The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-08 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Things not Generally Known. By John Timbs,
F.S.A.-- Bogue, Fleet-street.

This is a.very entertaining and useful volume,
taking its'pflabe among the'cleverly-compiled books
which stimulate the mind of the comparatively un•
informed, and refresh the memory of those who
have learnt so much that they have, forgotten great
part of their acquirements_ It gives laconic and
clear information on five hundred various subjects
of remote curiosity and universal interest. It 'en-
deavours to explain to Mrs. John -Bull the com-
plicated items of that frightfully heavy housekeep-
ing bill of hers, the.national debt ; and it relates
to Master John Bull the full and particular ac-
count of his " horn book." It. enlightens regarding
the sun, moon, and stars of the "solar systent,
and tells us the 'origin of ;.those three ominous
,planets of the pawnbroker's system. We glean
froth it something shout the delicate " maids of
honour" which we devour at Richmond, and the
acrobatic " pancakes" which we 'permit to leap
into our mouths on Shrove Tuesday. It gives the
origin of "cant," which, in our obstinate igno-
rance, we conceive to be of much older date than
is here stated. It has something to say about the
" woolsack;" louse.,,of Lords, and might
have said Much: more had it diverged into any
telligence respecting the woolgatherers hovering
about it. It discourses of the " circulation of, the
blood" and of "bank notes"—a synonymous pro-
cess with many .of us. It mentions the " variety
of hawks":- apd:deals, with the " origin of solici
tors."

Altogether, the work is'well worth its cost, and
we would have it iy lug on every table where intel-
lectual and scientific gossip is preferred to frivolous
vapidity or taciturn dulness.

The Martins., 1-- No. XVII. By Charles Lever.
Godfrey Martin, of Cro' Martin, dies at Baden
—according to the latest instalment a this vera-
cious hidoiy-r-leaving everything in most dire
confusion. The pstate of the absentee, indeed,
appears to be on the eve of vanishing, ike fairy
gold, in the grasp of its inheritor. Captain Mar-
tin having gambled his possessions away long ago,
helter-skelter, pell-mell, higgledy-piggledy, into
the clutch of the vulgar little Jew usurer, Herman
Merl. Excellent Master Scanlan tries hard to get
some good to himself out of the ill-wind blowing
do*n the fortunes' of his some time patrons, those
said Martine, of Oro' Martin. .In vain—honest
Maurice whistles down that, wind—for " Mary" as
his wife, and for the agency 'of the " property" as
"his fee simple. .1%/lea.nwhile Kate Hendersoia seems
to evade quite -as effectually the advances of her
true lover Jack Massingbred. The last we hear of
Kate is that having escaped from the durance of
Lady Dorothea's companionship, she arrives " at
fionae," only to be insulted-by her abominable old
linux of a paterfamilias. Disgusted with her re-
ception she goes in quest of Mary Martin; and the
next number we conjecture will, show us the two
heroines of the story comfortably domiciled toge-
ther at the cottage, in readiness for the inevitable
'eclaircissement consequent on the discovery in Mr.
Barry the benevolent stranger, of Mary's long-lost
father, the eld3r brother of poor dead Godfrey,
and, as such, the rightful owner of Cro' Martin—to
the amazement of the Captain, to the dismay of
Lady Dorothea, and to the signal discomfiture of
Messrs. Merl and Scanlan .

The New Quarterly Review and Digest of Curren

Literature.

Bosworth and Harrison.

The Netvl2 actrterly has now reached its eighteenth
number, and seems rapidly making its way,
not only as a cheap, but, also, a high class, organ
of opinion on. critical matters. As usual a useful
"Retrospect' of the
.Literature of the Quarter"
leads the way. This- is followed_ by a dip into
History and Biography. " The Confidential Cor-
respondence of Napoleon Buonaparte with his bro-
ther Joseph," and ." A Narrative of the Siege of
Xtrs," forming the subjects of able articles under
the former head, and " Recollections of the Table
Talk of Samuel frOgers," of a pretty stringent and
amusing one, undpr the latter. Books of travel
and of science, in fair proportion, pass also under
'review, "A Personal Narrative of a Pil-
grimage to El Madinah and Mecca," a work which
furnishes matter for amusing and instructive com-
ment. Poetry and works of fiction have their
turn, as also statistics in relation to " The Military
Forces and Finances of Russia, Austria, Prussia,
France, and England," a subject of stern reality,
,ably handled in an original article by that distin-
guished statist and financier, John Macgregor,
Esq., M.P. The signing of a treaty—the estab-
lishment is another matter—of Peace does not de
prive this article of a powerful interest, and its
perusal may; therefore be safely recommended.
Articles on subjects of a " Miscellaneous" nature
include " PoptilarMusic of the Olden Time," and
." Passages selected from the Writings of Thomas
Carlyle," both entertaining and instructive.
A review of the French and. German literature of
the quarter makes up the contents of the April
number of this very promising Quarterly.

The Eclectic Review.--L-The 'more prominent fea-
tures of the April issue of this high-class periodical
are a comprehensive review of " The Life and Times
of Salvator Rosa," an able article on " Bible Truth
and its Opponents," and a very interesting notice
of "Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Dr.
Wardlaw," by Dr. Alexander, who appears tohave
executed his task with much ability and success.
The reviewer not unhappily describes Dr. Wardlaw
as "of middle height, and vigorous and active
frame—the forehead -high, though not very troal,
the featureS -regular; eyebrows bushy, lips sweet
but firm, and the general expression dignity and
seriousness combined with cheerfulness and bone
volence. His intellect excelled rather in analysis
than in finding matter to be analysed, was capable
of prompt, vigorous, and long action, aid was ever
controlled and kept diligently at work by a will
swayed by, conscience. . . . He possessed a
naturally elegailt and cultivated taste. Dugald
Stewart was his philosopher, Cowper his poet.
He occasionally wrote poetry . . . sometimes
satirical, never with malice, and always on the
right side. He was ready at repartee." A review
of " Ferguson's Handbook of Architecture" may
.also be mentioned.' Altogether the present is a
good, if not beyond an average, number of this
well-known Organ of the Congregational body.

Sporting Intelligence.

TATTERSALL'S-YESTERDNY.

The Steeplechase meeting at Birmingham had drawn
only a few of,the re;ularB" frop the Corner. The
room was welfittended, and in smne instancos business
was carried on with much spirit.