The Press. — London, England, 1858-05-08 00:00:00

zealous ; but Comfort, with her armchair, her hot suppe r , An d her gentle peranAsion, prevailed over those who would bare bent neither to Cromwell nor to Chalks. The State w as not very bright in the following days. Then he rapidly sketches the history of the Church in the following times, and takes rather an exaggerated view of the defects of our eccle siastical system in England. We are not blind to some of those defects, but let us not overlook its great and enduring . merits. Religion was infinitely purer in I , aigland in the last century than in other countries. Infidelity endeavoured to emerge from . dark places, but it was ar gue d w ith, reasoned against, and preached down suc cessfully; while in France infidelity made fearful strides, and destroyed society. But we pass on to cite a sample of the graphic description of this writer : Let us step within the cathedral close and look at the prebends. They have been sadly plucked since the Reform Mt was made. But a few feathers are still left. The close is not in reins like Palmyra. If it were so, men might have moralized over the departed splendours of the canons, as great in their sphere as the dead Caesars in theirs. But the prebendal roofs are yet extant, the cellars are still beneath, though the piled port is mostly gone. The rosy old gentlemen, who occupied the vacant stalls, have not left a drop behini them. Some of the houses are occupied by singing -masters, schoolmasters, retired tradesmen, and unretired spinsters, who still talk over their punch about the grand days of the close. What could such as these have done with prebendal port ? There they stand, the old brick houses, thick and thin, like the shelved hooks, hail-circling with their red arms the old cathedral— the very types of their old tenants. Given the height, depth, and width of a dwelling, and you might guess the yearly income to a pound. You might tell at a glance the houses of the dean, the great canon, and the minor or small canon, whose dwelling is squeezed in between two big prebends so remorselessly as to lead to the belief that they will in time hug him into a thin leaf. I'oor man ! his stall is small enough—but it is big enough for the forage. At any rate, the glorious house of God towers over all, and the canons, great and small, revered it as much as the Moslem respects the holy stone of Meccs. Many a fat rector lives in a better house in the parish than his master. It is not so in the close. Thin rows of grass-blades are now springing in the pavement. The old days ere gone. The crows look dejected, as they think of the snug evening dinner—the joyons, glossy, gentlemanly guests exchanging delightful quotations from Virgil and Horace, enlarging on the constancy of the ancient Christian martyrs, dis ceasing the old Arian and Pelagian heresies, the fall of man, and the rise of the lucky,--sipping the Oporto Falernian as daintily as the bees drink worn the heather bells—the quiet rubber, and the decorous departure. The good old Protestant monks ! Who says that King Henry the Bully destroyed monkery in England? He only enabled them to marry. Married monks! Yes. Look at those strong sons fresh from the cricket-field ; look at those lovely young maidens, destined, all of them, some day to gladden the fireside of many a country parson. Well! is this not better than— Hush ! Go on. Ask the dean fur a few lines from Ju►enal. At any rate, you will get a smile and a pinch of snuff. And so throughout. The same mixture of com monplace thinking, with a lively utterance, as may be seen in that passage are to be found in other places. Elsewhere, attacking the Church, he Rays : Oh ! gentlemen of the jury ! look at the books produced before you! Ilas any deceased canon written the story of the Church of Christ on any grander scale than a county history? Has any learned dean written such a book as that heretic Nathaniel Lerdner on the credibility of the Gospel History, who wrote it on thirty pounds a year? or as Hooker the judicious, the minor canon of Sarum, on the Church Polity, robed in his coarse rectorial gown? Have they worked like the poor German doctors and pro. lessors, with no more luxury than their Rhenish and l'anaster, mild as the new-mudo hay? or like the French friars content with small soup, and a couch of hard hair? Look at the books, I say again ! Is there enough for two hundred and eighty-four thousand a year for so many years ? I think not. It would be great gain if most of these books were drowned a thousand fathoms deep in the Atlantic brine, or tossed into a blast furnace. Is this like an armoury for the Church militant? Are these the heroes of the vanguard? No! gentlemen of the jury ! they have been too jovial for that. Warburton made short work of the Tolands, Chubbs, Collinses, and Tindals of his time, and his exposure of Lord Bolingbroke's false philo sophy was of prodigious benefit. Bishop Berke ley " Alciphron" is an exquisitely philosophic Production, worthy of " The English Plato," and contains some of the finest arguments in support of Revelation. Did Paley and Watson do nothing of masterly service in def ence o f " Th e B oo k" ? Is Butler's " Analogy" of trifling value ? In manly argument, and vigorous union of logic and rhetoric we do not well see h ow an y Church could have m ade a stronger stand against the infidelity of the last century than the Church of England ; and it cannot be denied that the ( h . urch . had a c l ergy capa bl e of valu i ng, an d us i ng with skill in the pulpit, the works of the eminent divines that we have mentioned. The literature punch sseh as a t b h o e s u e t h t a n e a d stand, the old brick books, hail-circling the very types of depth, and width of yearly income to a p houses of the dean, small canon, whose big prebends so rem they will in time hui stall is