The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-22 00:00:00

were no achievements too hazardous and glorious
for them to attempt and perform.
As a guarantee of good faith I have the honour
to subscribe myself, sir, your obedient servant,
T. MASON JONES.
10, Cheltenham-terrace, Nov. 21.

LITERATURE.

High Planes. By G. J. Louth, author of " The
Wanderer in Arabia." 3 vols. Hurst and

Blackett.

This is a peculiar style of work, yet one which
deserves regard and merits attention, inasmuch as
it contains passages of elevated thought, and reveals
some noble sentiments and genial instincts. There
is not much story, as far as that goes, but what
constitute the chief attractions of the works are the
descriptions. This is not often the ease, as many a
novel-reader will testify, who in agonised impa-

tience or angry disappointment has hurried over or
entirely skipped whole pages of wonderful accounts
while longing to unravel the mystery of a narative
or learn the fate impending for a hero or a heroine.
Here we meet with refreshing observations, and
the reflections of Mr. Brande are eminently worthy
of notice. His desire to raise the thoughts and
exalt the spirit of his granddaughter Edla is evi-
dent in his words and actions, and few could have
climbed the high places with such an ardent
worshipper of nature without returning in some
way wiser and better. For truth and sense the
following remarks are most distinguished, and
many a would-be
,moralist might learn something
from them —lt can hardly be consistent with
the character of Christian kindliness to ill-use or
neglect the meanest creatures of their Maker.
The lines of the poet are beautifully expressed :

He prayeth best who loveth best
All things both great and small,
For the great God who loyeth us,
He made and loveth all.
" Let no one say that much kindly feeling and even
valuable affection is thrown away and wasted upon
a lower creature—a mere fancy, and which might
be so much better expended on human beings,
family relatives or poor persons. It would be a
mistake so to think and estimate the case. It is a
good and a beneficial thing for the human breast
that the affections, which are a part, and the best
part, of it, should be cultivated and kept
in exercise. The more these are brought
out into action the better for the indivi-
dual, and for those in communication with
him. There is no possibility of wasting the
affections. The more they are used the more they
gain—the more they are expended the more they
abound and increase. It is not using them freely,
even lavishly, that chills the growth and limits
them. There is many an act of affection done for
a dumb animal which is a value and a gain, not
only to the doer, but indirectly to many persons ;
ane there is many an animal which is the real
spark of the warmth that spreads itself from the
small hearth out over the circle of a village, or a
town, or a people. There is many a household that
has much of its happiness in the affections lavished
on some one of God's humble creatures, affections
which are the fire on the hearth, and on which,
without this, there would sit the deformed genii of
carelessness and indifference." The character of
Edla is well described, and Mary is a very efficient
contrast. The career of this latter young maiden
is most interesting, and her various extraordinary
adventures form quite a romance. She was placed
' in a very trying position for so young and inexpe-
rienced a girl, and she admirably acquitted her-
self in the trying ordeal. The two cousins, Adol-
phus and Charles, are very different. With all his
apparent carelessness and. affected coldness, Charles
possessed much sense and feeling. The account of
the chase after the fugitive pair bound for America
is most exciting, and the awfully sudden death of
the wretched Carlton is a most impressive warning
to all who, like him, are intent on their own ends,
and seek but to gratify their vile ambition. There
is much to interest in the true nature of the records
here transcribed of domestic life ; while there is also,
as has before been said, much to attract attention in
the depth of thought evidenced in the reflective
passages. The old Domitor's death is very im-
pressively described. Turning to Mary, he said,
pointing at the same time to the height of Cheese-
ford Head, which was plainly visible with the
long high slope of the hill from where they were
all sitting, " There, Mary," he said, " there is your
King, and he has his crown on full of honour,
such as God's hand made it, the place of glory."
The old man paused a moment, and then he sud-
denly said, '° I see another King above it, in his
own high place, and he beckons me. I come, I
come."

