The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Dark and Fair. By Sir Charles Roe kingham,
author of "Rockinehirm," " Electra," &e. 3
Vols. Hurst and Blackett.
This work is likely to tie one of the most success
ful of the season, it is bri liant and sparkling in its
style, amusing and en'ertainiug in its story, and
posses s pre eminently that knowledge of the
world which imparts to the descriptions of person,,
and the details of things, a life-like impress, and a
red appearance, , "a local habitation and a narne."
The scene of action is laid in one place, Rocking
ham Hall, and the dramatis persona; are not very
numerow, yet the interest never flags, the
at°ent'ou does not weary, and the excitement is
sustained by the variety of the chat asters presented
to notice, and the skill with which it is depicted.
Sir C arles himself does not do so much, as he is
made to be the excuse for the act out of others.
His home is the refuge for the distress d suff ter
from worldly mischances, i,rul at the same time, the
fortress to which the enemy lays siege. What
none of the party could or would have done at
home, they contrived to rend-r perfectly feasible
in the mansion of the bachelor, as they styled the
owner of Rockingham. Although a p'easing and
engaging maiden, it is most proba!le that few
reals rs will prefer Lavinia to her cousin Camilla,
than whom a more charming representation is
seldom seen in the pages of fiction. It is
true that some might hod the objection of her
being too unguarded in her ways and manners,
but those were reamharities tliet tme would ine-
vitably sof en down, while the genuine good na-
ture, the ready wit, the lively temper, and to
high spirit, invested her being wiih a cliar:n and a
grace, that would remain as a lasting monumeit,
when the smiles of youth and the gl ,r:es of beauty
should have vanished as a dream. There is s tine
thing fresh in her whole composition, sartie g nil
influence pervades her acti as, aed the ie ad.rr,
delighted, pauses to coet-mplste her, as the tra-
veller might tarry t inhale tie breezes of a spring
morning, or dwell up an the verdure of a sisal t
landscape. Lavinia Die away is of a totally diffe-
rent cast, yet she is animate I by her lively friend
into a fair picture of social existence, when left to
her own desires and her mot'm,'s man g linear
she becomes sulky, downcast, and irritaSale, by
turns. Lady Edward Dieaway is aer apt illus•ra-
tion of a fine I idy mother, a wed fly p trent, who
has one fixed idea upperrncot in her mind, above
or beyond which she wil, not look. When pe aple
have once sacrificed -erase to speciouane-s, and rea-
son to folly, there is no mistake too great fur them
to commit. Hence, Lady E lward brought a
' de'ermined dangirterta a dreary country house to
divert her mind from London g sties, and to
drive away an unwelcome intruder on her peace,
she kept up a series of sallies nica!e or less
bitter, devised at every possible opportunity, as
might be expe ted " Vinny," as she was called, be-
came at first angry and at last depressed. This
latter phase was too much for the well-meaning
though perplexed host to endure, and he made
private arra' gements for procuring the society of
at least one friend for the deserted, as it often hap-
pens, more resulted from this coucess'on than was
at first intended. Lady Camilla came as requ. s ed,
but brought with her ,he radoub•alde Lord Wither
Dieaway, the fatal cousin to avoi I whom tl,e politic
Lady Edward, and the demure Lavinia had quitted
the London sea-on in its zenith, for the rural re reat
of neglected Rockingham. Here was a catastrop
the distracted mother knew too well that to niecit
with Lady Camilla and to part with her, were two
very different t ings, when she was an ally she was
a mighty one, all these untoward events conspired
to make her really ill, her threatened d parture
was inevitably postponed, and an opporteni y that
London formalities could never have pr. scared,
was afforded to the lovers by Vie unrestrained
intercourse of a country life. This passage it
amusing with the diversified t mpers to w tuly, Ca-
m'lla's vivacity, Lavinia's quiet fun, Lord
Walter's imperious self-complai ency and
iroriciiaa-
knee, and the bewildered Sir Charles' sum ssive
attempts to pay the part of ment ar, host and mutu
friend. In vain he tried to be indifferent, and no t
interfere; he was always getting into diffieMties
and being comprom sed. This calm was rudely
broksu in upon, by a discovery of Canalla's of
Walter's faithlessness. The mortified Lavinia was
implac bly offende I, and in the hour of her despair
Lady Edward rejoiced. In order to remove the
now obnoxious Walter from the se,-ne, Can Ala had
to resort to endl ss strateeems, wh ch fin -fly sue
ceeded, but involved her own depa' tore from her
Need as well as that of her enemy. A raw period
.n ensued; at first Lavinia and her mirth r were
to retwn to Landon, but the health of rile former
again gave way, an she was corifined to her own
apartments for same time. Duiieg th s interval
Sir Canaries, and his beautiful s 1 -rem-tieing guest,
hal ample opportunities of reflection. Vinny de-
pressed by her disappoinment, was ready to tike a
c timer view of life than in her first romantic days
of girlish enthusiasm, while the master of R icis-
ingliam, at last roused from his a'most lethegie
state, began to think the world n t qu to tine d sort
he had imagined, or, at least, if it were, with such
b ight heingsasthose who hadlately crossed his path,
its wilderness might blossom like the rose, Scarcely
had these two arranged an agreeahle routoie of
study and recreation, when an event they had be en
desiring came to pass, and Lady Camilla returned
Her father had gone abroad, and she hastened away,
it did not seem very pleasant news to the retired
inmates, though they strove to give her a cheerful
welcome. Had they been gif e t with a prophet c
vision, however, they could not have felt otherwise,
for Cie arrival of the charming Camilla proved the
forerunner of endless mishaps and misunders and
ings. The intercourse between the fair cousins,
that had always beau of unbroken harmony, was
jarred and jangled like tho melody of a sweet instru-
ment struck out of tune. To complete the
,compli-
cation, Lord Walter returned ; hoping time had
effected great things in his favour, bit', he was mis-
taken, Lavinia Dieawaywas no fickle lady, she could
not frown one day and smile the next, once de-
ceived she made no second trial. After an exci, ing
epoch of smiles and tears, clouds and sunshine,
some stormy scene gives ti=e to a general
eclaircissement which commences by the en-
gagement. of Sir Charles and Vinny, and is
concluded by the more surprising fact of Lord
Walter and Lady Camilla fon:awing their
example. It is to be questioned if these meta-
morphoses were not rational ones, as Lavin;a, could
never have rested satisfied, with one so volatile as
her early choice, while with an energetic spirit like
Camilla s, Lord Walter would ba urged on, and
incited to better things. Among the minor acces-
sions to the story may be mentioned the band of
servitors, who professed to study their master's in-
terest, but meanwhile only regarded their own. It
is ludicrous to mark their indignation, and resent-
ment, at the innovation of their tenement, by the
arrival of the isitors. It will be apparent from
the above resume of events that this novel presents
many distinctive features of interest. It will repay
perusal, if only, from its flowing style, and ease of
construction, there is nothing oversrained, or made
up in its composition. It introduces us to the
highest circles, but its tone is free from conven-
tional restraint, and its manner devoid of art finial
guise. If less s riking and elaborate than its
brilliant predecessors, by its vigour, and vivacity,
its taste and judgment, it possesses its own pecu-
liar attractions, while with them it exhibits a degree
of excellence, thit denotes the arrangement of a
matter hand.

