The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-01 00:00:00

BENTLEY'S MISCELLAAY.

Albert Smith's romance, " The Marchioness de Brin-
villiers," increases in intensity of interest as it draws
near to a conclusion. The guilty Marchioness, at the
instigation of her paramour, Saint Croix, poisons both
her brothers. Saint Croix, who has endeavou►ed to
cheat the physician from whom they obtained the
poison, is himself poisoned by the Italian, and it is not
until after the death of St. Croix that the wretched
physician discovers that he has killed his own son.
On the death of St. Croix his effects are seized by the
authorities, and among the rest a cabinet which is
claimed by the Marchioness as her property. It is
opened, and found to contain various preparations of
poison. She hastens to her own residence, knowing that
the police have possession of the cabinet, and at this
interesting summit the story breaks off for the
present number. Mrs. Mathews continues her
sketches of ennobled actresses, and gives us the
short but entertaining biography of the Countess of
Craven (Miss Brunton) and Lady Thurlow (Miss Bol-
ton). The outpourings of D. Canter consist of a series
of amusing reminiscences of poor Power, and the subject.
of the literary retrospect of the departed great is John
Galt. The Gaol Chaplain continues his dark pages from
"Life's Volume." We must confess, however, that we
prefer the story of the bright pages of life, and there-
fore are under infinite obligations to Alfred Crowquill
for introducing us to his aunt, " a good-natured wo-
man," one of the most simpleminded and kindest-
hearted of creatures. It is a sketch not unworthy of
Goldsmith. Paul Prendergast introduces us to a dan-
gerous character, Mr. Thwaites. Imagine a wan
aping in decent society, at the present day, the intoler-
able and disgusting brutalities of old Sam. Johnson, and
imagine Paul Prendergast sketching adventures of such
a man, and, good reader, you may form some idea
of the treat that is in store for you. Behrey
eschews politics ; nevertheless, in the present
Number, there is a short address to the gentlemen of
England, which is more worthy the attention of those to
whose care the destinies of this great nation are cou-
fided, than all the political articles which have appeared
in all the magazines for the last twelve months. It oc-
curs at the conclusion of an interesting narrative, en-
titled, " A Press-gang Hero," a narrative founded in
tact, by Robert Pustans. Thus does Mr. Postans ad-
dress the gentlemen of England :
" A word to the Gentlemen of England who live at home
at ease.' You cannot be ignorant that powerful rivals are
striving to overmatch you on that element you fondly call
your own. Think you not that there are many more old
ea-
men along your coast who hive similar tales of neglect and
wrong to recount to younger mariners? Know you riot there
are thousands, and their warning voices perchance has influ-
enced them to adopt a service in every respect opposed to yours,
and may affect the manning of your ships at the present hour.
Let the truth be told. Seamen will not enter the navy—they
shirk it—it takes months in these times of peace, with a luxury
of sailors, to man a ship of war. They prefer the American to
the British marine ; and why ? because the pay is better, and
the service made more palatable. This is not a flattering ex-
ponent of the spirit which your mariners bear towards the
navy. Be wise in time ; and remember that one decisive vic-
tory over a British fleet would be more destructive to you than
t h e loss of a score of Waterloos; nay, your seamen have been so
used to victory, that a drawn battle, ship for ship, and gun for
gun, would be a triumph to your foe, and a defeat to you. You
cannot afford to lower the prestige of your flag ; if your seamen
are not invincible, the world must not know it. There is
Lo-
liey in making the fox's skin piece out the lion's hide.
" You have lieutenants sufficient to man a stout fleet of line-
of-battle ships on your half-pay list, and admirals and captains
enough to officer all the navies in the world. Ships—noble
ships you have in profusion; but seamen—the muscles and
bones to put all these vast resources in mation—are not to be
found. The inference is plain. Jack feels himself neglected,
and seeks employment where he is better treated. Be assured
the seaman of the hat war is an altered man—he is changed with
the times—the thoughtless beings who fought so valiantly for
you in the last war will not readily be found again. The days
of frying watches and eating bank-notes between slices of bread
and butter are gone, and are only remembered now as so much
yarn.
" Endeavour to make the service popular by increased pay,
and comfort to the seamen ; let him feel he is protected, and
he will protect you ; he will b 3, as he always has been, the van
of your vanguard. Be wise in time then, gentlemen of Eng-
land, or peradventure the hazards of some future war may
make it a difficult matter for you to live at home at ease. "
Now, we know, from our own personal knowledge,
that every word here stated is true. Seamen will not
enter the British navy so long as the Americans offer
them better pay, better treatment, and better chance of
promotion. The price of labour is regulated like that of
every other commodity, by the demand. In callings in
which the supply exceeds the demand, our Legislators
(who are at the same time all employers) are willing
enough to admit and act upon the truth of this doctrine.
Let them also acknowledge its truth in the case of the
navy—there the demand for able-bodied seamen exceeds
the supply, and to obtain that supply the employers
must pay the price. Let then the Government look to
it in time, that should a war come it may not find us
unprepared. Awful will be the reckoning to which the
country will bring those who by their want of precaution
and by their penny-wise and pound-foolish economy shall
destroy the prestige of invincibility which has hitherto
always attached to the British navy.

