The Press. — London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

JANUARY 3, 1857. auenco of the Committee is felt in the mountains, as well as in the metropolis ; and, though we are not to expect any miraculously certain choice of the best men always, we are entitled to expect that the worst will not, as so often heretofore, lie successful. Fraudulent elections prevented, an immense source of evil to the social and civil as well as political life of the country is at once cut otE Her sympathies were for Mr. Fremont, and the authoress is a thorough-going anti-slavery writer. Her volume is quaint and curious, and gives one a desire that some well-known and competent observer would give us a minute and faithful picture of the " Golden Region." But dates are of importance. Her " circular " was in 1►340, and we are on the eve of 11357, and we believe that there are later accounts from California than those given in this dashing performance. PERIODICAL LITERATURE. THE New Year's number of the New Quarterly Review is a very admirable one, and the directors evince perfect comprehension of the real uses and objects of a work of this kind, secrets apparently bidden by Cimmerian darkness from the majority of editors, or we should have more introductory and critical notices and fewer essays got up in the head achy rooms of the Museum, and destined to impart to the reader the headache of their birthplace. In this New Quarterly the general reader will find exactly what he wants to enable him to keep pace with the literary topics of the day. He is informed of the names and characters of the books, whether remarkably good or the reverse, which appear within a certain period. To most of them he receives just the kind of introduction that is necessary either to remind him never to think of the book again, or to order it at once, and the brief, neat criticism of the " retrospect " is all that he requires. But to certain works—namely, such as achieve a place before the world—articles are devoted of greater or less length, in which what used to be called reviewing, before essayism came into fashion, is done, and in most cases done exceedingly well. In the present num ber, for instance, the book in which Mr. Jelinger Symons (the Moon-Joshua) demolishes the character of Sir Robert Peel, the addresses in which the much abused Airey defends himself against the Crimean reporters, the gallant Kmety's vindication of his Kars services, Mrs. Browning's new novel in blank verse, Robinson's Oriental researches, and a dozen of novels, are all dealt with, and, in most cases, fairly and judiciously. Besides these there are some still more important articles. One, on " Life in Ancient India," is full of the results of research, upon which no ordinary powers of mind have been brought to bear in order to fuse the whole into logical coherence. The author writes with a fulness of information and a maturity of judgment that makes it evident that he is no new recruit or common soldier in the literary ranks. A political article, in which the conduct of Lord Palmerston towards Lord Derby the last time the latter was intrusted with the formation of a Government receives lively but severe castigation, is exceedingly readable (the reference, though complimentary, to Lady Palmerston had better have been omitted), and the Dictator is sketched with much skill. An article on the affairs of America contains much information, and is written in a temperate yet vigorous tone. Mr. Buchanan's character is treated with more than kindliness, and we only hope that the writer's anticipations of his policy may be verified. At the present date there is reason for satisfaction with the cautious conduct of the future President, who refuses to hang out new political lights, or to engage a staff of subordinates until he has had time to study his men from "the " mote removed ground " to which he has been raised. The articles we have indicated are encugh to give character and tone to the periodical ; but we repeat that we consider its great and distinctive merit to be that it really fulfils the functions of a review, and in the compass of a hundred and fifty handsomely-printed pages makes the reader ac quainted with all that is 'lone in English and—a valuable feature—French literature. We heartily recommend the New Quarterly to those who, at the beginning of the year, are looking over booksellers' counters for a handbook to their contents. We have a very good issue of magazines this month. Blackwood opens with the first part of "Scenes of Clerical Life. " The Sad Fortunes of the Rev. Amos Burton" is a very clever sketch. The review of " Aurora Leigh " comes next. The critic considers the story to be "fantastic, unnatural, and exagge " rated ;" the scene in the church to be " abso lutely Rabelaisian." In the conduct of Aurora Leigh towards Romney there is " nothing heroic ; " there is nothing reconcileable with duty. The part " which Aurora takes in the transaction degrades 6, rather than raises her in our eyes." He also, THE PRESS. by throwing some passages of the poem into the shape of prose, establishes most clearly, in our opinion, the mistaken theory upon which much of it has been composed. Ho does full justice to the great