The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-09 00:00:00

MONTHLY PERIODICALS.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.—The story of "Not
Wisely, but too Well," is concluded in this month's
number, and in a very good manner. The unfortu-
nate Kate is murdered, and only a mournful
memory remains of her. The last passages are very-
touchingly told, and she furnishes a striking in-
stance of the danger of loving " not wisely, but too
well." "Number Five Brooke-street" is continued,
and this portion of the tale is also melancholy, for
good old Sir John dies suddenly after all his guests
have departed. Mrs. Lepel, as usual, is flitting
almost in everybody's way. This story is very
smartly sketched, and some of the characters well
drawn in their respective peculiarities. " Cometh
up as a Flower" is a new story just begun, which
promises well so far, and contains some amusing
passages. " Carols from the Cancioneros," by
Denis Florence Mac-Carthy, are very flowery and
pleasing. They will be sure to attract the reader.
This author is an old favourite with those who
peruse this magazine, and they will gladly welcome
his re-appearance. ' Ecce Homo" is an article on
a curious work on theology. The subject seems to
be appropriately treated here. " The Military
Trials in Ireland" is an appropriate paper just now.

" Parcelsus and the Revival of Science in the
Nineteenth Century," will suit the learned reader,
and the " Solution of the Nile Problem" is always a
welcome subject.
THE ARGOSY.—" Griffith Gaunt" is continued at
some length in its usual vivid style, and is full of
exciting incident." " Cuckoo Song," by J. Banks,
is pleasing, and its verses are flowing and graceful.
We meet with an interesting tale by Anthony
Trollope called " Lotta Schmidt." The scene is
laid in Vienna, before the sound of coming war
disturbed its serenity. " Theatres and Music Halls"
is a paper on the controversies recently got up on
this complicated subject. The writer takes an in-
dependent view of the question, declaring that
"rights shall be protected."
COLBURN'S NEW MONTHLY.—The interest excited
by the misfortunes of the Abyssinian captives have
suggested an account of Abyssinia and its rulers,
more especially of the Emperor Theodorus 11.,
which contains some interesting information. Mrs.
Bushby continues her narrative of the fortunes and
misfortunes of Christian 11. of Denmark and the
beautiful Dyveke, and records the vicissitudes of
the king's last years. Cyrus Redding contributes
a sensible paper on " The German Crisis," and
Francis Jacob gives us some discursive reflections
on those singular instructive likes and dislikes which
are so unaccountable and yet so seldom mistaken.
The attachment or aversion manifested towards
certain persons of whom they know nothing, by
children and by animals, more especially dogs,
prove that the innocence of the former and the
instinct of the latter possess some talisman
which is no despicable guide. Lieut.-Colonel Miles
proceeds with his account of a voyage from sea to
sea, through the Isthmus of Suez, and there is also
an article on Mr. Baker's adventurous expedition to
the Albert N'yanza.
BENTLEY'S MISCELLANY.—There are several
stories in this number in which light literature pre-
dominates to a great extent. There are, however,
papers of a more substantial character, among
them an essay on shortsighted wishes, a sketch of
French aristocracy at home, and a criticism on the
annual exhibition of the Royal Academy.
THE ECLECTIC.—SeveraI topics of general in-
terest meet us in this number, in which theological
topics find a very small space. " Popular Falla-
cies in Education" is an excellent paper, dealing
with the subject of feminine education and training,
more particularly in a fair and moderate spirit.
" Frederika Bremer and her Swedish Sisters" gives
us some pleasant reading, and " Felix Holt, the
Radical" is criticised at some length. There are
other papers of varying merits. _ _

ONCE A WEEK.—This animated and well-written
miscellany is as entertaining as ever, and this, the
concluding part of the first volume of the new series,
fully maintains its improved reputation. "The
Race for Wealth," by the author of " George
Geith," is a powerful story full of lifelike interest,
and dealing with the actual men and women of the
work-a-day AvArld, nut 1-1,..-„-,..LadoWS of an ar-
tificial society. 'Mere are several otho. 4 ..I •..., “Liu
romances for the lovers of fiction, and plenty of
articles on various subjects, besides song, sketch,
and illustration without end.
THE POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW.—This Review
contains some articles of great interest, and others
of a domestic nature, coming home to our very fire-
sides, such as that on the exhaustion of our coal—a
question that goes to the root of our national great-
ness, if not of our independence. To the use of our
coal is owing the manufacture of our iron, and now
iron bids fair to supersede the use of wood in build-
ing our navy, both Royal and commercial. Our
hearts of oak may now be reckoned as of the past,
and, if the apprehensions of chemists are to be taken
for granted, so may our coal-fields in no very dis-
tant time to come. But, making all due allowance
for the providence of some and the improvidence of
others, we may still hope that there is a long career
yet in the future before Old England will bow her
head to the rivalry of her envious neighbours. She
may expect little favour at their hands, and her
best course will be to go on as she has
hitherto done, depending mainly on her own
ability and determination to achieve excellence by
superior ingenuity and unremitting exei Lion. The
question of coal has recently excited a good deal of
observation both in and out of Parl;ament, and a
Royal Commission, consisting of the most learned,
scientific, and practical men of the day, has just been
appointed to inquire into and report on the probable
quantity of coal yet rema'ling unexplored in this
country. There can be no doubt that much may
yet be discovered in vii-g.z fields never probed, or
even thought of ; for, with all or^ experience and
knowledge, much remains urknown, and all our
gems that glitter abovebovrd are as noth'ng in mag-
nitude to what—
" The vast unfathomed caves of ocean bear."

The subject is handled by Mr. Leonard Lemoran in
a practical, but very learned manner, and with no
practical bias one way or the other. His op'nion is
that as coal becomes dearer in value there will. be
greater care and economy in its use, and that as
the expense of getting it by having to go deeper
into the mine increases the labour, so will its value
be more appreciated genera"y. The increase of
price which is going on w ill be the natural check
upon any greatly increased consumption. Increased
price will lessen the brirancy of the parlour fire,
and check the waste in the kitchen. " Sun Force
and Earth Force," by Dr. Richardson, is another of
those topics which come home to every one's feel-
ings and interests. It is treated in a very free and
forcible manner, and is full of illustration. Dr.
Richardson says that attempts have been made to
demonstrate that sun force and earth force are the
same, and that Lord Bacon would appear to have
had some such thought in view when he gave utter-
ance to the singularly beautiful sentence that " hot
and cold are the two hands of nature." But the
philosopher who first boldly asserted the unity of
the two forces was a man much less known
—a man of our own time and but recently
dead—one Samuel Metcalfe. This man—tracing all
motion, all force, to solar fire—aith, the sun ; ur,
fire, gather—spent the whole of his life, much of it
in actual want, to prove that there was no necessity
to conceive two forces in nature, and that two were

impossible. This sun force, or ether, pervades all
space, and determines the constitution of bodies.
Without it there could be no motion. " Sun force
and earth force, when we know them in their
duality or unity, we shall have the key to nature."
The volcanic eruption of Santorin, " an island but
just found in the eastern part of the Mediterranean
at the southern extremity of the Morea, an account
of which has lately appeared in all the papers, is
here illustrated in a sketch map, showing its
real position in the Mediterranean Sea with an
account of its formation while in actual working.
This singular production of sea lava took place about
a year after the great volcanic eruption of Etna, so
that there seems to have been a great affinity be-
tween them, for several shocks of earthquake were
felt much about that time on the coast of Asia
Alinor, some 500 miles E.N.E. of Etna, which,
though not then disturbed, was smoking all the