attack. They were to meet, and remain concealed at a certain spot where there was a great deal of bush, and arrange the attack an hour before sunset. The first thought of Theunis was to be on his guard, and without seeming to know anything of the stratagem to be prepared to repel the attack. But Meyolo cleverly pointed out to him that if he used stratagem instead, and collecting a little force quietly, surrounded the Kafirs, they would all fall into his hands at once, and by means of threats he might extract from them further information, touching the plans of their comrades, which would be of the greatest service to the colony.

Theunis caught at the idea. In the first place, it seemed likely to prevent bloodshed especially among his own people-in the second place, if he succeeded in this little coup de grace it would be a brilliant affair to him and might greatly serve his country. He therefore ordered his men to assemble quietly, and he told his wife of his design. She, of course, poor simple woman, begged him to desist from the enterprise and to fortify his house, and stand a siege even if it lost him his cattle. But he disregarded such inglorious advice, and determined to go forth.

He and his men set out separately, according to arrangement, mounted and armed, and were to meet at a certain spot (by various routes) just beyond the Kafirs' place of rendezvous, and were then to make for the latter place and "be down on " the thieves.

When Theunis reached the spot he found two of his men already there, and he was soon joined by two more (one of them a mere lad.) He now only waited for the remaining man who was Meyolo himself. He was anxious for him to come, but he consoled himself with the idea that the wily fellow was perhaps only following up further traces and getting still better evidence to assist them in their attack. "What's that?" cried one of the party.

"A Kafir, by Heaven," said another as he saw a dark looking object winding through the bush: and he raised his gun to fire.

"Hold"-cried Theunis-" for God's sake don't fire. It may Meyolo."

"I wish it was, and that I had fired," growled the man.

be

Just at that moment there was a crashing sound in the bush on all sides "Whiz! whiz!" went the bullets, and two of the little party fell mortally wounded. Theunis raised his gun when a Kafir shot him through his heart-it was Meyolo himself who did it! He it was who was leading on the Kafirs, who were swarming forth in all directions upon the devoted little band. The lad we have mentioned was well mounted, and seeing an open space he galloped away at the top of his horse's speed. The bullets rained after him, but he seemed to "bear a charmed life" for none of them hit him. He alone escaped death on the spot. It was not towards the house he galloped, for in that direction the Kafirs themselves rushed. Half an hour later it was in flames. Theunis's wife was never again heard of; but who could doubt her fate? Brutal violence and a death of torture-such are the Kafirs' receptions of helpless women!

This little "o'er true tale" I commend to the gentry I first spoke of in this paper-the philanthropists of Exeter Hall.

LITERATURE OF THE MONTH.

Lydia-a Woman's Boook. By MRS. NEWTON CROSSLAND.

"A woman's book " is a somewhat vague definition, as it may signify either a book written by a woman, i. e., bearing pre-eminently the stamp of a woman's mind-regarding life entirely from a woman's point of view-or it may mean a book designed solely for woman's reading, and (for the authoress occasionally assumes the attitude of a teacher) for woman's instruction. If the first hypothesis be the true one, we cordially agree in the appropriate choice of such a title. Lydia is emphatically a woman's book, written by a "very woman," feminine alike in its virtues and in its faults; most so, where most it should be, when it treats of the vices of evil dissolute men, and in the amiable innocence of its unreality, shows that utter ignorance of the details of its subject, which it would have pained us not to discover in "a woman's book." If, on the other hand, Lydia be written for the use of women, especially of young women and girls, we do not consider the title a fit one, for we disapprove of one principle which Mrs. Crossland distinctly enunciates, and which has apparently guided, or, we would rather say, perverted her taste in the selection of certain portions of her subject; viz., that "if the young girl could but know, what the woman of thirty has often proved," her life would be a happier one. In order thoroughly to sow these seeds of mistrust, which are to bring forth a harvest of happiness, Mrs. Crossland draws for her shocking example such an improbably "naughty man," that really he and his doings are so disagreeable, and he takes us into such questionable company, that, did we possess either wife or sister, we should forbid their increasing the sphere of their knowledge by making his acquaintance. Mrs. Crossland is much more at home, and therefore more successful, in depicting her hero's character, and fulfils her own design of pourtraying "what a good woman would deem a good man," without making him (as is too often the case with ladies' men) a half-sexed paragon of impossible perfection. For the rest, the book affords decided evidence of talent, shows much power of thinking to a purpose, and contains sundry new ideas on important subjects, many of which we conceive to be just ones, although with a few we cannot agree. We argue from her present work, that the mind of the authoress herself is in "a state of progress,” and we venture to predict that Mrs. Newton Crossland will some day present us with a much better "woman's book" than Lydia.

Catherine Sinclair, or the Adventures of a Domestic in search of a Good Mistress. W. TWEEDIE, Strand.

