The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-12 00:00:00

.LITERA ft tat E.

Franzleigh Hall. A Novel.

Black-eft.

3 vols. Hurst and

There is much to attract notice in this story, al-
though it is not particularly distinguished for events
or personages. The hero Maurice is a very peculiar
character, one that gains on the interest atter a tune,
but at first sight he sems unworthy of regard.
There is something very melancholy in the life here
traced b;4'ore us. lie was misunderstood from child-
hood—his faler's harshness, his mother's absurd
forldnes, alike c.7,ntribute.d to ruin tire boy. He fancied
himself ill-used, lie despaired of doing right, and
every yems inereased th;; morl;id tenaency of his
wild and added to the fears t• at alrei:dy
distracted his weak nerves. Under
on 9 training he might have been very
different., his gentle n,ittere raigM have been
strengthened and matured ; kind feeliagn ren-
d: r:: it hint cal;al.'w i.f l c-i foistning some great and
good v,ll-1:, hot intiilvr the training referred to, his
energies be came paralysed, the weeds of his charac-
ter alone flourished, the bud that promised a fatr
tlower
goodly‘l%raisi
t‘argi t€11(-1,‘T,
aesd,btitiigehtttleso that. betokened the
is turce's early life,
to dwell
on the recital of the sad dadabs of r
snauts
titfalttolrlyis
to
oefuin d t
t wase cloudany
happier; ri
v..hich h butad so
a ti 0 lastno,o
vi
ri
shadowed him dispersed, to know that he was free'
from the chains which had held him in thraldom
through the lapse of years that should have been the
brightest and happiest of his existence. He was
enabled to prove to doubting friends, and sneering
foes, that one courage differs from another, that he
whose physical organisation makes him timid, whose
mental control will not suffice to conquer his fears,
may succeed in some endeavours, and obtain a tri-
umph when least expected. Maurice had no fears
for serf, but he was constitutionally nervous, and all
conspired to militate againsthim. lt is evident to every
one that the self-sufficient Grenville was by far the
greater coward of the two. In the excess of his
animal spirits, and the recklessness of his strength,
he assumed to himself a position that he falsely mis-
took for the evidence of merit. In the passages re-
corded of his youth he was cruel ; in the scenes
described of his manhood he was base. To take
advantage of such a nature as Maurice's—to act as he
did while the latter was a guest under his roof—was
more the conduct of a coward than any mistake com-
mitted by one whose nerves were so shattered, and
whoge temperament was so peculiar, as was the case
with hiq injured victim. Some of the female charac-
ters are delineated with skill and success. The
devoted Isabella, ever trusting in broken reeds for
her happiness, is a warning to excitable. and restless
minds. Her judgment must have been wi-tdcketl before
she saw anything to admire in her despicable brother.'
Eugenia is an engaging heroine ; full of life and
energy, she was eminently calculated to rouse Maurice
to a sense of the duties of active life, and a conviction
of the necessity for vigorous effort and complete
self-mastery. Sir Arthur is a very natural sketch
of a strong-minded man, rejoicing in bodily strength.
and mental vigour, and not at all inclined to make
allowances for those whose frames were more deli-
nate, and whose feelings were more sensitive than his
own. Nothing creates more dissension and ultimate
disunion among friends and families than this want
of mutual forbearance one with the other,
and the miseries that ensue therefrom are
most powerfully described in the pages of this
work. The timidity of the son, the fanciful-
ness of the mother, the irritation and hasti-
ness of the father, caused many a scene of strife in
the Hall of Framleigii. Eugenia is represented as a
blessed visitant in the home—attracting all hearts,
she seemed to unite them. Some of the important
parts of the story are told with spirit, and the gene-
ral impression conveyed by its perusal is a satisfac-
tory one. There is also some degree of novelty iu
the idea of such a character as Maurice, that imparts
an additional interest to the work.

The Book of Farm Implements and Mae/tines. By
J. Slight and R. Scott Burn, engineers. Edited
by H. Stephens, F.R.S.C., author of " The Book
of the Farm." Blackwood and Sons.
Those who regard farming as an old-fashioned
plodding business, which has little to do with the
march of mind and the progress of invention, will be
somewhat astonished at the sight of this valuable and
goodly volume, entirely devoted to the consideration
of farm implements and machines. It is a remark-
able sign of the diffusion of knowledge, and the ele-
vation of every pursuit into a science, that agricul-
tural labour should be treated in such a spirit.
During the interval that elapsed between the first
publication of " The Book of the Farm," the pre-
decessor of' this work, and the demand for a second
edition, great changes had taken place in the priit-
eiples of agricultural theory. The application of
chemistry to agriculture vas opening a wide
field to the anticipations of the most eager
experimentalists ; and though, the author admits,
after some experience, the results have scarcely con-
firmed the expectations formed, yet there can be no
doubt that all future systems of agriculture must be
based on a knowledge of chemicarprinciples. Owing
to this important addition to agricultural science,
some alterations were indispensable in the second
edition of " The Book of the Farm." It was judged
most expedient to omit those parts which described
the construction of agricultural machines in order to
avoid an increase of size. It was the intention of
the late Mr. Slight, the able exponent of the depart-
ment of agricultural mechanics, to have published
a minute description of every important machine
and implement in use, in a separate volume,
as a companion to " The Book of the
Farm" in its revised state. His death put a
atop to the plan, and some years have passed without
the editor having been able to supply his place. Mr.
Robert Scott Burn, a practical engineer, whose name
is well known among scientific agriculturists, has un-
dertaken the task, and completed this useful and
valuable work. Many new machines, in these days
of rapid invention, have been introduced since Mr.
Slight's time, and all these have been described with
the necessary care and precision. It is not attempted
to figure every agricultural machine in use in the
kingdom. The writers have contented themselves
with describing and delineating those really of use.
" The whole stock," it is observed in the preface,
" may be divided into two categories, namely, those
which are not now in general use, and those which
are in use. It is needless to describe machines which
have become obsolete, only those which are in use
really deserving our attention ; and even every one of
these should not be described, because some cannot be
commended, and others are inaccessible on account
of the indifference or jealousy of their inventors."
Restricting themselves, therefore, to the considera-
tion of the machines and implements tctually in use,
the authors have separated them into two great divi-
sions—those used directly for the cultivation of the
soil, and those used only in connection with its pro-
ducts. Their mechanical construction is treated of ;
their applicability to the purposes for which they
were intended and the scientific principles which regu-
late the choice of materials, are explained, and an
abstract or outline of the principles of construction
given. The clearness and method with which the
contents of the work are classified and subdivided
add greatly to its practical value. Thus the work is
divided into two books, entitled respectively
" Principles" and " Practice." These each ccntain
four divisions, those in the first book consisting of
the materials employed in construction, the princi-
ples, the practice, and Friction and Force. Those in
the second book treat of, firstly, the implements
and machines connected with the cultivation of the
soil; secondly, of implements and machines connected
with the products of the soil ; thirdly, of the moving
powers of the farm ; and, fourthly, of the arrange-
ment of machines in the steading. The illustrations
are among the most valuable portions of the work.
There are 40 engravings on steel, and upwards of
800 woodcuts. This of itself shows the care and
labour which have been bestowed upon the work,
which forms a worthy companion to Mr. Stephens'
" Book of the Farm." It is a trophylwhich the agri-
culturists of England have good cause to be proud
of, as showing the mind and invention that have
been devoted to the advancement of their art, and
the able and practical men that it may rank among
its expositors.