The Press. — London, England, 1858-10-09 00:00:00

illegitimate children, we might say that the sin of the parents may be forgiven, but that the life of the child is irrevocable. To sin is to sin once ; "to be born is. to be born for ever." We only mean to point out the dangerous consequences that might flow from the abuse of such an argu ment, and to add that it is one not at all unlikely to be abused. 1. Tales and Adventures. By J. G. F. London: Saunders and Otley. 2. The Secret of a Life. By M. M. Bell. London : Routledge. 3. The Life of Charlotte Bronti;. By E. C. Gaskell. London : Smith and Elder. 4. Agricultural Chemistry. By Alfred Sibson. London : Routledge. 5. Clare, the Gold-seeker; and Other Poems. By J. G. Watts. London: Groombridge. 6. A Course of Exercises in German. By Falck Lebahn, Ph. D. London: Simpkin and Marshall. 7. Homely Ballads. By Mary Sewell. London : Smith and Elder. 8. " Old Gingerbread" and the Schoolboys. London: Smith and Elder. 9. Rhymes for Little Ones. London: Smith and Elder. 10. Tales from Blackwood. London : Black woods. I. J. G. F. is good enough to promise the public a more ambitious work, if a favourable reception be accorded to the present trifles ; but we confess ourselves at a loss to understand the meaning of the announcement. If he really expects much favour to be shown to what appears to be a very juvenile production, he is likely to be disap pointed. But that is no reason why he should not make a second essay whenever the spirit shall move him so to do. Nor, on the other hand, would the most brilliant success justify his rushing into print in the absence of inspiration. When he has anything to write worth the trouble of reading, be will be wrong to withhold it from the community to which he belongs ; but that can have nothing whatever to do with the fate of his " Tales and Adventures." In the mean time, we thank him for the information that the Scottish borderers wore tartans in the time of the Crusades, that the Turks and Chinese were fami liarly known to the Lowland chiefs, that the catalpa flourished in English gardens, that the gong did duty as that " tocsin of the soul, the dinner-bell," and, finally, that hawks were then sometimes named after Diomed and Gustaf Vasa. 2. The three volume novel, price three half guineas, is evidently doomed to extinction in its old-fashioned form. Messrs. ltoutledge have struck a fatal blow at the traditional system, and have inaugurated a new era in the publication of works of fiction. how far the cause of literature may thereby be benefited we may not here pause to inquire; but there can he little doubt that the masses have reason to rejoice that novels of fair average merit are now obtainable at prices that bring them within the reach of all classes. "The Secret of a Life," for example, which would formerly have been confined to circulating libra ries, may now find its way into every household possessed of two shillings in ready cash. Nor will the investment lead to disappointment. This book is a fair specimen of its class, and a pleasant means of wiling away a vacant hour. Critically, it is open to many objections. The characters arc filled in too minutely, instead of being al lowed to portray themselves in word and action. There is too much dissection of motives and feelings, as if the writer were more desirous of exhibiting her own knowledge of the anatomy of the passions than of merely assisting the reader to penetrate below the surface. This excessive and wearisome minuteness is largely character istic of lady novelists, or, rather, it is an attribute of the sex—omitting, of course, the ungallant epi thet " wearisome." However, these and other blemishes notwithstanding, "The Secret of a Life" is likely to attain a certain degree of suc cess, and to be even a favourite with that novel phase of the public conveniently designated " railway readers." 3. A fourth edition of Mrs. Gaskell's life of the much-lamented Mrs. Brontk is a fact that demon- THE PRESS, OCTOBER 9, 1858. strates beyond all doubt the almost universal interest inspired by the authoress of " Jane Eyre." Not that we would detract from the merits of Mrs. Gaskell's handicraft, or withhold the due meed of praise for her masterly delinea tion of that strange family—each member so distinct, and yet all blending into one harmo nious whole. It is to be regretted, however, that the passages relating to the unfortunate Bram well have not been further curtailed, or rather expunged. No light can possibly be thrown upon either the personal or literary character of the subject of this biography by the exposure of her brother's intemperance, and we cannot but think that Mrs. Gaskell will do well, in any future edition, to allude in more general terms to the vices and follies of the erring brother. 4. Mr. Sibson has good claims to be consi dered the farmer's friend. A knowledge of the elemental principles of chemistry is now indis pensable to every agriculturist of ordinary in telligence. At the same time it cannot be ex pected that our " bold yeomanry " will find leisure to study with much success a science ever in progress, and requiring multitudinous experi ments for the deduct►on of the simplest formula. Mr. Sibson has, therefore, come to their assistance, and, within the limits of a short treatise, has gathered together all with which it is essential that a practical farmer should be acquainted. He explains the chemistry of the atmosphere, and the relations of its component parts to animal and vegetable life, the origin and composition of soils, the physical conditions of water, the structure and food of plants, and the means "of restoring " the impaired fertility of land exhausted by the " growth of cultivated crops, and of improving " land naturally infertile." All this, and much more to the same purpose, is so clearly and simply told that it is impossible not at once to perceive that Mr. Sibson is thoroughly master of the sub ject he has undertaken to illustrate. 5. Ten years ago, the author of " Clare, the Gold-seeker," was unable, as he himself tells us, to write half-a-dozen lines correctly, and only six years ago he " wore a canvas smock, and " worked hard, physically hard, as a porter in " Billingsgate-market." Since then, by d►nt of perseverance and honest industry, he has " suc " ceeded in shaking the porter's knot" from his shoulders, and in becoming the owner of a fish stand in the market. His " leisure moments are " employed alternately in reading, stringing " verses, writing stories, cultivating his " gar " den, and romping with" his " children." Two or three times in the week, moreover, Mr. 