The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-07 00:00:00

with all his serious faults as a man and an admi-
nistrator, it is not thus that Francis is described
by historians of a higher class than Mr. St. John.
If ho was only the coarseminded tyrant he repre-
sents, grinding down an indignant country, how
was it that his people supplied him with men and
treasure with more readiness than all the imperial
possessions of Charles V. The author, in speaking
of the republican or reforming spirit of modern
times, says with force and vigour :
"Perhaps, after all, La Boetie was not so unpractical
when he made himself the Preset er of the doctrine which
has been the leaven of modern times. The echo of the
tocsin that rolls along his sentences vibrates to our hearts
even now ; but in this island, where we reap -the advan-
tage, the response is Gratitude. It is not our fault if
everywhere else the response is Fear."
The early death of La Boetie terminated their
friendship abruptly. Montaigne lamented him
sincerely, and afterwards edited his works. The
following is a sketch of Montaigne at this time
"For my part, I find two men in Montaigne, such as
he appears to me at the prime of life—the man of wide
capacity of mind, of vivid imagination, humorous, but
solid character, nimble judgment, and natural faculty of
expression, who would have made himself remarkable in
any age or country, and who supplies that part of his
Essays which makes him kin to the whole world—but
also the man of his age and country ; the somewhat un-
.r.ateful heir of Rabelais, the forerunner of Bayle and
Voltaire ; the experienced courtier, who despised
kings becau-e he knew their manners, but had no
enthusiasm to object to the institution of monarchy ;
the lawyer, who cared too little for law to esp Aloe its
prejudices, and sat half apart, like a quiet man in
society, observing absurdities which others hotly and
unconsciously acted ; the half-convinced Catholic, who
looked upon reform as a disturbance, but who, when
like an honest man he turned round to examine his own
cinvictions, saw them vanishing in the distance ; the
stern thinker in morals ; the cheerful and somewhat lax
actor ; the incomplete savant, who despised pedantry ;
the eloquent writer, who felt that his idiom was not
formed, and disdained to form it; idle and industriogs
by turns ; of prodigious memory, yet fond of accusing
himself of want of memory when be forgot anything ;
the easy-going Gascon gentleman, who from fear of
shipwreck in the storm he saw gathering—for the
Saint Bartholomew was then darkening the air as
it approached—retired to his comfortable home in an
out-of-the-way district, and partly as an excuse for
his tiusidi.y, set to work philosophising, under the pro.
tection of powerful friends and a long-established repu-
tation for probity."

Speaking of the essays, Mr. St. John writes as
follows

" What seems to appeal to no particular time, seems
to appeal to all time; and there is, indeed, a universal
element in Montaigne's book—the painting of human
nature in its most unclothed, unartifioial state—which
makes it to be appreciated by the man of this day as
it was by the man of that. It would have been appreci-
ated thousands of years ago, at the outset of the
intellectual development of which it continues the
tradition. Plato would have loved and understood it,
aye, and Cmfucius ; for, as it belongs in this respect to
no time, so it belongs t 3 no country. It is the least
French of all books. It begins by an aneciote of the
Black Prince, and ends by a quotation from Horace ;
and there is not a trace of nationality from beginning to
end. For, in his tower, Montaigne looked upon all men
as his kin. From that look-out the map of the world
became a skeleton-map, not blotched with distinctive
colours. Costume, hats and turbans, boots and sandals,
and breeches and stomachers, were all torn away and
thrown nyile, and the great infant Man gambolled before
his fancy. But his was not the mind to think much of
the primitive or the Heal state. The naked man be
saw I,Lra the marks of the girths he had worn, and the
burdens he hal carried."

The general aspect of the life of Mentaine, a 3 here
shown us, is somewhat melancholy. Like many
another philosopher _ _

- _
- " by the glare of false science betrayed,
That leads to bewilder and dazzles to blind,"

his knowledge brought him in a circle to the spot
where he s.,arted from. " The wisest plan is to
follow nature as simply as possible. Oh, what a
soft and delicious pillow, and how healthy are ig-
norance and incuriosity, for the repose of a well-
formed head I This is the last result of Mon-
taigne's philosophy." The subject of the work is of
great interest, though the impression left by Mr.
St. John's portrait, is neither elevating nor pleas-
ing. Nevertieless, his careful collection of facts
wit! be of value to those who wish to extend their
knowledge of rite great essayist, and trace the cir-
cumstances that made him what he was.

