The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-18 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

ra, Nary: Br Pate and P•ewat State. By Raw-Admire
S.r CHAILLSP NATIER, K C B. E 'red by Yojor.o CCCCC I
fia Narmr, K.O B. DS !lir g

The reader meet not imagine' though the above
gentlemen muster four histories between them, duly
appended to the title-page. that the ()cement perform-
ance is a biarery. It consists pimply of a series of
the admiral's letters on steal matters, written at
various intervals since Inuttiry 1, 1818, to all sorts
of individuals, from duke, and premiers to provincial
journalists and anonymous correspondents. It is
one long Caimsndra wail from beginning to end • one
long prophet', of doom from first to' last. The Limi-
ral's apprehensions of our rain by naval powers
thicken like the plot of a tragedy. In the Bret letter
(1818, to Lord Melville) we are warned to dread the
Amencans ; thirty years afterwards, beck comes Sir
Cherie*, like a kind of sybil, with blue-books, to tell
as that he has
Beta fwty. sit rare in the serviw, and during all that
Hoe the wily issorovement Iwo le in the Giza of our skips !"
(I'. 13,,.)
the concluding remarks, which are supposed to
famish his final conclusion. after his experience of
servie.: and egitatioe, we find the following :
"The gisesti ot is—ma the French sni: Russians wad a
fleet to ars her r., Grew Britain ? As to Bums. there can-
not be • doubt of Ie k-.ps tap • large 8 •et of from
forty to fiftyihe list is the B,ltie sad Black Sea ;
en is reedy t. set ar.st Turkey, sat the other against
Great Britain ; and the ileitis Is epee, she eau brie./
that 11-et me our sent when she pleases. W. have no de.
me... env *seers even whatever, sod the coeitoi of
Sent/fwd with o clear we. is ~surely essusest. sad ow, es
laid under cwa...ortiow at wry twos, wed be IQ Sowed be the
sact,no i.ktspw. Los ills is batter do/want by the
chfc4lti of tit sisrigritiwt, bail by huthing eta."
Of the long Its: of prepaid reforms which he has
for the list Pliny-live years urged, " a few " only
have been cunt d out. We are not surprised, aeoord-
ingly, to fled that other members of the profession,
not setiee accirding to Sir Charles's notion., come in
for considi•reule repreheneion. With every t ffurt he
seems to have lit:1: succors—but in notoriety; a kind
of ite.c:ts much resembling, to our stride the noisy
reports of a non won tight. Captain Slade, having
entered to reply to him crincern;ng the naval re-
sources of nutlet., is sneered at (p. 163) as having
aced from interested motives. After the mention of
a review in Fouler, we are informed, in a fine strain
of delioste weave, that—
.. Sad we had a review at Sehlieset, est Minister of Merin
would caw be. n gepiag vita Aas moutA wide open, scarcely
kneeing 013 sus tit:we.o a minket and a .rut gun."
One charge of ineeebody's is too contemptible to
reply to." In feet, as regards the tone of these letters,
we certainly ca. n advice the cultivated classes of
this esuntry to read them, nor recommend them to
any future edam of " eleeant extracts." There is a
sort ut. "loud 80-en, Llueteriog railer" air about I
them which sugg et the nation of a "skipper" re-
priniandieg a " tar.' We have been freqaently 1
reminded is reading them of Cobbett--minsis his wit
and illustration ; and have still more frequently re-
fleeted painteliy on the different way in which that '
greet fisi naval writer, Admiral Csllingwood, would
have deal: with the moot questions.
It ie certainly very kind of Sir Curios to inform
the Res-ian, French, and Americans how, by culii- '
wing their navies, they may Loy, hi -and-bye to
seek oar cites, Seising Cargos by first pouncing '
on Elintrorgh, has doubtless ere this been discussed
is St. Peterehergli • thi ugh we would advise the '
Cat: to stay a lir le longer is the Baltic for further
retkcies on : Then, Freon hem pouted out to her
the " three c.eiriere" by which, at the ume of the
Syrian wee, is 1810, she might have brought on us
"dinhosuur and disgrace" (244,5). We aru ones or
twice retuirrerl that Mr. Pritchard's indemnity for
the Tahitian &flair Ins not be -u pr...d. There is from
the first a e. rteio quaralo.. &their—somewhat tri-
usiptiatit, too, es it were—which is eeither pleasant
to pople of hate, nor estimative of lofty motives.
Vie partien'm I) desire to point out how dir Charles
speaks of hie brother ufßeera the ivittoe. Tam ex-
tract is tress a kites. to Sir Jatal a Graham, written
from It U.s. lialatee, 1831.' 'Lie writer having
given hots. series he has a eubequeit charge to an-
nounce —but Oren soma pert—clearly intends it us
patsait of our day :
IM res. reury ratters, lowewl of Intim, a plea are
I• eurpop us tee deny with amarthess and alt.rity, and
erweveging tee mss to emol.enosider it vibe a task to keep
their rowel.; 4.1 Wee *oak,. u-al nor energy, sad. major
a emsawhip, Itisy Law NoShiag east it. 8 ,out.t a ship he
bask is a pima, stater the septsto she firr-lieutecanteleep
wits their sy io.n, she mast istrel•aSlT he rit.moted ;oU
they Mush oboed udeneiee Wooed on • Awe al nitwit as they
eon, sal p mule the lentainrora, noes the e.plats
son an. wow...at:a rocas are turn. d."
What do the gentlemen ahe took Aare sad blew
op,ll Chins say to th;n ? We hilt it to be splenetic
exaggeration. Tue nes, passgrapli is even stronger :

