The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

JANUARY 10, 1857. fittraturt. Ws resume our summary of the books recently sent us which, for the present at least, we find it impossible to notice at any length. Our limited space compels us to be brief in these notices, but we endeavour to fairly express the character and merits of each production. Mr. Jardine republishes in an enlarged and corrected shape the " Narrative of thp Gun powder Plot" (1), which many years ago was prefixed to the trials of the conspirators in "The Library of Entertaining Knowledge." This narrative is the most copious and critical account of the whole transaction extant. The author's researches fail to clear up the mystery attaching to the warning letter sent to Lord Monteagle. He intimates a probability that the discovery of the plot was arranged to be made in this manner, and supplies a pre sumption, with some proof, that James was prompted as to the true character of the " blow" indicated in the letter, and as to the means of discovery that should he taken. The author is little favourable to the King; but his complete and lucid narrative shows that, on the whole, the conspirators were treated with more humanity than might have been anti cipated from the Government of that age, and the remorseless character of their plot. No general persecution attended the discovery of the treason ; the guilty alone suffered—a marked contrast to the cruel injustice which attended the mere apprehension of " The Plaat" of Titus Oates. " The Student's Gibbon," edited by Dr. Smith (2), gives, in the compass of a school book, the main facts of Gibbon's great work, bridging over the gulf between ancient and modern history. Dr. Smith has rather selected portions from Gibbon than abridged the whole, and, while usually adhering to the exact words of the author, has incorporated into the text the results of later research. The copious illustrations are all from authentic sources. The chart-like character of the abridgment will enable the student to master with comparative ease the main events which marked the fortunes of the world from the reign of the Antonines to the capture of Con stantinople by Alahomet 11. The plan of the volume has enabled Dr. Smith to omit all the sneers of Gibbon against Christianity without subjecting himself to a charge of mutilating his author. For the rising generation this compact book will supersede the use of Gibbon's voluminous history with its pon derous disquisitions. It is to be remarked, however, that his highly ornate and laboured style appears to disadvantage whenithe march of his events is so rapidly azeelemted. A publication on Myths (3), by Morgan Kavanagh, seems to us a striking example of misapplied learning and misdirected ingenuity. To account for the origin of language, the author supposes that, when man first began to describe a circle to signify the sun, his mouth, in sympathy with his hand, assumed a round shape, and that the exclamation " 0 " issued from it, which supplied the first idea of speech-0 being used thenceforth to ex press the sun, and ali circular bodies. After announcing this theory, he asks triumphantly—" if man never uttered a sound " while his mouth retained the circular form, " could speech have been discovered i" And he replies to the question with a most emphatic " Never." To account for the derivation of terms he picks language to pieces in a manner far surpassing the ironical examples of Vol taire. Out of lo he constructs Bacchus, and out of Bacchus Jesus. One of his most amusing instances is the derivation of the word nig from mud, the latter being symbo heal of the animal's nature. P, he says, is the same as B, and Bis the same as M. Hence pig may be turned into Mig, Moig, or Moic, which is equivalent to Mue or Muck, the Irish of pig, and also of dung or filth. " And, as " this Muck," ho continues, " cannot differ (1) A Narratire of the Gunpowder Plot. By David Jardine, Lci. London : Murray. (2) The Student's Gibbon. By W. Smith, LLD. With 100 Engravings on Wood. London : Murray. On Myths traced to their Primary Source through Language. By Morgan Kavanagh. Two Vole. London: Newby. THE PRESS. " from Mae, we again obtain a well-known " name for son, as we know from such a name "as Mac Dermot." We do not, however, learn what connection there is between a male child and either mud or a pig, though peter is asserted to he identical with hoar, and pig with page. The reader must imagine two volumes filled with like kind of matter, and he will then have a tolerable conception of this strange book. In books of travel the adventures of a lady in Kansas (4) for about a year and a half is exciting attention, from the singular nature of its revelations. Mrs. Robinson accompanied her husband, a clergyman, to in the spring of 1855. The reverend gentleman escorted a party of 200 settlers from Boston, and, as he and his band were determinedly hostile to slavery, he was soon involved in violent hostility with the pro-slavery settlers. The doctor thundered against his opponents from the pulpit, and they took up arms and mustered their forces. In the lady's diary, continued to the autumn of 185 G, she relates, in a graphic, rough-and•ready kind of style, the incidents of the struggle winch made the newly-settled State the theatre of most despe- rate and sanguinary fighting. The town of Lawrence was threatened with attack by the slave party; the free-state ladies assisted in the preparations for defence. One of their number gave up her cabin for the good cause : Daily and nightly the ladies meet there, in the one room with its loose open floor, through which the wind creeps, to make cartridges ; their nimble fingers keeping time with each heartbeat for freedom, so enthusiastic are they in aiding the defence. One lady of Lawrence saved her husband from arrest, by presenting loaded pistols at the sheriff's head, and threatening to fire if he at tempted to execute his purpose. All the atrocities of the " slavery ruffians " are duly chronicled here. One of them, at Leaven worth, being much in want of boots, made a bet with a fellow-ruffian—six dollars against a pair of boots—that he would in two hours re turn with an abolitionist's scalp. He went out, met a free-settler mimed Hops, shot him dead, scalped him, returned with his trophy in less than two hours, and received the boots. In the same locality, a young lady of the free state party