The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-14 00:00:00

country.

CANADIAN HARVEST.—Complete returns of the
condition of the crops throughout Ontario are published,
and show on the whole that a good average harvest has
been obtained.

LITERATURE.

Haydn's Dictionary of Dates.
Published by the Messrs. Moxon and Co.
This Thirteenth Edition of " Haydn's Dictionary
of Dates" forms altogether one of the most splendid
repertories of information ever published. It is
the cream of all the encyclopmdim. It resembles
for all the world that lovely woman, to know whom
(as somebody exquisitely said) was of itself a liberal
education. It is as comprehensive in its range as
the Aristotelian Philosophy. It embraces within
its compass, the whole range, the whole domain, the
whole cycle of human knowledge. Let any one
master this book, and thenceforth he may con-
sider himself armed cap-it-pie against all risk of
ever being convicted of ignorance. It is one
serried armoury of information. And it has this
added advantage, and interest, and attraction pecu-
liar to itself, as a book of reference, that whoever
turns to it in search of what can always most easily
be found (for its contents are arranged alphabeti-
cally)—whoever turns to it in search of no matter
what, gains for himself a mass of information
that he never calculated upon, in the very act of
looking for the one specific item he may be in quest
of. Dipping into the book in this way, is like
taking part in an intellectual game of snap-dragon.
In making a dash at the one plum you are grasping
at, a flood of light is thrown upon swarms of
other plums all around it. The work has long
assumed its place as the Standard book of
Universal Reference. Relating as it does to all
ages and all nations, it never can become obsolete.
Besides this, it is one of those rolling stones that is
always gathering moss as it rolls, and at the same
time is always increasing in bulk, like a snowball.
This latest edition of all, the Thirteenth, has been
corrected up to June, 1868—and it is more consider-
able in size, as well as more remarkable for accu-
racy than all its predecessors. 'The pages are
larger, and the leaves are more numerous. Addi-
tional room has thereby been obtained for the in tro-

duction of new matter in all directions. Supplewen
.__

tary or illustrative facts never before dreamt of as
admitting interpolation here in any way—facts scien-
tific, geographical, and biographical—are scattered
broad-cast over the letter-press, either dropped in
parenthetically, or planted here and there unobtru-
sively as foot-notes. The Dated Index is another
and a very notable improvement. So, too, will be
found the Chronological Tables, introduced at the

very beginning of the work—a work that, as its
Editor says of it quite truly, is " not a mere
Dictionary of Dates, but a dated Cyclopasdia, or
digested summary of every department of human
history, brought down to the eve of publication."
In Mr. Benjamin Vincent, the Editor in question,
a gentleman who has occupied that responsible
position in regard to " Haydn's Dictionary of
Dates ever since 1855, the Right Man for once
has certainly been put in the Right place. From the
Seventh Edition, in 1855, to the Thirteenth, in
1868, he has been laboriously renovating the work
throughout. To this end he has for years, as we
understand, organized a systematic record of events
that seem to keep him au courant with the age he
lives in, week by week, day by day, hour by hour,
as it advances. Seldom, indeed, do we find any-
thing to have been absolutely overlooked. One in-
stance only can we at this moment call distinctly to
our remembrance. Anther, for example, he mentions
as a carbonaceous mineral—giving some other parti-
culars about it—but he makes no mention whatever
of Meerschaum. One extraordinary chronological
slip he stumbles into in the article on Atheism, where
he say, " Atheism became the ruling doctrine of the
French Republic, 1804." When, in point of fact,
not only was the French Republic, as it happens, in
that very year 1804, merged into the French Em-
pire, but when, three years previously, namely, on
the 15th of July, 1801, the Concordat between
Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, and His
Holiness Pope Pius VII. was formally signed in
Paris, re-establishing the Catholic Church and the
Papal authority in France, with the consent and
co-operation, nay, it shall be said, in justice to the
Great Napoleon, at the direct instance of the
national Government. It is worthy of remark also
in regard to the article on Lissa, that while one
naval fight is mentioned, namely, that in which the
Italian Fleet was defeated on the 20th of July, 1866,
by the Austrian Fleet, under Tegethoff, not a word
is said of a still more notable sea-fight off the same
island in the Adriatic, when years ago Sir William
Roste led the British war-ships to victory under

le most inspiriting signal that ever fluttered from

mast-head since the day of Trafalgar—a signal never
to be forgotten—two words—" Remember Nelson!"
It is curious again to observe that under the head of
Campbell's Act due notice is taken of the act intro-
duced by Lord Campbell, compelling Railway
Companies to give Compensation for Accidents—
but no notice whatever is taken, in the same place
and under the same heading, of what is nevertheless
far more popularly known as meant by " Camp-
bell's Act," namely, that other act introduced by
the same noble and learned lord for the suppression
of indecent and demoralizing publications--every-
thing, that is, generically coming under the title
of Holywell-street Literature. Still more extraor-
dinary is it, to our mind, to find under the article
Caricature honourable mention made of Gilray,
Rowlandson, H. 8., Richard Doyle, John Leech,