Considering that before this much-enduring young person attains the modelmistress her fancy has painted, she has to run the gauntlet of a fashionable, a notable, a careless, a republican tyrant, an aristocratic-tyrant, an infidel, a professing and a "Southern" (i.e. a slave-holding) mistress, it is evident that she must have been endowed with a cat-like tenacity of life, or she would never have lasted out to be happily married to Edward Stanley at page 143. The Tale is a reprint from an American work, and is by no means to our taste. Zingra, The Gipsey. By ANNEtte M. MaillaRD. G. ROUTLEDGE & Co., Farring don-street.

Whosoever wisheth to read a romantic melodrama rolled out to the proper (?) length of a novel had better peruse the new shilling volume of the railway library. They will find Zingra a very fair type of its class, neither better nor worse than its fellows.

Observations on Life Assurance Societies, and Savings Banks, by A. SCRATCHLEY, M.A. J. W. PARKER & SON, West Strand.

Practical Savings, Applied to Provident Purposes, &c. By A. ROBERTSON. W. S. ORR & Co., Paternoster Row.

These are works which scarcely come within the province of a literary reviewer, we will, therefore, briefly state that Mr. Scratchley's treatise evinces an intimate acquaintance with his subject, and is sensibly and clearly written,

while his views (as far as we are competent to decide) appear just and practical. The object of Mr. Robertson's pamphlet is to demonstrate, that the principle of life insurance, can be applied to benefit persons of careful and saving habits, in all ranks of society, and that the small tradesmen and industrious artisan, may participate in its advantages as certainly as the larger capitalist. Mr. Robertson also points out the dangers to be apprehended from Provident and Friendly Societies and Benefit Clubs too often established upon a basis oferroneous calculations. Both these works are well fitted to carry out the object for which they are written, and we recommend them to such of our readers s may be interested in the subject of Life Insurance.

Freaks and Follies of Fabledom. J. OLIVIER, Pall Mall.

This is one of the tribe of Comic Latin Grammars, Comic Histories of Rome, &c. which have destroyed all feeling of respect, in the minds of the rising generation, for the classicalities whose sayings and doings, their venerable forefathers spent their lives in studying and quoting. The work in question, purposes to be a Comic Lempriere, but the only comical thing we can discover about it is, that a man whose jokes are all pointless, and puns execrable, should ever have undertaken such a task.

Castle Deloraine; or the Ruined Peer. By MARIA PRISCILLA SMITH. 3 vols. and at R. BENTLEY, New Burlington Street.

Had this authoress confined herself to such innocent queries as "But where was Harry Thornton ?"-" has the reader forgotten Annie Marsden?" &c. with which these volumes are plentifully interspersed, we would have endeavoured to regard her efforts to secure the happiness of the young people with a favourable eye. But when she sets up for a teacher, and promulgates doctrines which would very soon "ruin" not only the entire House of Peers, but the country of which that House is at once an ornament and a safeguard, we can only congratulate our readers on the fact, that the writing of the novel is as tame and weak, as the writer's views, religious and political, are wild and dangerous.

The Fortress of Komarom (Comorn). By COLONEL SIGISMUND THALY. Translated by William Rushton, M. A., JAMES MADDEN, 8, Leadenhall Street.

This is a well written, authentic account of the share borne in the late Hungarian War of Independence, by the important fortress and town of Comorn. The translation is good, and the work may be reckoned a valuable addition to the annals of modern Hungarian History. In addition to this, it is replete with vivid interest to all who love a full, true and particular account of sieges and surrenders. Thaly speaks honourably of Klapka, though like all the military patriots, he deplores the blunder of his surrender, which he has exposed better than any of them. It is a significant fact, that Thaly makes no mention of the Baroness von Beck, who according to the account in that remarkable book which bears her name, played no insignificant part among the officers at Comorn, and who was there, as she states, at Klapka's surrender.

The Garland of Gratitude. BY JOSEPH DARE. Firstlings. BY WILLIAM WHITMORE. JOHN CHAPMAN, 142, Strand.

We take these two little works together, because they are of the same kind, and happen to have come under our notice at the same time; but the latter only was published in the present season, the former being of somewhat older date. They are collections of poems written by working men, and are full of interest as signs of the times. If they do not attain to the loftiest heights of poetical inspiration, they are without pretension to such excellence, and achieve fairly what they attempt, viz.-the lyrical expression of the thoughts and feelings which stir within the great heart of the people. Such minstrels, sing to them songs which they understand-which appeal directly to their feelings. Singers more learned and more lofty, often fail to make music to their

cars.

Judged by the canons of criticism, these "Essays in the intervals of business," are by no means to be despised.

Outlines of Ecclesiastical History before the Reformation. By the Rev. W. H. HOARE, M.A. J. W. PARKER.

This is a useful little manual written with great care and considerable animation. There is moreover a tone of reverence about it which contrasts very favourably with the temper in which compilers (a class of writers whose besetting sin would seem to be impertinence) generally approach any subject which might be vulgarly supposed to demand some degree of respect at their hands. Chronological tables are appended to the volume together with a series of questions, which will greatly assist the student in arranging his information under separate heads so as to keep it ready for use. The preface acquaints us with the degree and nature of the controversial feeling, which Mr. Hoare considers inalienable from a due examination of Church History, and his reference to authorities sufficiently prepares us for the colour which this feeling has assumed in his own mind." Into these matters it is not our province to enter. It may be enough to say that, in measuring the great character and prominent events of Church History, the common standard of orthodox Protestantism is in constant requisition.

