The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-04 00:00:00

NA.RBOTV ESCAPE IN A DUEL.

In consequence of an article entitled "The Epilogue,"
which appeared in La Liberty of July 27, and signed
" Odysse Barot," M. Jecker demanded satisfaction from
:he author by arms, Belgium having been selected as the
place of meeting. The duel took place at six o'clock on
Saturday evening, near the skirt of the forest of Soignies
and the avenue which leads to Waterloo. The seconds of
M. Barot were MM. Leon Cahun and Ulric de Fonvielle
those of M. Jecker were MM. Morineau and Salor. They
fought with pistols, the combatants were placed at
a distance of 25 paces, and at the word given by the
seconds both fired. M. Barot was hit in the region of the
abdomen, but by a singular piece of luck the ball was
turned aside by the button, and was afterwards found in
the waistcoat pocket. He suffered in consequence only a
severe contusion, which is not likely to have any serious
consequences. Owing to the skill and care of Dr.
Feigneaux, M. Barot was able to return to Paris
yesterday morning with his friends. M. Jecker, we
hardly need say, is the gentleman with whom the famous,
or rather, infamous Jecker Bonds originated. The article
in the Liberte was written upon a debate in the Legislative
Body, in which the name of Jecker played anything but
an honourable part.

Mr. Clapham, proprietor of the Leeds Royal Palk,
nas been again fined for permitting musical performances on
a Sunday, and reprimanded for showing a spirit of resist-
ance to the law, subversive of all order.

Lord Napier is to be entertained at a public dinner
at Welshpool, on tho Bth inst. Tho General and Lady
Napier will during their stay in the neighbourhood be the
guests of General Scott, of Trelydan Hall, her ladyship's
father.

The Marquis de Caux is to be made to feel that
he has married an actress. The Figaro says the Emperor
has written to the Marquis that he cannot bear the title of
Imperial Chamberlain so long as his wife remains upon the
stage, but that his salary will be continued.

LYNCH LAw.—A short time since a gang of
robbers ran off with a locomotive and an express car on a
railroad in Indiana. When they attempted to open the
car they were fired on by the guards, and one of them
dangerously wounded, the others running away. Three
of them were subsequently captured, and a fortnight ago,
while being conveyed to Seymour, a mob stopped the
train, overpowered the guard, took out the robbers, and
hanged them.
MORE DEATHS BY DROWNING.—WiIIiam
Shilla-
beer, 17 years old, has been drowned while bathing in the
Dart. He went home to dinner as usual, and finding it
not quite ready, he went with a younger brother to bathe,
The water being very low, he walked across the river ; but
on returning he got into one of the deep pits with which
the river abounds, and, being unable to swim, he was
drowned. He was seen by a sailor on board the Newcomin,
who immediately put off to his assistance ; but it was some
time before the body was recovered, and life was extinct.
An inquest was held. Verdict, accidentally drowned.
THE WILL OF THE LATE SIR BENJAMIN
GUINNESS.—The personal property of Sir Benjamin Guin.
ness has been sworn under £1,100,000. He leaves his estates
in Mayo and Galway to his eldest son, Sir Arthur ; his
estates in Kerry, Limerick, and Kilkenny, and £20,000,
to his second son, a captain in the Ist Life Guards ; his
estate in Dublin, and his town house, to his youngest son,
Edward Cecil. He leaves £30,000 to be invested for the sole
and exclusive use of his daughter, the Hon. Mrs. Plunkett.
There are a number of legacies to relatives and friends,
varying from £3,000 to small annuities. The brewery is
left to the eldest and youngest sons ; and if one of them
should retire from it, he is to receive from the other
£30,000 and half the value of the stock. These two sons
are the residuary legatees. Should the estate bequests
fail from want of issue, the property is to go to Trinity
College. The interest to be expended in the rnaintenanco
of Protestant stu aisfai cj in tions rips. tU

- 2-•••`

A
''l/4•4
nawr.

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, August 3.

