The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

William Burke, the author of Junius. An essay'.
By Jellinger C. Symons, Barrister-at-Law. Smith
and Elder.
This is a very ably-written essay on the author-
ship of Junius, and his era. The writer supports
the opinion that William Burke, cousin, it is sup-
posed, of the cele-orated Edmund, was the writer of
those wonderful letters, whose mystery has no doubt
heightened their importance. Few secrets have
been so well kept, and it must have been an indi-
vidual of singular self-command and power of
reticence, who could close his career and go down
to the grave without word or sign to prove that
his was the hand that had wielded the dreaded
pen. The writer of the essay before us enters
thoroughly into his subject, compares the opinions
of Junius with those of Burke, traces the simili-
tudes of their private and political hostilities or
predilections, and gives a collection of incidents
and anecdotes which tend to confirm his view. H.
enters into the arguments for the authorship of
Sir Philip Francis, and others, and compares
their styles with that of Junius. In his chapter
on the principles advocated by Junius, he expresses
his admiration for his sentiments and opinions.
He sums them up as follows :
"The political principles involved in the war waged by
Junius are these :—The rights of election over the arbi-
trary power of Parliament to annul them.—ln re Wilkes
and the Middlesex election. The freedom of Government
from the secret influence of Court faveurites—eersue Lord
Bute. The liberty of the press, and trial by jury--walla
Lord Mansfield. The liberty of the person—as against
general warrants. The rights of property, as spinet the
usurpations of the Crown—Nollum Tempus, and the grant
of the Duke of Portland's property to Sir James Lowther.
Due regard to military merit--versus the Ministerial treat-
ment of Sir J. Amherst, &c.
,‘ There was one, and only one, blot in the political cod,
of Junius, and which alone defaces hie advocacy of con-
stitutional rights. He spoke tenderly of nominatiolt
boroughs. He was 'startled at the idea of an extensive •
amputation of them.' We must pardon this foible in
William Burke—he not only owed his seat in Parliament to
'one, but so did Edmund ; and when William tried to gain
an open seat he failed. In any other of the numerous
patriots who have been put forward as Junius, such doc-
trine would have been, of course, unaccountable; in Will
Ham Burke it was natural." " - -
Whether the reader coincides in the assertion of
the writer or differs from him,, he will find much
to attract him in this essay
.on .a time of much po-
litical interest. A discussion on such a subject
cannot fail to excite the attention of all students
of our Parliamentary history, treating as it does
of that stormy and eventful. epoch when, as Lord
Mahon has finely expressed it, "a new knight
entered the lists with his vizor down, and with
unreal devices on his shield, but whose arm was
nerved with inborn vigour, and whose lance WAS
poised with most malignant skill." . .

Rita : an Autobiography. New edition. Bentley's
Standard Novels.
This is a very interesting story, and its repro-
duction in a cheap form is satisfactory to many
who like to collect a library of fiction. The ♦arious
adventures that befel the heroine are particularly
well described, and there are many exciting pas-
sages that are more attractive than many that
appear in stories like the present. Rita is a eery
fine character, and the qualities she displayed are
the more striking when it is taken into considera-
tion that she had so faulty an education, and that
her relations, instead of being of service to her,
conspired against her to serve their own unworthy
ends. Few heroines had to struggle with more
difficulties than those which environed Rita
Percival.

Practical Guide for Italy. By an Englishman
Abroad. Longman.
Another of the useful and convenient guides
which have been recently published for dif-
ferent parts of Europe, suitable for persona of
moderate means and limited time. It professes to
tell the traveller how " to see all that ought to be
seen in the shortest period and at the least ex-
pense." It will therefore be very serviceable to
the large class of travellers who avail themselves
of a few weeks release from the pressure of busi-
ness to visit the continent. Whether Italy, just at •
present, is most suitable for timid tourists may
perhaps be questioned; but when the storm of war
hast
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_ usatici ekanees to Make Money. By E. T.
Freedley, author of " A Practical Treatise. on
Business," &c. Sampson, Low, and Co.
A book with such an attractive title is not likely
to
be long without readers. The author is as good
as his word, since he tells of upwards of a thou-
sand nodes for attracting the fickle goddess. His
plans are not wild schemes or visionary El Dora-
dos, but state the best opportunities for industry
and the safe investment of capital. Whether it
would be safe to invest capital in all his proposed
methods we shall not presume to determine ; but he
appears to give very prosaic and business-like ad-
vice, speaking of many trades and manufactures in
which some improvement or invention is needed ;
of many articles of daily consumption whose cul-
ture or manufacture is neglected in this country ;
and of those countries whose fertility promises an
immediate reward to the cultivator,
but
some valuable trees and plants have not been n-
troduced. It will be hard if, among these varied
suggestions, the energetic and practical man of
where
i
business cannot find some means of increasing
his
to almost every trade.
income, since the suggestions made are applicable

