The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-26 00:00:00

20.11
100

LITERATURE.

, Fire Years of R. By Alfred Austin. 2 vols.
Hope.
These volumes will afford amusement in their
perusal. There is a great variety met with in
their contents, and the different incidents recorded
display a considerable knowledge of life. Edgar
Huntingdon, the hero, is an excellent character ;
firm and self-reliant in difficulties, but ever ready
to sympathise with others, and eager to render
assistance to the unfortunate. He presents a
striking contrast to his friend Cooper, who is weak
and vacillating, and who sinks under trouble in-
stead of rousing his energies to meet it. His fate
is a most melancholy one. Some of the scenes are
very cleverly sketched ; as, for instance, the one
where Bingham leads in Miss Fairfort to denounce
Edgar, and in turn is discomfited himself. The
very evidence he was going to bring against his
enemy furnished overwhelming proofs of his own
guilt. Annette Fairfort is a pleasing portrait.
She does not appear much, but what is seen of her
exhibits firmness and prudence that is not often to
be found in girls brought up and influenced as she
was. Lord Fairfort is ably described as an imper-
sonation of family pride carried to an absurd
degree. There are passages of considerable inte-
rest met with in the records of the adventures
of some persons introduced in the story, to whom
Edgar Huntingdon was of signal service. With-
out possessing any striking merits, this novel may
rank above the common, and the high principles
advocated in its pages render it deserving of
regard.

The Secret of a Lffe. By M. M. Bell, author of
" Deeds not Words," &c. Routledge.
There is a great amount of ability apparent in
this work ; and, although some parts of the story
can certainly be called extravagant, there is a
degree of fascination in its description that carries
the reader irresistibly along to the conclusion. The
heroine, Ellen Egerton, is a charming character.
Had she been fortunate in her family and friends,
had she been better influenced, she might have at-
tained to an exalted standard of excellence. In her
disposition there were the germs of pure and noble
qualities. She was remarkably unfortunate in the
circumstances that attended her return to her
father's house, after an absence of many years.
Her father was a very peculiar man, not at all cal-
culated to be of service to her ; her stepmother was
kind to her, but she was a very vain, foolish woman,
intent on forwarding the pet schemes she delighted
in concocting. Reginald Stanhope, the hero, is not
at all an estimable character. He was weak, un-
stable, and irresolute. For the sake of expediency,
and to avoid the occurrence of awkward events, he
submitted to the most flagrant injustice that could
have been devised. One cannot fail to feel regret
at the cruel sufferings that the gentle Ellen under-
went; but the same sympathy cannot extend to
Stanhope, for he made no effort to free himself
from the snares into which malice had entrapped
him. No man of spirit, or of a right sense of honour,
would have tamely submitted to such an outrage.
The only paint in which Ellen erred was in con-
senting to the hasty marriage with Reginald
Stanhope. She acted against her conscience in
agreeing, and the regret that awaits such actions
was indeed swift in overtaking her with its aveng-
ing footsteps. The authoress has displayed con-
siderable insight into the passions and prejudices
of mankind ; and in recording some of those scenes
of anguish which call forth the deepest and strongest
feelings of human nature, she may be said to be
very successful.

Heraldry in History, Poetry, and Romance. By
Ellen J. Millington. Chapman and Hall.

This is a somewhat novel field for a lady to enter
upon ; but the authoress has acquitted herself with
credit. It is not everyone who cares to devote
much time to the study of heraldry, and there are
fewer still, we suspect, who would elevate it to the
lofty position claimed for it by its present chroni-
cler, but the authoress has contrived to mingle quo-
tation, reference, and anecdote in such pleasant
variety that many might find entertainment in
turning over her pages. The accounts of the diffe-
rent ceremonies of installation, the historical re-
cords of the orders, the circumstances of their in-
stitution, and the many allusions to old songs or
legends are full of interest. Sir Walter Scott's
readers will, as Miss Millington observes, be better
able to appreciate the influence of heraldry in the
middle ages than others. In Quentin Durward,
Rouge-Sanglier, and his associates, occupy a pro-
minent position, and the description of " Sir David
Lindesay, of the Mount, Lord Lyon King-at-Arms,"
in Marmion, is so appropriate to the present volume,
that the passage is quoted at length. The following
extract from the preface sets forth the claims of
heraldry for useful purposes :—" Heraldry was
originally, and it ought again to be, identified with
deeds great, because good, and with distinctions
going before to judgment' as heralds, and ' mani-
fest before hand' as preludes of the final victory
and the eternal reward. Still, while recognising,
in the first place, the high religious and moral sig•
nificance of heraldry, it must not be forgotten,—
and this, in our practical age, will perhaps be one
of its surest claims to respect,--teat, viewed in
connection with history, it is of infinite value
and importance, and; has been found use-
ful in elucidating points of law, and
deciding genealogical questions, while, as an emi-
nent American writer has observed, coats-of-arms
and mottos often illustrate, and even afford a clue
to national character." The author has evidently
bestowed much time and labour on the compilation
of her work, and if so obsolete a science seems
scarcely worth the trouble at the present day, it
will be undoubtedly a useful guide to antiquarians,
and all who wish to prosecute inquiries among the
genealogical or traditionary legends of the middle
ages.

