The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE

Th* Hallow Isle Tragedy. 3 vols. Chapman and

-
Hall.
This is, in many respects, a peculiar book, but it
has the advantage of novelty in the choice of its
scenes, and of presenting a variety to the ordinary
run of romances of the day. It is also very well
written, and some of the wild scenes and mysteri-
ous adventures tnat take place are narrated in a
fitting and impressive manner. The reader is
agreeably surprised in the story being, fur the most
part, unconnected with the religious discussions
and dissensions that then raged in the country.
Such topics never form a desirable subject for
stories, therefore the present one is to be com-
mended for merely touching on the topic without
tracing effects too deeply to their causes, and
descanting and dilating on the pros and cons of the
case. The character of Logan, the young minister,
is well described • he was not himself in favour of the
new movement, but he was influenced by these around
him ; and although nominally on one side of the
disputants, he really did not care which cause
triumphed. Perhaps ho was not the worse for his
indifference, as the excess to which the ardour of
zealous converts carries them is most inimical to
any advantages that might under calmer conduct
really accrue from a new system being introduced.
The story is rambling and disjointed, but it depends
more on its style than its events, more on its cha-
racters than its construction. Melethor, the master,
as he was called, is a very fine straightforward
young man, and in the conflicting chaos of discus-
sions and disturbances, social and religious, it is a
positive relief to meet with one sensible person who
is not influenced by selfish motives, or actuated by
prejudiced views, but who renders better service
to his country in the unimpassioned exercise of
his moderate abilities than others of far higher
attainments who are vehement in their actions and
misguided in their zeal. Effie, the sister of Logan,
is a very pleasing young girl, and in her simple
style and her downright conversation she forms an
amusing, contrast to her brother, who is sometimes
rather didactic in his tone and rather theoretic in
his views. Effie was essentially practical, and in-
deed carried some of her notions too far, as when
she concealed the extraordinary story of Kith, the
servant, from those whom it so immediately con-
cerned. The winding-up of the tale in the old
ruined castle before the strange Mrs. Deerness and
the contending claimants for the estato is very
exciting, and reminds one of the memorable denoue-
ments in the romances of old times. Weatherby is
an artful and yet a weak man, whose career of crime
and whose eventual misery form one of the morals
of the tale. His confederate in villainy is also well
displayed, and his awful fate at the last is indeed a
tragedy. Some of the scenes are worthy of parti•
cular notice, in especial the one in which Rollockson
is entrapped into captivity, and has to escape in a
pantomimic style. Altogether this is a very read-
able story, and the variety of persons who figure in
its pages, combined with its skilful details and
exciting events, may render it a favourite with
many ; at any rate, it possesses the merit of being
quite out of the common in its general tenor, and
of being spirited in its style.

