The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-25 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Master of the Hounds. By. Scrutator, author
of " The Squire of Beechwood." 3 vols. Hurst
and Blackett.

This is a very entertaining work, full of spirit,
life, and energy. We meet with many scenes that
are not often introduced into the pages of a novel ;
but these, far from detracting from its merit, only
add an additional zest to its style. There are several
persons met with in the course of the story, and
they are, for the most part, admirably portrayed.,
The hero, Will Beauchamp, is a fine manly cha-
racter—rather too stern and unbending, perhaps,
to suit the taste of the generality, but he had not
had much general . intercourse with the world.
His acuaintances, though numerous, were all of
one class, and he was, therefore, too apt to consider
particular prejudices rather thangen eral impressions.
However, a really noble nature must always possess
an immense influence ; ' and when time and expe-
rience had softened the harshness and subdued the
hauteur of his manner, there could be no doubt
that, as the Master of the Hounds, all the neigh-
bourhood, both rich and poor, would possess an
invaluable friend in Beauchamp. His father, the
old squire, was not so clever as his son, but his kind
heart and great benevolence of disposition, united
with his hospitable habits, rendered him a general
favourite: he was a fit representative of an old
English gentleman. Lord Malcolm, the cousin of
Blanche Douglas, the heroine, is also an agreeable
portrait, although he is too hasty, and too much
addicted to pleasantry and ridicule, which habit,
although proceeding from mere love of fun, often
occasions great confusion among those who are not
always inclined to be made game of. The ladies
of the story are rendered very ably in their several
styles. Blanche Douglas is a sweet, gentle girl,
unfitted by her life of seclusion tcreope successfully
with the world. In this point her guardians com-
mitted an error. If she was intended to shine
in the dangeroUs sphere of fashionable life she
should have been better prepared for the 'ordeal ;
or if she was only educated for retirement, she
should have been left in its serene enjoyment. She
did not enjoy any of the glittering scenes into
which she was forced, and the great admiration
she excited only increased her annoyance. There
were several misunderstandings between her and
Will Beauchamp, on account of his jealous temper,
and her ignorance of sonic of the customs of the
new life she had entered upon. The most exciting
passage of the story is that of the escape of Miss
Douglas from the snares of Lord Vaucourt. She
was rescued from imminent peril to her future hap-
piness by the courage, dexterity, and devotion of
Will Beauchamp. The subsequent confusion that
ensued on all sides, from the unlooked-for discovery
of the daring outrage, forms an admirable opportu-
nity for the author to display his powers of narra-
tion and description. Many of the difficulties and
dangers that beset Blanche could never have be-
fallen one endued with more self-possession and
courage. Constance Beauchamp, for example, was
endowed with too much spirit to submit to such
treatment. It is, however, notorious that the most
deserving inthemselves may not be successful in life,
'merely fot want of resolution. To many, Blanche
Douglas will doubtless seem more interesting from
her very helplessness to defend herself. Mr. and
Mrs. Harcourt are very good specimens of two
manoeuvring, selfish persons, who were intent solely
on their own interest, and making their unfortu-
nate wards sacrifice to their desire of worldly gain,
in the shape of wealth, rank, or influence. It was
fortunate for the persecuted heroine that she pos-
sessed another guardian in Mrs. Gordon, who was
every way suited to perform the difficult task that
had devolved upon her. In her Blanche ever found
an adviser in trouble and a friend in distress. The
change of scene from the rural sports to the town
recreations imparts additional brilliancy to the
narrative, and, often as such gaieties have been
chronicled in novels, there seems something that
engages attention in the present accounts of the
country friends in London. Their sojourn there
was neither long nor pleasant, and they returned to
their native place in no way impressed with the
grandeur or greatness of the metropolis. The
Marquis of Ayrshire presents an instance of a selfish
man led on from one step to another to retrieve his
lost ground, till he at last finds himself placed in a
most unenviable position. The dexterous manner
in which Lord Henry Bayntum discovers the plot
formed against Miss Douglas at the conclusion is
most ingenious, and is another of the many stirring
scenes and striking passages which render this
work unusually attractive. " Bob Conyers" is a
sketch that is life-like--there is something real in
his enthusiasm for his cherished sports, his scorn
of meanness and trickery, and his zeal in defend-
ing the cause of his friends. Selina Markham is
rather a caricature—in some degree she redeems
her recklessness of manner by her truthfulness and
readiness to assist the oppressed. Her brother
conceals under a frivolous exterior much that is
sterling and excellent. Among the numerous
members of the circle who assembled at Bampton
House there is room for the display of the ruling
passions that influence and excite men in all the
several grades of society. There will be found
amusement of varied kinds in this work, and the
reader is not likely soon to forget its sparkling
sketches, lively anecdotes, and brilliant style.
Without laying claim to belong to the higher
range of fictions, this novel is eminently successful
in its peculiar vocation. It is therefore likely to
prove an agreeable addition to the general reader,
both from its spirited delineations sand the free-
dom and freshness that mark its tone.

