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

s trike our ears. But a still greater fault is in the failing to render an equivalent for the sublime .apression in the eighth verse as it is printed in the Bible : The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea : and trhateoever walketh through the paths of the seas. The mystical grandeur of that verse is entirely missed in Mr. Shepherd's version. So, also, the version of Psalm LV. runs thus :- 0 Lord, my God, unto my prayer give ear, And do not from my supplication turn : Attend unto me, and my pleadings hear; In my complaint I make a noise and mourn. Because the enemy his voice bath raised, Because the wicked sorely me oppress; For they iniquity upon me cast, And in their wrath they hate with bitterness, My heart is sorely psin'd, even to excess, And death's dark terrors are around me spread ; Trembling is come on me, and fearfulnebs, And horror bath o'erwhelmed me with dread. Here we have most unpleasing harshness pro duced by the extra use of the sibilant sound of " s." The second and fourth, along with the first and third, lines of two of those stanzas end in ess." This is a most glaring fault, and many others could be cited from the whole volume. We cannot, therefore, accept this versification of the Psalms as an adequate poetical rendering of their extraordinary merits. But at the same time we think that many who would not read the metrical versions with too critical an eye might be pleased with them. How well Mr. Shepherd writes prose may be seen by the following eloquent Passage :- - - - • • • • • The harp of Israel is mute : but the inspired songs of David shall never cease to affect and cheer the heart of the earthly pilgrim. They have been the joy and delight of countless myriads of souls through all ages. Prophets and sages have made them their models. The Son of David hallowed their importance by frequently using expressions taken from them. The Apostles of the Saviour drew largely from them, in their application of the truth of the Old Testament perfected in the New. They form a large portion of the public service of various branches of the Church of Christ on earth ; and from them in ptivate do members of all denominations of professing Christians derive comfort and consolation, instruction and guidance in every phase of human life. And they shall hereafter swell the chorus of those exalted strains in the courts of blessedness, which shall eternally be sung by the redeemed from every nation, and kindred, and people, to "the lion of the tribe of Judah, the rock and offspring of David, the bright and morning star," whose everlasting song shall be '`Amen : blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen." As an exposition of the life and character of the great Psalmist Mr. Shepherd's book is ad mirable, and as a devotional volume, suited at once for religious elevation and reflection, we can strongly recommend it. My Lady. A Tale of Modern Life. Two Vols. London : Smith, and Elder. TRH is one of those numerous stories published of late years in which a polished simplicity of style, and some actual acquaintance with the manners which the author undertakes to delineate, prevent us from feeling wearied by the absence of more important qualities. Works of this character are naturally very difficult to be criticized, for they present no salient points, and inculcate no striking truth. Like Stone's and Redgrave's pictures, they are charming and ele gant tableaus. But to have read one is to have read all. Good taste and refinement are now so much more widely spread than they were within even the memory of the present generation, that the fashionable novelist at whom Mr. Thackeray sneers is already obsolete. No novel now that exhibited any gross misrepresentations of polite soeiety would have a chance of acceptance with a publisher. While, on the other hand, the very Fame causes which proved fatal to the drama are beginning gradually t,) tell upon the novel. The increasing improbability of romantic adventures and picturesque situations, and the decadence of mystery on all sides of us, have narrowed the sphere, as much as the preceding cause has tended to assimilate the style, of all contempo rarynovelists. W e are sa dl y a f ra id that novel- Writing is becoming mechanical ; and we must therefore be doubly on our guard against all stones that to a graceful and attractive setting do not add something solid or striking in the way of character or moral. distincti ve repe a t, i t i s no easy matter to say anything distuicti ve of the volumes now before us. Before, however, we attempt to do so, we must give an THE PRESS, OCTOBER 9, 1858. outline of the story. "My Lady" is Lady Um phraville, wife of Sir Philip Umphraville, and residing when the story opens at lleathcote-hall, in Sussex. With