The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-04 00:00:00

342 —the same theme being worked out both in high and low life. The writer thoroughly understands the art of keeping the action of the tale always moving ; and expectation is created, not by the concealment which tanta lises the reader with the desire of finding out puzzling occurrences, but by the wish to arrive at the result of a natural train of events. The impression left by the whole story is pain ful—almost too painful for a work of fiction. It is more instructive, as well as more pleas ing, to watch the development of character upward than downward. (4.) " Marguerite's Legacy " is a talc of con tinental life, crowded with characters and bustling with incessant movement. It is of a melodramatic character, with somewhat in volved story. Unexpected events arc always springing up to surprise the reader and sustain interest, while the reserve thrown over the motives of some of the personages is so im penetrable, that when the attention of the reader is once engaged it is not suffered to droop until the close of the narrative dispels all mystery by the revelation of the real feel ings and sentiments of the actors. The nar rative is fir too complex for us to attempt to give any notion of it. In varied adventure it resembles the school of French romance, but is perfectly free from objectionable matter. " The Eve of St. Mark " is an historical romance of the latter part of the sixteenth century. It is the work of an artist, thought fully designed, and executed with elaborate pains in all that relates to the accessories and colouring of the time. It is of a tragic cast, and belongs rather to the classic than the romantic school of historic fiction. From its careful execution it will, better than most novels of the day, repay an attentive perusal. (6.) " Still Waters Run Deep" is one of those natural stories of domestic life which the publishers, Messrs. Parker, have acquired a distinctive reputation for issuing. The tale is much in the sober manner of Aftss Austin's novels. It is rarely romantic, slightly imagi native, and very little adventurous. It is almost entirely occupied with conversation, and the action is mainly composed of morning walks, afternoon rides, social calls, break• fasts, dinners, and evening gatherings. We must acknowledge that we have no great liking for this placid style of fiction ; we think that a novel does not fultil its best use which does not excite the itnagmation and stir the heart, which does not rouse some tumult in the mind, and detach it for a time from the ordinary occurrences of life. But in favour of such books as " Still Waters," it must be said that they are extremely sensible, that they reflect life with considerable fidelity, and that they afford amusement with the least possible amount of mental disturbance. The personages introduced at the commencement of the tale are nearly all standing on the threshold of home, and the narrative shows the manner in which they emerge from the world, and, according to their several disposi tions, yield to or overcome its temptations. PERIODICAL LITERATURE. THE Westminster Review for this quarter is redeemed from heaviness by a very pleasant article on " Literature and Society." This paper, however, errs on the opposite side. It is in our opinion too light ; that is to say, had it been in sixty pages instead of twenty, the writer would have had more chance of doing justice to the subject. One image made use of in this article struck us as peculiarly felicitous. Speaking of the French literateurs before the Revo lution, the writer says : Yet men like these, and men of rank too, who had far more to risk, went on criticising and laughing at the old system ; scattered sparks of wit about, which set the de cayed dry parts of it on tire. The extraordinary recklessness of the men of the old regime, engendered by its long impunity, has often been noticed; but the metaphor here used strikes us as original and very happy. " China and the Chinese " is a good, plain account of those people, their agriculture, internal organisation, and the features of the country. " Gunpowder and its (4) Marguerite's Legacy. By Mrs. steward. Three Vols. London: Hurst and lilarkett. (5) The Err iJ St. Mark. By T. Doubleday, Esq. Two Vols. London: Smith and Elder. (5) Still Waters Run Deep. Two Vole. London: Parker and don. THE PRESS. Effect on Civilisation " is also a good résumé of the progress of invention in firearms, and a well•put argument against neglecting the question of national defences. Blackwood this month is good. " Mr. Gilfil's love story" deepens in interest, and is very prettily writteu. In this in.talment of "The Athelings " Charley returns home with the much-desired information be had been sent out to obtain. The concluding por tion of the story promises to be highly exciting. " Remonst:ance with Dickens " is a critique of that gentleman's later works, and a comparison of them with " Pickwick," "Nicholas Nickleby," and "Martin Chuzzlewit." With every syllable of this essay we cordially agree. After quoting that horrible bit