small enougt At any rate, the glor the canons, great a Moslem respects th rector lives in a bett It is not so in the now springing in th The crows look deje dinner—the joyous, delightful quotation on the constancy a visaing the old Ari man, and the rise Falernian as daintil bells—the quiet rub good old Protestant the Bully destroys enabled them to n at those strong sons those lovely - young day to gladden the Well! is this not 1 the dean for a few I will get a smile and And so throughc monplace thinki may be seen in I other places. E: he says : Oh ! gentlemen of before you! Has a the Church of Chris history? Has any that heretic Nathai Gospel History, wl or as Hooker the on the Church Polit Have they worked l lessors, with no rn l'anaster, mild as tt friars content with Look at the books, hundred and eighty- I think not. It woi were drowned a th brine, or tossed it armoury for the CI of the vanguard? been too jovial for t Warburton mad Chubbs, Co' llinsi his exposure of aophy was of prc ley's " Alciphror Production, wort contai ns some of of Revelation, of masterly servi is Butler's "Ai manly argurnen and rhetoric, we m could have ad infidelity of the England ; and ( hurch had a ch with skill in the divines that we THE PRESS, MAY 8, 1858. of the Church of England is not only a glory to herself but a boast to the country, and has been under Providence a great means of preserving the heart of the nation sound. This author must study his subject more closely when he attempts to pronounce so vehemently. The chapters entitled " The Throne," " The Commons House," and " The House of Peers," want closeness of thought, and the author is de ficient in the knowledge appropriate to such themes. He writes about them and not on them, and he is vague, also, in many other of his topics. Yet, on the whole, there are both talent and freshness in the work, and he would be justified in making another attempt to gain the public ear. A Treatise on the Law, Practice, and Procedure of Divorce and Matrimonial Causes under the Act 20 and 21 Vict., c. 85. By William Brandt, of the Inner Temple, Esq., Barrister at-Law. London : Butterworths. WE have read through this little volume with great interest, finding it to convey a large amount of serviceable information in a small compass, and exhibited in a lucid form. Of its merits from a purely professional point of view, journals exclusively devoted to the discussion of legal subjects will be the proper judges. On its technical excellencies or possibly deficiencies, we could not speak with authority, and had there fore better not speak at all. But of its claims to the attention of the general public we can honestly say all that our opening sentence indi cates. As the tightness of the nuptial knot has now been considerably relaxed, so as to bring the possibility of its ultimate severance within the contemplation of all young men and maidens on their way to the altar, we should decidedly rank Mr. 13randt's book among the list of necessaries for " persons about to marry." To thorough legal correctness (such at least we understand is the expressed opinion of one of the highest authorities on the subject) Mr. Brandt unites something of a philosophic spirit which peeps out now and then to relieve the dryer details of the matter. He is indeed obviously writing within himself throughout, and his pages hear unmistakeable marks of a mind capable of rising to high general views. Our readers must not, however, suppose from this that Mr. Brandt is at all given to dissertation. On the contrary, a more closely-written work, even of a legal cha racter, we are not acquainted with ; and indeed for the non-professional reader this virtue is sometimes carried to excess. If the book has any fault, it is that of extreme condensation, occasionally productive of a rather diverting ab ruptness. It is rather amusing, for instance, to open suddenly on a fresh division, commencing: " The whole subject of cruelty was not long since " carefiilly considered in the House of Lords." If so, their lordships seem to have been rather fas cinated by the topic; for they returned to it again with evident relish one night last week, when they negatived without a division Lord Westmeath's plan for affording relief to sick people from the torture of the street organ. Such things, however, are, as we need hardly say, no real drawbacks to the substantial utility of` Mr. Brandt's volume; and, as far as our own voice is of any weight, we cordially recommend it to the public. Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott. Two Livas. By the Rev. James White. London : Rout ledge and Co. THIS is a small volume containing two critical lectures on the lives of Bums and Scott. Fairness and breadth of view, and a healthy spirit of appre ciation, mark Mr. White's estimates. The subjects are rather hackneyed, but Mr. White has Treated them with freshness and independence ; and i► is evident that he could rise still higher. Strength, and a genial play of the human sympathies, are visible in his criticisms on these two illustrious Scotchmen. We cannot say that we go the entire length with all Mr. White's views on the character of Burns, but he has made out a great case for the "Ayrshire Ploughman ;" and there was much genius in Lord Egliutoun's noble speech at the Burns Festival some fourteen years ago, when the noble earl spoke of " repentant Scotland." The post humous homage paid to Burns has certainly been immense, and it. has been well deserved. Yet six months ago the poetry of Burns was mocked at in the coarsest fashion in the leading articles of a great 441 popular organ ! As a specimen of the critical powers which Mr. White brings to his estimate of Burns, we may cite the following passage : Now, a song, to judge from the number of them we meet with, does not seem a very difficult style of composi tion ; but neither