The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-06 00:00:00

the New Monthly Magazine.

A lengthened article reviews the unhappy posi-
tion of " The Once United States," and takes into
consideration their constitution, progress. and popu-
lation. Sir Nathaniel contributes a paper on John
Sobieski, which at the present crisis of Polish his-
tory will be read with interest. The story of" East
Lynne," which has for many months occupied so
prominent a place in the pages of this magazine, is
this month brought to a conclusion. As we shall
take another opportunity of criticising the work at
length, we shall only say that mos- readers will
have already anticipated the termination. Though
the subject of the story is painful, yet the
style of this author is always natural and
attractive. The blank that will be left by
the absence of "East Lynne" will, happily for
novel readers, be supplied by a fresh story from the
same indefatigable pen, entitled " The Shadow of
Ashlydyat." W. C. Kent contributes another of
hiS graphic and graceful sketches of our English
poets at their country homes. He has chosen this
month to represent "Thomson at Richmond" en-
joying his suburban home in a state of luxurious
repose, befitting the author of the " Castle of Indo-
lence." " Granville de Vigne" is proceeded with in
its accustomed strain, and if the men and women do
not much resemble those we encounter in ordinary
life, the record of their sayings and doings is never-
theless amusing. Little Alma Tressilhan reappears
upon the scene, and will pi obably figure as the
heroine of De Vigne's second romance. Mr. An -
dersson's interesting volume is the subject of an
attractive paper on the Okavango River, drawn of
course from the narrative of the first Englishman
who has been so fortunate as to discover its real
name and character. We have also a paper on
Gloucestershire, containing some observations on
prisons, and an entertaining account of "Duelling
in Modern Times," which tells us many curious
anecdotes respecting the most ridiculous of doc-
trines in the code of honour. Here is an account
of a successful method of stopping the duelling
mania :

"The Duke of Brissac adopted a strange but successful
device in putting down duelling in his regiment. He pre .•
tended to countenance the proceeding, but requested that
his officers' before fighting, which they did almost every
day, would report the circumstance to him. They agreed
to this joyfully. Next day two made their appearance.
The duke inquired the cause of quarrel. As usual, it was
a mere matter of foolish contradiction. ' Certainly it 's
worth while fighting for such a matter,' observed the duke.
And he gave them their cong6. Next morning, at parade,
the two officers were present. What I' said the duke ;
the affair had no results, then ?" Excuse me, colonel,'
said one, holding up his arm in a scarf. I received a
sword wound.' Pooh ! a scratch. And a question of
etiquette, too ! You must fight it out.' So the officers hal
to fight again, and one of them received a wound that
kept him confined thi ee weeks t ) his bed. In the interval,
several others applied for permission to fight, but the
duke would not grant it ' • they must wait, he said', till the
first quarrel was settled. One day he met the wounded
officer taking fresh air, and leaning on the arm of a friend.
What 1' he said, 'on foot again ? Capital I To-morrow
you can fight again, and let this affair be finished with.'
The two officers met again, and both fell dead. The
duke then summoned before him those who had requested
permission to fight, and he said he would grant them
their wish, but it must be to only two at a time, and in
each case he was determined to see the quarrel settled as in
the instance that had just occurred The lesson had its
effect. The duke received no more requests for permission
to fight."

The French seem to bear the discreditable palm of
being the nation most addicted to this sport, and
many valuable lives have paid the penalty of a
mistaken idea of honour. In the days of the Empire
duelling was frequent, notwithstanding Napoleon's
openly expressed contempt for it—a sentiment
worthy of him who dubbed the tomb of suicide,
"the grave of a coward." The premature death of
the gifted Armand Carrel gave, we are told, a check
to the rage of duelling. The readers of the late
Lord Strangford's poems will remember the beauti-
ful verses which he dedicates to the memory of the
youthful journalist. Nicholas Michell gives us some
pleasing verses on " An Evening at Hastings," and
there ale other papers of varying merit,

Bentley's Miscellany.