from " Little Dorrit " in which the joke about prunes and prism is introduced, the critic says : Will it be believed that the Dickens whom we remember of yore (eheu, quantum mutable!), instead of being ashamed of this puerility, becomes positively enamoured of it, as an excellent joke worthy of frequent repetition ? Little Dorrit, to whom the maxim is addressed, presently afterwards fixes " her loving eyes upon her father, whom she had very nearly addressed as poultry, if not prunes and prism too, in her desire to submit herself to Mrs. General, and please him." Then " Mrs. General made a sweeping obeisance, and retired with an expression of mouth indicative of prunes and prism." Next she is said to have infused a wholesome amount of prunes and prism into the family life." This gibberish goes on acquiring importance, till, in the author's mind, it means something, though what, we don't know. " Prunes and prism, in a thousand combinations, having been wearily in the ascendant all day," till at last we hear of the " prunes and prism school," then " prunes and prism get the upper hand," and so on through many chapters—indeed, we fear we haven't done with the joke, whatever it is, yet. It is difficult to perceive by what steps a humour so true and rich as Dickens's could descend to this, and revel in it. In "Letters from a Lighthouse " the political events of the day are discussed with more or less humour and ability. There is very great truth in the following remark : That public servants should be supported in the execution of their duty is a proposition which ought to receive uni versal approval ; but to stretch it further, and to maintain that such servants ought to be supported when they exceed or transgress their duty, would be to establish a practice, hostile to good faith and general morality, and most dangerous indeed to the welfare of the country. And yet that is precisely whit Palmerston, in the present case, is attempting to do. Whether heedlessly or deliberately, he is striking a deadly blow at the principles of the British constitution ; for he is trying by every possible means to elevate the executive anti to depress the legislative body— to arrogate despotic power to the Government, and to de prive the Parliament of control. There is more possibility than ever of such designs being successful at the present day. Fur England just now (with shame be it spoken) has capriciously chosen to look coldly on representative government —that old servant by whose aid she has won all her glory—and to cast a longing eye towards the unity and rapidity of those Governments where the Executive is unfettered, forgetful at what a price this so-called vigour has been purchased,—nothing less than the emasculation of national character. The April number of Fraser is an attractive one. " The Laird's Seam " is a capital tale. " The In terpreter " is continued with great spirit and ele ganu. "Literary Style" (No. II.) takes up Messrs. Carlyle, Emerson, Ruskin, Do Quincey, John Henry Newman, and, of all people in the world, Paterfamilias. The author of "Everybody's Tour " is stated to be a"we I l• known popular author." We should scarcely have thought it. The jocose school, from which emanate " From Piccadilly to Pera," " Knights and their Days," and the like, is severely hamiled. " The Raven" is an interesting naturalist article : we suppose by the author of " Rooks " in the last number. "Some Talk about Food" is a pleasant sketch of the history of gourmandism from the beginning of the world to the last Lord Mayor's dinner.—' rhe Monks of Old,' as might be expected, come in for a fair share of satire. In the Dublin University "The Fortunes of Glen core " is concluded. We shall take another oppor tunity of expressing our opinion upon this story. The memoir of Dr. Fitzgerald, the new Bishop of Cork, is highly favourable to that prelate. " Ruth " is a very pretty set of verses on the old Bible story, above the average of magazine contributions. "Victor Cousin and the Illustrious Ladies of the Seventeenth Century " is a good subject and well treated. But we are sorry to see a sentiment ex pressed in the beginning of the paper directly con trary to what has been asserted on the same point in previous numbers of this magazine—i.e., a prefer. ence of the democratic despotism of modern times to the old national absolute monarchies which have been handed down from the past. The latter always contain within themselves the elements of constitu tional government, though for the time in abeyance. But the latter owe their very existence to the complete destruction of those elements. The second number of " Tutors of the Young Idea " is, in our opinion, spoiled by the undisguised personalities in which Mr. Jerrold indulges at the SATURDAY, expense of men celebrated for their generosity and indefatigable perseverance in the cause of juvenile reformation, and whose experience extends over more years than Mr. Jerrold has been born. The last article in the number, " Who Wrote the Earlier Waverley Novels," is a vigorous and brilliant exposure of Mr. Fitzpatrick's absurdities. In point