The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Mervyn Clitheroe. No. VIII. By W.
Ainsworth. Routledge.
Although in this new instalment of Mr. Ains-
worth's popular serial story of the "Life and
Adventures of Mervyn Clitheroe" we have ended
the second Book and begun the third, we have
yet, be it said, advanced here no more than
some two months further in the life, and but
very slightly indeed in the adventures. Com-
paratively, that is to say, with the numbers pre-
viously published. The eighth number relates,
nevertheless, how Ora avows to Mervyn an affec-
tionate. interest in John Brideoak—how Applua,
throws off her engagement to Malpas, and with
it her allegiance to her mother—how Miss Hazle-
rigge receives a declaration from Cuthbert Spring,
at a moment when the old Spinster and the old
Bachelor are in the heart of a labyrinth—how
Sissy, who proves to be dazed out of her senses
for a while, recovers them again, and with them
the affections of her husband, honest Ned Cul-
cheth—and last but not least startling of the in-
cidents, how Mervyn one fine moonlight
night, by his mother's grave in Marston
churchyard, catches a glimpse of a tall,
military-looking figure, evidently his father. It
will be sufficiently evident from this rapid syn-
opsis of the contents of a number rather deficient
in interest as compared with its predecessors, what
attractions those predecessors must, in our esti-
mation, have possessed. A laughable scene closes
the current instalment of Mervyn Clitheroe—a
scene of necromantic incantation—the wizard being
no other than Old Hazy and that arrant rascal
Dr. Hooker, alias the ex-Barber-surgeon Simon
Pownall. The silent witnesses of these nocturnal
feats of magic being the grimly spectres clustered
together in one part of the beautiful old-fashioned
garden of Owlarton Grange—the same phantom
forms consisting of nothing more than wondrous
specimens of topiarian art, yew trees and box
trees and other evergreens clipped into the shape
of goblin birds and beasts and giant huntsmen.
The confusion caused by the sudden apparition of
the young hero of the tale is so extreme that the
reader naturally looks with freshly kindled curio-
sity for the chapters following. These we must
wait for, however, as patiently as may be—it is
the penalty of reading an interesting story issued
from the press bit by bit in the form of a perio-
dical.

:arrison

John Brown's Hard Lines, being a .Royal Mar-
riage Ode, and Stanzas on the Death of
Havelock. Holyoake, Fleet-street.

We would willingly accord our word of praise to
this " poetical" brochure if we could. The inten-
tion of the writer is doubtless good, but his manner
of expressing that intention is woefully destitute of
gain
is a mere tissue
proselytes to his
opinions.o the q tat
coarsei t i
rhymes,e s,
,The calculated Marriage
Ode'
indeed,
is so imbued with
offensive epithets, that we have declined the entire
perusal of it. " The Stanzas on the Death of
Havelock," partake very strongly
inocfitphleess,amanedtawinitt:
we should be sorry to
allowßEWeeseys a heartilylwoui trh. arrangements,h
patriotismoand evsot e
as ctoorbl iiubexhibit t
p ala t a ble truths" as those printed by Mr. John
Brown.

A New System, of Drill. By Lieut. Hartley.
so entitled, has
just made .iaidngeeintsioalpspeliatrtlanecPe.clinlPtheleltu'cidates a new sys-
tem of drill, "Adapted. to the ready training of
large bodies of recruits in times of emergency"—a
consideration in every way of the first importance.
The inventor of this new system of drill proves
himself in every sentence of his very sensible trea-
tise on the subject to be an eminently practical
man. So far as we can judge of his theory while
watching the evolutions ho describes simply upon
paper, it certainly appears to us to be in every way
very reasonable. At any rate his argument is
throughout so straightforward, and, at the same
time, so very striking, that we cannot but deem it
to be entitled to attentive consideration. We ob-
serve that Lieut. Hartley (of the Royal Pembroke
Artillery) announces, at the close of his present
pamphlet, as shortly forthcomiug, two companion
brochures, oue sutgesting how the Royal Marines
might be reorganised, the other being a treatise on
Floating Batteries, together with an account of a
new description of Floating Battery invented by
himself, a contrivance entitled " the cannonader."

