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

JANUARY 3, 1857. those human affections and passions which are common to all time. The works of this writer so agreeably combine social lore with inventive tact, that they are welcomed in circles which usually regard books of fiction with some suspicion. Sixteen volumes, rapidly issued, attest the success of the plan upon which "Ye Maiden and Nlarried Life of Mary Powell" was constructed. The purpose of these productions is not very high, nor the historic knowledge displayed in them very profound ; but, as a compromise between the bare facts of history and the looseness of fiction , the design has answered, and it is to the credit of the whole series that they are pure in thought and unexceptionable in style. The tale of Auvergne appears to us iu all respects equal to former productions of the authoress. A Highland story, by Lady Rachel Butler (18), most agreeably depicts the lights and shades of Highland life at the present time. We are particularly struck with the fidelity of this tale. It is extremely simple and natural, reading like a narrative of actual occurrences, and sustaining attention by the current of its action, and the interest felt in the fortunes of the personages. If this story is the first effort of the writer, she is to be congratulated on her success. It agreeably reminds us of the best manner of Mrs. Norton. The tale of " The Neapolitan Marriage " (19) may be dismissed with a word. The design is to show the unhappiness which must be ex pected from an alliance between an Italian noble of the Romish faith, and an English Protestant young lady. There is nothing in the story calling for special notice. It is re spectably written, and the design is worked out, while a tragic conclusion is avoided. The volume contains two other tales of slighter structure. There is considerable merit in the tale of "Florence Templar"(2o). In the vicinity of a quiet country town is a noble baronial residence, the doings of whose inmates are naturally the talk of the neighbourhood. Lady Templar is excessively proud, and is de sirous to secure great alliances for her two beautiful daughters. Hence their love is crossed, and they sink beneath the trials to which they are exposed. The story of Flo rence is told at most length. Her beauty is destroyed by the smallpox. One of her admirers, of station and fortune, is still devoted to her, but she cannot resolve to wed him, and she is killed by her struggles. The tale is quietly told, something in the manner ma• tured by Mr. Gwynne. There are evidences of intellectual culture in the volume, but hardly sufficient of that, or of ingenuity, to overcome an impression of feebleness, oc casioned by want of decidedly original power. In addition to the books for young people noticed in a previous number we have a pretty tale of girlhood by Mrs. Harriet Myrtle (21) It shows nice discrimination of juvenile charac ter, and by a succession of likely home inci dents it teaches the manner in which good may be made to triumph over evil dispositions. —" Saxelford" (22) fails to reconcile us to the strong objections we feel to making religion a prominent feature in fictions for children. We doubt the wholesomeness of inculcating that collars should be worked to the glory of God, and that the intricacies of crochet should be associated with the mysteries of redemption. The plan seems to us more likely to promote formalism and hypocrisy than genuine piety. — Of an entirely different character is the merry little foreign tale, " Adventures of Jean Paul Choppart" (23). It relates how a wilful little boy " came to grief" by having his desire gratified in getting away from home, and what whimsi cal and painful experience cured him of his vicious propensities at last. " A Fairy Rhyme for the Fireside " (24) is illustrated by some fanciful drawings. The virtues of the mistle- (10 Jessie Cameron. By the Lady Rachel Butler. London : Blackwood?. (19) ./n/in ; or, the Neapolitan Marriage. By Margaret Tulloh. London : Hope and Co. _ . . (20) Plaroke Teutp/ar. London: Smith, Elder. and Co. (21) The Ocean Chibt ; or, Showers and Sunshine. By .Mlll. Harriet Myrtle. London: Addey and Co. (Y 2) Surelford. A Story for the Young. By E. J. May. Lon don : Routledye. (23) The Adventures of Jean Paul Choppart. London: Lam. bert and Co. (24) Queen Lata and the Mistletoe. By George /false. Lon- don Addey and Co. THE PRESS. toe form the subject of the rhyme. A stolen kiss beneath the bough will be none the less sweet should a belief grow up that the plant has been consecrated by fairy rites. We must, however, confess to some sympathy with the paterfamilias of this book, who was found fast asleep at the conclusion of the story. We had intended to include several volumes of travel, books on art, and miscellaneous pub lications in this general notice, but we find they must stand over till our next issue. The History of Modern Europe. Continued