The Press.
London, England, 1856-04-12 00:00:00

APRIL 12, 1856.

t‘ How couldst thou know my utter wretchedness?
I lately read it in thy cruel Bonn."
]►ly blood ran cold, and terror fill'd my heart
At my own truthless, which had thus beheld
What was to be ;—iny labouring brain gave way,
And, wild with very horror—l awoke.

Even in that piece some morbid influence can
be detected. Suryit amari aliquid. He must
always show the thorn amidst his flowers. But
Heine ought to be tenderly treated, as he was
a martyr fur years to cruel physical sufferings.
We are sorry tnat the translator did not dwell
at greater length upon his author. The ma-
jority of our English readers would desire to
have a snore extended notice of him than Mr.
Wallis has prefixed. He merely glanoen at
Heine's life in the following way :

The life of Heino contains few facts for a biographer.
He was born in 1799, of Jewish pareuts, at Dusseldorf, in
Rhineland. He studied at Bonn, Berlin, and Gottingen,
where he gained his degree as doctor of laws. In 1831 he
took up his residence at Paris, to escape the dangers to
which his liberal politics exposed him in his own country.
Paring the last eight years of his life he was a prey to a
painful
and hopeless malady, whirl terminated in death in
the present year. After arriving at manhood he abjured
Judaism, and became a Protestant. But this is not the
place for tracking his many variations; after being a pupil
of Hegel, and a Pantheist, he lived to declare German
philosophy to be pure Atheism, and as such to renounce it.
He married a Catholic wife according to the Catholic
ritual, an,l subscribed the engagement that the offspring
of the wedding should be Catholic ; but so far as his re-
ligious convictions can be collected from his writings, he
died in the faith in which he had been brought up—a Jew.
Heine's popularity is not likelt• to diminish
. German literature, as his technical com-
mand of poetical artifices was considerable,
.;d there was much human pathos in some of
his effusions. He has no exact analogue in

oglish letters, though several passages Fecal
lose poets of our language who have been
versed in German literature.

It is not unlikely that this volume will reach
second edition, and we recommend that the
translator shoull insert a detailed account of
Le poet and his works.

The Trarts-Caueasian Campaign of the Turkish
Army under Outer Pacha. By Laurence
Oliphant. London: Blackwoods.
fon military men are, we believe, nearly
.greed that Kars never need have fallen. The
real reasons why Omer Pacha's pr•-•posal for
relief was not carried out in the summer
likely, Mr. Oliphant thinks, to continue a
lystery ; but in his opening chapter he gives
a very lucid sketch of the difficulties
against whichlthe Turkish commander had to
contend. According to his account, the blame
'tould be divided between the French and
uglish. Generals Simpson and Pelissier
411 opposed most vehemently the departure
the Turkish army from the Crimea, and the
ithorities at Paris and in London confirmed
teir decision. They also held that an expe-
lion by way of Erzeroum would be a safer
ad more beneficial plan than that pro-
posed by Omer Pacha. Three or four precious
lionths were consumed in these discussions,
id though the Blue-book on the fall of Kars
yes us all the facts of the case, " there is,"
tys Mr. Oliphant, " one point of great im-
portance upon which it is silent " :
We learn from its pages that one general proposed to
to an army to the relief of Kars, and the reasons are
oly stated which induced him to make the proposition,
and confidently to predict success. We are further in•
firmed who those generals were who opposed the prosecu-
tion of this design ; but we are nowhere enlightened as to
their motives for so doing. When, however, we remember
• serious consequences which this refusal involved, and
high military authorities from whom it emanated, we
oi scarcely allow ourselves to doubt the correctness of the
deci,iou at which they arrived. At the same time the corn
Aerations by which thee were influenced must hare been
weighty and important that it is only a pardonable
curiosity if (now that nothing is to be feared from their
lisclosnre) we may be permitted to inquire what they
Itere. "It is unriecessary," says hord Stratford, "to fill
the only lacuna which appears in either the statement
on the measures taken for the relief of Kars, drawn up by
General Mansfield) or the abstract (of correspondence on
same subject by Count Pisani). lam content to leave
= circumstances. which are there passel over, to your
ordship's recollection and sense of justice.
There is little in the present volume relating
the purely military operations of the cam-
ign which we did not know before, and
lose interested in such matters will have
Ade themselves masters of the details from
)thee sources. But the work contains much that
interesting, and in some respects novel, re

At my own
What was I
And, wild I
Even in th
be detecte,
always she
Heine oug
a martyr 1,
We are sot
at. greater
jovity of o
have a ino!
Wallis ha!
Heine's lif
The life of
lie was born
Rhineland.
where he gait
took up his e,
which his lib(
During the la
painful and h
the present y.
3 toldiSlll, and
place for tract
of Hegel, and
philosophy to
He married
ritual, ani an
of the weddin
ligious convey
died in the fa
Heine's
in German
wand, of I
and there I
his effitsioi
English let
those poet
versed in C
It is not
a second cc
translator t
the poet an
TA Tram-
Army to
Oliphant
Those mile
agreed that
real reason
its relief wt
is likely, M
mystery ;
us a very
against whi
contend. .4
should be
English.
both oppose
of the Turk
authorities
their decisi
dition by v
and more
posed by 0
months wet
and though
gives us all
says Mr. (
" portance
We learn fi
take an army
fully stated wh
and confident)
firmed who th
tion of this des
their motives f
the serious con
the high indite
can scarcely ail
deciz.iou at whi
si.lerations by
so weighty at
curiosity if (iv
disclosnre) wt
were. "It is
up the only lac
ton the measui
beneral Manst
the same sulijo
the eircumstau
ordship's recol
There is 1
to the pure]
Pal= wine
those inter
made them*
other sourec
triteresfii