The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-20 00:00:00

THE SUN, 'LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 20, 1569.

11E7 ROPOLITAN GO,SIP-7 hursday

Returning to town, after a ramble in the westernmost
district of England, extending to that English Ultima
Thule, the Scilly Islands, I find London, of course, " very
empty." Still, it is a good deal fuller than the country,
as the old Duke of Queensbury used to say when he was
rallied by a fellow-fogie upon being found in Pall-Mall
during the latter half of August. True, the West-end is in
costume of brown holland and old newspapers. True, the
squares are dull and the trees are diligy ; but if you really
cannot exist without sight of the human face divine, I
think you will see a good deal more of it between Charing-
cross and the Bank than in the most fashionable and
crowded watering-place in this or any other land. And,
after all, there are some advantages derived from being in
town when the rest of the great world is away. No fear
of morning callers coming to spend five minutes in
asking questions which they do not care to have answered,
or telling news which you do not care tohear. No chance
of a cosy evening over a pleasant book being spoilt by
having to dress for an eight o'clock dinner. And this
year we are having delightful weather. There is none of
that intolerable, withering heat which we sometimes get
in August, but a clear, cool, bracing atmosphere, with
sun enough to be bright without being oppressive. One
might do worse than spend August in London.
Mr. Disraeli is spending it in the Midlands, He has
been the guest of the Earl of Shrewsbury, at Alton
Towers, that stateliest of "the stately homes of England."
He is now the guest of the Earl of Bradford, who was a
subordinate member of the last Conservative Adminis-
tration. Yesterday the ex-Premier paid a visit to the
small-arms manufactory at Birmingham. Mr. Gladstone is
at Walmer. Both statesmen are wisely keeping quiet.
For the present, at all events, silence is golden. This is
so especially with Mr. Disraeli, whose policy is just
now to wait and watch, hoping that next year's land bill
will lead to the disruption of a Ministry which contains
some large landowners on the one hand, and Mr. Bright
on the other. Already the Conservative papers are
prophesying a divided House, with the usual result. But
as they were very confident that " the division of the
spoils" of the Irish Church would have the same con-
sequences, it is possible that their prophetic thought has
for father a very ardent wish.
Few persons, I fancy, are aware what a thorough
man of business Mr. Gladstone is. An instance of his
precision has lately come under my notice. An application
was made by the friends of a clergyman forhis presentation
to a Crown living. The application was backed by testi-
monials of a very high class. The living was given to
another gentleman, but shortly afterwards a second living
became vacant and was offered to the clergyman first
referred to. On the day that the letter containing the
offer was received, a telegram was sent by Mr. Gladstone
stating that he had omitted to mention that there was no
parsonage house. When the testimonials were returned
they were found to be marked and noted in such a way
as to spew that they had been thoroughly well studied,
and that the Premier bad taken the utmost palns to ascer-
tain the qualifications of the gentleman to whom he was
offering preferment.

The Bishop of Winchester's son writes to the Standard
that his father does intend to resign his see, and has
already communicated with the Archbishop of Canter-
bury on the subject. The Bishop will get nearly as
much on resigning as his successor will have,
this see having been one of the old fat prizes
of the Church, to be reduced when next it
became vacant. Bishop Sumner has held it for forty-two
years, and must have received considerably over half a
million sterling. It is rumoured that the Bishop of
Oxford will be translated to Winchester, and perhaps
Dean Stanley may go to Oxford.
There has been for some time past a friendly feud
between two rival deans. The subject of their difference
is a very old one, of 400 years' standing in fact. The
question at issue is where was Henry VI. buried? Dean
Stanley affirms in Westminster Abbey. Dean Wellesley
asserts in St. George's, Windsor. When these two
dignitaries meet, the one laughingly challenges the other
to a contest, " We have Henry VI. at the Abbey," says
the one dean, " No ; we have him in the chapel," says the
other. They have not yet come to blows, and I do not
think they are likely to do so.
Archbishop Manning is going to preach next Sunday at
High Mass, in the new pro-cathedral, Kensington, on
the Divine Authority of Holy Scripture. I need scarcely
say that this prelate has as little sympathy with the
views of the Essayists and of Bishop Colenso as has Dean
Boyd himself, who, I see, has taken upon himself to forbid
the pulpit of Exeter Cathedral to that eminent defender of
Christianity, Mr. Liddon. Speaking of the last-named
gentleman, let me advise your readers to refer to his most
interesting sketch of his old friend the late Bishop of
Salisbury, which is now being published from week to
week in the Guardian.

