The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-04 00:00:00

BENTLEY.

Tho opening article of the Miscellany for this month
is entitled " Horace Walpole and the Literary World of
the Eighteenth Century;" it is illustrated with a por-
trait of Gray the Poet, engraved by Greatbach, from
the original by Eckardt, which formed part of the
Strawberry-hill collection; the paper contains several
interesting extracts from the correspondence of Horace
Walpole with Mason, in the course of which Walpole
enters at length into the history of his memorable tour
with Gray as his tutor. The Lord of Strawberry-hill
also gives us some very characteristic anecdotes of
Gibbon, and most amusingly quizzes the inane pomposi-
ties of the Demogorgon, as he facetiously calls the great
Lexicographer. In " Zoological Notes and Anecdotes"
we have an elaborate and carefully-written history of the
habits and haunts of the humming-birds, illustrated by
several entertaining anecdotes of the doings of these
stars of the tropics. " The French Translator" we
transfer to our columns, and can vouch that the
Frenchman'. translation from Shakspere is not one whit
more absurd than the translations from the English,
which may be met with every day in the French news-
papers.

" THE FRENCH TRANSLATOR.

" All sciences a fasting Monsieur knows;'
Thus Johnson wrote with truth and urged with
hate;
And a hard task a Frenchman lately chose,
In his tongue our Shakspere to translate;
And treating of the line Othello speaks,
Sir, she can turn and turn, go on and turn,'
(Found in the scene where publicly outbreaks
The jealous rage that in his soul did burn),
Saw but one cause for turns so quick and strange,
And render'd it, 'Elle valze tout comme une unge.'"
" Rambles in Sussex" are continued, and Bentley
gives us " A Pipe of Tobacco"—a glorious pipe—which
we recommend to the attention :of all smokers. We
have also a very pleasant notice of the Royal Academy
Exhibition, and a critique on the Devonshire House
Theatricals, written in a kindly spirit, besides several
reviews of books.

COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.
Mr. Horace St. John continues his carefully compiled
and well written " History of the British Conquests in
India." Tho present instalment is principally occupied
by the narrative of the glories of the hero of Plessey,
the great Lord Clive. So far as he has gone hitherto
Mr. H. St. John has completely made out his case, and
has demonstrated that the East India Company in all
the earlier portion of their career cautiously abstained
from territorial acquisition, and that it was not until
compelled for their own safety to obtain a frontier, in
order to prevent a repetition of such unprovoked atro-
cities on the part of the native princes as the sack of
Calcutta and the perpetration of the Black Hole tragedy,
that they attempted to acquire territorial dominion. The
author of an article, entitled " The High Road to India,"
strongly recommends the immediate opening of negotia-
tions with the Sublime Porte for the cession
of Egypt to the British as absolutely necessary
to secure to us the continued possession of our
Indian empire. "Our Defences and Defenders" is a
valuable paper, well worth the attentive consideration of
those whose duty it is to make adequate provision for the
repulse of any threatened invasion of our island; in con-
nection with this subjec-, the paper on Mr. Fergnsson's
proposed new and improved system of fortification should
also be carefully studied. Mr. Hannay contributes an
amusing drollery under the title of "Fred Errol's 'Adven-
tures." " Memories of Mexico" is a deeply interesting
tale of the late Mexican war. The hatred between the
Yankees and the Mexicans appears to be undying. We
have a well written memoir of the late Admiral Sir Ed-
ward Codrington, and several other papers of interest.