The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-24 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, June 23.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Higlh•
ness Princesse Louise, drove out yesterday after-
noon.

Her Majesty went out in the grounds this morn-
ing with the Royal Family.

LITERATURE.

Iza's Story. By Grace Ramsay, Author of "-'‘
Woman's Trials." Three Volumes. Hurst and

Blackett.

This story is a powerful romance, thrilling With
interest from beginning to end, a book that will
fascinate all lovers of a stirring tale, while it will
be read with graver interest by those who syroPe"
thise with the cause Grace Ramsay so ably defends.
.
Unhappily, the latter audience is likely to be a very I
limited one. No one at all conversant with the
political barometer will attempt to deny that of all
European nationalities Poland is the one that now
commands the smallest share of sympathy in Eng-
land. indeed it may be no exaggeration to sal
that as a cause it has ceased to exist altogether 10
the minds of practical men in this country. " Uncle
Tom's Cabin" is believed to have hit the first death"
blow at slavery in America, but, without drawing
any comparrison between two books so essentially
different, Miss Ramsay's has this eminent disad"
vantage, that while her predecessor's hammer fell
on hot metal, her's falls not on cold metal, but 00
no metal. She seems aware of the fact, and de-
nounces it as base ingratitude on the part of Europe
—of France especially. There is often great force
of truth in her arguments ; but the author, carried
away by her own enthusiasm, sometimes ventures
on language unwarrantably bold even in a novel'
all the more so as " Iza's Story" is furnished with
authentic facts in foot-notes, that give a colour of
reality to the whole, which should have made the
author proportionately measured in her accusatiooS•
There is a courtesy due to nations as well as jail'
victuals, which the gifted author has overlooked.
This may pass in a work of fiction ; novelists,
like M.P.'s, are privileged to say bitter things
in Parliamentary language ; but there is such
a thing as abusing a privilege. In the author'
eloquent denunciations of Muscovite cruelty we
heartily concur. Russia, with 6' her genius
.fur
intrigue carried to inspiration," is not able to li!de
her brutal treatment of a brave, conquered nation
from the eyes of Europe ; but Europe finds the
sight so unpleasant that she prefers shutting ne
eyes to it, and will certainly not thank any one Who
tears back the curtain and forces her to face
the ghastly picture. Besides, there can be
no possible good in ringing the fire-bell
when the house is burnt ; the neighbotlire
who were too lazy or too cowardly to hasten to O
rescue, when their presence might have quenched
e
the fire, don't want to be dragged up to coaienie
plate the work of their own inaction in the 8 OP_
of a smoking ruin underlaid with corpses. Never
theless we recognise in " Iz r's Story" a noble effort
in a noble cause —the cause of a brave, do3lnej
people fighting to the death against barbarous
oppression, and as such it is most fittingly
dedi-
cated to--

CHARLES, COUNT DE MONTALEMBERT,
• THE LARGE-HEARTED CHRISTIAN,

THB STAINLESS GENTLEMAN,
THE CHAMP lON OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE,
THE BRAVE DEFENDER OF THE OPPRESSED/
I,
THE MAN WHO LOVES MANKIND AND WHOM AL

MANKIND HONOURS."
Indeed the book may be said to be a passionate
protest against that golden calf of ow canturft
material success, the triumph of might over right'
Of the tale itself we shall say little, leaving
r
our readers the pleasure of finding it out fee
themselves. The scenes from Polish life er
charmingly picturesque, and evidently drawn by 011 e
who has seen what she paints. The characters are
well sustained, some standing out from the cativo.°
with life-like reality. Prince Kasiiner is a Per;
trait of the Polish grand seigneur, the ori,ginal
which we may fancy we recognise in a noble eh°
who was not many years ago looked up tO 116 11
exiled king by the remnant of an exiled Pe°Pei
Stanislas is a fine conception of the patriot all
the gentleman. Miss Ramsay is decidedly in lo
,
with her own hero, and has fully justified 113
heroic self-devotion to her lover. But with all if
spect to the young man's perfections, we incline tvo
Borynoski's opinion that " he is a noble mad:nan',
Borynoski, the panslavist, is admirably aketebT/is
and we regret to have seen so little of bin.
interview in the prison with Stanislas is vigorously
characteristic of the two men :
" The West is paralysed. Let her rot in her paralYsis!ii
he exclaimed with fierce vindictiveness. "B-11'",,d:ftille
resuscitate in spite of it, the white eagle will rise 1,14-` t,
phoenix from its ashes. Russia, from being our tyr6ha
become our saviour —the ladder by which $3/13 ,
climb out of our tomb. Bat we must trust e." • • .
" There wash long pause before Stauislahsr anew,'"/
u reckon without your host, Gon_•ral.' " 11 re
I know my host butter than you do,
i 0„
turned Borynoski, meeting the young man's ebeelc)A
patiently. "Lot Poland trust her once for all ill
earnest. Let us rest our lever on her magnanimity co;
fooratio
" The lever is too heavily weighted for the
it would fall through," argued Stainslas, with ex hatis
sarcasm. A d
" Where do you see a stronger one deraaaue
Governor. oeo it

