996 
THE FIELD. 
unworthy of an audience and of connoisseurs of the musical 
art, the first in Europe, to satisfy such demands rare qualities 
in the singer. The talents of Mias Stabbach, from her suc- 
cess at Leipsic, have been sought after in many other cities in 
Germany. , 
Theatricals in America.— On the 11th ult. the new 
Boston theatre opened under very auspicious circumstances. 
Shakspeare’s play of " The Merchant of Venice" has been 
produced with the utmost success. In the cast of characters 
we recognise the name of an actress who was here with us 
a great favourite, and who is on the other side of the 
Atlantic reaping “golden opinions.” We allude to Mrs. 
Barrow, formerly Miss Julia Bennett, one of our leading 
actresses at the Haymarket and elsewhere. Wo select the 
following brief, though sincere criticism on her acting, in the 
difficult part of Purlin, from the Spirit of the Times (Neu> 
York ) : — 11 Mrs. Barrow’s Portia was a most meritorious per- 
formance, and particularly in the trial scene. She gave the 
readings with os much feeling, delicacy, refinement of soul, 
taste, and good judgment, as I have seen displayed in the 
same character since the efforts of Fanny Kemble, who I 
regard as the greatest Portia I have ever witnessed upon our 
stage. Mrs. Barrow has appeared in a number of leading 
comedy parts since the theatre opened, which has established 
her a favourite with the audience ; she is a sprightly, dashing 
comedy actress, and I will, at some future time, take occasion 
to speak of her efforts more in detail.” 
THE LATE SAMUEL PHILLIPS. 
It is with much grief that we have to record the death of 
a gentleman long connected with the press and favourably 
known to the public by many acknowledged literary pro- 
ductions. Mr. Plullips received his education at Sidney 
Sussex College, Cambridge, and subsequently accepted the 
office of private tutor in a noble family. He travelled through 
most of the European countries, in the discharge of his duty 
to his employers, and when the connexion between them 
ceased there remained between them throughout his life 
feelings of mutual respect and regard. He aftenvurds came 
to London and adopted literature as a profession, and he is 
one of the few examples of men who, having followed it up 
with industry and perseverance, have been able to live and 
support a family in comfort and respectability, neither 
owing nor borrowing money. We do not assert that he was 
a genius or a great literary phenomenon, but he possessed 
very considerable eloquence aud imagination, and, above all 
things, a sound judgment in literature which has rarely been 
surpassed. Had his physical strength been equal to his 
mental qualifications, we have little doubt that Mr. Phillips 
would have earned for himself a very considerable name in 
English literature ; but the remarkable part of the story is 
that his work was accomplished with the hand of death 
upon him. For many years past he had been the doomed 
victim of consumption. At .any hour of the day or night he 
might have been summoned away ere the ink had dried 
upon the line which he had commenced writing. But calmly 
and courageously, respecting himself and respecting others, 
he went through his daily toil, and, as we have before said, 
was enabled to live and maintain his family in comfort and 
respectability. The annals of English literature are certainly 
graced with the names of men of loftier genius than that of 
this gentleman, but upon the list there stands not the name 
of a more honourable and upright man. His career should 
not be without instruction to all men of letters. It may, 
perhaps, be superfluous for us to mention here that he was 
the author of Caleb Stukdy and of other novels which have 
been much admired. He was also selected — no slight 
honour — as the fittest person to write the general hand- 
book of the Crystal Palace. All who had the happiness of 
his acquaintance will long regret the loss of a most honour- 
able, amiable, and intelligent friend and companion. — Times. 
The English Prisoners in Russia, a Personal Narrative of 
the First Lieutenant of II.M.S. Tiger. By Alfred Royer, 
Lieut. R.N. Chapman and Hall. 
One of the most exciting events of the present war is the 
destruction of her Majesty's ship Tiger, near Odessa, the 
sad fate of her commander, and the capture of her crew. 
We therefore receive with the greatest interest the account 
of the circumstances which led to this unfortunate affair, 
and the treatment received by the prisoners from their cap- 
tors. Besides full details on these points, Lieutenant Royer 
(first Lieutenant of the Tiger) gives sin excellent aud lively 
description of his journey to St. Petersburg, and liis inter- 
views with the Emperor, Grand Duke Constantine, Prince 
Dolgorouki (minister of war), aud other notabilities of the 
North. Not the least interesting of these interviews is that 
with the Grand Duke Constantine and the Grand Duchess, 
at Strelna : — 
I was shown Into a drawing-room, to await the arrival of the Grand 
Duke Constantine, who hud not returned from Cronstudt. Hu tills 
the po»t of commander-in-chlcf of the navy, lately occupied by Prince 
MetiscliikofT, who has been sent to command the fleet at Sebastopol, 
aud who may one day pay the penalty, in his person, of the war of 
which he was one of the principal instigators. 