The two chief newspaper topics just now are Dr. Cum-
ming's letter to the Pope and Mr. Boucicault's "Formosa."
The Doctor has for some time past been falling into
discredit as a prophet or interpreter of prophecy. His
predictions and explanations have been so frequently and
ludicrously falsified, his attempts to escape from unten-
able positions have bean so laughably awkward, that it
was high time Le took up a new line if he would keep
himself before the public, and Crown-court Chapel full.
From this point of view his proposal to appear at Pone
as the representative of Protestant Christendom is en
admirable suggestion, and so long as the silly season per-
mits the Times to give the beekeeper a column a day so
long is he likely to get his seats let. In like manner, so
long as the London journals continue to insert long
letters about Mr. Boncics.ult's new drama, so long will the
boxes in Drury-lane Theatre be taken. The chapel
on the Sunday, and the theatre on the opposite
side of the street every week-day will feel the
benefit of the controversies wherewith the public are
now being entertained. I have not seen " Formosa," but
presuming it to be as bad as the very able writer in
to-day's Times describes it to be, it does not seem worse
than Offenbach's plays at the St. James's, which were
thronged night after night by all the rank and fashion of
London, from royalty downwards. The persons who
have most reason to find fault with Mr.
Boucicault are Oxonians. These may well feel
indignant at the dramatist's representation of them. It
is a pity that he could not have been one of them. Had
he ever pulled in a " torpid " on the Isis, he would have
known that the Oxford boating-man and the Oxford cad
are two very different persons. They cannot help being
so. The man who drinks and spends his strength in de-
bauchery would be incapable of pulling in a college race,
much more in a University match.
Mr. Longfellow, the papers say, is now staying at Glas-
gow. He had an awkward misadventure on his return to
England from the Continent. He had keen travelling
about with a party which numbered sixteen persons, and
included several ladies. When the party arrived at the
London terminus there was not visible one of all
their boxes. Your readers may fancy the general
consternation of the tourists ; they may picture
the still more poignant grief of the ladies who had
just come from Paris, and who were, therefore, more
largely provided with trunks and portmanteaus and won-
derful packages of various shapes even than ladies usually
are. There they were without even a comb or a tooth-
brush ; and the worst of it was that, though the telegraph
was set to work, it could give them no information. One
would have thought that the luggage of sixteen persons
could not possibly have passed out of sight. Yet neither
at Paris nor at any of the subsequent stations could the
impedimenta be heard of. At last, after an interval of a
day or two, they were found quietly travelling through
Belgium eastwards.
One of the attractions in the London shop-windows just
now is a collection of plate in Messrs. Elkington's shop,
Waterloo-place. It consists of a silver vase, goblet, and
other articles, which were taken from Magdala by the
army under Sir R. Napier. They have been awarded to
one of the Bombay native regiments.

