The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-04 00:00:00

THE V N, LO DON, SIATU Ft DAY EV 1 N (4, 0C i °BEA 4 1 sd.

THE MAGAZINES.

sation of the Queen's Army." To this succeeds
an interesting descriptive account of " Swiss
Rifles and Rifle Practice," which is followed by a
paper on " The Court of Russia and the Corona-
tion." A second article on " The Suez Canal and
the Euphrates Rail way," is deserving of an atten-
tive consideration, the subject being discussed in its
various bearings intelligently and with discrimina-
tion. "Reminiscences of the War in the East,"
by a Military Chaplain, are continued, and credit
is given to the army for a degree of piety in many
of its members, by no means dreamt of prior to the
late war. A "Memoir of Field-Marshal Viscount
Hardingo" is supplemented by a further respectful
notice in the Editor's Portfolio; of course the time
has not yet arrived when the merits or demerits of
the deceased in his several capacities can, with pro-
priety, be rigidly scrutinised in these columns. As
usual, there is a large amount of information almost
exclusively interesting to the professional reader.
An article, in which is set forth the defenceless
state of Harwich, the only port worthy of the name
between the Thames and Hull, may, in conclu-
sion, be recommended to the reader's special atten-
tion.

Blackwood.—Eloven more chapters of " The
Atholiugs " acquaint us intimately enough with the
domestic economy of The Willows—Agnes and
Marian cultivating their acquaintance with Mrs.
Edgerley, in that charming suburban retreat of
the London Fine Lady, and finding their fortunes
becoming somehow more and more involved with
those of the grand and haughty house of the pale,
spasmodic visaged Lord Winterbourne. There
comes flitting once more across the scene, too, the
gay, gaudy splendour of Sir Langhain Portland.
The instalment closes with the return homewards
of the two charming young heroines of the tale—
the Genius and the Beauty—to Islington. A grace
ful, gossipping paper of a critical and political cha-
racter, entitled " Wayside Songs, Original and
Translated," follows : a chapter of sweet lyrical
snatches, borrowed from lips as genial, and musical,
and amber-dropping, as various and as eloquent as
those of Coleridge, and Goethe, and Byron, and
Heine, and Spenser, and Lytton, and Shelley, and
glorious Will Shakspere singing to us in the melo-
dious tones of the merry knave Autolychus. Alto-
gether the article brings to us the freshness and
the flavour of May May with its daffo-
dils and bluebells, 6' the sweet o' the
year," with its cowslips and its violets
—in the very midst of the ripening fruits
and yellowing leaves of October 1 " Our Tour in
the Interior of the Crimea" is a sort of afterthought,
completing, as by a postscript, the annals of the
late war, contributed to Maga month after month
by Colonel Hamley, the lively author of that plea-
sant serial story, entitled " Lady Lee's Widow-
hood." The next article we take to be the article
of the month, and commend it—" with a heart and
a half "—accordingly. " Mr. Buttle's Review" is
the title of it. And a delectable piece of pleasantry
it is altogether. So delicious in its quiet humour
and its acidulated scarcasm that we are tempted to
fix the paternity of it upon a satirist-humorist
no less eminent than the
time smocrottatlisßhoncaGvaauliletrise.r,,,
otherwise William Aytoun, the Poet of " Both-
well" and the " Lays of the
It is another roasting of the Spasmodics—al-
most as iclever and flaying as " Firmilian."
What can possibly be finer, for example, than
the notion in regard to the new generation of
Small Young Poets (frogs trying to blow them-
selves out to the size of oxen)--than that of the
waiter at the club who, while pouring out their
small beer, frothy and thin, sneers at them as the
"gents that tried to come it strong, and couldn't."
The article is glorious—one of the old aspergings
of vitriol vouchsafed every now and then by Maga
for the mannikins of literature. "Family His-
tory" is a comprehensive review having reference
to the Lindsays and the Lairds of Caldwell, to-
gether with those of Jerviswood and the Castle of
.Balcarras. Afterwards we have a third chapter of
" Sea-Side Studios"—a miniature prose contribu-
tion beaded "A New Una"—and, lastly, a critical
paper on "African Travel," relating to Richard
Burton's recent Explorations. Altogether a noble
number of Blackwooa.

