The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-02 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.

BLA C KWOOD. " Brownlows" is continued at
some length, and in this instalment the story
becomes more complicated, and the extraordinary
plans of Mr. Brownlow are more matured. Some
of the passages are very well described, and exhibit
great skill on the part of the author. The reader
is fully impressed with a sense of the miseries that
attend those who have riches and acquire a position
to which they arc not fully entitled, and thus pass an
anxious time in the fear and expectation of being
called to account for their possessions. The
political article of this month is called " The
Reform Bill." An animated account is given
in it of the chief events that occurred during
the stormy period of the weeks preceding the
Easter recess, and those who may have for-
gotten some of the incidents will do well to re-
fresh their memories by a perusal of the details
here met with. Among the most striking pas-
sages we may mention that in which the arduous
exertions of Mr. Disraeli are referred to, ex-
ertions which resulted in a success such as was never
witnessed before in any legislative assembly, " an
entire change of position in regard to parties." As
is truly stated, the difficulties in the way were of
the most formidable kind, and with which only
genius of the highest order, extraordinary clever-
ness in dealing with men, and a command of temper
which passes all praise, could venture to cope :
" Genius, admirable management, temper, and tact,
all have been exhibited to an extent such as has been
rarely witnessed in the House of Commons or out of it.
For let us not forget that the battle has been waged while
the commander of the forces lay upon a sick-bed, incap-
able of taking part in it. New, this, to almost any other
statesman than Mr. Disraeli would have been ruin. He
became at once personally responsible for every step taken.
Lord Derby was too ill to be consulted ; and so in another
man's Cabinet the Chancellor of the Exchequer was forced
to assume an amount of authority which did not of right
belong to him ; otherwise confusion would have followed,
and with confusion defeat must have come. Mr. Disraeli
did not hesitate as to the course which it behoved him to
follow. He assumed the responsibility. He found his
colleagues stanch. He arranged his movements with such
consummate skill, that without sacrificing a single prin-
ciple he was always ready to meet the enemy wherever
they showed themselves, and to overthrow them."
4, There was an attempt made, a few weeks ago, to de-
nounce him as shifty—feeble—effete. The speakers and
writers who indulged in these flights of rhetoric will
scarcely, we suspect, trim their feathers again in the same
direction. Mr. Disraeli has proved himself able, and there-
fo, e worthy, to lead the House of Commons under circum-
stances the most trying that ever beset a statesman."
The " terrible mistakes" which Mr. Gladstone has
committed since he began last session with a ma-
jority of seventy at his back, until he has now
routed his followers, alienated his friends, and
all but dismissed himself from the leadership
of the party, are here commented upon. The
descriptions are true throughout, which gives
them their force and meaning, and we but wit-
ness the successive stages of the past week repro-
duced before us in the failure of his schemes,
in opposing a measure of which the details were
nob before the house, his arrogance in his threats
to destroy the bill, or to force upon Ministers its
withdrawal after the house had received it, and
it is emphatically asked, " Where is he now ?"
to which, answer is given, " In the very depths
of despondency, eating his own heart, because the
Liberals in Parliament refuse to submit to his
dictation, and writing to provincial agitators, par-
ticular members of Parliament, as men are prone
to write in whom personal mortification over-
shadows all sense of public duty." As for the
\\'hig magnates, a very scant share of pity is
bestowed upon them, and we feel assured that no
large amount will be given by the worn-out
public. " They have fallen into the pit they pre-
pared for others, where they will very likely have
to remain until the end of their generation.
After monopolising office for more than thirty
years, they are indignant that the Tories should
supplant them in Downing-street even for a
while. After trading thus long on the
credulity of the people, they are furious because
the hollowness of their professions is found out."
" An Early Peep at the Show " presents us with a
very readable account of grand doings in Paris, and
after a pleasing initiation into its mysteries, it
is said that altogether these fugitive im-
pressions can render no adequate idea of the
whole Exhibition. Enough has been seen to
assure the writer of one thing that, " while
it lasts, in spite of English Dundrearyisin and
French cynicism, it is most indisputably another
wonder of the world." " Social Ambition " is a
well-considered article, worthy of careful reading,
and one which conveys some very useful hints to
those anxious to cut a figure in the world, with
little or no regard to the real value of the task before
them. " Transatlantic Fenianism " is an appro-
priate sketch jut now, and Cornelius O'Dovid

