The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-03 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Fraser has this month an article which would of
itself be sufficient to keep up the credit of the maga-
zine. It is entitled "Tristram Shandy, or the Car-
toes." Monne every ooe who hes reed Sterne can
see clearly enough that the ides of "The Caxtons
and "My Novel is taken from " Tristram Shandy."
The literary world needed as little teaching with
reaped to this fact, as the antiquarian world
upon the point of Sterne's own obligatioos to Bur.
ton's "Anatomy of Melancholy." But "The
Caxton." is new and brilliant, and " Tristram
Shandy " is old, and is apt to be placed in obscure
earners of the library. Lawrence Sterne pays the
penalty of indulging m groaners by being banished
tram the best society t and although most people
have read him, few are food of talking about him.
Thus it is that one of the most exquisite works of
fiction in the language is ooe of the lout popular.
When, therefore, "The Caztons" appeared, even than
who recognised in it an echo of "Tristram Shandy"
said little about the paternity of the novel, and
were content to take thankfully the goods
with which the gods provided them. Few took the
trouble of comparing the copy with the original, to
trace the features of resemblance. This has been
done by the author of the article in Fraser and it
must be confessed that the evidence not merely of
copyism, but downright plagiarism, is overwhelming.
The oontinuatioa of "Kate Coventry" is kept up with
spirit. The articles on "The Data Army," " Pro-
testandsm," and "The Bose Garden of Sadi," me
worth reading.
The prominent article in Blackwood is entitled
"Biography run Mad." It is in the tomahawk style
of the early days of the magazine--sharp, crushing,
one-sided, and vituperative. It contains some tre-
mendously hard hitting against two biographies
which have lately created a great sensation in the
"States." The subjects are Horace Greeley and
James Gordon Bennett, editors of two of the most
popular newspapers in the United States. We may
admit that the biographies are curiously open to
censure, bat we namely, think that the writer
of the article is justified in visiting so heavily thallium
of the biographer upon the hero. " Nicaragua and
the Filibusters" is another onslaught of the rabid
tory against the rabid democrats. Amidst some ex.
sweetie)°, there is much that is worth reading in
the article. As might be expected, Blackwood runs
stark staring mad on the subject of Mr. Baron
Parka's peerage. Two articles on the subject appear
in this number, entitled severally "Peerages for
Life" and "The Wensleydale Creation." We seed
not say that they do little else but embody the argu-
ments of Lord Lyndhurst and his friends. There is a
good but ponderous article oa " Liddel's History of
Ziemer," which will repay perusal. Those headed
the " Greek Church," the " Scottish Fisheries," and
" Sydney Smith," are worthy of the old days of the
magazine.
The Dublin University Nagasine is, es neuel„
clever and original. There are good criticisms on
" Marriat's Sea Vitoria," " Novels and Novelists" in
general, and " New Books." "A Handful of Jaco-
bite Songs "codeine some genuine verses. " Potem-
kin," the "Amber Mouthpiece," " After the Battle,"
are each fall of talent.