The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-19 00:00:00

CIVILIS'ATION IN CHINA.

Sir Rutherford Alcock, the British Ambassador at
Pekin, has addressed an important letter to Mr. Med-
burst, the British Consul at Shanghai. Sir Rutherford does
not take a very hopeful view of the progress of modern
ideas in China.. Mr. Medburst Lad sent him a
despatch inviting him to press upon the Chinese Govern-
ment the uses and benefits of telegraphy. Sir Rutherford
replies that there is no probability of such repre-
sentation producing any effect. "So far, the effect
of all the arguments adduced, and the constant
representations made, of the advantages to be
derived from railroads and telegraphs, has not been such
as to encourage any sanguine hopes of progress in this or
any other direction." Our Ambassador states that there
is no evidence whatever at Pekin of that desire for
progress which the Chinese Embassy has assured Europe
is so ardent and general with the Government of China.
" If any hopes are built upon its existence, therefore, I
fear there is nothing but disappointment in store for those
who indulge in them. Projectors of telegraphic lines, rail-
roads, and other plans for the sudden development of the
resources of this country are but losing their time, while
the Government here skews no disposition to entertain
their projects. I think it is in the interest of all who are
so occupied, that they should know the truth, than be
deluded by false hopes and expectations of changes which
are still far in the distance. It seems to be forgotten that
all treaties hitherto made with China have been such as
were dictated by foreign Powers, and in accordance with
their views rather than those of the other contracting
party. The revision at present in contemplation will take
place under totally different circumstances. Nothing
new can find place therein, which is directly contrary to
Chinese views of their interests in relation with foreign
Powers. If the rulers of China . cannot be made to see
the advantage to ihemselves and the nation, as well
as the practicability and safely of inland steam navi-
gation, railroads, and telegraphic., lines, or the working
of mines, and residence of merchants in the inte-
Tier with ex-territorial privileges attaching, it is
very certain they will not yield to any force of argument
and reason, or earnestness of friendly counsel:" " There
remains," adds Sir Rutherford Alcock, " only coercion,
and this agency neither the British nor the American
Governments are likely to employ." This is certainly rather
unexpected testimony after the constant assurances which
have been made of the Chinese Government's desire for
progress. A document has recently been published at
Shanghai, purporting to contain the draft of important
changes which the Chinese Government will advocate
when the treaties with European Governments
are revised. It stated that the Celestial Empire
was about to throw off its old traditions, and
enter upon a I:fe of progress and civilisation. All
sorts of revolutionary changes are promised. But of
course small hope of progress can be entertained after the
letter cf Sir Rutherford Alcoek.

VISIT OF COUNT BISMARCK'S SONS TO ALDER-
SHOT.—On Tuesday two of Count Bismarck's sons, who
have only very recently arrived in England from Prussia,
for the purpose of studying at Oxford University, visited
the camp at Aldershot, and spent the greater part of the
day in inspecting different parts of the camp. Instruc-
tions were issued to the troops, on the previous after
nuon, from the Assistant Adjutant-General's Office, to
assemble in the Long Valley, at 10.30 a.m., for the purpose
of holding a review, under the command of Lieutenant.
General the Hon. Sir James Yorke Scarlett, K.C.8., at
which the visitors would have been present, but, in conse-
quence of the unfavourable state of the weather, it having
rained continuously the whole morning, the order for the
men to parade was countermanded. The visitors arrived
at the camp from London by train at an early hour, and
were conducted through the cavalry barracks and camps
,by „.,,dajor Wood D-S-WitvA§M§LlAdjutant‘
amtrai-

I'* 1!
6r.„
4

The Prince and Princess of Wales drove cut
yesterday.

LITERATURE.