"I see it higher up than Russia or the Wrest. I
in the divine vitality of a nation that all human
have been powerless to annihilate. I see it in the "-'t
growth of Russia, that you hold out. as a terror to Ile ;:o
is the growth of disease; she is falling to piecas of
growth of her own corruption. I see it in the strengt to
my country's trust in God; His word is pledge ed 001' j
belie it; while Poland trusts in Him she may :t•
and crucified, and buried, but the day of her restirre;hl:o
will come. Heaven and earth shall pass away rather 7404
God's word shall pass away. In to Domine sperar'''

confundar in zternum I"
the irons strike. It sounded like an au
He lifted his arms with a sudden, passionate gesture
made"
Amen !" to the burst of patriotism and Christian faltli
"Sublime fallacy!" muttered Borynoski, almost forge'
ting that Stanislas heard him. . . Ile noticed the
wounds made by the chains on the prisoner's.
summoned the gaoler to snap them asunder. 11111;Afe
rattling to the ground. Borynoski went up and 11"-,(40
hand on the young man's shoulder—" You are
have chains that I can't relieve you of once they alasci.r,
may keep them off if you help me." . . Stanis Pr-;
fosses his willingness to help him, and the goVertt
proceeds to argue on the folly of grappling willa the
Russia, pointing derisively to the strong bars of tha
souer's cell and the massive irons at his feet ; but StAPir,.
lie coati_
las is inaccessible either to fear or to reason.
age is invulnerable as a flame." Borynoski tries anoth
way. " You have a mother, I believe ?" " Yes'
wife." wrists, anal,
" ! thought Borynoski, noticing the quivering
‘1,113.1
and the whiter shadow that fell upon the pale face' 114
have a way now." "Go back to her," he said, utakiugdoilig
voice soft with persuasive authority; "go back to Pc
a wiser man than you left it."

" Stanislo.s made no answer. He had let his head• "r"nop
.0-",:
and listened, or ceased to listen, while the Governor,
last effort, aded." nio
The picture of Siberian exile is dangerously stiWi
and has au accent of authenticity about it that 1104
probably be challenged by more competent jacite.
than Miss Ramsay's readers can pretend to
s,
The whole story is full of power and pathos, 'lO,
,01
playing at times a masculine vigour, startling from
a woman's pen. Yet Grace Ramsay never ce3'of
to be a woman in the highest and purest seosetier
the word, refined and tender in every thought. `„0
style is sustained and graceful, and perfectly
fry
from the novelist clap-trap with which youug
lade
have been so prolific in these days of novel fever.

---
The screw steamship Revenge, 73, Capt. Thaixi':
,r
Cochrane, from Malta, with the officers and
of the Caledonia, and invalids, arrived at ru-
mouth Sound yesterday morning.
DuNvILLE and Co., Belfast, are the lsrgeal
holders of Whisky in the world. Their Old Irish Whisky to
commended by the medical profession in preference to Freon.
Brandy. Supplied in casks and cases for home use or exP;
Lion Quotations on application to Messrs. Dunvllle and "ci.
Belfast; or 4, Beaufort-buildings, Strand, London, IV,C*
vet Ligament.]