The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-04 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

- -
The Pickwick. Papers. By Cheri-els Main. 2 volo.
Chapman and Hall, and Bradbury and Dram.
It is with great satisfaction that we see a new
and complete library edition of Mr. Dickens' works
is now about to be offered to the public. The
former edition was necessarily incomplete, as it was
published some years since, and it could not com-
pare to the present, whose size and type leave
nothing to be desired. The series is worthily
inaugurated under the auspices of the immortal
Mr. Pickwick, and will, of course, embrace the
whole of those delightful fictions that have moved
the tears or provoked the laughter of so many
English hearts. Not the least attractive) part of
the work is the preface, in which the author gives
the following interesting account of the rise and
progress of the "Pickwick Club"
" I have seen various accounts in print, of the origin
of these Pickwick Papers ; which have, at all event,
possessed for me—the charm of perfect novelty. As i
may infer, from the occasienal appearance of such him-
tories, that my readers have an interest in the matter, I
will relate how they came into existence.
" I was a young man of three and twenty, when the
present publishers, attracted by some pieces I was at
that time writing in the Morning Chronielo newspaper
(of which one series bad lately been collected and pub-
lished in two volumes, illustrated by my esteemed friend
Mr. George Cruikshank), waited upon me to propose a
something that should be published in shilling ntimbrrs
—then only known to me, or, I believe, to anybody else,
by a dim recollection of certain interminable novels in
that form, which used to he carried about the country
by pedlars, and over some of which I remember to have
shed innumerable tears, before I had served my appren-
ticeship to Life.
" When I opened my door in Fereival's Inn to the
managing partner who represented the firm, I recog-
nised in him the person from whose hands I had bought,
two or three years previously, and whom I bad never
seen before or since, my first copy of the Magazine in
which my first effusion—dropped stealthily one evening
at twilight, with fear and trembling, into a dark letter
box, in a dark office, up a dark court in Fleet-street—
appeared in all the glory of print ; on which memorable
occasion—how well I recollect it walked down t•
Westminster Hall, and turned into it for half-an-hour,
because my eyes were so dimmed with joy and pride,
that they could not bear the street, and were not fit to
be seen there. I told my visitor of the coincidence,
which we both hailed as a good omen ; and so fell to
business.

" The idea propounded to me was, that the monthly
something should be a vehicle for certain plate.' to 1-• exe-
cuted by Mr. Seymour ; and there was a notion, either
on the part of that admirable humorous artist, or of my
visitor (I forget which), that a Nimrod Club,' the
members of which were to go out shooting, fishing, and
so forth, and getting themselves into difficulties through
their want of dexterity, would be the best means of in-
troducing these. I objected, on consideration, that
,although born and partly bred in the country, I was no
great sportsman, except in regard of all kinds of locorao•
tion ; that the idea was not novel, and bad been already
much used : that it would be infinitely better fer the
plates to arise naturally out of the tea: ; and that I
should like to take my own way, with a freer range of
English scenes and people, and was a'raid I should
ultimately do so in any case, whatever course I might
prescribe to myself at starting. My views being deferred
to, I thought of Mr. Pickwick, and wrste the first
number ; from the proof-sheets of which Mr. Seymour
made his drawing of the club, and that happy portrait
of its founder, by which he is always recagnised, and
which may be said to have made hint a reality. I
connected Mr. Pickwick with a club, because the
originel suggestion, and I put in Mr. Winkle expressly
for the use of Mr. Seymour. We started with a number
of 24 pages instead of 32, and toter illuetra'ions in lieu
of a ceuule. Mr. Seyinour'e sudden and lamented
death before the second number was published, brought
about a quick decision upon a point already in agitation;
the number became one of 32 pages with 2 illustrations,
and remained so to the end. My friends told me it was
a low, cheap form of publication, by which I should ruin
all my rising hopes ; and how right my friends turned
out to be, everybody now knows.
" Boz," my signature in the iforailg Chronicle,
appended tl the monthly cover of this honk, and re-
tained long afterwards, was the nickname of a pet child,
a younger brother, whom I had dubbed Moses, in honour
of the Vicar of Wakefield ; which being facetiously
pronounced through the nose, became B 'se., and being
shortened, became Box. ' Boz ' was a very familiar
houehold word to me, long before I was an author, and
so I came to adopt it.
"It has been observed of Mr. Pickwick, that there is
a decided change in his character, as the-es meet pro-
ceed, and that he becomes more good and more sensible.
I do not think this change will appear forced or unna-
tural to my readers, if they will reflect that in real life
the peculiarities and oddities of a man who has anything
whimsical about him, generaly impress us first, and
that it is not until we are better acquainted with him
that we usually begin to look below these superficial
traits, and to know the better part of him."