to the Peace of Paris in 1856. By Wil• Liam Russell, I L.D. Four Vols. London : G. Routledge. WE do not in general admire the practice of writing continuations of this kind. There is usually nothing in the nature of histories to render this form needful. Hume's History terminated admirably at the Revolution of 1688 ; and the same event furnished an equally good starting-point for a new work. Russell's letters, commencing with the fall of the Roman empire, and terminating with the Peace of Paris, in 1763, if pushed on only nineteen years later, to the Peace of Versailles, in 1782, would have had an appropriate conclusion, for that event is the proper closing scene of the eighteenth century. At the French Revolu tion the curtain rose on an entirely new drama, with new scenery, new properties, and new actors, and demanding, as it obtained, the services of a new historian. When, however, annals are abbreviated, it is obviously convenient—as in the case of chronological tables—that they should be pre sented in a continuous shape, and that a single work should he made available for purposes of reference instead of several. From its comprehensive character, Russell's history of Europe is well suited to serve as a skeleton work, and the continuation, by who ever written, should, with some regard to the general style of the original history, be directed mainly to the concise narration of leading facts. In the present edition, continued to the Peace of Paris last year, we think it should have been stated how much of the continua tion is new, and how much is only rewritten. The last six years form the only entirely new portion, as the edition of 1850 brought the history down to that year. From the Peace of Amiens in 1802 down to the last-mentioned date the work has been entirely re-written. The character of Lord Castlereagh, as given in each edition, will be a good subject for comparison. In the former we find : To say that be had no talent would be a false assertion; for he was a ready speaker and an artful debater; bat we may truely affirm that he had nut a strong and compre hensive mind. was far from being a masterly orator, could not argue with force or perspicuity, and was deficient in that learning which, though it may not be deemed abso lutely necessary for a statesman, serves at least to adorn and dignify his charac'er. As a member of the Cabinet he had so entirely renounced his youthful zeal in favour of liberty that he was ready to support and vindicate every act of Ministerial tyranny or rapacity, and every encroach ment on the rights of the people. In the present volume the passage stands thus : To say that he had no talent would be to dl him injus tice; he was a ready speaker and a tolerably skilful debater. But he wanted a strong and comprehensive mind, such as could grasp the destinies of the nation and wield its energies with the hand of a master. He was far from being an expert and able orator, nor could be argue with force or perspicuity. In short, he was a very unfit person to become the successor of Chatham, Foz, or Pitt; and his public conduct can only be viewed as one con tinued crime against the Constitution and liberties of his country. His decease is consequently dated as the com mencement of a new epoch in the British Government. As a member of the Cabinet he had so entirely renounced those liberal sentiments which he once held, and which ate still fondly cherished by the great body of the V that he was ready to support and vindicate every act of Ministerial rapacity, and every encroachment on the rights of the people. The reader can now judge for himself of the method by which Mr. Rontledge's volume has been swollen to its present bulk. Lord Castle reagh hardly requires any vindiqation by us from this imitation of a vulgar ittvective. It is enough to remind our readers that to the lofty courage and parliamentary energy of Lord Castlereagh we are deeply indebted for the triumphant conclusion of the war. That he alone recognised the wisdom of the Duke of Wellington's policy, entered with zeal into 17 that great man's designs, and smiled at un popularity when purchased by au adherence to his conviction. These are hard facts sus ceptible of demonstration, against which the small chroniclers of the hour may knock their heads for ever without inflicting any more damage than they receive themselves. Of the last portion of the narrative (1850-56) it is only necessary to say that it fairly registers facts and events, and that, from its industry and intelligence, it attains that standard measure of utility by which the worth of such compilations must be estimated. We subjoin two extracts, which are fair specimens both the style and thought which prevail in this volume : There can he little doubt that the Czar Nicholas was a man of wonderful ability, and almost unexampled perse verance. The manner in which he fortified various por tions of his extensive dominions, and