The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-25 00:00:00

" CAVENDISH" ON WHIST.

THE BELGRAVIA ANNUAL.
By M. E. Braddon. Ward, Lock, and Tyler.
Miss Braddon's Christmas Supplementary Double
Number of her popular magazine—an extraordinary
number, but just now published under the above-
mentioned title as the Belgravia Annual—is cer-
tainly a very marvel and paragon among all such
seasonable instalments of light literature. Half a
dozen years ago the Annual now purchaseable for
one shilling would have readily secured for itself an
honourable circulation at half-a-crown. Five-
and-twenty years ago it would as certainly
have won its way at a price something more
nearly approaching to half-a-guinea. It is, in truth,
a marvel of cheapness, of beautiful typography,
of graceful alid imaginative illustration, of animated
and entertaining narrative—never dull, full of
vivacity, often laughter-moving, here and there
mastering the reader's interest by a very glamour
of fascination. Although issued at no more than a
shilling, the letterpress numbers upwards of 128
pages of original matter, penned by hands as skilled
among our feuilletonists or magazine contributors
as Miss Braddou herself, Walter Thornbury, George
Augustus Sala, William Sawyer, Ashley Sterry,
Hume Butler, and Alfred Crowquill. Although
issued—we cannot help repeating it—at no more
than one shilling. it contains within it, besides a
variety of whimsical wood-cuts interspersed among
the body of the letter-press, eight full-page em-
bellishments, most of them charmingly engraved
from peneillings by Thomas Beech, F. W. Lawson,
llablot Knight Browne, Alfred Thompson, Louis
Huard, J. C. Staniland, Thomas Gray, and (again)
Alfred Thompson. There is—just to begin
with—a tale entitled " Found in the Muniment
Room," by the author of " Lady Aud-
ley's Secret." There is a tale of Baby-
lon called " King Esar's Slave," by (sounding
rather incongruously one must admit) the author
of " Kiddle-a-wink." There is a story of a
Knocker, by J. R. Ware, in relation to a place
known as " Abbey House." Thera is T. IL S.
Escott's story of " A Madman." There is an
Acting Charade with four funny little illustrations,
to say nothing of illustrative music as well. There
is a :Last Relique of Father Prout, yclepped
" Saint Patrick and the Serpent," with a

comical cut by Phiz. There is Charles Chel-
tn a m's Legend of Hunaudaye, with four
iabolically grotesque limnings, by W. Brun-
There is Ada Buisson's " Story Told
n a Church"—and W. Sawyer's " Legend of
Verity's Court"—and Babington White's "Doro-
thy's Rival" and C. H. Ross's " Elopement in High
Life"—told by no less than thirty of his absurdly
odd illustrations. Besides which there are other

ton.

contributions not yet particularised—namely,
" Christmas Eve," " Kismet," " A Life Watch,"
"The Water Spirit," " On Some Christmas Bells,"
"The Death's Head Club," "The Children's
Crusade" (being a Ballad of the Thir-
teenth Century), " Cora, a Psychological Mys-
tery," " The Serious Ball," " Nicodemus," and
" Unconsolable"—various, no doubt, in merit,
but none of them below the level of the majority
of " Christmas Numbers"--a melange of prose and
verse by authors and artists of more or less known
ability, such as will gladden many a hearth and en-
liven manya firelit hour during the more social even-
ings at home of the now fast approaching month of
December. In her new Annual for the Yuletide of
1867-1868 the glow of the indoor fire light and the
sheen of the out-door snow has for once transformed
into scarlet and white the delicate green cover of
the now popular Belgravia.
Gunn's ALMANACK (for 1868)—again appear
betimes. Published by W. Stevens, of 421,s
Strand—it is now in the twenty-seventh year of its
publication. And, as an omniunz gatherum of use-
ful facts and information, it is certainly as full as
an egg is of meat, according to the old adage. A
mass of statistics, such as this, could alone be the
result of many years of carefully revised' compila-
tion.

CASSELL'S POPULAR EDUCATOR—Part I. and
Number I. (Cassell, Petter, and Galpin)—begins,
now, week by week, and month by month, a re-
issue—in the form of a beautiful New Edition,
revised up to the present date, and embellished with
. .

a portrait of the Earl of Derby, K.G., the work in
this new form having been dedicated by special
permission to the Prime Minister of England.
'The republication of " Cassell's Popular Educator"
thus revised, and in a serial shape so wonderfully
cheap as to place it within reach of every thrifty
artizan in the:land, is of itself an immense oppor-
tunity for the intelligent labouring population
throughout the United Kingdom. Of this oppor-
tunity, the wiser among them should at once avail
themselves. For, of the work, as a whole, we might
say as the graceful epigramatist said of the pretty
woman—to know her, to see her (here, we would
say, merely, to read it, to know it) is of itself a
liberal education.