Bentley's Miscellany.—" From Stamboul to
Perth" is a descriptive paper, apparently by a mi-
litary officer, in which, among other things, the
reader will gather how the Turkish Contingent has
been treated, or, rather, ill treated. " The Joint-
Stock Banker, a Tale of the Day," by Dudley Cos-
tello, is continued, and in the present instalment
its title, it must be admitted, is amply verified.
The October instalment of " The Spendthrift," a
tale of the last century, is hardly so successful in
the above particular, the fact, however, arising from
no artistic demerit on the part of the distinguit lied
writer. " The Oxonian in Norway," and " The
American Expedition to Japan," will interest a
large class of readers. " The Young Clergyman
and his Anti-Macassars" is an amusing caricature
of what is said frequently to take place in the early
bachelorhood of popular and good-looking clergy-
men. The satire is carried out to extravagance.
" British Army Reform" is treated as a necessity
of the day, with what liberality may be gathered
from the following :—" We would nut recommend
the promotion of non-commissioned officers as a
general rule in England ; ' i.e., we suppose we
would only now and then have them elected from
the ranks. A radical change in our military admi-
nistration is insisted on. Our army, it is said, is
still very weak for any offensive war. We should
have 125,000 disposable troops, with 300 guns."
" Mingle Mangle," by Monkshood, delectable alli-
terative—the euphony of which is positively melt-
ing, though " Mingle Mangle" was used by rough,
honest Latimer—heads an entertaining and instruc-
tive chapter on letter-writing and letter-writers.

Fraser.—That remarkable body► of irregular
troops—the Bashi-Bazouks—is shown in the open-
ing paper to be undeserving of that unmixed
ridicule attempted to be thrown on it by a contem-
porary, the merits and demerits of the tribe,
after careful scrutiny, being fairly presented. In
" The Last House in C--street," we have " a verit-
able ghost story," with something of tragic inte-
rest. " Protestantism, from a Roman Catholic
Point of View," is a review of the " Catholisimo
interim al Protestautesimo ad use del Popoli," by
Dr. Perome. The first part of a " Journal of a
Tour in the Crimea, 1856," will repay perusal,
though the Crimea may be deemed pretty well
exhausted by this time. The archaeologist will
find a paper to his taste in the first part of an
article on "Ancient Gems." Guizot's "History
of the Protectorate of Richard Cromwell, and the
Dawn of the Reformation," is reviewed. M.
Guizot is said to write at once like a Protestant
and a Frenchman. The most interesting article
in the number, to Englishmen of a literary taste,
at least, is the following—" Shakspere and his
Native County." While some have plodded among
the material records of the sovereign poet's exist-
ence, and others in contemporary literature, the
writer has devoted his powers of research to the
discovery of traces of Shakspere's familiar speech,
form of expression, &c., in his native county. The
result is not merely a readable, but also a useful
paper, throwing light on the poet's works. The
"Memoirs of the Life and Writings of James
Montgomery," by John Holland and James Everett,
aro subjected to severe censure, too severe, wo
fancy, so far as the latter is concerned, who has
written pleasinr, biographies. " The Angel in the
House" may Co regarded as a vindication of the
sanctity and peace of well-assorted married life—
the angel being, of course, the lady. " The Two
Tuppers" is a brief sketch or reminiscences of Eton
College, in which Dr. Keats figures as a tyrant of
the birch, and the innocent Tupper is " consider-
ably victimised" before the offenling Tupper is
detected. The final article of the number is de-
voted to a consideration of " The Kingdom of
Naples ; Its Present State and Future Prospects.
The Neapolitans are recommended to have patience;
but the description given of the hereditary Prince
and what is known of hint is not of a nature to back
the recommendation.

Dublin Universiiy.—The story of " The Darragh"'
is concluded this month ; it is an interesting one,
and towards the end becomes very exciting. The
natural manner in which the hero makes the mo-
mentous discovery relating to the forged will is
ably arranged. It is a satisfaction to the reader
when the designing wretch Kildoon is disposed of,
although it would
have been better had he been
arrested for his crimes, instead of being allowed to
escape out of the reach of Justice. Murellos is a
crafty and cunning man, who cleverly outwitted
Kildoon by preserving the proofs of the forgery,
they had concocted between them. The " For-
tunes of Glencore" do not exhibit any great progress
or striking novelty in this portion, the complicated
narrative is continued. The scenes are all in Italy,
where the hero is becoming celebrated for his
genius in the arts, still watched over by his faith-
ful friend Billy Traynor, who certainly exhibits
more sense and method than any of the mighty
personages among whom he moved. " Cyprus "
forms an instructive paper on the peculiarities of
the place. A description is given of a hunting-
party, which, it is said, though exciting at the
time, did not bear retrospection, as it was con-
ducted in a barbarous style. It is remarked
further on that it is through his body, not his
mind, that the Cyprist must be moved, and
that any missionary who desires to exorcise au
influence upon him must benefit him physi-
cally. An article entitled " Poetry, good, bad
and indifferent," contains many just remarks ou
the present state of things. It is lamented that
there are so many compositions published without
consideration, as they are created without duo re-
flection. "We are a verse-writing nation ; the
danger is that we shall cease to be a poetic nation."
In descanting on the folly committed by those who
rush into print, it is said, " We have never learnt
the great lesson of life—to wait. It was not till
the idea of 'Paradise Lost' had lain germinating for
half alife that it sprang into the stately tree. It
was not till the calm twilight of existence had fallen
round the path of the Great Puritan that the Epic of
England was composed." Lamartine's "Somme
de Lettres " forms the subject of an interesting
study as will be supposed. It is his literary career,
not his political life, that is here considered, as is
foretold by the name of the article, and therefore
the admirers of genius may agree in the praise be-
stowed, without the drawback of party feeling
intervening, or angry discussions arising. in con-
clusion, the writer observes that the work he is now
engaged upon is a characteristic one. " His own
spirit converses with the great ones of the past, and
the world is invited to their communings."
" Notes upon New Books" contains criticisms upon
some of the best works of the last year, and " an
Autumn Eclogue " is a collection of verses adapted
to the season.

