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

LITERATURE.

Stephen Langton. By Martin F. Tupper, D.C.L..
P.R.S., author of " Proverbial Philosophy," &c.
2 vols. Hurst and Blackett.
These volumes are pre-eminently qualified to
attract a considerable share of attention, both from
their peculiar style and their great ability. This
author has before been celebrated for his attainments
in literary creation, but the present work is incom-
parably superior to anything he has hitherto pro-
duced. There is a life and a reality infused into
the characters and scenes which cause the reader to
forget occasionally that he is reading of what oc-
curred some_ seven centuries ago. Not but what
the tenour of the narrative is strictly in accordance
with the olden time, and an additional attraction is
to be found in the fact that the epoch here repre-
sented is one of no ordinary importance in the
annals of our country's history. It is justly re-
marked that " the acorns just then sown have since
grown up to be the gnarled and strong-limbed oaks
of our_ present English liberties, and the fruitful
vines and fig-trees under which we now sit happily
at peace were spreading in those early times as
tender plants out of a dry ground." The records of
the career of Stephen Langton are very interesting,
and there can be no doubt that the general reader
will derive pleasure and profit from the perusal of
his singularly useful and brilliant existence. lie
was a statesman, arch-prelate, and chief champion
of our common liberties against the tyrant John,
who was one of the worst kings who ever disgraced
the British throne. It was not until after many
long years of painful preparation and strenuous
efforts, and great endurance, that Stephen tri-
umphed in his high emprise, and, with the assist-
ance of the bold Barons of the realm, forced from
the unwilling monarch his signature to that famous
parchment which is among the most precious pos-
sessions of the land, of which it is here testified that
" Englishmen claim Magna Charta as the very root
of their spreading tree of liberty." Hallam has
declared, in his work on the Middle Ages, that the
Great Charter is "still the: key-stone of English
liberty." There is a peculiar interest attached to
all that concerns so momentous an achievement, and
it will be found that the writer is animated With the
true spirit in which alone such deeds should be re-
counted. None but those who can enter with a
congenial mind into the patriot's labours, whether
of --peace or war, are worthy chroniclers of that
country, whose • glory and -whose crown is
that her soil is. the refuge from tyrants, and
that her sons are the champions of the op-
pressed, whose immortal claim t 6 the respect of
posterity is not that "on her empire the sun
never sets," but that on " her shores the slave is
free." There were many vicissitudes in the life of
Stephen Langton; one of the most painful was the
solemn termination to his acquaintance with Alice,
who is introduced as P, young maiden, fresh as the
spring at whose coming all were rejoicing, fair as
the flowers with which she was bedecked when—

" Beneath the hawthorn on the green, they crowned her
Queen of May."
These revels and pastimes were soon exchanged for
bitter trials and sharp afflictions ; the dreams of
love and the gay prophecies of hope were never
realised, or fulfilled. But Stephen and Alice were
not to pass away unnoticed, among the crowd who
disport their brief hour and are gone ; they had a
mission to fulfil, and through tears and sacrifices it
was to be performed. The conflict with powers
and principalities was before him, and it was hers
to stand and wait. There is something mournful
and touching in the meek serenity of her patient
life, something beautiful in the holy calm• of her
death. She expired at the altar, and hers was
indeed rest for the weary. Among the many
diversified scenes to which the reader is intro-
duced, perhaps none is so refreshing and delightful
as those in which he meets the far-famed monarch
of the woodlands, bold Robin Hood, and his
merry company. He proved of essential service
to the oppressed of every rank and age, and in his
free and generous nature offers a striking contrast
to the subtle and cruel tyrant whose court might
have envied the spirit that ruled the conduct of the
outlaws. Some of the passages that occur during
the sojourn of Stephen abroad are related with
skill, and demonstrate the strikin,g changes that
have taken place since that period. Among the
records of the evil actions of John, the tale of the
Sleepers in the Silent Pool is powerfully told.
Although no avenger was powerful enough then to
vindicate their wrongs, the voice of justice seemed
to cry for redress from the depths of the still waters
where they found their cold grave. The character
of Hal is a good specimen of a bold English yeoman.
If he did not exhibit the " mettle of his training"
on foreign fields of renown, he worked for his dear
native land in the harder warfare of civil contests.
At the commencement of the work the author
remarks : " I will concentrate my pictured fancies
in a framework of real scenery round characters
of strict historic fame," and it will appear to most
readers that he has redeemed that promise in the
compilation of these Volumes, in which the light of
historical romance seems to cast a lustre on the life,
and shed a grace over the actions of the great
man whose chronicles have been garnered from the
historic rolls of antiquity, to reproduce before us a
sketch of a noble character, an ornament to the
church in 'which it was his glory to worship, and
an honour to the country that it was his delight
to serve. It is not often that so much excellence
of purpose is so eloquently executed, as in these
pages, and there seems no reason to doubt that the
effort will fail to be appreciated, for if the careless
pass it heedlessly by, the thoughtful and reflective
must acknowledge its claim on their attention,
alike from the skill which has fashioned it, as the
spirit which fires its recital.

