The Press. — London, England, 1854-03-11 00:00:00

~~ r MARCH 11, 1854. materials of this kind which exist, that we could of our own knowledge point out various omissions and defects. We abstain from doing so because the publisher himself refers to the forthcoming educa tional census as a means of rendering his Register more complete. It would be invidious to remark deficiencies of which he is thus apparently himself conscious, and which his industry may supply as opportunity offers. 1. A Dozen Ballads for the Times about White Slavery. London : Bosworth. 2. Poems. By David Bates. Philadelphia: Lind say and Blakiston. 3. Morbida, or Passion Past, and other Poems. London: Saunders and Otley. 1. We lately noticed some ballads by Mr. Tupper about Church abuses, ,and thought well of them ; these, " about White Slavery," are scarcely so good, yet they are written in a kindly, benevolent spirit which would covermore defects than we have noticed in them. Mr. Tupper is of opinion that all " the " productive" classes in England are overworked, and this collection of twelve ballads is intended to mitigate the evil, by appealing to the feelings of the employers. Tried by the rules of political economy, the tendency of the author's views would be pro nounced Communistic, yet, if the Government of France was once " a despotism tempered by epigrams," we do not see why our commercial system of " un " restricted competition" should not be tempered by Mr. Tupper's ballads. 2. A volume of 210 pages, containing numerous short poems. Some of them are pretty, but for their originality we cannot answer, as we recognised in one an old English acquaintance in an American garb. Some lines on the American flag are suggestive. It is A terror alike to the tyrant and slave. And we are cheerfully told— Be assured then that never a freeman lag, When called to protect the American flag. Longfellow would do honour to any nation, and Ame rica has other genuine poets, but amongst these we fancy Mr. Bates will never be numbered. 3. Messrs. Saunders and Otley must occasionally be astonished at the works their new mode of pub lishing produces—this is another of them. The au thor shall himself describe his book, and the cause of its defects. We extract from the preface : " The second, third, fourth, and fifth poems were written in about a dozen nights ; and some of the others, of can siderable length, at a single sitting each. Several are un finished, almost all unpolished, and some much mutilated also." Five Letters on Electoral Reform. By a Working Man. London : Effingham Wilson. _ Ir these letters are really the production of a work ing man, in the common sense of the word—that is, of one who lives by the labour of his hands—they are remarkable productions of their kind. Demo cratic (as was naturally to be expected) in senti ment, they are temperate in style, and sufficiently clear in exposition. The writer complains more of the unequal territorial distribution than of the individual restriction of the suffrage. He proposes to cut up the United Kingdom into 160 electoral dis • tricts, having four members a piece; which gives a population of about 160,000 for each district, or 40,000 for each member, but says nothing of the electoral qualification which he would require. Fail ing to carry this sweeping reform, orrather admitting its impossibility, he next suggests the total dis franchisement, by way of a first step, of every town having less than 20,000 inhabitants—the seats thus vacated to be given to rural districts and large towns jointly. But, this plan also seeming unsatisfactory or impracticable, he then throws out a third sugges tion, that, as the higher and middle classes are represented in the Lords and Commons respectively, a third house should be created for the working class exclusively—how composed and returned we are not told. This plan (though our author seems not aware of the fact) actually prevails in the Scandinavian monarchies. We have said enough of this pamphlet to show that its writer has neither well-defined ideas nor much power of distinguishing between the practically possible and the theoretically desirable. But he deserves credit as a painstaking, able, and not un candid inquirer. His talent is shown more in point ing out the imperfections of the first Reform B ill than in framing one to replace it. The Mediterranean. A Memoir, Physical, Historical, and Nautical. By Real... Admiral William Henry Smyth, K.S.F., D.C.L., dc. London : J. W. Parker and Son. THIS memoir, which is, in fact, an elaborate work of more than 