The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-03 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

litenry Claren it. A Novel._ By Alice Comyn.

2 vats.

Hurst and Blaaett.

This story is of the romantic cast, although there
is nothing very extraordinary in its events. The
hero is one of those so often met with in the pages
of fiction, and so rarely encountered in real life,
who in a few years work their way in the world to
fame and fortune. Ho does not, however, engross
so large a share of attention as usually falls to the
lot of the chief characters, and indeed his cousin
Edward is almost. as prominently brought forward.
They forma. striking contrast—one an outcast
for change,
coming, as it were, to a strange country ; the other:
nature compared c
o reliefmpa rferdo from ennuithnse
surrounded by every luxury, pining
o
ai ut
igo
no
su
oft o
an
trifling a
andand setting
sorrows which burdened his cousin. The relation-
ship was not found out for. a considerable time;
hence, strangely enough, the traveller was an in.
mate of his uncle's house without being aware of
it. Helen Grey is well described, her faults and
her merits shown in their relative bearing to each
other. Her ambition and pride caused the ruin of
her happiness, and yet she persevered in her 111/ •
reasonable determination. She could not always
control her passions, which were as vehement as
her will was headstrong. It is a warning and a
lesson to the presumptuous and vain to behold the
Duchess in her saloons trembling under the malice
of those she provoked as Helen Grey. Had she
only been able to turn and confront them with the
fearless gaze of truth, but she knew she had im-
plicated herself, and could not conceal her former
predilection. Frank Fitzgerald is depicted as en-
vious and mean—as such, differing greatly from his
elder brother, Edward, of whom he was so jealous.
The reader is struck by the deserved mortification
that fell upon him when the rumoured death of
his brother gave him for a brief season the dearly-
coveted position of eldest, and his consternation
when the news, dearly welcome to the others,
arrived of the safety of the heir. The charac-
ters of Sophia and Lucille are natural ones ;
the former haughty and selfish, the latter, with all
her engaging qualities, sometimes incited into
aggravating her sister, whose temper was indeed
provoking, from its jealousy and self-love. The
cousins, whom the Eitinghams at last discovered,
were reared in a very different home to theirs. it
would have been well for the sisters if their brother
could have taken them away with him, for no
struggles with the world had been so painful as
their life at home. Amy possessed spirits that,
however crushed, rose again ; but Clara, the eldest,
was gentle and meek. Her story is melancholy,
and her early death cannot be considered untimely,
for she was ono of those whose walk on earth seems
under a continual cloud. She was of service to
others, with her kind heart and pure nature, and
her mission might be none the less unprofitable,
thoughiworked out in the shade of suffering. It is
interesting to watch the progress of the heroin his
arduous undertakings, and second only to his zeal
and energy was his devotion. to the claims of
honour. He understood his friend had set his
affections on the one who had appeared as a bright
dream to his harassed life, and he accordingly
sacrificed his own hopes. He did not allow his
friend to know the struggle in his mind, and it was
not till long after that, by the failure of the
former's projects, the truth was revealed to him.
Various amusing passages appear in the course of
the story, as well as the more exciting andimpor-
tant ones. With the combined advantages of
design and execution, of superior characters that
are well worked out, this novel has a fair promise
of success, and will be a pleasing addition to the
stores of the library of fiction.

