The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 7, 1866,

LITERATURE.

The Life and Letters of Lady Arabella Stuart.
With numerous original and unpublished Docu-
ments. By Elizabeth Cooper, author of " A
Popular History of America." 2 vols. Hurst
and Blackett.

An enthralling chapter of the romance of his-
tory chronicles the fortunes, or rather we should
say the misfortunes; of Arabella Stuart. This
hapless lady, after a long imprisonment, expiated
by a death in prison, her only crime, the inherit-
ance of the name of Stuart, a name almost inva-
riably synonymous with misfortune. This inte-
refting history has been recorded in a most inte-
resting manner by the talented authoress of a
popular history of America. With a skilful hand
she has selected and presented to us numerous
hitherto unpublished documents relating to the
unfortunate subject of her memoir, and in so doing
she has with a graphic pencil pourtrayed to us the
domestic life and manners of the period. Thus we
find the early days of Arabella, which were passed
at Hardwick Hall, under the care of the Earl and
Countess of Shrewsbury, minutely particularised.
At seven in the morning breakfast was served to
the royal lady in her own apartment—a right
royal apartment hung with rich tapestry.
This broakast was sufficiently substantial, consisting
of " Half a loaf of household bread, a manchet, or
loaf of the finest flour, a quart of ale, and a chicken
or some broiled bones." Prayers followed, and then
the studious maiden devoted herself to her books.
Languages formed the chief object of her studies—
Latin especially—but French, Italian, and Spanish
were likewise taught her, grammatically and conver-
sationally. She had also to study the Greek Testa-
ment, and Plato in the original, to receive lessons on
the lute and virginals, which, with instruction in
spinning and embroidery, " physick," surgery, con-
fectionery, and " herbs" must have given her enough
to do. Dinner was served an hour before noon
with great state and ceremony. The rest of the
day was spent in hunting, or in various games and
pastimes within doors—interrupted only by the
supper at seven, and prayers in the chapel at ten---
after which the household separated for the
night. Thus tranquilly passed the early days
of the unhappy Arabella Stuart. The vicissi-
tudes of her after career, fluctuating between
a palace and a prison, are very faithfully depicted.
Sad indeed is the termination to her brief dream of
happiness, and with regretful sympathy the reader
of this very interesting narrative closes the last
volume which records the fate of Arabella Stuart.

