The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-13 00:00:00

BATH SPRING RACES.

The extreme fineness of the weather attracted a very numer-
ous and fashionable attendance at the Spring Races, which
commenced on Lausdown on Wednesday. Numerous splendid
equipages were on the ground ; the running was of the first
character, and the number of horses entered, greater than at
any previous Spring Meeting. The following is the account of
the running :
The Lansdown Trial Stakes, 15 sovs. each, 10 ft., for Horses that
never won (matches excepted.) One mile and a quarter.
Mr. H. Biggs's Miss Badsley, 2 yrs 1
Mr. C. W. Codrington named ch. c. by Phantom 2

A Sweepstakes of 20 sovs. each, h. ft., for two years old (not
thorough bred.) The last three quarters of a mile.
Mr. H. W. Hicks's Swing
Mr. T. Pickernell's Witley 2
Mr. C. W. Codrington's Dodington 3
The Ladies' Silver Cup, value 30 sovs., added to a Sweepstakes
of 5 sovs. each, for Horses not thorough bred. One mile and
a quarter. Gentlemen riders. The second horse to save
his stake.
Mr. H. Peyton named Confidence, 6 yrs ... 0 1 1
Mr. J. Bayly named br. g., by Blucher 4 yrs 2 2 dr.
Hon. M. Ongley's The Flyer, 6 yrs
Captain Rhys named Sister to the Admiral 3 0 2

The Hack Stakes, a Sweepstakes of 3 sovs. each, with a Piece
of Plate added. The winner to be sold for 50 sovs. Heats, one
mile. Gentlemen riders.
Hon. M. Ongley's Sappho, 4 yrs
Mr. R. Hayward named Pencil, 4 yrs
Mr. Harris's Sarah, aged
APRIL 12.—The Kelston Handicap of 15 sovs. each, 10 ft.

One mile.
Mr. Griffiths"fhorngroye, 4 yrs I
Mr. Thompson's Suke, 3 yrs 2
The Dodington Park Stakes of 20 sous. each, h. ft. Two miles.

Mr. H. Payton named Brilliant, aged 1
Hon. M. Ongley's The Flyer, 6 yrs 2
Mr. J. Reeve's Moses, aged 3
The York Stakes, a forced Handicap of 5 sovs. each, with
20 added. Heats. One mile.
Mr. Griffith's Thorngrove, 4 yrs
Hon. M. Ongley's Pandora, 4 yrs '2 dr
Mr. Dundas's Scrub, 4 yrs 0 I '2
The Hunters' Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with '2O added.
One mile and a quarter.
Mr. J. Bayly named Blucher, 4 yrs
Mr. T. Calley named Miss Wolverton, 6 yrs 2 3
Match of 50 sovs. each. One mile and a quarter. Gentlemen

LITERATUrtg.

WOMAN'S .ILO YE. S VOLS. LONDON, 1835 .

There is some forcif)fc in this novel
which does credit to the head an'ti heart of the
authoress. The interest, however, flags tertibly
in many places, sometimes for whole chapters
together; in consequence of her ambitious love
of description. 'ne tale is in three volumes,
it would be excellent oudensed into two.
The finest portion of it is decidetli) the trial
scene towards the close, where the hero Charles
Beresford is accused by his cousin, Guy
Boroughs, to whom he bears a striking re-
semblace, of forgery. In the progress of this
trial the innocence of Beresford is unexpectedly
proved by the evidence of Rachel Melburst, the
deserted mistress of Boroughs. As Mrs, Grim-
ston has evidently taken considerable pains with
the development of this character, it is but
common justice to give an extract, which, we
think, evidences no mean powers of description.

" For a moment the prisoner and all connected with
the circumstances of the day were forgotten, and Rachel
rivetted attention. She was so attenuated that bone and
muscle seemed all that remained of her form : so perfectly
pallid, that no vital fluid seemed to wander in her reins :
so fixed and rigid, that her features looked as if chiselled
from stone, and left rough-hewn, without any of those
softening touches with which laborious art returns to the
first bald effort of genius. Her large dark dilating eyes
were far sunk in their sockets, and glared like funeral
lights above the pallor of her high cheek bang : her dark
hair, drawn in a knot upon the top of her head, left her
forehead perfectly bare, on which the veins stood out dis-
tinct like cords, as if what of the vital stream was left her
frame was distending them. Her temples, like her
cheeks and eyes, were fearfully hollow, and throbbed with
a pulse that a distant eye might have counted : the deep
shadows thus thrown upon' her countenance would have
given it the appearance of the ♦isage of a skeleton, but
for the horrid lustre of her eyes, and the classic and living
grace still discernible in her form, and especially in the air
and outline of her head."

MEMOIRS OF SIR JAMES CAMPBELL
OF ARDIUNGLAS, IY.RIT TEN BY HIM-
SELF. Two Vots.

Autobiography has its unrivalled charms,
which admit of no mediocrity. A person whose
autobiography does not contain some importance
of incident or some character of mind becomes
an insipid twaddler ; but if he can combine these
attractions, his life, written by himself, is certain
to prove a source of high gratification. Sir
James Campbell passed through so many parts
of Europe, and was the eye-witness of so many
important scenes, that the matter of the work is
full of entertainment. His powers of descrip-
tion and of sketching character are considerable ;
and although his style is desultory, and his mode
of thinking not always logical, the author is
identified with his work, so as to make it an
agreeable companion. To the lover of anec-
dotes, and of light sketches of individual pecu-
liarities, the book will be attractive. The period
commences in 1745, and is brought down to
1822 ; and a period more full of events does not
occur in the annals of time.

STANLEY BUXTON. THREE VOLS.
LONDON, 1832.

