The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-20 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Verses on Various Occasions. By the Rev. J. H
Newman, D.D. Burns and Oates.

This charming little volume possesses an immense
attraction. It is the first collection that has ever
been made—and it is the completest possible of its
kind--the very first gathering together of the
hitherto scattered poems of one of the most illustri-
ous intellects of modern times, of one of the most
vigorous writers, of one of the most original and
logical thinkers of our generation. The author of
" Callista," of " Loss and Gain," of " Tract
Ninety," of the Apologia Pro Vita Sua—here ap-
pears before us as the suave and gentle lyrist, as
the contributors of versicles to Albums, as a sage
who disdains not here and there to prattle to
little children. The last effusion in the volume
is, in some respects, the most important as a
literary production. And it is the one last
penned by Dr. Newman—a weird, haunting cele-
bration of death, under the name of " Gerontius.'
Already published separately, it was noticed by us,
in The Sun, at the time of its first appearance a few
months ago. It is by no means the favourite poem
with us in the volume. But, for all that, it is very
remarkable. The earlier portions of the little book
now under notice are of extraordinary interest—
showing, as they do, in a bewitching manner, the
drift and tendency of their great writer's predilec-
tions, together with and the rise of his nobler and more
prayerful aspirations. Dr. Newman's " Verses" will
take their place side by side with Father Faber's
" Hymns," and with his old friend Keble's " Chris-
tian Year." In their fervour, in their unction, in
the chiming music of their rhythm and their
rhyme, they are worthy of that honourable associa-
tion—they are not unworthy even of the heart and
brain, the soul and conscience, of the illustrious
author of the Apologia.

Extracts from English Literature. By John Rolfe.

Chap man and Hall.

Any advantage secured to the reading public
by this collection we can hardly recognize.
The book, to ourselves, at least, is simply
tantalizing. It is an accumulation, for the most
part, of the merest shattered fragments. A
gathering together, in a manner, of the chips
and splinters of preeious stones—broken bits
of ruby, and emerald, and amethyst, and turquoise
—here a morsel of malachite, here of amber, here of
jet or of rock crystal. Seldom or ever a " gem of
purest ray serene" complete in itself—never one in
its own appropriate and familiar setting. Portions of
perfect works of art they are, mostly—and portions
too, that have been torn away with a pitiless hand
to be here jumbled together with broken edges and
distorted outlines—each a mere brick or worse than
that, the merest brickbat, from the house of the
Skolastikos of Hierocles. Had it been less, that is a
mere simple index or handbook—or had it been
more, a genuine collection of something better than
fragments, the work, instead of tantalizing us, as we
have said, would have been treasured up on our
bookshelves.

'lke " Charles Dickens" Edition. Chapman and

Hall.

Already this compactest, cheapest, and, as
it promises to be, most popular edition of the
works of Mr. Dickens has numbered up a
good many volumes—the two latest of which
we have already noticed, as we had pre-
viously noticed their several predecessors. Those
two latest being, by the way, two of the very best
stories in the whole series, to wit " Nicholas
Nickleby" and " David Copperfield." Here, in a
thinner volume, we have, by an adjnirably op-
portune arrangement in the order of publication,
the re-issue, just at Christmas time, of the
five Christmas stories, beginning with the immor-
tal "Carol," and so on—through the " Chimes," and
the 66 Cricket on the Hearth," to the " Battle of
Life" and the " Haunted Man." Except in their
separate form—that is in the original five-shilling
editions—they have never appeared to greater
advantage.

Dana's Seaman's Manual. New Edition. Moxoa

and Co.

This is just one of those noble national nautical
books, which are, as one may say, marked with the
broad arrow. They have the timbre of officialrecogni-
tion. Dana's "Seaman's Manual" we put side by side
—as it de-serves—with Charles Dibdin's " Songs" and
with William Falconer's " Ship wreck." Although it is
simply a sort of dictionary or book of reference, it
is at the same time an integral portion of maritime
literature, a classic and an authority.. A more
handy or more beautiful edition of it has never
been issued than the one here submitted to our
consideration.

Mr. CHARLES DEAN.—The Scotsman, an Edin-
burgh journal, contains the following :—" All our
readers interested in dramatic matters will grieve to learn
that Mr. Kean's illness—now, in its more acute form, of
many months' duration—has reached a stage at which
no hope of recovery can be entertained. For some days
Mr. Kean has been in a state of extreme prostration, from
which there is scarcely any expectation of his being able
to rally."

THE NEW MEAT MARKET AT SMITHFIELD.-00
Saturday the last iron girder of the extensive works at the
new Metropolitan Meat and Poultry Market, which will,
moreover, form the roof of the goods stations of the Me-
tropolitan, Great Northern, and Midland Railway Core-
panies in the substructure, was placed in its position, and
when the remaining portion of the brick arched work is
finished—which it is expected will be the case in a few
days—the entire site will be handed over to the contrite-
tors of the corporation market works, who are proceeding
with their contract very rapidly. The new Midland line,
from the junction at Ting's-cross to Moorgate, underneath
the market-place, will be opened also, it is reported,
within the course of the present month.
THE WRECK OF THE FAERIE QUEEN.--The
decision of the court of inquiry was given by Mr. Ea°
in Saturday at the Liverpool court. He said :—" In this
ease the court feels bound to pronounce the master in de-
fault. The loss of the ship may be ascribed to the eel°
causes which have led to so many wrecks of vessels out"
ward bound from this port on the coast of Ireland. The
master stood in towards the land for seven hours, and toolc
no cast of the lead. Had he done so an hour before th°
ship struck— a precaution which the question of the mate
might well have suggested to him—he would have bee°
,varned of approaching danger, and a careful reference t°
,he chart would have confirmed him in this conclusion
Under these oircumstances the judgment of the court iS
hat the certificate of Mr. Joseph Pearson be and hereby
le
uspended for twelve calendar months from this OM
January 18, 1868."
THE HEALTH OF ENGLISH WORKMEN---1130
'3ritish Medical Journal says that our English workmen
year out too soon and die too early. It has commenced
series of reports on the Preventible Diseases of the Indus'
trial Classes, based on inquiries directed more especially t°
hose trades in which the diseases of the workman ce°
,raced directly to his work—diseases which can be Pre:
vented altogether in soma instances, and consideralAY
,iiminished in their force and frequency in others. 13B:
deavours will also be made to trace the injuries to health
arising froM general causes to which some classes of WO
k.
men are subjected during work hours.