The walls of the drawing-room wero covered with oil paintings, 
chiefly sea-views, by Hussion artists ; and there were many paintings 
laid against the chairs and sides of the room, and water-colour paint- 
ings lying on the table — the whole having an appearance of elegant 
nt'jlvje, by which I could see that it was used more as a private than as 
a state room. An examination of those works of ait afforded me 
some occupation, while 1 could hear, in the distance, u bund of music 
playing in the grounds. I was standing — leaning over a chair, and 
looking out of a window — with my back to the door, when 1 heard 
these words, in a pleasing tone, and in good English, with a slight 
foreign accent, “ You are waiting for the Grand Duke, I suppose ? " I 
turned round, and, a little to my confusion, saw three ladies standing 
close by me. I bowed respectfully to the lady in advance, and replied 
that I had been directed to meet his Imperial Highness at eight o'clock. 
The Gruud Duchess— -for it was nu other who now honoured me with 
her conversation — was necompanled by two of her ladies-in-waitthg. 
Her Imperial Highness said she had heard of my being very unwell, 
and expressed a hope that I was better. I replied that I had only risen 
from my lied in obedience to the commands of the Grand Duke. Her 
Imperial Highness then informed me that It was uncertain when the 
Grand Duke would return ; and added, in the most naive manner, that 
1 might know who was addressing me, " Even I do not know, and I am 
bis wife ! " I again bowed ; when she said that she should certainly 
hea» - if he was detained, and would let me know. She recommended 
me, in the meanwhile, to wait, saying that she would send me some 
tea, and the last English newspapers, which had just come to hand. 
She then retired, with her attendants, by the door at which she 
entered, and soon after returned alone, with a copy of the Illustrated, 
London News, which she handed to me, saying, “ See ! it has not yet 
been opened, and is the last number received." 
It was addressed to the Grand Duke, and had' not passed under the 
scrutiny of the censor — its destination being a safeguard from the mu- 
tilating scissors of that important functionary. Her Imperial Highness 
then retired, and I soon saw her in the garden, walking with her suite. 
She is a person of very pleasing appearance, rather above the middle 
height, of sweet and intellectual countenance, and decidedly pretty and 
engaging. She appeared to be about three-and-twenty, and was dressed 
with great simplicity, in white, with scarcely any ornament, except a 
few tasteful flowers in her white bonnet The ladies who accompanied 
her were older than herself; and, although they were certainly beautiful, 
served to set off her Imperial Highness to advantage, by the gay colours 
of their dress, in contrast with the simplicity and elegance* of her's. 
They did not speak while in the room, but as soon as they left I heard 
them say some words in French, and therefore concluded (as 1 had been 
assured) that this was the language of the Court 
Presently a servant entered with tho usual tea apparatus — one teapot 
over another, os already described. I quite enjoyed this refreshing 
drink, in the thirst which I suffered from the fever, and it was very 
a propos, os I had to wait till ten o'clock. At this hour I heard a stir 
among the sonants in the ante-room, and concluded that his Imperial 
Highness had arrived. I looked out of the window, and saw a gentle- 
man In uniform, with a lady, coming through the garden, followed by 
an officer in an aide-de-camp's uniform, with another lady on his arm. 
Presently the Grand Duke entered alone, with his aide-de-camp, and, 
coming up to mo, held out his hand to shake hands ; he addressed me 
in English, hoped I was better, and regretted my having had to wait so 
long. He then motioned me to enter another apartment, the door of 
which had Just been opened by one of the servants. Here wo were left 
alone, and I was put quite at ease by his Imperial Highness's affability ; 
he requested me to sit down, and ordered tea and wine, which were 
brought and set on two separate tables placed by us ; he took some wine, 
and asked me to help myself, while he smoked the amber-moutlicd pipe 
presented to him by the attendant. 
The conversation first turned on the loss of the Tiger, into the details 
of which lie entered minutely; he was well acquainted with them, 
having read the official report that I had addressed to the admiral from 
Odessa, a copy of which had been forwarded to him ; in addition to this, 
he had the report of the authorities of that city relative to the circum- 
stances that succeeded. He put a number of questions to me ; among 
others lie asked why we hod not taken to our boats I replied, that no 
naval officer ever thinks of abandoning his ship, and that we had 
defended the Tiger, hoping to the lost to get her oft' the beach, until it 
was too late to escape iii the boats. 
His Imperial Highness spoke with earnestness of his voyages to 
England and in the Mediterranean, and referred to many naval officers 
whom he had met, naming them, and mentioning them in connection 
with circumstances that evinced his clear recollection of them. 
