The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-05 00:00:00

BULWER'S LIBRARY EDITION.

Twenty-eight years have elapsed since Sir
Edward Bulwer Lytton (then Mr. Lytton Bulwer)
began writing iu Rome his great historical romance
of Rienzi. An extension of his Italian tour at that
period, however, (1. .e in 1833) having conducted
him as far as Naples, shortly after the opening
chapters of " Rienzi" had been committed to paper,
the young novelist found it imperative upon him
to yield himself captive to another fancy then
exercising over him a superior and, indeed at the
moment, a wholly irresistible fascination. Loiter-
ing spell-bound among the subterranean ruins of
Herculaneum and its sister city, Bulwer forsook for
a while the mediaeval "epoch of the "Last of the
Tribunes," for the earlier and classic period of the
" Last Days of Pompeii." Irene and Nina paled
for an interval before Nydia and lone—the latter
being revealed in the lurid glare of that most stun
pendous and appalling irruption of a burning
mountain ever told of in this world's history.
When, however, the love of Glaucus and the lust of
Arbaces had been, both of them, duly commemo-
rated in the great prose poem, penned by our
English Boccaccio, the earlier allurements
afforded to him by the remembrance of the life
and death of Cola di Rienzi, the last of the great
Roman Tribunes, revived—and the interrupted
narrative of that resplendent and pathetic catas-
trophe was, in due course, and with the customary
speed of that swift-moving pen of genius com-
pleted. The success of " Rienzi" as an historical
romance was complete and triumphant. It
put the confirmatory seal to Bulwer's already
recorded and recognisedreputation. As his previous
works had been announced upon successive title-
page as by the "Author of Eugene Aram," and as
prior to " Eugene Aram" they had been described
as the effusions of the " Author of Pelham," so
soon after the appearance of this thenceforth
famous masterpiece of historic-fiction—its suc-
cessors were for a long while designated upon
subsequent title-pages, from the same hand, as
by the " Author of Rienzi." And now after pass-
ing through numerous reprints in editions of all
kinds, here cheap, here costly, after having been
translated like so many of its companions, born from
this prolific and variously gifted genius, now after
nearly one entire generation has passed since its
original appearance—(it has already been remarked
here that eight and twenty years have sped by
since its young author began to write the opening
pages of the narrative)—" Rienzi" comes forth yet
once more in the fifteenth and sixteenth volumes of
this noblest edition of all, the exquisite Library
Edition of the Novels, Tales, and Romances of Sir
Bulwer Lytton, published by the Messrs. Black-
wood and Sons, of London and Edinburgh. Tne
work has come so long since to be appreciated, far
and wide, as a recognised classic among English
Fictions that we may here content ourselves with
making this simple announcement.

The Greatest of all the Plantagenets. An Historical

Sketch. Bentley.

