The Sun.
London, England, 1857-05-04 00:00:00

" Thanatos Atbanafos" is continued in its usual
rambling style, occasionally quaint and suggestive,
at other times offering little to attract the reader.
"The Passing Bell" is the name of a new story,
by the author of "The Redcourt Farm." Myst, ry
and, murder hive a lacge share in it. A bride
dies very shortly after her marriage under very sus-
picious circumstances. It is to be presumed the
next number will afford some clue to the criminal.
Monkshood's New. Book Notes" take fqr their
subject Michelet's "History of the League." Thi§
number is scarcely equal in interest to its prede-
cessors. The " GA11,17 of Theatrical Portraits"
presents us with a sketch of an eminent actor still
living—Mr. Macready. The history of his early
days will be interesting to thnse unacquainted
with it.

The United Serpice.7—The first paper in the
United Service has the somewhat satirical title of
"Military Education the Panacea for all our
Shortcomings and Deficiencies." The-writer, as may
be inferred, considers the subject has been treated
with some exaggeration, and the existing deficiencies
elevatedinto undue importance. He is indignant
at the blame of all the disasters which occurred in
the Crimea beiriri attached to the officers of the
army, and asks ow it is that the officers of the
navy escape the odium of our naval failures. He
exclaims, More than half the sufferings of the
army arose from naval mismanagement—,how is
it that the rage for instruction is not extended to
them ? It was not the officers of the army who
ordered the confusion of Balaklava' harbour for so
many months. It was not they who kept the
trauSports (the Prince, among the rest) outside,
riding at a dangerous anchorage in winter weather
until a storm came and destroyed them. It was
not they who stowed the ships from England in
such a way that no'hing could be got out at any
place where it was wanted. The offit'ers of the army
did not do these thing=, nor a great many others
which brought suffering andmisery upon them and
upon their men ; and yet they are blamed and
charged with ignorance because Of these acts and
their consequence, and they are to be sent to
school to learn to do better." The writer goes on
to attribute many of the failures in the late war
to Op want of a broad and liberal view of the con-
duct of those entru-ted with military operations,
and to tying them down by the fear of reg-ulatiGns
"which are so nilny pit fdls in the way of a prompt
decision when nothing-but a prompt decision will
avail." He remarks with just ee that the plain
necessity of any 'case should be the only voucher
needed f r the acts of a military commander in the
field, and hints that the Admiralty and Hor-e
Guards require to be put in order as well as the
lower grad'es. A paper on " Hospices en Barren
Islands" presents uswith some sensible remarks on a
subject that cannot fail to be of importance to a
maritime natiou. It is greatly td the credit of our
Colonial Legislature, that the Governor of New
South Wales has already established a hespice on
Booby Island. The interesting account. of " A
Scramble through the Hills to Cashmere," by Capt.
Colrn4n, is proceeded with. The series of papers
on The Military and Political Systems of Lbuis
)4V., Napoleon 1., and Napoleon III." bas
reached the second number, and takes a review of
the miii' ary and social government of Xappleon. A
subject scarcely less interesting to the historical
sltident i 3 met with in the next paper. It is the
Tenth Lecture " On Military Sciende," and conti-
nues the criticism on the campaigns of Caesar, and
describes the victory of Antony and Octavius over
Brutus and Cassius at the memorable battle' of
Philippi. An article 'which merits attention gives
us a panoranqa of Egyptian history, and' remarks
that the Egyptian is the grand exception to the
general incapacity of the African. A paper f0110w.3
it on Morocco, and gives some account of their
neighbours the Mobrs. All the ,1-ayat.l. and Military
Intelligence of the Month is supplied, and there
are several other articles on topics connected with
the United Services.

The New Monthly. —The New Monthly opens
with a criticism on M. Hue's resent work: on Chris-
tianity in China. The introductory s4eteli 4..ud
the copious extracts afford a very good idea of the
work itself to those who have not perused it, and
gives a concise gcnotpat of the early history of the
Chilies° and Tartars. " Parkwater" continues a
story begun in last month's impression; it concerns
the fortunes of Sophia M:ry, the clever, designing
girl, who is educated above her station, and thereby
rendered unfit for anything, The present passage
of ber life is in Ireland, where she obtains the
situation of goyerness in a noble family. There
she makes nothing but mischief ; she inveigled the
brother of the Countess (who had engaged hex)
into the promise of a marriage ; and, although he
forfeited his word, and married a titled lady,
Sophia May was not to be trifled with, and the
reader is left to infer that she will proceed from
bad to worse, As the consequences of her early
duplicity and selfishness. Notp3 on Note-
worthies," by Sir Nathaniel, carries the reader
back to the days of Grecian pre-eminence, to

" Athens, when she bora
Her boldest and her bravest to the Syracusan shore."