Referring to Sir William Symonds, his Imperial Highness remarked 
that he believed the Russian three-decker the Twelve Apostles was a 
superior vessel to the Queen, which that officer had built ; inasmuch as 
the defects said to exist in the latter had been corrected in the former : 
the stern, for instance, although not so sightly, was more useful and 
effective, as the guns could be fired at it ; while it is doubtful whether 
the Queen could sustain the shock. He also added, that the Twelve 
Apostles, on repeated trials, had worked to windward, and overtaken 
their swiftest frigates. 
His Imperial Highness spoke of many of the ships in both the English 
and French navies, comparing them with each other, aud appearing to 
be quite au fait on maritime subjects. 
I was much pleased with the ingenuous manner in which he spoke of 
the exploits of tho Arrogant and Heclo. He said, " Have you heard 
what your countrymen have done V" I replied that I had not. “ Well," 
said he, "of all bold and seamanlike operations, this of Captain 
Hall's — taking his steamer seven miles up a creek of intricate naviga- 
tion, in an enemy's country — is the most daring I could have imagined ; 
f cannot but admire Just gallantry, even in an enemy." 
The Life of Julius Cicsar. By tlie Venerable John Wil- 
liams, A.M. G. Routledge and Co. 
This is the best life of Ctesar extant. The author gives 
the modern reader a3 truthful a view of tho thoughts, words, 
and deeds of the “ great Caesar,” his opponents, aud sup- 
porters, as could be presented within the limits of this work. 
He has represented facts, their causes and consequences, as 
they were represented either by Caesar himself and his con- 
temporaries, or by ancient writers of a later day who had 
access to sources of information no longer in existence. This 
work fully sustains the great reputation of the Venerable 
Archdeacon of Cardigan, whose “ Alexander the Great" and 
“ Homeras" are so well known and valued. 
The Fables of John Gay. Illustrated by Harvet, with an 
Original Memoir. Annotations and Introduction. By 
Octavios F. Owen, M. A. George Routledge aud Co. 
As au expounder of morals through the instrumentality of 
fable, Gay will always retain a high place in the affections of 
his countrymen. The pride which revolts against reproof, 
uttered in plain language, generally yields to the obvious 
force of a fable, when clothed in such poetry as Gay 
displays in these beautiful fancies. The edition does ample 
justice to this great charm of the author. The memoir is 
admirable, and the numerous notes most valuable. It is also 
illustrated with 126 drawings by Harvey, beautifully engraved 
by the Dalziels. 
Dogs, and their Management. Being a new plan of treating 
the animal, based upon a consideration of his natural tem- 
perament. By Edward Mayhew, M.R.C.V.S. George 
Routledge and Co. 
The proper treatment of dogs under disease, or during the 
various changes to which they are liable, is very little known, 
so much so that the author expresses his belief that Mr. 
Gowiug, of Camden Town, is the only veterinarian, who, 
having carefully studied the pathology of the dog, devotes the 
time, attention, or care, which disease in every shape de- 
mands. The book is written with the hope of inducing other 
members of the profession to study the subject more care- 
fully ; it is put forth only as a step towards the point the 
author does not yet pretend to have fully attained. The 
study of years will be required to perfect that which is now 
commenced, and further experience may demand the retracta- 
tion of many of the opinions herein advanced. The advan- 
tages which accompany the study of anatomy, physiology, 
and therapeutics have yet to be more largely applied to the 
diseases of the dog. Tho present work, therefore, although 
containing an immense amount of valuable information, the 
author modestly wishes to bo accepted, only as a contribution 
to vetorinary literature, and its contents to be viewed as 
doiog nothing more than declaring tho temporary con- 
victions of one, who, desirous of truth, does not conceal 
that his mind is oppressed by many doubts. We cordially 
recommend the work to all who keep dogs. By availing 
themselves of the author's great knowledge on this subject, 
they may not only improve the breed of their animals but 
save many valuable ones that might be lost through ignor- 
ance. The work is illustrated with numerous wood-cuts de- 
picting the character and position of the dog when suffering 
disease. 
Ida May; a Story of Things Actual and Possible. By Mary 
Lanqdon. Low and Co. 
“ Ida May " is a story exhibiting talent and interest, but, 
uufortunately, is too palpable an imitation for originality. 
In this we have a pretty white girl, instead of a negro, 
kidnapped and sold for a slave ; but, very early in the book, 
she meets with a generous deliverer, who not only buys her, 
discovers her white lineage, and sets her at liberty, but gives 
her a fortune in consequence of her father's disappearance. 
She, at length, finds her father, marries her benefactor, 
liberates her slaves, and all go to live on a new theory ; we do 
not learn from the book bow it answered. “Ida May” is 
a veiy readable book, containing many well-drawn pic- 
tures of the Southern States, and will no doubt enjoy a 
share of popularity. 
