The Press.
London, England, 1855-09-01 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

banter. It is impossible not to laugh at the
figure Doctor Parr makes:—

North : As an original thinker, I own he was Nemo—
nobody ; but as a scholar—
Tickler: Hum—hummior—hummissimus,—he was a
mere Parolles in a Pedagogue's wig. His preface to Bel-
lendenus, as all the world knows, was never looked into
but for its oddities ; first, that it talked about Fox, and
Burke, and Lord North, in Latin—when others talked of
them in English ; secondly, that this Latin, as he called it,
was a monster of deformity, being in fact a cento wade up
from every Roman on God's earth, beginning with Fabius
Pictor, and the " Stennis Ennii," down to the " rank
Africanisms" (to use. Milton's phrase) of Arnobius. An
English history could not be more extravagant, composed
out of the hoary archaisms of Robert of Gloucester, com-
pounded with the " three-piled" Giblxinisins of Sharon
Turner. "He had been at a great feast of languages, and
had stolen the scraps."
North : I cannot help admiring his Spital sermon, as—
Tickler: Beyond all cot:opens= the must empty bald-
dertlash that ever attempted to soar without gas into the
ethereal regions.
North: His dissertation on the word Sublime at the end
of l)ugald Stewart's Philosophical Essays?
Tickler: Ay, a sublime treatise on Mud, with sonic su-
perior remarks on the preposition SUB. The whole amount
front a world of pother, parade, and pseudo-learning, is, that
Sublime means, not that which is under the mud, but that
which is above it.

Not the least interesting part of these most
interesting papers are the comic and senti-
mental songs ; but we must reserve our
remarks upon them until another occasion.
In the meantime we will recommend this
volume as containing plenty of "light summer
reading," elevated with much originality of
thought and intensity of true poetical passion.

The Newcomes. Edited by Arthur Pendennis,
F.sq. London : Bradbury and Evans.
WELL, the " Newcomes " are finished : their
author is going to the United States. Each
month will cease to be marked by one of those
slim yellow numbers which have, for the last
two years, set all England and America
laughing and crying and guessing what was
to follow.

And how does this book rank with the
author's former novels? We will suggest no
invidious comparison with other writers; but
how does Mr. Thackeray stand with regard to
himself? Is his work equal to " Vanity Fair "?
Is it better than "Pendennis "?
If Becky Sharp's adventures make " Vanity
Fair " a more piquant novel than " Pendennis,
the knowledge of life and character in the latter
novel was even more apparent than in the
former tale. Then, too, the satire had become
more mellow and kindly, and tasted on the
lips like generous Bordeaux softened and
ripened by a year or two's added age. And
now in the " Neweomes " we have a more artis-
tic work than either of those which we have
mentioned " Vanity Fair" may still rank
first if we consider the sustained interest of
the main story ; Arthur Pendennis may be a
more highly .finished portrait, drawn with
subtler masterstrokes, than the likeness of
Clive Newcome, though the latter is a good
picture, a la Vandyck, of a fine gentleman.
Never before, however, has Mr. Thackeruy
shown such skill in depicting character. He
is not satisfied with describing his per-
sonages in a few epigrammatic sentences, or
in bringing them on the scene merely to
exhibit a few strongly-marked peculiarities.
His kindly people arc not always giving alms ;
his illtempered people are not perpetually
scolding. He shows their dark side or their
bright side uppermost, according to circum-
stance, and exactly as living people show their
good or their evil qualities. Hence the real
flesh-and-blood vitality of his creations, whom
we feel to be very men and very women. Not
only his subordinate characters, but his heroes
and heroines, have their weaknesses ; and
nearly every one of his villains (we must
except Barnes Newcomel has a redeeming
point. Is it not so in life? Are gocd women
never jealous or intolerant? Are honest
fellows always unselfish? And do not
swindlers sometimes nurse a sick friend or
give half a crown to a hungry beggar? A
coward and a slanderer may be a tender
father, and an envious man may have won
woman's love. If these be unpleasing truths,
let us not deny them, but hear them humbly,
and cure them if we have the skill Let us
not call that man a cynic who seeing spots in
ate sup polOts 4110110 opt to us; for usither