her are her five children, Hugh, Rothes, and Harry—Evelyn and Edie. The eldest son fiery and impatient—the second quiet, strong, and self•possessed—Evelyn (aged seventeen) tender, affectionate, and weak—the other two, children. At the adjoining parsonage lives the rector, Mr. llardwicke, his two maiden sisters, and his niece Minnie, a clever, pretty, scheming girl of twenty. Sir Philip Umphraville is in London. Suddenly the news arrives that Sir Philip has run away with a friend's wife, and the effect of the intelligence upon the family circle at Heath cote is told powerfully and, we should say, truth fully. For some time, however, matters progress in their usual course, the only event of impor tance being the arrival at lleathcote of a north country cousin, Susan Mitfbrd, with whom Ilugh straightway falls in love, proposes to, and becomes engaged to in a very short space of time. At the end of the first volume Sir Philip Umphra vine returns home. Here, again, we have a scene, of which, if it is not faithful to life, we may safely say that it ought to be. In the second volume My Lady leaves lleath cote with her daughter, and takes up her abode at Westwood, a few miles from her husband's home, on a distinct understanding with him that she is not to be molested, and that the sons are to be allowed to visit her. Hugh goes to Oxford, Rothes to Rugby, and matters are now supposed to pro gress quietly for some months. Sir Philip, how ever, is member for the adjoining borough of Hustings, and his separation from his wife, and Hugh's engagement to Susan Mitford, affording topics of sarcasm to his opponents at an approach. ing general election, hasten on the catastrophe of the story. We must retrace our steps for a moment to account for Hugh's betrothal to his cousin becoming a theme of popular invective. Susan had been accompanied to Heathcote by a middle aged maiden aunt, Miss Margaret Latimer, whom we cannot describe better than the author her self has done : Aunt Margaret, wh3 rather desired to be named so by all her y',ung acquaintances, and quite took up the part with the intention of elevating and giving it dignity, was a handsome cud well-bred woman, a little over forty. She was clever, intellectual, and accomplished, somewhat given to literature, and a great social reformer, with " very strong opinions" upon the lending questions of the day. Married people of all degrees and classes she took under her patronage, and was very learned in the causes of ma- trimonial discord and in the remedies for the same ; her regard for youthful love passages %vac. much less urgent, and she was no great matchmaker, but the duties of wives and husbands towards each other were her strong point, and the conjugal relation her favourite subject. Bow hus bands were to be won from those amiable sulks in which the animal is prone to take refuge ; how wives were to be eared of petulance and pettishness ; how one and the other might be led astray by little and little, were topics which she had deeply studied ; and a domestic feud was the fa. vomite spurt of the lady, who felt at all times the impor twice of her own interference as the judicious friend of both parties, seeing over their heads, as a spectator fondly fancies, the consequences to each. Lady Umphraville's present position was a tempting lure to Miss Latimer; she hastened at once, on hearing of it, to bring comfort, advice, and sympathy to her afflicted friend. True to her instincts, no sooner does Aunt Mar garet hear of the engagement in question than she hastens to break it off by informing Susan that there is insanity in her family, and appealing to her unselfish feelings to release llugh from his fatal promise. As the author well observes, this opportunity of " self-sacrifice" would have been eagerly clutched at by many sentimental young ladies. But Susan was of different stuff. Sound sense is described as her distinguishing charac teristic : she refuses to pledge herself to any line of conduct in the matter, and resolves to abide by the decision of llugh and " My Lady." Hugh's reply is, of course, what every one will foresee, but My Lady wavers for an instant, and it requires the injudicious interference of Aunt Margaret to make her a confirmed advocate of the young people. The last-named good lady, incensed at the rejection of her advice, makes a confidante of Minnie Ilardwicke, who had long nourished designs against the affections of the heir of Heathcote. Minnie contrives to insi nuate to her new friend that she has been Mused, thereby giving her a fresh reason for opposing the match between Hugh and Susan, and at the same time contrives to let out quite accidentally to a shopkeeper at Hustings that Hugh is about to marry a crazy girl for the sake of her money. Now, therefore, " the murder is out i" the local newspapers