The Press. — London, England, 1858-01-16 00:00:00

Or** 11.."" THE PRESS, JANUARY 16, 1858. " portrait of a gentlemsn or lady " at the Exhibition may represent four-fifths of oar similar generation. Further afield :hen must our dramatists seek, if they draw from life, for their models of passion and humour. In his so•ealled " revivals," we cannot but think that Mr. Kean sacrifices Shakespeare almost as remorselessly as Mr. Albert Smith does his own narrative of Mont Blanc—a pie• ture being in both instances substituted for the dialogue. We are therefore disposed fully to subscribe to the justice of the following re marks : Of such poverty we have no longer to complain, and perhaps have more reason to murmur at our present opulence. For if we in reality succeed in exhibiting the tumult of a great battle, the storming of a fort, the splendour of a council chamber, or the pomp of an ecclesi astical procession, we incur the opposite risk of rendering the spectator, by the power of these sensible impressions, indifferent to the proper business of the scene and those who move upon it. The essential is sacrificed to the accessory. In this respect however the public and the managers have long since combined to spoil each other : the one by demanding, the other by supplying ornament in excess, as the proper instrument of dramatic attraction. Whether Timothens should yield the prize, or both divide the blame. is a question which cannot be discussed within our present limits. The mistake is, in fact, similar to that of the ultra pre-Raphaelites. In the one case, the spirit and interest of the play as a representa tion of human passions is overlaid by that which too often represents only material actions ; in the other, the spectator's eye is drawn off from the expression of the features and harmony of the groups by the labour and prominence bestowed on some comparatively unimportant accessory of costume, furniture, or natural objects. The essay on " Popular Amusements" is interesting, and displays a great deal of read ing not to be found elsewhere in so convenient a compass. We believe, however, the notions conveyed in the following paragraph to be almost as Utopian as some of Mr. Ruskin's on which we commented last week: — Is whatever light we regard the State, whether as a parent regolating his children's actions, and exacting from them implicit obedience, or ns a body of trustees appointed by the governed for their own good, it has a direct interest in the well-being of its members. It is not enough for them to be negatively benefited, as Blackstone insists, by the vigilance and wisdom of their rulers. Man is not formed to live by law alone, any more than he is by bread alone. His animal and intellectual faculties alike demand nurture and relaxation, and the Government which shuts its eyes to the amusements of the people, and considers that if life and goods be protected all its duties are per formed, I &olds only half of its proper functions, and per forms even that moiety imperfectly. But this is a sort of speculation from which Mr. Donne is obviously not unwilling to escape : lie who shall devise a form of popular amusement attractive to every grade of society will merit a civic wreath, as well as he who leads forth a colony, or opens new avenues to labour. So many obstacles present themselves to this most desiderated discovery, that we have not the vanity even to suggest either an outline of it, or the direction in which it may, perhaps, be found. And we are undoubtedly much better pleased to listen to him as he compares the Roman and the Greek, the Spaniard and the Fleming, or digs out a Siennese sonnetteer to testify how very jollily it was possible to live in the thirteenth century, than when he shows a disposition to lecture on ethics or politics. We hope, in conclusion, that what we have said may be taken in good part, and that the present volume is no sign of its author having closed his connection with periodical lite rature. 1. Speech of Earl Fortescue respecting a Monu ment to Field-Marshal Lord Raglan. Lon don : Ridgway. 2. A Letter front the Earl of Westmorland to Earl Fortescue, on the Above. London: Ridgway. THE tides of these two little pamphlets sufficiently speak for themselves. We sincerely trust they will contribute towards producing the desired effect upon the public mind. Some public recognition of Lord Raglan's worth is demanded both by justice and policy. As we have treated this subject in another part of our columns we shall not pursue it in this, but we are sure the following extract will be read with interest by all our readers : Extract from a Letter written by the late Lord Raglan to Lady Raglan. Before Sebastopol, June 18, 1855. Yesterday we attacked a Russian work called a Redan, and the French attacked the works right and left of a ower called Malakoff. The object of both these attacks being to possess ourselves of the Faubourg of Sebastopol. We hail apparently subdued, by the superiority of our fire, the Russian Artillery, and though the attacks could not be considered otherwise