The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-29 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The Day After To-Morrow ; or, Fata liforpna:
containing the Opinions of Mr. Sergeant Mallet!
M.P. for Boldborough, on the Future State 01
the British Nation. Routledge and Co.
The great reforms expected, if not desired, 139
the wisest of our political philosophers, and some-
times too impatiently aimed at by those whose
sympathies go for politics apart from philosophy',
are, as the eloquent and ingenious William de 'lire
remarks, simply preposterous: they are brought uP
before their time—they do not belong to the passing
hour, but to " the day, after to-morrow." Contem-
plated at a distance, they may seem (and to maul
of the gazers they must seem) revolutionary, ell"
sive, or impossible ; as the city which the Sicilian
voyager finds conjured into sight by the wand of
the Fata Morgana. Everything is topsy-turq;
the church rests on its spire ; the houses rock on
their ridges; and the thoroughfares are up in the
sky. There would appear to be as little of morality,
moreover, as of order. But let the traveller mak?,
for the scene of this apparent confusion, and it
gets right at his approach. The city that seemed
in Cloudland is on Terra Firma ; the people are
going to church as usual ; and "all things continue
as they were from the beginning of the creation.,
Such a Fata Morgana, in its time, was the repeal of
the Test and Corporation Acts, and especially e'
the Catholic disabilities. The Reform Bill vin/
another ; the repeal of the Corn Laws, and even
of the Jewish disabilities, another. In all thee
cases visions of terrible disaster smote the aching
sight of many a timorous seer, who has to acknov.;
ledge now the vanity of his vaticinations. Mlt
has been, so it will be. The pleasant and 'eloquent
1
page of William de Tyne brings to sight a new and
more gorgeous Fata Morgana. It is the very poetry
of politics—the work of a happily - constante ,
mind, richly endowed, and employed on a graten
task. But though the thoughts are those of 00
everyday thinker, as yet they are merely, as he,
says, preposterous. On " the day after to-morroc'
they will be realised even by very everyday people'
We can give but a faint idea, however, of this little
volume by description : and, failing that, can onli
suspend our pen to allow the following extracts to
speak for themselves :--

The Second Volume of New Designs. By D.
Clarkson. Containing Headstones, Tombs, an„,
Monuments. Atchley and Co., Great Rusell
street.
This is the first of the twelve parts which 101,1,
form the second volume of Mr. D. Clarkson;
graceful and ingenious designs. The present por,
contains four plates, with six designs of varyin'
size and character. It has frequently keen a matte,,
of regret to persons of cultivated and artistic tss
that the memorials of the dead, instead of awaken:
ing feelings in harmony with the repose of the
departed, should jar on the taste and offend the eAI
that dwells upon them. The subject affords 1,11,,
opportunity for the exercise of a refined and cal,Lre
vated taste, and we are glad to see it become
~tr
study of so promising an artist. We trust int:
Clarkson will not abandon his attem until he he'
introduced a style more in accordance with the
solemn and sublime emotions which should
awakened by the resting-place of the departed, 11.111,
more in unison with the feelings of those who tier'
to pay a tribute of reverence and affection to the
memory of a lamented friend, than the headstoat;
generally to be seen in our churchyards, or th
mowlimental tablets which disfigure our churcheso,
Those who have noticed the different effect pr t
duced by the old Gothic monuments in some swill
building, with the plain square slabs of modern
days, will readily see how much may be done f,
o
the exercise of poetic taste and artistic skill. d
present designs are mostly simple in their en,,
racter, and suitable for general use. When 07,0
pleted, the volume will show a collection of vatic)"
kinds of monuments and headstones, in the GI;
cian, Italian, and Gothic styles, all drawn to sew':
We wish. Mr. Clarkson every success in his netv
torious undertaking.

The Illustrated News of the World and Naar°
Portrait Gallery, *c. Part 10. 199, Strat'.
The
This new competitor in the field of illustrlme
papers is well adapted for family reading,.
woodcuts are numerous and of average mail' -e-ent
corr
senting the scenes and occurrences of thefts and
week most likely to excite public interest.
feature is the National Portrait GallerY; It issuon
each week the portrait of some eminent persb,
engraved on steel, chiefly from photographs ,
*r
P're-
Mayall, which are really admirable for the Pleb;
The present monthly part contains portraits of :he
Bishop of Carlisle, the Rev. R. Maguire,. 'Z.-
Lord Mayor of London, and Major-General
4"
Archdale Wilson, the conqueror of Delhi.
these, with upwards of 60 pages of news, goss.r;
advertisements, &c. are offered. for the low aln°ll-f
of two shillings. Many of the chief celebrities ,o 0
the day are announced for the future numbers of Obi,
Portrait Gallery, which, we believe, is t0,..0
published in a separate volume as a Chriaw-
giftbook.

Elementary Notes on the History of France.
Mrs. Edmonds, author of " English Ilist°l•9'
" English Grammar," &c. Tallant, and Alleuv
We have here an excellent little epitolliefor
French history for beginners, admirably aaapted
fig
impressing the chief facts on the mind of rut°
scholars. It is also useful as a book of reference y
more advanced students, for the reader. vill° of
thoroughly acquainted with the great events
~,6
French history, and the gradual development of 141:0
national character, mar very easily forget 1:g.
dates of accession, death, &c., of the earlier kint'ot
Three hundred questions for exercise are addlo
the end of the little volume which will add a j
tional assistance to the instructor. Mrs. Edra°.:oo
also proposes to issue elementary notes on Coln e!
Knowledge, on Bible and Gospel History, Mot` fir
Geography, and other subjects of general instr'
tion.

Blackwood' s Shilling Scribbling Diary. 18591
James Blackwood.
This is a very cheap publication. It is °
large size, and possesses a great advantage.c'h
being interleaved with blotting paper, wild
affords a great convenience to the bur
writer. The Sundays are omitted, as in mays
business diaries, and each page contains the
days of the week. An almanack is prefixed to it,
and a map of the
.postal districts is on the cover
showing the divisions which c°„j
perplex many
respondents at a glance. It is a very cheap
commodious diary well adapted for general use.

Le Conteur, a French Reading•book. By e
Tarver, Eton College. Longman. of
M. Tarver intends this little volume for the tise.pg
students of the French language, who after g
through the grammar, are desirous of reading !fll
complete work. This collection, consisting enti"o
of short stories and plays, affords them the uctei
•f doing so without much labour, u the pity'
selected are all complete, and numerous 11°tile
assist the inexperienced reader in following 4,
idiom. It is a very useful and entertaining vollro
well adapted for the purpose for which It
intended.