The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-08 00:00:00

less nature. The form adopted for the communi-
cation of hisimpressions is that of letters to mi.,
nent personages here and abroad. Thus one is
addressed to Victor Hugo, another to Louis Blanc,
a third to Richard Cobden, a fourth to Felice Or-
sini, in Modena, a fifth to Eugene Sue, a sixth to
Michel Chevalier, and the remainder of the thirty-
two letters to various individuals of a certain stand-
ing in Europe and America. With all it faults
and philosophy the book is worth reading.

The Westminster Review.—Often as the subjects.
of " Alchemy and Alchemists" have been treated,
the writer of the opening article has contrived to
invest them with considerable interest, if not to
contribute much to the commc,n stock of informa-
tion. "Budhism, Mythical and Historical," may
ideas
respecting recommended to the perusal of those whose
this form of paganism are of a vague
description. The claims of married women to a
control over their own property find a champion
in one of the contributors, who adduces a variety
of argument and illustration by way of vindiceaon,
and meets the various objections offered, as we are
disposed to think with success. " George Forster,"
a German enthusiast, who, as a boy with his
father, accompanied Captain Cuok in one of
his voyages round the world, is introduced
we suspect for the first time to the reader. One of
the German literati, his fate appears to have been
strange and gloomy, though he acquired the love
and esteem of men whose affectionate regard was
in itself high praise. The rock on which be
split was politics. " Edinburgh Fifty Years Ago,"
we fancy, will be the most popular article in the
number. The writer inquires, " Will aoybody
give us a history of Scotland from the year .1745
to the present time ?" and adduces abundant rea-
sons why such history should be written. Altoge-
ther the article is one which, irrespective of the
galaxy of literary stars which it causes again to flit
before us, is well deserving of a thoughtful perusal.
"Silly Novels by Silly Women" is, as its title
would imply, a pitiless dissection, if not butchery,
which doubtless will stir up much indignation in
some circles. " France before the Revolution of
'B9" is an able review of the work par Alexis de
Tocqueville. The opinion of the reviewer may be
gathered from the conclusion : " All men who love
truth must earnestly wish that the author
may be able'to finish his work." " Emerson's Eng-
lish Traits " meets with a favourable reception.
"He has given us a book," we are told, " from
which we may learn many things—much about
ourselves, about what we have and about what we
have not, and, still more from which we may learn
that the nobleness of spirit which gives praise as
well as blame where it is due, may be relied on as
existing across the Atlantic." Again—" With all
its faults of exaggeration and indefinite aim it is a
book we most heartily welcome, glad to read our-
selves in a picture drawn by a skilful artist, and
still more glad to have so much friendliness and
generosity displayed towards us by an American.
It is a book which will, we feel sure, do good on
both sides the Atlantic, and tend to promote that
cordial understanding between all sections of the
Anglo-Saxon race, on which, in these days of des-
potism and confusion, the welfare of mankind so
largely depends." High, but not wholly unme-
rited, praise. As usual, the space devoted to con-
temporary literature claims, and to a certain extent
will reward, the reader's attention.