beauty of particular passages, but laments that so gifted a writer should have deliberately adopted a style which is sure to find numberless imi►ator:► without either her power or her poetry. But, after this wise and not unfriendly critique, we are sorry to see the writer descending, though we hope uncon sciously, to a mere puffing trick at the end of his article. After all his severe, and as we think judi cious comments, he winds up with these words : Still, with all its faults, this is a remarkable poem strong in energy, rich in thought, abundant in beauty,~. and it more than sustains that high reputation which, by her previous efforts, Mrs. Browning has so honour ably won. - - - • What person acquainted with the tricks of the • trade, does not at once see that here is a cut and_ dried sentence, which will appear in all the adver tisements as the opinion of Blackwood's Magazine It has very much the air of having been tacked on by another hand. It is certainly far more than a com pensation for all the preceding criticism, with which it is glaringly inconsistent. The story of " The Athe hugs" continues as interesting as usual. There is a very petty story called " A Christmas Tale," and the two political articles on " Routine" and " European Politics" are written with the regular Blackwood vivacity, though not free from certain rather question. able statements. In the paper on " Routine," the following passage strikes us as extremely happy : The certainty of impunity for great political offences is one of the most unhealthy symptoms in the conduct of affairs. Every transgressor is sure, from long experience, that he plays a winning game. However vicious may be his acts, he knows that a temporary unpopularity is the worst that he has to dread. A few months tabooing is the utmost retribution inflicted for even moral depravity ; and degradation or severe punishment for the offender is now never thought of. lint a year and a half have elapsed since Lord John Russell was chased from office for con duct the most disingenuous, and for imposture attempted on the Parliament and the country. While we write the public journals are calmly discussing his return to office, and elevation to the peerage. We nowhere meet with such a remark as " that the mental obliquity of this states. man disqualifies him for being intrusted with the direction of affairs." Exposed as he has been, he is nevertheless to be readmitted to office, the nation recklessly taking the risk of his future misdeeds. We have found this plan signally fail with offenders against the common law ; and the adinissi in of the ticket-of-leave system (as a fair friend of ours aptly termed it) into political life will, it may be safely predicted, prove a most unfortunate innova tion. With good men it is always expedient to keep alive a belief in the certainty of punishment for offences ; but when work is done with tools such as it is the pleasure of this country to employ, the withdrawal of this belief is an invitation to betray us. The only restraining power over them is the dread of chastisement. The ticket-of-leave routine we would therefore denounce in the loudest terms. Fraser contains the commencement of a new story by the author of " lligby Grand." It is called " The Interpreter: a Tale of the War," and seems like an attempt at a new style of writing on the author's part. " Ticket of Leave" is a hearty and indignant protest against the milk-and-water theories of the day. It is concluded with the brief sentiment, that " under the influence of transportation, violent " crime had in a great measure disappeared ; under "the substituted plan, violent crime has become "rampant. The ticket of leave cannot go on." "Cornelius Agrippa and the Alchemists" is an admirable essay, written with real mastery of the subject, and showing some true appreciation of philosophy in the writer. It is infinitely the best article which Mr. Morley's hook has as yet called forth. "Sermons and Sermonisers " is, perhapi, in point of style and force, the best paper in the present number. If, however, we were to express what we thought most worthy of censure in Mr. Spurgeon, it would be his hypocrisy ; he is a deliberate actor, and knows that he is so. With regard to sermons in general, we should say that the tone is pitched too high above any standard of morality attainable by the world, and that the influence of the pulpit is being daily weakened by men listening to exhorta tions which they feel it would be vain to try to obey. The notice of the Staff Officer's Letters is favourable. The writer has not had time to do more than just give a brief abstract of their contents, but this is done with great clearness and carefulness, and forms a valuable paper. "The Triumph of Barbarism " is striking, and probably contains a great deal of truth. We should not omit to mention the " Visit to a Model Farm in Asia Minor," an interesting and opportune contribution. The Dublin opens with a long article upon "The Second Congress." We are sorry we cannot agree with the views here expressed. Russian duplicity has now become a bugbear to frighten children; and the very way to make a Gove rnme nt treacherous is the perpetual assertion that it is so. There are, however, many