The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-30 00:00:00

member of the Inner Temple. The author admits
that it is a somewhat pretentious title for so small
a volume, and ho did not aim so much at a de-
scription of the country through which he 'passed,
as to convey an idea of the impressions it produced
on his mind, Switzerland was the scene of his
travels ; but he favours us with his opinions and
experiences in England, France, and America.
There is a slightly didactic tone in his work, of
which he seems to be aware, and be disclaims any
intention of dogmAising or of wishing to bring
others to his way of thinking. The work will not
be without attractions for travellers, who will be
able to compare the experiences and impressions of
an observant and intelligent tourist with their own
recollections.

The Girlhood of Catharine de Medici. By J. A
Trollope. Chapman and Hall.
This interesting volume is not so much a memoir
of Catharine de Medici, as a picture of the state of
Italy in those troubled and stormy times. It traces
the fortunes of Catharine from her birth to her
marriage, and shows the evil influences that con-
stantly surrounded her. The state of affairs in
Florence, from the Revolution which immediately
succeeded the news of the sack of Rome, down to
its miserable condition under the tyranny of Ales-
sandro, occupies a considerable portion of the
work. The chief events of the life of Clement the
Seventh, his treaties and dealings with the rival
monarchs,. Francis the First and Charles the Fifth,
are full of interest to the students of history.
Though, of course, the author's views may be ob-
jected to, few of his readers will deny that he has
written his work with care and moderation. He
has certainly drawn the picture in its darkest
colours, and the result is not very flattering to
human nature ; but he has evidently studied his
subject deeply, and appears to have been at least
an unprejudiced writer. This work forms a very
useful accompaniment to larger and more ambi-
tious histories. HiS heroine, whose name has been
notorious for her cruelty, he regards as the natural
result of her age, ci a penetrating intelligence,
wholly devoid of moral ideas." In his concluding
chapter he remarks :—" All her educating influ-
eite3s pointed steadily and consistently in one di-
rection, and their result was to leave her active
and acute intellect wholly uninformed by any
moral ideas whatever. Right and wrong were
practically words devoid of sense for her. Expe-
(tent, inexpedient ; prudent, imprudent ; wise,
foolish ; successful, unsuccessful ; these, and such
like qualities, she understood ; and they were the
only epithets she had learned to apply to human
conduct." He does not consider tier persecution
of the Huguenots to have been the result of bigotry
or intolerance, but, that placed in a difficult po-
sition, she extricated herself by heading the
strongest side, and the result was the massacre of
St. Bartholomew. The Appendix and the Notes
contain some curious information, and the work
forms an interesting introduction to the history of.
the mother of three kings.

Round the Fire. Six Stories by the Author of
" The Day of a Baby-Boy." Smith, Elder, and
Co. _ . .

Round the fire on a holiday evening at Christmas
time six . little damsels assemble and relate to each
other the events of their youthful experience. Six
charming little stories are the result. Very fortu-
nately it happens that these six little girls, though
very similar in age and present circumstances, come
from various countries, or have beeri familiar witti
very different scenes during the previous years of
their brief existence. There is Katie, ,the little
English girl, who relates the story of "Our Nurse,"
one of the prettiest and homeliest little tales in the
collection, told in the most delightful and natural
manner possible. There is Cecile, the little girl
from Switzerland who tells the story of " Baby's
Blue Shoes," giving her little hearers, by her en-
thralling narrative, a better idea of the land of
snows than could be gleaned from many
dull hours spent in poring over geographies,
maps, histories, and books of travel. For
example and it is only an illustration
of the vivid interest of these homely histories—
Cecile is bit one day in charge of Baby, sleeping in
his cradle in the gallery or verandah of the St.
Chatel, iniSwitzerland. By her side is her faithful
Companion, Bon, a St. Bernard dog—" not a com-
mon dog," she tells her little hearers, " but a dear
and clever dog, w ith a wonderfully kind disposition."
Cecile goes into the house on some errand, and on
her return the cradle ie empty, and both Bon and
Baby have vanished, only one of Baby's " blue
shoes" is left as a token of his disappearance. Full
of dismay Cecile rushes in-doors to give the alarm to
mamma and nurse, and while they are questioning
her in anxiety and alarm, the air is suddenly
darkened, and the house is buried in a falling ava-
lanche of snow. Cecile, and the others, being in-
side the house, are safe, and are ultimately dug
out ; but Baby, in the cradle outside, would inevit-
ab!y have perished. As it is, he is discovered wife
in a cottage up the mountain, having been touderly
carried thtre by Bon, whose instinct had told hint
of coming danger, and whose sagacity had sug-
gested its escape. Tuts little story, as Cecile tells
it, will delight every reader of this charming little
book,. Besides Katie and Cecile' there is Norab,
the little Irish girl, and Etfie, the little Scottish
girl, and Mary, who was nearly drowned in the
Miser's Cave when the tide came in, and Ruth, the

little wandering orphan,--who finds a home among
strangers on Christmas day. These are the little
heroines of the fireside, and very cordially do
we commend tl:eir histories to our readers. A
prettier Christma,s book for little girls we have not
seen. Many a lesson will be pleasantly learned
from its amusing pages, and many a homely ad-
monition will be inioressed on the youthful
memory by the examples of the dear good little
lasses telling tales at the Christmas fireside.