The Sun.
London, England, 1850-08-08 00:00:00

THE SUN,

is to class together the separate revelations, so as
tl furnish the general reader with a complete idea of
Nineveh and Persepolis, as they are and as they have
been. Accordingly, the modern researches occupy
only a portion of the volume. The first chapters are
devoted to a brief history cf ancient Assyria and
Persia, and this hi,tory is rendered most attractive by
the pictures of eastern lire, and the romantic legends
and fables w hich it contains. Mr. Vaux, the author
of this work is engaged in the department of antiqui-
ties in the British Museum, and, in consequence per-
haps, his description of the ancient monuments, and his
investigations and explanations are all given con amore,
The work is embellished with numerous very excel-
lent engravings of the newly-discovered statues and
figures of ancient date, and to the curious in such
matters we may very safely commend this interesting
record of " Nineveh and Persepolis." If disposed to
find fault with its author, we might perhaps object to
his too copious extracts from Layard. Yet in this
instance Mr. Layard will have small cause of com-
plaint, seeing that any perusal of a portion of his in-
teresting revelations can only inspire the reader with
an anxiety to peruse the whole.

LETTERS OF A TRAVELLER. By Win.

Cullen Bryant.
This volume contains some fifty letters, written
during the last sixteen years, and descriptive of the
various localities from which they are dated,
which localities comprise the chief places of note in
the old and new worlds. The writer is the American
poet, William Cullen Bryant, hence the very fact of
its authorship and the very varied but attractive na-
ture of its contents invest the" Letters of a Traveller"
with a peculiar interest. Letter I. chronicles the
first impressions of an American in France, where
every step of his journey reminds the traveller that
he is in "an old country." France, Italy, England,
Scotland, Ireland, Germany, are alike traversed by the
wanderer from the new world, and their various pe-
culiarities are made the subjects of interesting and
generally judicious reflections and remarks. But, to our
mind, by far the most attractive of these letters
are those descriptive of America—an American's ob-
servations on American scenes and American pecu-
liarities. The very diversified subjects of these let-
ters increase the value of the collected series, as they
furnish the reader with, as it were, a bird's-eye
glimpse of both sides of the Atlantic, and enable him
to compare the peculiar characteristics of different
countries and different races. In this investigation,
moreover, the reader is at once assisted and delighted
by the running commentary of his poet-conductor.
Whether commenting upon a Free-trade meeting at
Covent-garden (where, by the way, we are told that
" Cobden, in physiognomy and appearance, might
almost pass for an American, and has
a certain New England sharpness and shrewdness in
his way of dealing with a subject"),, or following the
adventures of some Indian tribe, or in any other
intermediate position, Mr. Bryant is equally felicitous
in his descriptions, and his remarks are equally em-
phatic and judicious.

TWO YEARS" RESIDENCE IN A LE-
VANTINE FAMILY. By Bayle St. John.
An old saying recommends travellers to do
at Rome as Rome does, and, in uncon-
scious obedience to this maxim, Mr. St. John
during his residence in the East rightly decided that
the most effectual method by which he could become
familiar with the peculiarities and customs of the
country was by domiciling himself with a Levantine
family and identifying himself for the time being with
the Levantines. The consequence of this very judi-
cious determination is a volume, part journal, part
history, part romance, in which the reader, like the
writer, becomes pleasantly familiarised with
Easter❑ customs and quite at home with Sitt
Madoula and the gentle Wardy and their
various relatives and acquaintances, not omit-
ting " the Sheik," a ghostly inhabitant of the
house—the spectre of a former landlord, who was
frequently (Mr. St. John seriously informs us) en-
countered on the stairs and in the corridors. The
frequent rencontres of this supernatural companion
were such a matter of course with Sitt 11Iadoula's
household that one or other would often carelessly
remark, " I met the Sheik on the stairs, but he passed
by quietly." At first Mr. St. John tells us he
imagined the person spoken of to be some trouble-
some neighbour, but during his two years
domicile three times his own eyes acquainted
him with the supernatural fact ! Matter of
more substantial and not less romantic interest is,
however, abundantly furnished in the pages of this
work, many chapters of which transport the reader to
the very regions of the Arabian Nights, and once
more, as in the dear days of childhood, we inhabit a
world where romance is reality and reality is roman-
tic. Among some of the many extraordinary national
peculiarities here recorded is the faith of the Egyptians
is the power of an untruth. Any spell, say they,
can be overcome if the victim can gain credence for
a❑ untruth. " One morning," writes Mr. St. John,
" I'kender came and swore most solemnly
that he was going to Rosetta to collect
some debts. The object was to remove a spell
which had prevented him from effecting any impor-
tant sale for three days. As I believed him—at least
for a moment—it seems he was fortunate, and made
a profit of ten dollars before I gave him a visit in the
afternoon." So abundaut are the similar anecdotes,
and so interesting are the romantic narratives, some of
them fully equal to a three-volumed novel, which fill
the pages of this attractive volume, that instead of
quoting a few, we recommend the whole to those who
are desirous of becoming further acquainted with the
men and manners of the Levant.