good points about the article. Its summary of events is well done; and it does not, as some Conservative periodicals have done, deny the 19 propriety of a second Congress. "A Story for the New Year" is dramatic and exciting. The review of " University Essays " is very lively, and very well executed; but it displays an ignorance of the cha racteristics of the two English Universities, which no assumption of confidence is able to disguise. Of "The Fortunes of Glencore," we have one of the best chapters that has yet appeared. Oude as a King dom " is a long and seemingly very painstaking article. We have not had time to examine it care fully ; but it is written obviously with a knowledge of the subject, and the style is fluent and forcible. Bentley this month is a capital number. Mr. Dudley Costello's new story opens excellently. Mr. Harrison Ainsworth's old one is finished. " Doing the Dun " is a thoroughly good Bentleian tale; and the "Memoirs of William Farren" very readable and curious. "The Second Congress" is merely a col lection of notices of the different plenipotentiaries, but will be very acceptable to the public. " The Enchanted Hare of the Ardennes " is a story worth reading; and " Anecdotes of Parisian Theatres " is a string of stories which we can only describe as Martial did his epigrams. In the New Monthly we have a fair list of articles. "The Tiger Killer," purporting to be a sketch of a French novel, the scene of which is laid in England, is by far the best. " Lost and Found," and the " Talker and the Worker," are good tales. " The History of the Newspaper Press," though as meagre as anything can well be, cannot fail of being in teresting. An article on diplomacy, by Cyrus Redding, concludes the number ; it has little merit. There is also an article of the same description upon Mr. Thackeray. The Commercial Travellers' Magazine progresses steadily. The present number contains a great variety of well-written and attractive articles. The West of Scotland Magazine contains, among other papers of substantial merit, No. 111. of " Lives of Scottish Judges," " Gerard's Hurst, or the Find and the Finish," and a rather clever little article on " The Women of Euripides." PUBLICATIONS BEC EIVED.-JAN. I. BOOKS. Curiosities of History. John Timbs, F.S.A. Bone Harry Lorrequer. Charles Lever. Chapman and Hall The French Revolution. Charles Carlyle. Ditto The Spirit of Travel. Charles Packe. Ditto A Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot. David Jardine. Murray Shdil and Will; or, Two Chapters on Future Auxiliary Verbs. Sir E. Head, Bart. Ditto _ _ A Practical Diclionary of the French and English Languages. Leon Contanseau. Longmans Fairy Gala for Young and Old. H. F. Chorley. Rouiledgo The Gospel of St. John. F. D. Maurice, M.A. Macmillan and Co. Aubrey. By the Author of " Emilia Wyndham." Hodgson Dexcriptive Essays. Sir F. B. Head, Bart. Murray Hixtory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Ed ward Gibbon. Murray. _ Eugenie; or, the Spanish Bride. Florence De Vere Ward and Lock MUSIC. Italy Fair, Look up ! Cramer and Beale PAMPHLETS. .Routledge's Shakespeare, Part 11. Routledge Robert Owen's Millennial Gazette—The Banking Laws of Ireland. By E. Fraser, E. Milliken, Dublin—Evenings with the People, No. V. Ernest Jones—. 4 Few Remarks about the British Army. Clones and Sons—The Second Congress, &c. Ridgway. PERIODICALI. The Westminster Review. Chapman—The National Re view. Chapman and Hall—The Royal Gallery of Art. Col naghi and Co.—The Churchman's Magazine. Harrison — The Eclectic Review. Ward and Co.—The Train. lieeton —The Monthly Review. Mitchell—The Art Journal. Vir tue and Hall—Tail's Mayazine. Partridge awl Co.—Lon don University Magazine. Hall and Virtue. FASHIONS FOR JANUARY. (From Le Folk!). THE fureur of the present season is in long double shawls, in stripes of bright contrasting colours, with black or gold borders, and deep fringe the colour of the ground. Walking dresses are always made with basques. liretelles are less worn with them, and, when adopted, are cut open on the shoulders, and joined in a point behind. Dresses without basques are made high, buttoned and trimmed with hrandebourg, more or less rich, or with only three rows of buttons. _ . Asitlinner dresses, the three following are very recherch es : —A dove-coloured taffetas, with five flounces, edged with a Grecque trimming of ponceau velvet. Body ala Raphael, without hasques, high over the shoulders, and half high at front, trimmed round to match the flounces. Sleeves hla Grecque. Chemisette and under sleeves of white lace. The second, a very rich taffetas, of a bright brown colour, the skirt ornamented by two rows of broad black and brown chenille fringe. High body, with rich passe menterie, rounded at front, with a small basque behind only. Rounded berthe, formed by a chenille fringe. Sleeves fiat at the top, with a very wide frill from the elbow, covered by a fringe to match that on the skirt. The third was a very elegant dress, composed of pink taffetas, trimmed round the bottom with bands of black velvet nearly three inches wide, placed about two inches apart; between these were very narrow velvets, with a chain-work of jet beads on them. The point of the body 'Y A