than formidable enterprises, yet the confidence of our success was general, and I confess that I participated in that confidence. It had been determined that the attack should be commenced at five or half-pest five in the morning, and that the interval between that time and daylight should he employed to bring as much artillery fire upon the enemy's works as possible. Late, however, in the evening of the 17th, I heard that General Pelissier had resolved to commence at Elver o'clock. I did not like the change, but it was too late to protest against it, and the necessary orders were given accordingly. The Redan was to be attacked by three divisions, and I gave Brown the command of them ; each division furnishing men for one column of attack. I left home shortly after two o'clock in the morning, and met Brown in the trenches by three. The French were to begin the attack by signal, and I was to order our ad vance when I should think proper. Unfortunately, the French officer commanding the right column mistook a rocket that was fired for the signal, and began before his time ; the general officer at the head of the next column, knowing the mistake that had been made, did not push his troops forward, and the French left column of course re• mained stationary until General Pelissier gave the signal agreed upon. When they were all engaged they seemed to make so little way, and to meet with so much resistance, that I thought it right to order our advance. They did so at once, but such a heavy fire, particularly of grape, was brought upon them, that few reached the Redan, and no. body got into it ; in short, the operation failed, as well as that of the French, and we have to deplore the loss of many valuable officers and men. Other attacks went on at the same time, and loss was there incurred. We have to deplore the death of filajor•General Sir John Campbell, an excellent officer, who has never given me one moment's trouble, and was always satisfied whatever I required him to do ; of Colonel Yea of the 7th Foot, who had devoted himself to his duty during the whole of this winter; and of many others. You may imagine my dia. appointment at this failure ! It is a great misfortune. 1. The Interpreter. A Tale of the War. By G. J. Whyte Melville. One Vol. London : J. W. Parker and Son. 2. Scenes from Clerical Life. By George Eliot. Two Vols. London : Blackwoods. THESE stories, as our readers may probably be aware, are both reprints from the leading Scotch and English magazines, which must be our excuse on the present occasion for according them so brief a notice. They both possess remarkable merit. " The Interpreter" has more incident, more romance, and more spirit; vie other more insight into character, deeper thought, and more direct purpose. The first is the more graceful and animated; the second the more sinewy and solid. 1. Our principal ground of complaint against " The Interpreter" is the impropriety of the title. We honestly believe that many a novel-reader might go right through the volume without ever finding out who he was. We might also take objection to the character of Ropsley—a sort of " marvellous boy " in whom we have little faith. But Manners, the tutor.colonel of Bashi Bazouks, is a capital and most humorous sketch. Victor de Bohan, the Prince's Vocqsal and her husband, are also exceedingly well drawn. The hero himself is perhaps the bast claw racter Major Melville has yet given us. The plot is certainly good, though here and there we see evi dent marks of haste. Many of the scenes aro capital. The fight with the Russians—the attempted rescue of Zuleika—the final interview between the Princess and Victor—the assault of the Redan—and the Shooting Meeting—are all told with rare spirit. A most flattering portrait is drawn of General Wind ham, which just now will be doubly interesting. Major Melville possesses the advantage of being at once a gentleman, a sportsman, a scholar, a traveller, and a soldier, and he writes like all five. 2. " Mr. Gilfil's Love Story " is unmistakeably the best of the three tales which comprise " Scenes from Clerical Life." Mr. Gilfil himself is an excellent character, and we are glad to see justice done to a type of country clergymen not seldom singled out for ridicule. The history of his courtship and marriage is touching, and not sufficiently improbable to de stroy the interest. In "Janet's Repentance," the little provincial clique of old-fashioned churchgoers is capitally sketched, and their organised opposition to the evening lecture done to the life. At the same time we do not wholly approve of such subjects, which are irritating to many minds. Of Janet her self we cannot make much, and Mr. Tryan is decidedly an unpleasant portraiture. Nevertheless, these Scenes, as a whole, evince intellectual power, knowledge of human nature, and obesrvation of life. They stand well above the average. PUBLTCATIONS RECEIVED.