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.
The first paper in this Number, " Peel's Policy to-
wards Ireland," is an attempt to run a parallel between
the policy adopted by two premiers respectively (the
interval of just a century elapsing between their adminis-
trations) towards Ireland. The systems of the two Sir
Roberts, it is contended, is identical in principle—varied
only as to the means resorted to for carrying it into ex-
ecution. This system is described to be the government
of Ireland through " the instrumentality of under-
takers." The " undertakers' employed by Walpole
were the Protestant aristocracy of that country. Tne
" undertaker" relied on by Peel are its Roman
hierocracy.
" There must be on both sides concession as well as claim.
Undertakers, if they do a Minister's work, will require a recom •
pence ; and the man in office, who needs their instrumentality
io effect his own ends, must, in turn, lend himself as an instru-
ment to accomplish the ends they insist on."
Allowing for a great deal of political prejudice, and
that false colouring in which it rejoices, this paper is
one of considerable talent, and extremely little candour.
" Jerusalem," a review of " The Holy City," by the
Rev. Geo. Williams, M.A., late Chaplain to Bish,,p
Alexander, at Jerusalem (Lord Parker), is made the
vehicle for a tedious and withal very unsati.faetory
topographical disquisition. The " Antholcgia Ger-
manica," of which we have, here, the twenty-first paper,
contains one or two translations of not very favourable
specimens of the singular genius of Heinrich Heine.
From the " Zeitgedichte" of Freiligrath, on the other
hand, we have a noble lyric " On the Execution of
Don Diego Leon," shot in Spain, in 1841, by order of
Espartero. It is too long fur extract, and too good for
abridgment. From some stanzas by Baron Zedlitz,
entitled " The Midnight Review," we give that which
stands Number 111.

" And when midnight robes the sky,
The Emperor leaves his tomb,
And rides along, surrounded by
His shadowy Staff, through the gloom.
" A silver star so bright
Is glittering on his breast;
In an uniform of blue and white
And a gray camp frock he is dressed.
" The moonbeams shine afar
On the various marshall'd groups,
As the Maq with the glittering silver star
Proceeds to review his troops.
" And the dead battalions all
Go again through their exercise,
Till the moon withdraws, and a gloomier pall
Of blackness warps the skies.
" Then around their Chief once more
The Generals and Marshals throng ;
And he whispers a word oft heard before
In the ear of his Aide-de-camp.
" In files the troops advance,
And then are no longer seen.
The challenging watchword given is "France !"
The answer is " St. Helene !"
" And this is the Grand Review
Which at midnight on the wold,
In popular tales may pass for true,
The buried Emperor holds."
The nextof D
executed summary and re-
vie Tour through the Valley of
ud paperiDudley
cos is
te ani i 0 ably
w
the Meuse, with the Legends of the Walloon Country
and the Ardennes." This is certainly one of the most
charming books of the season, and although, in ad-
dition to the perusal we have given to the work, we
have read some half-dozen critical notices of it, we
rise from this paper with renewed and confirmed im-
pressions of the singular ability and power of this grace-
ful writer. The other articles of this Number of the
Dublin University are, " Irish Rivers, No. I. The
Blackwater," a very beautiful contribution, full of ro-
mantic iuterest, and reminiscences of Spenser, Raleigh,
" Horace Walpole's Memoirs of the Reign of
George III." " Ireland and her Church ;" and the
Luck of Lynhurst."