The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-22 00:00:00

LII'.EI?ATURE.

G'reyniore. A Story of Country Life. 3 vols.
Smith and Elder.

r This is a very pleasing story, which well fulfils,
' in interest and incident, the promise held out by
its t ttractive commencement. There is something
. fresh and charming about it, the spirit of domestic
life seems to pervade it, and throughout the reader
is fascinated by the simplicity and grace of its most
delightful heroines, Katherine and Hester. The
most important personage is Agatha Marehmont,
but she has really less to do with the story than Kate.
In consequence of being brought up at the house of
her grandfather, Agatha was early estranged froxi
her father, and when her mother's relat:ves all
died, the unhappy young heiress was removed to
her father's house, now :taled over by a stepmother.
Mrs. Rivers was an exception to the rule, and
proved a very desirable relation, but the high spirit
and peculiar temper of Agatha militated greatly
against any comfort. She was UnfOri Until 0, it is
true, for she adored Greymore, her old ancestral.
place, but owing to her grandfather being invo:ved
in pecuniary difficulties, the place was mortgaged,
and after his death it was found necessary to let it
to enable the trustees to clear off the incutnbrances.
This was, of course, a heavy blow to Agatha, who
would heve been happy to live there as mistress in
solitary supremacy,
.but who could not endure to
mingle among a different class to that in which
she had been brought up. Katherine and Hester
did all they could to render their home happy to
one who was so near in kindred and so far off in
feeling. Their efforts were fruitless ; and after a
time all the interest that the reader has hitherto felt
for Agatha gives place to scorn and indignation when
she conducts herself so unworthily and deceitfully
about the letter. Katherine had become attached
to a gentleman who had been visiting the neigh-
bourhood, but, owing to peculiar circumstances, he
was unable to declare his attachment previous to
leafing the place, though he wrote an explanation.
The letter containing this much-desired vindication
of ambiguous conduct never reached its destination
for four years. By a long series of subterfuges and
concealments, Agatha persuaded herself that she
could not act otherwise. She did not at first actu-
ally intend to suppress the letter, but she paused
and hesitated till she got compromised, and then
her regard for her own dignity was of more weight
than the dictates of honour, and the consideration
of others' feelings. All this is skilfully told ; and
doubtless many serious errors are committed, and
much unhappiness caused through such evil
thoughts once entering the mind, and through
such pertinacity in not revealing at once the mis-
take. It was through no doings of Agatha that all
went right at last. She would have been equally to
blame had death or another marriage intervened to
separate her sister from the object of her affections.
So indignant does her conduct make one feel, that
but little pity can be felt for her, when a sud-
den devastation swept away her cherished
dreams of future happiness. A destructive fire
consumed Greymore, and the solemn warning was
not sent in vain, for the very next day Katherine was
in possession of her letter. Apart from this serious
event, there are numberless passages of home life,
especially at the beginning of the story, which are
most delightful to peruse. The dispositions of some
of the actors introduced are also well described.
Henrietta Brooke is a perfect model of her sort, and
the skilful way in which she plays her cards so as
to entrap the wary and surprise the simple would
be amusing,:did not such serious consequences follow
in the train of her manceuvi es and machinations.
Mrs. James Thorpe is also very well pourtrayed,
and only too many of her class exist, never happy
but when propagating slander and eternally en-
gaged in making small things large. Philip is a
strange person, he is very peculiar but not attrac-
tive; he and Agatha are, indeed, good enough for
each other, with their implied superiority and lofty
notions of humility and dignity. The character of
Katherine is in itself enough to make the story edi-
fying and engaging ; one does not often meet with
so perfect a specimen of a bright and happy creature,
not exaggerated or overdrawn. " Greymore" has
every chance of being appreciated by many, and all
who prefer something natural and real, alter the
mazes of the ideal and the mysteries of the artifi-
cial„ will welcome this sketch of country life in an
English home, which is a state of society existing
in no other country, and whose lights and shadows,
storms and sunshine, have been here most exten-
sively displayed.

