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

LITERATURE.

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Mervyn, Clitheroc. No. VIII.

BY VIT . Harrison

Ainsworth. Rout ledge.

I Although in this new instalment of Mr. A.ins-
j worth's popular serial story of the " Life awl
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 Pay, with the numbers pre-
viously published. The eighth number relates,
nevertheless, how Ora avows to Mervyn an affec-
tionate interest in John Brideeak—how Apphi
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
Siasty?' 'Who'. proves to be dazed out of her senses
for' :a laßilb, recovers them again, and with them.
the' affections of her husband, honest Ned Cul-
clah—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.

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
the qualities calculated to gain proselytes to his
opinions. " The Marriage Ode' is a mere tissue
of coarse rhymes, and 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 of the same taint.
We heartily advocate liberal principles, and wit-
ness with honest scorn the diplomatic craft of
Royal arrangements, but we should be sorry to
allow our patriotism to exhibit itself in such "un-
palatable truths" as those printed by Mr. John
Brown.

A New System, of Drill. By Lieut. Hartley.
An ingenious little pamphlet, so entitled, has
just made its appearance. It elucidates 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 vary 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 he 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 forthcoming, -two companion
brochures, one sus Besting 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.)

CORN EXCHANGE.

Fresh up, to-day, a yery,limited supply of English wheat
came to hand, coastwise and by land carriage. Although
the show of samples was small, the demand was inactive,
but without leading to any change in prices, compared
with Monday.
Only 36 quarters of foreign wheat have come to hand
this week. Good and fine qualities sold slowly at full
prices. Low and damp qualities were much neglected.
We had a steady demand for barley at full quotations.
The transactions in malt were rather limited, but no
change took place in prices.
Oats—. the supply of which was small—were in fair re-
quest at extreme rates.
Beans, peas, and flour changed hands at full prices.

ARRIVALS TINS wssit.
Wheat. Barley. i Malt. I Oats.
950 I 20 11,070 I 2,140

English
Irish

Foreign,—

360 I 1,350

Flour.
4SO

2 210 aka
4,180 '—
brle

METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.

The supply of boasts in to-day's market was only mode-
rate, yet all breeds met a dull enquiry at Monday's cur-
rency. We were again scantily supplied with sheep, which
sold slowly at unaltered quotations. Calves were in short
supply and steady request, at an improvement in value of
2d. per 8 lbs. In pigs, scarcely any business was doing,
and mulch cows were very dull.