DEATH FROM DROWNING.—An inquest was held
yesterday at Grantchester, near Cambridge, before Mr.
Orain, acting as deputy for Mr. Barlow, coroner for the
county of Cambridge, respecting the death of Mr. William
T. Edwards, an undergraduate of Pembroke College, son of
Mr. Edwards, solicitor, of the Terrace, Camberwell. It
appeared from the evidence of Mr. Thomas Savage, Fellow
of Pembroke College, that ho and the deeessod went to
bathe on Sunday at Otters-corner. The deceased jumped
in where the water was only knee deep. He ran forward
in spite of the caution of the witness, got into deep water,
and was drowned. Every exertion was made to resuscitate
him, but without effect. Tho jury returned a verdict of
accidental death.
IMPORTANT DISCOVERT.—The old axiom " That
there is nothing like leather," appears likely to become
obsolete by the recent patents for vegetable leathers of the
Messrs. Spill, the ordnance contractors of Stepney-green.
So singular is this imitation to sight and feeling, that
samples of leather are compared with it, and not it with
leather ! And this is not extraordinary when the first
judges upon the hide markets of Bermondsey and Leaden-
hall have, previously to a more intimate examination, been
deceived. With very
,many, adva.ntages over leather, it
lacks, howevery one essetttial 'requisite for limited purposes
is waterproof, but possessing the latter qualification, it
must be obvious that for the majority ci oppliCaltiOWS Ltd
write aro kaanfiwiAT Offorictro

England and her Soldiers. By Harriet Martineau.
Smith and Elder.
This little work does great credit to Miss Marti-
neau's powers of observation and reflection. It
also redounds to her credit that she expresses such
worthy sentiments regarding the welfare of cur
gallant soldiers. It would be well if the evils gilt
she so eloquently denounces in many parts of this
work were rectified; and if, instead of vaguely'
admitting their existence, those who were able to
remove-them were also willing to do so; and that
thus the nation might have the satisfaction of
knowing that the utmost had been done to amelio-
rate the condition of those who may be called upon
at a moment's notice to expose their lives to 11
thousand perils and hardships, and even to sacri-
fice them in their country's service. There ate
some illustrative diagrams which will be of servias
to those who wish to analyse the subject._ There
is no doubt great truth in the observations a the
conclusion on the difficulty that exists in removinr
the impediments to reform. It is said that the ob-
struction is low down. Change is abhorred in the'
Government offices. The goodwill of the Sovereigo
is believed in, the Commander-in-Chief is regarded
as the soldier's friend, and two Secretarils el St.sts
have agreed to the changes recommended by th
commissioners ; but it is supposed that in the loysf
departments the greatest resistance is made.
Whether the reader agrees or disagrees with the
authoress in the plans she proposes, her principle
must be admitted to be a right one, in enumerating
the wrongs and advocating the claims of the soldier.
At no time could the work have been more oppor-
tune than at the present, when, through some
sudden turn of affairs, the country may be spin
plunged into a war, in which it should be our first
endeavour to avoid the errors, and correct the
blunders, which rendered the Crimean campaigns.
a lasting disgrace to all who had to do with their
direction at home and abroad.

The Oxford Museum. By Henry Acland, M.D.;
and John Ruskin, M.A., honorary students- of
Christ Church. Smith and Elder.
A little volume well worthy of perusal by
those who take an interest in art. It will be fee*
from the title-page that the additional advantage
of Ruskin's opinion on the subject here treated of
is offered to the reader. The writer of these are,
although not claiming 'a professional knowledirr,
has evidently attained much valuable information
regarding works of art, which is proved by tho
fact that this book is the substance of a lectur,
given at their request to the members of the archi-
tectural societies that met in Oxford last year. To
all whom it may interest, therefore, to dwell on
such a subject this work may be recommended, and
by them it will doubtless be deservedly appreci-
ated.

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