drew out the resources of his country, do infinite credit to his ability. If to Peter the Great be accorded the honour of having first given form and feature to the fragmentary empire which he received from his predecessors, it must in justice be admitted that Nicholas had raised an immense superstructure upon the foundations left by his renowned ancestor. Under his rale things have not stagnated. lie had been hard at work for thirty years, and the hostilities consequent upon his violation of the independence of the Porte show what be had in that time accomplished. He not only made strongholds, built fleets, and collected im mense stores for naval and military warfare ; but be in fused life and animation into the national character. He in some measure elevated the minds of his serfs ; he taught them to look upon their country as something better than a dreamy abstraction ; to aspire to universal empire, and to believe that the sceptre of the world was their it ightfu inheritance. His enthusiasm and perseverance, directed to nobler ends, would have rendered him a real benefactor to his race. Yet as a soldier he made himself felt, nor could the vacancy caused by his sudden removal be easily filled up. If we do not admire the character of the man, we cannot deny his ability, nor seek to conceal the wonder. ful influence he possessed over other nations, as well as over his own subjects and slaves. Many people vainly imagined that the death of Nicholas would lead to an immediate peace. They forgot that he was not. like the first Napoleon, acting according to the promptings of his own ambitious inspirations; but that, in seeking to establish himself at Constantinople, he carried out the hereditary policy of his race. That scheme of aggrandisement, which created general consternation and horror, owed its origin to no sudden or evanescent enthu siasm; it is the destiny solemnly bequeathed to the Mescovite rulers by one of the founders of their greatness and renown. They look forward to the day when they shall extend their sway to the luxuriant shores of the Mediterranean Sea, as confidently as the Jews of old waited for their entrance into the promised land. That auspicious event is to lift them to the dazzling heights of power, to fill up the measure of their ambition, to place at their command the empire of the world. No Russian em peror will entirely renounce that claim. He may, from prudential motives, keep it in abeyance for a season ; but he dare not abandon it altogether. It is the most sacred condition on which he holds the seeptre; and the Czar would as soon think of denying his existence as that which he deems his birthright. Russia could only be humbled by disaster, and accept honourable terms of peace after defeat. The secession of a new sovereign might have rendered the matter less difficult of accom plishment; but even Alexander would not surrender the arrogant claims put forward by his father until Sebastopol had fallen. The following remarks on the polico are creditable to the writer's good sense : Daring the session of 1854, an act had been passed by which all public•houses were required to close at ten o'clock on Sunday evening. This measure, and a bill brought into the House of Commons by Lord Robert Groavenor, during the session of 1855, for the suppression of Sunday trading, caused a great deal of excitement. Opponents of both measures summoned meetings in the parks on several successive Sabbaths, at which thon,ands congregated, and Sunday legislation was very strongly de nounced. The police, being ordered to put a stop to these demonstrations, were accused of having acted with an ex cess of zeal. Into whatever errors the police may hays been tempted, journals of influence and respectable citizens were certainly not justified in joining in the outcry against these preservers of pablic order, as it rendered them unwilling to interfere on other occasions for the pro tection of life and property. Probably the police did, in certain instances, act with undue severity ; but, in their endeavours to disperse these illegal assemblages, the pro• vocation they received should be taken into account. They are an object of hatred to all the bad characters in the metropolis. who gladly avail themselves of any opportunity of bringing them into i 1 odour or disgrace. An inquiry into the conduct of the police was ordered, and the ob noxious beer bill amended ; and thereupon the agitation gradually subsided. Sir Benjamin Hall, in defiance of the general wish of the community, commenced that system of Sunday music In the parks which may be re garded as a first step towards the introduction of the sun• tinental Sunday into England. The literary summaries of the author are so brief as not to allow of discrimination, and for this reason they would perhaps have been better omitted altogether. The frequent ex tracts introduced from contemporary publica tions ought certainly to have found no place