500 pages, is appropriately addressed to Sir Francis Beaufort, late Hydrographer to the Ad miralty. The gallant author has not written in haste, but has long meditated his s ub j ect, and, haying on- THE PRESS. joyed great experience in the Mediterranean Sea, he has succeeded in producing an excellent work. Al• though more immediately useful to the professional reader, history, ancient and modern, is so agreeably interwoven with nautical and hydrographic technica lities and details that all may peruse the book with pleasure and advantage. The index and the mar• ginal notes are clear and copious, both points of great importance in a work of this nature. Admiral Smyth's charts have long been used in the navy. Wanderings of an Antiquary. By Thomas Wright, Esq., F.S.A. London : Nichols and Son. Mn. WRIGHT cannot graduate amongst archieologists of the highest rank, and his present volume is only a reprint of a miscellany of papers contributed to the Gentleman's Magazine—little more, in fact, than a record of various summer tours to spots of historical interest. But his excursions were not only agreeable to himself but are interesting upon paper. His " Wanderings " will not instruct antiquarians, but they may assist dilettanti archteologists when plan ning their next summer excursions. The exploration of the Saxon and Roman remains, especially in the south-east of England, is commended by a variety of interesting particulars well recounted. The volume is dedicated to Lady Londesborough, and is illus trated with some cleverly-executed drawings. Russia Self-condemned. Sec i ret and Inedited Documents connected with Russian History and Diplomacy, lz.c. Translated and Edited by John Reynell Morell. London : Bogue. WE consider it a judicious enterprise at this moment to translate the collection of documents " pour " p/upart secrets and inedits " for which it is said Europe is indebted to Prince Adam Czartoryski. The most interesting for their bearing on the present crisis are the despatches antecedent to the war and treaty of Adrianople, and which occupy about fifty pages of the present work. As far as we can judge at a rapid glance the translation is executed with fidelity and good taste. Gibbon's Roman Empire. With Notes by Dean Milman and Guizot. Edited by Dr. William Smith. London: Murray. _ THIS is an admirable adaptation of the taste for cheap literature. A fine library edition of the great historian at a price which, other things taken into account, is as cheap as a railway novel, marks an epoch in publishing arrangements. In addition to material excellence, the combination of celebrities denoted by the titlepage, a portrait and two maps in this first volume, the collation of the text and careful verification of the notes and references, the latter a most important feature, as a contemporary judiciously points out, because the editions of many of the works employed by Gibbon are now obsolete, combine to make this edition in every sense the cheapest, because the best. We have little doubt that its production will reward the publisher as handsomely as it is com mended to the public by its superior merits. Poetical Works of Dryden. Edited by Robert Bell. - - _ Vol. 11. London : J. W. Parker and Son. THE present volume of this cheap and good edition' of " Glorious John" contains "The Medal," " Mac Flecknoe," " Religio Laici," " The Hind and Pan ther," the version of " Palamon and Arcite," The introductory remarks on the various pieces are generally judicious and informing. PERIODICAL LITERATURE. The London Quarterly Review. No. 111. London: Partridge, Oakey, and Co. Tam, the March, number contains ten articles. The fourth, on the Mormons, is interesting and amusing. The learning displayed by the late Joe Smith at least equals that with which the venerable white haired gentleman overpowered the Vicar of Wakefield and Moses. The following is contained in one of the prophet's letters : " Were I an Egyptian, I would exclaim, Jah.oh-eh, Enish go-on•dosh, Flo-ees, Flos-is-is ; ' 0 the earth! the power of attraction, and the moon passing between her and the sun;' a Hebrew, Haueloheem yerau ; a Greek, 0 Theos phos esi ; a Roman. Dominus regit me; a German, Gott gebe uns dos licht ; a Portugee, (!) Senhor Jesu Christ° e libordade ; a Frenchman, Dieu defend le droll." But, absurd as Smith seems, it is for ever memorable that he founded a community and disciplined an army which seriously alarmed the American Govern ment, and may one day be destined to play a great part in the history of the Republic. The other articles of the Review are of average merit. PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. Room Dante's Divine Comedy. Paradise. Translated by C. Cayley. Longman. 