Elizabeth de 'Valois, Queen, of Spain. By Miss
Freer, Author of " The Life of Marguerite
d'Augouleme," (IN. 2 Vols. Hurst and
Blackett.
The success and distinction which Miss Strick-
land has obtained from her researches in regal
biography have encouraged many others to follow
her example, and to bring to light the lives and
actions of some of those queens and princesses of
whom the general reader only knows the name.
Some of the subjects of recent memoirs, it is true,
have been connected with the great events or politi-
cal changes of their own day, and consequently have
attained a little wider reputation, and it is, then,
more interesting to compare the authenticated
facts with the generally received opinion. The
heroine of the present volumes, Elizabeth de
Valois, is one of whom much has been written, but,
as it now appears, little really known. The cir-
cumstances of her life, her marriage with the stern
and gloomy Philip the Second, after her previous
betrothment to his son, the catastrophe that in-
terrupted the bridal festivities, the miserable
career of Don Carlos, and his admiration of her,
his death while under arrest, and her own so
rapidly following it, offer such a tempting oppor-
tunity to the poet, the dramatist, and the romancist,
that it is not surprising that the true facts of the
case should not have been strictly adhered to.
Miss Freer, after considerable research and study,
lays before us a different story, for which she pro-
duces unquestionable authority in the state papers
of Spain and France, and other important docu-
ments. Philip the Second, despite his harsh and
morose disposition, she asserts to have been sin-
cerely attached to his young wife, always lavishing
ou her every mark of honour, and mourning her
untimely death to the end of his life. Every year,
on that day, he was accustomed to repair to El
Escorial, to join in the service held in her memory.
Elizabeth or Isabel, as her subjects called her, was
the eldest daughter of Henry 11. and Catherine de
Medici. When only sixteen she became the third
wife of the King of Spain, then one of the
mightiest European powers ; at first she is said to
have regarded her consort with fear and
misgiving, for the rumours current of Philip's
character were not very encouraging, but,
as he only showed her his gentler qualities, she
soon returned his affections, and their domestic
happiness is proved by many contemporary papers.
How much it was owingc, to Elizabeth's constant
submission to the will of her imperious lord, and
her careful observance of all the absurd etiquette
of the Spanish court may be imagined. Elizabeth
always treated her unhappy stepson with gentle-
ness and consideration, and she was ohe of the few
persons for whom he showed any regard, but the
absence of all jealousy on Philip's part is sufficiently
proved by his frequently leaving them together
during his absence, and his finally committing them
to the same grave. The fact of a previous attach-
ment between them being rendered impossible as
they had never seen each other, and the proposed
engagement was merely, as was Elizabeth's mar-
riage, one of state policy. She was called by the
Spaniards, " Isabel do la Paz," as the alliance con-
firmed the peace between the two crowns. She is
represented as a gentle and prudent character, pos-
sessing firmness and spirit enough to have adorned
her high position, and a mingled dignity and dis-
cretion that rendered her equal to it, notwith-
standing her youth. The early death of Elizabeth,
though deeply regretted by her subjects, could
scarcely be a matter of surprise from the delicacy
of her health, which was greatly injured by the
ignorance of her physicians. She had during her
residence in Spain several dangerous illnesses,
and in all of them their only resource appears
to have been bleeding. Her mother fre-
quently besought her to have the advice of
some French physicians, who were more ad-
vanced in their art, but from a mistaken desire to
conform to the customs and prejudices of her
death took place before the storms and strugglesreign.
adopted country the Queen always refused.lier
that darkened the close of her husband's
h
Theow defeat
Countries o f t
woreArmadayet in
eldf utthuer revolt
when ofteL
utshethFe
irmetemaonidrs
herof tehaernbereitlliaanudt
Eliza-
beth closed her brief existence. Miss Freer, who
high-minded daughter, the mother of Henri
before eFr givenanci s
Quatre, has found a worthy subject in showing us
at least, of the accusations against
shiasstebr
the true character of Elizabeth de Valois, and dis-
gthregecond. Rumours were circulated by
APprhnoitvioiinpnio Perez that the King had murdered both
ywipfehi;libpi:tawndhei
l-i
eh
own
sw on w
enh
au
rna de ot
eurb, t eared
ihl t sonre a
tamn
ed n histh
considered, the most prejudiced
would hardly
accept his testimony. Among
ments interpolated in these volumes are some Latin
themes of Mary, Queen of Scots, the sister-in-law
and playfellow of Elizabeth, there though does not
seem to have been much affection between them.
Miss Freer evidently possesses one important re-
quisite for an historian in a careful and painstaking
spirit. She favours her readers, however, with an
unnecessary length of description of Court fetes,
processions, &c. The book will reward the most
indifferent reader, and will scarcely fail to add to
the reputation of its able and industrious authoress.

TEA DUTIES DECLINE SUSPENSION ACT.—This act,
which was passed in 1855 to suspend the tea duties on
account of the war, will reduce the tea duties to is. 3d.
per lb. from sth April next for twelve months, and
thenceforth to ls. per lb. The act speaks of a " defini-
tive treaty of peace," and the twelve months expires in
April, whereas the income-tax of the same year mentions
the " ratification " of the treaty, which would carry it
twelve months further. There can be no doubt that it
was the intention of the Legislature that the alteration
in both cases should be in twelve months from the eessa•
tion of the war.
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. Alterations are being
made in Whitecross-street prison, with the view of a
classification of persons confined for debt. It is in con-
templation to classify debtors throughout England and
Wales