The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-05 00:00:00

LITERATURIii.

Sir B. Buliver Lytton's Novels. Library Edition.

Devereux. Von. Blackwood and-Sons:

The eleventh volume of this singularly beautiful
periodical issue of the novels and romances of Sir
Edward Bulweelytton is the initial volume of the
second of the four series into which the Library
Edition has been subdivided. The completion of
the first series we have already indicated. The
Caxton Novels, to the number of 10 volumes, having
appropriately inaugurated the " set" of Forty-
Three—appropriately that is, considering that the
name of the firm of William Blackwood and Sons
appears at the foot of every title-page. No wonder
the publishers at once accorded precedence to the
three works associated with the later fame
of Maga, those three popular and re-
nowned Caxton Novels which have assumed so
conspicuous, and even prominent a place among
the latest of the literary glories of Blackwood.
" The Caxtons" themselves, or rather itsey (speak-
ing of it as a book), being to our own thinking
about the most perfect among all Sir E, B. Lytton's
prose master-pieces. And the two more elaborate
fictions which followed—(purporting to have been
written by Pisistratus, and assuming to themselves
an elevation proportioned to their elaboration)—is
it not reasonable wholely apart from any preference
OT personal predeliction of the publishers, is it not
in simple keeping, so to speak, with the mere fit-
ness
lead off with their grand
hene do ssof
wthiitnhgist,,t,that "My Novel" and "What will
march the stately procession of the Bulwer Lytton
works of imagination ? Everything considered in
the arrangement of the sequence of the issue of the
forty-three volumes of this charming Library
Edition of England's Greatest Romancist, we
cannot but feel satisfied that the Messrs. Black-
woodow n
nhavesti n
etai cvtee d
inclination.judiciously
An
followingalternative their
cer-
tainly lay before them tempting them to
the republication of these works in the
order of time, in the order that is of their ori-
ginal publication. The result, however, would
only have been confusedly miscellaneous.
" Pelham" would have opened the procession
and " Pisistratus" closed it—but between the two
the train of imaginary characters would have
been rather jumbled and bewildering. As it is
the scope of Sir Edward's genius as a novelist
will be more accurately appreciated by even the
most superficial observers from the subdivision of
the Forty-three Volumes of this Library Edition
into the Four Series announced about a year
back in anticipation of its commencement. Firstly
—the ten volumes of The Caxtons Novels—
last month completed. Secondly—the twelve
volumes of the Historical Romances—this month
commenced. Thirdly—the five volumes of the
pure and simple Romances—which are to follow
as the penultimate series in the order of republi-
cation. And Fourthly and Finally—the Sixteen
Volumes of the Novels of Life and Manners.
It is with the second series that we
have here to do at this moment exclu-
sively—namely, with the six " Historical
Romances" beginning with " Devereux."
reux having been simply selected to inaugurate
these half-dozen historical -romances because it
was the first effort of Sir Bulwer Lytton as a
historical romancist. Viewed as such, viz., as the
first adventure into the fairyland of historic
romance, it is certainly very wonderful. It is re-
markable in any point of view, but in that espe-
cially so. When Sir Edward Lytton penned this
imaginary autobiography of Morton Devereux, he
was a very young author. He was twenty-five
years of age. It was his third work of any im-
portance. He had two seasons before taken the
town by storm with the humorous vivacity and
witty impertinence, so to speak, of his sparkling
"Pelham, or the Adventures of a Gentleman.
The year after Pelham appeared, Mr. Bulwer had
followed it up cleverly—certainly most amusingly
with the" Disowned. People were still laughing
at the remembrance of the Copperasses, when a
marvellously different chord was struck by the
hand of the young novelist. It was no longer
the vzs comica that moved his pen of fascination.
That pen was abruptly transformed in the wand
of the historic romancist. And in answer to
its wierd conjurations—up rose within the magic
circle of the plot of " Devereux "—a motley
thing of historic personages ! Here was Henry
St. John Lord Bolingbroke —,since dubbed by
the author of " Devereux" in his recent poem of
" St. Stephens"—our English Alcibiades. Here was
Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patricks. Here Sir
Richard Steele—here the Right Hon. Joseph Ad-
dison—here Sir Godfrey Kneller—and yonder in a
wondrous little episode exquisitely introduced
(Book iii, ch. iv.) in his old age, in his rural retire-
ment, Richard Cromwell the son of the Lord Pro-
tector, some time indeed Lord Protector himself im-
mediately before the close of the brief but glorious
annals of the Commonwealth. The interest of the
work, however, the peculiarly enthralling interest
of " Devereux " as a romance is discoverable in the
loves and hatreds, the lives and deaths, the virtues
and the vices of the purely imaginary characters
described by the fictitious autobiog.rapher. And
secondly, in the labyrinthine involutions of
the plot of this early effusion of Sir Ed-
ward's genius as a novelist, we can re-
cognise the precocious mastery already attained by
him at the very outset of his career, in the dexte-
rous entanglement and subsequent unravelment of
the thread of a narrative—a faculty of contrivance,
a gift of constructiveness, in the possession of which
we hold Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton to stand forth
among all novelists, past or present, wholly and
absolutely unrivalled. Of this—" My Novel,"
alone, affords sufficient, or, as we conceive it, con-
clusive attestation. Compare with it in regard to
plot, for example, the novel of all novels, the (in
many respects) matchless " Gil Blas" of the incom-
parable Le Sage—" Gil Bias" is but a wonderful
chain of incidents, side by side with the Cretan
Labyrinth of the marvellous plot of "My Novel"
—a maze of seemingly (at a careless glance) inex-
tricable confusion, but one through all the intricate
windings of which the reader is conducted by
that magic clue, the thread of the author's
narrative, beginning at Hazeldean and ending at
Lansmere. It is this also, almost at times to the
same extent of intricacy with the clue wound
through the singularly elaborated plot of "Deve-
reux." Here, in this first moiety of the romance,
the reader follows the trail of it, spell-bound and
breathless, to Isora's death-bed !