--JANuAny 14. BOOKS. AdOle. By Julia Kavanagh. Hurst and Blackett Thom'B Almanack and Official Directory for IHSB. Longmans Robert Burns and Sir Waller Scott; two Lives. By the Rev. James White. Rontledge The Playground. By George Forrest, M.A. lioutledge ._.. . The Wild Flowers of the Alphabet. Ackerman' Akhol; its Place and Power. Houlatoe Voices from the Garden. By S. W. Partridge. Partridge PAMPHLETS. Metropolitan and Provincial Law Associalion.—Pren e l t Reading for Self-instruction. E. Wilaon—The Empire the. Middle Classes. Thacker. PERIODICAL. The Quarterly Review. Murray—London Univers; Magazine. Han and Virtue. Lusk anti tte trans. MR. BENEDICT'S VOCAL ASSOCIATION, consisting upwards of :I(X) voices, will form a portion of chorus in the National Anthem, to be sung on of the four occasions of the Queen's visit to Majesty's Theatre upon the forthcoming auspicious event. The ladies are all to appear in white dresses, which will add materially to the effect of the scene. The Italian Opera on the 2:3rd inst. will be La Son nambula, in which Mlle. Piccolomini will for the firs t time appear as Amina. PRINCESS'S THEATRE.-Mr. Charles Kean on Tues- day made his first appearance for some years in the character of Hamlet. This performance we regard as one of his best. Mr. Kean was most warmly re ceived by a crowded house. Miss Heath played Ophelia. On a future occasion we will do justice to her merits. CRYSTAL PALACE.--The exhibition of poultry and pigeon-, has been as successful as the high excel lence of the stock deserved. The number of visitors has been larger than any that has assembled since the annual show opened. The fine weather con• tributed much to this increase, but the numerous inquiries for some of the most valued pens showed that those feathered assemblages are acquiring great interest among amateurs. Only one opinion is ex pressed as to the excellence of the birds exhibited. r -- ?mans Allston. rtridge French pire of iversily ling of of the ► each o Her resses, scene. a Son- be firs t i T nes- in the regard my re- playeql .stice to ry and excel- visitors d since er iroerous showed ig great is ex- bited. week at d noble- rited, as August, k to the .rose, by aughter. and in Obituarg. THE EARL OF WINCITILSEA died yesterday week at Haverholm Prior), Lancashire. The deceased noble man, who was in his sixty-seventh year, inherited, as ninth earl, at the decease of his cousin in August, 1826. He was thrice marries'—first in 1814 to the eldest daughter of the third Duke of Montrose, by whom he had issue the present earl and a daughter. The countess died in February, 1835, and in February, 1837, the late earl was married to the daughter of the late Right Hon. Sir Charles Begot, who died without issue in 1848 ; and, thirdly, in 1849, he was marred to the eldest daughter of Edward Royd Rice, Esq., of Dane Court, Kent, by whom he had three sons. The present earl, late Viscount Maidstone, is not at present, we believe, in England. He was married in 1840 to Constance Henrietta, daughter of the Earl of Uxbridge, by whom he has a son and heir and three daughters. The deceased earl was a Conservative, and well known for his strong antipathy to the Maynooth grant and the admission of Jews into Parliament. In 1829 Lord Winchilsea, together with Lord Eldon and others, strongly opposed the Roman Catholic Relief Bill, but the Duke of Wellington had brought the whole power of Government into action, and triumphantly carried the measure. Lord Winchilsea, writing to a gentleman connected with the then new institution of King's College, among other observa tions on the duke's motives, imputed to him an in tention "to introduce Popery into every department of the State." The duke demanded an apology for the expressions used, which not being given, a duel ensued between them on the 21st of March. Lord Winchilsea, after the duke had fired and missed, discharged his pistol into the air, and then tendered the required apology, which settled the dispute. THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF ILCFIESTER died on the 3rd instant, after a brief illness. The deceased nobleman, a consistent Whig, was tha third Earl of Ilchester, created 1756 ; Baron Ilchester and Strangways, 1741 ; Baron Ilchester and Stavordale, 1747 ; Baron of Redlynch, 1747 ; Privy Councillor 1837. The family name of the late earl Was Henry Stephen Fox Strangways, D.C.L., son of the second earl by his first wife, daughter of Stand ish Grady, Esq. He was born in 1187, and was there fore in the seventy first year of his age when he died. He married, in 1812, the second daughter of Lord George Murray, Bishop of St. David's, niece of the fourth Duke of Athol], who died in 1818; and be succeeded his father in 1802. He was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant of the Dorset Yeomanry Cavalry in 1816, and was patro n to seven. teen livings. The heir presumptive of the wealth . and honours of the deceased earl is the Hon. William Thomas Horner Strangways, born 11'95, who, horn , 14 held various distinguished appointments since . 18 . -0, filled the post of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Frankfort from August, 1849/ tO January, 1849. The deceased noblem an was rudel7