The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

MAY 27, 1854. Nittrahut. Pelham ; or, the Adventures of a Gentleman. Cheap Edition. London : Routledge and Co. OUR first recollections of Sir Edward Lytton are derived from Cambridge associations. He had gone to the University at an earlier age than is usual, and, though he did not enter into competition for the regular prizes, he was well known amongst his associates for leading the life of a student, neither making a parade nor a secret of his habits of continuous read ing. At that time there were many gifted young men at Cambridge who toiled very hard to gain the honours of the University, and raise themselves in life. Young Bulwer (from habit we often use his early name) was inde pendent in his position, and not stimulated by the spur of necessity to bring his name before the world. Heir to the Lyttona of Knebworth, there is the more credit due to him for so laboriously disciplining his mind. It was after he left the University that the prize on the poem of " Sculpture " was de cided in his favour, and we recollect his going down to Cambridge to recite it. It gained him deserved notice at the time. After leaving Cambridge he sojourned in London, and _pleased himself with observing its society. He did not confine himself to studying Mayfair, for, unlike some of his Cam bridge contemporaries, he did not believe that the right of entry to Almack's was the one thing needful to exalt humanity. There were a good many fops, and some really very clever fribbles, amongst the Cambridge men of that time, and we often thought that the subject-matter of " Pelham " was forced upon the notice of its author from the sort of life he had seen at the University. When he published "Pelham" it was absurdly supposed that he himself was its hero, an idea truly ridiculous to those who knew the calm love of study and the quiet simplicity which marked his residence at Cam bridge. His first step in life was his obtaining a cornetcy, and if the country had been at war it is probable that one with his love of adven ture, and his extraordinary personal energy, would have pursued a martial career. The thrilling words of " Devereux's " address to his sword reveal a spirit alive to military glory. But the peace campaigns of a cornet had nothing to tempt a highly-organised nature eager for energetic development. He never actually joined his regiment, and he went to France, several parts of which he visited, and resided for many months at Paris. He then published (anonymously) his first volume, "Falkland," which indicated such abilities that its publisher (Colburn) solicited a novel in three volumes, and then " Pelham " was composed. The first opinions of "practical people" about men of genius are often remarkable for egregious blunders. "You had better stick "to your plays. Oratory is not your line," said Woodfall after hearing Sheridan. The Aristarchus of the Edinburgh Review (whoever he might have been) could see no merit in Byron's " Hours of Idleness," though Sir Eger ton Brydges (who had a fine taste for poetry) at the time recognised the merit of some of the pieces. " Jane Eyre " was offered to every publisher in the trade, until the very last firm that it was placed before accepted it. Mr. Col burn's "reader " pronounced a most unfavour able opinion on "Pelham." The fact is signi ficant and strange. How many aspiring hearts have broken on their sentences depending upon such sightless judges ! Imagine . a "reader" disparaging "Pelham," whose merits from fist to last are faithfully represented by any of its five consecutive pages. Show a country bumpkin a casket of diamonds at Storr and Mortimer's, and he will think them not half so fine as Miss Fotheringay's glass brilliants at Sadler's Wells. One might think that the shopmen from long practice ought to see at a glance the difference between paste and precious stones. Experience, how ever, shows that they choose the counterfeits, and, rejecting the real gems, they make the public pay for pebbles set as pearls. r THE PRESS. Alas ! poor public ! Rather, alas for poor authors judged by shopmen who measure style by the yard, and decide on pretensions by the rules of stationary ! The publication of " Pelham " was a memo rable event in its author's life. Such success would have intoxicated feebler minds and induced indolence. But the master-spring of Sir Edward Lytton's genius is a species of inspiring energy that glows with the love of labour, and pursues the conquest of difficulty. His understanding is remarkable for its artis tic plasticity and its power. Lithe and supple creatures are not often athletic and strong. It is seldom that a sculptor has the thews of a stonecutter. The Hindoo-like facility with which a Gladstonian nature can twist itself into mental postures indicates absence of tenacity. We smile at the jugglery, but we would be sorry to have a facility for contor tions at the loss of masculine grasp. In Sir Edward Lytton may be discerned a union of the qualities given by ethnologists to opposite races. He has a Gaelic freshness of fancy and versatility of mind joined to Anglo-Saxon force. Unless he possessed this opposition of powers, happily blended in one person, he never could have won such an amazing variety of success. A more varied crown than a wreath of laurels should symbolise his tri umphs in the literary arena. Tho catalogue of his performances is his most suggestive chaplet. We doubt whether our memory can accu rately state the names of all his works, and we are certain that to criticise them adequately would demand too much space. Let us observe the mere extent of space covered by his toil. As Fictionist, from " Pelham " to " The Caxtons," the enumeration of his novels is as long as the lists of the teeming James and the prolific Gore. As Historian, his " Rise and Fall of Athens " appears even still more brilliant when we recollect that it was composed before Grote had facilitated the labours of writers treating of Hellenic themes. As Essayist, his " Student " attests his thoughtful habits in early manhood ; while " England and the English" displays rare knowledge of logical facts with shrewd common sense and Voltairian grace of style. As Reviewer, the Edinburgh, the Westminster, and the Foreign Quarterly contain a variety of contributions from his versatile and most vivacious pen.