The Press.
London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS, APRIL 3, 1858.

In Fraser we have of course a depreciatory article on
the Ministry ; but the tone is necessarily more mo-
derate than usual, and the paper on the whole is not
an ungraceful retreat from a position which is now
found to have been as untenable as it was offensive.
The remarks on the situation of parties we have, we
think, seen before in the columns of more than one
Conservative organ. The Indit.n article rather deals
with the religious aspect of the question than any
other, and generally supports the past policy of the
Company. The Dublin takes the opportunity of the
double-government question to strike a blow at the
Irish Viceroyalty. Some of the arguments adduced
are sensible, but some are unintelligible.
In Miscellaneous Literature we have some very
good articles this month in each of the three.
Blackwood contains a paper entitled " A Few Words
on Social Philosophy, by One who is no Philoso-
pher," full of truth and humour. The following is a
specimen :

In fact, I am a poor creature, who could have been well
contented, and perhaps happier, in a lower element. I
feel like an owl in the broad daylight of intelligence round
me, and want to go back to my darkness. lam oppressed
with a wealth of all that is elevating and improving—
" the burden of an honour unto which I was not born."
There are so many things in this age for which I feel
myself so unfit. If Igo to the Crystal Palace, I am told
I go there (or ought to) in order to be edified and in-
structed ; to have my taste refined, my history rubbed up,
my mind expanded ; to learn the mysteries of form,
colour, and proportion; to recognise the grand, and to
worship the beautiful; but I don't Even the
luiet little town near which I dwell is invaded by itinerant
lecturers: it's very improving, they tell me; it don't im-
prove me. They have a choral society there, which does
oratorios, and are said to be very promising : i was weak
enough to subscribe, and have been once; and I don't
mean to go again. Everything is to be done now, too, by
examinations. Unrewarded merit is to be no more per-
mitted. I am seriously afraid of a commission coming
down some day to examine me.
The author laments the cosy social gatherings of
former days, and considers that one obstacle to early
re arriages is the want of this medium of familiar
acquaintance between young men and young ladies.
The first article in Fraser is a reprint of the
lecture delivered at the Royal Institution on the 19th
of March, which has been already noticed by some
of our contemporaries. fhe subject is, " The In-
fluence of Women on the Progress of Knowledge,"
and Mr. Buckle's treatment of it is masterly in the
extreme. The backbone of his theory is that
women's minds are naturally deductive, and that thus
they exercise an elevating influence upon the in-
ductive tendencies of the male sex. The thought
of this essay is so clearly and elegantly expressed,
that we are apt at first sight to overlook its profun-
dity. The stream of ideas flows smoothly forward
with a union of depth and transparency that re-
minds us occasionally of Lord Bolingbroke ; and
the hardest logical formulae are enunciated with the
ease of perfect mastery and long familiarity. It is a
most striking production, and on such a perusal as
we have been as yet able to accord to it, we have been
completely carried along with the lecturer. For the
benefit of our lady readers we subjoin the following
simple explanation of two words that perhaps may
puzzle them :

The scientific inquirer, properly so called, that is, he
whose object is merely truth, has only two was of attain-
ing his teeny. lie may proceed from the external world
to the internal; or he may begin with the internal and
proceed to the external. in the former case he rtudies
the facts presented to his senses, in order to arrive at a
true idea of them ; in the latter case he studies the ideas
already in his mind, in order to explain the facts of which
his senses are cognizant. If he begin with the farts his
method is inductive ; if he begin with the ideas it is deduc-
tive. The inductive philosopher collects phenomena
either by observation or by experiment, and from them
rises to the general principle or law which explains and
covers them. The deductive philosopher draws the prin-
ciple from ideas already existing in his mind. and explains
the phenomena by descending on them, instead of rising
from them.

"My Winter Garden," being an account of a fox.
hunt by Mr. Kingsley, and " Mortality in the Army,"
are the two next best papers.
In the Dublin, " Gerald Fitzgerald " is interest-
ing; but oh, that Mr. Lever would get away from
Italy ! " Recent Oxtord Literature "is an agreeable,
sketchy paper, written in a friendly spirit, and
a graceful offering from a sister university. " Life
and Death in Tipperary " is the first part or a capital
Irish tale, reminding us somewhat of Gerald
Griffin.

The present is rather a good number of Tait ; but
what we never cease to wonder at in this magazine is
the department called the " Literary Register," in
which all the most insignificant books of the month
are selected for notice. The political articles—
though of course we cannot be expected to agree with
them—are not devoid of shrewdness, and show a
practised pen__

- The Irish Metropolitan Magazine contains a sen-
sible paper on " Biography ;" but in other respects is
not remarkable.

The Englishwoman's Journal improves. This
onth it contains some sprightly notices.