MARKET NEWS.—(This Day.)

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

A detachment of 72 non-commissioned officers
and gunners belonging to the field batteries were
yesterday morning paraded at Woolwich and de-
spatched to Shorncliffe to join the three companies
of Artillery on duty at the latter station.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred frequently
visits the dockyard and ships at Portsmouth, at-
tended by his tutor, Lieutenant Cowell, R.E.,
and Commander Bickford, of the 'Tictory, and
shows much courtesy towards the senior officers of
the port, whom he has entertained at his residence
at Alverbank. His Highness is pursuing his
studies, so we are informed, with the view of pass-
ing the Royal Naval College at the approaching
quarterly examination, and entering the service
as a navel cadet. The Euryalus, 51, Captain Tar-
leton, C. 8., will take him on his first voyage.
The paddlewheel steamvessel Black Eagle (tender
to the Fisgard at Woolwich) has been admitted into
basin to undergo some considerable repairs in her
boilers and machinery, as well as a general overhaul.
The steamer Vivid, on speoial service, was yes-
terday morning despatched from Woolwich at an
early hour to Dover, to await the arrival there of
their Excellencies the Ambassadors from Siam, the
Vivid having been placed at their disposal by the
Admiralty for their conveyance to the Continent.
The gunboats Widgeon and Bullfrog, of 60-horse
power each, are ordered up from %'heerness to
Woolwich to have engines and boilers repaired, and
to be prepared for first-elass steam reserve,
The steam transport Rhadamanthus, Master
Commander Sturdee, left Woolwich yesterday
morning for Portsmouth, laden with steam boilers
and machinery for her Majesty's steamships Re-
venge, Orlando, and Aurora, under construction at
Pembroke.

The Marlborough, 131, Captain the Right Hon,
Lord F. H. Kerr, flag of Vice-Admiral Arthur
Fanshawe, C. 8., has moved from the steam basin
to the dockyard jetty at Portsmouth, where she
will complete her equipment. She progresses fast.
The Hannibal, 91, Captain the Hon. G. F. Hast-
ings, C. 8., has moved from the dockyard up to
moorings off Hard way magazines, where she will be
stationed as the depot ship of the steam reserve at
Portsmouth.

The officers of the militia regiments (Royal Wilts,
Royal North Lincoln, and Roscommon), quartered
in Portsmouth garrison, gave two theatrical enter-
tainments at the Portsmouth theatre on Tuesday
and last night, under the patronage of Major-Gen.
the Hon. Sir J. Yorke Scarlett, 1C.C.8., the mili-
tary governor, and %Admiral Sir George F. Sey-
mour, 8., the naval commander-in-chief, in
aid of the fund for the relief of the distressed by the
Indian mutiny, which realised a handsome sum,
the house being fully and fashionably attended on
both occasions.

Britain would be freighted back with our manufac-
tures. By this route the Erie Canal and the trad-
ing emporium of New York would encounter a for-
midable rival, and the fears of Washington might
be realised. On these combinations Canadian
energy has fixed its attention, and is eager to seize
the advantages that present themselves both by
land and water, by railways and canals. The
Grand Trunk Railway, with an ocean terminus at
Port And, i❑ the state of Maine, never frozen, and
the Great Western Railway, are magnificent under-
takings ; but when the ice does not impede, a com-
plete system of canals, giving a continuous passage
from Chicago through the St. Lawrence, must bear
away the palm. We are not writing of any distant
future. All the facilities we have described are now
available, and indeed many exist, for already a
voyage has been made through the lakes to Liver-
pool, through the Welland Canal to Liverpool,
though the vessel was of moderate burden ; but a
ship canal from Ontario to Huron of ample depth
would completely revolutionise trade. Such are
the brilliant prospects dawning upon Canada, and
such are the new markets which may be opened up
to our manufacturing industry. The inauguration
of a Conservati►e Government• having released us
from the turbulent rule of Lord Palmerston, we
may now hope to live in peace with our neighboirs,
and devote our thoughts and energies to the deve-
lopment of the useful arts, both in India and
throughout our colonial empire.

