The Press.
London, England, 1858-03-20 00:00:00

THE PRESS, MARCH 20, 1858.

more important. The elder son is described u being
influenced in the whole scheme of his life and af-
fected in the formation of his character by the fact
that his father has mortgaged the estate, and will
perhaps leave the money thus raised to some one
else ; while the estate itself is described as being
entailed upon the son. The author seems to be
ignorant that this is a contradiction. The estate
would in such a case be the father's only for life, and
the " fee " or absolute ownership of it could not be
disposed of without the concurrence of the son.
Yet it is represented, in the end, as being left to him
by will(!) encumbered with the mortgages, and
therefore practically valueless. In reality the father
had nothing but his life interest to deal with, and
that would be the whole security that a lender could
have. But, as this motive is the ono on which the
whole plot is built, at it is continually referred to,
and as the heroine comes in for a fortune apparently
only in order that it may he used to pay off the
mortgages, we fear the error must be considered as
fatally vitiating the structure of the story ; which in
other respects shows quite sufficient ingenuity to
make us believe that the author could have easily
invented a less hazardous method of developing the
vicissitudes of his narrative. A character nearly
equal in power to the miser's is that of " Cecilia,"
a dangerous blonde beauty, whose chief pastime is
beguiling the opposite sex and torturing her own.
We have no objection to make to the way the charac-
ters are brought out, except that in the latter case
dialogue should have been more freely used than
description. Had we room for quotation we should
select as an example of vigorous handling the death
of the miser's sister, which might almost be a pendant
to the parting interview of Ulrica and Front-de Bout.
The author has rather a fondness for disagreeable
people. With a few brighter figures, and a large use
of what theatrical people term " cuts," he will
another time probably produce a first-rate novel.
3. Mr. Wraxall, hitherto known as the writer of
some smart articles in various magazines, has in
" Wild Oats" produced a very amusing and clever
novel, of that kind which is admirably calculated to
while away the hours passed in a railway train. It
belongs to that large class of books which, like Mr.
Albert Smith's "Scattergood Family," aim at the
description of "life" in its faster phases, and effect
their object with more or less success. Its cha-
racter is sufficiently suggested by its title, though
it is due to the author to observe that the peculiar
farinaceous food on which young men are supposed
to subsist is not in this instance made the medium
of any revelations which woule "summon a blush
" to the pure cheek of modesty," or excite any other
emotion than that of continued wonder as to where
the author picked up his vast variety of information.
Mr. Wraxall's hero begins at Oxford, and passes
through the usual stages of debts, duns, dissipation,
" nights upon town," horseracing swindles, kite
flying, which usually await a youth with limited cash
and an unlimited desire for " the best of everything
"and plenty of it." Of course, love is not omitted
from the list of his troubles ; and what is more un-
usual, the young lady of his affections is obliged to
knock about the world (which of course she does
with the same safety as the lady in Moore's ballad)
almost as much as her lover. There is a plot of an
intensely enthralling character, turning partly on
the incidents of murder and bigamy, which serves
very well to connect the various scenes with each
other, but most readers will find that the rapid tran-
sitions of the latter render them almost insensible to
the unwinding of the clue of the story. The author
evidently describes what he knows from personal
experience, and has managed to interweave some of
the continental events of IS-IS into the course of his
narrative with considerable effect. The ups and
downs of a literary career stand Mr. Wraxall in
stead for a chapter or two, and most of those who
have mixed is any degree in such matters will be
able to identify the places if not persons described,
and will no doubt bear witness that they are on the
whole portrayed with fidelity and fairness. The cor-
rectness of the author's views of certain University
matters (such as the institution of " servitors ") is
more open to objection, and we are inclined to think
his proctor story impossible. However, we have no
idea of applying rigorous canons of evidence to such
points, and can enjoy the revelations of a book, the
moral of which is "Don't do likewise," without being
too curious whence they are derived. The style is
of course that of a practised writer, and frequently
contains good sayings, though perpetual point is not
apparently its aim. After the "mild skim-milk" of
many of its goody rivals, it will probably prove a
piquant dish.
4. These stories are from the G-mman. " Kathe-
rine " is the story of a girl in humble life who
attracts the attention of a man much her superior in
rank. The interest of the tale moves partly round
the gentleman, who is in danger from the machina-
tions of Katherine's brothers; partly round the girl
herself, who as a daughter-in-law is of course ex-
cessively odious to her lover's mother ; partly round
the mother herself, about whom there is a mystery

