The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-14 00:00:00

GITHA OF .THE
.FORES7I

"/?odenhurst" 3 Vol?.

In this utilitarian age, when everything assumes a
practical character, when the very fictions are full of
politics, or pictures of real life, a novel of this kind is
indeed a novelty. It is a tale of " auld lang syne," a
history of the Saxon kings. We constantly hear praises
of the "good old times," but, certes, if this picture be
correct, they were hardly so good as the present. The
constant struggles between the Saxons and the Danes
form the groundwork of the story, and the hundred
perils and escapes of " Githa of the Forest" are worthy
of the old days of knight-errantry—now imprisoned by
her own countrymen, now ab ,ut to be sacrificed on the
altars of Odin—carried captive to Denmark—saved, and
recaptured. Never did hapless damsel suffer more truly
in " hairbreadth perils, escapes, and snares ;" " none
but herself could be her parallel." These extravagant
adventures give an air of improbability to the tale, but
perhaps, on that very account render it more interesting
to the lovers of romance, and for these it was evidently
written. Many of the skirmishes between the
Saxons and Danes are described with 'vigour, and
the character of the Northmen is admirably pour-
trayed ; they are represented as fierce and im-
placable invaders, men of stern, unpitying tempers,
yet the slaves of superstition; willing to surrender their
victims at the command of the seers, or ready to shed
their own blood as a sacrifice on the altar of the terrible
Odin. One of their strongest passions was the untiring
thirst for vengeance, and showingno pity for a fallen foe ;
yet, amid all this ignorance and cruelty,we find instances
of generosity that would do honour to Christians. Such
characters and such scenes are well suited for a romantic
tale; but the earlier portions of this work are deficient
in force from the constant repetition of similar scenes,
and the numerous trifling incidents without apparent aim
or object; the chief interest is reserved for the denoue-
ment, and the last volume is by far the best of the
three. We conclude this fanciful and romantic tale with
it feeling of thanksgiving to fortune, which has placed
us in the 19th, not the 9th, century, when the peaceful
encounters of Whigs and Tories form a pleasing contrast
to the fierce struggles of Danes and Saxons, and wh( n
the heart's blood shed in the temple of Odin is exchanged
for the sacrifice of principles on the altars of expediency.

POST-OFFICE NOTICE.—DEPARTURE OF FOREIGN
MAlLS.—Wednesday the following notice, relative to the days
appointed for the dispatch of the next foreign mails, and the
vessels by which they will be conveyed, was posted at the
Chief Office, St. Martin's-le-Grand :—" The Great Liverpool
for the mails of the 20th instant, by which the next mails
for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian Islands, Egypt,
India, &c., via Southampton, will be dispatched on the
morning of that day. Peninsular Mails : The Madrid for
the mails of the morning of the 17th instant, for Lisbon,
Spain, Madeira, Gibraltar, Vigo, Cadiz, Oporto, &c. West
Indies : The Teviot for the mails of the morning of the 17th
instant, for the British and Foreign Colonies in the West
Indies (except Honduras and Havannah), and for Ber-
muda and San Juan de Nicaragua. The next mails for the
Mediterranean, Egypt, Ceylon, India, and China, rid
Marseilles, will be dispatched from thence on the evening
of the 24th instant. America: The Cambrian will sail
from Liverpool with the mails of the evening of the 18th
instant.

TROTTING MATCH FOR 20L—Wednesday the match
between Mr. Hill's :brown horse, and Mr. Wardle's black
horse, to trot two miles in harness for 10/. a-side, came off at
Wandsworth Common. The usual trotting conditions were
complied- with. Both horses went away at a good pace, and
turned the first mile, nearly together, in 3 minutes and 32
seconds. They then made for the winning-post, the black
horse going ahead, closely followed by his opponent, till
within 250 yards of home, when the brown horse broke out to
a gallop, and Mr. Wardle's horse went in an easy winner,
accomplishing the two miles in seven minutes and a quarter.
SUDDEN DEATH OF J. PEEL, EsQ.—We regret
to have to record the death of this gentleman, which took
place at the Abbey, Burton-upon-Trent, on Tuesday morning.
Mr. Peel was in good health up to the period of his death
In the morning he was taking lunch about eleven o'clock,
and was observed suddenly to drop, and closing his eyes he
almost instantly expired. Mr. Peel was formerly partner in
the extensive cotton manufactory at Burton-upon-Trent, and
wes universally respected by all classes in the neighbour -
hood.— Wolverhampton Chronicle.
BIRTH IN I CAB.—Wednesday morning, Mrs. El;s%-
both Mendurst, a married lady, residing in Church-street,
Portman-market, entered one of the Paddington omnibuses,
accompanied by her sister, for the purpose of proceeding
into the City. On arriving at the end of Oxford-street and
Tottenham-court-road, the lady was suddenly taken ill, and
she and her sister alighted from the omnibus, and procured
a street cab, directing the driver to proceed back as quickly
as possible, which he did ; but before they arrived, the lady
had given birth to a male infant. She was carried to her
bedroom with the infant, and medical assistance was promptly
rendered.
BODY OF A:FEMALE FOUND DitowNED.---Wednes-
day fcranoon the body of a woman, who appeared to be about
forty-foirr years of age, was found in Sir George Duckett's
Canal, a branch of the Regent's Canal, at Old Ford, near Bow.
The deceased, who is supposed to have been only a few hours
in the water, is under five feet high, of fair complexion, with
hazel eyes and dark hair, and had an old wedding ring on
her finger, rings in her ears, and a thimble in her pocket.
Her dress was a dark Merino cloak, over a lilac gown, and
an old straw bonnet, trimmed with black velvet. The body
Was talon to the sign of the Three Colts to await the inquest.
THE lIMWE, Nov. 1 l.—lt .is said that her Royal High-
ness Princess Albert of Prussia is prevented, by indiiposition,
from her intended visit to the Hague.