A VISIT TO THE PRISONS OF NAPLES.

A letter dated Naples, Feb. 26, says :—Like
most of those who have had occasic n to speak of the
prisons of this kingdom I have painted them in
colours dark enough ; nor do I believe that I have
in any degree exaggerated the state of the case.
That which I have asserted I have done either
on the authority of credible witnesses or on the
evidence of my own senses. Strict impartiality,
however, demands that I should give a brief out-
line of a visit which I recently paid to two which
may be called model prisons those of San Francisco
and St. Agnello. A Royal decree published some
months since put these and all other prisons under
the control of the Fathers of Jesus. In many the
very name will awaken a prejudice. I cannot help
that. I must speak only of the results of their
labours, and those appear to me to be of the best
kind. Of course I can only contrast what I have
now seen with what I had heard described, but the
truth of those descriptions was abundantly con-
firmed by the Father who accompanied us, as he
pointed with just and reasonable pride to what he
and his companions had effected. Leaving de-
tails I must confine myself to a very general
picture of what I saw, and the impressions
which that induced me to form. The prison
of San Francisco is at once a hospital, a
workshop, and a place of confinement for the young.
The hospital was tolerably clean and in good order,
and I trust we saw it and the other portions of the
prison in their normal state, though it did not escape
me that people preceded us in every room
burning incense, and the doors were all opened
readily as if in anticipation of a visit. As we
passed along, "Muoio di fame" escaped from the
lips of many, but I regarded it as the expression of
a habit, for generally speaking the looks of the pri-
soners belied their lips. In one re om after such an
exclamation had been utterel, I observe], in turn-
ing sharp round, a Cuetode threatening the unfor-
tunate lad as he lay in bed with his stick, and I
mentioned the fact to tl e Father, who, I am per-
suaded, disapproved it, and would in obedience to
his orders labour to suppress all capricious sever itit s.
The prison allowance, I was informed, consists of a
basin of soup of bears or haricots, or at times of
pasta, and of 20oz. of bread—and it is quite enough,
for they have not much appetite, said the priest.
In the working apartment are shops for carpenters,
tailors, shoemakers, weavers, bookbinders, cabinet-
makers, tte. I observed many respectable pieces of
workmanship, and the influence of occupation was
very apparent in the countenances of the unfortu-
nate men. Before leaving the prison we were in-
vited to hear a musical class ; the singing was
rather "forte," but it was in good harmony,
and very respectable. We did not see by any
means the whole of the prison ; perhaps
what we saw was under the most favourable
circumstances, too. One great evil might be
suggested for removal, and that was the horrid
stench which arose in almost every department from
the privies and from bad sewerage. The Father
admitted it, but added that it was " still a prison."
The least satisfactory part of the building was that
appropriated to the juveniles. The youngsters
were all ranged in line to receive us, one being
imprisoned for homicide, and the youngest, a
child of six years of age, who had bean found
" unclaimed" on board a steamer. The injustice
of this infant's imprisonment was evident enough,
and as I remarked upon it he was questioned
and a promise held out that he should be sent
to St. Agnello. I think too that the wisdom and
the moral influence of accust. ruing the minds of
these young persons to the degradation and the
stigma of a prison may be questioned. It may be
doubted, too, whether the occupations of the chil-
dren were precisely those adapted to them. Thus,
in the morning they had to attend to certain
religious services—mass ; then they dined ; after-
wards, more religious services ; then a run on
the top of the building ; afterwards, the "bene-
diction ; " then they consumed the remain-
der of their bread, and off to bed. The
courteous and intelligent Father who accom-
panied us was everywhere received with marks of
great respect and affection, and seemed to take a
