The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-14 00:00:00

not by any means exaggerating when we are
so speaking of the audacity of the singular volume
here submitted to our scrutiny—witness the truth
of what we declard in its regard, those astonishing
chapters relating to Herlay Astrology, to Mundane
Astrology, to Atmospherical AStrology, and to
Medical 'strolegy, to Planetary Influences, and to
Genethlialogy ! Chapters explanatory, according
to the all-believing astrologers, of how, in regard
to the planets, the influences of Herschel, and of
Saturn, and of Mars, are all evil, while those of
Jupiter, and Venus, and Mercury, are all more or
less advantageous, if not actually benefic ! Inform-
ing us how, in regard to the signs of the Zodiac,
one born iu Aries will have dark eyebrows, and
one in Taurus a broad hand, and one in Gemini
black hair—(o Gemini !)—and one in Cancer, a
pale face, and one in. Leo a firm. step, and one in
Virgo a weak voice, and one in Libra eyes blue and
beautiful, and one in Scorpio a thick neck,
and one in Sagittarius a ruddy complexion,
and one in Capricornus a long chin, and one in
Aquarius a comely person, and one in Pisces round
shoulders—truly very wonderful morsels of infor-
mation ! Inducting us, moreover, most good
naturedly into the mysteries of trine, and square,
and sextile, and conjuuction, and opposition. 0!
the wonderful book that it is—even the clear-
sighted sceptics of household Words must allow,
the sceptics who visit so unmercifully with their
unbelief; and their hard-headed common sense, and
their hard-fisted ridicule, the astrological sooth-
sayers of our own in-credulous, all-credulous gene-
ration. A generation in which steam-engines are
contemporary with spirit rappers, and electric tele-
graphs with table-turning—an age in which sound
astronomical knowledge is sold for a few copper
coins, and in which, every year, Zadkisl's
sixpenny Astrological Almanac circulates .te. the
number of some thirty or forty thousand !
Wonderful, we say, the book before us unques-
tionably is—as the age in which it makes its ap-
pearance is wonderful too iu its incongruous way—a
book laying bare to the public eye the twelve houses
in the famous figure of the heavens conned, cen-
tury after century, by astrologer after astrologer.
With the fruits of their conning (or, as it may be
otherwise termed, cunning), visible in so many
marvellous revelations. Running through angles,
catlesits, and succeedents, we find the twelve
mysterious houses influencing respectively-1, per-
sons, health, and constitution ; 2, property ; 3,
short journeys ; 4, lands, houses, and inheritances;
5, pleasures and amusements ; 6, bodily affections ;
7, marriage ; 8, death ; 9, distant voyages ; 10,
trade, profession, or employment ; 11, friends ;
12, private enemies. Enlightened with these
lambent gleams of knowledge, the student in
astrology may apprehend readily enough how
it conies to pass that " The Figure of
Birth" is thus indicated. A circle being drawn
to represent the heavens, within this another circle
to represent the earth—a straight line through the

outer circle to represent the horizon—E. signifying
the east, where the sun. rises, and W. the west,
where it sets—another line being drawn to repre-
sent the meridian, at right angles with the first
line marking the horizon—S. the eouthovhere the
sun is at noon, N. the north, where the suit"..*at
midnight—the four points being the angles or
crosses where the 1,4, 7, and 10 houses commence
—each of the four quadrants being then divided
into three spaces by oblique ascensionand thus
the twelve houses being completed A little

more, in the way of these mystic inklings of the
Ptolemaic lore, and the novice soon begins to fancy
himself becoming a proficient in the mysteries of
the awful science of astrology. And so the, reader
. _

carries on his eccentric researches aided by the fitful
light vouchsafed to him by our erudite and facetious

author—dazed, bewildered, astounded by his won-
drous volubility about magic crystals and animal
magnetism, about sympathies and antipathies,
and " Vanity Fair" and the " Corsican Brothers,"
and Mr. Boswell and the Emperor Napoleon, and
the Times among morning newspapers, and Me

Sltn among evening newspapers, about fires and

wrecks, and the cholera and drunkenness—" every-
thing by turns and nothinc, long "—flitting before
the dazzled gaze of the reader as in the medley of
a wild and 'wildering phantasmagoria. Strangest
token of the variety jumbled together in these fan-

tactic pages, we find the anonymous sage quoting
in a footnote, now Ptolemy's mEyaXii Evvr4tc, now

. _
Reynolds's .ffewspaper, now the Punaly
and now the Tetrabiblos or Quadripartite! Qua-

vering down from the wisdoni of Anaximander and

Anaxagoras to the predictions of Raphael and Zad-
kiel, and the vagaries of Master Gussy and Dr.
Porcupine ! A wonderful book we reiterate this
" Plea for Urania " to be beyond all manner of

question—a book seriously insisting upon the int-
policy of the law which is supposed to prohibit the

practice of astral science in the present age—en-
forcing its argument by the strangest mixture of
trifling and philosophy:

Russia : its Rise and Progress. By the Rev. T.
Milner: MA. Longman.