THE NAVAL MEDICAL SEE VICE.—We are pleased
to find that the naval medical service is again becoming
popular among the students at the principal schools.
as twelve candidates lately went up for examination at
Somerset House, and it is satisfactory to know that the
whole body passed with a considerable degree of éclat.
—Army and Navy Gazette.

HARE SHOOTING IN PERTHSHIRE.—Ths principal sport
at present is hare shooting, and there have been numerous
hunts of late. The hares are very numerous, and the sport
has been good. A largo quantity of game has been killed
of late on the preserves of Drummond Castle, tenanted last
year by Mr. Cunliffo Brooks, and the year previous by Lord
Ravensworth. The shooting in 1866 was very superior,
which, with the loss through the disease, has thinned the
preserves considerably. They are, however, generally
among the best stocked in the shire. This year there was
no tenant. —The Sporting Gazette.

An exquisite New Edition—the Eighth—of this
master-authority upon the King of Games has just
now been issued, with an anticipative eye to 18G8,
by the Messrs. Thomas De la Rue and Company.
It is the very model for a pocket imprint of just
such a peerless handbook as this one by Cavendish.
Solidly, yet elegantly bound—easily opened by means
of its tenacious yet flexible back—printed with the
clearest type and the blackest ink on the glossiest
ivory paper--daintily embellished (in red and black
on the title page, in gilt and blind tooling on the
outer cover) with quadruple symbols of the suits
variegating the familiar pack—pleasantly suggestive
of those silent, wax-lit hours, when—
" Clubs, diamonds, hearts in wild disorder seen,
-With throngs promiscuous, strew the level green,"
as Pope sings (is it not in the " Rape of the
Lock ?")—this new edition of " The Laws and Prin-
ples of Whist," once seen, becomes a necessity—.
nota luxury, but a positive necessity—to every whist-
player. Every one who knows the book (and what
whist-player knows it not ?) knows perfectly well
already that the laws and principles of whist, as
they are therein set forth, are stated and explained
on an entirely original system--the practice of
the game being illustrated by means of hands played
completely through. Since the previous, that is to
say the seventh, edition of Cavendish was issued
from the press, it is especially worthy of note that
the Laws of Whist have been revised by the Arling-
ton and Portland Clubs—those revised laws having
been very generally adopted. Empowered to print
the Club Code verbatim, the author has here, in his
own handbook (thereby in a manner perfecting it),
availed himself of that permission. All the " General
Principles"—readers of the book will understand at
once what is thereby meant—have been, in this
new edition of the work, very carefully revised.
Several new cases and decisions have been
either supplemented or interpolated. The hands,
again, have been recast, and in lieu of the symbols
formerly used, sets of charming little diagram cards
have been substituted, to the great adornment of the
book, and to the very great simplification of the
explanations. Altogether the volumette, as it now
appears, could not well have been brought out more
temptingly. It has been produced in a manner
worthy of a book which is a very bijou among
handbooks—Cavendish being as indisputably the
Authority among Whist-players, as Bradshal,ve is
among railway-travellers, or as Murray is among
Coutinental-tourists.

SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN IE4 TER

COLOURS.

WINTER EXHIBITION OF SKETCHES.
At this gloomy season of the year the winter
exhibitions of the several societies afford a pleasant
diversion from the prevailing dulness. The annual
exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water
Colours is always one of the most attractive, and
this year it offers no exception to the rule. There
are the old names and the old subjects, though of
course with new faces. We have Mr. Brittan
Willis's inimitable cattle, Mr. Nash's carefully de-
signed interiors, Mr. Jack Sou's exquisite landscapes,
Mr. Goodall's picturesque Pyrenean maidens, and
many another familiar friend. John Gilbert has
but two studies, but these show that he has not
been idle. No. 26, "The Battle of the Standard,"
is a vigorous painting, with all his characteristic
firmness and boldness of design. Horse and man
are trodden down in the struggle, but peril to life
or limb is little heeded in the excitement of the
contest. No. 193, " Cardinal Wolsey," shows the
haughty priest. meditating on the king's choice of
a wife. The gloom on his brow illustrates
Norfolk's eager comment—
" Observe, observe, he's moody ;"
and the imperious impatience of his air reflects the
arrogance of his decision—
"No, I'll no Bullens for him."

