his father's funeral, mounted on an
elephant, met with a fatal accident, believed to have
been the work of assassins : the elephant on which he
rode, in passing through the gates of the palace, pushed
against the brick-work, when the whole came down
and, fracturing the skull of the Maharaja, he
expired in a few hours. Shere Singh, a twin son of
Runjeet by his wife Mebtab, after bombarding
Lahore, succeeded to the throne, and shortly after
murdered the mother of Noo-Nehal, who had opposed
him, and for some months acted as regent. The army
rose against Shere, compelled him to dismiss all the
European officers, and finally became reconciled to his
Government; but other enemies sprung up, who soon
cut off his head, to make room for Deere Singh, who
met the same fate. More murders and usurpations fol-
lowed, till the nation acknowledged the present Maharaja
Dhuleep Singh, a youth of ten years of age, and reputed
son of Runjeet, who is under the tutelage of his mother,
called the Ranee. The work contains besides a brief
account of the climate, the military forces, the state of
manufactures, the origin of the Seikhs, and other par-
ticulars, which are far too much compressed. Lieut.-
Colonel Steinbach had served ten years in the Seikh
army, and must have had many opportunities of obtain-
ing information, which we regret has been so sparingly
communicated. That would have baen much more
acceptable to the reader than copies of the late dis-
patches, which are to be seen in any newspaper.

COURT CIRCULAR.
The Queen and Prince Albert, the Ladies and Gentlemen
of the Court, and the domestic household, attended Divine
service yesterday in the private chapel, Buckingham Palace.
The Hon. and Rev. C. Leslie Courtenay, officiated.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester visited her
Majesty yesterday.
Her Majesty and her Royal Consort took their usual early
walk yesterday.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince
Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princess Alice were
taken airings yesterday in the garden of the Palace.
Her Majesty the Queen Dowager had a dinner party on
Saturday, at Marlborough House. The Queen and Prince
Albert, attended by the Viscountess Jocelyn, Lady in Wait-
ing, Lord Rivers, Lord in Waiting; Mr. R. Ormsby Gore,
Groom in Waiting; the Hon. Colonel Grey, Equerry in
Waiting, and Lieutenant-Colonel Seymour, Equerry to his
Royal Highness, were present. Her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent (attended by Lady Augusta Bruce, her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, and his Serene
Highness the Hereditary Prince of Saxe Meiningen, were
also present. A select party had the honour of meeting the
august circle.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Prin-
cess Royal were taken an airing in a carriage on Saturday,
accompanied by the Dowager Lady Lyttelton, and visited
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, at Clarence House,
St James's.

The Queen and Prince Albert inspected two newly-finished
engravings from the State portraits of her Majesty and his
Royal Highness, after Winterpalter's pictures, on Saturday,
at Buckingham Palace, which were submitted by Mr. Moon.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited her Ma-
jesty the Queen Dowager, yesterday, at Marlborough House.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent attended Divine
service, yesterday, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's. The
sermon was preached by the Bishop of London, who took his
text from the First of Peter, chap. ii., and verse 21. The
prayers were read by the Rev. Dr. Dakins, and the lessons
by the Rev. Dr. Wesley.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert's " TeDeum"—Jubilate
—" Sanctus," and Responses;' were porformed by the fol-
lowing gentlemen of the Chapel :—Messrs. Bennett, Brad-
bury, Barnby (for Roberts), Chapman, Clarke, Francis,
Hawkins, Hobbs, Horncastle, Sale, Shoubridge (for Sal-
mon), Wylde, and ten boys. Sir George Smart presided at
the organ.
The anthem was, " Who is this?" (Arnold.)
Lady Augusta Bruce was in waiting on the Royal
Duchess. The Rev. John Vane was the Deputy Clerk of the
Closet in Waiting.

Among the nobility present were, the Earl and Countess
St. Germans, Lord and Lady Ernest Bruce, Lords Pomfret
and Canterbury.
The Bishop of London administered the Sacrament.
The Duke of Wellington, Lord G. Poulet, and Sir Fred.
Trexch, attended the early service, yesterday, in the Chapel
Royal, St. James's. The sermon was preached by the Rev.
Mr. Strong, and the prayers were read by the Rev. Dr.
Wesley.
The Bishop of London will hold a confirmation of the
juvenile nobility, on Thursday next, in the Chapel Royal,
St. James's. The Dean of Westminster will preach on Good
Friday ; and the Sub Almoner, the Rev. Dr. Jelf, will
preach in the Chapel Royal on Sunday next.
Mr.Drouet, Belgian Charge d' Affaires, transacted business
on Friday at the Foreign-office.
The Lord Advocate of Scotland had an interview with the
Earl of Dalhousie on Saturday at the Office of the Board of
Trade.