The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-11 00:00:00

MAGAZINES, &c.---(CONTINUED.)
THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.
" A Night in the Haunted House" is the imposing
title of the first paper in our talented contemporary
for the present month. We were quite prepared for
a real tale of wonder, with all its astounding inci-
dents so dear to the lovers of the supernatural, and
in sooth there is a rich promise contained in the
opening pages—although the mention of the festival
of tomfoolery, the first of April, the licensed season of
jests and gibes, as the date of the occurrence in the
very first line, affords a kind of hint that we are not
to look for any miraculous or unearthly solution. A
party assembled at the end of March enter on the
dangerous tepic. The narrator is a stout sceptic, and
energetically protests against ghost stories as contrary,
to the spirit of an "enlightened nineteenth century.
The host and the clergyman of the parish (who hap-
pens to be a guest),ho wever, appear to be more credulous,
and the latter relates circumstances which had hap-
pened in his own family, which had materially changed
his feelings on the subject, and led him to believe
that such tales were not quite so idle as the present
generation is disposed to believe. His adventure had
happened some fifteen years before, when first ap-
pointed to a curacy in a market town about five miles
distant from the hall in which they were then as-
sembled. A house in the parish had the reputation
of being haunted ; strange sights had been seen ;
stranger sounds heard—particularly a sort of un-
couth stamping, as if occasioned by the steps of a
club-footed person : a legend, too, was attached to
the mansion of a lady, beautiful in every other re-
spect,
but who was unfortunately thus deformed,
whose betrothed lover had deserted her on the very
morning appointed .for their nuptials on discover-
ing the malformation, in consequence of which
she had died broken-hearted, or, as some
affirmed, by her own hands. A maiden sister of
the proprietor's had gone mad, after having, as it was
believed, seen the apparition, and being herself
afflicted with a similar deformity, her insanity had
assumed the form of fancying that she was the
spectre. This lady was living under restraint in
another house belonging to her brother in the same
town. The clergyman, who was at that time under
an engagement to enter into the holy estate, being
anxious to obtain a suitabe residence, and also to con-
vince his parishioners of the folly of such stories, had
become tenant of the haunted house, and duly taken
possession thereof with his young wife, her mother
and three domestics, none of whom belonged to the
locality, or had previously heard of the stories con-
nected with their new dwelling. Strange events,
saalitetsntaytedthehissecepontiger,e:hatoi
.however, speedily took place, and in a few days all the
,on:liaenvdin.agbandoned the scene
inmates had been so mysteriously affected, that
the. pastor renounced his heresy (which had almost
of these terrors for a less convenient abode, but one
lienavwehtiochsptehnedy a wouldnig be subjected to none but earthly
annoyances: This narrative does
thnaott,hehowwielivebre,
adventures form the shuthijnect
enabled to discover a clue to the mystery, obtains
theothatuhnetaerdtiehloeu, se,a
whichnd
are
less calculated to excite the terror than to provoke the
risibility of the reader. " Marston of Dunoran "is
continued. The murder of the unfortunate Sir
Wyndham is ascribed to the servant Merton, who,
having eluded pursuit for some time, at length
gives himself up, confesses his guilt, and
dies in gaol. It would, however, appear as
if some other person had also partici-
pated in the homicide, although the circumstances are
enveloped in mystery. Marston becomes gloomy and
violent in his temper. The young French woman,
Madlle. De Barns, exercises a strange influence over
him, and at length induces him to abandon his amiable
and patient wife, and to elope with her. The sixth
number on Irish Rivers relates to probably the most
beautiful of all, " The Lee," which it traces from its
source in the wild and romantic solitudes of Gougane
Barra to the town of Macroon. The intervening
scenery is sketched with the hand of a master, while
appropriate legends are related of each district through
which it winds its devious way. There ,
are four,
poetical pieces, all of considerable merit—"
e
Requiem,"
"The The
the Year,"
ofear,,
summeruiem,' n Thegi Longings,"
Bridala n
d Lament
Ariadne," one of which we would gladly
extract could we afford space for a quota-
tion. It is, however, as usual, peculiary rich
in reviews on the literature of the day: in this de
partment there are four papers; the first, a second
article on " The Annals of the Four Masters ;
next, "An Evening's Gossip on New Novels," in
which " Jane Eyre," " The Convict," our own
favourite " Emilia Wyndham," that admirably-
conceived and exquisite portrait of a woman's heart,
and " The Changeling," are all noticed with great
judgment and ability. Then "English Adventures
in Borneo," from Captain Mundy's " Narrative of
Events in Borneo and Celebes," together with the
" Expedition of the Iris," a true tale, containing
events more strange and interesting than ever entered
into the conception of the novelist; and, finally,
Marie von Arnheim," an extraordinary work, of
which the reviewer .leclares that " If it is a religious
novel, it is the first of its kind." The number is
altogether well worthy of a
predeces-
sors; and in so saying we consider that
we award it
no light or trivial praise. place with its

Mirror corps, and contributes THE iliiß----
Jules Janin appears for the "lis.
s a most amusing sketch
of the tortures of the life ofe a
first time among the
prompter in a theatre.
