The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-08 00:00:00

The anguish of the unfortunate Leonora is portrayed

even in-the English, with a force that ai times is
absolutely horrible—up to the catastrophe where she
is carried away, not by her lover, as she imagines,
but by the Goblin Death. The second and
concluding part of the contribution on " The
British Theatre " is in parts excellent, in
other parts extravagant. A few indifferent coinmen-.
dations of Edmund Kean—Kean, whose acting of
Sir Giles Overreach was so sublime in its passion,
that its representation once threw Lord Byron into
an epileptic fit—is followed by several pages of the
most outré and preposterous flattery of Miss Fanny
Kemble, now Mrs. Butler. After a somewhat im-
pious compliment to this lady—to the effect that,
supposing she were united to a congenial husband,
"it would escape the common law of humanity, and
cease to aspire after immortality"—the writer cooly
says that some of her sonnets will "bear a com-
parison with Gray's Ode to Spring,' or Hemans's
' Graves of a Household,' or—(the insolence of the
thing 1)—with Moore's Irish Melodies." Dr. Mad-
den's "Life of Emmet" is reviewed with some impar-
tiality, though the writer cannot sympathise with the
ardour of that young and patriotic orator. Carle-
, ton's very powerful fiction of "The Black Prophet"
is completed, and will add to his already high and
national reputation.

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continued, and will be read with much interest. Mr.
G. F. Herman gives us a very spirited account of two
episodes in the late Carlist war, viz., " The March of
Gomez round Spain," and the expedition of Don
Carlos beyond the Ebro in the summer of 1837.
The latter was within an ace of capturing Christina
and her children in the capital. The Carlist advanced
guard, under the command of Cabrera were within
half a league, and nothing but the rapid advance of
Espartero, ho twice engaged and twice defeated
these Carlist troops, saved the throne of the Queen.
Mr. Herman tells the story of these adventures most
graphically. The Reminiscences of the war of Suc-
cession in Portugal are continued, and we have several
valuable papers on naval and military matters. The
following observations on the dangers of invasion and
the necessity of instructing the great mass of the
people in the use of defensive weapons, are well wor-
thy serious attention :
" However unwilling Englishmen may be to realise
the possibility of an invasion, or even a partial violation
of our native land, it is an event which the advance of
science has rendered practicable, and by the course of
events may become more than probable.
" It is unnecessary for us to consult the four quarters
of the wind for a sign—it is before our eyes—a festering
hatred of this country, begun at Agincourt, and perfected
at Waterloo, supplies the motive, however it may be
concealed under the silken folds of the entente cordiale.
" The responsibility of employing with the greatest
advantage the service of the regular troops, and the 'ac-
cessory forces,' rests entirely with those men who study
a the art of war, and are fitted by nature and eaperience

to command ; but it is the duty of individuals to rend e
themselve capable of aiding the army by personal addres
and skill in the use of arms.

" The object of this communication is to direct gene-
ral attention to the thorough helplessness of the mass of
the middle classes in every thing that relates to the very
elements of military life ; nothing but the inducement
brought about by the near approach of danger will tempt
our merchants or our lawyers to withdraw themselves
from their counting-houses, or their offices, to acquire
the rudiments of organisation in masses ; but I would
strenuously recommend that the utmost encouragement
should be given to the acquirement of some degree of
familiarity in the use of fire-arms ; an accomplishment
in which, as a people, we are lamentably deficient. Bow
many individuals, it may be asked, in a hundred, could
hit a haystack at the distance of 150 yards ? Not
many. In order to overcome this disadvantage, I would
recommend the general formation of Rifle Clubs; the
-members of which should frequently meet for practice_ ,
and at stated intervals to contend for prizes. By such
meetings we should insensibly become familiar with the
use of fire-arms, and particularly of a weapon which may
serve our country in the hour of need ; and I believe
that the skill obtained in this exercise would yield a
higher reward than that which is acquired in practising
with bows and arrows."

We hope that not only will rifle clubs supersede
archery clubs, but that the Government will encou-
rage the formation of them in every district by giv-
ing to the members of them certain privileges and
exemptions, in the same manner as they have so pro-
perly encouraged the formation of yacht clubs. It
is a subject deserving very serious attention.