The Past and Future of British Relations in China.
By Captain Sherard Osborn, C. 8., R.N. One
vol. pp. 184. Blackwood and Sons.
The appearance of this delightfully.
A con-
Blackwood's
yde a boo
blee:
ii, r 37 y poabpseerrsv,
volume is most seasonable and opportuunpineratedha
siderable portion of its contents ito'
'ercajitaten piecemeal,
a bhto
Writer, v er,
tained a certain share of ppeuPepil
to ether frroemvisrede-
been carefully.
casion of its original
have
(and of course anonymous I
Magazine. The fragnlect a t
mrsigularl
which have thus been c
cent numbers of
by their gallant
they have been to by him (as he tells ns in
under notice have been judi-
ciously his frank little preface)and added to ‘, largely."
Beyond which, the facts referred in the pages
volume
6011,4 brought down to the latest dates, a conside-
ration of ne small importance in this age of tele-
grams flashing
to us perpetually from almost all the
of the
points of the compass. Together with what Cap-
tain Sherard Osborn contributed orn contributed originally to
Blackwood has been blent i, there n the preparation
of this
timely volume mach also of the information
laid ,
0y him .
before his colleagues of the Royal Geo-
graphical Society. Appended to the letterpress
here subdivided into three chapters with an ap-
pendix, are three admirable maps supplied by way
of most acceptable illustration. There is in the first
place a comprehensive map of China itself—and in
the second and third place there are two equally
reliable little maps of the river Peiho or Tientsin-
hoa. The former of these two maps of the Peiho
carrying the eye onward from the entrance to that
river to the town of Tientsin, and the latter
conveying it still further northward from
Tientsin to the capital of the whole Celestial
Empire, the wondrous city of Pekin it-
self ! Captain Osborn's three chapters of
chat—for his style is throughout most delectably,
conversational—" the mariner hath his will," and
we needs must listen to him, in each of the three,
down to the very " end of the chapter"—Captain
Osborn's three chapters, we say, are in their very
titles sufficiently suggestive of their bearing and
character. Chapter I. headed " Remarks on
Chinese reasoning—H.M.S. Furious at Shanghai
—Proceed to the Gulf of Pecheli—the Peiho River'
—bringing us to Chapter 11., on " Our Futurefir.
lations with China," and afterwards to Chapter Itit ,lx,
on " War and Progress in China." The aPPreels in
consisting of certain excerpts from the " l'1:, shall
China" of Sir John Barrow. Later
00071 loons to
probably have occasion, in our leadirg, v..
011134=
:
Cap
refer more in detail to the opinions of u
in regard to China and the Chinese. Enough if we
k
here commend his brilliant little boo in regard to
attention
of every
our Relations with both to the
patriot Englishman.
—.....-_-_—_.=

on. Tuesday,
who has been. appointed Deputy
retTurnheedHfoorn.l7uGx.
owWwilitrurt-Colpi;oesitwioinkS:in the room of
oneei:litptt,ey,
hoafs tii3leee
is ineapaoitat d
Colonel
IPCveoururtclyisolirawf ehnuroankrlib
Quartermaster General.
'Registrars of the
LoMndro'n
Orme Registrar fth been deputed to act for
Mr. Cbarleg ~ . ° e Eli 'tl V t •
from 4
a ? is riolp
of the Y.,
charging duties of his office. •b: r illness du-

TILE HOLY PLAYS IN BAVARIA•

POLICE INTELLIG.ENCE—Sept. 4.

