The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-16 00:00:00

Oliver Cromwell's Letters and Speeches. T. Carlyle.
Vol. I.

Charles O'Malley.

By Charles Lever. Vol. 11.

Chapman and Hall.
Thesetwo popular editions of twopopular writers
in most opposite styles and subjects are continued
with credit. The Letters and Speeches of Cromwell,
edited by Mr. Carlyle, is a work well known and
widely circulated. Though the opinions expressed
iu it have been often challenged, its value as a
standard historical work is indisputable. Tbe pre-
sent volume is the first of three, which will com-
plete the work, and will be issued monthly.
Charles O'Malley is compltted in this volume, and
will no doubt afford as much entettainment to the
lovers of the humorous as it did on its first appear-
ance. The illustrations, by H. B. Browne, ars
not the least among the attractions of the volume.

THE NEW HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT.

(From the Building News. )
Many of the internal portions of the structure are
now completed, and the upper portions of the Victoria
and Clock towers are proceeding, externally, as rapidly
as the season will allow and the hazardous nature of
their works admit of. The scaffolding is now erected to
its full height for the setting of the crowning portions of
the turrets at the angles of the former tower, and the roof
of the latter is nearly completed. In the interior, the
Peers' staircase is now finished, and is a perfect gem of
architectural design in the style of which it is composed.
The spandrels between the ribs of the groining of the roof
have been coloured blue, of the richest ultramarine, and are
studded with go'den stars, that relieve the quiet lightand
shade of the mouldings of the roof, which are very judi-
ciously left in one colour—that of the stone itself. The
bosses clasping the various intersections of the ribs, are
embellished with emblazoned shields, surrounded with
foliage in great variety. The Peers' corridor, leading
directly to the House of Lords, is now also completed.
The roof of this communicating passage is constructed of
a pointed arch, the form of which is peculiar to the Tudor
period, and is divided into compartments, having stained
glass inserted in them, which has at once a pleasing effect, and serves also to light the corridor veiy-
effectually. In the Prince's chamber very great act-
vance.: have been made. Mr. Gibson's colossal group,
representing her Majesty Queen Victoria enthroned,
having been placed in peeition under one of the prin-
cipal arches on one side of the room, and is now entirely
finished. The Queen is represented sitting on a throne,
holding the
ght
laurel ibn ywh
aerresarttiahgth; right hand,
ipsostitesdpeonndetdheariBti andfrom her_.e.lleft
and the latter has e Sovereign is sup-
left by Clemency ;th former a a h
eholdsahleahfiliedjd't h e sword
lance,
branch, emblematical of sword in her left
hand, and an olive
right. The figure of the Queen is 8 ft. 1411, and those on
each side upwards of ft.each. '
from the purest blocks of statuary marble that the quarries
of Carrara could afford, and as a great work of ideal
The back of the throne
sculpture deserves great 'praise. peace, in her
on which the Queen sits is surrounded by lions, ex-
pressive of British strength and courage. In front of the
footstool are sea-horses, emblematic of dominion on the
pedestal are bassi relicri of Commerce,
.Science, and the
useful arts, having in the background, in faint relief, the
ocean, and inserted in panels on the three sides of the
wires of the electric telegraph, and
steam-engine, the
objects.guether with two
tin the larger panels
• is prepared for them, eight of Mr. Theed's
walls, in pane
other representations of usefal Around ...ie
paintings
The former are exquisite productions of
above them.
owfoErkjawabradvve
Iteeahndfixtxeadr,y
the sculptor's art, and have been successfullye'e.trotyped
beautiful
in bronze from the original models. The subjects com-
prehend respectively, " Edward VI. signing the Cloprter
for Christ's Hospital," " Lady Jane Grey," "Bastion
Carbot," " Catherine of Aragon appealing to Henry
VIII.," " Sir Walter Raleigh spreading the Cloth for
Queen Elizabeth," " The Death of Sir Philip Sidney,"
"Queen Mary looking back on France," and the " Mur-
der of David Rizzio in the presence of Mary Queen of
Scots." The two paintings to which we have advertel
are stiff, elaborate, and Holbeinish in their character, and
by having a somewhat deep plinth at bottom, somewhat
destroy the effect and proportion of the oblong panels in
which they are placed.