'Watts brings together a little party of working men, imbued like himself with literary tastes and a desire for self-improvement. Thus much regard ing the humble minstrel ; and it is necessary to bear this in mind while criticizing the labours of his Muse. Indeed, it would be manifestly . unfair to apply any very strict amount of criticism to these lowly effusions. Though defective in exe cution, they evince a kindly and genial spirit, and inspire a cordial respect for the man who has so bravely overcome the difficulties which obstructed his pursuit of knowledge. 6. Dr. Lebahn has been long and favourably known as the author of various useful works con nected with the study of the German language. The object of the present volume is to furnish the learner with a series of exercises on the irre gular verbs; in addition to which, various de tached pieces are introduced for the purpose of translation. 7. " Homely Ballads" is a good nursery and school-room publication, and may safely be placed in the hands of children ; but we would suggest to Miss Sewell that she should not so invariably render worldly success the result of good conduct, or hold up temporal advantages as the sole or even chief inducement to the per formance of duty. People must be taught that the narrow path must be trod for higher objects and with purer motives than any to be found in this life merely. 8 and 9. We had nothing so taking in the days of our own childhood as these gay-looking little books in their clothing of blue and gold, and with their admirably-designed illustrations printed in colours. "Old Gingerbread and the Schoolboys" is delightful, and the drawing and colouring of the pictorial part done with a spirit and correct ness unknown to the last generation of the nur sery. Our sons and daughters are far better off, it must be owned, as regards supplies of literary fbod than we ever were. 10. The October selection from Blackwood consists of a very conventional story, entitled " A Reading Party in the Long Vacation," evi dently written by a University man under the influence of the first aspiration for literary honours, and of " Father Toni and the Pope," a boisterous effusion of hyper-llibernian humour. It would be difficult to lay out the large stun of sixpence more agreeably than in the purchase of these monthly resuscitations from Maga. PERIODICAL LITERATURE. TILE QUARTERLIES. I FOUR out of the seven articles in the Westminster Review are devoted to foreign subjects. The first (fifty pages long), upon " France under Louis Napoleon," is distinguished by all that animus against the Imperial system which a certain party in this country glories in displaying. We are sorry to see such an article, not less because we regret the application of so much ability to so unpatriotic a work as fanning the sparks of dis cord between France and England, than because we honestly believe that if every word the writer utters were correct, they would constitute no valid reason against the existence of Imperialism. The real truth is, that Louis Napoleon is the re presentative of 1789, though not, perhaps, exactly in the sense in which he would desire the words to be taken. A democratic despotism is the natural result of a convulsion that eliminated the aristocratic element from so ciety.—" Indian Heroes " is a very eloquent and stirring paper.--And now we come to the most pretentious article in the whole number, entitled " F. W. Newman and his Evangelical Critics." The tone of this paper is so contemp tuous towards the latter that the writer ought at least to have carefully guarded himself from the same class of blunders at which he sneers; whereas a very cursory perusal of his essay con vinces us that Mr. Newman will have no cause to thank him for his advocacy : We shall begin (says lie) with an examination of the analogical argument as originally presented by Butler, and now revived and expanded by the author of the `• Eclipse of Faith," and its " Defence." The object of the famous treatise we have now alluded to is not, it appears to us, to prove the truth of revelation, but to confirm it ; not to establish its divine origin for those who do not receive it, but to vindicate its credibility for those who do. Consequently, while the believer may find in it an auxiliary to faith, the unbeliever is absolutely untouched by it. The cardinal principle of this argu ment is, that there is no greater difficulty in accepting the religion of revelation, than in accepting that of nature, on the ground that the phenomena of the external world are as much opposed to our moral intuitions as the reputed difficulties in Scripture. To our wind, this logics' dilemma is, relatively is the unbeliever, altogether nugatory. To exhibit its futility, we have but to substi tute the sacred hooks of other religionists fur those of the Christian. That because objections, adduced in dis proof of the infallibility of the Koran, the Shasters, or the Vedas, may be paralleled by ohjectious adduc ed in disproof of the Perfect or Divine Government of the external world, therefore these writings emanate from God, is an inference whose validity the orthodox logician would in dignantly deny. Thus, while the argument from analogy may confirm conviction, it never can produce it. Now here is a total misapplication of Butler:s argument to begin with. His argument is pri marily of a negative character, and only secon darily a positive one. The first part of the above paragraph is expressed correctly enough, but the concluding sentences are quite inconsistent with the beginning. To say that the objections to our believing that the Bible came from God are no other than would compel us to disbelieve that the constitution of nature was from God, which we don't do, and that therefore this particular set of objections must be put on one side, is one thing. To say that because they don't make us disbe lieve in natural religion, they must therefore make us believe in revealed, is ano ther t.hingimself , which Butler has so often gu from being supposed to say , tha t the presnt writer lays himself open to the supposition of havrg or, got his knowledge of Butler seco ndhand. I. unless h ob unless he has expressed himself with gross scurity, it is Butler's " dilemma," and. which not oe_ put by he the i author spea k speaking. of the again : says es u of " F The existence of a system of temporal retribution con firms, it is said, the dogma of eterna l p unishme n t. g el o between finite error and finite punishment there is . a pro portion ; but between finite error an d infinite puniahine: there is no proportion. Thus, in its present appliciallont