THE DAL TONS. .Nos. 111. and 1-17. By Charles

Lever.

Our amusing friend Harry Lorrequer begins to
feel himself more at home with his new characters.
Their place of sojourn still continues to be the Ger-
man watering-place of Baden, out of season, though
towards the close of the present instalment the On-
slows appear to be on the eve of their departure for
Italy. Lady Hester is striving to secure Kate
Dalton as her companio❑ to the Roman peninsula.
Many obstacles, however, must stand in the way of
such an arrangement, seeing that the previous effort
of Mr. Prichard, the attorney of Sir Stafford, has
failed in persuading Peter Dalton to accept an an-
nuity of 2001. per annum from his employer. To
ourselves the reasons for this latter refusal ap-
pear to be somewhat incomprehensible. Poor
Hans is still an invalid. Andy " comes out" most
ludicrously in the fourth number, rather to the con-
fusion of Mr. Albert Jekyl, who has formed the ac-
quaintance of George Onslow. As yet we have been
enabled only to catch a glimpse of the initials of their
character. Scarcely a syllable is said about Colonel
Haggerstone in the last few chapters, and hardly a
word of Frank, who has doubtless by this time be
come transformed into an Austrian soldier. We
await a hint as to his fortunes with curiosity.

THE HISTORY OF PENDENNIS. Nos.
XVIII. and XIX. By TV. M. Thacheray.
These numbers clear the way for the denouement of
the story. Poor Helen dies, but not until she has learned
the truth as to the nature of the connexion between
Pen and Fanny Bolton, and therefore she dies hap-
pily, as the only blot she believed existing on the cha-
racter of her son has been entirely removed. The de-
scription of her death is beautifully and pathetically
written, and is quite worthy to take its place by the
side of Sterne's description of the death of Lefevre. Sir
Francis Clavering is ruined by gambling, and the old
Major begins to think that, after all, Blanche
may not be a very eligible match for Arthur. Fanny
Bolton is engaged to Sam Iluxter, the student.
Warrington relates his history, from which it Ap-
pears that he had in early life married a woman of no
education, and much below himself in rank, from
whom he has been for years separated, and thus all
the obstacles that seemed to stand in the way of the
union of Pen and Laura are in the course of removal.
The description of " The Derby," in No. 19, is ad-
mirable.

FINE ARTS.

LIFE AND EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL.

Part VII.
Under the joint editorship of the Reverend
Messrs. Howson and Cony beare, this remark-
able biography of the great apostle progresses
admirably towards its completion. The em-
bellishments this month represent an exquisite
view of the Isthmus of Corinth and another of the
city of Konich, both of them, but especially the for-
mer, distinguished by the beauties habitual to the
drawings that emanate from the hands of Laborde
and Bartlett. When finished the work will be a
noble addition to every biblical library, and will
prove its editors to be as brilliant textuaries as they
are laborious and accomplished historians.

attentive perusal. A woodcut likeness and a brief
biography of Wyatt commemorate the genius of
that lamented sculptor, and a similar means 15
adopted to celebrate the abilities of an artist still
living, Mr. Linton, the water-colour painter. The
poets illustrated this month are Genelli and Words-
worth. The remaining portion of the Art Jourral is
principally composed of literary and pictorial criticisms.