The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-20 00:00:00

L I

RE.

Mr. Disraeli's Novels—Popular Edition.
Three other volumes of this charming edition of
fictions—written, most of them, more than a score of
years ago, by the right hon. gentleman, the Leader
of her Majesty's Opposition—have just now come
under our notice from the establishment of Messrs.
Warne and Company, of Covent-garden. " The
Young Duke'," as containing a brief memoir of the
Romancist-Politician, we have already referred to.
Here, grouped together, however, come three of the

happiest effusions of Mr. Disraeli's imagination and
wit—to wit, " Vivian Grey," " Sybil," and " Con-
ingsby." The two last mentioned are beyond all
doubt their author's literary masterpieces, the latter
especially. " Sybil" as a picture of The Two Na-
tions, meaning the Rich and the Poor, is enthralling.
But " Coningsby," after all, is our favourite. Si-
donia, Lord Monmouth, the Right Hon. Nicholas
Rigby, Henry Coningsby, and Edith Milibank, even
Tadpole and 'Taper—who does not remember them
who has once, no matter how long since, made their
acquaintance ? They are amongst our familiars in
literature : and, regarding them as such, we can
always renew our intercourse with them with the
utmost satisfaction.

A Century of Sonnets. By Jacob Jones. One Vol.
pp. 114. A. W. Bennett.
A veteran Sonneteer—and we don't hesitate to
add, the best of all living English Sonneteers—is
J. Jones, or (as his present title explains torus the
long-familiar initial letter of his Christian name)
Jacob Jones of the Temple, author of " Rural
Sonnets," author of " Ignez de Castro," author of
the " Anglo-Polish Harp," and other poetical writ-
ings. As was once said of Leigh Hunt in the Edin-
burgh, "we have a kindness for" —Mr. Jones. His
Sonnets on the Months, for example, have yielded
us for- years and years past, whenever we have
thought of them, a charming sense of satisfaction.
Some among them, we have come to know by heart
from the mere frequency of conning them over.
But, thereanent, we have a crow to pluck with our
author ! Why, in the name of fortune, has he been
unable to bear in mind and to act upon, the old
and acceptable adage, advising us all to leave well
alone ? His fault in the way of revision, and revision,
and revision—is the fault that has embittered the
gratification derived by us from Dr. Mark Aken-
side's " Pleasures of Imagination." The which
didactic and meditative poem—who is there that
knows it at all but will recall to mind the fact
here alluded to with a very pang of discom-
fort ! The which meditative poem appears in
all the approved editions of it in a sort of
or Siamese form—giving one almost a sense of that
incipient stage of intoxication when the victim of
his own inconsiderate drinking sees double. Mr.
Jones has so far spared his readers from this inflic-
tion, it is true, that he gives but one version of the
Sonnets he has, to our thinking, needlessly and cruelly
revised almost out of all knowledge—but the version
he now vouchsafes is one that we don't in the least i
care for, in comparison with the earlier version we
have long learnt to love, the version, too, that clings
to our remembrance very confusingly as we turn the
leaves of this otherwise most delightful volume.
Take the Sonnet on December, for example, begin-
ning, as we recall it to our recollection, in the
lovely original—
" Crowned with chrysanthemums that on his brow
Smile lonelily, like Duty tending Age."
And so forth : but here—transformed into another
kind of sonnet altogether (p. 39) beginning--
• " A Posey of chysanthemmns behold !
In his left hand, to cheer his lonely sight."
Now, we put it to Mr. Jones himself thus, quite
frankly—asking him to consider for a moment
whether—lf Thomas Gray could come to life again,
and bring out a new and revised edition, or rather
an entirely new version, of "The Elegy in a
Country Churchyard"—he, our present author,
the writer of this little book of verse entitled "A
Century of Sonnets," would not himself as a
reader (and we may surely presume as a lover)
of Gray's Muse, resent, absolutely resent, any
emendation of any one stanza, of any one line, of
any one phrase, nay, of any single word of that
same Elegy in the Country Churchyard? Whether
he would or not—we should, for one, most cer-
tainly. And, in the same spirit, we resent Mr.
Jones's emendations of Sonnets that we would
not have had either himself or anyone else
presume to touch in the way of attempted
improvement. Apart from this one blemish, the
volume under notice is very acceptable to us. It is
worthy of the writer of " Spartacus" and the
"Roman Gladiator." It is " A Century of Son-
nets" that deserves, by reason of many integral por-
tions of it, to live far beyond another century's re-
collections. It is the work of an Artist, a Poet, and
a Thinker. We handle the little green volume of
sonnets tenderly " as if we loved it" laying it aside
upon a convenient shelf for after-reference, as we
might some malachite casket filled with a collection
of delicately graven cameos.