_ .
and John Tenniel : but not one syllable said about
the greatest caricaturist of them all—and one

who is happily still living—George Cruikshank !
It would have been fair to allude to Bunbury,
and Sayer, and Seymour, and one or two others
that might be named, but to say nothing at all about
Cruikshank is simply absurd. In another edition,
moreover, of this Dictionary of Dates, it would
be just as well to record on page 191, namely, at the
close of the article on Comedy, that when "It was
said of Sheridan " --it was so said of him by Lord
Byron—" that he wrote the best comedy (the School
for Scandal), the best opera (the Duenna), the
best after-piece (the Critic)" —and it should be
added also, as part of Bgron's remark about Sheridan,
the best monody (the one on Garrick), as well as
the finest speech (the Beguni speech on the Trial
of Warren Hastings)—" in the English language."
Again, in the article relating to the Crystal Palace,
while the earlier Handel Festivals are noted, there
is no reference whatever to the grandest of them all,
namely, the very last, the Handel Festival that is
of this present year of grace 1868 ! Not that the
editor fails to take note of it altogether—simply

that ho fails to take note of it there —for
un-
der the head, later on, of Rancid' s Conzinemorations

—the three great days, 15th, 17th, 19th June, 1868,
are duly specified. It is incomprehensible, moreover,
that under the title Musical Composers, while Auber,
Rossini, and Balfe, as a matter of course, are
mentioned among living contemporaries, nothing
at all is said about either Gounod or Verdi ! Again
under the record of English Literature, while we
miss some names with surprise among our dead and
gone benefactors, one there is whom we cannot but
grieve to see unnoticed—true poet and true humorist
as he was—Thomas Hood I Under the bead Epic
we cannot but conceive, moreover, that there have
been unduly and most erroneously numbered up
with Homer's Iliad, and Virgil's .iEneid, and
Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, and Milton's Para-
dise Lost—as Epics also-0 vid's Metamorphoses,
and Sir Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel !
We have particularized these " spots on the sun,"

these facula3 and macula that are only discernible
upon the most rigid scrutiny, because we are de-
sirous that it should not be supposed for one instant
that, in speaking (as we have hero been constrained
to do) out of feelings of simple gratitude to those who
have performed for us as well as for the rest of the

world these herculean labours in the way of com-

pilation, we have been indulging in any way in words

of extravagant and unmeasured eulogium. NVe
have exatnined the book most carefully, and we
speak of it, as we have here spoken of it, after hav-
ing so examined it. And, as the result of our

scrutiny, we would once more remark, in conclusion,
that we regard this book of Haydn's Dictionary of
Dates with wonder and gratitude for its almost
invariable accuracy, and for its certainly extra-
ordinary comprehensiveness.

EXCLUSIVE, VERY IMPORTANT, BARE, AND VALUABLE
are the properties of Lamplough's Pyretic Saline, curing the
worst headaches, sickness, skin, or biliary affections. Pleasant
palatable,.and Daylgorating. told by all GllQualPtA.—LAdyt.]

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Trmu; October 13.

The papers all write on Spanish matters, but, except

the G adds, have nothing but weary comments to offer.
But the letter sent by General Prim to the latter journal
is most important. It settles the question of a repub-
lic, and decides in favour of a constitutional monarchy.
The following is the most important passage :
"I know that a small part of the Paris press has
shown impatience, seeming to think we did not go
fast enough. lam astonished at this hasty judgment, and
I beg of you to rectify it. What ! a revolution slow that
is only eight days old, and that has already done what ours
has done ! ..No ,v that we are constituted we will soon
consolidate the situation on the bases of our programme.
With that programme you are acquainted. We hope that
with the co-operation of the Constituent Assembly, soon
to be convoked, we shall speedily succeed in realising it.
We shall then have attained to the political ideal of con-
temporary Spain--that is to say, a true Constitutional
Monarchy, founded on the largest liberal bases compatible
with that kind of government."

The statement is made on very good authority that an
important missive has been sent to Bucharest. La France
has said that the English and French Governments are in
agreement on the subject of these Eastern matters, and it
is believed that the note in question is in accordance with
this policy—non-intervention.
The Chevalier Nigra has departed at last. lie first
goes to Stuttgard, and thence to Germany, where his son
is being educated.

Count Girgenti has arrived at Paris. He is staying
with Count Aguila, with whom the Countess Girgenti
resided during the absence of her husband. Don Carlos,
the son of Count Montemolin, is also in Paris. For the
present he occupies a house in the Rue du Cardinal
Pesch.

The Evenement places no faith whatever in the reports
of the possible recovery of the Duke of Brabant. What-
ever the bulletins may say, the state of the Prince grows
worse daily, and the Queen, occupied with the care of her
son, and the Princess Charlotte, for the present performs
only the duties of a Sister of Charity.
Another distinguished invalid is, too, the subject of
anxiety. Count von Goltz has profited much by Dr.
Schmitz ; his life may now be considerably prolonged.
The malady seems to have shifted its locality : the suffer-
ing of the patient is less, but it is feared that the agony
he formerly endured will soon resume its sway.
There is truth in the rumour that the Pays is to
be sold. A meeting of the shareholders has been called to
consider the propositions which have:been made. It does
not appear that the editorial staff will be changed; on the
contrary, the paper may in its new hands become more
official.

A strange accident occurred two days back near the Contras
station on the Orleans Railway. A stranger, in hishasto
to cross the line; was knocked down by a passing train,
which ran over his right wrist, nearly severing the hand
from the arm. He, however, immediately got up and ran
off, and has not since been heard of.

A good story comes from Havre. Two men had nar-
rowly escaped drowning. They had got intoxicated more
or less, and, either missing their way, or staggering, fell
into the harbour. The Custom-house officers succeeded in
picking both out alive. One of them when rescued urged
his rescuers to dive again and get him his hat !