Tait—Appropriately enough commences an arti-
cle on "Loudon Joint-Stock Banking," with a quo-
tation of the eighth commandment, " Thou shalt
not steal." A practical consideration of the evils
attendant on the present system of joint-stock
banking, as exemplified in the history of the Royal
British Bank, leads to the recommendation of seve-
ral principles of a curative tendency. These, it is
said, the Premier should embody in a legislative
enactment, which might render banking by joint-
stock companies as safe in England as in Scotland.
Among the recommendations is the prohibition of
private book-keeping in such establishments—the
joining of auditors and directors with the managers
in penal liabilities if they return bad debts as good,
or as part of their available assets—the restraint of
such pa: Dies from speculating on their private
account—and, as " imperatively necessary," the
repeal of Peel's Banking Bills. " Ras Mala," a
chronicle of the Province of Goozerat, by Alex-
ander Kinloch Forbes, H.E.1.C., is the basis of a
readable paper. " The Coast of Norway" is con-
tinued, and the celebrated "Maelstrom" receives

The New Monthly.—This number opens with
the first a series of papers by an old contributor,
who writes under the name of Sir Nathaniel. It
is entitled " Notes on Note-worthies, of divers
orders, either sex, and every age," and the first
name in this comprehensive list of celebrities is
that of Sir Robert Walpole. The writer is evi-
dently well acquainted with contemporaneous his-
tory, and gives an interesting selection of the opi-
nions of modern writers, foremost among them,
Mr. Macaulay, and M. °basics. A tale entitled
" The Delayed Will " continues the story of
Ashley, which has appeared in some recent num-
bers. A paper on " Austria and Sardinia," gives a
list of their respective military forces. The writer
upholds the Austrian despotism, though ho can ad•
vance no very powerful arguments for so doing.
He says, " Were the Austrians masters we should
be certain of hearing of no rebellious movement,
and the peace of Italy would be insured." He also
considers the constitutional government of Pied-
mont to be highly overrated, and adduces many
instances of credulity or crime, but ho does not
appear to have better evidence than that of Mr.
Bayle St. John, whose opinions and style do not
qualify him for an authority on such matters. The
writer considers the Italians ought to feel deeply
indebted to Austria for having been kind enough
to take possession of their territory. " Austria ap-
pears determined to defend her territory, a Cott-
fiance, and we really ought not to blame her,
after the lives and treasures she has already ex-
pended in that ungrateful country." How much
to blame, then, must those. persons be, who, when
iant
tsh
oioi
In:
papermo
nae ionf
mentioni,
Fo
mr
,ab,cacreodsy t2enai:
nwraophdwile.
ant
leo,
thieves break into their houses,. after being put to
inconvenience and expense. in effecting an entry,
despatch them to prison. instead of offering them a
compensation for their tro. trouble I " A Swedish
Voyage round the World". is translated by Mrs.
to all interested in historical
Bushbey, and the present, instalment of it conducts
us to South America.. ' A Paper on Old Trees"
will be very interesting to all lovers of arboricul-
ch has been the sub-
jecttarboricul-
ture,
associations.a nd' indeed,
nAdme eodn2g the
is sylvan celebrities rreecs recorded
tede
most pleasing
oievceusrnrysis. They are
ntotwtl opposite works
and Culouel
Chesterton's " Revelations. of Prison Life," and are
both interesting
.in their different ways. J. E.
pwoilelmasf f. o r dT entertainmentv7o cr
iticisms o
Carpenter contributes the commencement of a
on Victor Hugo's
story entitled t, The Talker and the Worker,"
which promises to be a simple domestic tale. "The
History of the Newspaper Press," by Alexander
Andrews, brings down the narrative to the first
Stamp Act in 1712.