STANFORD'S SHILLING MAP OF GERMANY—ap-
pears most opportunely at this moment, showing as
it does the Boundary of the Germanic Confedera-
tion, as well as the Territories respectively belong-
ing at this moment to Austria and Prussia—beyond
the Federal limits. Remembering how soon those
boundary lines or limits may have to be drawn
afresh upon the map of Europe, drawn not with
ink and a goosequill but with blood at the sword's
point—it will be well, of course, as a preliminary,
to refresh our memory upon the eve of these great
changes, by conning the map of Europe as it has
been ever since the last great settlement of the con-
tinental nations immediately after the Battle of
Waterloo.
Analysis of the Bate Division.

Ayes.
Sir A. Buller
Sir C. O'Loghlon
Mr. Devereux
Mr. J. Brown
Mr. Young
Sir A. Agnew „.
Mr. Davey „.
Colonel French
Mr. Stock ...
Mr. Woods
Lord Milton...

PAIRS.

Noes.
... Colonel Lowther
... Mr. Kennard
... Colonel Bernard
... Mr. B. Harvey (Bucks)
... Mr. Patton
... Hon. Gerard Noel
... Mr. Hodgson
... Mr. Long
... Sir E. Kerrison
... Mr. Lort Phillips
... Mr. Treherno

The following is an analysis of the Division on Lord
Dunkellin's motion :
Voted for the Government—
Liberals •.•
Conservative
Voted against—
Conservatives ••• •••
Liberals •••
Absent—
Liberals
Conservatives
Vacant Seats—
Hertford
Lancaster ••• ••• •••
Reigate ...
Totnes "• ••• •••
Spoaker .11 •••
Mr. Dodson (in the

~ 305
1-306

. 273

44-317

... 1
... 2

15

•• • 1

Total

13

... 1- 5

... 1

...658

The following are the names of the members, not be-.
longing to the regular Opposition, who voted against the
Government :
Agar-Ellis, L. G. Dering, Sir N. foreman, E.
Andover, Lord Doulton, F. Lowe, It.
Anson, Major Duff, it. W. MacEvoy, E.
Baring, Henry Elcho, Lord M•Kenna, J. N.
Beaumont, W. B. Finley, A. S. Mackie, J.
Biddulph, Cul. Fitzwilliam, C. W. Mainwaring. T.
mennerhassett. R. Foley, H. Marsh, M. H.
Browne, Lord J. T. Foster. W. 0. Packe, Colonel
Bruce, Lord E. A. Goldsmid, J. Peel, Sir R.
Bulkeley, Sir IL Gregory, W. Pim, J.
Carington, C. Gruevenor, Lord R. Pritchard, .T.
Cholmeloy, Sir M. Grosvenor, Earl Sheridan, It. B.
Clinton, Lord A. P. Heatheote, G. H. Tracy, C. R. D.
Clinton, Lord E. P. lieneage. E Dunkcllin, Lord
Crosland, Col.

ARRIVAL OFTROOPS FROM INDIA—THE CHOLERA.
—PLYMOUTH, Wedueslay Morning. The troop-ship
Durham, from Calcutta on the 25th February, arrived in
the Sound yesterday afternoon with the right wing of the
80th Regiment, and a detachment of the let battalion of
the 18th Regiment. Cholera broke out among the troops
at the commencement of the voyage. Soven cases termi-
nated fatally, but the last case occurred on March 3.
Renter's Telegram.
CRYSTAL PALACE.—A repetition of the concert
of 5,000 voices given on the Ist May takes place this
afternoon, when the programme will include English,
Irish, Scotch, and Welsh part songs.
HEALTH OF MR. ROEBUCK.—Mr. Roebuck, who
for some time has been absent from his parliamentary
duties in consequence of severe illness, is said to be pro-
gressing favourably towards recovery.