The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-03 00:00:00

04,170-0

HER MAJESTY, &c.

OSBORNE, Friday.

The Queen walked in the grounds this morning,
accompanied by Princess Louise and the Princess
of Leiningen.
Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice also walked
out.

The Hon. Emily Cathcart has succeeded the Hon.
Harriet Phipps as Maid of Honour in Waiting.
The Hon. Mortimer Sackville West has arrived
as Groom in Waiting.

LITERAIURE.

Christ Church Days.

An Oxford Story. Two

Vols. Richard Bentley.
Most vividly and most effectively has the author
of this Oxford story portrayed the various peculi-
arities and varying phases of college life. Himself,
without doubt, a worthy son of Alma Mater, 110

has right lovingly paid his tribute of filial respect

and devotion. The picturesque beauties of college
and hall receive due comment, but it is with the
ways and doings of Oxford men that author

and reader are mostly occupied.

Beginning

with the departure of the late train from
Paddington on a particular Friday in October,
-" It was the last train from London to Oxford,
whereby Christ Church men could scramble back to
college quarters so as to observtipthe time fixed by
the authorities. The people of the Great Western
understood that day and that train. Fast and
numerous came the Hansoms driving in. Many
were the men with cigars and terriers, and multitu-
dinous wrappings and innumerable cases. The cab-
men looked satisfied. The porters were alert.
Recognitions and greetings passed on the platform
among the passengers." Then follows a rapid
glimpse of the succeeding days—" The long vaca-
tion h_td always supplied a plentiful budget of
news." " I think," says the author, as he calls up
old memories, " the commencement of the October
term was the part of the academic year which I

liked best. There was peculiar pleasure in return-
ing to the old pursuits and renewing the old friend-
ships." With a vivid description of the full
cathedral service, and the long line of white-robed
students conspicuous on the first Sunday of term, the
first chapter of these recollections comes to an end.
Before entering upon the story we are introduced
at some length to the various characters who are to
take part in it, and who are selected, as it were, as
types of different character and. class. The Hon.
Algernon Bohun, from Eton, who looks upon Mil"
versity distinction only in the light of a prelude to
Parliamentary success, and Charles Rolfe Dudley,
" from a very second-rate provincial school in the
Midland Counties, where his talents had rendered hint
conspicuous. At school Dudley had been facile
princeps; but at college he at once found his level.
The triton among minnows became a minnow
among tritons. "Dudley, however, makes a position
for himself by attaining first-class honours at Igo'
derations, and he developed a further distinction
with the growing development of his muscles. His
strong right arm was felt as an oar and as a
cricketer." "I am not certain," honestly 0"
claims the Oxonian author, " which reputation is
dearest to a college, to be high up in the school,

or high up on the river." As the posi-
tion of Dudley differs from that of Bohlen,
so does that of Henry Percival differ from that 01
Dudley, Percival being a servitor. His history
forms the subject of an interesting chapter, but We
have not leisure to pursue the narrative in detail.
Among the amusing anecdotes of college experience
is one related by Dudley of a certain Proctor, who,
being in London and walking down Regent-street
late one evening, rousing himself from a fit of
abstraction, believes he is at Oxford, and seeing a
man before him without cap or gown, hurries
after him and lays his hand on his shoulder with
that demand so terrible to undergraduate ears---'
" Your name and college, sir ?" Then his mistake
flashes upon his mind, and he rushes away in 0"
direction, while the person accosted (who really
happens to be a collegian absent without leave)
imagining himself discovered, hurries off in another
direction. The anecdote with yet further ridi-
culous particulars is detailed With laughter-moving
absurdity. The tenour of the book, however, is of
a 'serious nature. Speaking of thoughtless youths
" sowing their wild oats," it is significantly asked,
" But when will they finish reaping what
they are sowing? Such distempered gran
has an awkward habit of producing ever/
now and then when least looked for soln°
pestilent harvest." Dudley becomes the hero of an
almost sensational adventure in its tragic COnse:
quences, and the moral lesson suggested by 111°
character and career is very forcibly impressed upon
the mind of the reader. The chief attraction of til
book, however, is in its vivid portrayal of Chri's
Church days and Christ Church men. Among
these latter we have forgotten to wake
mention of Charley Lester, who, taking
no prominent part in the narrative, is a most de-
' lightful acquaintance. This gentleman, preferring
,
play to work, resorts to all manner of artificial
assistance when the dreaded hour of examination
' arrives, and takes his place at that formidable O"
' counter " with his hand tattooed with diagrams 9'oa
his cuff decorated with irregular verbs."

The White Cockade; or, Faith and Fortitude. P;',
James Grant, author of "The Romance of %Or.
Three vole. George Routledge and Sons.
The romance of war is the peculiar subject
of Mr. James Grant's literary predilection
Already he has given us novels almost
numerous as those of G. P. R. James, for Os
most part dedicated to that one enthralling
theme. Twenty-two novels from the same Pr°,-
lifie pen, some of them of great literary exce'"
lence, have preceded this story of "The Whit:
Cockade," which now claims our attention. NeTe:,
in all the romantic annals of war could a n'orti
attractive and more romantic history be fohn
than that which is celebrated in the White
Cockade—the history of the Highland Expedition
of Prince Charlie. In his novel of 4, The ICing'3„
Own Borderers," Mr. Grant reminds ti"
that he had endeavoured to depict Jacobitislao
in its decline, but in " The White Cockade" h.,
attempts to pourtray it in its strength, and before it
had degenerated into mere sentimental loyalty t°
race of dead monarchs—of all loyalty poo
the most pure and unselfish. In this attemPt
has been eminently successful. The fervent deveti°r,
and gallant heroism so conspicuous in that mei°
able enterprise have been again and again come
e
memorated, but it is a subject of wbieb
romance writer and the romance reader will na:sl
tire. With Mr. Grant this work has evidently been
labour of love, and as such it cannot fail to n:01
favour with those who read it. The direful field
Culloden—
" Culloden that reeks with the blood of the brale, de
is very effectively described. For all the military
tails the author, anxious to be correct, has coast° is
the War-office records. A fictitious love Witiv,
of course, interwoven with the truthful
nord,
f 130 d
of events, and the loves and sorrows of
an
Otterburn divide the interest with the forttlnee
misfortunes of Prince Charlie.

THE DREADNOUGHT, GREENWICH IIOSPIT•81'16
With a view to giving a satisfactory final deci34l:,
on the question of the appropriation of part of Urre°ll.ll:
Hospital for the uses of the patients of the Seno°l3's,d'c
pital Society, as proffered by Lord Derby, all the nl-,1
men who have reported to the Government °— t,
society upon the relative merits and demerits of
the
111'c
quarters of Queen Mary and Queen Anne are t° 0,,
at Greenwich Hospital this day. —British Medical Jou
0(
THE POLICE PERJORY CASE.--ThiS 1013g-re_,l
log case has now come to an end. Iqr. 101' Yid
was instrumental in getting up evidence, and :1.0°5°
the nominal prosecutor on behalf of the 105 DY: at
f t
Pearce, against the constables Hayes and 73,tril'
S division, fur perjury and conspiracy, failed to g°
it in the Court of een's Benc at the last term
Qu .
ended all further proceedings,h and the Police C°ll'e t
sioners, after having tLorcughly investigated the caB
instated the officers on full pay.