The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Poems and Tales of Travel. By John Leekey.
Whittaker and Co.
The author in his modest preface tells us the
poems were written for amusement in leisure hours
that occurred during a few years of travel, and
ventures to hope that some of their notes may
sound in harmony, although their strains may not
be of that sweetness, nor their colouring of that
beauty, to give me the name of poet," further
trusting " they will be found harmless in tone and
sentiment, so as not to provoke ill-feeling nor sow
the seeds of mischief in any breast." His confi-
dence is by no means misplaced, for several of his
little poems possess merit enough to afford the
positive pleasure, while the most objectionable
features of any are those which the critical eye will
alone detect. The greater portion are of a descrip-
tive character, and description is Mr. Leekey's
forte. He has evidently a poet's eye for the beau-
ties of nature, and what be sees he treasures
lovingly in , his recollection, and reproduces with
satisfaction and a commendable degree of skill.
Bad metre and faulty expressions are to be found
in apparent abundance, but while these indicate
the need of improvement there is enough to con-
vince us ho is capable of it, which is more than we
can say of every writer whose "Poems " come be•
ford us.

Lays of Memory. By a Mother and Son. Hurst
and Blackett.
The peculiarity of the literary partnership to
which this volume of poems owes its origin, the
domestic affection and goneral right feeling it re-
veals, together with the object to which the profits,
if any, are to be devoted (the building of a church),
recommend it to the favourable consideration of
the public, as they do to the indulgence of the
critic, who has also to take into account the fact of
the mother's contributions being penned during
protracted sickness. High class poetry the Lays
certainly are not ; nevertheless they are likely to
be more or less acceptable to au influential portion
of the community—to wit, what is called the
" religious world," and others who delight in reli-
gious sentiment, genial affection, and fervent devo-
tion, fluently expressed. The Lays arc hand-
somely got up by the publisher, and are divided
into sacred and social, the latter to our taste being
the best. The reader, however, will judge for
himself in a matter of this sort.

Calisthenics. By Henry de Laspee. Darton

and -Co.
A contribution to practical education in the
foi in of a lucid and copiously illustrated exposition
of the Elements of Bodily Culture on Pestalozzian
principles. The author has evidently studied the
subject intelligently and with profound attention,
and possesses the power to place the fruits of his
scientific labours in an attractive light. We say.
cientific labours, for, as we have intimated, he is
no mere drill-serjeant, teaching mechanically what
he has been taught, but has laboriously carried
out and traced the principles of bodily culture to
their practical development, and this avowedly to
meet higher ends than were contemplated by his
predecessors. The admirers of the Pestalozzian
method will be gratified by the successful manner
in which the principle of the primary culture of
the faculties and senses, on which their specia!
adaptation for the purposes of life is dependent, is
here applied ; while every one who recognises the
importance of early physical training wilt see rea-
son to admire a system of calisthenics so elaborate
and admirably set forth as this.

Wealth. How to Get, Preserve, and Enjoy it. By

Joseph Bentley. Joseph Bentley.

A fourth edition of a valuable little work al-
ready commended to the favourable notice of our
readers. In addition to the plan of industrial
training for the people developed by the author,
the reader will find a complete abstract of the
Life Office returns just printed by order of Par-
liament for 1855 to 1856, and a table showing the
present state of all our life assurance companies.
Members of the industrial classes who have a little
money to spare can hardly lay out a couple of
shillings to better advantage than in the purchase
of " Wealth."

CONNECTION BETWEEN SYDNEY AND PANAMA. —The
Royal Mail Steam Company have issued a circular to
their shareholders, proposing to establish the long'de-
sired connection between Sydney and Panama. They
recommend a fleet of auxiliary screw steamers, and cal-
culate upon a satisfactory return, not only from a pas-
senger traffic from England, but also from the United
States, as well as by obtaining postal allowances from
both countries. The line will also possess the advantage
of being of incalculable importance to New Zealand. It
is calculated that the entire voyage could be performed
in 55 days, and the constant experience of the way in
which tho Australian arrivals vice the Cape have been
anticipated by letters brought by transient sailinig
vestels to Peru, and thence tansmitted across the IfA,r_.
tuns, tends to warrant this conclusion. The caprte:(ll
necessary is 400,0001., and this is suggested to bde raised
partly by an issue of new shares of 2017
by debenture. The departures would be monthly, and
Suez line, so as
each, and partly
would be fixed between the times of
to secure a fortnightly comuituaication.