" At motet, sir, then 4 • I,xity .1 disci:dile, and a
brims et pawky, mimosa tr the ekvirie.., pervading all
Mawr. of Gotha ra. A IS. Mt. n►.,t formerly war br..d up to
treat tie rep an arLh more rr.r.3 than ea" now be ulrainipl
keen a mr...arymu, Pal • reproof true bin, now•adaya
NW* eared ror, 44s owe of enure avail. It 4 impneible to
kW: odiiLrs to a wort mortal ror Ltautenee, or general
gnat ■sal. .bey are ant • a•iole of «ithor 'toe one or
lb. oth.v. Th.p tarot at 'M it it called the obi Janet, wed
kW* (A. Mll. /MI quire fit t i ba eopfai•:a, when they are
hard',
.a 11.• Maga." (P . W.)
- -

There is a touch of pathos itbout the last italicised
acute .ee, which at once reminded us of Fallen, as •
grumbling g 'Annan. Does the admiral really
b here that increamel culture and rams attention to
the graces of life are inoompstible with gallantry,
discipline, or war; or that any man would fight better
now-a-days by turning out like Huditeu: If the
shovels! an accurate description of the Galatea, wash
Sir Charles comeranded at est time, we are sorry for
it. Bat we are willing to believe quite otherwise,
and, having hsd the curiosity to examine the table of
rourts-manial, is Mr. Hickman's recent treatise on I
them, do not Rad any down as hiving been held on
the ottit...:rs of that ship, who most surely have been
open to such from a "lesions officef—if the said de-
sci ileion were fairly applicable to thorn.
%%c really wonder taut Sir Diso Ica Nspier con-
sented to command such unfortunate ships; vet he
afterwards, as we all k .ow, passed triumphantly
throng% the Syrian war with his Sloe bargee flying,
soaked by these degenerate gentlemen, and has since
that time commanded the Channel equsdron.
Nevertheless, it mast not be imsgined that we are
insensible (nial.:l4 what we have said of the defects
and blemish's of this hick) to its real merit in the
points where it has merit. It's pages furnish many
—and excellently put—matters for the consideration
of reformers. The refried of proper measures for
gemming tam navy—which leave impressment (now
dimly begun by everybody to be held impossible) ap-
parently in, v tably to be attempted in war; the
abuses of dockyards; the creation of architectural!
abortions, or sea-monsters, unfit fora'purposes of use:
favouritism in promotion and restoration of high
command to men of great ago—are well "shown up"
here—though often you sympathise with the object
without sympathising much with the min. We ex•
traet a few passages here and there illustrative of
these matters. Our liberal readers will ere by theme
how they lose their money, while government boards'
keep their places. The admiral, too, It will be seen,
hasan occasional pungent expreuioo, sending the
idiot home with a ring from the gun, as it were, brass
Carr on, by the way, being just the ordnance for that!
W. class the following as

1•IIACTIU 07 THII ADNIMAILTT.