Letters written during the Siege of Delhi. By
-H. H. Greathed, Esq., late Commissioner and
Political Agent of Delhi. Edited by his Widow.
Longman.
Another of those mournful records of departed
heroism, which have lately become so sadly fami-
liar to English readers. Mr. Greathed and his
family had a most narrow escape from the fury of
the mutineers at Meerut. They were rescued by
the fidelity of their native servant, Golab Singh,
from their burning house. Mr. Greathed joined
the army before Delhi, and the volume consists of
his letters to his anxious wife, showing us a pic-
ture of the dangers and difficulties of the siege, and
attack. Unhappily he fell in the hour of triumph,
and added another to the long list of brave men
who purchased that victory with their lives. The
tribute of honour and regret readily paid by their
surviving countrymen ; and though there is little
that is absolutely new in these pages, still there
will be many, personally unacquainted with the
writer, who will turn over the letters with inte-
rest. His widow has performed her mournful duty
with carefulness and credit. In her preface she
gives an outline of Mr. Greathed's career, and of
their escape from Meerut. She quotes some pas-
sages from a letter written by Mr. Greathed,
shortly before the fatal 10th of May, in which he
expresses his apprehensions, and in which he
remarks upon the necessity of bearing in mind the
fact, that " conversion with the Hindoos and Mus-
sulmans is not a matter of conviction, but the
passing through certain forms, or unconscious per-
formance of some act, incompatible with their own
religion." This superstition naturally gives rise to
great suspicion in the native mind, and shows the
paramount necessity of inspiring them with con-
fidence in the intentions of our Government. A
plan of Delhi and the siege operations is prefixed
to the work.

T. be Young Debater. By Samuel Neil, author of
" The Art of Reasoning," 8:c. Houlston and
Wright.
This is a useful and practical handbook for the
young debater, who cannot do better than study the
principles laid down in it, which will greatly assist
him in his endeavours. The author puts his advice
in a clear and lucid manner, but he is by no means
superficial in his style. He, takes a lofty and high-
principled view of his subject, and, indeed, many
of his introductory hints will be extremely valuable
to all young students, whether gifted with the
powers of oratory or not. His remarks on the cul-
tivation of the intellect, the necessity of acquiring
self-knowledge, the logic of study, &c., arc full of
instruction. His summary- of the laws of debate
and outline for the constitution of a debating
society will be found well worth attention. He
gives at the end a list of subjects suitable for dis-
cussion which includes a vast range of topics. We
cordially commend this little volume to all who
desire to develop and improve their debating and
reasoning powers.

Tales for Twilight. By Joseph Vcrey.
Blackwood.

James

Some of these stories have recently appeared in
a magazine, others are now published for the first
time. They have neither great originality nor
thrilling interest, but they are pleasing and unpre-
tending, and will serve to entertain an idle hour
more agreeably than many volumes of greater pre-
tension.

The Family _Friend. 1858-9. Ward and Lock.
The Family Economist. New Illustrated Series.
Ward'and Lock.
The Family Friend is now a recognised popular
favourite. The summary of its production, ex-
penses, and receipts, given in the preface, are suffi-
cient to amaze the uninitiated. We are told that
during the ten years it has been in existence it hrs
sold 300,000 volumes, and 4,800,000 monthly parts.
These statistics show the success which' has at-
tended, one of the most 'paid and meritcriouto of