The long and eventful reign of King Edward
the First has always occupied a prominent place in
our national' history. Intervening between the
uncertain and powerless tenure of the sceptre by
Henry the Third, and the brief and disastrous
reign of his son, Edward of Caernarvon ; remark-
able for his subjugation of the principality and his
fierce contests with the Scotch; conspicuous alike
for his vigorous and able internal government and
for his valour and ability in the field, it is not sur-
prising that the name of the first Edward has
always been esteemed as one of the most eminent of
our monarchs. The writer of the volume before us
subscribes himself from the outset his most enthu-
siastic and unqualified supporter. He considers
that scanty justice has been done to the greatness
of his personal qualities and the brilliant events of
his reign, and he ascribes this to the fact that all our
later, and better, historians have been Scotchmen,
and as such were not likely to render honour due
to one who bears on his tomb the words " Scatorunz
Malleus." All this has possibly some truth. The
firm hand of Edward held the reins of power with
steady and consistent grasp in a tumultuous and
disorganised state of affairs. No Simon de Montfort
presumed to rear his head in his day. The finances
judiciously and fairly apportioned balanced the
expenses, and the debts and difficulties, the royal
alternations of munificence and solicitation that had
disgraced his father's days, were heard of no more.
The arms of England were held in fear, and the
arbitration of her just and puissant monarch was
continually in request. But when we are told that
almost every act in the long life of this king was
admirable, or at worst blameless; when his oppo-
nents are denounced in tete ; when the customs of the
age afford excuse for the royal acts, but none for those
of his adversaries ; when the struggle of a nation
for independence is stigmatised as treason, and
William Wallace is compared to Nana Sahib (only
indeed the comparison is held too good for him),
then indeed we hold the writer for an extravagant
partisan, who is not only wanting in the first
requisite of an historian—unbiassed impartiality—
but plain common sense, likewise. With regard to
the opening years of Edward's career there is less
ground for censure. The strife and trouble which
attended his later years met him in the threshold of
life. His father, involved in the dispute with
Simon de Montfort, was totally incapable of com-
peting with his powerful enemy either in
the council chamber or the field of battle.
His son's more vigorous head and hand extricated
him from his difficulties, and left him nominally
victor of that field to which he had been brought a
prisoner. But it was when he himself ascended the
throne that Edward's great qualities as governor
were manifested. He is styled in the pages before
us "the first English King," and the writer quotes
the graphic language of our late historian to
describe the characteristics of this era. One
feature in Edward's reign which renders it
remarkable in our days is the assembling of Par-
liaments :,—" From the very first," says our author,
" he associated the people with himself in the work
of legislation; and accordingly now, for the first
time, do these all-important words appear on the
statute-book of England :—' These be the Acts of
King Edward, made at Westminster, at the first
Parliament general after his coronation, by his
council and by the assent of archbishops, bishops,
earls, barons, and all the commonalty of the realm
thither summoned.'" The Statute of Westminster,
which, Lord Campbell asserts deserves the name
of a code rather than an Act of Parliament, is
another evidence of the legislative ability of him
who has been styled " The English Justinian."
His encouragement of constitutional assemblies is
especially commendable in so powerful and strong-
willed a monarch, and his enunciation of the doc-
trine, that " 'What concerns all, should by all be
approved ; and that common dangers should be met
by remedies provided in common," is the expression
of the fundamental principle of our Constitution. It
is, therefore, manifestly unfair, as the writer main-
tains, to regard only the wars of later years as a
sample of Edward's reign. He complains that
most historians have done this, fixing their eyes
chiefly on the invasion of Scotland, and his contest
with the two earls, regardless of the fact that
Edward had reigned nearly a quarter of a century
before either event took place. He observes that
one might as well begin the reign of George 111.
with the French Revolution, or the life of the
Duke of Wellington with his opposition to the
Reform Bill. Of course, in all transactions with
the Welsh, the King was the impersonation of
clemency and gentleness, and the massacre of the
bards a total fiction. We have not space
for a discussion of these points, but pass on
to the author's uncompromising defence of
Edward's Scottish policy. Prejudiced as he
had shown himself in many other points,
and enthusiastic as was his admiration
for the " hammer of Scotland," we must confess
that his treatment of this question suxpriped

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, TUESDAY.

The official Wiener Zietunq contains an Imperial
decree appointing the Archduke Rainer President
of the Ministry, and Count •Nadasdy President of
the Council of the Empire. _ _

Count Rechberg remains Minister of the Impe-
rial Householdand Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Herr von Lasser is appointed Chief of the Poli-
tical Administration.

Herr Pratobera is appointed Minister of Justice.
Count Wickenburg, Minister of Commerce.

In the functions of the Minister Baron Schmer-

ling are concentrated all affairs concerning the
organisation of the Empire and the national politi-
cal representation.
Public worship and instruction are also included
in Baron Schmerling's department; the affairs of
Hungary being, however, excepted.

SPAIN.

MADRID, FEB. 4.

The semi-official Correspondencia Autografa
states that a report is current that the Democrats
and the partisans of Don Juan are actively con-
spiring;

Their proceedings are closely watched by the
Government, which is prepared to suppress any
movement with severity.

A3IERICA.

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.

The Royal Mail steamship America, from Hali-
fax and Boston, which touched at Queenstown
yesterday has arrived here.
The Secretary of the United States Treasury
reports that the expenditure for carrying on the
government till Ist July will exceed the revenue
by 20,000,000 dols.
The steamer Arago arrived at New York on the
23d inst.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.—(THIS DAY).
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

NEW PEER.

Lord HERBERT of LEA (late Mr. Sydney Herbert) took
the oaths and his seat on his elevation to the peerage. The
noble lord was introduced by the Duke of Argyll and
Lord Shelburne.