---•---•-•
The Allairaity.instar of hotter =min reships (for the
small addition they gar was nothing) and 'sorra( their
&worrier sad regret at their being taken without
taf "T wrier io ism on the *arny. and their dronainatioa
to aloha the armor eztosplo of aro wham ships wm lo
to? ran is,stad a *wet order Not to avail* t 4. largo
Ammer frinErs, Mu* f/trowiog all rho Wiwi% oa tk
captains. and briar/in. thou into rattrap% with their dB.
tors and ship's companr." (P. 2$ )
Each Board of Admiralty, for the lart rutty years, luir
had their frilling art., mad their orderless have boon
so have that they have ba:n lb. laughing mock of t very dam ,
of naval 01130.11. la the We Lord Melville's administration!
tart. was half a dem dr frimitto ban., sad they asitlior
solid nor stood op seder never ; they were delieored by e
sot of 22 gas frig mos, are the We, sad tor what pima
tA,S, were bail, God .04 Jkr !Airy mother ma,
fiht a.r rim away, as air nue -A by two Wait fibs
by fh.Coostirouon." (P. de.) (e. D. Ti.)a
" The principal antis, if the Pint lord en politico sad
Pat"uffe, the tenor et whisb is ad eereeeed by tbo &Art
leielet.ro red 'km friends, that little dr Waft is kr' "
the service." (P. 78.)
It !a a teadowatal rah at 9orernt.hoar to nut,
rhodft Plan tar the as improveont of the awry, be ft good or
T 7
or mass hem • nut of *tarot or a Mookboad, roan.
Adore ramonoso the no plus .vibes of perdiegasa. sad W-
ie heel's that Om whole arm went cd the aassay mared
:taz vas body. (toluenes, iu4N, it baffle.' lair

the lapse of • quartet of • eintury, *es moron* by other
STO brought torrent so their ow• ; and &Amid -megfAiisit
so striainolo good that they are afraid teat to adopt it, tow ,
etre Wormed that yow ideas hate been anticipated Litely, •
committee of outset officers have been forced down their
throsts, to review the rigging-warrant, which they might
Ears done themselves had thry attended to the serious repre-
sentations that were na.de to them; but their bigotry and
t Wieser would not allow them to listen to any rop es!
tinidlng to change au isitablihment that had subsisted for •
century, or more, for aught I know." (P. SS )
"A war mey surprise us, and, if any untoward accident
should happen at the Ant Mush, the indignation of this
country would be so rowed. that IA. Board if Adagio oily
k OW& probobty lose Mt, Aegis!'"
(TO* last probability Sir Charles once or twice awn
touches on—not without a certain dry look of gusto!)

" The 50 gun ship' sad 44's on two decks, tvrentrais la
somber, are all gone. We persists:l in building these ships
many years after the youngest boy in the navy knew they
were nub me. The last, I think, was the I.ie, sad she wee
converted into a frigate. I blame those who coniinued to
bui:d them at • great expense, sad I think those who got rid
of them would have 'holm more judgment, had they con-
'trivet them into receiving ships, coal depots, Ike., Instead of
many tolerable two-des ked skips The greatest slaughter of ell
was the frigate* from 30 guns and upwards. At the end of the
war we had 162, Welds, store and receiving shine. The
lime frigates were thought perfection till the Mantras war
proved they were totally incapable of eoniendiog with the
large American frigates; bat, notwithstanding that, and the
number we had on hand, I'6 id, by a parliameniary niters,
dated the 24th of April, 1846, since the year 1815 we have
built no lees than forty the tem 42 to 46 guns, only thie-
f Won of which have b en to sea." (Pp. 192, 3.)
Facts like these must attract attertioc, brought
forward how or by whomever they may. The deli-
cate question whether Sir Charles Napier be a man of
" discretion," he and Lord John Russell (whose let-
ters state that he is not so) will undoubtedly be
left to settle between themselves. Sir Charles, as we
know from his book on the Syrian war, attacked the
" western be, tery " of Acre instead of the " northern
angle," and likewise concluded a peace with Mehemet
All, "all oat of his own head," which was repudiated
by the edmirsl and Lord Forsonhy. Yet both them
movements proved right and successful ; and so, likely
enough, may more of hie " agitating " assaults than
some would think. This book has a great deal of
industry, aed energy, and shrewdness about it,
though other qualities be not equally welcome. But
in every fight we stippos? the smell of emoke must'
Dr tolerated for the ask'. of the effect!