its share of notice. "The Supreme Court of Ap-
peal and Peers for Life" again engage attention ;
and "Dred" is reviewed with fairness. Among
the lighter contributions are some entertaining
" Notes on Spirit-rapping, in which Dr. Achilli
figures as a dupe. In the Literary Register will
be found a commendatory notice of " Wallace ; a
Tragedy." It is described as "clover," and, to
judge by an extract, possesses graphic force.

The Journal of .dgrieulture.-1 paper on the
" Sciences applicable to Agriculture" possesses a
good deal of interest for those who take pleasure
in the progress of agriculture in this country.
" Agricultural Notes in Ohio and Michigan " in-
troduce the reader to the transatlantic farmer, the
capacities, cultivation, and growth of his fields,
and reveal a marked and growing prosperity in the
Free States, possessingia good outlay for produce,
and in Canada. "A Few Notes on Land Drain-
age : Its Progress and Projects," is, to a consider-
able extent;,a digest or resume of the important
paper recently read by Mr. J. Bailey Denton, be-
fore the Society of Arts, and which has been the
subject of much useful discussion. " The Trade
and Commerce in Eggs and Poultry" is a paper of
general interest, furnishing at the same time, fur
the special consideration of the farmer, a variety
of useful statistical details. The writer remarks,
" It has been well observed that poultry is a kind
of stock which fits in readily with other animals,
consumes produce which would otherwise be
wasted, requires little space, and yields a return
during life, as well as when killed, for the market.
The counties of Bucks, Norfolk, Cambridge, Kent,
and Surrey derive large profits from their supplies
of eggs and poultry to London. From three to
four million head of poultry 'are annually sold in
the metropolitan markets. Why, however, should
we be so dependent on the Peninsula and the Con-
tinent 4 Why should we receive supplies feom
such distant quarters, as Egypt and America, when
our domestic produce could be so considerably in-
creased This is a question we have often hoard
asked, and which in general meets with an unsa-
tisfactory answer from the farmer. During the
first six mouths of the present year the number of
eggs imported has amounted to 68,062,600. This
is in the proportion of double the amount imported
annually in the seven years ending with 1847. The
value of the poultry imported in the fist six
months of the present year was 15,6741. against
18,000/. in the corresponding six months of last
year.' The following mode of testing eggs is given :
"Take them into a room moderately dark, and
hold them between the eye and a candle or lamp ;
if the egg by good, that is, if the albumen is still
unaffected, the light will shine through with a
reddish glare ; while, if affected, it will bo opaque
cr dark." A very few trials, it is added, will
show any one the case and simplicity of this me-
thod. Averaging the value of the eggs, poultry,
and feathers, &-c., we receive from foreign coun-
tries—it is equal to nearly 400,0001. per annum,
and there is no reason' adds Mr. Simmonds—the
writer—why all these, by proper attention, should
not be produced in the kingdom. " The Vine-
yards of the Rhine," however profitably cultivated,
it would appear, by no means present, like the
vineyards of aly, a picturesque appearance.
" The Farmer's Note-book" offers, as usual, a
good deal of serviceable information, including a
description of " Guano Frauds, and how to detect
dem. Among the remaining contents will be
fouud au able essay on "Agricultural Drainage.,"
byJolui Lockhart Mortou...whiob, obtained for _

Colburn's United Service.—" A Few Remarks
on our Military Policy and Instruction" are pre-
faced by a pretty direct intimation that tho le- sons
of the war may be more wisely turned to account
by improving the organisation of our army and the
administration of tho departments connected with
it, rather than in distracting ourselves about thi
maintenance of its numbers. The " Remarks"
are well worthy of perusal. The transference of
the Coast-guard from the Customs to the Admi-
ralty, to be governed by the revised Coast-guard
instructions, and the securing to the warriors of
the Baltic their present privileges and immunities,
are recommended to the Admiralty by a contri•
" Sketches of
Fburetonrcl Thu second of a series of
Admirals" introduces the Comte de Grasse,
appears from a description here given
to
aranryabwic)ithal%lVdaeshniti'eigrpto enterprising
indeed commander, contempo•
an ally in the War
thohCaiviemea'' presented a
of Independence. " The Piedmontese Army in
model in many particulars
which our army might follow with advantage'
4t portares" coatributea a parer "On Organi.