Photographic Portraits of Living Celebrities. Maull

and Polyblank.
We have before had occasion to notice this ad-
mirable series of photographs, which include many
of the most eminent names of the present day. The
skilful arrangement of light and shade throws out
the figure with unusual distinctness, and though,
of course, they are more or less successful, they
generally give the impression of being correct like-
nesses. Among those recently published are Mr.
Gladstone, Sterndale Bennett, Dr. Livingstone,
and Daniel Maelise. One of the recommendations
of this gallery of portraits is its comprehensiveness.
It includes men distinguished in every grade of life,
men of science, mechanicians, authors, musicians,
painters, soldiers, lawyers, statesmen, actors, re-
formers; and if it proceeds with the same ability
and success it will be the best national portrait
gallery ever offered to the public.

Quicksands. A Tale, by Anna Lisle, author of
" Self and Self-Sacrifice," &c. Groombridge.
Miss Lisle has already won the approbation of
the public by some pleasing domestic stories, and
the present work shows considerable promise. She
will doubtless become one of those skilful delinea-
tors of home scenes and characters whose pictures
are often more welcome than a startling tragedy or
mournful romance. The plot is novel, and, if not
very probable, displays considerable ingenuity.
The characters are also well drawn and strongly
marked. Helen Grey, the heroine, is by no means
a faultless piece of perfection ; indeed she is rather
in the other extreme. She has many good quali-
ties, but her mother's influence over her is most
pernicious. One of her most dangerous failings,
which has been carefully encouraged by Mrs. Grey,
is an excessive love for finery and show of every
kind. Mrs. Grey and Helen are constantly endea-
vouring to keep up an appearance quite inconsis-
tent with their position. Great is Mrs. Grey's
satisfaction when Helen is engaged to John Howard,
the only son of a wealthy lady in the neighbour-
hood, and the brother of Helen's early playfellow.
Mrs. Howard is a very superior woman, and has
endeavoured to counteract the evil effects of Helen's
education. Unhappily, an old friend of Mrs. Grey's
appears on the scene, and insists on the mother and
daughter paying her a visit at her country house.
Helen agrees reluctantly. The month's visit
lengthens into two, and by the time she returns
she has deserted John Howard, and engaged her-
self to Mrs. Huntingdon's son, Arthur. Mrs. Hunt-
ingdon, for reasons of her own, has forwarded the
marriage in every possible way, aided by Mrs.
Grey, whose bead is turned by the grandeur of the
establishment. After her marriage, however,
Helen discovers that all is not gold that glitters,
and a few years mournful experience convince her
that her husband is a madman. The reasons that
influenced Mrs. Huntingdon, and the subsequent
fate of Helen, we will leave the reader to ascertain.
The plot is well calculated to display the different
characters. The way in which Helen's jealousy
and love of display are made such a temptation to
her is very ingenious. John Howard engages much
of the reader's interest, though hg, is occasionally
unreasonable. The unfortunate 31r. Huntingdon
is ably drawn, and there are many minor characters
introduced. One of the most successful of these is
Marty, the rustic servant. The high anoral tone of
the book is much to be commended, but we would
suggest to the authoress a little more care in intro-
ducing sacred subjects. Anything that looks like
"preaching" immediately fails of its effect, and
Helen's career would teach its own lesson with
very little addition. An occasional abruptness- in
the style, too, might be softened with advantage ;
but we have no doubt that, with time and pi a-:tice,
the authoress will take a high rank among domestic
novel writers;