The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-10 00:00:00

PERIODICAL LITERATURE

THE Westminster Review contains one of the best
pieces of criticism we have had the pleasure of read.
tug for a long time. The subject of the article is
the poet Young; and though the portrait here given
of him may be somewhat too unfavourable, yet the
laws of poetical composition are so ably discussed,
and one or two such useful canons enforced, that we
quite forget any injustice done to the particular poet,
in admiration of the essay to which he has given
rise. "Capabilities and Disabilities of Women," and
" The State of Parties in Italy since 18-Ig," are both
injudicious articles, especially the latter, the view
wherein taken is that the renovation of Italy is to be
looked for from the lower orders only, while the upper
classes, and all those friendly to Sardinia, are to be
regarded with suspicion. The paper is able, no
doubt, but on that account only the more dangerous.
To counterbalance this, we have a good article
upon " Herat and the Persian War." It seems
that from St. Petersburg to Astrabad, at the south of
the Caspian Sea, there is one connected line of com-
munication ; that from Astrabad to Herat, via Meshed,
is a distance of 000 miles in a south-easterly direction ;
and that the route presents no difficulties but such
as have been ere now overcome by Persian armies
marching with large trains of artillery; that Herat,
a place of immense strength, is the key of Atfghanis-
tan, and that on the maintenance of this post in
friendly hands will depend very much the possibility
of our holding Candahar, which is the key of India.
" The Revision of the English Bible " is a very
interesting and opportune atticle, and the remaining
contributions are solid and instructive, though the
number on the whole does not escape the imputation
of heaviness.

We have not yet had time to read through the
National. The article upon Wordsworth, with
which it opens, is not so good as that upon Young
in the Westminster. It is obscure; and the writer
seems, if we may say so, to have been thinking be-
yond his strength. We have glanced at what seems
a very good article on Mr. Spurgeon, and another on
the " Credit Mobilier, and Banking Companies in
France." On " The Literature of Spirit-rapping"
eve may take another opportunity of remarking ; at
present we merely quote a passage to show the sin-
gular character of the paper:—
Spirits recently disembodied seem to be close bound up
with everything earthly ; although a quicker migration into
the interior circles of heaven is accorded to persons who
i►ave led a life of general benevolence. There does not
seem to be much positive suffering. One spiritualist says,
that he had only met with two spirits that owned tl_em•
-selves unhappy. Of these, one admitted that he was
drowned in consequence of getting dead drunk. On being
asked if he were happy, lie replied "d---d happy,"
and said he was sorry to have quitted this life. He mani-
fested a desire for tobacco and grog. Very had men, how-
ever, seem to undergo an immediate though jocose punish.
ment, and to be the butts of better spirits. Thus, a medium
named Annie was asked what was the condition of Palmer,
and said, He is in an iron box ; the spirits have him there."
She added that the influence of murderers after execution
was more strongly exerted upon the world, and that hence
other murders often followed the execution of such per-
sons, and she said, " This was a powerful reason against
capital punishments."

PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED.-JAN. S.
BOOKS.

Letters from Canterbury, New Zealand. Robert B. Paul,
M.A. ltivingtons.
Lola, and other Poems. Devon Harris. Smith and Elder.
The belle.. of Horace Walpole, Ea►l of Orford. Edited by
Peter Cunningham. Bentley.
The Medical List, or English Medical Directory hr 1857.

Lane and Lara.
The Haunted : A Tale. Frederick Gerstaecker.
Routledge.
Violet; or, Found al Last. M. J. M' Intosh. Ditto.
Harris and His Home; or, the Conquest of Pride. Ditto.
The Ear in Health and Disease. Renshaw.
Wildflower. By the Author of " The House of Elmore."
three Vols. Hurst and Blackett.
Memoirs of Sir Robert Peel. M. Guizot. Bentley.

THE PRESS.