was carried off from her home by a gang of ruffians ; a cord was fastened tightly round her tongue, and she was dragged rapidly along by the rope. Her tongue was dragged so far out of her mouth, and she was other wise so cruelly abused, th it for some time her life was despaired of. Abundance of similar cases of atrocity are recorded here. We do not wonder a Mrs. Robinson exclaiming that Austrian despotism was liberty in comparison with the fiendish tyranny perpetrated under the star-spangled banner. Her narrative is ex parte, and highly-coloured, no doubt, but it serves to convey an impression of the terrible nature of the struggle, as it appeared to a per son actively engagel in all the proceedings of the free-state party A book on our Australian colonies (5) pre sents, on the whole, a pleasing contrast to the Kansas settlement. The volume, though the author has visited the several places he de scribes, is mainly compiled from colonial news papers and official returns, nor is the compi lation skilfully done. The book is crude, but it appears to contain some useful information and honest opinions. Of Victoria the writer formed a most unfavourable opinion. He first visited it in Is)3, when the gold dis coveries had attracted to the colony a great patt of the blackguardism of the world ; but only two years later he noticed the sensible improvement that had taken place. New South Wales he liked Letter. Society was more settled and more intelligent. While Victoria, with its gold-fields yielding a million sterling per month, contributed only 7,0001. to the Patriotic Fund, New South Wales sub scribed 60,0001. That the low moral state of' Victoria is not to be attributed purely to the convict element, is shown by the fact of the superiority of New South Wales. Victoria, after all, was never so morally bad as Cali fornia. Tasmania is described as a most beau- (4) Kamm; its Interior and Exterior Life. By Mrs. Robin• son. London : Sampson Low and Son. (5) Australia, Tansania, arid New Zealasel, Loqtl9ti: Sa4n, den end Otlsy, 39 tifol country, but sadly tainted by crime. With a total population of only 23,000 persons the amount of crime exceeds that in Liverpool with 296,000 inhabitants. Of all our colonies in the Southern Ocean the author gives a de cided preference to New Zealand, and Nelson he esteems the most favourable settlement. While he pronounces Australia to be the most objectionable of all British dependencies, on account of the low moral character of its inha bitants, he states New Zealand to be the finest colony in the world, and the majority of its people to be equal in respectability and in telligence to those of any country in the world. The volume may be worth consulting by in tending emigrants, or by those specially inter ested in our Australasian settlements, but is decidedly not a book for " the general reader." " A ltamble through the United States " (6), by a gentleman who describes himself as " Author of several pieces of music for the " flute," records a tour made several years back, " when the Oregon question was at its " height." The author is enthusiastic in his admiration of America and her institutions. His high-flown panegyric (pp. 9.91-3121 on the supreme excellence of the States' Govern ment seems ridiculous when contrasted with Mrs. Robinson's account of doings in Kansas. The book is more remarkable for pretension than novelty; we see little to recommend it; but in the brief description of the St. Lawrence, it is truly stated that at Quebec the beauties of this noble river throw into the shade those of the Rhine, the Rhone, and the Danube. _ _ . _ A slight volume gives the eight months' journal of a master in the navy during visits to Loocho, Japan, and Pootoo in 1849 (7). The author sensibly records what he saw in busi ness-like style. We would willingly have heard more concerning Japan. The people are said to be fair in personal appearance, and to have a pleasing expression of countenance. " Their " urbanity and kindness to strangers, as well as "to each other, is very remarkable . . . . In " short, they appear to be naturally a kind " hearted and polite people " The author con ceives that means might be found of establish ing commercial relations with the people, by accustoming them from time to time to the sight of our vessels, and by encouraging them to hold intercourse with the officers. In the department of Art, a beautiful hand book of early Flemish painters (8) has been written by Mr. Crowe (himself an artist and Mr. Cavalcaselle. The " School of Bruges" occupies the greater part of the volume. It commences with the rise of art in the Nether lands, and then traces with great minuteness the career of the Van Eycks, John and Hubert. Their chief works are noticed in detail, engrav ings being given to convey an idea of the drawing and composition ; and the incidents of their history are illustrated by much infor mation obtained by original research. The school was nobly continued by Van der Wey den and Mcmling. The pictures of the latter are said to be "lyrics,' remarkable for grace and poetry of delineation. With him the school virtually became extinct. He had some imi tators, but no legitimate successor. A chapter is given to the school of Louvain, and another to the influence of Flemish art abroad. The volume is distinguished by extensive informa tion, exactitude of statement, and discrimi native criticism. It is a valuable addition to art history. Another volume on art (9) of great merit, and beautifully produced, is Mr. Wornii m's " Analy sis ofOrnament." Hiscriticism is masterly. Ho starts with the simplest principles of ornament. There are two classes of style—the symbolic which appeals to reason, and the esthetic which appeals to feeling or imagination. The one may be esteemed for its meaning, the other for the sense of the beautiful which it conveys. The author then shows how each of these styles must have certain leading character istics, and he establishes a kind of grammar of ornament. One of his fundamental rules is, that ornament should be accessory to, but (g) A Ramble through the United States. By,Dr. Shaw. Lon don : Hope. (7) Eight Months' Journal During Visits to Loochnn, Japan, and Pootoo. By A. F. Halloran. London: Longmans. (8) The Early Flemish Painters. By J. A. Crowe, and G. B. Cavaleaaelle. London: Murray. (9) Analysis of Ornament. 137111410 N. Wornum. Londoq Chapman and Hall. ell `imINIP 111