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Drafts on My Memory. By Lord William Pitt
Lennox. Two Vols. Chapman and hall.
A pleasant gossipping book of anecdote and re-
miniscence, relating, as the author tells us, to Men
he has known, Things he has seen, and Places he
has visited. These Men and Things and Places are
for the most part well deserving of remembrance,
the Men including in their number the names of
Wellington, Byron, Kemble, Brumwell, Theodore
Hook, Sir Robert Peel, Count d'Orsay, Sydney
Smith, Cardinal Fesch, Grimaldi, O'Connell, Sheil,
Talleyrand, and others.
As a specimen of some of the amusing Things in
particular Places pleasantly described to us, let us
take almost at random the following examples of
what the author justly denominates, "My Own
Prowess" :
An aquatic deed of my own caused me no little prid ,
though it is scarcely fair to mention it after such achieve
ruents. I was staying with Ball Hughes at a villa he had
for the summer, on the banks of the gentle Mole, near
Esher. We had all been at Epsom Races, and were dusty
and hot. While lounging on the lawn before dressing,
I remarked what a luxury it would be to have a
swim. "Can you swim ?" asked my host. " Pretty
well," I replied. " I'll bet you fifty pounds," continued
he, "that you do not jump in head foremost as you
are, swim to that tree and back in five minutes." " I sup-
pose if I say done," I replied, "I may take off my hat, and
leave my watch in your possession." "I agree to the latter,
not to the former. Is it a bet ?" "It is." "George,"
said the Golden Ball, addressing the late Sir George Womb-
" you must be timekeeper. When William Lennox
ready, you must give the word. He must take a header,
swim for that willow tree, touch its branches, and return
in five minutes." The word was given, I plunged in
head foremost, and found myself regularly " baaneted"
under the water, as my hat had slipped down over my face.
In a second or two I raised it, swam out, reached the goal,
te44,.414—, 4, vtri,,,,,44 ws back at the startinK-place
q
with a minute to spare. In less time than 1 can Tax° to
record it, I ran up to my bed-room, took off my drenched
garments, got between two blankets, and was down at
dinner wonderfully refreshed in body, and still more in
mind by the "refresher" of fifty pounds, which I found
under my napkin. Since that period I have never caught
a glimpse of the sluggish Mole without being reminded of
my aquatic feat.
I was equally successful in winning another wager from
" The Golden Ball." The late Earl Fitzhardinge had made
me a present of a splendid old hunter, called Goliah,
whose wind was too much touched for a gallop, but who
was perfect at a walk or a gentle trot, and as a fencer. One
day I was driving him in a tilbury in Hyde-park, where,
from his beauty and symmetry, ho was the admiration of
all. Ball Hughes noticed him. " What a hunter he would
make !" said he. "He was one of the best in the world,"
I responded ; " and oven now he would leap almost any
fence in the country ; wonderful too at timber ; he would
fiy over those railings." This was an allusion to some
high wooden railings that then enclosed the park. "
bet you five pounds," said the exquisite, " that he does
not." "Done," said I; "I will do it to-morrow." "Oh,
no," it must be done at once. The bet I propose is, that
you have him taken out of the tilbury, and without saddle
clear the highest rail in the park, in a sporting manner.
"Done," said I, "with this stipulation, that as the
rails are equally high near Kensington Gardens, you
select one there, so as to be out of the way of the horse-
men and carriages." " Agreed," he said, " and Fred Fitz
Clarence shall be the umpire." Fitz Clarence, Ball Hughes,
his friend Lloyd, and myself, proceeded to the spot, where
I took Goliah out of the tilbury, fastened his traces over
his loins, undid tho bearing rein, got a "lift" on, and
charged the rail, retaking the leap back again into the
road. " Fairly won," declared the umpire ; " that animal
would be worth four hundred pounds if his wind was
Si sound."

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In justice to Lord William it must be observed
that he generally prefers relating the prowess of
others. His anecdotes are singularly varied, and
excessively amusing, and a vein of good humour
runs throughout the whole work.

the " human angel" whose " voice cried in the
wilderness." As a specimen of the musical versi-
fication and simple eloquence of the style, witness

the closing lines of the first canto, " the Advent,"
in which the " Magnificat" is thus alluded to :
' Then Mary's pent-up joy burst forth in song,
That deathless song that lives iu echoes still ;
The sweet Judean breezes sore along,
Through all the world ! A melody to fill

All hearts with ecstasy, all eyes with light,
Make earth a Heaven, and Heaven itself more bright."
Another eloquent passage celebrates the virtue of
Patience. " Patience is silent Hope." The whole
poem, throughout, is full of beautiful thoughts very
beautifully expressed.

Lectures on the University (,j. Cambridge in England.
By William Everett, M.A., Trinity College,
Cambridge. S. 0. Beeton.

These very interesting lactures on the men and
manners of the University of Cambridge, by an
American, who has himself enjoyed the fostering
care of Alma Mater, were originally delivered in
America, and are now introduced to the English
public. The author is the ion of the well-known
Edward Everett, the American minister.

he Model Ready Reckoner. One vol., pp. 288.
Frederic Warne and Company.

