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

THE PRESS.

by throwing some passages of the poem into the
shape of prose, establishes most clearly, in our
opinion, the mistaken theory upon which much of it
has been composed. Ho does full justice to the
great beauty of particular passages, but laments that
so gifted a writer should have deliberately adopted a
style which is sure to find numberless imi►ator:►
without either her power or her poetry. But, after
this wise and not unfriendly critique, we are sorry to
see the writer descending, though we hope uncon-
sciously, to a mere puffing trick at the end of his
article. After all his severe, and as we think judi-
cious comments, he winds up with these words :

Still, with all its faults, this is a remarkable poem
strong in energy, rich in thought, abundant in beauty,~.
and it more than sustains that high reputation which, by
her previous efforts, Mrs. Browning has so honour-
ably won.
- - - •

What person acquainted with the tricks of the •
trade, does not at once see that here is a cut and_
dried sentence, which will appear in all the adver
tisements as the opinion of Blackwood's Magazine
It has very much the air of having been tacked on
by another hand. It is certainly far more than a com-
pensation for all the preceding criticism, with which
it is glaringly inconsistent. The story of " The Athe-
hugs" continues as interesting as usual. There is a
very petty story called " A Christmas Tale," and the
two political articles on " Routine" and " European
Politics" are written with the regular Blackwood
vivacity, though not free from certain rather question.
able statements. In the paper on " Routine," the
following passage strikes us as extremely happy :
The certainty of impunity for great political offences is
one of the most unhealthy symptoms in the conduct of
affairs. Every transgressor is sure, from long experience,
that he plays a winning game. However vicious may be
his acts, he knows that a temporary unpopularity is the
worst that he has to dread. A few months tabooing is the
utmost retribution inflicted for even moral depravity ; and
degradation or severe punishment for the offender is now
never thought of. lint a year and a half have elapsed
since Lord John Russell was chased from office for con-
duct the most disingenuous, and for imposture attempted
on the Parliament and the country. While we write the
public journals are calmly discussing his return to office,
and elevation to the peerage. We nowhere meet with
such a remark as " that the mental obliquity of this states.
man disqualifies him for being intrusted with the direction
of affairs." Exposed as he has been, he is nevertheless to
be readmitted to office, the nation recklessly taking the
risk of his future misdeeds. We have found this plan
signally fail with offenders against the common law ; and
the adinissi in of the ticket-of-leave system (as a fair
friend of ours aptly termed it) into political life will, it
may be safely predicted, prove a most unfortunate innova
tion. With good men it is always expedient to keep alive
a belief in the certainty of punishment for offences ; but
when work is done with tools such as it is the pleasure of
this country to employ, the withdrawal of this belief is an
invitation to betray us. The only restraining power over
them is the dread of chastisement. The ticket-of-leave
routine we would therefore denounce in the loudest terms.
Fraser contains the commencement of a new story
by the author of " lligby Grand." It is called " The
Interpreter: a Tale of the War," and seems like
an attempt at a new style of writing on the author's
part. " Ticket of Leave" is a hearty and indignant
protest against the milk-and-water theories of the
day. It is concluded with the brief sentiment, that
" under the influence of transportation, violent
" crime had in a great measure disappeared ; under
"the substituted plan, violent crime has become
"rampant. The ticket of leave cannot go on."
"Cornelius Agrippa and the Alchemists" is an
admirable essay, written with real mastery of the
subject, and showing some true appreciation of
philosophy in the writer. It is infinitely the best
article which Mr. Morley's hook has as yet called
forth. "Sermons and Sermonisers " is, perhapi, in
point of style and force, the best paper in the present
number. If, however, we were to express what we
thought most worthy of censure in Mr. Spurgeon,
it would be his hypocrisy ; he is a deliberate actor,
and knows that he is so. With regard to sermons in
general, we should say that the tone is pitched too
high above any standard of morality attainable by
the world, and that the influence of the pulpit is
being daily weakened by men listening to exhorta-
tions which they feel it would be vain to try to obey.
The notice of the Staff Officer's Letters is favourable.
The writer has not had time to do more than just
give a brief abstract of their contents, but this is
done with great clearness and carefulness, and forms
a valuable paper. "The Triumph of Barbarism "
is striking, and probably contains a great deal of
truth. We should not omit to mention the " Visit to
a Model Farm in Asia Minor," an interesting and
opportune contribution.
The Dublin opens with a long article upon "The
Second Congress." We are sorry we cannot agree
with the views here expressed. Russian duplicity
has now become a bugbear to frighten children; and
the very way to make a Government treacherous is
the perpetual assertion that it is so. There are,
however, many good points about the article. Its
summary of events is well done; and it does not, as
some Conservative periodicals have done, deny the

19

propriety of a second Congress. "A Story for the
New Year" is dramatic and exciting. The review
of " University Essays " is very lively, and very well
executed; but it displays an ignorance of the cha-
racteristics of the two English Universities, which
no assumption of confidence is able to disguise. Of
"The Fortunes of Glencore," we have one of the best
chapters that has yet appeared. Oude as a King-
dom " is a long and seemingly very painstaking
article. We have not had time to examine it care-
fully ; but it is written obviously with a knowledge of
the subject, and the style is fluent and forcible.

Bentley this month is a capital number. Mr.
Dudley Costello's new story opens excellently. Mr.
Harrison Ainsworth's old one is finished. " Doing
the Dun " is a thoroughly good Bentleian tale; and
the "Memoirs of William Farren" very readable and
curious. "The Second Congress" is merely a col-
lection of notices of the different plenipotentiaries,
but will be very acceptable to the public. " The
Enchanted Hare of the Ardennes " is a story worth
reading; and " Anecdotes of Parisian Theatres " is a
string of stories which we can only describe as
Martial did his epigrams.
In the New Monthly we have a fair list of articles.
"The Tiger Killer," purporting to be a sketch of a
French novel, the scene of which is laid in England,
is by far the best. " Lost and Found," and the
" Talker and the Worker," are good tales. " The
History of the Newspaper Press," though as meagre
as anything can well be, cannot fail of being in-
teresting. An article on diplomacy, by Cyrus
Redding, concludes the number ; it has little merit.
There is also an article of the same description upon
Mr. Thackeray.
The Commercial Travellers' Magazine progresses
steadily. The present number contains a great
variety of well-written and attractive articles.
The West of Scotland Magazine contains, among
other papers of substantial merit, No. 111. of " Lives
of Scottish Judges," " Gerard's Hurst, or the Find
and the Finish," and a rather clever little article on
" The Women of Euripides."

PUBLICATIONS BEC EIVED.-JAN. I.

BOOKS.
Curiosities of History. John Timbs, F.S.A. Bone
Harry Lorrequer. Charles Lever. Chapman and Hall
The French Revolution. Charles Carlyle. Ditto
The Spirit of Travel. Charles Packe. Ditto
A Narrative of the Gunpowder Plot. David Jardine. Murray
Shdil and Will; or, Two Chapters on Future Auxiliary Verbs.
Sir E. Head, Bart. Ditto
_ _

A Practical Diclionary of the French and English Languages.
Leon Contanseau. Longmans

Fairy Gala for Young and Old. H. F. Chorley. Rouiledgo
The Gospel of St. John. F. D. Maurice, M.A.
Macmillan and Co.
Aubrey. By the Author of " Emilia Wyndham." Hodgson
Dexcriptive Essays. Sir F. B. Head, Bart. Murray
Hixtory of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Ed-
ward Gibbon. Murray.
_

Eugenie; or, the Spanish Bride. Florence De Vere
Ward and Lock

MUSIC.

Italy Fair, Look up !

Cramer and Beale