The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-13 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

GITHA OF THE FOREST. By the Author of
I" Rodenhurst." 3 Vols. . .

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 sync," 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 about 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 showiogno 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
a feeling of thanksgiving to fortune, which has placed
us in the
.19th, not the 9tb, century, when the peaceful
encounters of Whigs and Tories form a pleasing contrast
to the fierce struggles of Danes and Saxons, and when
the heart's blood shed in the temple of Odin is exchanged
for the sacrifice of principles on the altars of expediency.

THE HAGUE, Nov. 11.—It is said that her Royal High-
ness Princess Albert of Prussia is prevented, by indisposition,
from her intended visit to the Hague.
ESCAPE OF A CONVICT.—On Monday evening,
about five o'clock, the convicts employed in the Woolwich
Dockyard during] the day were mustered, as usual, on
their return to the Warrior hulk, where they are kept
during the night, and found to be all present. On their
return to their night quarters, several of the convicts are
engaged in bringing down the hammocks from a place
constructed on the side of the deck for stowing them
during the day-time, and while engaged on that work,
which generally occupied from half an hour to three-
quarters of an hour each evening, one of the con-
victs took the opportunity, apparently for many suc-
cessive days, of boring through the plank at the stern
of the vessel, and in a very dark corner, and each day I
flied up the holes he had made with putty, blackening it
over, to prevent suspicion. llis plans appear to have been
admirably effected; and he was enabled on Monday evening
to elude the vigilance of the officers, and effect his escape,
by tying the ropes of two hammocks together, and lowering
himself at least a depth of 30 feet into the mud of the
I river, where he left all his clothes, with the exception of
his shirt and shoes. The name of the convict is Samuel
Bridges, aged 24 years; he was born at Bromyard, in Here-
fordshire, and was found guilty at the Worcester assizes, on
the 15th of July, 1843, of stealing an ass, and sentenced to
ten years' transportation. He was a basket-maker, stout
made, with dark hair and grey eyes, and is five feet three
inches in height. It is suspected he must have had accom-
plices to assist him in his escape, as he often spoke to his
fellow- convicts of going to America in the event of being
liberated. His footsteps were traced round the east end of
the dockyard, but there all traces of him were lost.
BODY OF A FEMALE FOUND DROWNED.—Yester-
day forenoon the body of a woman, who appeared to be about
forty-four years -of age, was found in Sir George Duckett's
Canal, a branch 'Atha 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 tower, 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 taken to the sign of the Three Colts to await the inquest.
POST-OFFICE NOTICE.—DEPARTURE OF FOREIGN
MAtta—Yesterday 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 Liverpol
for the mails of the 20th instant, by which the nt-3-Ei 'halls
for Gibraltar, Malta, Greece, the lonian taands, Egypt,
India, &c., via Southampton, will be. dispatched on the
morning of that day. Penin Mails : The Madrid for
the mails of the morning 1 . lie 17th instant, for Lisbon,
Spain, Madeira, Gibraltar, igo, Cadiz, Oporto, &c. West
er
Indies : The Teviot for the mails of the morning of the 17th
instant, for the British and Foreign Colonies in tin, West
Indies (except Honduras and Havannah),
Aid for Ber-
muda and San Juan de N '.li
icaragua. The ne mails for the
Mediterranean, Egypt, Ceylon, Inch-, and China, viaMarseilles, will be dispatched from
thence on the evening
of the 24th instant. America *. The Cambrian will sail
from Liverpool with the MP..,..ts of
the evening of the 18th
instant.

TROTTING MATS
..n TOR 201.—Yesterday the match
.'s brown horse, and Mr. Waratet black
betweenhorse,to
4.7
cro miles in harness for DX a-rill!', came off at i
Wandsw',..th Common. The usual trotting conditiona *th'e
comPl'..ed with. Both horses went away at a #4e•-.1 pace, and
turned the first mile, nearly togethelN 1W t minutes and 32
seconds. They then made for the Winning-post, the black
horse going ahead, closely Foilewed by his opponent, till
within 250 yards of home, 'Alen the brown horse broke out to
a gallop, and Mr. Weadle'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 tte Abbey, Burton-upon-Trent, on Tuesday morning.
Mr. Pc,el 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 ire
the extensive cotton manufactory at Burton-upon-Trent, and
wes universally respected by all classes in the neighbour-
hood.— ifrolrerhampton Chronicle.
BIRTH IN A CAB.—Yesterday morning, Mrs, Eliza-
beth 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
bad given birth to a male infant. She was carried to her
bedroom with the infant, and medical assistance was promptly
rendered.
AN AMERICAN WELL.—A practical and scientific
gentleman offers for 30,000 dollars to sink an Artesian well
in Boston to the depth of 1,700 feet, by which it is estimated
that more than a million of gallons of the very best water
can he thrown into the city every day, and to a height of
at least 100 feet above the surface of the earth. An effort
is about to be made to raise the money by subscription.-
American paper.