The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-24 00:00:00

The Queen of Hearts. By Wilkie Collins, author
of " The Dead Secret." Three vols. Hurst and

Blackett.
Those who delight in ingenious stories that are
detailed with consummate skill will find a most
attractive study in these volumes. This author
certainly excels in his peculiar style, and the hair-
breadth snares and escapes of his heroes and hero-
ines are like the tales of old romance, and resemble
the marvellous chronicles of an earlier age. Most
of these sketches have appeared before the public
in periodicals, but they are well worthy of reproduc-
tion in a more lasting form, and in these compila-
tions they will meet the attention of many who are
as yet strangers to their merits. The story which
is the connecting link to the ten records is not of
much import. It is chiefly conspicuous for the
great ingenuity with which the narrators of the
events are contrived to appear mixed up with the
characters they describe. They were three brothers,
living together in retirement after the fever of life's
busy meridian was over, and the only auditor of
their wonderful compositions was a young lady,
styled, from her fascinating qualities and peculiar
attractions, the Queen of Hearts. Of these gen-
tlemen were a lawyer, a clergymen, and a
doctor, and hence they were sure to have
been mixed up with all that human nature
can endure of suffering, sin, and sorrow. There is
an immense variety in the pages of this book.
Perhaps the most fearful in its thrilling horror of
the tales is that mysterious one of the " Dream—
Woman." " The Parson's Scruple" is also to be
noticed from the natural way in which the events
occurred. It is in this that the skill of the novelist
is revealed by those nice touches of domestic life,
and those apparently trivial incidents, upon which,
however, the fate of our existence often depends.
" The Black Cottage" is another impressive narra-
tive that cannot fail to excite the interest of the
reader to the utmost pitch. It is here introduced as
the tale of a young girl alone by night and in peril of
her life in a cottage on a dreary moor. She displayed
a courage that would have been remarkable in the
strongest man placed under such circumstances,
and it is a relief to the mind when she reaches a
friendly shelter after her perilous flight on that
dreary moor. Taken altogether, these volumes may
be fairly recommended to the general readers of
romance, while, from their skill and ingenuity, they
may be welcome to many who are not professed
novel readers. " The Queen of Hearts" is most
likely to prove a general favourite, and to gain a
numerous circle of admirers, thus enhancing its
author's already wide-spread popularity.

Reading and Teaching. By. Mrs. Richard Valen-
tine, author of " Beatrice," &c. William Tegg.
This little volume will be most acceptable to both
parents andpupils. It consists of explanatory con-
versations on the Parables, in language and style
suited to a child's comprehension, which teach
the lessons even the youngest may draw from
them. It is an encouraging fact for those who
make use of them that these explanations were
given verbally to a real little Honora, and the ease
with which she comprehended and applied the
teaching suggested that it might be equally useful
to others. The introductory chapter tells us of
Honora's mother's promise to her little girl that she
shall be permitted to commence reading the New"
Testament with her. While she is considering
how best to fulfil this promise a friend joins her,
whom she consults on the subject. Mrs. Ross
advises her friend to commence with the study of
the Par ables, aptly observing that such was the
manner in which the great Teacher himself taught
an ignorant and unlettered people. The conversa-
tions are admirably adapted to impress the minds
and hearts of the young, and as it is of the greatest
importance that early lessons on such subjects
should be clear and simple, the plain and lucfd style
is a great recommendation. The volume is inter-
spersed with pleasant conversations held on Sun-
days by the little circle at Selby Manor. The
work is admirably adapted for reading with young
children or for private reading for young scholars a
little more advanced. In both cases it is full of
suggestive instruction, and in this respect is equally
valuable to teachers and pupils.