---4--

WESTMINSTER.—THE AUDACIOUS AMERI-
CAN SWINDLE.—The following relative to this
widely-spread swindle have been handed to us by
Mr. Paynter

_
" London, Aug. 31, 1800.
" Sir,—The newspapers show that you have ix a most
laudable manner taken the trouble to put the public on
their guard against the audacious American swindle. I
venture to address you for the purpose of stating that ever
since the exposure of that rascally trick to extort money, I
have had a strong impression that the scheme is much like
a fellow's, whose handwriting and person I am familiar
with, and who, if identified, will be amenable to punish.
ment of some sort in this country. You are quite at liberty
to; use this letter for any purpose that will aid in stopping
the wicked course a this scoundrel. I enclose my card.
" Cheltenham, Aug. 26th, 1860. " E. S."
" Sir,—l am induced to send you this letter (an enclosure
returned to the writer by Mr. Ingleby, of the Athenaeum
Club), which I received in April, about six weeks after my
husband's death, addressed to him, ox seeing mention of
such in the Times of the 23d inst. Owing to ray husband's
character, as well as his former life being so thoroughly
known to me, I believed it to be a falsehood, and sent no
money, but I had no idea others were subject to such cruel
suspicions being cast on their dear departed ones, and was
much surprised, as well as very thankful, to see it made
public. I write this merely to let you know of another in-
stance of this diabolical system of swindling, which it truly
is when slandering the name of the dead and blaspheming
God's name in common. I beg you or other good men who
have authority in the matter to leave no means untried to
._.

expose the authors of it. Surely some one will be ready to
rise on the side of the wilows and fatherless, to prevent
them being subject to such treatment, and I hope you will
not let the subject drop here, but will succeed in setting on
foot an investigation into the matter. May I beg you to
return the note of Clara Mostyn' in the envelope ad-
dressed to me. You will see it is almost word for word ttie
same as one Mr. James sent for publication.—l am, Sir,
yours faithfully, E. p.
" C. M. Ingleby, Esq."
•

GREENWICH.—COMMITTAL OF A BURGLAR.
Joseph Cronin, 28, a well-known thief, was charged
on remand with burglariously entering the premises
of Mr. Long, landlord of the Golden Fleece public-
house, Deptford, and stealing various articles.
It appeared that on the morning of the 15th alt.
the house of the prosecutor was discovered to have
been entered during the night, and a quantity of
articles of wearing apparel, a black leather bag,
and a large and peculiarly-shapedknife stolen. Some
three or four hours before the discovery of the rob
bery, the prisoner asked a man at a neighbouring
night coffee-house to purchase a shirt, which he
declined doing, the prisoner being afterwards seen
to throw a knife, which proved to be the one stolen,
down a grating. He afterwards left the neighbour-
hood, and nothing more was seen of him until a few
evenings since, when police-constable Membery,
216 It, met him at the London-bridge station of the
Greenwich Railway, and on arriving at Deptford
by the train, he took him into custody.
The prisoner declined making any defence, and
_ _

Mr. Maude committed him for trial.
ROBBERIES BY A DOMESTIC SERVANT.—EIiza
Ansell, aged 16, was charged on remand, with steal-
ing a sum of ss. 21d., the moneys of her master,
Mr. Charles Gardiner, landlord of the Greycoat
Boy public-house, Greenwich.
The prisoner had been six months in the service
of the prosecutor as nursemaid, and had no right to
be in the business part of the house. On several oc-
casions money had been missed from the till in the
bar, and the aid of a detective officer was obtained
to find out the thief. On the following morning,
shortly after six o'clock, before the house was
opened, the prisoner was observed to come down
stairs from the nursery into the bar, and take the
amount of mosey named from the till, upon which
she was secured and taken into custody. There was
also a second charge of felony against her—that of
stealing a small gold brooch, while in the service
of another person, the brooch being discovered in
her box when searched after the above robbery by
Margetson, 373 R.
In answer to the magistrate,
The prisoner pleaded guilty to both charges,
Mr. Maude said the prisoner had been guilty of
' very serious offences, having committed robberies
at two places where she had obtained respectable
situations as a domestic servant, and he should,
therefore, without committing her for trial, pass
upon her a severe sentence. His worship then
ordered her to be imprisoned and kept to hard
labour for six calendar months.