The Autobiography of a Seaman. Vol. I. By
Thomas, tenth Earl of Dundonald, 0.C.8., &c.,
&c. Richard Bentley. Second notice.
Whatever may be the faults of Lord Dundonald,
want of straightforwardness and plain-speaking
is not among the number, and his work is
extremely interesting and full of stirring incident.
His chief object in submitting these pages to the
public is to vindicate his character from imputations
which have been long since set aside, likewise to
expose those whom he considers have wronged him.
Bit although one chafes over Government de-
spatches, and is indignant at the flagrant miscon-
duct which was perpetrated in the navy, one is ae-
lighted with the quaint anecdotes which abound
throughout in the following strain:—
" One day a party of ladies paid us a visit aboard, and
several had been hoisted on deck by the usual means of
a whip' on the mainyard. The chair had descended
for another ' whip,' but scarcely had its fair freight
been lifted out of the boat alongside, than the unlucky
parrot piped ' Let go !' The order being instantly
obeyed, the unfortunate lady, instead of being comfortably
seated en deck, as had been those who preceded her, was
soused overhead in the sea I Luckily for Poll, Jack Lar-
mour was on shore at the time, or this unseasonable as-
sumption of the boatswain's functions might have ended
tragically."
" Being seated near the admiral at dinner, he inquired
what dish was before me. Mentioning its nature, I asked
if he would permit me to help him. The uncourteous reply
was—that whenever he wished for anything he was in the
habit of asking for it. Not knowing what to make
of a rebuff of this nature, it was met by an inquiry if he
would allow me the honour of taking wine with him. ' I
never take wine with any man, my lord,' was the unex •
pected reply, from which it struck me that my lot was cast
among Goths, if no worse."
Lord Cochrane follows the history of the whole
naval war of the early part of this century very
minutely, with extracts from his diary of every
cruise he made, and he was always :in commission.
Having made himself obnoxious in head-quar-
ters by his straightforwardness of speech and com-
plaints in Parliament of naval abuses, although
his valuable services were always acknowledged,
they were but tardily requited, and then only on
compulsion, from his possession of a seat in
the House of Commons, making the Lords
of the Admiralty fear as well as hate him.
Though he brought a good deal of
upon himself by often unnecessary bluntness, it was
the same spirit of daring, which made him an un-
daunted officer. The history of his cruise in the
Speedy, a ridiculously small brig, mounting four-
teen three-pounder guns, shows what zeal and
daring added to a mind which could meet any
emergency, and could find a dodge to get out of
any scrape, can do. That same little hit of a craft
became the terror of the Spanish coast ; and, when
at length her time was come, she gave so
much trouble to the line-of-battle ships to cap-
ture her, that the French captain of the vessel to
which she at length struck, returned the gallant
Cochrane his sword, as a compliment to his bravery;
but he was not destined to be long a prisoner, and
was soon afloat again. The following history of
the capture of the Gamo by the Speedy was one of
the most daring actions in a time when brave deeds
were frequent :
" As sonic of my officers had expressed dissatisfaction at
not havinc, been permitted to attack the frigate fallen in
with on the 21st of December, after her suspicions had been
lulled by our device of hoisting Danish colours, I told
them they should have a fair fight, notwithstanding that,
by manning the two prizes sent to Mahon, our numbers
had been 'reduced to fifty-four, officers and boys included.
Orders were then given to pipe all hands, and prepare for
action.
"Accordingly we made towards the frigate, which was
now coming down under steering sails. At 9.30 a.m. she
fired a gun and hoisted Spanish colours, which the Spec dy
acknowledged by hoisting American colours, our object
being, as we were now exposed to her broadside, to puzzle
her, till we got on the other tack, when we ran up the
English ensign, and immediately afterwards encountered
her broadside without damage.
" Shortly afterwards she gave us another broadside, also
without effect. My orders were not to fire a gun till we were
close to her ; when, running under her lee, we locked our
yards amongst her rigging, and in this position returned
our broadside, such as it was.
"To have fired our popgun four-pounders at a distance
would have been to throw away the ammunition ; but the
guns being doubly, and, as I afterwards learned, trebly,
shotted, an being elevated, they told admirably ispon her
main deck ; the first discharge, as was subsequently ascer-
tained, killing the Spanish captain and the boatswain.
"My reason for locking our small craft in the enemy's
rigging was the one upon which I mainly relied for vic-
tory, viz., that from the height of the frigate out of the
water, the whole of her shot must necessarily go over our
heads, whilst our guns, being elevated, would blow up her
maindock.
"The Spaniards speedily found out the disadvantage
under which they were fighting, and gave the order to board
the Speedy ; but as this order was as distinctly heard by us
as by them, we aioided it at the moment of execution by
sheering off sufficiently to prevent the movement, giving
them a volley of musketry and a broadside before they could
recover themselves.
"Twice was this manoeuvre repeated, and twice thus
averted. The Spaniards finding that they were only punish-
ing themselves, gave up further attempts to board, andstem
stoodsm
to their guns, which were cutting up our rigging from
to stern, but doing little farther damage ; forafter the lanse
of an hour the loss to the Speedy was only two men ki led
and four wounded.
"This kind of combat, however, could not last. Our
rig-
ging being cut up and the Speeiy,
s I
told the men that they must either sails riddled with shot,
take
the frigate or be
themselves taken, in which case the Spaniards would gig
no quarter—whilst a few minutes energetically employed
on their part would decide the matter in their own favour.
"The doctor, Mr. Guthrie, who, I am happy to say, is
still living to peruse this record of his gallantry, volun-