of style this paper is the best thing in the periodical literature of the month—at once clear, muscular, and polished. We give a short specimen ; it is apropos of the little time that Scott devoted to his literary labours : But the phenomenon which appears so marvellous to critics of a certain stamp is, after all, only in strict accor dance with the general analogy of genius. It is scarcely going too far to say that the greatest. triumphs of contem. plation have been effected by men who have been immersed in the distractions of active life. Take for instance, " Rome's least mortal mind," the consul Cicero. No sooner had his education been completed under the philosophers of Athens, than he was at once precipitated into the vortex of the politics of Rome. As jurisconsult and advocate, no plodding lawyer had a more extensive practice at the bar. Step after step, each in its own pe culiar year, he attained the highest offices in the common wealth. He conducted State prosecutions that rivalled that of Hastings; he was tho soul of debates that exceeded the stormiest discussions in the British Parliament. He had been the chief magistrate of Rome; he had quelled a great conspiracy against the State ; he had been hailed as the father of his country. During the whole of his mature manhood he had been the organ of a great political party, and finally he fell a victim to political revenge. No man in short ever lived a more active or a stormier existence ; yet what secluded man of letters ever bequeathed to pos terity a prouder monument of contemplative genius ? All that ancient philosophy can boast of lofty or profound is to be discovered in his philosophical remains. Not only did he reduce his own great masterpieces of political and forensic eloquence to writing—he developed the theory of eloquence in his " Dialogues on the Orator." He composed a treatise on the philosophy of politics ; he composed a work on natural religion. Even poetry and criticism in turn engaged the energies of his ever•active mind, and a history of his own times was one of hie multifarious literary projects. This is really admirable. Bentley is brisk and sparkling. Mr. Dudley Costello's story goes on in capital style. " Dumas the Younger," " Historical Anecdotes of the Opera," and the life of Mrs. Jord'in, are all attractive papers of about the same calibre. The tales this month are " Scoring the King," " The Silversmith of Acre," and "Robert Hunter's Ghost"—all good—the last the best. " A Fisherman's Letter to his Chum in India" is a lively sporting article, detailing the cap ture of two salmon with much spirit and lifelike effect. Altogether, it is as pleasant a number for easy-chair reading as we have for• some time had the pleasure to receive. We have not had time to do more than glance through the remaining magazines on our table, and some we must delay noticing till next week. The New Monthly contains two tolerably amusing tales—" The Lawyer's Servants," to be continued, and " Only a Cousin," by Mr. Wraxhall. "Alder shott and its Environs" is a good subject for an article. " The History of the Newspaper Press," continued by Mr. Andrews, cannot fail to interest all literary readers. On the whole, the number seems rather above the average. In Tait the best article is the conclusion of a tale entitled " A Romance of Valencia." "Broken Memories " is another fair magazine story—perhaps a sketch from life—but the incidents are scarcely uncommon enough to be very exciting. The "Political Narrative" is what it usually is—a decent summary ; and the " Literary Register " is rather flat. The magazine, as usual, presents considerable variety, and hat something for each sort of reader. The Train still keeps up the steam. The present number, as far as we can judge, is rather faster than usual. "At Home in Paris" is quite good enough ; as also "A Dramatic Collaborateur." Of the other stories—and this number is almost wholly made up of stories—we can't say much. But the memoir of William Russell is really a very interesting paper, and would do credit to a different style of magazine. The Irish Metropolitan Magazine. This is the first number of a new periodical. We ate bound by th 3 forms of courtesy to wish success to every such literary adventure ; yet we cannot help observing that the market is already somewhat overstocked, and that nothing but literature of extraordinary merit can hope for success among the crowd of periodicals which every month issues from the press. During the last twelvemonth several new magazines have been started, of which none have for a moment seemed likely to rival the three or four leading ones, and some are already dead. Although the Irish Metropolitan Magazine contains nothing to lead us to anticipate that it will prove an exception to these, the articles are by no means without merit. "Life's Foreshadowinp," "Duck Shooting at Loughnagal," and "A Few Words on Novels," are three papers in widely different styles, which denote that considerable and various ability is employed on the magazine. The last-mentioned paper, if it did not terminate so abruptly, would deserve great