By CAPTAIN

Account of the Public Prison of Valencia, with Observations. MACONOCHIE, R.N., K.H. CHARLES GILPIN, 5, Bishopsgate-street Without.

The Penny, a Blessing or a Curse, an Essay. Cradock, & Co., Paternoster Row. A Ballad of the Waldensess. By the Rev. E. WIDT CULSHA, B.A. WHITTAKER and Co. Protestant Memorials.-Poems. By the same. WERTHEIM & MACKINTOSH, 24, Paternoster Row. The Sailor's Guide.-Short and Easy Rules for Vessels in revolving Storms. By W. R. BIRT. C. WILSON, Leadenhall-street.

Several pamphlets, and other minor miscellaneous "utterances" have been forwarded to us, which from their brevity scarcely require separate notices. We will therefore shortly mention that Captain Maconochie, R.N., gives a curious and interesting account of the Public Prison of Valencia, wherein by a system of rewards for good conduct, instruction in various trades, and other equally judicious measures, one great object of imprisonment, the reform of the culprit, appears to be attained to a degree which would scare the "Governors" of Newgate, and the Penitentiary, from their propriety, and then throw the entire Police force into nervous hysterics.-That the author of the Penny, a Blessing or a Curse, has perpetrated more platitudes and crammed more absurd quotations within the limits of a teetotal tract, than we could have conceived possible-that Mr. Culsha, author of Antar, and other Poems, having kindly informed us that he is not annihilated by our former Criticism, (a fact which we are delighted to learn of the man, though we can scarcely say as much of the author) sends us 4 Ballad of the Waldenses, and Protestant Memorials; the former a dreary imitation of Macaulay, the latter some half dozen lays also "after Macaulay," wherein the Church of Rome is made answerable for innumerable evils, past, present and to come, with about the same degree of relation between cause and effect as may be traced in that line of the Rejected Addresses, which stigmatised Napoleon as one who,

"Fills the butchers' shops with large blue flies."

We feel we must be very slow in our perceptions, but we cannot even yet recognize a poet in Mr. Culsha-and lastly, that Mr. Birt, author of the Hurricane Guide, has favoured us with a broad sheet, entitled Short and Easy Rules for Vessels in revolving Storms-of which rules we think so highly, that the first time we have the ill luck to find ourselves in "a revolving storm," (domestic or otherwise,) we are determined to apply them. In the mean while, we recommend Mr. Birt to send a copy of his "rules" to the talented editor of the Nautical Magazine, who we are free to confess will be a far better judge of their merits than we are.

THE BRITISH JOURNAL.

HABITS OF THE EMPEROR NICHOLAS.

[From the Journal of a gentleman just returned from St. Petersburg.] THERE is certainly not in the whole empire of the whole of the Russias, nor indeed in any other country in Europe, a gentleman's bed-room more simply or more unostentatiously furnished than that of the Emperor Nicholas. Without decoration of any kind, it contains merely a small camp bedstead, without curtains, a few chairs of the plainest possible form and materials, a couch and two tables: there is no carpet, nor anything that in the most trifling degree savours of luxury. Across one of the chairs, and within reach of the bed, is laid an old military cloak, which, from some circumstance (I could not ascertain what), is a great favourite, and which his Majesty uses as a robe de chambre. During the winter, this room, instead of being heated to 16 or 18 degrees of Reaumur, as the Russian rooms usuallv are, is, by order of the Emperor's medical advisers, kept at a very low temperature, the cloak in question is therefore not unfrequently used as an extra covering to the bed. The Emperor sleeps on a leather mattress, stuffed with horse hair. He rises every morning, winter and summer, at five o'clock; soon after which, he takes a walk, alone and quite unattended, at a rapid pace, of about two hours, round the quays, by the Neva and the Foutalka. Advantage is sometimes taken of this opportunity, of approaching his Majesty without interruption, to present petitions. This is strictly forbidden, but if it be done with tact, it is not only pardoned, but the petition is invariably and immediately looked into. A friend of mine having to complain of a gross act of injustice, a short time since, resolved on addressing his Majesty through that medium, prepared his petition, and placed himself in a conspicuous spot, by which the Emperor passed. When his Majesty approached, wrapped, as usual, in his cloak, and in deep thought, my friend took off his hat, and stood at attention. This was repeated several mornings; at length the Emperor remarked him, and seeing a paper in his hand, stopped suddenly before him, and said, "What have you there? A petition! and for me? Why do you not present it through the usual channel, the Prince Galitzia ? You know this displeases me." Then in a milder tone, “Donnez, donnez," he added; nous verrons." The petition was presented, the Emperor continued his promenade; and a very serious abuse and injustice, of which the petitioner had to complain, was immediately inquired into, and remedied. In fact, no man ever yet had to complain of injustice on the part of the Emperor Nicholas; but the difficulty is to lay a complaint before his Majesty personally. This,

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