" The Population and Trade in France," by
Frederick Marshall, i 3 continued, and chapter six
treats of the coal trade. Mr. Marshall enters into
full detail on this subject as he has hitherto done on
other subjects. This series of interesting papers,
when completed, will form a valuable book of
reference on French statistics. The Biographies of
Madame de Krudener, who figured at the end of the
last, and the beginning of the present century, and
of Chevalier Bunsen are well written, and
many curious incidents in the lives of these in
dividuals celebrated in such opposite spherv,
"American Young Ladyism," by S. G. Kohl
is an amusing sketch of the Ladies of America
but we do not consider that Mr. Khol has done
justice to the transatlantic beauties. He purports
to give a sketch of their character, but only fur-
nishes the dark side of the picture. There is no
denying that the women in the United States do
not hold the same social position that an English
woman does, notwithstanding that they are held in
such high consideration, and allowed priority in all
things. It is not natural that a man can have the
same respect for a wife who spends her life in a
rocking chair at an hotel, as for one who attends to
her household duties. At the same time there are
many points in the American character deserving of
commendation. Dudley Costello furnishes us with
unquestionably the best contribution we have yet
had of " The Adventures of Lorn Loriot." Poor
Smudge proves to be Lorn's best friend, and her
character comes out in striking relief against the
mercenary and swindling individuals who surround
her. Having found Lorn in the House of De-
tention, she goes to his late employer, Mr. Squirl,
the pawnbroker, and seeks his aid ; and he having
promised his assistance, the following dialogue
takes place :
" I'm so glad," she said, " to hear you say so, Mr.
Squirl ; for he's low, very low, I'm sure, at nobody doin'
nothink for him, and all the time he's as hinnorcent as the
babe unborn. I think it a great shame that pleecemen's
words, and such as them, should be taken afore otherses,
when it's what they're paid for to find the real bad 'uns out
as goes about contrivin' and layin' traps for 'onest folks to
fall into."
Though somewhat circuitously expressed, Mr. Squirl
saw that Smudge's thoughts pointed in the direction his
own had taken,
" You won't mind," he asked, "saying what you know
about this here Count to a lawyer, or in a court of justice,
if necessary ?"
" Mind I" returned Smudge. " I shall only be g'ad to 1"
" I'll take you, then," d
sai Mr. Squirl, " to a friend of
mine—an attorney, who does a good deal of bueiness la.this
line--cad we'll In may fer wlaci the cetee cam w

again. It will cost something, though, to pay him for his
trouble."

" How much ?" inquired Smudge.
" A matter of five pound, perhaps."
Smudge's countenance fell. Her worldly wealth was
not a third of that sum, but had it been double the amount
she would have freely given it.
" Here's all I have got I" she said, taking out a steel
purse, and emptying the contents on the counter. "He's
welcome to this if he can get Lorn out of prison."
Mr. Squirl was not often the slave of attendrissement,
but there were moments in his life, and this WS one of
them, when he yielded to the melting mood. 1 hough un••
acquainted with the Latin poet, he sometimes acknowledged
that he was a man.
" No, no, miss," said he, with real respect; "put up
your money. We shan't have no call for that, anyhow.
There's them as can afford it better."
There was feeling in this speech, though, after all, no
very great merit in the declaration, for Mr. Squirl was
already on velvet, and well knew that any money he wanted
would be forthcoming if required. Still it was something
for a pawnbroker to restrain his hand from contact with
coin ; something for such a pawnbroker as Mr. Squirl to
pay even a modified tribute to generosity in the person of
a penniless servant-girl.
"Look after the shop, Cramp," said Mr. Squirl, putting
on his hat. " Come, my dear, we've no time to lose."
So saying, he offered Smudge his arm, and they went out
toge, her.
Mr. Cramp never opened his lips till they had been gone
at least five minutes, but stood in an attitude of deep re-
flection. At last he gave utterance to his thoughts in
phrase brief but expressive :
" Blest!" he said, " if she ain't a nice 'un

" Oujda" furnishes, as usual, one of his high-life
stories, entitled, ".A Double-down Leaf in a Man's
Life;" and " The Constable of the Tower" (which
we will notice hereafter at length) is concluded,
and concludes the magazine.