teem with allusions to the subject, and Susan, who is staying with scale friends in Norfolk, is at last goaded into writing Hu. , A a letter advising him to forget her for ever. This letter brings Hugh back from Oxford much moz" like a lunatic than his betrothed, and he insists on his mother accompanying him into Norfolk to bring Susan to her senses. Their mission is successfully accomplished, and "My Lady " returns to Westwood, leaving Ilugh in London with Susan and Evelyn, who are staying with Aunt Margaret. Ilere at a party he meets Mr. Wentworth, brother of the lady whom Sir Philip had seduced, quarrels with and fights him, and, receiving a broken arm in the encounter, becomes so ill that it is considered necessary to send for Lady Umphraville to town. "My Lady," having just been visiting sonic sick people in the parish, carries with her to London the seeds of a malig nant fever, which, aggravated by excitement and want of rest, eventually proves fatal. When the intelligence that she is on her death-bed is con veyed to Sir Philip he refuses to believe it, and so misses the chance of reconciliation. He marries again, but lives only a short time, and the conclu sion of the tale—all slander being now satisfactorily cleared up—sees Hugh and Susan master and mis tress of Heathcote. There is an under-episode in the shape of a secret love affair between Evelyn and the Mr. Wentworth aforesaid, which, we think, betrays the hand of an inexperiencd writer. It illustrates nothing, and it leads to nothing, and seems to have been brought in by the authoress from a persuasion that the more mystery and intrigue could be crowded within her four covers the better. The excision of this episode would materially improve the story, as well as that of John Antony Foster, who does nothing whatever in return for the immortality conferred upon him. The best characters in the story are "My Lady" herself, Aunt Margaret, and Susan, and the most remarkable points are Sir Philip's return home and the argument of the aforesaid lunacy question. "My Lady "is certainly a fine specimen of an English matron, exhibiting that union of strength and gentleness, of common sense and romance, of energy and grace, which nearly approaches to our ideal of womanhood : Lady Umpliraville was middle-aged, large, handsome, with a great deal of dignity, gracious, ample, and mother• like in her whole bearing; dignity, which made everybody respectful, yet chilled none. She had never been beautiful, even in her youth; her face was by no means " correct " or regular, but it was of that kind of imperfection which pleases both eye and heart. There was no small amount of decisioTi—the promptitude and authority of one long used to rule--in the upper lip, wbioh was just a little longer than it should have been, and in one confirmed longitudinal wrinkle between the eyebrows ; and the quiet brown eyes could flash and could laugh, though the repose and calm of their ordinary brightness was so pleasant to look upon. She dressed always very richly and softly, with a preference for satins and velvets, but scarcely ever wore any jewels: she was no: the kind of woman to need sparkles of precious stones about her, and her round youthful arms bore no manacles of gold, but came softly out of de licate lace and cambric : there was not a bracelet or a clasp, or any kink of pricking thing about her whole apparel—she was always ufe to take into her tender arms the tenderest of babies ; and, somehow, this peculiarity of dress added to the entire feminineness of her appearance. You asso ciated children with her by a natural instinct: she was mother-like in every look, movement, and tone. Her conduct throughout is in harmony with this description. And her behaviour on her hus band's return, at once sensible and dignified, without being deficient in tenderness, is perhaps too near perfection to be real, but is very natural and beautiful. Aunt Latimer is an old friend. We wish we could say as much of Susan Alitford. We regret that the scene of Sir Philip's return is too long for quotation. The reader will find it in the twenty-sixth chapter of the first volume. There is some novelty in the writer's remarks upon the risk of hereditary lunacy. The knot, in this case, is ultimately cut by Susan, who silences the enemy's guns by the following dictum—that "to be born is to be born for ever, " and that to die and go mad are only for a " time." This conviction she professes to have arrived at by a night-long study of the Bible on her knees. The adroitness of the argument would have done justice to a Queen's Counsel. Of the innocence of the doctrine we are not so sure. It might to some minds seem a fair deduc tion from it that the highest duty of mankind was to propagate their species-41 poesuit recte, ei non, quocunque mock. For even in the case of