Post-office _Directory of Cambridge, Norfolk, and
Suffolk. Kelly and Co.
We are glad to see the public approval of these
valuable works of reference so decidedly expressed
by the delhand for a third edition of the Directory
of the Eastern Counties. The proprietors, in ex-
pressing their thanks to the gentlemen who have
given them assistance and information, tell us that
every town and village has been actually visited by
the collectors previous to the publication of this
third edition. The residents in the metropolis, who .
are accustomed to the constant use of the London
Directory, will readily appreciate the immense, ad-
vantage which the introduction of such a volume
affords to the inhabitants of the country. They
obtain, in addition to the practical information ,
given, many interesting details of the ad-
vance and progress of the towns.. For instance,
Lowestoft, on the Norfolk coast, which a few years
since was merely a dull 'fishing town, has now a
harbour, a public library, assembly-rooms, a me-
chanics' institute, and is rapidly rising into a cheer-
ful watering-place, as well as a thriving place of
business. It will be still further bene-
fited by the East Suffolk Railway, which
will connect it with the Eastern Counties line at
Ipswich, and form a much nearer route to London
than the tedious journey by -Norwich. All such
particulars are given about every. locality men-
tioned, and the Directory consequently possesses
some of the features of a guide book. It is a re-
markable proof of the wonders achieved by modern
enterprise andperseverance,that a Londoner should
now be able to discover the exact locality in
which. his friend resides, and the shortest route
thither, ;e
the post hours, the hotel accommodation-
and all necessary information, though that friend
may reside
,in the most remote part of England,
and he may know nothing more than his name.
The clear and excellent maps prefixed to each
county are likewise a great assistance to the tra-
veller, and a valuable addition to the general utility
of the work. We trust the extended circulation
and ready demand for these directories will induce
the spirited and indefatigable proprietors to include
the whole of the United Kingdom in their series.

DESECRA27°N'EMO.ITERTY
T. MARTIN'S
C
THEDE A LATEAT
Yesterday, at a meeting of the representative
vestry of St. Pancras, held at the Court-house,
Camden-town ; Mr. Churchwarden Attenborough
in the chair. Mr. Churchwarden Cameron
announced that the subject
th of the reeentdeseera-
tbiroonu
go ill'
tthbee
fdoeraed
tihne Set
0.
nMs
iasrttoirny' s Cemetery
Cou
h
and thata had
been.e
faculty under which the St. M'
been removing the bodies had becomeai in' s
a trustees
d e
aa lh e
tt
eard;
and had been recalled and revoked ; and further,
called upon the churchwardens of St. Martin's-in-
the-Fields to show cause why a monition should
not issue against them to re-inter with decency all
remains of the dead which have been disinterred,
and to refrain from disturbing any portions of the
cemetery which have been used for interments. The
'cpiestion now stood for the authorities of St. Mar-
tin's to make such defence as.they were able.
(Hear, hear.) In justice to, EOMC of the vestrymen
of St Martin's-in-the-Fields, and more especially
Mr. Andel-sin). Rose, the late sheriff, who expressed
his dissent, from the conduct of the trustees, it
aPPerzed that the St. Martin's people were not
agreed amongst themselves, and he held in his
ix and the report of the speech of Mr. Soames in St..
Martin's vestry, which stated that he (Mr. Soames)
had repeatedly told Clay, the late Eexton at St.
Martin's burial ground, that burials had taken
place in the ground long before his time all along
in the front of Camden-street ; that Ackerman, his
1 predecessor, used to dig a hole twelve feet by nine,
1 in which the poor used to be put just with a little
earth between each, and theit it was filled up until
it Caine within nearly three feet of the top. The
poor were buried all alone from where the sewer
ran down. Many of the coffins were made of old
egg chests, and had neither plates nor handles.
This was the speech of a vestryman of St. Martin's,
and not his (Mr. Cameron's), and therefore there
was little doubt of the result. (Hear, hem)