contained in a packet of letters in her son's posses-
sion, enabling him to exercise a certain degree of
influence over her. Neither the reason for the hatred
of the brothers to Herr Eugene, nor the nature of
the mystery respecting his mother, is very clearly
explained. Katherine, however, settles one difficulty,
and Eugene, by means of the letters held in terrarem
over his parent, disarms the other ; and the two
extremes of society are finally united in a manner
which woutd shock M. Freytag, who likes to keep
all ranks in their proper places. The plot is well
enough, but is spun out by a great deal of German
gossip and German "chaff," which are not ingre•
dients of a very effervescing order. But there are
more exciting incidents of the horrible kind, judi-
ciously introduced near the end of the story, which
we will leave to produce their attractimi on our
readers.—The " Moment of Fortune" is a story of
a livelier class. It is a sort of expanded fairy tale
in modern guise, apparently intended to show the
importance of seizing small opportunities of getting
on in the world. The scene is a German Court, and
the methods are tact and honesty in the midst of
Court intrigue. This story is perhaps the more
amusing of the two. Both are a little tedious, but
novel-readers may do worse than send for the three
volumes.
5. This is a tale which is exclusively concerned
with the society and manners of some such German
Court as that which Mr. Thackeray satirizes under
the name of Pumpernickel. It is a disguised me-
moir, very well written in point of style, but in our
opinion would have been much more interesting if
told as the truth and presented to the public merely
as a veracious picture of German " Transparencies "
in their softer moments. AR it is, it is too historical
in its air for a novel, and too much " cooked " to be
taken as a history. We move in that rarefied air
which is pervaded by Russian influence, and troubled
by all sorts of Court intrigues, some of which are
ludicrous, the rest discreditable, and where morga-
natic marriages, and other contrivances for making
social laws bend to the convenience of the " Von "
class, flourish in great vigour. We confess to not
feeling very deeply interested in these exalted beings,
whose difficulties seem chiefly occasioned by the
solid trammels of etiquette which environ tbem, and
who manage matters rather clumsily when they con-
descend to love an•l hate like ordinary mortals,.
Those who are very fond of mixing (in imagination)
with such society will find it rather more amusing
than the " Almanach de Gotha," but to persons
accustomed to the stimulating food wbioh most
novelists now prepare, Mrs. Cartwright's volumes
will seem, we fear, but a species of invalid diet.

The Good Soldier. A Memoir of Major-General Sir
Henry Havelock, of Lucknow, Bart., K.C.B.
Compiled from Authentic Sources by the Rev. W.
Owen. London : Sirnpkin and Marshall.

THI4 is another cheap addition to the " Havelock
Library." Its price is one shilling and sixpence,
and it is a compilation of the main facts in that illus-
trious man's career, as far as they are yet known.
Large extracts from his work on " Affghanistan "
are given, and also from the various public de-
spatches. Of original knowledge we see but few
traces, and the various " illustrated" journals have,
already familiarised the pubiic with the genealogy of
Havelock's family. The merit of this volume is its
being so seasonable, for after a great man has just
passed away, every one likes to linger over his his-
tory. We have read with great interest the passages
extracted from the general's writings on " Affghan.
istan," and we surmise that the work will be re.
printed. He had great powers of detailed desexii-
tion, that recall the style of Mr. Gleig's admirable,
"Subaltern in America." His narrative of the siege,
of Ghaznee is not so well known as it deserves to
be, and many would prefer the quiet style of Have-
lock to the more gorgeous manner of Mr. William
Russell. We do not think that the following letter
from Havelock has been printed before :
Bombay, 23th February, 18.53.11
My good Friend,—t was much gratified by receiving a
few lines from you yesterday, written new year's day. Qat
be praised I have had no interruption of health since my
return to India. My boys Harry and Josh were both well
by the latest accounts; and I have Been the object of in.
numerable mercies since I was last in London. Harry is
at Wurzurabad in the Punjaub in the post, as you tray
have heard, of Adjutant to the 10th Foot. Josh is an
engineer in the Bombay Natile Infantry at Hydmbadt iin
Scinde. He has passed his examination in two native
languages, and is diligently applying himself to that su-
perior knowledge of the duties of his profession which is
now-a-days required. You know we have now Lord
Frederick Fitz-Clarence, a very active and zealous general,
as our commander.imcltief. We have excellent preaching
here aril at Poona from the missionaries of the Free
Church of Scotland, and in this town a very handsome place
of worship of that denomination. Indeed, I am sorry to
hear of Mrs. Cr.'s accident, but it is a cause of thankful.
nese that she has so well got over the consequences. The
tribute paid to the nation to the talents and integrity of
the Duke of Wellington bad been well earned, by his noble
defence of Spain and Portugal, his crowning victory, le

