The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-02 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON MONDAY EVEN JIUNE 2, 1856.

LINES L r PIX4I) KBNTALB.

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.)

THE MAGAZINES.

Id.l RAroviasi

Leastn,
Oompant

Closlne ?Hoes
Saturday.

rtnalnes
this day.

CORN EXCHANGE.

Blackwood.—Mrs. Oliphant has again, we per-
ceive, resumed her pen for the delight of the
" thousand and one "-or-two readers of Blackwood.
A new serial story, by the writer of " Katie
Stewart," of "John Rintoul," of the " Quiet
Heart," of " Zaidee " (dear, beautiful Zaidee !),
opens the June number of Maga delightfully.
There is no mistaking for an instant the hand from
which these seven charming chapters have ema-
nated. No other than Mrs. Oliphant could by pos-
sibility have so instantaneously inducted us into
the bosom of that comfortable home of the city
clerk—" located," as brother Jonathan would have
it, in that region of very queer " fixings" indeed,
(not forgetting the parlour-paper askew) No. 10,
Bellevue, in the common-place London suburb of
Islington. No other ! In truth—of that bunch
of delicate ribbons dangled before us at the outset
of this "Summer's Tale," as of old some other were
in a certain " Winter's Tale," we might venture to
hint very preposterously—Aut-Mrs. Oliphant, Aut-
olychus ! Gratefully, then, at once, we accept as
from the acknowledged hand of this very charming
and prolific authoress—the new, anonymous serial
story just commenced in Blackwood, entitled "The
Athelings ; or, the Three Gifts." Already we un-
derstand what the second title really means—the
" Three Gifts " being obviously no other than the
Gifts—of Genius to Agnes, of Beauty to Marian,
of Resolve to Charlie. The said Charlie, and
Marian, and Agnes being the children of William
and Mary Atheling. Bellevue, or, at least, No. 10,
Bellevue, is the home peopled by these five inte-
resting persons " The Athelings "—besides whom
must not be altogether overlooked (as completing
the family group very prettily) the twin " wee
ones " little Bell and little Beau, the baby-tyrants
of the household. " The Athelings," in short,
as already revealed to us, are precisely as we have
here described them to be—the paterfamilias being
nothing at all in any way heroic, but just a plain,
sensible head-clerk in a city house, with an income
of 2001. a year and a villa at Islington. Mrs.
Atheling, his wife, being the thriftiest and kindliest
of matrons—Agnes, a young lady of twenty, or
thereabouts, who has a natural faculty for writing
—Marian, a lovely girl of eighteen—and Charlie a
big, lumbering boy, just a year younger, with a
wonderful power of obstinacy, and au astonishing
bewilderment as to his ulterior choice of any dis-
tinction, calling, or profession. Several other
characters, besides the seven already enumerated,
are hinted at as probably to be numbered a little
later among our familiar acquaintance in " The
Athelings." Susan, their maidservant ; Messrs.
Cash, Ledger, and Co., papa's employers ; Miss
Willsie, the one female friend of the family on
visiting terms with it ; and the one male friend of
the family also on visiting terms with it, an attor-
ney, called Foggo, and so called by a rather unlucky
choice, remembering the firm of the Messrs. Dod-
son and Fegg in Pickwick. The one event of the
story at which we have already arrived in its
seventh chapter, is the completion of her first work
by Agnes Atheling. We shall look forward with
interest to the continuation of a tale which has
commenced so very charmingly. Even now we
augur from this initial instalment of " The Athe-
lings," the enhancement for the author of "Zaidee"
of a very graceful and attractive reputation. A
cluster of lively " Winter Sketches" will be found
immediately aftewards, replete with entertainment
—sketches conducting us successively through
Ghent, Mechlin, Bonn, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Aix-
la-Chapelle, &c., and so on, through Bel-
gium, into Holland, returning homewards again
by way of Rotterdam. Then come a series of
University musings, headed " The Old and New
Style at Oxford "—if not altogether a propos des
bottes, what is pretty much the same thing a pro-
pos the recent politico-religious brochure of M. le
Comte do Montalembert. A second Part of the
other new Tale in Maga begun last month and de-
signated sententiously " Metamorphoses," carries
the reader in the company of Victor the adventurer
further and further into the midst of the crimes
and turmoil of the first and greatest of the three
great French Revolutions. In No. lof a series of
papers commenced in this June number of Black-
wood under the heading of " Travels in Circassia,"
we conjecture may be recognised the lively gossip
and keen observation by which Mr. Lawrence Oli-
phant was distinguishable in other contributions
to Maga than the successive instalments of " Min-
nesota." A rather wearisome dialogue ensues in
the next article—one in which Irenmus, Nebel,
Cope, and Tlepolemus are the interlocutors. The
scene of their " confab" being the Rose Arbour,
and the title of the paper, as it stands, " The Porch
and the Garden." A brief bat sufficient memorial
of " The Naval Review," is followed by the last
contribution to the number, Maga's political article
for June, entitled "Speculations on the Future—our
Alliances." The introductory sentences from which
Speculations we are tempted to transfer to our
own columns, as expressing in some measure
that profound repugnance to this disgraceful Peace
which The Suu has endeavoured, from the first
moment it was hinted at, to articulate in the lan-
guage of scorn and indignation. Blackwood ob-
serves :