True Love. By Lady Di Beauclerk. One Vol.
Pp. 270. Hurst and Blackett.
Daughter of a Duke and sister of a Duke, the
Lady Di Beauclerk is already favourably known as
an authoress by her sparkling maiden work descrir
tive of " A Summer and 11 inter in Norway." ner
ladyship now arpears before the world of readers
in the character of a novelist. " Tine Love" is the
title of the one-volumed tale in which she sets forth
her imaginings. According to Shakspere, die
course of true love never did run smooth." Ve
Trite Love here described is, we:presutne, the excel).
lion proving the rule set forth in the familiar dicta°
of the great Dramatist. For it—this True Love of
Sydney Vere and Edith IVlnrray, the hero an'i
heroine of the story—could hardly by any possi'
bility run smoother. The narrative open',
o Idly enough, inside an omnibus in the
&roots of Nottingham. A drenching storm of raj°
is falling. A poor factory girl, wretchedly ill clahl,
is one of the chance passengers—the last corner
being a young man, who plunges into the vehicle ie
breathless haste at the moment it is starting. These
two are the most prominent characters introduced
to cur notice in the book—the factory girl being
Edith—the young man Sydney. Both of them
have the world before them-- have their fortunes t°
make, and with the poorest possible prospect of
making it. Yet, before a very few months have run
out, Sydney has come into a largeproperty, and the
poor factory girl, Edith, turns out to be the out,'
daughter and heiress of a mining engineer, who 1,00
made a fortune of £3.0,000 or £40,000 in Mexico.
They are, of course, happily married, when tbe,
story has been brought to its conclusion—not,
however, until a murder has been committed, 00
result of which has been that Sydney inherits front
his aunt, Lady Yore, a considerable estite•
There is a Rev. Mr. St. Clair, a High Church
clergy-man, a ritualist, and a fortune-hunter, whe
is noticeable among the imaginary personages in'
troduced to the readers of this book, who must be
protested against as a most o lious caricature'
Every touch in his delineation is expressive of pre"
judice, spite, and illiberality. Having no spiv
pathy whatever ourselves kith the class or sect of
which he Is designed to be a characteristic or
emplar, we cannot but regard the limning
of such a type of the Leaders of Ritual'
ism as singularly ungeneroui and extravagant'
Some of the little finnical points in his portraiture
are simply ludicrous—as, where speaking of his Per'
sonal cleanliness, it is absurdly remarked by our
authoress that the characteristic spoken of is one eel'
tainly not applying to the Romish priesthood.. 21'
sweeping comment—a splashing of mud that ought
assuredly not to have been cast from the fair hands
of Lady Di Beauclerk. The other persons intro'
duced into the narrative form, altogether, a WI
motley groupe, including among them, as they do,
such people as Mrs. Nupkins, a low eating-house',
keeper ; Jemmy Shaw, an irreclaimable drunkard
and blackguard, one who eventually becomes the
murderer of Lady Vera; that same fribblingt
giggling, Lady Vere, a would-be leader of fashion
among the provincials ; her insignificant sister, 6
widow like herself, by name Mrs. Jones ; the latter
doll of a daughter Dorothy, intended to be the lx"
trothed of her cousin Sydney, but who in the COI
becomes the namby-pamby wife of the Ritualistic
Mr. St. Clair ; Mrs. Shaw, Jem's putative aunt;
but in reality his mother—together with several
other characters more or less insignificant. 'lll°E°
are the puppets dangled upon the thread of the
narrative in this play of marionnettes. Tue only iuci-
dent of anything like an exciting nature in the tale
is the murder already referred to. There are private
theatricals, morning calls, sketching parties, and
other tame little doings related in the course of the
twenty-one chapters into which the book is sub'
divided. To xards the close of the story r'n
eptiode carries Sydney for a while across tha
Atlantic, but nothing whatever comes of 16
in his instance in the way of adventure. A fashion'
able contemporary, we observe, has made a courtly -
allusion to this tale of "'True Love," as told 1
Lady Di Beauclerk, as affording evidence that Wit
has not died out among the ladies of England since
the days of LAdy Mary 11''ortley Montague. rib°
compliment is SO outrageously extravagant is
way that it simply recalls to our remembrance the
reply made by the Prince de Ligny, who had been
trying unsuccessfully to make a piece of water in
• d
his grounds, when some one told him there 10,,
been a man drowned iu it—" C'etait uu fla.tteur
No—the book adds nothing whatever to Lady P'
Beauclerk's literary reputation. It simply sbOS
that the writer of a charming book of travels C 313
dash off currentecalamo a very indifferent imaginal
narrative.