WOOLWICH.—A PAINFUL CASE.—Margaret
Low, 16 years of age, residing at White Horse
Cottages, New Charlton, was placed at the bar on
a remanded charge of stealing a dress and bonnet,
the property of :her sister, Jane Ann Low, a young
woman of respectable appearance.
The case was one of a very painful description.
The complainant, who appeared overwhelmed with
grief, and gave her evidence with much reluctance,
stated that herself and the prisoner lived at home
with their mother, but recently the prisoner had
conducted herself in a very bad manner. A short
time since she took a gold ring from the finger of
an imbecile old lady residing in the house, and put
a brass ring ire its place ; witness being compelled
to take the gold ring out of pawn, in order to save
her sister from being sent to prison. On the morn-
ing of Sunday week witness went to church, and
during her absence, the prisoner, who would never
keep any decent elothing, went out attired in a
dress and bonnet belonging to her. The prisoner
did not return all day, and on the same evening
witness saw her about to enter a house of ill-fame.
As the prisoner refused to leave the house, and de-
clared that she would never return home again,
witness, in order, if possible, to save her sister from
a life of misery, gave her into custody for stealing
the clothing.
The evidence having been corroborated, •
Mr. Traill expressed his opinion that, under the
circumstances, the complainant had acted quite
right in giving her sister into custody. She was
evidently a badly-inclined girl, and the course he
should now adopt would be to send her for trial,
which might afford an opportunity for her admis-
sion into a reformatory institution.

The prisoner, who exhibited a very careless man-
ner, was then removed.

HAMMERSMITH.—IMPUDENT ROBBERY OF
A GOLD WATCIL—CAUTION TO HOUSEKEEPERS.
—A tall, dark-complexioned young man, named
William Weaver, was brought before Mr. Ingham,
charged with stealing a gold watch, value £l2, be-
longing to Mrs. Mary Ann Watson, of No. 1, Cam- I
bridge-road, Hammersmith.
The evidence went to show that on Thursday
afternoon last the prisoner ealled at the prosecu-
tor's house with a basket full of glass and china,
and inquired if she had any old clothes to exchange
for anything she might choose from his basket.
She told him that she had none, and he then asked
if she had any old parasols. She went up stairs
and brought him down one, and upon her intimat-
ing that she had another he offered her five plates
for the two. At that time he was standing outside
and his basket stood on the door step. She went up
stairs for the second parasol, and when she returned
the prisoner had disappeared, but had left his bas-
ket of glass and china behind. Upon going into the
kitchen she immediately missed her gold watch
from over the mantel shelf. It also appeared that,
from the position in which the prisoner stood at the
street door, he could see the watch hanging up in
the kitchen. Information of the robbery was given
to the police, who took possession of the basket,
and the diligent inquiries they instituted led to the
apprehension of the prisoner..
Upon Mr. Ingham asking the prisoner if he had
any questions to put to the prosecutrix, he said it
was very hard that he should be identified in that
manner. He had always borne a respectable char-

acter.
Mr. Ingham said he should remand him for a
week.
As he was being removed a female in the body
of the court called out to him to apply to his wor-
ship for the basket of china to be delivered up.
However, he took no notice, and he was removed
to the cells.

ti fromntheon
WANDSWORTH.—DARING PLATT 'ROBBER-v.
—George
—George Price, a man who described himself as a
shoemaker, was charged before Mr. Ingham with
stealing a quantity of plate and other,:,
articles
the dining room of the Grange, in the Chase, Wanda_
worth-road.
It appeared that shortly, before two o'clock
Monday afternoon the servant laid tb eh
io
dining room for the children's dinner, and
not long
afterwards the prisoner was 9,een to jump
out of the
window with a cruet stand in his possession. The
couldwa see the in-
, and a per-
sonw in ds
toawn
dhiandg boene nt
hleefltaowpne ni
na
illitl
side of the room. The prisoner dropped the stand
on the lawn as he ran away. A
constable followed
him across some allotment grounds, and he was ob-
served to throw a pair of lady's boots into an open
sewer, and also some plate,
When captured a
gold brooch and two silver ,„
- qmons
were found upon
him. A plated spoon was picked up close to him,
..c,,en froofmh
and in the sewer were round
the boots, a cruet, and
twn plated spoons.
Mrs. Ellam, the 0 - .
Pzupier of the Grange,
fled all the artiel-,s as •ldent-
ishtaaldtteba_beeeinn thatf
stated;ome her property, awl said they
t thee
bottlesdining a
nr od
ueth,-s_tan
belonging to the cr f!.. were missing.
gym, She also
silver castors
other charge a ~,_ by t .c.; police that there was an-
Mr. Ing),- °°l_,Ast the prisoner,
A T- ~-am remanded him for a week.
.DISTURBANCE AT " LITTLE VAUXIIALL'"—
three youths, named James Morley, Joseph Mor-
ley, and James Mullens, were placed in the dock,
before Mr. Ingham, charged with wilfully destroy.
jug some illumination lamps.
James Leckett, a general dealer, of High-street,
Vauxhall, said be supplied the illumination lamps