The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

are unimportant when compared to the objec-
tion which, in our judgment, lies against this
huge mass of subtle speculation us a whole.
It is almost entirely conjectural, and the re-
sults to which it conducts us have neither
such irresistible plausibility about them as
might supply the lack of positive evidence,
nor such value as should make us care greatly
whether they are true or not.
We have only one more remark to make.
Mr. Gladstone throughout these volumes
assumes the unity and individuality of Homer
to be established. We will not quarrel with
him on this head, but we cannot follow him
in treating the poet's mysterious personality
with such familiarity as appears in the fol-
lowing sentences :
It seems to be the poet's intention that we should assume
all Greek manners, institu ions, and races to have sprung
out of the very soil. . . . The process by which Elel•
lens mastered Pelasgians is nowhere professedly related
by Homer—whose purpose it was to unite more closely the
elements of the nation, and not to record that they had
once been separate.

We, for our parts, cannot think that the old
poet had any such profound design.

Recollections of the Last Four Popes. By his

Eminence Cardinal Wiseman. London :
Hurst and Blackett.
MALIGNITY has been the spirit of a great deal
of recent criticism. Dean Swift denominated
the critic " a discoverer and collector of
faults." For the honour of literature, we
wish that the assertion could be said to refer
to the reign of Queen Anne only, and not of
Queen Victoria. But it is not so. At the
present moment we have a Review, which, to
serve the purposes of half a dozen indi-
viduals, makes a holocaust of victims, and
seems to consider its Saturday business
that of rendering every man who dares take
pen in hand as uncomfortable as possible,
unless he revolves within the circumference
of certain prejudices, whose centre is in South-
ampton-stree:. A kindred spirit is found in
other, and we are sorry to say it, higher quar-
ters—where, even with reference to the work
of Cardinal Wiseman now before us, per-
sonality has stood for criticism ; and sarcastic
reference to individual peculiarities of the body,
fora review of the products of the mind This
fashion has its opposite ; and in too many cases
public criticism is but the expression of private
favouritism. Praise is not seldom measured
out by the influence which can be brought to
bear upon the critic. It is, perhaps, unneces-
sary for us to say that this is not criticism ; and
we point to these ills, because we would wish
to deserve respect by its being understood
that the praise or blame of these columns shall
have reference only to what is public property,
and shall be kept independent of private soli-
citation. We object to the work before us,
but, in doing so, our objections may, we hope,
be fairly and at the same time cautiously
expressed.
Every book will naturally be judged by its
manner and matter. The first question the
reader asks is, " What is its object ?" and then,
" How is it expressed ?" With regard to com-
position in this history of the Popes, we lose
sight of the author of many popular lectures
and essays, and see only a pompous parade
of words very similar in style to those
dated a few years back by the same author
from the Flaminian-gate. Cardinal Wiseman
has yet to learn that in language, as well as in
Catholic art,simplicity is twin-sister to sublimity.
IVe are constantly reminded of Mr. Bunn's pro-
grammes of operas as brought out a few years
since at Drury Lane, when language flew into
an hysteria of adjectives, and magniloquence
fell into fits of expletive, whilst describing the
magnificence of Stage processions, banners,
trumpets, drums, &c.
In the following extract we think every one
will smell the oil of the footlights, and per
ceive that the Cardinal has gone to the theatre
both for his ideas and expressions ;
few
heads
a vision of a moment. After long expectation, a
are just seen, but hardly recognizable, above the
balustrade of the balcony, then the flabellm or fans of state,
and lan, lifted high, the mitred pontiff. A few words are
tp ken, winch are undistinguishable below. The Pope
sea, raises his eyes to heaven, opens wide and closes his
anus, sad pours out from a full heart, and often with a
clear sonorous voice, a blessing on all below. Amidst the
ellag of bells, the clatter of drums, and the crash of mili•