The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-06 00:00:00

PERIODIOLL LITER LT ÜBE.

IN Blackwood this month the two old stories, namely,
" The Athelings" and " Mr. Giltil's Love Story," are
brought to a conclusion. The former, we think, is
scarcely equal to " Zaidee " in point of construction,
and contains no character equal to that of Zaidee
herself; but it presents a series of pleasant pictures
of English society, and is pervaded, as it were, by a
sort of soft, warm light, eminently soothing and
delightful. Of Mr. Giltil we have already spoken in
terms of high praise ; the conclusion of his story is
a little abrupt, but throughout it has displayed con-
siderable power, and no mean imagination. The
place of these two tales is filled by a new story from
the pen of Sir Bulwer Lytton, of which we have now
the first eight chapters. The title is," What will He
Do With It," and it is written in the author's best
style—the style, that is, of his later novels, which
have done so much to increase and consolidate his
reputation. The characters of Gentleman Waife,
the Cobbler, and the painterVanee, are characters of
the true Bulwer school—perfectly sui gencris, and
imitable by no living writer. Two other excellent
articles are on China and Japan and the
Manchester Exhibition. From the former we select
the following pregnant passage :
If, therefore, it should so happen that the central
Chinese Government, both from traditionary policy and
from warrantable fear of the consequences, is not dia.
disposed to concede to Britain any further commercial pri-
vileges, or to allow the establishment of direct diplomatic
intercourse with I'ekin—by which, of course, is meant
the residence of an accredited Minister there—what kind
of argument can used powerful enough to effect per-
suasion ? We cannot cut off the supplies of an empire so
vast as to produce within itself every requisite for life and
luxury—we cannot even formally prohibit trade, for by
doing so we destroy our own. Nay, it is within the power
of the Chinese, by one single resolute measure, to compel
us to desist from hostilities, and effectually to abate our
pride. They have only to stop the export of tea, so that
the stock may become scarce, and the price exorbitant in
this country, and all their difficulties are at an end. The
Chinese labourer will experience no deprivation for want
of Manchester calicoes, but the working classes of Britain
cannot do without their tea ; so that an absolute rupture
with China, which should compel the closing of the ports,
would be fatal at least to the Ministry by whom that
rupture was occasioned. Of this Lord Palmerston and
his colleagues are fully aware; and, therefore, they have
not ventured, in her Majesty's name, to declare war with
China, although they maintain both in Parliament and to
the country that a grave eases belli has occurred. That
which, if the ground which they have taken is just and
defensible, should have been a war, is characterised in
her Majesty's Speech as " differences which have arisen
between the High Commissioner at Canton and her
Majesty's civil cud naval officers in China r —which is
much the same thing as if a French squadron were to
bombard Dundee on account of certain " differences " be•
tween the commanding officer and the provost of that
venerable burgh! Also we are told that the " differences "
still remain " unadjusted ;" that is, that fighting is going
on on both sides—on the side of the Chinese, by direction
of Commissioner Yeh, with the sanction of the Emperor ;
on the side of the British, by direction of the sagacious •
Flowing, whose acts are approved of and bucklered by
Viscount Palmerston, who is the Prime Minister of Queen
Victoria. If this is not war, we shall be thankful to any
one who will afford us an explanation of what war really
is; for in the midst of this confusion of terms, we feel in..
dined to exclaim with Falconbridge

lam amazed, methinks and lose my war
Among the thorns and dangers of this wurld.

In Fraser we can recommend the article upon
Mr. Ruskin. The writer is a judicious admirer
of that critic., as well as of the pre-Raphaelite
school generally. Ills comments on Mr. Rttskin's
recent denunciation of Mr. Millais are fair and
sensible. "The Interpreter" proceeds as usual.
Major Melville cannct write anything that is not
interesting, and gentlemanlike; hut we fancy
we see symptoms of falling off when he gets
away from the English fashionable and sporting life
which he describes so brilliantly. " Blackey at
School" is an amusing sketch of an Indian Govern-
ment school. "The Press and the Public Service"
is a very well written and forcible statement of what
we conceive to be the correct view of the question--
i.e., that the employe accepts the obligation of
secrecy when ho enters his office, as much as any of
his other duties. Mr. Froule's article we have not
vet had time to read,

