The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-23 00:00:00

L ITER AT UR E.

Nonpareil House. By Henry Curling. 3 vols.
Hall, Virtue, and Co.
This is a very interesting narrative; it relates
the adventures of Julian Mountjoy, a young cava-
lier, of the time of the great rebellion in England.
Without taking a very prominent part in any im-
portant occurrences, the hero, nevertheless, was
present at many of them, and the records of his own
exploits of a private nature form an attractive por-
tion of the book. The plot is ingenious in con-
struction, and the descriptions are spirited. There
are many characters presented to our notice, and
some of them attract regard and interest. Lady
Nonpareil was peculiarly unfortunate, driven
about the country, her husband and only son
engaged in war, she was left without any protec-
tion till Julian Mountjoy came over from abroad,
when the earl commissioned him to be her escort
to the north. During these travels the party, con-
sisting of Lady .Nonpareil, her daughter, and
governess, encountered many dangers, from the
effects of which they were preserved by the courage,
prudence, and foresight of the young champion,
who was a distant relative of the family. Leaving
them for a short period, J ulian Mountjoy rendered
signal service to the cause of the Royalists, by
conveying some treasures to London, and then con-
verting them intogold. On his journey to the country
estate of the earl he encountered the fugitive cava-
liers, among whom was the King. This passage
is of great interest, bringing before the reader in
a position of danger and uncertainty the monarch
who shone pre-eminently in the hour of adversity.
The devotion which inspired so many of his fol-
lowers is sketched with a truthful earnestness, and
the hope which actuated them again and again to
the contest of the royal rights against the power-
ful assailants,is made apparent with forcible and
striking descriptions. Whatever may be the
political bias of those who peruse these annals,
none who admire courage or constancy will
withhold a tribute of admiration from the self-
devoted cavalier. Julian Mountjoy was a noble
instance of knightly zeal. His opportunities were
not many and his position was not elevated, but
the King had not a more enthusiastic follower. 13y
his unflinching bravery and dexterity he contrived
to render some material benefits to those of his
side in the struggle. Such was the distracted
state of the country at the time that there was
scarcely a household, however mighty or humble,
that was not in turn too powerless to defend itself,
and of too much consequence to be passed over.
In such a position of affairs it was incalculable the
advantage that even one valiant arm could afford
to the oppressed. There was a secret foe to the
family of the Nonpareils, who tracked out the va-
rious members with skill and ingenuity that seemed
almost fabulous. To circumvent this cunning
enemy Julian did not always find it possible, and
after having driven him away from many of his
ill-devised schemes and destroyed many of his pro-
jects, he was at last obliged to succumb in his turn.
The wily Basil contrived to prejudice Lord Non-
pareil against his young relative, and after all his
services in the cause of the family Julian was treated
with coldness and even contempt. He withdrew
from them in disgust, and joined some friends he
had made for himself. Mohun, who was of great
service to him, was a noble character, straightfor-
ward, and generous ; he had raised himself to
eminence by his own exertions from a humble
sphere, and he is well calculated to attract atten-
tion by his spirit and daring. Lady Blanche is
pleasing ; and the endeavours of Julian to free
herself and mother from the cunning devices that
had been drawn round them by the wily set they
had fallen into are very exciting and interesting.
Diana is a fine disposition, and her enthusiasm for
the royal cause, which she does much in secret to
advance, gives a romance to her career. Squire
Numbskull is au amusing sketch of country life at
that period. On the whole, much may be found
to excite interest and attract admiration in this
story, as well from the epoch chosen for delinea-
tion, as for the skill that chronicles its details, and
the spirit which animates its pages.

IVeiv Zealand. By E. 13. Fitton. Stanford,
Charing-cross.
This little volume is designed for the use and
information of intending emigrants. It is founded
on a lecture on Now Zealand which was (-riven
some time since. Many dtlays have retarded its
publication, which is scarcely to be regretted, as
the author has been enabled to add to his stock of
information on the subject. He justly observes,
that in a book professing to give the latest infor-
mation upon all topics which it discusses there can
be little that is entirely original, and where much
of the intelligence consists of extracts from colonial
newspapers the style must necessarily be occa-
sionally formal. The latter remark is perhaps
scarcely merited, as it is written iu a quiet, business-
like manner, and does not display any unusual
dryness or formality in the style. It gives
a description of the country and the general
mode of life among New Zealand colonists,
which the author, being a landowner and
late resident in the colony, is well qualified
to describe. The islands are three in number, but
the southern one, which is smaller than the others,
is also much more rugged and inclement, and is
therefore seldom sought by emigrants. It is known
by the name of Stewart's Island. In all, the three
islands are estimated to contain 78,300,480 acres
of land, and of these it is supposed that at least
two-thirds are capable of cultivation, though, ow-
ing to the want of roads, bridges, kc., end the re-
fusal of the natives to alienate their territories,
there are many obstacles to the occupation of the
more remote districts. The natives, or " Maori,"
have been calculated at 100,000, nearly 80,000
living in the north island. They are a well-
formed and intelligent race. With regard to the
climate, which has been so highly spoken of,
the author considers it to be overrated. The
disappointment, he says, which many experience
in this respect, on arriving at the colony, has
given rise to one of the most serious complaints
made. On the whole he thinks that the weather,
though never equal to our best summer days, is far
more equable and agreeable than in England, and at
no time so severe as our worst months. A separate
chapter is devoted to each of the six chief settle-
ments, Auckland, Wellington, New Plymouth,
Otago, Canterbury, and Nelson. The three former
are in the north, and the others in the middle
island, the south, as we have previously mentioned,
not having been colonised by English emigrants.
It will be seen that from the author's personal
knowledge of the colony, and from his various
sources of information, he has furnished the in-
tending emigrant with a work likely to give him a
clear idea of the locality, its advantages and
drawbacks.