The figure pieces are lets numerous than the
landscapes or architectural sketches, but what
there are are mostly of a high order. Mr.
Walter Goodall's " Study iu Pyrenees," No. 19,
shows a girl seated thoughtfully by her spinning
wheel. There is no story to the name, but the
melancholy attitude, and the idle wheel might fitly
serve to illustrate Mrs. Browning's pathetic ballad,
whose refrain is—
" And now my spinning is all done."
Another similar subject by the same hand "Player
in Pyrenees" is well and carefully painted, and at
once attracts the eye. Very graphically and very
naturally told is " The Sexton's Story," No. 152,
by T. R. Lamont, who has several other sketches, all
full of promise. Carl Haag in his " Halt at the
Pyramids" gives us the indications of what we may
expect from the finished picture. Mr. Haag has
drawn most of his inspiration this year from Egyp-
tian ground, " Cairo" and " The Sphinx," being
among his most prominent studies. "The Akropolis
at Athens," although perhaps losing some of its
classic association on his canvas, stands out vividly
and forcibly in contrast to softer and more smil-
ing scenes. Some of John and William Callow's
landscapes are very beautiful. Four small pictures
in two frames, Nos. 190 and 191, will well repay
close examination. Mr. Jackson's views show us
real land and water, whether on "the Lock at
Twilight," No. 298 ; "At Wargrave," No.
268; in " Sunshine after Rain," No. 106 ;
or under an " Autumn Sunset," No. 319. Birket
Foster has only two small groups on the screens,
Nos. 356 and 373, but these are eminently charac-
teristic. Some of Mr. Collingwood's sketches show
very varied powers. There could scarcely be a
stronger contrast than between a tapestried cham-
ber of the middle ages and the wild scenery of Snow-
don and Penmaluaur, but they are each very
faithfully rendered. Mr. Burgess's " Tomb of the
Cardinal d'Amboise in Rouen Cathedral," No. 144,
is one of his happiest efforts ; and Mr. Topham's
" Spanish Letter-writer," intended fora larger pic-

,ure, is nicely painted and well grouped. Of course,
we could not have an exhibition without seeing
Naples and Venice on several parts of its walls, but
Mr. C. Goodall's " On the Lagoons" is a much hap-
pier effort than the same artist's more ambitious
"Venice from the Giardini Publici." " Summer
Afternoon at Rotterdam," No. 145, by Mr. G. H.
Andrews, is good, and his "Illustrations of British
Fisheries," No. 171, is one of the notabilities of the
Exhibition. We have the fisherman's life under all
its varieties of aspect, from shrimps to cod, from
eels to whiting, and Old Billingsgate forms the ap-
propriate centre-piece. Mr. Nash seems to have
taken a particular fancy for medixval drawing -
rooms, though he has a few less formal. sub-
jects. Mr. Brittan Willis's cattle, sheep, and
horses are all excellent. Ilis " Highland
Oxen's Head," No. 266 ; his " Sketch of Farm
Houses," 237 ; " Sheep's Head," 205 ; and
Sketches of Cattle," 188, are all admirable.
Another artist, who bids fair to attain celebrity in
the same line, is Basil Bradley, whose " Accepted
Challenge," 244, would alone preserve his reputa-
tion ; but another equally successful is a horse's
head, No. 208. Mr. B. Jones has several daring
and original but scarcely satisfactory sketches. No.
358, "A Study" (certainly not a brown but a
blue one !), gives no unfair specimens of his vigor-
ous but wayward hand. Very beautiful are some
of Mr. Valentine Bartholomew's sketches of
" Flowers from Nature," rivalled by Mr. George
Rosenberg's prints. The ladies are not without
their laurels, and in this particular department of
flower painting Miss Marion Harrison is a formid-
able competitor to the most skilful. Her " Rhodo-
dendrons," No. 82, and " Spring Flowers," No.
155, make us forget that November fogs are in the
ascendant and frost and snow close at hand. Mrs.
Criddle is a more ambitious but less pleasing artist,
while Miss Gillies is a painstaking and industrious
exhibitor. There are many other sketches of great
merit scattered throughout the Exhibition, more
especially some of the Highland and mountain land-
scapes; and at least we may congratulate ourselves
that so far as the Water Colour Society is concerned
our artists are losing nothing in imagination or in
execution.