is it difficult to write an epic, or an ode, or a trage ly—aa some people ha►e written them. lt is remarkably easy to do anything ill. But to excel in song writing is given to the chosen few. There are more fine plays and admirable poems than really excellent songs written between Shakespeare and Burns. One reason is, that music is such a powerful auxiliary that it very often destroys the ally it was called in to aid. When the ear is pleased, anil the words supply some association on which the mind can pleasantly dwell in connection with the melody, the hearer is satisfied, although the language is unariistic or weak. Nay, when the impression is once made, no amount of improvement ou the original words will banish them from the popular heart. The burden of the song has fixed itself on the memory from childhood, and the music, though entering into a far higher and loftier marriage (even with immortal verse), never ceases to recall the charm it exercised in its early prime; and people go on singing the rough old words, unmeaning though they he, in preference to the infinitely superior language to which the music would have been more appro priate. Conscious of this, it was one of the necessities of litirns's position to retain the old chorus—the old story where it was possible—but so to invest them with now sentiments, so to raise them in poetic rank, ►hat the singers were beguiled into the improvement, and the lis'eners were elevated, or touched, or soothed by appa rently the same strains which hitherto had relied for their influence only on their old associations. Thus we find the beautirul ballad of " My sin kind Beery, 0," rise like a gold•wineed bntterfiy out of the dull chrysalis of the "Lea Rig ;" and from the prosaic commencement of an old rhyme, " This is no my ain house," comes one of the best and sweetest of modern love songs, " This is no my sin lassie." A song is indeed a most difficult species of composi tion. The grand difficulty in writing it is to produce variety of phrase and thought on a single sentiment. The treatment must be simple, and yet many tones of expression must be touched. In this variety of key Bums excelled, as we have shown on former occasions. There are many passages which we should like to extract from the characterisation of Walter Scott by Mr. White. He eloquently says : You are quite welcome t say he is not a aoarkling poet like Nloore, nor a correct poet like Campbell, nor a philo sophic poet like Wordsworth ; but take him in his vigour, in his characters, in his incidents, and descriptions—he is worth them all. There is courage to be gained in the manliness of hie style; and no man who ever wrote, whe ther in prise or verse, whether describing the lighted ball of chivalrous nobles, or the simple habits of ordinary life, or the ways and feelings of the lower ranks, no man ever left such an impression on the reader that be was in pre sence not only of a man of surpassing genius, but of a perfect gentleman. Not that this arose from his know ledge of what is called high life, or his possesgien of the ease and dignity which we call characteristic of lofty breeding; but it proceeded from the conviction that comes upon you as yon read that here yon are listening to the language of a brave and noble heart—of a man whose mind never harboured one base or dishonourable thought ; who, as we learn when we inquire into his life, grudged no sacrifice to fulfil what lie considered • duty, and whose ambitim, " that last infirmity of noble minds," led him at last rather ti die at his post than suffer any person to lose a shilling by reliance on his word. This is to be a gentleman. George IV. is not a favourite character with English society, but many think that the abuse flung upon him by Mr. Thackeray is too excossive; and the publication of Moore's life has caused in many quar ters a reactionary feeling to some extent in favour of the King. The following remarks from Mr. White are well worth perusal, and they are temperately ex pressed : George IV., whom some represent as from the begin ning s mere selfish voluptuary—a sort of Henry VIII. of the nineteenth century, without the manly qualities of his prototype of the sixteenth—has great extenuaticns to plead for the excesses of his youthful days. The habits of the time were not in favour of tho quiet and decorum which are indispensable at the present time. Society was then constituted on the principle of the greatest enjoyment with the least restraint. It may perhaps strike an unpre judiced observer that the Prince, entering life towards the end of the last centnry, gifted as he was with remarkable personal advantages and uninterrupted health, showed symptoms of far higher qualities in the choice of his corn paniona theri his enemies have,beeri willing to admit. Redid not look ronnd the peerage and find ont some dull snd thirsty duke, to make him the comrade of his debauches. Stupid marquises and melding headed earls were passed over with disdain; and people of that elevated rank, in the midst of their senseless orgies, considered that he was addicted to low company. lint it is a curious fact that the want of name and title in most of his familiars was com pensated for by wit, and learning, and eloquence. The friendship he always showed for Sheridan proved that he appreciated the areal qualities which almost redeemed that wonderful man from all the failings of which he was the victim. Wherever genius sprang up, especially if it was united with the social qualifications which made the pos sessor of it an agreeable guest, there was no one so ready As the Prince to recognise it in whatever rank of life it appeared. When Moore came over from Ireland, bewitched everybody with his sweetness of voice and . Wafts of m anner, no time was lost by the heir crown in giving him the entrée to Carlton-house ~:: I, and oAlayl p - to the . On