The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise,
Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse, and the Duk°
of Edinburgh, walked in the grounds this morning
Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice also went
out.

The Princess of Wales drove out yesterday, tic'
companicd by Prince Albert Victor and Prince
George, attended by the Hon. Mrs. Hardinge.

LITERATURE.

Sweet Anne Page. By Mortitner Collins. Three
Vo's. Hurst and Blackett.

Some ten or fifteen years ago, when the young
poets of the day were mistaking the obscure for the
sublime, and preferring rant and rhapsody to rhyme
and reason, one Percy Jones astonished the world of
letters and brought the young Apollos to their senses
by his very daring extravaganza of "Firmillian,"
in which, " ou'-Heroding Herod," he "fooled" the
lovers of the sensational indeed " to the top of their
bent." Percy Jones, as the wise ones were not slow
to discover, was no other than Professor Aytoun,
the poet of the " Scott'sh Cavaliers," and also the
alter ego of " Bon Gualtier." " Firmillian" did the
State good service. The sensational poets were
eclipsed, and have been since that period, com Para"
Lively speaking, silent. A similar ambition, we are
inclined to think, an ambition to rival the fame and
achievements of " Firmillian" in regard to the sen-
sational novels of the present day, has animated the
author of the new work now before us. 44 Sweet
Anne Page" (Shakspere might have a right to com-
plain that such a name had been selected for such a
purpose) is the " Firmilliati" of the present day. It
is smartly written ; it is amusing to read ; but, true
to its apparent aim of surpassing in their peculiar
ways the chief novels of its kind, it contains
no character in whom we take an interest,
no person to like or to admire, no hici lent
that we can believe in, and few situations that we
can approve. This, however, is as it should be. In
the sensational novel, not only the probable, but,
for the most part the possible also, is set aside, and
not only the forms of conventionality, but even the
rules of propriety are set at naught, and WI
cleverly has the writer of "Sweet Anne Page" car-
ried out the rules of the art in these particulars.
Before we quite understood the hidden meaning of
the story, we were inclined to regard it as a cool'
bination of the revolting and the ridiculous, and
these terms will not appear too strong to any one
who may read the very revolting scene in which
Claudia, surnamed " the Panther," makes love to
Stephen Langton, who is at the time engaged t°
Sweet Anne Page, or the very ridiculous treatment
with which that same Claudia soon afterwards
revenges her disappointment upon her luckless
rivalj when she is paying a visit at her home'
Claudia compels Sweat Anne Page, who is seven'
teen, and who is engaged to be married, to Wear
short frocks and frilled trousers, and to have
governess to hear her say her lessons and ber
prayers! On more than one occasion, when Anne
is insubordinate, the determined Claudia administers
a good whipping. The whole scene is ridiculous is
the extreme. Sweet Anne Page is apparently
" sweet" as to be literally good for nothing. She 1,„
a pretty little fool, who, to escape from Claudia'
persecution, .allows herself to b 3 ruu away with by
au ambitious young lawyer, who is anxious for her
money, and who actually borrows the means I°r
the elopement from Stephen Langton, to whe,lll
Anne is at the time engaged. So great is the 12'130
4
of her flight that the bride runs away in her short
frock and frilled trousers. But if this h°(/
were only ridiculous it would lose its aim_ the P 11"
prieties as well as the probabilities must be attacked'
Anne Page is disappointed in her marriage. She
meets soon afterwards with Raphael Beanse°l'l,), his
turn brother of Claudia, " the Panther," who in '"
turn is surnamed "The Seraph," and who, we are
told, is as beautiful as a woman, but who is de-
prayed and pitiless beyond the rest of human
Every woman in this book falls in love with this