This tale is as far superior to Bogle Corbet as
it is inferior to Lawrie Todd. It is fuller of
incident, less prosing and monotonous than the
first, but deficient in the character, the descrip-
tion and the occasional touches of quaint but
sterling pathos, which lend such a charm to
honest Todd's autobiography. The hero,
Stanley Buxton, is the supposed son of the Earl
of Elrington, but, in reality, of one of his ser-
vant maids, who had exchanged children with
the Countess. For some reason or other, how-
ever, which is not made sufficiently manifest,
the secret of Stanley Buxton's birth is betrayed
by his own mother, and he is, in consequence,
driven forth into the world to seek his own for-
tune. This plot will at once remind the reader
of Savage and the Countess of Macclesfield ; but
it is but fair to say that it is the only incident in
the tale, which, so far as we can perceive, is not
original. The best character is undoubtedly
that of Miss Sibby Ruart, an admirably por-
trayed Scotch old maid, of a school, now, we
believe, last passing away. On the whole, the
novel is a clever one, though Mr. Galt, here
and there, betrays his perfect acquaintance with
the convenient art of book-making.

B UCKE'S LIFE OP AKENSIDE.
LONDON, 1832.

Notwithstanding the strenuous efforts of Mr.
Bucke to bolster up the lyrics of Akenside, we
fear he will meet with no answering sympathy in
public opinion. Akenside, the didactic, is im-
mortal, but Akenside the lyric poet is already
dead and forgotten. We have a faint recollection
of his " Ode to the Earl of Huntingdon," but
cannot call to mind that, according to Mr.
Bucke, " it is the finest and most powerful lyric
poem in the language." If we remember rightly
—and we beg to be understood as speaking
under correction—it is heavy, verbose, elaborate,
in fact, a complete petrifaction of feeling. On
the " Pleasures of Imagination" we cordially
coincide in opinion with Mr. Bucke. If that fine
poem contained no other striking passage than
the memorable apostrophe to Brutus, " refulgent
from the stroke of Cesar's fate," it would de-
serve all the praise that Johnson, Southey, and
other eminent judges have lavished on it. Mr.
Bucke's volume—which, by the way, is the pro-
duction of a scholar and a gentleman—is embel-
lished, we might almost say deformed, with a
most outré likeness of Akenside, resembling
nothing " either in heaven above, the earth be-
neath, or the waters ur.der the earth."

THE YOUNGER SON. 3 VoLs. Lo.vnox. 1831.

There is unquestionable force and vigour in
this tale—many of whose most impassioned
scenes are clearly transcripts from real life—but
much also that is offensive to good taste and
repulsive to feeling. The author, who, we have
been given to understand, is the well-known
Captain Trelawnay, has been, like the hero of
the Odyssey, a wanderer in all climes and among
all classes of men, and has here presented us
with the fruits of his extensive observation and
experience. The most vigorous portions of -his
tale are those which detail his sufferings in early
youth, when he first entered as a midshipman in
the navy : these he paints with all the breadth
and freedom of Smollett, though with far more
bitterness and energy. His naval descriptions

re full of freshness, and his battle scenes;worthy
times of the American novelist, Cooper. But
lie is too reckless and headstrong and uncom-
dromising in his avowal of anti-social opinions,
,o accord with the sympathies of sober English
:•eadcrs. Yet his book will be read with interest
Iy many, *specially by the young ; for it is ful
d life, and teems with incident. The characters
of the crabbed old Cornish schoolmaster and his
sullen assistant are most happily pourtrayed ;
but the incident of the Taira: is strikingly re-
pulsive, and should have been omitted. We
regret that we have no space for extracts.

EDWARD S' BO TANNICAL REGIS TER,

OR ORNAMENTAL FLOWER CARDEN AND HItUBBERY.
NEW SERIES. CONTINUED BY PIiCkFESSOR LINDLEY.

The second number of the fifth volume of this
beautiful and interesting work maintains the
splendour undiminished of its preceding ones.
Out of its eight subjects we shall instance the
two following, es containing points of most
novelty, and briefly cite their short histories for
the information of such of our readers who take
delight in the superintendance of their own
flower gardens or conservatories, and with whom
Mr. Lindley's hints on cultivation, and general
habit will meet a ready reception :

" Eatable quamaseia. (camassia escu!enta) is a beauti-
ful plant, sent some years since from North West
America by Mr. Douglas, to the Horticultural Society,
but did not fl ,wer till last July. We scarcely remember to
have seen a more strikingly handsome bulbous plant : no
art cask do justice to the rich colour of the flower, which,
although of the most intense" purple, yet is so relieved by
the sating sparkling lustre of the cuticle, as to have quite
a light and elegant effect ;—it has been cultivated hitherto
in a neat border, under a north wall, where it grows freely,
proving quite hardy—increased readily by seeds."
" Horn-flowered air plant (aerides cornutum.) This
most lovely plant was originally obtained by Dr. Roxbuigh,
from Dace', and subsequently, by Dr. Wallich, from
Noakote, where it grows upon trees, blossoming in June.
In Calcutta it has gained the name of the Jamaica
pomatum plant, from the rich fragrance of its flowers re-
sembling the unguent 89 called. For ourselves, we com-
pared it rather to the odour of the tuberose. It is certainly
the most interesting of its tribe that has yet !wn introduced,
whether we consider the great mass of its blipooms, their
curious form, or delicate colour, or long duration, or deli-
cious perfume."

* Kown among the natives by the name of quamash, and the
bulbs are carefully collected by them and baked between hot
stones, when they assume the appearance of baked pears, and are
of an agreeable white taste. Thee form a great part of their
winter stores. Though an agreeable food to Governor Lewis's
party, they occasion bowel complaints if eaten in any quantity.