Valentine .Duval. An Autobiography of the last
Century. Edited by the author of "Mary
Powell." Bentley.
The life of Valentine Duval, a poor peasant boy,
who, after narrowly escaping starvation, raised
himself by slow degrees to a recognised position in
the world of science and letters, cannot be without
interest to the readers of these self-helping days.
Though he has left nothing tangible behind him
by which to mark his superiority, yet his love of
truth and simplicity, his earnest pursuit of know-
ledge under the greatest difficulties, and the up-
rightness and consistency of his life, through all
vicissitudes, render him well worthy of a more last-
ing and extensive record than the passing allusion
of contemporaneous writers, or a few brief lines in
the pages of a biography. The editress herself re-
marks "As Duval neither wrote any books nor
made the world the better or wiser by any remark-
able inventions or discoveries, there may be some
who will say To what end, then, write his life ?'
There is greatness in being as well as in doing ;
and there are things worth living for, besides in-
venting, discovering, and writing." Duval is first
introduced to us as a poor peasant boy, keeping
turkeys, who having lost his place, and being un-
able tofind another, nearly perished from cold and
want during the terrible winter of 1709, which
produced an absolute famine among the French.
peasantry. To add to his afflictions while wan-
dering about in search of employment, he was
seized with small-pox, and narrowly escaped with
his life. After undergoing the severest hardships
he took up his abode with a hermit, as his servitor.
This kind old man was his first instructor, and
having gained the first steps in learning he was
thenceforward able to follow his own course. He
subsequently went as servitor to a small religious
community, where his secret studies scandalised
the old monks, who thought ignorance and holiness
inseparable. Duval's favourite plan was to snare
game in the forest and sell the skins to the furriers
to obtain the means of purchasing the books neces-
sary for the prosecution of his studies. One day one
of the brotherhood obtained access to his cell, and
was horror stricken by discovering astronomical
charts, geometrical problems, and scientific instru-
ments. Convinced of the impious character of such
necromantic proceedings, Brother Anthony posted
off to a neighbouring town to implore the assistance
of a Carmelite friar, who was his confessor. The
Carmelite could not help laughing when he found
the state of affairs, but succeeded in pacifying the
old monk. However peace was not of long dura-
tion, and once Duval, excited by the threats of the
monk, drove him from the convent, and as the rest
of the brethren were absent, he remained in posses-
sion. A truce was at length agreed, to by which
he bound himself to serve them for 10 years on
condition of liberty to pursue his studies. This offer
of service, which he afterwards regretted, was for-
tunately not fulfilled. An accidental meeting with
the members of the royal family in the forest opened
the path which conducted Valentine to fame and
fortune. He was subsequently appointed librarian
to Duke Leopold of Lorraine, and Professor of
History at the Royal Academy of Luneville. He
was a great favourite with the duke, and with his
son and successor, Francis, afterwards husband of
the Empress Maria Theresa. In his new dignities
Duval did not forget his old friends. He appointed
bookseller to the Royal library a tradesman who
had befriended him in his early days of poverty
and distress, and spent all hie savings in building
a commodious dwelling for his old friends of the
monastery. He lived to old age and died L
iffinnilred
and lamented. The life of his friend and associate
Peter Vayringe, the famous mechanician, is also
full of interest. We are indebted to the editress
for having brought forward the record of a labo-
rious and honourable life, and too liable to be for-
gotten in the crowd of more pretentious celebrities.
The book might have been shorter with advantage,
the correspondence at the conclusion being almost
too voluminous, but as it is, it is well worthy the
attention of the public, and we have no doubt it
will receive the consideration which it merits, both
from the interest of the subject and the reputation
of the lady who has thus resuscitated an almost
forgotten memoir.

HER MAJESTY'S STAGHOUNDS.—The Royal pack
met on Tuesday at Stoke-common, where there was a
numerous field, including. most of the officers of the Royal
Horse Guards and Scots Fusiliers, and many sporting gen-
tlemen from London, Hounslow, and the surrounding neigh-
bourhood. The beautiful deer Redheart went off at tiptop
speed right across the country in the direction of Amersham
and Watford, and after a severe run was taken at Fordham: wood, about three miles from St. Albans, being about 25
miles from home • only a few of the select were up at the
take. In consequence of their being so far from the kennel, the houds Were brought back on the to/1911'112g day. 4