Modern English Literature : its Blemishes and
Defects. _ By Henry Bleen, Esq., F.S. A. Long-

man and Co.
A portion of a paragraph from Mr. Breen's Pre-
face will convey the readiest idea of the intention
of his publication
"No one is surprised to hear that ungramma.ical
forms of speech are to be met with at every page, in that
species of literary production to which we apply the
terms light,' current,' fugitive.' It wa3 always so,
and will continue so to the end of time. It is so in the
same department of literature in other countries, and
there is no reason why ours should be an txcePtion to
the common lot, But that the gros3eet toleciAna and

tho most palpable blunders ghoul.' be of frEqufnt occur-
rcn3,l in those who claim t i.occupy the highest place in
the republic of let.ers, is what few may be prepared to
a _twit."

N:r. Breen has pointed out aril corrected these
s and qutideis. The various inaccuracies
of diet on ;it'd compo-ition, the faults of mannerism,
the qualit'et of critici-m, the varieties of plaglaristra,
and the whole catalogue of literary sins and offences,
too common among even our finest modern classics,
are placed beore us in schollry style and genial
spirit, the sym) athy of which at once annihilates
all notion rf petty carping or impertinent and in-
coMpet mediling. By pntusitig this volume we
may learn much to enable us to "speak and write
the Dudish 'language with proptiety and elegance,"
as Lindley Murrayhas it; and t 1 in& pient au hors
it will cliistitute an invaluable na,ntor, whereby
th-y may acqu,re perspicuity, freedom, and vigour,
in lien t f obicur,ty, complexity, and weakness.
We have r trely met with a volume so thoroughly
fulfiling the purpose which it undertakes ; and
English stulenti will do well to make their bow of
gracious V:a..ilts to Mr. B: eeo, and purchase his
useful work immediately.