235 Railway Library. "Eugene Arent." Routledge. Parlour Library. " Wilejlell Hal." 4 Hodgson. Vlieland's German 7'heory and Practice. Simpkin and Marshall. Whitaker's Educational Register. 18.54. Whitaker. Forster's Pocket Peerage. 1t4:14. Rogue. Truths Maintained. By J. Biden. Aylott and Co. Iratier Hurst. By H. G. Pelham. Routledge. The Heroines of History. By Mrs. Owen. Ditto. History of the French Protestant Refugees. By. C. Weiss. Blackwood and Sons. The Stratford Shakspere. Vol. I. Edited by C. Knight. Hodgson. Addison's Works. Vol. 11. Edited by Bishop Hurd. Bohn. Cowper's Works. Vol. 111. Edited by Robert Southey. Bohn. 3tudie's British Birds. Ditto. On the Life and Writings of Oliver Goldsmith. A Lecture. By G. E. Vernon, M.P. l'arker and Son. On the Law of Settlement and Removal of the Poor. Taylor and Edwards. China : her Future and her l'ast. By U. Smith, D.D. Hatchard. The New System of Conjugation. French Verbs. By M. de Beauvoisin. Wilson. The English Government and the Eastern Question. Ridgway. Dramatic Register. Lacy. Vital Statistics. By R. T. Joplin& Esq. King. A Butch of War Ballads. By M. T. Tupper. Bosworth. The National Drawing Muster. By W. A. Nicholls. Wesley and Co. Wine, in Relation to Temperance, Trade, and Revenue. Gilbert Brothers. Remarks on the Law relating to Combinations. lleasang. Minutes of the Bombay Association. NEM MUSIC. England. A National Sung. By G. Massey. Com• posed by E. Clare. Huldernesse. etc puma. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. SHERIDAN KNOWLES'S tragedy of Virginias was per formed before her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge and an auditory both numerous and select on Wednesday last, in aid of the fund for the benefit of the wives and children of the soldiers of the Eastern expedition. The principal character was enacted by Mr. G. V. Brooke, and the perfor mance went off very satisfactorily. Mr. Smith de serves great credit for having taken the initiative in furthering the objects of this charity; and the best thanks of the public are due to him, as well as to his company, who gave their services gratuitously on the occasion. Another English version of the French vaudeville, Le Misanthrope e l'Auvergnat, entitled My Cook and Housekeeper, way produced on Thursday last, but calls for no remark. LYCEUM. MISS TALBOT, a young lady in whose fine figure we recognise a former ornament of the Lyceum stage, was introduced to the theatrical public at this theatre on Wednesday last. For the present we shall content our selves with stating that her success with the general audience and the critics there assembled was as com plete as her friends could desire. Our own opinion we will deliver after we have had a further opportu nity of witnessing the lady's power, it being contrary to our principles, as unfair both to our readers and the artist, to speak without due consideration of one who is put forward as having considerable preten sions to dramatic talent. OLYMPIC. A VERY amusing farce, entitled To oblige Benson, pleasantly adapted from a French original, was on Monday last produced at this theatre. The plot turns mainly upon the following incident. Mr. Southdown, a mild, inoffensive, bucolic gentleman, as his name imports, is persuaded to feign jealousy of his wife, which leads to his believing his spouse really faithless, and the most violent expressions of bones fide rage on his part; this unexpected pro ceeding being, of course, founded upon a mistake, which in the end is satisfactorily explained. The piece is very strongly cast, and was played through out in a manner which fully justified the character the management has acqwred for endeavouring to render the acting of the plays produced as effective and finished as possible, and the chief feature of the performance. Mr. Robson as the hero, Mr. South down, fully availed himself of the opportunities the pact affords for the display of that quaintness of manner and intensity of feeling which are his chief excellences, and was much applauded by the audience. He was most ably supported by Mrs. Stirling, and Messrs. Emery and Leslie. Miss Wyndham played the little part of Mrs. Benson almost to perfection. Study and experience, as we have before had occasion to remark, are all this lady requires to make herself a finished actress. This little piece obtained a decided success, and will no doubt have a good run. i .11