re-appears this month with his marvellous stores of
information. " How to make a Catalogue of
Books," and a " Modern Magician," complete the
contents of this interesting number of Maga, which
has more than usual attractions to offer.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—The Editor's novel of
" Old Court" proceeds with vigour, and the three
important events of a will, a fire, and a double mar-
riage are chronicled in this instalment, which we
need hardly say brings us to the close of the
strange, eventful history. An account of "A Russian
Foundling Hospital " is worth reading; and "Queen
Elizabeth and her Times" form the subject of an
historical paper of sonic pretensions. "The Luxem-
burg Question" is discussed at length ; and Francis
Jacox treats of the hairs that grow white "in a
single night," or some other brief space of time,
from care or terror. There are several tales, among
which Airs. Munster's " Thrown Away" is perhaps
the least agreeable.
COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE is more varied this
month than usual, and the diversity of its subjects
ranges over a wider field, but still keeps to the
true blue" and " red line" of its characteristic
devotion. After a brief paper "On the Estimation
of Skill in Target Shooting," we are introduced to
" Two Old Sea Captains" of the right sort, who
served under different but rival flags, one a French-
man, the other a Briton, and both originally fisher-
men. Jean Bart is familiar to naval readers, having
proved himself a dreaded visitor on our northern
coasts in former days, which were not considered
then "the good old times," but rather troublous
times, by those who entertained a natural horror of
invasion. Our own hero was one Owen Griffiths,
a lelshman, who figured in the reign of Queen
Anne, and was a sort of Lord Cochrane in those
days. Being out in his fishing boat with a man and
a boy he was captured by a French privateer, fish
and all, and had the mortification of seeing his trim
little craft sunk before his eyes, while the French-
men were busy in cooking the fish which he had
caught for the people on shore, and were regaling
themselves on an unexpected and delicious change
of diet. The poor Welshman and his two com-
panions were made as comfortable as prisoners
could expect, but were considered as of no account
among so many men. But Owen Griffiths
took note of matters as they were cruis-
ing about, and taking advantage of the
easy confidence of his captors he told his two com-
panions in captivity what he was about to do. In
the midnight watch, while one half the crew were
below asleep and those on deck half drowsy, he
quietly battened down the hatches, armed his friends
with pikes, and, with hatchet in hand, he fell on the
poor Frenchmen—despatched some, and fought the
remainder with such energy that he soon carried
the deck, and sailed with his prize to England,
where he astonished not only the natives, but the
whole kingdom, by his wonderful bravery. Nor was
this his only feat of valour—be took a line-of-battle
ship off the port of Genoa with a small ship half her
size, and was rewarded by " their Honours and
glorys of the Admiralty" in those days for his un-
toward gallantry, which they denoted treason, for
risking her Majesty's ship ! Such was the temper
of my Lords in the good times of Queen Anne,
who right royally snubbed their mightinesses by
granting a pardon to the bold captain on his arrival
In England with his prize. " Pensioners and Re-
cruits" deals with a subject of interest just now
when the army is all the " go," and the poor re-
wards to men who have served their time in the
service, and the poorer inducements to recruits to
enter, are ably discussed. " The Escape" of an
unfortunate aide-de-camp during the mutiny is very
interesting, and proves that the heart of women is
akin to kindness, no matter of what colour or creed
a fellow-creature may be. "De Suffren," a cele-
brated Admiral of France, forms another interest-
ing article. The editor's remarks on some of the
notable ozeurrences of the day are as usual pointed
and very appropriate, as in the case of the Jamaica
" malignant philanthropists," and " the glorious
uncertainty of the law."
THE NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.—The details of
the campaign in South Germany are not, we should
imagine, very interesting to any but military men,
but those who care to learn more of them may
study the closely-written pages of the opening
article in the New Monthly. Cyrus Redding fur-
nishes an article on " Yachts and Yacht Sailing,"
which is attractive to the general reader, and, of
course, doubly so to the amateur seaman. Francis
Jacox has a better paper than usual, derived from
"A Cue from ' In Memoriam,'" and he styles it,
" Love-loss and Love-less." The lines which form
his text are, of course, those beautiful and familiar
ones—

