The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

like an article at a mock auction, always going,
but never gone. Dr. Cumming's scheme of
apocalyptic interpretation is on the wane, but
it will doubtless be succeeded by some other
delusion just as vain.
We doubt if he has much of the fanatic
about him after all. But he is very fond of
notoriety, and very prolific as an author. It
is one of Rochefoucauld's sayings, that there
is no man so foolish but he will find greater
fools than himself in the world to listen to
him. The Doctor is not one of the foolish
ones, but he presumes on the credulity of his
public. We have great respect for some parts
of his character, and readily admit that he has
an effective style of eloquence, though much
of his published matter reads detestably. He
is an old hand at press labours ; and we think
sufficiently well of his sense to believe that,
whatever he may say of this critique on his
latest performances, he will be able to dis
criminate between wit and scoffing, between
indifference to prophecy and criticism on the
vagaries which must, in proportion as they are
successful, destroy its sublime and sacred
character. It is a province of Scripture on
which no man should enter but with most
careful and reverent sentiment; as to misin-
terpret it is really to afford vantage ground to
the sceptic. By a natural movement of the
mind we are always apt to exaggerate the
importance of present events ; and this
tendency should always keep us on our guard
against supposing that all prophecy is to find
its fulfilment in our day. Charlatanism, with
all its defects, may sometimes be amusing ;
but even this sole redeeming quality of its
nature must be absent when it deals with
Holy Writ; and our disgust with it becomes
the stronger as we find that we cannot even
laugh at it with decency.

The Constitutional History of England. By
Henry Hallam, L.L.D., F.R.A.S., Foreign

Associate of the Institute of France. Eighth

Edition. London : Murray.
THE appearance of the works of Mr. Hallam in
the present excellent edition, at once cheap
and elegant, justifies us in paying some
critical attention to this admirable writer, who
has gained from the leading and thinking
minds of many nations that calm applause
which is the sure presage of a classical fame.
The Institute of France has bestowed on him
a rare honour; and, by taking his works into
their new course of legal education, the rulers
of the Inns of Court have testified to the pro-
fundity and closeness of this distinguished
author's erudition. Mere praise of such a
proved reputation would be gratuitous. Criti-
cism is the best compliment that could be
paid to such eminent abilities ; and we regret
that we have not more space for dissertation
on Mr. Hallam's literary qualities.
Yet, in truth, criticism on a writer like Mr.
Hallam is far from being an easy office. Up
to a given length there cannot be the least
room for dissent on his obvious merits. The
only point at which there is opportunity for
critical questioning is as to the exact degree
in which some of his peculiarities may be
noticed. Like every great writer, he has his
mannerisms, which in his case are those inci-
dent to high natures rather too prone to an
intense individualism. In commenting on
some of these traits (for they are not faults)
we shall take care not to be misconceived as
to the heartiness of our admiration and
respect for this great writer. For many years
we have been accustomed to consult his
various works, and, unlike the case of certain
of his contemporaries, frequency of reference
has increased and not diminished our opinion
of his honest learning and genuine qualities.
There is no hollow glitter in his erudition,
and no empty parade in the proofs of his wide
reading. He is not, like other authors, a
scholar amongst mere popular writers ; he is
a strong thinker and eloquent essayist amongst
scholars. He can dive deeply, as is visible in
his profound dissertations on Bacon and other
master-thinkers of the world ; but he does not
rely on his own inherent energy of thought.
His vigour is strengthened and his swoop is
enlarged by ample knowledge of what others
have said and written.

9'33

Upon the soundness and extent of his
scholarship there never have been two
opinions in the learned world. His cynical
contempt for makers of learned notes and
ingenious sciolists is characteristic of a
nature enriched with various learning. Neither
Eichorne nor Sismondi eau be compared to
him for closeness and accuracy of knowledge,
though, like him, they have aspired to the
widest range of critical investigations. Unlikc
certain of our deservedly famous scholars of
the preceding century, there is nothing para-
doxical in his opinions. His philosophy has
never degenerated into casuistry. He does
not split upon crotchets like a Warburton, or
put on the gaudy trappings of a learned
phrasemonger like Parr. After acknowledging
these merits, we may next see what may be ad-
vanced in critical qualification of his great
literary claims.
While admirable for his attainments, and
the general soundness of his opinions, Mr.
Hallam is not entitled to the distinction of
perfect originality. His mind is more inde-
pendentthan original—strongly individualised,
but not distinctively creative. His subject
must be always given to him. He is a critic,
a scholar, and a historian, rather than a
philosopher. He has founded no system of
thought, nor has he, like David Hume (in his
" Essays "), or Adam Smith, enlarged the
boundaries of certain speculative questions.
In the genesis of novel opinion Mr. Hallam's
powers are not specially suited. He can help
to establish what is tottering, but he cannot
discern and shadow forth with the soul of
genius those truths which are only in their
dawn. With another mode of education and
exercise, it is highly possible, and even pro-
bable, that his intellect, so strong and
prompt, might have partaken of creative
power ' • but criticism long continued has
made him a judge of conflicting opinions,
rather than a primary contributor of new
ideas.