formidable Seraph, and Anne, the foolish little
" S veet Anne Page," insists upon running
with him. Raphael has left a young wife in Corsica'
and one morning sweet Anne Page awakes to find
il
the companion of her flight lifeless by her side,
the digger of the Corsican Vendetta in his he°
When her screams bring assistance, Sweet Alll40
Page is a raving maniac 1 Are we not justified 1,0
our compliments to the author of this sensations'.
drama. But we have really given the reader bat;
poor idea of its peculiar merits. The Branseoalei
family are perfectly unique in their way. Tbid
boast they have no human feelings—that the Oro%
is, according to them, divided into " men, WO. eed
and Branscombes." The father, a rut°
lle'
and reprobate squire, rejoices in the aPPC of
tion of Devil Branscombe; the daughter, Clanthe'lla
whom we have made mention, is the Panther, se
the brother, the Seraph. An old uncle, eutitlieth
the Wolf, returns from abroad with fabulous we° t
0
acquired, we are led to understand, by Ylelooo,
means —robbery, murder, and piracy, We 1.,,,h0
gine. A very fast young lady, named Isola, blO
has been living a solitary and very questiotoo,
life, who talks slang, and who is ready to aee..oa,
pany the first stranger to a dinner at Richm"A,
turns out to be his daughter, and very extraetp'
",,,
nary scenes occur in the domestic life 0f og
Branscombe family. On one occasion the Y° 'l
ug
people go to a masquerade, and Isola beloto
dressed as a page, a giantess endeavours
carry her off. The page draws a dagger, infictictsher
wound on her captor, and disappears, au ,sel
friends return home to find the warlike clahe
e
quite at her ease devouring Perigord pie, 'which r re'
declares to be " golopshiouw," and the alltb° hot
marks par parenthese, "It is astonishingoee
much these little women can eat and drink." 4030
the Wolf, the father of Isola, administers %eat
delicious beverage to his visitors. His °Pto,
Raphael, and his companion Stephen La11:fAll
drink deep of the enchanted draught, and the voice
asleep for the nExt two or three days ! The house
up to find themselves alone in a desertedd tea
and famished with hunger. To be revenge
rose
his uncle for this trick,Raphael, during the .11110 oto
absence from his house, converts the donale' „Ilse
a perfect menagerie. On each side of tblei cage,
wide bow windows are placed, filled wito chitty'
containing animals, birds, and reptiles,
ulturet
panzce and lynx, boa constrictor and '„ De°
Australian magpie and Esquimau% deg' short,
the door is opened by " a dwarf, ver./;slto'
very stout, very hairy about the face, 100k1.11te:olisfr
gether almost inhuman." Inside the e:_aaroost
ment are lions, tigers, panthers, ostriches, lc:at, of On
the el?:,04(180.4,
wombats, and over the door hangs
wolf with the title of the house, " The w°,..riate°
When the uncle returns he is at first law A re'
and then, admiring his nephew's ingenuity ail Such
venge, declares he is indeed a Brangeelu. u ebaPters
are the extravagances to be met with in ttl,e„..b alter:
of " Sweet Anne Page," extravagances 1031'4 tore
;odes tie;
nate with the many striking eP tscit33 A
a 5
influence which he seems to exercise upon . p
Seraph's love making, or rather of the :11. aratin'
COrSIOS A 00
Searfdt
rt3Pes tirot
It is a relief when the dagger of the o'4o
an end to his reckless and revolting ear he fa
„
reader of her history
of luckless Anne Page. Have we 10ith
%7 that
tia3o,
i :pyr ePs
can feel
to more than justify our
author of this novel, disgusted by the resolve
cies of some of his coatem poraries: m 5elo
t!i©
hold up a mirror in which they can
to
the bit
em'ilaL iolll
the
eallvele
as others see than," and thus
daring achievement of illian by
extravagance of " Sweet Anne
age.„ O

LONDON AND SOUTII-WESTERN RAlLwAlr•ci to
directors of this company have resolved to recornvloen
the proprietors, at the half-vearly general rueetiq.,o 300
13th inst., that the dividend for the half-year e1ac170,133
Juno, 180, should be at the rate ot 4 per cent. 110%rryia5
on the ordinary capital stock of th,e conipnY,
for ward a balarteo of £ll,lOB, .