Webster's Royal Red Book. Webster and Co.
This work has been established for so long, and
is so well known that it requires no recommenda-
tion. It has acquired a reputation in its peculiar
style, and although as a directory it cannot, of
course, bo compared with the " London Directory"
as a reference for information respecting Crown
offices or State appointments, &c., it will be found
of great service. Its contents inform us that it
comprises a Street Guide, an alphabetical list of
the Nobility and Gentry, the Houses of Lords and
Commons, Baronets, Crown and Law Officers,
Ambassadors, Consuls, Bankers, Army and Navy
Agents, Hotels, Clubs, &c. This list is sufficient
to prove its utility to those unacquainted with its
merits, while its former patrons will find it main-
tain its previous character.

Who's Who in 1856. Bailey, Brothers, Cornhill.
This is another very useful volume of reference.
It has reached the eighth year of its existence,
which is a testimony that it has succeeded in ob-
taining the public favour. It is indeed a most
serviceable little volume. Its table of contents is tot
long to be quoted, but it is sufficient to say that i
gives every information respecting the Offices of
State, the Royal Family and Household, the
Peerage, the Public 'Works and Buildings, all the
Law Offices and Judges, the Officers and Heads of
Houses at the Universities, and the Governors of
British Possessions in all parts of the world. Be-
sides this multifarious information, a list of the
Bishops, and Deacons, the Members of the Academy
of Arts, the Directors of the Bank, the Companions
of the Order of the e Bath, and several other similar
useful pieces of intelligence aro given. The ages
of many of the notabilities are added, and in the
list of the Members of Parliament the number of
electors is appended to each name.

The British Year Book for the Country. Edited
by C. M'lntosh and T. Lindley Kemp, M.D.
Longman.

This work is intended to appear annually, and
" to be for the country house what annuals used
to be for the drawing-room." Unlike them, how-
over,its object is not to amuse a leisure hour, but
to be of service in the practical business of country
houses and their dependencies. It is announced
as an annual of. Agriculture, Horticulture, Flori-
culture, and Arboriculture. Those who are em-
ployed or interested in the pursuits which these
hard words represent will therefore find it a useful
companion. The names of its editors aro a valuable
recommendation. Mr. M'lntosh, the author of the
large and complete works on " The Farm," and on
" The Garden," which were published some time
since, being one, and Mr. Lindley Kemp, the
author of " Agricultural Physiology," being the
other. It is divided into four parts. The first
gives us an almanac and its attendant
pieces of information, a calendar of garden
and farm operations, and a table of the

average weather in Great Britain during
the year. The second consists of original papers
on many theoretical and practical topics. The
third part gives a notice of the works on the diffe-
rent branches of rural economy that have appeared
in the past year. The fourth part, under the head
of Miscellaneous, presents us with a variety of
florists' lists, the French market prices, inventions,
discoveries, &c., and all the events of importance
that have taken place in connection with agricul-
tural and botanical pursuits in 1855. The reader
will thus see that, though it does not aim at enter-
tainment, it is calculated for the general reader; for
those engaged in rural pursuits it forms a useful
vade MCCUM.

The Assurance Magazine. C. and E. Layton.
The Merchants' Magazine. Richardson, Corn-
hill. The Fleemasons' Magazine. H. G. War-

ren.

These serials are each devoted to a particular
class, and their contents are therefore characteristic.
The Assurance Magazine is also the journal of the
Institute of Actuaries, and has several articles on
topics of social importance. A paper on the phy-
siological law of mortality, by Professor Buchanan,
presents some striking tables, from which it ap-
pears that the period at which human life is most
secure is 13. An article on decimal coinage enters
thoroughly into the subject, and decides in favour
of its adoption.
The, Merchants' Magazine has several papers of
commercial subjects, and a great variety of prac-
tical information. Colonial princes, foreign ex-
changes, prices of grain, English and foreign funds,
&c., together with the Bank returns, and the
prices of railway shares are comprised in its con-
tents. Merchants and men of business will find
this serial a useful referee.

The Freemasons' Magazine, though addressed to
the Brotherhood of Masons, contains some articles
of general interest unconnected witk that extraor-
dinary fraternity. One of these is the iiescription
of a yacht's cruise to Balaklava. As a general rule
it must, however, be admitted that this serial is
best adapted for the perusal of the craft.