The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-30 00:00:00

BOOKS FOR TIIE RAIL.

Nothing can be more natural than that any notice-
able development in the material condition of the
country should have its corresponding literary re-
sults. Feudalism had its ballade-cultivated leisure
its novels; and railways now have distinct publica-
tions for themselves. Trains, like carrier-pigeons,
carry letters along with them.
A few years ago it seemed that railways were to
be supplied with a peculiar class of books of amuse-
ment, and those under the names of " Shilling Books"
A certain num-

enjoyed greet railway popularity.
ber of writers estabhshed railway ,
fume at Wolverton, popular on the Midland, and
eenewned at Exeter. But the system has received
an extension since then, partly owing to the stimulus
which the Exhibition gave to everything connected
with locomotion, and new books of all sorts are spo-
chilly reprinted for railway reading. Books,
practical and poetical, both enter into this enlarged
list, and every station is a library. Our tables bear
witness to the energy of publishers in these matters,
and we must clear off the public obligation in our
capacity of journalists, by saying a few words of
some of their productions. The diffusion of litera-
ture is surely a cheerful matter always. How de-
lightedly does the younger Pliny tell his friend in
one of his letters how he has stumbled on a provin-
cial of literary
.acquirements.
Here, for Instance, we have a new edition of
Eothen," by the Longman', in two volumes, for
two shillings. Let us thankfully greet this volume
of travels—so vivacious and in such good taste al.
ways —in its cheap form. Graceful, picturesque
sketching of the oriental life, where the sentiment is
not exaggerated, nor the fun vulgar—utter renuncia-
tion of all cant and affectation - manliness in tone
and poetry in treatment, characterise this book; and
everybody may enjoy them now.
Murray offers us some equally welcome books.
Lord Mahon's " Forty-five," " The Turf," " The
Chase," the " Essays from the Times," the abridged
edition of " Layard's Nineveh,"--are all equally
cheap, elegant, and acceptable. To the latter we
must give a more extended notice hereafter.
"Readings in Popular Literature" is a series of
considerable variety. It gives us a reprint of " Ire-
land Sixty Years Ago." " Ireland Sixty Years Ago"
gives ns a series of descriptions of what was most
vivacious in the Hibernian sooundrelism of that
period. A very melancholy book it is ; for the
author, who seems neither heartily to hate, nor yet
honestly to acknowledge, what he likes in the stories
he gives us, treats the subject unsatisfactorily. It is
with difficulty that he makes his descriptions suffi-
ciently brisk to overcome the naturally loathsome
subject of his book, which, however, is well worth
reading in these days of the "Celtic Exodus."
This same series includes the very lively and
instructive " Ten, Years in Australia," by the Rev.
1). Mackenzie, M.A. It is full of capital informa-
tion suited to emigrants, and more or less interesting
to everybody, for it is a very readable book. The
"World in its Workshops" is a critical examination
of the fabrics, &c., in the Great Exhibition, and full
of interest for people curious in the application of
science to popular industry.
" Turf Characters " is a cheap book of Bentley's,
depicting the "Jockey," the " Trainer," &c. the
writer seems to know what he is writing about, but
not so well how to write it.

It is scarcely necessary to recommend those lucid
little treatises, " Chambens's Papers forithe Peop!e,"
always welcome in these days of " Quarterly " stag-
nation.
One line of

is sufficient for a
favourite publisher, Cheeks Knight's "National Edi-
tion of ftakspere." He gives us for a shilling an
admirably edited and printed play.
" The Crystal Palace and its Contents," Part 11.,
of an "illustrated Cyclopedia of the Great Exhibi-
tion," embraces all sons of cyclopedic information,
with engravings in abundance, for sixpence.—The
" Cyclopedia of Useful Arts " is a work of some-
what similar character.
Tallis's Illustrated London" is an illustrated
guide-book to the Metropolis. It furnishes engrav-
ings of the principal public buildings, and the letter-
press gives antiquarian information concerning the
town, which is dull enough after Leigh Hunt and
Peter Cunningham, but possibly as good as we have
a right to expect for the shilling here demanded.
John K. Chapman and Company communicate to
the world Goldsmith's " Vicar of Wakefield" and
Sterne's" Sentimental Journey," in quarto size, full
of French illustrations, at sixpence each. The
series comprising these is called " Illustrated Litera-
ture of All Nations;" and promises " Don Quixote,"
loom! others. Besides the above-named books of
stablished renown, "Marion Lescaut " and a novel
d Sue's have appeared, though to us they arc by no
=sans equally welcome. " Manon Lescaut's " only
ehum—of style, namely—is necessarily lost in a
translation ; it is very commonplace in character,
very monotonous in story, and alternates between
bad moral matter and sham sentiment of the high-
flown species—a dangerous book, a dull one, and
awfully over-rated by writers who are both dLiger-
ous and dull.
Such are the present contributions to railway
reading on our table, which it will be seen are mil-
ciently various and copious. The practical element
the reader observes to be pretty strong here. It is to
be hoped that if wholesale cheap re-printing is to go
forward, a good direction will be given to the
literary part of it. Why should not the stores of
our old literature be more widely opened to the
struggling, self-educating masses? Why does not
some enterprising trader try Milton's prose, Dryden's
prefaces, a choice bit or two from Taylor and Fuller,
old Johnson's preface toi his Shakspere, the letters of
Gray, or even a few translations from the classics or
the old moderns who chose the Latin language? We
are nearer now-a-days to Cobbett's political ideal of
a state where everybody could eat Bacon; and may
begin to advance to Brougham's one, where every-
body may read him ! At all events, the Rail is help-
ing us.