But it is the characteristic of this remark-
able author that what he wants in perfect
originality is amply compensated for by his
moral resources. The annals of criticism do
not record another instance of such true
moral temper as adorns every page written by
Henry Hallam. Sometimes ho may be cold,
but he is never morose or snarling. There is
no learned vituperation in his adverse judg-
ments, nor any reckless levity in his depre-
ciation. While avoiding the flippancy of
Lord Jeffrey, Mr. Hallam has not fallen into
the mawkish habits of the eulogistic Mackin-
tosh. If in treating of historical reputations
he is rather too penurious in his rigid
economy of praise, he does not squander his
superlatives when discussing the purely in-
tellectual glories of Shakspeare, Bacon,
Milton, l3ossuet, or Pascal.
,In order to pro-
duce a strong sensation he never drops corro-
sive sublimate over a famous grave •(like Mr.
Macaulay, in the case of "Dryden,' and other
instances) ; nor doeshe malce desperate efforts
to be wholly distinctive by whimsical dissent
(like Coleridge) from the received opinions of
the learned of ages. If he has not an in-
ventor's force of new moulding the minds of
men on a moral question, he has a true philo-
sopher's unbiassed love of truth, the whole
truth, and nothing but the truth.
And what more precious boon could a
writer confer upon his readers than to
communicate to them the love of philoso-
phical truth ? What greatet benefit do we
derive from the pursuit of all knowledge than
that our natures are purified and exalted by
our vision being enlarged as we behold the
height, and depth, and length of the regions
of moral science ? In too many authors their
ingenuity and far•sought learning obscure the
end, and diminish the utility of their pursuits.
They tell us what the truth looks like, and
not what it really is. As Lord Bacon has
observed of such minds, they use their know-
ledge as a terrace upon which they may walk
up and down. In Mr. Hallam's writings the
great end of all knowledge is not lost His affec-
tions are equally divided between the good
and the fair, and his conceptions of utility are
heightened by his veneration for moral
beauty.
The " Constitutional History of England,'
now before tat is the work which ham most cow

93-4

mended him to the public regard, although in
our opinion he has shown more power and
extent of range in his " Introduction to the
Literature of Europe." His moral qualities
are, however, best seen in his " Constitutional
History ;" and when the second volume comes
before us we shall remark on some features in
its composition deserving of critical consider-
ation. In the meanwhile, we must express
Our hearty satisfaction at beholding the works
of this excellent author brought before the
public in a form which will place their learn-
ing, sound sense, and manly eloquence, within
the range of a vast class of readers.

Sporting Adventures in the New World ; or,
Days and Nights of Moose-hunting in the
Pine Forests of Acadia. By Lieut. Campbell
Hardy. London : Hurst and Blackett.
A Goon book of Mild sports is attractive at any
time. As we read the fresh narratives of ad-
venturous sportsmen who, forsaking the
hackneyed preserves of the old country, seek
for more perilous sport and nobler game in
other lands, all the dangers, troubles, and in-
conveniences of camp life are forgotten in a
moment. We scent the fresh air of the forest;
we feel the cool hill breezes fluttering past us,
and hear the murmurs of the mountain
falls as they rend their changeful ways o'er
rooky steeps; we see the bark hut of the sports-
man pitched on the sloping bank of some
elb•ar patient stream winding sleekly along the
foot of the ranges, while the thin blue smoke
of the camp fire lazily curls in vapoury
wreaths among the broad interlacing branches,
and the vast forest stretches away in the
background o'er mountain and plain in majes-
tic masses of dark foliage. In presence of
such images, the natural love of sport, and
the desire for the freedom of bush life, over-
come all other feelings. The closeness of a
town appears stifling, the restraints of
civilised life look ridiculous, and you long for
fresh air and freedom, while you envy the
sportsmen whose lot leads them to chase
elephants in Ceylon, buffalo in North America,
or moose deer in Nova Scotia.

Lieutenant Hardy, the author of these
volumes, being stationed at Halifax, appears
to have made several incursions to the forests
of Nova Scotia for the purpose of hunting the
moose. The forests of Nova Scotia abound in
moose, catiboo, bears, wolves, woodcock,
partridge, snipe, and wild duck, while the
rivers are teeming with sahnon and other fish,
so that his sport was of the best kind, and in
the details which he has given us there is
much to interest and amuse. He is a thorough
sportsman, patient, skilful, and active, and
relates his adventures with the gusto of a man
who enjoys the life. The moose deer, which
is the principal subject of these volumes, is
the monarch of the North American forests,
which boast of no lions, tigers, or elephants.
At full growth the bull-moose looks tall on the
legs, with short neck and disproportionate
long head, with massive and palmated antlers,
large black expressive eyes, and with a dark
brown or glossy black bristly coat He stands
about seventeen hands high, and weighs from
a thousand to twelve hundred pounds.
Though very shy and wild, they are easily tamed
if caught young, and tyeedily become the most
domestic of pets. The author was fortunate
enough to obtain one young calf, which was so
tame

that ho would come into a room and jump several times
over chairs, backwards and forwards, for a piece of bread.
He had a great penchant for tobacco-smoke, which, if
puffed in his face, would canse him to rub his head with
great satisfaction against the individual.
His gambols were sometimes very amusing. Throwing
back his ears and dropping the under jaw, he would gallop
madly up and down on a grass-plot, now and then rearing
up on his hind legs, and striking ferociously with his fore
feet at the trunks of trees, or anything within reach, vary-
ing the amusement by an occasional shy and kick behind
at some imaginary object. No palings could keep him
from gardens, in which, when not watched, he would con•
atantly be found, revelling on the boughs of currant and
lilac bushes ; in fact. tasting fruit and flowers most indis
criminately. On being approached for the purpose of being
turned out, the cunning little brute would immediately lie
down, from which position, his hide being as callous as that
of a jackass, ho could be got up with difficulty.
Iu hunting moose there are five methods,
says Lieutenant Hardy—stalking them, call-
ing them, running them Clam in snow-shoes,