Outlines of Botany ; being an Introduction to tho Study of 
the Structure, Functions, Classification, and Distribution 
of Plants. By John Hutton Balfour, M.D. Adam aud 
Charles Black. 
This work admirably fulfils the intention of its author — 
viz., to “give the important facts of this science as briefly as 
possible, without entering into lengthened explanations. Tho 
structure and functions of plants are first considered, then 
their classification, and finally their distribution, both at tho 
present day and at former epochs of the earth’s history. A 
short glossary has been added, with a copious index." 
Botany should always be included in our education. No 
study can lead the mind more readily to admire and re- 
verence “ Him who is wonderful in council and excellent in 
working.” The observant powers of the student are accus- 
tomed to compare and discriminate objects, and it enforces 
accuracy of expression and description. Nor can we, in 
studying nature, forget that “earthly things must be re- 
ceived in subserviency to the great end of our being, and 
that science can only be prosecuted aright when it is viewed 
in the light of God’s word." 
Incc's Outlines of English History. J. Gilbert, Paternoster 
Row. Seventy-ninth Thousand. 
We fully concur, with the author of this really valuable 
little book, in the importance of having the outlines of every 
study accurately defined, and the leading points and bearings 
correctly acquired, before the minutiae are entered into. If 
the ground-work be clearly traced in early life, it will scarcely 
ever be obliterated ; subsequent reading aud conversation 
with the well-informed^ will supply materials for increasing 
knowledge. 
In using this work — which is intended for the young — tha 
compiler suggests that a reign, or a portion of a reign, be 
committed to memory as a lesson ; aud that afterwards tho 
several events, of which the outline is given, be more fully 
investigated. This oan be done by questioning the class 
prepared for examination by reference to their larger English 
histories. The pupil should furnish an account of every 
event, and, after finding the places in an atlas, briefly 
describe them by means of a gazetteer or geography. A 
biographical dictionary should always be near, so that tho 
tutor should endeavour to make every study go hand-in-hand 
— chronology, geography, and history. 
We are justified in saying that the contents of this little 
work are quite sufficient to carry out its object, nor do we 
know of any work on English history which contains so great 
an amount of information in so small a space. 
A Guide to the Ciystal Palace. By J. Phillips. Bradbury 
and Evans. 
The first edition of this work was produced at a time of 
severe pressure and under the most unfavourable circum- 
stances. The greatest pains have been taken with this 
second edition, and it is now rendered as complete as pos- 
sible, as will be seen on reference to the numerous excellent 
plans, maps, illustrations, &c. The whole has been most 
carefully revised, and many important additions made. 
Everything connected with the Crystal Palace is marvellous. 
This admirable volume of two hundred pages, beautifully 
illustrated, containing a large amount of valuable infor- 
mation, and published at one shilling, is another of its 
marvels. We have announced elsewhere the lamented death 
of the author. 
A lice ; or, The Mysteries. By Sir E. B. Lytton, Bart. 
This is another volume added to tho “ Railway Library” 
by Routledge and Co. The works of Sir E. B. Lytton are 
too well known to require additional praise. The story of 
“Alice; or, The Mysteries,” is one of those remarkable 
works of the imagination which haunt the miiul of the 
reader for years ; and although it has been abused, perhaps, 
as much as any book in the language, it has Btill held its 
ground, and in its present cheap form is likely to gain many 
additional admirers. 
Gymnastics. Walton and Maberly, Upper Gowcr-street. 
A very useful pamphlet by Capt. CliioBso, Professor of 
Gymnastics at University College School. The professor 
will himself provide the work, if addressed at 38, Baker-street, 
Portmau-square ; and all booksellers can of course produce 
it for those who are anxious to be initiated in the mysteries 
of gymnastics. 
The Coalition Guide. — This volume forms a smart hand- 
book for the fireside. It is full of illustrations of the political 
history of 1853-4, reprinted from the Press newspaper, and 
is intended to help as a guide to the origin aud performances 
of tho present Coalition Ministry, whom it certainly hits 
hard, collectively and individually. It is now selling, at tho 
Press Office, 110, Strand, for a shilling, and will, no doubt, 
obtain a large circulation. Satire ever has certain charms, 
and very many, when they can well dive into it, especially fora 
few pence, care little whether their friends or their foes be 
attacked. We havo nothing, in a sporting paper, to do with 
politics; and, therefore, taking “ The Coalition Guide” as a 
mere book, have no hesitation in saying it certainly deserves 
perusal and probably a reply. Cannot “ All the Talents" dig 
up a few Aberdeen poets ! We always prefer reading both 
sides of a question. We have laughed outright at much m 
tho book before us, and that is eayiug not a little in its 