In a frank and genial dedication, th 3 series is
inscribed to Mr. John Forster, as the friend of the
author during his " wtiole literary life." The
work before us has passed beyond the need of
critical approbation, or analysis. It only remains
to commend to the general public what the author
himself styles "the best edition of my books."

Lyrics of Ireland. Edited and Annota'ed by

Sa-muel Lover.

Houlston and Wright.

The Lyrics of Ireland are synonymous witk
mirth, melody, pathos, and patriotism, and Mr.
Samuel Lover may be safely trusted as a guide and
collector among their embarras de richesses. The
present volume is handsomely bound and well
printed, with numerous illustration'. It is a de-
lightful volume for all who prize the simple and
natural ballad, the spirit-stirring marti d strain,
or the humorous and laughter-moving songs for
which Ireland has always been censplcuous. One
who is himself not unknown in a path wh"olt so
many of till great and gifted have trod before him
is the fitting editor for this collection. Some of
them do honour to writers of our own day, some
trace back their origin till the authorship is for-
gotten, many more are from the pens of poets of a
past generation, but their lyrics remain to us un-
changed. Iu the words of the beautiful poem, en-
titled "Songs of Our Land," with which the
volume concludes,—
" The bards may go down to the place of their slumbers,
The lyre of the charmer be hushed in the grave ;
But far in the future the power of their numbers
Shall kindle the hearts of the faithful and brave."

Bothisell : a Poem. By W. E. Aytoun, author of
"Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers." Third edition,
revised. Blackwood.
We have before criticised this poem at length,
and therefore have only to say that it published
in a commodious fortn, revised and corrected by the
author.

Talcs.

By Professor Wilson. Bla•Aiwood and
Sons.

This is the eleventh volume of the excellent
series of the works of Professor Wilson which
Messrs. Blackwood are now issuing, eiited by
Professor Ferrier, his son-in-law. The beautiful
tiles in this volume are well known to English as
well as Scottish readers, and have delighted both.
Many will glad of the present opportunity of
securing them in a complete and connected form.
The next and concluding volume •f the series will
contain the poetical works of Professor Wilson,
affording another evidence of the versatility of his
powers.

Uncle Jack the Fault Killer.
Willie's Birthday, and How he Enjoyed it.
Willis's Rest; a Sunday Story. By the author of
" Round the Fire," sic. Smith and Elder.
These are three charming little stories for very
youngeopie
arred
eaa7rres,adb a
already much
mucwhrii
ntedrebtteedi.vhoimhesyuaclrie lciltete
alr
plaid simple and within the comprehension of chil-
dren, while they contrive to convey indirectly a
good deal of information, and to impress ideas on
the mind in a new and striking way. They are
valuable contributions to the juvenile library, suited
for an earlier age than most story bookr, and being
prettily bound and illustrated and in large clear
type, they offer great attractions for birthdays and
festivals.

TheArt.T
of Journal.
The three large plates present number
consist of the Spanish Letter Writer, by J. Phillip;
Kilchurn Castle, by G. 11. Fripp, both in the
Royal Collection at Osborne ; and Tho Wounded at
Scutari, a beautiful engraving, from the sculpture,
by J. Phyffers. The small woodouti and illustra-
tions scattered throughout the work are numerous,
and occasionally very pleasing. The second paper
on Paul Veronese opens the number, and there are
many subjects of artistic interest treated of in its
contents. The Book of the Thames, by Mr. and
Mrs. S. C. Hall, is continued ; and there are papers
on Art in Scotland, in the Provinces, and in Con-
tinental States ; on the Tombs of En;lish Artists,
Botany adapted to Art, Colours obt +hied from the
Animal Kingdom, &c. The thirty-third number
of the series of papers on British Artists is de-
voted to J. F. Lewis, from whose works several
illustrations are given.

A CHILD ATTACKED BY A FEEKET.—On Friday last,
at Redditch, a woman, named Aston, who was entrusted
with the care of a child a few months old, locked up her
house and went out, leaving the child in bed in au up•
stairs room, and a ferret loose in a room on the ground-
floor. During her absence the neighbours, hearing the
erdid crying, burst open the door, And on guttinl'airuf
stairs they found that the ferret had ascended.the s ,
ado ttacz apon the
and then mounted the bed, and na
'aelpless infant. It was in a sad state—. ,
commenced
ud the ferret kaa anbaoth sides of the
lace being eaten away,
upon the head. ...new,it is supposed, defended
Can be expected„
severely. It is going ,
IVotrerheompeon Chronicle.
itself as well as it could, for child,
fa os r
wtehiel
as
srincs are both bitten