SATURDAY,

The Dublin University Magazine contains thre
articles of more than common merit. The first is
that upon Mr•. Kingsley, the second on Mill's logic,
and the third on the cotton fields of India. The
paper upon Mr. Kingsley is written in a spirited
style, and contains some striking thoughts, but it
does not attempt to penetrate into Mr. Kingsley's
philosophy. The review of Mill is evidently the
work of ono well acquainted with the subject. Ile
grapples with his formidable 'opponent boldly ; but
which has the best of the contest our readers must
judge for themselves. The Indian article is extremely
opportune, and coincides so remarkably with the
views we have expressed in this journal that we
shall quote a few of the concluding sentences :
It were needless to multiply evidence of the foregoing
description. But whether we accept the testimony of the
American planters, or adopt the conclusions of Mr. Shaw
and the Bengal civilian, practical experience may be safely
represented as establishing the fact that India can produce
excellent cotton, and her capability of producing the same
in any quantity depends only upon an increase of the
necessary facilities. The objections as to cleansing, pack-
ing, and adulteration, whether accidental or wilful, beat refer-
ence to matters of detail, which we cannot afford to discuss
at present. But there can surely be no insuperable obstacle
to the redress of these imperfections and abuses. Under a
better system, it is to be hoped that diligence and honesty
will prove more remunerative than indolence and roguery
are at present. An effective remedy has moreover been
already suggested in the proposed establishment of direct
relations between the cultivator and the manufacturer.

" India cannot compete with the United States." Per-
haps not, as regards the very finest descriptions of cotton,
though even upon this point there may be room for ques-
tion. But as regards such sorts u would rank in the
home market under the denominations of "fair" anti
" good fair," it is already on record that India it able tk
compete with the States most successfully.
Mr. Shirley Brooks's new story promises well ; the
dialogue is smart and rapid, and the characters pre-
possessing. But we h3pe Mr. Brooks will avoid the
error of giving us any hero so hatefully perfect as
Bernard Carlyon in " Aspen Court."
Bentley and the Nao Monthly continue to flourish.
The fiction department in both is admirably sus-
tained by Mr. Dudley Costello, and the author of
" Ashley," and the " Red Court Farm." " The Me-
moirs of Miss O'Neil" in the one, and the continua-
tion of the " History of the Newspaper Press " in the
other, are agreeable reading. The remaining
articles are all more or less amusing or instructive.
Tait is varied and pleasant. We would especially
recommend " Sketches of Jersey," " Broken Memo-
ries," and some of the literary notices.
The June number of the Train is pretty good.
" Welcome, Little Stranger," is a very clever story.
The remaining articles are not below its usual
standard ; and though the sketch of Mr. Wilkie
Collins is in our opini.on founded on an utter miscon-
ception of this class of men, yet it is neat, and read-
able in execution. .

The Churchman's Magazine, The London l7nirer-
sity Magazine, The Commercial Trareller's Maga:ine,
and Pared with Gold, which we have received very
late, seem to be of average merit, and to deserve the
success they have achieved ; especially the latter,
which is of very high merit indeed.

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED-JrNE 4.

BOOKS.

The Library of Biblical Literature. W. Freeman
The English Bread-book for Domestic Use. By Eliza Acton.
Longmont;
History f the Royal Sappers and Miners. Two Vole.
Longmans
Collegiate Education. Ed. Stanford
The Odes of Horace. By R. W. O'Brien, MA, Longman,
S. Towne Preached at Trini,y Chapel, Brighton. By the late
Rev. E. W. Robertson, M.A. Smith and Elder
Ore, the dea, or Lakes front an Officer in India to his
Children. T. Hotchanl
Poetic Hours and Musing .Ifornsnts. By Henry Aveling.
T. Hotcharl
Popular Greenhouse Botany. By Agnes Catlnw. Reeve
Popular History of the A7uariurn. By G. Brettingham
Snwerbv, F.L.S. Reeve
Nothing Nnv. Two Vols. Hurst and Blocked
The Norse-Folk, or a Visit to the Homes of Nortralf and
Sweden. R. Bentley

-- --- ---
To Be or motto Be. A Novel. By Hans Christian Antler•
sen. B. Bentley

PAMPHLETS.

European lateral', in Railioays. E. Wilson—The Trish
in England. C. Dalmsn—Reporl on Murrain in lbenrf
Cattk. Spottiswoole—Schesse of the We.t of Enll4"'S
Eraminotion and Prizes. J. Bilgway—A Lecture on thA
Old English Dramatists. Kersitte—The China Question.
By an Asiatic. E. Stanford—History of Sunday. Grown.
bridge—Kars and its Defenders. P.artri.lge—The Elect(.
Chemical Bath. W. Freeman—Our National Relate.''
with China. T. liatcluiFreeman—Our