great interest in his labour of love. A hypercritic
might point out many defects, but his is not the
spirit in which to observe and speak of a compara-
tive recent attempt to purge and reform the foul
prisons of the Two Sicilies. For myself lam dis-
posed to speak with much satisfaction of this the
first step in prison reform, and to hail it as promis-
ing other and more successful efforts in the very
wide field which yet lies before the philanthropist.
My guide told me that this prison had been
placed under the control of the Jesuits since 185 3.
The question suggested itself to me directly, did
this merciful movement receive any impulse from
the publicity given to the prison abuses of that
country by Arr. Gladstone and others ? I will
assume that it did, for I have faith in the healing
influence of light, and, if the assumption be
not incorrect, then there is cause of self-con-
gratulation to them that their labours, however
evilly spoken of, have not been altogether lost,
and are an encouragement to all who have it in
their power to enlighten the world to speak the
truth fully and courageous:y. From San Francisco
we were conducted to what is called the " Istituto
Artistico" of St. Agnallo, about a mile distant.
Into this institute are draughted off those youths
who have finished the term of their imprisonment
at San Francisco, but with regard to whose moral
strength there is some doubt. It is a neat new
building, and every effort has been made to divest it
of the character and associations of a prison.
On the right as we entered was a large room, in
which many were taking a singing lesson, while
they were accompanied by a maestro on a
pisno. On going into an upper room we found
a number of youths who were learning to play
on wind instruments, and a very respectable
performance it was which we had. In another
part of the building we were shown rooms where
the members of the institute were learning to bind
books, to lithograph, to print, " and we have too
our theatre, an some good acting at times," said
the benevolent Padre Cucinello. The performances
I ascertained on inquiry to be pieces in illustration
of moral sentiments. On leaving the Institute the
boys were all drawn up in the courtyard under the
command of a sergeant, went through some exer-
cises, and performed the military hymn to the
Virgin. A little fellow was brought to us in his
new uniform to show how the band was dressed,
and proud and happy enough he looked. Not only
in the name of the establishment and general
dis-
cipline adopted is there a difference made
diet ; e between
this institution and the prison, but
c.
is
always
in-
stead of black it is white bread which
ti h
served, and then twice a day they are sensibly
made another step in
taught that they
Is was a very short
were.
social progress, anhclavtehat they are no longer
what they
paid, but what I saw gave me almost
The Padre, who had
unmingled his
nursed the institute, evidently regarded labour
visit
which
Isatisfaction.
as one of love—his whole soul was absorbed in it—
and the members appeared to repay his exertions
with their affection. They were evidently happy
and contented, and the influence of discipline and
education and increased self-respect was very
marked in a superior degree of refinement in ap-
pearance and manner. I was struck by it on
listening to the singing class as I entered. Their
voices were not merely mechanical instruments, as
were those in San Francisco, exhibiting what
conclusion
l were
caution beginning
two
power they possessed, but they expressed sentiment
ctlaoss be
s
e
mind
and
aanwdakfueenleindg.
In
of readers,—firet, the generalisers, wh©, because a
prison is under tie
e course of
reformatory institute
being
established, draw
the inference that what
has been said of the
prisons of this country is false. It is not so.
No language could have exaggerated, and, gene-
rally speaking, I believe that no language can
exaggerate their state. San Francisco and St.
Agnello are "exceptional models of what the Jesuit
Fathers propose to do, and are labouring to do, in
opposition to many difficulties." Secondly,
must
caution those who may be inclined to disparage the
pro-
vide
comparatively slight effort which is made to
when
vide against a great evil. It is a grteaet
conyiction t
the necessity of reform is forced on the