Most of the country markets held on Saturday wore but
moderately supplied with wheat, in which only a limited
business was doing on easier terms. Barley, oats, beans,
and peas were the turn dearer; but flour was dull and
drooping.
The continental markets have continued firm for wheat
and all other kinds of produce. We have no particular
feature to notice in the advices from the United States.
Very moderate supplies of English wheat were received
up to our market last week. The foreign imports were
8,515 quarters of wheat, 10,865 barley, 24,047 oats, 3,710
beans, 1,099 tares, 3,798 linseed, 1,714 rapeseed, 130 sun-
dry seeds, 1,952 saeks and 4,070 barrels of flour.
The quantity of English wheat received fresh up, to-day,
coastwise from Essex and Kent, was but very moderate,
but in good condition. By land carriage, the receipts
were not on the !increase, and the show of samples was
rather limited. Owing to the fineness of the weather,
and the favourable advices at hand, respecting the growing
crops, the demand for all kinds of wheat of home produce
was by no means active, yet in some instances red pare els
were Is per quarter higher than on Monday last. Tho
value of white was well supported. The show of most
kinds of foreign wheat was by no means extensive. Mil-
lers purchased with extreme caution, but we have no
actual change to notice in prices, if we except red parcels,
which were is per quarter higher. Floating cargoes were
firm, and some transactions took place in them both for
France and Belgiam.
Very little English barley was on show ; but the supply
of foreign was larger. Sales of most kinds progressed
steadily, at about stationary prices.
Malt moved off heavily, on former terms.
Since our last, the imports of foreign oats have been
considerably on the increase. However, importers are
firm, and the oat trade may be called steady, at last Mon-
day's currency, to 6d per quarter advance.
The inquiry for beans was chiefly in retail, at the late
improvement in value.

"The war-clouds have sunk, and John Ball is settling
again in his easy chair. He has done so somewhat reluc-
tantly. With considerable effort he had got roused and
into action—his old pugilistic skill was coming back to
him--heated with the "row," he was beginning to face
about in all directions with wonderful alacrity, and was
preparing to deal a good English body-blow at his antago-
nist, when, lo ! his friends caught him by the arm, and
declared all was over, John could not easily be brought
to see this. Game to the backbone himself, he was Flow
to believe that his antagonist would slip down on his knees
in mid combat, to avoid punishment ; and, moreover, he
is so old-fashioned in his notions that he could not perceive
the propriety of letting off, when caught, a disturber of the
peace without exacting the smallest compensation for the
damage done, or ample security against a renewal of the
disturbances. Accordingly John Bull grumbled a good
deal, and a momentary sight of his brawny arms as he put
on his coat made him think what little use he had made of
his strength, and what a great deal he meant to do in the
next round. However, all that is over now. The fire-
works and candle-lighting which he regarded with sturdy
contempt when announced as rejoicings for the Peace, he
accepts with tolerable grace when converted into a tribute
of loyalty on the birthday of his Queen. And so, the war
ended, and his feelings composed again, John Bull gets
into his easy chair, and threatens to sleep."
It is amusing, however, to find the writer a little
further on holding up Free Trade in, terrorem for
the nine hundred and ninety-ninth time as the old
Protectionist Buggaboo ! So, that it appears after
all—Nous n'avons vas change tout cela ! And so—
up again with the old tattered sheet upon the
broomstick, and the scooped turnip with its gutter-
ing rushlight !

Dublin University.--" The Fortunes of Glencore"
arethe ci
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et
ri ne
sute di
s, agnd reaatse
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nynetaerass
ta rsee passed
over ear
youth of eighteen, and we meet with him wander-
ing in Italy with the wonderful Billy Tragnor.
The remarkable ability of this latter personage has
been recognised by the Germans, among whom he
and his pupil have been sojourning. Altogether
the story is complicated to a degree, calculated to
satisfy the most ardent admirer of the marvellous.
"An Octave of Poets" takes into consideration
some recent works. This criticism contains a great
deal of good sense, and demonstrates the abuse as
well as the use f the glorious gifts, which is so
often to be lamented in the versifiers of the present
day. At the same time` it in
sure, and there are merits as well as demerits set
forward in its notice. "The Darragh" is resumed
in this number—the story is an interesting one,
and the old general, in particular, claims attention
from his noble spirit and manly bearing. The
account of the attack is exciting, and detailed in
an effective manner. It is also successfully shown
how an evil influence can injure the peace and
well-doing of a little community. For the
present the zeal of the Master has warded off
the enemy, but the sinister agency at work will
soon bring about new troubles and difficulties.
" The corporal" and " Becky" are amusing
characters, naturally drawn. The piece entitled
" Kadisha, or the First Jealousy," is completed.
It is a curious enough subject, ingeniously handled.
"The Burgomaster" is an elaborate composition,
containing many descriptive scenes. It is evi-
dently not brought to a termination as yet.
" Club Talk in London" presents a lively sketch of
he "on dits" of the day. It begins by relating
an amusing anecdote of a man who spent half of
his fortune in having his dumb wife taught to
speak, when she talked so much that he offered
the other half to any one who could restore her to
silence. It is said " that the fabled lady" in her
two conditions typifies the conversational position
of London society in the months of April and
May. "In the former there was nothing to talk
about, but the latter has overflowed with subjects,
or embarras des richesses, of which tho chief are
here treated of under the designation of Pictures,
Poison, and Pyrotechnics." "The Great Fair of
Oberonoplis, and Frauds of the Fairies," is a smart
sketch, written in a dashing style, concerning the
subterfuges of society. It relates some of the prin-
cipal impostures, and is altogether an amusing
paper. Pmdiology" is another quaint composi-
tion, having for object to disseminate "a few re-
marks about the toys, of grown-up men and little
boys." " Stewart's Lectures on Political Eco-
nomy" will be attractive to the studious. It is
said that, although the leading political and social
questions of the day do not give rise to so many dis-
cussions on this subject as formerly, it must continue
to engage public attention " aslong as the complica-
tions of modern civilisation perpetually furnish such
a numberof difficult subjects of investigation, which
cannot be satisfactorily dealt with without the aid
of the ttokohins of political emiortiy," It men,