* As a poli tical writer his pamphlets have had success without parallel in our days. We have the twenty second edition of one of them before us. As Dramatist, his plays are perennial in the playbills, and their names might be kept stereotyped. As Poet, his " King Arthur," if published in Germany, would have set pro fessors lecturing, and would have fascinated those students who worship the intellectual beauty. His "New Timon " abounded in ad mirable passages. As Translator, his version of Schiller extorted praise from the most churlish critics. As Member of Parliament, he successfully engaged the attention of the Legislature to the question of the drama ; and he has made some really admirable speeches. As Journalist—but hold! we are out of breath, and must pause. Such a quantity of work is astonishing when we recollect that Sir Edward Lytton is still in the prime of life. The extent of his labours will be better seen on remarking how some of his contemporaries, who are only mere novelists, completely fail when they attempt to write for the stage or seek to win political laurels. It will appear still larger if we look upon the quality of his labours ; and, with every abate ment that just criticism could fairly make, we have no doubt that many of his masterpieces will stand the test of time. His style, and the ideal creation enshrined in it, will always make his name classical in our literature, however readers may in differ their shades of appreciation. His works, through the agency of Mr.Routledge, are now open to the humblest member of the community ; and right glad are we to see that the artist has worked like a man for a nation of true men, whose mascu line Anglo-Saxon natures can appreciate his energetic mind. • We may cite the criticism on "Sir Thomas Browne;" "Review of English Literature" (art. Chateaubriand); " Fors• ter's Goldsmith," in the Edinburgh; "Bolingbroke" (WM minder); the poet " Gray" (OW); and " Reign of Tenor," hi the Foreign Quarterly; besides others. 495 Not the least literary triumph of this va riously-endowed nature is that its productions, teeming with academic grace and so refined in style, have won such vast popularity. Ho counts his suffrages by the million, and his pen has nought to fear from the ballot-box of a literary senate bound down by clas sical precedents. But though a popular he is not what we might call a platform author. He does not cater to the merely emotional sympathies of his readers, and look for heroes and heroines in infantine humanity ; nor do we find in his works any of that (how shall we designate it ?)pathos of the pocket-handkerchief wrung from the streaming eyes of mammas who like to see printed descriptions of "their " little darlings." We could desire that the reign of novels for the nursery came to an end and that masculine sense was in old English style allowed to predominate over the effemi nate susceptibility of fictiouists, whose literary mission, lucrative and puling, appears to be no higher in its aims than opening a shop for sentimentalism, extracting tears from the sympathies, and shillings from the purses, of the weaker sex. The West Indies, Before and Since Slave Eman cipation. By John Davy, M.D. London : Cash. DR. DAVY is a fair witness, and, as his book proves, has spared no pains in collecting ma terials. Perhaps this extreme laboriousness affects injuriously the value of his personal observation, for in reading his remarks it is difficult to ascertain how far they are founded on what he saw or heard on the spot, how far on blue-books and official reports, perused afterwards at home. In any case the work is useful, not from originality, nor the power of an attractive style, but from the judicial im partiality of the writer, and his skill in bringing together within a small compass facts scat tered over many larger publications. The account giver. of separate islands is chiefly interesting to those who have visited or intend to visit them. Description of natural objects can only be made agreeable by peculiar graphic power ; but his general conclusions on the state of the West Indies are, both politically and socially, important. He points out in a concluding chapter the principal defects exist ing within his experience. 1. Extreme neglect, in towns and villages. of sanitary precautions. In this respect no language of condemnation can be too strong. Nearly every West Indian town is built, for mercantile purposes, on the seashore ; that is, on the lowest available level ; none are drained,* or provided with sewers, or properly supplied with water ; and the dirt and dis comfort that prevail in all are excessive. Hence disease, exacerbated by the climate, which wrongly bears the whole blame. Per contra, it should be said that the negro is little susceptible of infection ; that European resi dents invariably live in the country ; and that English troops are quartered in barracks aloof from the native population. The same com plaint of deficient cleanliness applies to many of the hospitals, whore it is even more objec tionable. Indian towns present a similar spectacle ; but in the West legislators have not to grapple with the Oriental prejudice against interference with their domestic habits. 2. Unsatisfactory relations between em ployer and employed. On this head Dr. Davy echoes the language of all who have written or spoken on the subject. He complains of the " unguarded and precipitate manner in " which emancipation was effected," and hints at legislative remedies. But what remedies? The evil seems beyond their reach. The labourer works only when he pleases, which is not often, and lives in habitual idleness. This cannot be prevented except by taking from him his freedom of action, which would be a return to slavery. Immigration—the most practical remedy hitherto suggested—Dr. Davy rather discountenances, as costly, ephemeral, and tending to alienate instead of civilising the African natives. He would colonise as follows :—Supersede European troops by na tives, as is done on the African coast ; enlist them for a definite term, and at its expiration • The settlements of British anima Wes szospisd.