"I hold it true, whete'er befal,
I feel it when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all."
It is not a little interesting to find how many
great and gifted minds have, even in their hours
of grief and despondency, held to the same theory.
The " Wanderings Through Italy in Search of its
Ancient Remains"—by C raufurd T. Ramage, LL.D.
—are continued, though we should imagine that
he and his readers are alike weary of the search.
The lovers of the horrible and startling should cer-
tainly be well pleased with the fiction department
in this magazine, for the supernatural, the mysteri-
ous, and the appalling are its chief characteristics.
We have two legendary pipers, hut these are less
alarming than the seemingly
simple domestic tales
uf the day.
TEMPLE-BAR.—" Steven Lawrence, Yeoman" is
continued, and a curious contrast is presented by
the worn-out man of fashion, Lord Pstres, and the
uncultivated individual who was quite out of his
element in scenes of fashion. "Passing Notes on
our Neighbours" is an amusing sketch, which is not
very complimentary iu its remarks on the cleanli-
ness of the people, and in things that pertain to
health and comfort. " France is fifty years'
behind England." " Ned Loxley's First Ser-
mon " is a peculiar account of adventures, which
were not very favourable, on the whole, to the de-
livery of a good sermon, and were rather calculated
to suit the stage more than the pulpit. " A Lost
Name," by the author of " Uncle Silas," is sure to
interest many readers, and it begins in an exciting
and eventful manner at once. " Miss Marlyn "
bids fair to be an important character in tke tale.
"The Service of Plate" is an entertaining
account of uncomfortable grandeur and extreme
fussiness that devolved upon an unfortunate man
who was possessed of this " magnificent present,"
which did not conduce very much to his comfort or
prosperity. " Allie Fletcher "is the beginning of
a story which is very-well-written, and promises to
be- very interesting ; it is-, however, painful in its
details. " A Drive to the Desert" transports one
to distant views ; and it is mentioned that a gene-
ral opinion prevails that if England had Algeria
all would have been happier and more prosperous.
" L'Auto da Fe" is an impressive sketch in verse
of the sacrifice performed in the burning of " old
letters." " Monsieur Ferrand," a tale of the
Grande Armee, furnishes us with an exciting
sketch of past times. " Going the Rounds "
shows life under some not very pleasing aspects.
" The Omnibus Orator " exhibits a man more
likely to be entertained in print than in popular
persons.

MACMILLAN.—The opening article in illacniillan
is a lecture on the elementary principles in art by
an anonymous writer. It is able and thoughtful,
though no doubt some of its doctrines may be dis-
puted by the reader. " Social Di,,integration" is
the alarming title of an unpretending and readable
paper on the relations of the rich and the poor under
the present state of things, in which many causes
of mutual alienation are pointed out, though it is
easier iu such cases to detect the evil than to find
the remedy. " A French Religious Memoir" is the
title of an article on the first part of the touching
life of Alexandrine de Terronays. The criticism
before us refers only to her youth and married life,
although the memoirs of her widowhood have been
written by loving hands. One of the papers best
worth reading in this number is a contribution by
Fanny Kemble, " Some Notes upon the Characters
in Shakspere's Play of Macbeth,' " which show a
fine discriminative insight into character, and a full
appreciation of the subtle shades of thought and
feeling so accurately painted by the hand of the
great waster, For stories we have the further in-

stalments of the two powerful but unsatisfactory
tales running on from month to month. " Silcote
of Silcotes " grows in every chapter more wild and
incomprehensible, while "Old Sir Douglas" is painful
and gloomy. The characters may be life-like, but Alice
is certainly an extreme specimen of evil which pro-
fesses good, and had old Sir Douglas been as true-
hearted and noble-minded as he is represented, he
would not have fallen into the grievous error of
distrusting his wife and believing his sister. Neither
would Gertrude, high-principled, truthful, and
devoted as she was, have allowed herself to be en-

tangled in such an imbroglio for lack of a little
timely plain speaking and confidence in her hus-
band. Very good people are very miserable in this
6tory, but it is impossible to avoid seeing that it is
in consequence of their own studious efforts to
become so. " A Cheap Tour near Home " dis-
cusses the adventures and misadventures of a trip to
Mont St. Michel, and a few pages about the Paris
Exhibition form a pleasant and animated conclusion
to the May number.

r. 02
- •
finurt 44%. eira •

HER MAJESTY, &c.

WINDSOR CASTLE, May 1.

The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
Princess Louise, went to London yesterday after-
noon.

Her Majesty travelled by special train on the
Great Western Railway to Paddington, and drove
from thence to Marlborough House, and visited the
Prince and Princess of Wales. Afterwards her
Majesty returned to Windsor Castle. Lady
Churchill and Lord Alfred Paget were in
attendance.