The Sun.
London, England, 1856-07-07 00:00:00

" There are relics here, too. Those targets, hanging in
the shed, were his. From the numerous bullet-holes near
the centre, you may infer what chance a Frenchman had
at a hundred yards from his rifle. You may read his
name and that of his wife in the blazonry of the sign :
ANDRE VON HOFER UND ANNA VON HOFER, geb. LADURNER. His
corpse was ennobled while it lay in the grave at Mantua,
in 1318: hence the prefix von. You see the chamber and
bed in which he slept ; on the wall hangs a crayon portrait
of his comely daughter, and one of his last letters, written
in a homely but firm hand. There are an old press, is
which his clothes were kept, his green coat, and other gar-
ments, his girdle, and hat, bearing the words Ober-com-
mandant von Tirol."
" Hofer's wife died in 1836 ; two of his three daughters
were married in Passeyr; all are now dead. His son,
Johann von Hofer, who had little of the father about him
besides the name, and his grandson, were taken care of by
the Court at Vienna; and some of the family connexions
were provided for by being put in charge, as already men-
boned, of Schloss Tyrol ."
While closing the volume, we can but hope that
Mr. White may spend his next vacation in a way
as pleasait to himself and as gratifying to the
public.

Diasia Wynyard. By the author of " Alice
Wentworth." 3 vols. Hurst and Blackett.
It must be acknowledged by every one that the
author of this novel possesses in a remarkable de-
gree the power of planning and designing the plot
of a story. There is a great skill apparent through-
out, and though the incidents are neither nume-
rous nor extraordinary, the interest is kept 311 TO
to the end. Nothing can be more natural than
the character and conduct of Edward, one of those
good-natured and easy tempers, who are universal
favourites, and yet nevertheless contrive to
become very often a torment to themselves and
others. Edward Boscowen was incapable of a
mean or dishonourable action, but he did not
control himself. He was placed in a very awk-
ward position, it is true, socially, though by good
management and straightforward conduct many
perverse things might have been satisfactorily ad-
justed, instead of fuel being added to the fire by
his selfish, careless, and obstinate demeanour. To
hesitate is to be lost,Yought to have been graven on
his memory as the watchword of his life, for his
ideas of expediency and present ease required vigo-
rous treatment, not unwise indulgence. Clara
Wood was a sweet, gentle creature, deficient in
many requisities for her position, but at the same
time deserving of better treatment. Had Edward
at first confessed their marriage he would have
begun with obstacles, it is true ; but the excite-
ment of his new position, and his strong attach-
went to Clara, would have been some counterba-
-1 ance to the vexation and annoyance. But the
h esitating and slumbering fit came over him. He
must wait for this to happen, or delay lest that
should occur, all the while time was hastening on,
and in its flight undermining the enthusiastic de-
votion that was to be eternal, and discovering
fault. and deficiencies in a being who had been pro-
nounced perfect. Perfect in her very ignorance of
the w.orld, in her artless and unstudied ways, in
her implicit confidence in him, and accordance with
all his plans, it is certain that only a placid,
almost a, weak, character would have agreed to so
absurd iln arrangement ; but the very virtues of
Clara tha t won his regard were calculated to mar
her happLuess afterwards. Her husband required
rousing, not soothing. She yielded to one caprice
after another, till he grew weary of her compliance
at last, and. regarded her as insipid and trifling.
An unequill union with regard to position should,
to be at all: successful, contain in itself advantages
that are superior to the accidents of birth or for-
tune. The one here referred to had none. When
once Edward's triumph at having disregarded the
social prejudices he so scoffed at was over, he was
indifferent to the sweetness of temper, elegance of
manner, and even affection for himself, that Clara
displayed- Meanwhile another sufferer was made
bye his marriage. Diana Wynyard, in every re-
spect as different to Clara as may well be imagined,
was ie,Tolved in the intricacies of the mysterious
affair, Ain her life was rendered a complete torment
to her. She was generous in the extreme, and
gave the .
.promise unhesitatingly, which afterwards
cost her ro dear, of never betraying the secret she
surprised of Edward and Clara's attachment. This
was not I Tudent, though she was in a delicate posi-
tion, as t he only prospect of fortune that Edward
had at all in the world was that of his grandfather
leaving hi in something. This relative had an in-
superable dislike to unequal marriages, and there-
fore Dian; o, felt that she might hereafter be accused
of minim ; his hopes without achieving any definite
good. T o complete the chain of trying circum-
stances b 3• which Diana was surrounded, was the
fact of him • own attachment to,Clement Aylmer, a
friend of Edward Boscowen's, who was of a most
jealous as id sensitive nature. Edward was the
brother o i Diana's sister's husband. Hence, as
she reside d with her sister, and Edward was a con-
stant visit or, they were often together. Aylmer
mistook t heir friendly relations towards each other
for a elots4 3r tie, and many were the misconstruc-
tions that c arose. The secret was too well, to be
wisely la apt of the secret union ; therefore, many
besides., t he jealous Aylmer were deceived by the
coudu .ct of Diana and Edward. The subsequent
dam ones into which the latter was plunged were
only nai,u ral from his hasty and ungovernable
tern ?er, :vs well as his persisting in following the
sug' gest iomg of his capricious and volatile disposi-
tic.] I. '];rewinding up of the story is ably arranged,
an( 1 brings forward in a favourable view many se-
co, ada ry personages, as, for instance, James and
J alia Boscowen, who, instead of doing like many
ithei s, would have done in their place, leaving
thin! to chance, being too offended to interfere in
cone equence of not being told sooner, busied them-
selv es to the utmost in offices of kindness and good-
will , ao peculiarly called for at such a juncture.