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

NARROW ESCAPE IN A DUEL.

In consequence of an article entitled " The Epilogue,"
which appeared in La Liberte of July 27, and signed
" Odysse Barot," M. Jecker demanded satisfaction from
;11,3 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 Park,
naa 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 the Bth inst. The General and Lady
Napier will during their stay in the neighbourhood bo the
guests of General Scott, of Trelydan Hall, her ladyship's
father.

The Marquis de Caux is to be made to feel that
ho has married an actress. The Figaro says the Emperor
has written to the Marquis that he cannot tear 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 breweryjs
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 maintenance
of Pr t.plikosisWnts Istrifak
mildcjko ileakt,tkus xis,>ta'auG

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HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, August 3.

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

The Princess of Wales drove out yesterday, Etc'
i-ompanied by Prince Albert Victor and Prince
George, attenled by the Hon. Mrs. Ilardinge.

LITERATURE.

Sweet Anne Page. By Mortimer 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 re Ison, 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.-Hereding 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 " Scottish Cavaliers," and also the
alter ego or " Bon Gualtier." " Firmillian" did the
State good service. The sensational poets were
eclipsed, and have been since that period, compara-
tively 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. " Sweet
Anne Page" (Shakspere might have a right to com-
plain that such a name had been selected for such a
purpose) is the "Firmillian" 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 incident
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 verY
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 Co3l'
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 to
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 Sweet Anne Page, who is seven-
teen, and who is engaged to be married, to wear •
short frocks and frilled trousers, and to have 3
governess to hear her say her lessons and her
prayers! On more than one occasion, when Anne
is insubordinate, the determined Claudia administers
a good whipping. The whole scene is ridiculous in
the extreme. Sweet Anne Page is apparently se
" sweet" as to be literally good for nothing. She 8
a pretty little fool, who, to escape from Claudia 'e
persecution, allows herself to be run away with hy
an ambitious young lawyer, who is anxious for her
money, and who actually borrows the means Or
the elopement from Stephen Langton, to whore
Anne is at the time engaged. So great is the haste
of her flight that the bride runs away in her short
frock and frilled trousers. But if this book
were only ridiculous it would lose its aim—the pro'
prieties as well as the probabilities must be attacked.
Anne Page is disappointed in her marriage. She
meets soon afterwards with Raphael Branscombe,
the brother of Claudia, " the Panther," who in hi°
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 kind.
Every woman in this book falls in love with this
formidable Seraph, and Anne, the foolish little
" Sweet Anne Page," insists upon ruariing away
with him. Raphael has left a young wife in Corsica:
and one morning sweet Anne Page awakes to fins
the companion of her flight lifeless by her side, with
the dagger of the Corsican Vendetta in his heart.
When her screams bring assistance, Sweet Anne
Page is a raving maniac ! Are we not justified
our compliments to the author of this sensational
drama. But we have really given the reader but a
poor idea of its peculiar merits. The Branscombe
family are perfectly unique in their way. They
boast they have no human feelings—that the wort
is, according to them, divided into " men, wonle'll
and Branscombes." The father, a rain'
and reprobate squire, rejoices in the appella-
tion of Devil Branscombe; the daughter, Claudia, efa
whom we have made mention, is the Panther, ea
the brother, the Seraph. An old uncle, entitled
the Wolf, returns from abroad with fabulous vrea'",
•
acquired, we are led to understand, by vielea'
means —robbery, murder, and piracy, we ilat.a..o
gine. A very fast young lady, named Isola, w„"te
has been living a solitary and very questionable
life, who talks slang, and who is ready to accele:
pany the first stranger to a dinner at Richcaoau,
turns out to be his daughter, and very extraordv
nary scenes occur in the domestic life of th°
Branscombe family. On one occasion the Yoa,g,
boele
people go to a masquerade, and Isola to
dressed as a page, a giantess endeavours_ a
carry her off. The page draws a dagger, inflilet
wound on her captor, and disappears, and
set
friends return home to find the warlike day 3
be
quite at her ease devouring Perigord pie, which
to'
declares to be " golopshious," and the author
marks par parenthese, "It is astonishing i_oo
much these little women can eat and drink."
The°
the Wolf, the father of Isola, administers e());
0,/
delicious beverage to his visitors. His neP,
Raphael, and his. companion Stephen Langto it
drink deep of the enchanted draught, and then
aue
asleep for the next two or three days ! They 'goo
up to find themselves alone in a deserted "e
and famished with hunger. To be revenged
_tor'S
his uncle for this trick,Raphael, during the ma" oto
absence from his house, converts the domicil°
the ose
l'e
a perfect menagerie. On each side of agog
Ride bow windows are placed, filled with chica-
containing animals, birds, and reptiles, 'wire,
panzee and lynx, boa constrictor and t:ti, sad
Australian magpie and Esquimaux dog, oat,
the door is opened by " a dwarf, yell
very stout, very hairy about the face, lookin:00-
gether almost inhuman." Inside the esto.oooo,
ment are lions, tigers, panthers, ostriches, kal'a of 0
wombats, and over the door hangs the e/Ra y do. ~
wolf with the title of the house, " The wolf's
rimed,
When the uncle returns he is at first infulo re-
and then, admiring his nephew's ingenuity a such
venge, declares he is indeed a Branscolnhe',_,.nrtara
are the extravagances to be met with in the efwaiter
of " Sweet Anne Page," extravagances which
of the
nate with the many striking episodes oatiet;
Seraph's love making, or rather of the Eons'' tact
all ary ots
influence which he seems to exercise upon
It is a relief when the dagger of the Corsicalo
an end to his reckless and revolting career, fat
the
reader of her history can feel any pitY orloub
of luckless Anne Page. Have we not salL,t_at the
to more than justify our impression
xi.traosgaet-_
author of this novel, disgusted by the e
_owed e_
cies of some of his contemporaries, has r"
the
as others see them," and thus to e
hold up a mirror in which they can "see
cathuer3to
the only
daring
extravagance
Sweet
owfee"tFAirnmniellipana;ebJ,
The
R uovAlr• at°
LONDON AND SOUTII-WESTERN
__won
t. „
directors of this company have resolved toracyng 171
the proprietors, at the half-yearly general
earlug 30
13th inst., that the dividend for the ,
halfont ana4:
Juno, 1868, should be at the rate of 4 per
InyP:` crary
on the ordinary capital stock of the comp,
forward a balance of £ll,lOB.