Dublin University Magazine.
" Vonved the Dane" is continued, and the story
takes a new form in this division, it is so far nar-
rated in an impressive manner. There is a very
sensible article on a book recently published, en-
titled " Realities of Paris Life," in which the unfair
insinuations, the absurd notions, and the prejudiced
views of the author of that work are most ably ex-
posed and treated with the censure they so fully
merit. It is not that the object is to praise every-
thing French, but a parallel case is always drawn
in which the English side of the question is not
only inferior, but generally weak or wrong. In
describing the French army the author defiantly
asks, " Could any other than French soldiers have
been converted into Zouaves ?"—and again, "In
what country in ths world shall we find a regiment
like them." It is here worthily answered, "We
take liberty to doubt whether any Zouave regiment
is comparable to the 42d Highlanders, or the 88th
Connaught Rangers. Should it ever happen that
the Zouaves have again to cross bayonets with
these, or any other British regiment, we apprehend
that the precedents of Magenta or Solferino will
hardly be found to rule the issue of the grim de-
bate.' A considerable space is very properly de-
voted to refuting the unworthy charges preferred
against the army chaplains of avoiding disease and
danger while the priests, on the contrary, " seemed
to court it." It would be unfair, on the other hand,
to run down the character of the French army or
people, but the annals of history have proved that
no nation has surpassed the English in every
species of heroism, at the same time if books like
the one under discussion are written, it is only fit-
ting that they should be repudiated. One of the
outrageous statements is properly refuted when
treating of missionaries. It is said that the Catho-
lic priest toils with no hope of preferment, no
dazzling mitre beckons him ow. To this, it is ob-
served, that the " Pope, now ruling at Rome, has
it counted as one of his deserts, very properly by
his biographers, that hte served in early
life in the missions of Chili. Dazzling mitre,
indeed, what of the triple tiara !" In
the exciting discussions on the Conspiracy,
Bill, Lord Derby admirably expressed himself con-
cerning the letters of the colonels, he said he would
not believe they fairly represented the noble army
of France, for true courage never indulges in bom-
bast, so the right-judging reader will feel that such
sentiments as are professed in these pages neither
exhibit the spirit, or the temper, which actuates the
majority of the members of an ancient church, or
the people of the most polished country. This
article will be found eminently worthy of perusal
from its temperate tone and its judicious remarks.
" Artist and Craftsman," is continued. There are
some momentous seems in this instalment, and
Clara and Mark part for ever. She is devoted to
her " glorious vocation," which he denounces as
unworthy of her. This forms a better foundation
for a quarrel than lovers can often lay claim to, and
the result is that they dissolve their engagement,
and each pursues a separate line, There is an ex-
cellent article on the " Voyage of the Fox in the
Arctic Seas." Few of the occurrences of these
latter days are more fraught with the solemnity of
reality, and the interest of romance than the records
of those discoveries in the Northern Seas. Nothing
could have more effectually described their suffer-
ings than the lines written long before their expe-
dition was planned :
" On the frozen deeps repose,
'Tis a dark and dreadful hour,
When round the ship the icebergs close,
To chain her with their power."
Although unsuccessful, their courage and constancy
are:above all praise, and England will not forget that
her dead slumber in those ice-bound regions. It is
truly stated in this memoir of Captain RlSClin-
tock that some testimonial of his great exploit
should be awarded to him as a slight recognition on
the part of the Government of the service he, his
officers, and his men have rendered to humanity,
to science, and to our country. In this number
there are various other articles that afford attrac-
ion to different classes of readers.

Bentley's llitseellany.
Mr. Ainsworth is fairly in the saddle now with
his new serial story of " Oyingdean Grange," and
is off at a canter over the beautiful South Downs !
Pleasant sward it proves, moreover, to the Pegasus
bestridden by the Romancist. And the localities
traversed are manifestly as familiar to the Tale
Teller as they are undoubtedly delightful in them-
selves. By the time the narrative has been com-
pleted associations hardly less historical than
romantic will, through its agency, have come to be
indissolubly connected with almost every hill and
dale, copse and barrow, cliff and ruin in those
lovely haunts of the Sussex wayfarer. Here the
reader of Harrison Ainsworth's last romance will
be enabled to say, as he loiters among the pic-
turesque scenes brought so very vividly before the
mind's eye by the writer of " Ovingdean Grange"
—Here, at this angle of the road, Colonel Maunscl
drew rein as he came within view of the inhospitable
dwelling of old Zachary Trangman. Here, under
the shadow of these ivy-covered walls the
fair Dulcia tarried with the spaniels and the
Ostriger merlin on fist. Yonder is the corner of the
ancient churchyard in which she had her melan-
choly tryst with Increase Nlicklegift. Yonder too
is the very court in which the twain were watched
by the trusty old trooper, John Haburgeon. Again
and again, before now, Mr. Ainsworth has displayed
in a very remarkable manner his skill in investing
with a novel glamour of romantic interest the halts
and corridors, the every nook and angle, of some
stately historic edifice—Wiadsor Castle, for example,
St. James's Palace, or the Tower of London.
What he has done well, time after time, with a single
structure, he is now doing in regard to a whole
countryside. And this time too his achievement
is effected, •so to speak, single handed—
without any of the ingenious illustrative wood-
cuts of :Nix.. Delamotte—without any pictorial
aid from the graceful pencil of Tony Johannot, or
from the magical etching-needle of George Cruik-
shank. The absence from Mr. Ainsworth's p Igen
of any such familiar accompaniments only enhances
the merit of his present success. His delineations
are independent of embellishments. He carries his
readers with him in his present excursion to the
neighbourhood of Lewes, into the very midst of the
Old Priory ruins, and within the walls of the Old
Priory House, where (in the latter locality) we
make acquaintance with two entirely new cha-
racters, to wit, burly Skraw Antram, the porter,
and the master of the dwelling (already mentioned),