This is one of the many histories of the Russian
empire that the events cif the last few years has
called forth. It does not present any very original
features, but it is written in a clear and concise
style. Tho author asserts that he has endeavoured
to preserve the thread of his history unbroken,
emitting wkat is unimportant er uninteresting,
and dwelling only on leading incidents, so as to
give a definite view of- thegeneral fortunes of the
empire and of the more remarkable chapters. 'To
those unacquainted with the features of Russian
history this volume offers considerable advantages,
as it does not confuse the reader's mind with a
long list of unknown names and events. It sim-
plifies the early history, which is generally so per-
plexing,, an.' introduces the reader at once to a
more modern period. The type is excellent, and
the whole appearance of the work coincides with
its claims as a standard volume of historical refer•
ence. The author proposes to notice the reign Of
the late Czar, that eventful epoch in Russian his-
tory, and to complete a general view of the policy
and prospects of
,Russia in a second and subie-
quent volume.

Lessons in General Knowledge. By R. J. Mann,
M.D., F.R.A.S. Longman.

This is a very useful and practical little work,
admirably adapted to the purpose for which it is
designed. They are intended to farm a simple in-
troductiou to the principles of science, as well as to
be reading lessons to familiarise the pupil with the
use and meaning of words. They treat of the for-
mation and movement of the earth, animal and.
ve3etable life, scientific biography; &c. We doubt,
however, whether they will be comprehensible to
children of seven, as the preface anticipates. This
will not he a very material drawback, as few chil-
dren of that ago aro sufficiently advanced to com-
mence so many different departments of learning.
To older and more intelligent pupils, however, it
offers every facility, and may especially be com-
mended to the attention of teachers, as it smooths
the first steps in the acquisition of scientific infer-
matiOn by presenting them in clear and simple
phraseology.

The Year Book of Facts in Science and Art. By
John Timbs, F.S.A. David Bogue, Fleet-

street.
A valuable handbook, exhibiting the most im-
portant discoveries and improvements of the past
year in mechanics and the useful arts, natural
philosophy, electricity, chemistry, zoology and
botany, geology and geography, meteorology and,
astronomy. An engraved portrait of Sir Roderick
Impoy Murchison, D.C.L., M.A., F.R.S.,
Director of the School of Science applied to Mining
and the Arts, fronts the title-page, and will be wel-
comed by the admirers of the learned knight. The
Year Book " is one that should be in the hands
of every intelligent individual.

Here and There
lliannaPDoratiudgya.l. By Hugh Owen.
A readable book, offering a fund of entertain-
ment and instruction to all parties interested in
the past and present condition of Portugal. The
writer is a close observer, and what he has seen
has the ability to .set down in a manner sufficiently
graphic to command attention. His tour, though
of a desultory nature, appears to have been suffi-
ciently comprehensive to enable him to furnish the
materials for forming a pretty accurate notion of the
habits, manners, and customs of the people, as well
as the general characteristics of the land of the
olive and the vine. Numerous anecdotes enliven
the work, the value of which is further enhanced
by a number of illustrations, by eminent artists,
from photographic pictures by the author.

EA Thelesseeof thii:
prTetHtylTitßltleCatrea A
theatre
W H
re
dulliTnEgtAhVeßll.t week afforded h
patrons an opportunity of witnessing the perforaaances
of Mr. and Mrs. Hermann Vezin. The impression
highly
made by Mr. Vezin by his ff
.e ectve rendering of
the character of the cardinal in Sir E. B. Lytton's pi"
i
diaeu s thee
yirtvpi tine
r.
t
of "Richelieu" was immense—certainly nothing equal to
it hastermination of the play he received a complete ovation.
The local
ever beenseen
ocalp
papers
ers
spea speak
at
in the
etheatre e a
tbefore
terms ;
of and a
an etrffaogred
pwarheidchwtibthey
tdbaestigonfatthe as e
great
ready. They also pay the same compliment to the great
ability of Mrs. Vezin, the principal characters repre-
sented by her being Miami in Buesstone's " Green
tofo per-
formance,
compared
Bushes," and Pauline in the "
Lady of Lyons." The
engagement of these artistes has really proved a prize
to the lessee. _ • _

The terms of the Royal charter to be granted to the
Ottoman Ea&lc will, it is understood, be precieelY ant:
,at to those of the charter of the BSA of Egypt.