na,lll

Belgium, and honest endeavours to serve his country as a
statesman. A missionary from this place went home last
year, and was baptized by Mr. Noel ; and I believe is to
come out here to labour amongst the heathen. Cassidy
was his name. I got yesterday the best news from Mrs.
Havelock and my children at Bonn on the Rhine. Now,
with regards to —, I remain, ever sincerely yours,—
H. HAVELOCK.
I safely received the illustrated newspaper at the period
of the Duke's death. Accept my thanks for it.
We shall have other opportunities of dwelling on
Llavelock's history, when a full biography of him
will be published.

The Student's Blackstone. By Robert Malcolm Kerr,
LL.D., Barrister-at-Law. London : Murray.
THIS book is, we believe, intended primarily for the
benefit of those who propose to be examined for the
new degree of " Associate of Arts " in the University
of Oxford. Though we have already expressed our
doubts as to the wisdom of the scheme of which
these examinations are to be the result, we are not
therefore bound to object to the class of publications
which it may call forth, nor are we likely to do so if
they continue to bo executed with the same ability as
is shown in the compilation before us. Blackstone
is probably the only law book (if we except Lord St.
Leonards' railway volume) which is extensively read
by non-professional persons, but the great length
either of the original work or of the numerous adap-
tations of it by recent writers, together with the un-
avoidable dryness and technicality of the portions
relating to Real Property and Criminal Law, have
doubtless repelled many who have felt a laudable
desire to become acquainted with the Constitution
under which they live and the regulations of muni-
cipal or social life which habitually surround them.
Mr. Warren's abridgment is moderate in size, but
in reducing the four volumes of Blackstone to one
it may be doubted whether he has not fallen into
the error of too great a compression of his materials.
And, though Mr. Warren does not write badly, on
the whole, there are few who will be willing to lose
every trace of the terse style and clear exposition of
the older writer. It is a happy idea, then, which has
prompted Mr. Kerr to eliminate from his present
undertaking all those parts of Blackstone's work
which belong exclusively to technical or professional
readers, and to bring together from various parts of
it, and from subsequent sources, all that kind of
information which it is necessary for every one to
possess who desires to understand the working of the
great machine of government, and to gain some idea
of the various subordinate wheels by which its func-
tions are carried on in their several departments.
Every one who has attempted to take part in public
affairs, or even to understand the contents of a daily
newspaper, must have felt the want of such a manual
of "common things" as is here presented to us.
Readers will of course differ as to the utility of this
or that portion according to their several callings or
desires for information, and no arrangement of such
heterogeneous materials as those to which law
relates can possibly satisfy everybody. Some will
consider that a few hints on the devolution of rea
property might have been introduced; some will
desiderata a little commercial law ; some, an exposi.
lion of bills of exchange and the like • some, an
account of the method of making wills and carrying
them into effect. But most persons will probablg
agree that Mr. Kerr's selection is about as good 6
one as could be made for general purposes, indel
pendently of its special adaptation to the studies of
prospective " Associates." The principle which, we
think, ought to govern a work of this kind is that of
excluding all points on which it is absolutely neer*.
miry to apply for advice to a professional person.
Where property is to change hands, injuries are to be
redressed, or crime is to be punished, no one thinks
of acting for himself nny more than of setting a
broken limb or trying to cure a scarlet fever without
the aid of the surgeon and physician. But, on the
other hand, no one would inquire of his solicitor re-
specting the law of natiens,or pay six-and-eightpence
for being told that the Cabinet has no legal existence.
But, as be may wish to know something on these and
similar points, he must have recourse to some such
nianual as Blackstone or his editors ; and we are
happy to say that the editor with whom we are now
concerned has included most of the subjects on
which educated persons ordinarily desire to be
informed.
Mr. Kerr has divided his book into nineteen chap-
ters taken for the most part from Blackstone, dis-
tinguishing his own additions by inverted commas.
These occur in almost every page, and show that
great care has been bestowed in bringing the work
'up to the present state of the law. Prefixed is an
introduction on law in general, the laws of England
in particular, and of the countries subject to them ;
coinciding almost entirely with the corresponding
work. After describing in
right of individuals as re-
, property, be goes on to con-
'arliament, including its origin,
---*nrna, and the qualiflea•

portion of the original work
Chapter 1. the absolute right
garde their person and propel
eider the subject of Parliament
its history; its laws and CUSiOE