He tapes for his subject Nicias, the _Athenian com-
mander, and defends him from the attacks of Mr.
Grote. While confessing, with Dr. Phillip,th•Lt
he was wholly incompetent to the sole command of
,so great and - difficult an enterprise, the writer
maintains that he had approved himself a good
officer, hi 4 former undertakings hyl reflected on
hiai high credit, mid. that Mr. Grote underrates
ids abilities., He quotes a passage from Rousseau,
iu which he .says-- • ,

. .
" Combien de heros glorieux maguanimes,
Ont vecu trop d'aajourY
It is to be feared that observation may be applied
to, the fame of many modern celebrities who bavo
seen their reputations suddenly crumble away be-
fore a change of public opinion. The Electoral
Addresses furnish Cyrus Redding with the subject
of one of his political articled, which are more
elaborate than brilliant. i A Summer in Schles-
wig" gives us some amusing descriptions of the
domestic life of the rural population, which, to say
the. truth, does not seem very intellectual. " A
Swedish Voyage Round the World" progresses,
and the traveller arrives at California, and gives
us an account of the gold mines, and the means of
procuring the precious metal. ‘,' Eutrapelia" is,
as usual, entertaining and well written, its topic
for this month being " Barrow on Wit." The
" Family History of Joshua Tubbs" is continued
—it is not so humorous as its name would lead us
to suppose, many melancholy incidents having oc-
curred among the family circle of its hero.
Florentia gives us.another of her agreeable papers
pf travel on " '1 he Baths of Lucca," and the
" Memoirs of the Duo de Raguse," furnish the
subject for an article under the title of " King
Sword and King Pen."

The tt ational Magazine.—The chief contribu-
tion to this publication is "Lord Erlistrum—a
Love Story," by the author of " John Halifax,"
arc. It is interesting, although not to be classed
with the author's other works. Jane Douglas is a
fine character, but many of her views are mistaken:
A.n article, well worthy of notice, is written by the
authoress of "The House of Raby," on the sub-
ject of " Ignoble Cares." It is said that " the
great afflictions of life are eas'er to bear than the
small worries 1" A clever analysis is given of the
thousand minor ills that embitter and irritate the
mind, and " weigh the burdened spirit down,
withthe cumbering dust of earth"—minds and spirits
that, under other circumstances, might have
trinmphed over great obstacles, and been victors in
the struggle with mighty foes. " Too Bad by
Half y is an amusing sketch. The paper on " Bright
Pokers" is very sensibly written concerning the folly
and absurdity of families having " best rooms"
and "best things" kept sacred fur occasional ci m-
pany, while the family in every-day life are obliged
to put up with any and everything, thus sacrificing
comfort for show, and real respectability for ima-
ginary gentility. " A Word for the Homes of our
Working Men," contains some just remarks, and
suggests some plans for the amelioration of the life
of the labouring classes. It is shown that misma-
nagement occasions the same results as real po-
verty, in its extravagance and waste, and that care
in spending the money would be of more service,
than an increase of wages without prudeice. Va-
rious other subjects of interest are met with.

The Commercial Traveller's Magazine. This 1
magazine, representing such an influential and en-
terprising body,
appears to meet With the encour-
agement which it deserves. It is progressing
factor-ay, and will, no doubt, maintain its charac-
ter. The subjects are judiciously phoien, and grave
and gay, entertainment and business, are pleasantly
and suitably mingled. the most remarkable fea-
tura in the present number iu the first article,
which is entitled " The Real French Etnpire.° It
takes a review of the modern financial system of
France, and the extraordinary spirit of speculation
that has recently prevailed arnong Parisian finan-
cier. The following remarks may be interesting to
those whO watch the proceedings of "Societe de
Credit Mobilier" :L

"The Principe of limited liabilities is applied in France
under various forms ; that whiCh is best known in this
country is perhaps the parineiship en commandite,
under which the shareholdersare "answerable Only for
registered amount of their investment ; but the di-
iectors are responsible. In fact the directors form the
partnership, and the shareholders are what we should
call f'sle4ting partnfr,s,' ezempted from any responsibility
4ycipod ttl.e amount which they have suhscribed. and re-
stricted from any kind of management. But thks is
no means the most effectual application of limiteg
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