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

PERIODICAL LITERATURE.

WE notice in Blackwood this month a little falling
of, or perhaps we should say greater inequality than
usual. Nothing, on the one hand, can surpass the
instalment of " What will he do with it." Gentle•
man Waife's triumph in the Town-hall of Gates-
borough is one r f the very happiest efforts of Sir
Bulwer Lytton's pen. The mind is so carried away
by the art of the writer that we do not stay to
criticise details or ponder on probabilities. The
scene is an irresistible appeal to our common
humanity and romance, and to our minds affords a
certain augury of the attractiveness of the whole
tale, for it shows that the author's best powers are
still in their meridian. This is the best paper in the
number. But what shall we say when we turn to the
worst? Anything more utterly wishy-washy than
the article entitled " Modern Light Literature—
Society," it has seldom been our fate to peruse,
although the warmest admirers of contemporary
literature will not deny that our periodicals contain
a good deal of that stamp. This precious essay is
divided between the puffery of a lately published
novel on "Society," the tone and style of which are
equally obsolete, and awkward attempts at making
the writer appear a man of the world. Anything
more calculated to convey to our northern neigh-
bours a false impression we have never met with.
Between these two are papers of various shades of
merit. " New Sea-side Studies " is one of a series
remarkable for fresh and pleasant writing, as well as
much solid information conveyed in a genial style.
"The Syrian Route to the East " is a valuable
paper, advocating the Euphrates Valley line of rail-
way.
In Fraser we have a very spirited continuation of
" The Interpreter." Major Melville, in the present
number, takes us up to the walls of Sebastopol, mid
introduces us to the genuine camp life pursued by
dandies from Ain:tack's and the Opera. A review of
Buckle's " History of Civilisation " is thoughtful and

temperate, though, as far as we can gather that gen-
tleman's meaning, too favourable. There are cer-
tain instincts so strongly implanted in us that even
where they seem to come into collision with facts we
are warranted in doubting the latter and looking for
some future explanation rather than in rejecting the
former. But Mr. Buckle's method seems exactly
the reverse of this. "Shooting in Albania," "Jays
and Nutcrackers," and "Wanderings on Exmoor,"
are three very pleasant sporting and naturalist
essays; and Art is represented by three papers seve-
rally entitled " The Origin and Function of Music,"
" Manchester, and its Exhibitions of 1857," and " Art
and History."
The Dublin contains such a number of articles of
great substance and research that we cannot really
undertake to do justice to its contents. The open-
ing paper upon India is a forcible censure of the
shortsightedness of our Indian policy, and espe-
cially of Lord Dalhousie. The following paragraph
illustrative of the state of our defences at the break•
ing out of the mutiny is worth quoting:—
From Calcutta to the Sutlej, to overawe territories
containing 2(19,989 square miles, under our direct rill.,
besides many great principalities of native chiefs, populated
by one hundred millions of people, we had H.M.'s 53rd
regiment at Calcutta, the 10th at Dinapore, the .32nd at
Cawnpore , the 3rd Bengal European regiment at Agra, the
Carabineers and 60th Rifles at Meerut, the 61st at
Ferozepore, and three weak regiments—H.M.'s 75th and
the let and 2nd Fusiliers, out of sight and reckoning in
the hills. In other words, we undertook to control an
empire equal in extent to Great Britain, Austria, and
liavasria, and a population outnumbering that of Great
Britain, France, and Austria, with ten thousand English.
men.

Professor Creasy's "jPeace of Utrecht" is deformed by
the repetition of the stupid and stale old slander '
about Bolingbroke. Nothing but peace at that
moment could have secured either the honour of '
England or the interests of Europe. The former
had been tarnished by the cool and selfish conduct
of Austria, and the latter was imperilled by the
impending union of Austria and Spain, which must
have resulted from the continuance of the war. Any-
body who will take the trouble to study the facts of
the case in an impartial spirit cannot fail to perceive
this. As for St. John's supposed partiality for
the Stuarts, writers obstinately ignore the patent
truth that the Succession at that time was quite an
open question, and overlook the circumstance that
those who would have protracted hostilities to spite
the friends of James were actuated by every whit as
much self-interest as those who terminated them for
an opposite reason. The article on "The Purchase
System " is opportune and impartial, but we do not
fancy the writer has given any deep thought to the
subject. He certainly does not succeed in answer-
ing the objection he quotes from Lord Grey to any
abolition of that system. Mr. Shirley Brooks's
story is continued with his usual smartness ; and
we have some very pretty verses, "In Memoriam,
It. W. A." The remaining articles seem to possess
merit, and certainly, if the treatment of them is
worthy of the subjects, this number of the Dublin
must be pronounced one of the best magazines of
the month.
Bentley this month is particularly good. "The
English in India" is a singularly useful article, con-
veying a volume of information about ordinary
'lndian matters in which the British public is eager
to be instructed. "A Fortnight's Sport in the High-
lands "is a pleasant sporting sketch. The death of
the stag is told with great spirit. "A. Mysterious
Visitot " is the title of the tale with which the
authoress of " Ashley " comes before the public this
month. It is scarcely up to her mark. "The Mil-
lionaire of Mincing-lane" sustains its interest. And
the article on the list India Company, though
infected by the sneering spirit against Christianity,
is politically sound.
The best articles in the New Monthly, are, a long
historical paper upon Delhi, a readable sketch
of "Fox at St. Anne's Hill," an interesting con-
tinuation of " The Newspaper l'ress " by Mr.
Andrews, and " A Day in York," in which the
antiquities and traditions of that good old city are
treated briefly, but well enough to show how much
might be made upon the subject.
Tait has a very violent article on our Indian
crisis, which the writer professes to believe a proof
that England should be governed by a Convention
On the principle that similia similibus curantur, per:
haps anarchy abroad might fairly be met with chartism
at home ; but we do not think that the experiment
will be tried. Some good reviews of books, and a
tale called " The Smuggler's Revenge," are the best
of the remaining papers.
The National Magazine contains its usual assort-
ment of tales, essays, domestic advice, and :natural
history. There is nothing in it whicli requires more
particular characterisation. It is up to its usual
standard, and that is a high one.
The Train for October has its regular continua-
tions of Mr. Brough's and Mr. Friswell's stories, but
its most important feature is the republication of a
sketch by Mr. Yates which appeared in Sharpe's