My literary budget refers chiefly to newspapers. As
regards books, authors, like artists, declare this to have
been the worst season they have ever known. The circu-
lation of the Globe has increased very largely
since the paper has been improved in its con-
tents and reduced in price. There is much talk
of a thorough reorganisation of the Athencemn, under the
management of Sir C. Dilke, and it must be confessed
that there is room for improvement. The writers have
belonged too much to one sect, and have used their posi-
tion to eulogise each other's books. Opposition is
threatened by the great monarch of Albermarle-street,
and if Mr. Murray does carry out his intention of issuing
a literary paper, he will no doubt do it well. There is
an obvious disadvantage, so far as the public are con-
cerned, in a close connection between a critical journal
and a publishing firm. But the connection is
likely to be beneficial to the publisher, inasmuch as it will
encourage authors to arrange with a gentleman who has
important facilities for helping the sale of the books he
Clings out. In fact, I know of one magazine of high
standing which is carried on at a loss by an emi-
nent publishing firm, solely for the clientele it
secures them. Once a Week is sold, and Mr. Dallas will not
longer edit it. The Round Table, an admirable American
newspaper, of the Satunlay Review class, has, in spite of
its excellent qualities, had so little success that it has been
merged in a very inferior paper, full of sensational tales,
filched from English sources. Echoe3 is still published,
notwithstanding the heavy damages just awarded in an
action for libel. A new paper, the Period, is announced
to appear on September 1. It is proposed to be
illustrated. Its price is to be ?,d„ and its literary
value may be estimated from the fact that the
prospectus announcing its appearance and contents
contains 131 words, all beginning with Ole letter P. To

read this sort of stuff every week would qualify for Han
well. Finally, as regards. newspapers, Mr. Bigelow has
been appointed editor of the New York Times.

Among the books of the approaching autumn, there
will be, in addition to those which I mentioned in former
letters, two biographies of great interest. The one is a
life of Mrs. Austen, the novelist, written by her nephew,
the Rev. J. Austen Leigh, vicar of Beay, the other is a
memorial of Miss Mitford by the Rev. G. L'Estrange and
the Rev.W. Harness.—Lord Broughton has left his papers
to the British Aluseum, with strict injunctions that they
are not to be opened until 1900.—Canon Bright bas just
been making an ecclesiological tour in Normandy and Brit-
tany, and is writing an account of it for the Monthly
Packet, which is edited by his friend, Miss Yonge,
the novelist.—A penny edition of " Hymns Ancient and
Modern" has been published.—A complete edition of
the works of Charles Sumner is being prepared at Boston
and will consist of ten volumes, prefixed by a biographical
sketch."—Mr. Howells, the author of " Venetian Life,"
and " Italian Journeys," will bring out a new work in the
Autumn.—Mrs. Beecher Stowe and Miss Catherine
Beecher have brought out a household guide, entitled
" The American Woman's Home, or, Principles of
Domestic :Science." -- A new autobiography of
Barnum is promised. But the book which of all
others is sure to be read is a narrative by Mr. Masten-Ilan
(the late chief of President Lopez's medical staff), of his
seven years' service in Paraguay. If Mr. Masterman's
account he true, Lopez must be a worse tyrant than Theo-
dore of Abyssinia. The Englishmen were for two years
in almost daily expectation of torture and execution.
The writer of a letter in yesterday's Times, beaded " A
Voice from Cheyne Walk," and signed "D. M.," is
Daniel Maclise, the artist and Royal Academician. Mr.
Dickens is the author of the article on Fechter's acting in
the August number of the Atlantic Montlil
The Norwich Festival opens on the 31st, and its pro-
gramme will include Rossini's " Messe Solennelle," Men-
delssohn's " Hymn of Praise," Handel's " Acis and
Galatea " and " Messiah," Spohr's " Fall of Babylon,"
and a portion of an unpublished cantata, " Hezekiah," by
a local composer named Pierson. The Worcester Festival
follows shortly afterwards, and its one novelty will be
Mr. Sullivan's "Prodigal Son." _ _ _

A monster concert at the Crystal Palace' is talked of.
There will be a series of concerts at Exeter Hall in
October, under the direction of Mr.'Henry Leslie, and at
which Nilsson, and Trebelli•Bettini will sing. Joachim
having been appointed to the new Berlin Conse7vatoire,
will play for only one week at the Monday popular
concerts.

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

exchequer. Thefbelieve that these changes "MUM
render the voluntary system complete end efficient,
and would prepare the way for compulsory educa-
tion. This scheme is in opposition to the views of
the National Education League, whereof Mr. Dixon,
M.P., is the president. He holds, we believe, that
voluntary schools and compulsory attendance are
incompatible.