Bentley's Quarterly Review. No. 111.
Bentley's Quarterly Review is now a recognised
member among the leaders of the world of serials.
It has at once taken its stand among old and long-
established contemporaries, and shares the dignity
and divides the attention belonging to Reviews
which fought their way into literary eminence
under the banners of Giffard, Jeffrey, Sydney Smith,
and their brilliant coadjutors. Much of this sudden
success is doubtless owing to the alteration in the
times. The newcomer is reaping from the labours
of others, and the remarkable (104 which esta-
blished the earlier Quarterlies has given a prestige
and reputation to this style of literature which has
not been suffered to fall off. It has certainly much
to attract those who are indifferent to light and
fugitive productions, while their press of occupation
prevents them from reading those more solid and
standard works better adapted to their taste. One
of Lord Macaulay's Edinburgh Essays has often
the condensed information to be found in a bulky
volume, though within the compass of a railway
journey's reading. The third number of Bentley's
Quarterly fully maintains the reputation of the two
preceding ones. It opens with an article on " France
and Europe," which will repay perusal, although
the reader may be disposed to differ from some of
the opinions. The author considers that the clue
to the mysterious and perplexing policy of the Em-
peror of the French is to be found in his desire to
break up the European alliance which was
formed against the first Napoleon. He is of
opinion that the Turkish question was " fanned
into a quarrel," and the war was undertaken, on
the part of the French Emperor, in order to detach
Russia from the anti-Nepoleonic alliance. The
Italian cauipaign was next commenced, and one of
its principal objects, according' to this theory, was
to sow dissension between England and Austria, by
evoking the English sympathies in favour of
Italian liberty. It now only remains, says this in-
genious reasoner, to break off the alliance between
England and Prussia, which, accordingly, will be
the next object to be attained. The ingenuity of
this hypothesis is worthy of commendation, but on
some of the author's points we differ from him en-
tirely. He slights altogether the miseries result-
ing from Austrian misrule in Italy, as he asserts
that the two worst governed States are both under
native Sovereigns. In drawing his conclusion too,
we cannot but think he attaches unnecessary im-
portance to the maintenance of our German alliance.
We imagine that Wellington's army would have
been more missed than Blucher's on the eventful
18th of June. But the writer strongly protests
against the policy of isolation. He is even afraid
of our carrying neutrality too far, and depriving
ourselves of allies in the hour of danger. • The great
difference between the fate of Prussia and England
in the last European war was entirely owing, he
considers, to the difference between the comman-
ders. " Had there been a Nelson at Jena, and a
Brunswick at Trafalgar,- Prussia would have
escaped five years of bitter bondage, and we should
now have been able to enlighten Mr. Bright, from
actual experience, as to whether it is cheaper to let
the French army into England, or to keep them
out." This is saying too much, for all his marvel-
lous generalship did not avail the first Napoleon,
and the instances are not few in history
where the abilities of commanders, and
the force of invading armies have alike
yielded to the wrath of a determined people. "M.
Guizot's Memoirs" furnish the subject for another
article on French politics, which gives credit to the
ex-Premier for a higher degree of public spirit and
principle than all of his acts testify. A plea-
sant paper on " Surrey" records the peculiarities of
the county, and does full justice to the beauty of its
scenery and the archaeological interest of its asso-
ciations. An essay on the " Connection of the
Phi sical Sciences" takes a hurried view of an ex-
tended subject. The relations between the sciences,
which every fresh discovery and every advancing
step in knowledge tends to confirm and develope, is
a question of such importance, and such widely ex-
tending influence, that it is difficult to compress its
consideration into the limits of an article. The
treatise before us, however, gives an interesting
summary of the chief branches of the question
which recent inquiry has originated or confirmed.
The laureate's new work receives a discriminative
criticism, in which the critic renders full justice to
Mr. Tennyson's career as a poet whe has influenced
his time. The delightful volumes which Alpine
travellers have recently given to the public form
the topic of an interesting paper, in which the
writer commends the neglected groups of the High
Alps of Dauphine, the Bernina range, and the group
round Mont Iseran, to the attention of the adven-
turous travellers of the Alpine Club. M. Care-
figue's defence of the morals and manners of the
Court of Louis XV. receives a well-merited censure.
It is lamentable to see an author of reputation eon •
descend to such a task. An article on " British
Field Sports," full of attraction and information for
sportsmen, brings to its close an interesting and
well-written number.

THE BALLOT.—Sir Maurice Berkeley hit the nail
on the head when he told the Gloucester Commission that
all they were doing would be vain without the punishment
of the briber. But so subtle are the contrivances of cor-
ruption, that even the punishment of the briber would not
suffice without the additional check of the ballot. Let the
corrupter,know that he is both liable to pains and penalties.
and to diappointment to boot, and these combined consi-
derations may deter him from effence, and counsel him to
take some heed of the uses made of his money.—Examiner.