Mr. P. St. John continues his
defence of Robespierre,
and attempts to throw te
whole blame of the
massacres of September on Dntnn—but he is forced
what was about to happen, and and A. Just knew
that instead of adopt-
ing any active measures of prevention
to bed on the evening
of th, St. Just went
to admit that both Robespierr
the massacre and slept
quietly, while Robespierre
paraded about St. Just's
bed-room spouting sentiment.
W
spierre. Mr. St. John h this exculpates Robe-
e cannot agree with
Mr. St. John in opinion that
martyr to the cause of
religion. " The great secret
ronde against him," says
Aei of the hate of the Gi-
r. a' made the discovery
that Robespierre was a
St. John, "was, that
he was religious." This certainly
°bisa o
enrols him in the noble
army of martyrs, and it now
Only remains for the
Pope to canonize him. The distance distance between Ito
be3pierre the martyr and Robespierre
,
the saint is
small in comparison with that between
nthvee l
terroristview
f
his character. Mr. St. John
agree in the conclusions of we
and the martyr. Althoughcan by no means
cannot but compliment him on
~ the manner in which',
he conducts his case : his Maximilian Robespierre
will always be read with pleasure
intellectual gladiatorship, as Mr. P. St. John, we
o by
ofever lover of
ingenious pieces of' historical special the
plead -
and Paul is regularly installed
ing ever published. " Paul Pevens 'c continued,
Wil-
kinson's dramatic company, and as the acceptedm lover
of Fanny. The author, in this portion of his work,
as aemY'e is
sbeor of
favours us, through the intervention of Fanny, with
some criticisms on the character of Lady Macbeth,
of a nature so original and striking that we cannot
resist the temptation of presenting them to the reader:
" One evening Fanny performed, 1 at a town in York-
shire, the character of Lady Macbeth, which ever since
she became an actress had possessed extraordinary fas-
cination for her. In dressing the part she followed a
theory of her own, wore her own light hair, and sought
by every means in her power to augment the feminine
delicacy of her appearance. At first the audience were
rather shocked, because what she did was contrary to
usage. But in England originality is always viewed
with more or less favour, and therefore the good people
who for some time fancied themselves displeased, at
length recognised the truth of the conception, and re-
warded it with tumultuous applause. Next morning at
breakfast Fanny received a note from a gentleman of
fortune, inviting her to a party the following evening at
his house. Similar invitations were sent to Paul and
Redmond, and at the proper time they proceeded toge.
ther to the dwelling of their wealthy host, who they
found lived in a very liberal way upon his own estate,
with his mother and his sister.
" ' I was much struck,' observed that gentleman, ' by
your appearance on the stage as the Thane of Cawdor's
wife in a manner so entirely at variance with all our re-
ceived notions. We had been accustomed to see her person
put as much as possible into harmony with her acts and
ideas, though it would be difficult, perhaps, to explain
what connexion there is between dark eyes, black hair,
a when
h i
spaletori swarthyhistorically
w e
knowcomplexions 0
Ina n crime,
some of
theg
reesapteecsital ly
criminals
who figure in modern history have been fair.'
" ' I was not aware of that fact,' answered Fanny
but I felt that a more powerful effect would be 13ro-,
duced by representing a striking contrast between Lady
Macbetfi's appearance and her actions. From a
scow-
ling, fierce, fiendish-looking woman you expect nothing
but displays of wickedness, and therefore you experience
no surprise when, from the gratification of pride and am-
bition, she plunges into guilt. But when you behold a
tender, fair, gentle-looking creature wielding daggers,
trampling on the laws of hospitality, smearing people's
faces at midnight with blood, ;and becoming the accom-
plice of the worst of ,crimes, you are infinitely shocked
and startled, and driven to question and examine Your
theory of human nature, to ascertain whether in
reality
such things can be. If, as you say, experience has al.
ready answered in the affirmative, my conception of
Lady Macbeth's personal appearance is at least justified
ut perhaps my notion of her character is as little
her
con-
sonant with the received opinion as my view of what
costume and complexion should be.'
'And
land, •
..
what is your notion ! inquired Mr, Wot.