Orphans : a Chapter in a Life.' By the Author
of
leatMetatiyand," &o. 1 vol.
Hurst'Alg a
aanrdßrek
This is a very pleasing little story—indeed, it
could hardly fail to be so, since it is the production
of so gate I a writer, one who possesses a peculiar
fascination in her style, which is something beyond
an interesting narrative, or a power of vigorous de-
scription. The work in question relates the adven-
tures of an heiress, who seemed suddenly left alone
in the world without a single care or responsibility.
When roused from the grief consequent on the loss
of liar parents, she lamented this isolated position,
and endeavoured to find some real or imaginary
duty to perform. First, she drew around her the
scatt. red members of the different branches of the
family, in order to as,3ertaiu how she could be of
service t them. This proved a complete failure.
So many individual interests appeared, so much
selfishness and prejudice prevailed, that the bewil-
dered hostess could scarcely keep up the appearance
of peace for a few weeks. She soon saw that the
less she had to do with any of her distant connec-
tions the better. Some of the characters are re-
markav,ly well described, and vary from the
foolish Mrs. Austin, to the wise Mr. Hyde.
The sisters Nugent are complete specimens
of the tribe whose life is devoted to keeping up
fake appearances, and making one thing seem the
other. Approaching middle life, they thought they
could make themselves look juvenile, by dress and
a ridiculous assumption of youthful gaiety, and
in narrow circumstances, in very circumscribed
limits of society, they endeavoured, by skilful
inuendoes, and. apt quotations from hearsay know-
ledge, to appear as if, to a certain extent, they mixed
in company that was far beyond their ken. With
ail their absurdity, however, they were preferable
to Mrs. Herbert, who was mean, and thoroughly
selfish, while the :Asters at least were good-natured
and well-meaning. While these worthies were dis-
porting themselves in her mansion, Clare Nugent
was planning how to benefit by her exertions, s me
who were more deserving of the blessings of her
wealth thus these undesirable visitors. She was
imprudent in arranging any thing while they were
within hearing, however, as she was speedily
assailed by taunt, criticism, and ridicule, and had
to endure the deeper annoyance of being misrepre-
, sented. There are other passages iu the story which
. add to its interest, and altogether it possesses a
charm that will not allow it to disappoint the ad-
mirers

The Bentley Ballads. Edited by Dr. Doran.
Ban tley.
This is a pleasant and seasonable volume of .
songs and ballads, selected from the pages of
Bentley's Miscellany, and published under the
editorship of Dr. Doran, who has added contribu-
tions of his own. They belong to a class which has.
become very popular of late years, but some of them
are full of spirit. The first in the book, " Old-
Morgan, at Panama," is one of this kind, and tells
the tale of the reckless and cruel Buccaneers and
their attack on Panama in MO. There are some
of Samuel Lover's, too, that keep up his reputation.
as a songster. The general character of the volume
is best described in the words of the editor :
" The Ballads have been selected from a store
that is far from being exhausted, and if this venture
prove fortunate, the editor may be tempted to dip
again. Meanwhile, the barque freighted with ita
varied cargo, woos a favouring gale. There is
something in it for the scholar, something
for the idler, something for those who love
to think, and something for those /who
love others to think for them. Tho grave,
the gay, the lively, and the severe may herein find
something of what they lack. There is a trumpet
tone for the heroic, and playfulness for gentler
spirits, and mirth for those who care for it, and wit
for those who admire it, and delectable no
for those who can stoop topick up some trifles
added by the editor. As the ballads are varied, BO
are the tones in which they are sung, extending
from the roar and dash of the buccaneers to the
tremulous thrill of the love-song, and the clashing
of wine cups. In short, there is music in. every
measure—billows of sound to remind one of Beeth-
oven—tones as awakening as a posthorn galop by
alincrigs,paorrkalcincegn, accents
ltiokedal‘n
iceisos off with the
vdykreaderaugaye
Polka." Surely this description and summary- is
sufficient to tempt the reader to trust himself under
such able guidance as Dr. Doran's.

The Ingoldsby Legends. Bentley
These popular -ballads have appeared in a new
edition. They have long ago passed into a standard
work of their kind, and it only retnains to say that
the volume is handsome and commodious,
and the
type good. All lovers of "Mirth and Mar-
vels," who do not possess a copy, abould hasten to
avail themselves of this excellent edition.
•

----
.Esnlond. By W. M. Thackeray, author of "Vanity
Fair. 1 Vol. Smith and Elder.
A commodious and serviceable edition of "Esmond%"
has been added to iho list of Mr. Thackeray's nu
especially with
1 eellatieuui works recently published by Messrs.
litthfeoirriulLowledge of the
Smith and Elder. This work has been gradually
Virginians. The volume is of
growing in public favour, and is likely to have a
largethose circulationwhoantecedents
ofdesire‘ iihoietes
.s
Txptitiena
a conveuient size, and the type excellent.