The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

THE BRITISH I'ASKA.S.

It is one of the few pleasant features of the war, that it has
used up a great number of these worthies, and given them
some chance of doing reputably in life; a chance which other-
wise, and in our unsatisfactory state of society, they could
hardly have had. * * * It was refreshing to see many a
rollicking Irishman, or canny lad from beyond the Tweed,
who had probably obtained an introduction into public life by
means of the rutty stool, and who had long been the reproach
and scandal of his elders. It was refreshing, I say, to see
them shining away here as pashas, and knights, and generals.
They were quite in their element. They could do the bully-
ing—which, I am afraid, is necessary in Turkey—quite na-
turally; and their very faults (mostly allied with kindness of
heart and natures really genial, and gentle as those of chil-
dren) looked like positive virtues, when contrasted with the
black, unredeemed corruption around them.- There they
were—eating and carousing together, like gipsies or moss
troopers ; drinking brandy-and-water to keep off cholera, out
of their embroidered caps, and cutting up tough fowls with
their doughty swords. There they were—lending money to
each other, out of purses slender enough probably, squabbling
with consuls about unpaid tailors' bills for the wonderful uni-
forms ; laughing together, quarrelling together, making, it up
with tears and ejaculations, that " Jack was the best fellow
who ever put on a boot, but, hang him, he is always coming
the general over one so 1" There they were—believing in
each other, and believing in themselves ; talking about their
uncles cr cousins, who lived in parks which were always the
finest in that part of the United Kingdom in which they were
situated—those " doosid" highly-connected fellows.

The book is decidedly clever, as well as satirical ;
and on the principle that when circumstances or
systems have reached the point at which any change
must necessarily be an improvement—a condition
which there is reason for believing has been attained
in our warlike arrangements—the speculations con-
tained in this volume are likely to be useful. Of the
sarcastic humour of the author the annexed specimen
will give a fair sample, as it also indicates

THE SCOPE AND TENDENCY CF TEE WORE

The author explains the plan of the preSent work, as one
of fiction. He commences with a general apology. He.
abases himself, and eats dirt after a national custom of the
Britons. He discreetly declares his belief in family govern-
ments, and expresses much affectionate and proper feeling for
the noble families of Grey and Elliot. The author judiciously
calls attention to his prudent veneration for hereditary legi!-
Wien, and some other equally admirable institutions of this
great and enlightened country. With wise obtrusiveness he
continues to evince his highly-connected admiration for,
modern Bedfords and Lauderdales. He contemptuously refers
to the late Mr. E. Burke. The author ingeniously asks par-
don for any reprehensible and vulgar matter which may have
unavoidably crept into these reverential pages, and, after the
most approved fashion of the Crimean witnesses, indignantly
casts all blame upon some person or persons unknown. The
author expresses the most highly-connected and hand-
some regret for having spoken the truth even as a Shadow.
He acknowledges this glaring impropriety with contrition
and trouble of mind. He speculates for a moment •on the
fearful chance which the most cautious writer must always
run of incurring the vengeance of " the family," but finally
hopes to take refuge in the utter nothingness of book writers,
and to vanish in the eternal outer darkness of literary men.
The author cursorily mentions Mr. Smith, also Pythagoras,
but politely and very properly concludes with enthusiastic
praise of the aristocracy, and the hereditary wisdom of the
British nation.

From the extracts given the reader will be able to
form a tolerably fair conjecture as to the matter and
manner of " Pictures from the Battle Fields," in
which he will find much to amuse, and no little to
instruct him. The bock will well repay an attentive
perusal, and will, without doubt, meet w!th a wide
circle of admirers.