The handiest book of calculations we have ever
been fortunate enough to light upon is this wonder-
ful little pocket volume, called (advisedly) by the
publishers of it, The Mockl Ready Reckoner. Turn-
ing over the leaves and recognising at a glance
the multiplicity of figures compacted together
beyond all even proximate computation, within the
compass of these 288 minute pages, it is really con-
soling to read the announcement put forth in the
shape of a prefatory paragraph to the effect that the
text (to insure its perfect correctness) has passed
through the hands of numerous editors. One man
must infallibly, if left to himself, have been landed
in Bedlam. The division of • labour, here, was the
best means that could have been hit upon for the
avoidance of the otherwise imminent risk of in-
sanity. Here, indeed, is a case of limited liabi-
lity ! And the simplicity of the work when
done is something really marvellous. It is
like a world of mazes not one maze alone,
but a very world of mazes. And yet with
a distinct clue to be grasped at any moment
in regard to each—at every turn, at every step,
point by point, with inevitable accuracy. Open the
book literally haphazard. ! Say you want to learn, in
the twinkling of an eye, how much would be ninety-
seven times sixpence halfpenny—there you have it
on page 72, at the point required, the precise amount
being £6 13s. 4id. Then there is the interest table
on the product system—there are the Commission
Tables—Customary Weights and Measures, alpha-
betically arranged—Table of Time—Long measure

—Cloth measure—Square or Land measure—Solid
or Cubic measure—Geographical or Nautical mea-
sure—Avoirdupois weight, Troy weight, Apotheca-
ries' weight—Fluid measure and Dry measure—Wine
measure and Beer measure—Books and Paper, and
so forth. Every conceivable, scrap, in fact, of
numerical information. The Little Book is to the
Library what George Bidder as a Boy, as the Cal-
culating Boy must have been among men—a very
marvel of reliable and instantly accessible infor-

'nation.

12st each ; winners and professionals 71b extra. About
3 miles. (9 subs.)

Capt. Johustone's Lincoln, aged, 12st 71b (inc. 71b
extra) (Hon. Capt. tare) 1
Mr. Atkinson's Comet, aged, 19st
Mr. Summer's Ivanhoff, a., 12st 71b (inc 71b ex) (Sadler) 3
The following also ran : —Stoneham, Langford, Wizard,
Meerschaum, Scuffier, and Pauline.

Betting-2 to 1 agst Meerschaum, 3to 1 agst Wizard, 4
to 1 agst Lincoln, and 5 to 1 agst Ivanhoff.

CAT TERICK-BRID GE RACES. -FRIDAY.

The Brough Handicap of 50 sovs, added to a sweepstakes
of 7 sovs each ; winners extra. One mile and a quarter.
Mr. Goodlass's Nizam, 3 yrs, 6st 21b (Lawrence 1
Mr. Gardner's Three per Cent., 3 yrs, 7st 121 b ...(Bates 2
Lord Zetland's El Cid, 3 yr. 3, 7st (including 41b extra
(P. Chalioner) 3
The following also ran :—Savernake, Cripple, Lady of
the Tees, Claros, and Bob Chambers.
Betting-7 to 4 agst El Cid, 3to 1 agst Savernake, sto
1 agst Nizam, Bto 1 agst Three per Cent. 'Won by three
lengths, half a length between second and third. An ob-
jection against the winner was subsequently withdrawn.
Savernake, who came in second, was disqualified for going
the wrong side of a post, Three per Cent. being thereupon
placed second, and El Cid third.
The Oran Stakes of 5 soya each, with 50 added; for 2-yr-
olds ; colts, Bst 101 b; fillies and geldings, Bst 61b
penalties and allowances. Four furlongs 147 yards.
Mr. Gordon's Bracken, Bst 131 b (J. Snowden) 1
Mr. T. Dawson's Corporal, Bst 101 b (Cameron)) 2
Ur. M‘Kenzie's Sycee, 9et (Norris 3
The following also ran :—Peg Fife, Ladylike, Tidy, Rap,
Gipsy Queen, and Lord of the Isles.
Betting--6 to 4 agst Sycee, 7to 2 agst Bracken, 6to 1
agst Corporal. Won by a neck ; a head between second
and third. _ _

The Catterick Selling Stakes of 3 sovs each, with 25 added.
4 furlongs 147 yards.

Antique, 7st 71b (Carroll 1
Douro, 7st 71b (Whiteley 2
Balsam, 7st 111 b (Morris 3