Irorks of Horace. Illustrated With a Life. By the
Rev. H. H. MTIAII4. Moray.
The Odes and Boodes of Horace. Tran.loted Liteally
and Ibtiormically. By W. ItsweiL, B , Fellow and

fab-Ilee‘or of Exrtrr Collefe, Oxford. Bohn.
liorace; Odes, lepaits, andCarasess,rrulare. Trans-

int. d Into EnylisA Ve;sy. Be WHTTS MILVILLI,
E q tato (Lir:terms Guards. Simpk,n, arsbali,4no Co
Mr. Murray's Horace is one of those sumptuous and
imperial editions of a clatsic, which, like Gilb.rt
Wakefield's "Lucretius," and Ulivet's "Cicero," are
filed (in the words of Gibbon) "fir the tables of the
rich and the shelves of the learned." Here we have fine
paper and printing, borders gay with colour, and
illustrations (rem antique sources, to each separate
song, satire, and epistle. Mr. Nlilmsn, in his capacity
of editor, has availed himself of all the resources of
modern scholarship; he is well backed by the pro-
found industry of Germany ; be gives constant
references to the latest discoveries and speculations,
and we have even a letter by G. Dennis, E‘q., concern-
ing li”race's country-house, which is at once lesrued
and lively.
Mr. Manua, as biographer, however, is not so ex-
emplary ap. Ilion. There are two or three ways of
*riting a " Life." 'foe lE.st are those vivid and
hearty ones which recall the lost hero, and
bring him before the eye; a hich are written from
love and loyalty ; and where there is some real deep
resemblance in character between writer and subject.
Su.l is cos "Agricola"; such is that delirntful
little book "Roper's Life of Sit Thomas More;" and
such are the "Lives of Ina, Walton." But Mr.
Milman is one of these biegrapt.ers who chronicle a
a man as they would chronic:ld a 1).d,, with much
correct external mutt. no diabr, and in good polished
scholastic English. But where is the humanity—whene
is the poetic iusight ? Mr. :Ullman ought to have
had (like the ancient mouirc`i) some one at his
elbow to remind him that he wsa a man—ant only
an ediur, bat a flesh and blood brother of Ho ace's
and Horace's' reader..

There is a tone of timidity in Mr. Milman's ex-
preseioes of opinion which agrees only too well with
occasional vapidity of style. We are told that " pro-
bably the must extensively opers'ive cause of the
rapid decay of the Roman popular poetry was
the dissolution of the Roman people." We
should say very " probably," indeed, did we
admit the latter fact, as Mr. Shims° seems to do.
But airily there is much exaggera ion in the talk
about this diesolutloo. The troops who conquered
under the emperors, long after liorsee's time, sun ly
gave proof of their old lt man lineage; and the num-
ber of private soldiers who destroyed themselves
(as Tacque tells us), after the suicide of Otho, shows
the mainten ince of .bat old Roman spirit abich Will
propagated throin,:h the rice. The fact was, th it the
old Roman poetry became history for the Roman
people--history welch they believed, whatever criti-
cism says to it now. Tory did not disci.se it as
" Saturnian," nor argue Aix''t it as liter iture. It was'
part and parcel of their life—it was hall their religion,
and all their inspiration.
This consideration has an important bearing on
what Mr. Ntilman says of the want of a national
poetry amang the Romans—when speskirg of what is
certainly the fed, viz., that all the Roman writers
fo•med therinelvis on the Greeks. Their history was
their poetry. They did poems issued of writing them.
They were stet. omen and law3ers and warriors—a
kingly people, who had the rot of the world to sing
to them, as they had daves to dance before them.
'Toil; primary fret recognised, it becomes superfluous
to attribute th, it west of original lyric poetry to want
of "scenic representation," &c. These are secondary
coneideriviots :—to d• al with them as causes is as
great a mistake as it would be to argue on the west
of windmills among a people thus They have cot
materials for sails; woed is dear, Oee. • the troth all
the time being that the said people did not think of
employing wind-agency in that way, and ground
their corn by other methods, from the nature of their
country. For our part, we have no doubt that the
best spoken retry of Rome less in the speeches of its
orators—practical poetry, as great oratory pro-
paly is.
On two imintis we heartily agree with Mr. ?stamen,

and Naomi him highly toiurithg them. let. That
Horaoe's Wages, Glycers., and poetical mistresses

generally, had never any exicenee but in the seraglio
of Lis imagination. 20d. That the didactio poetry of
1(30111 is the best in the world. To suppose tnat a
philosopher. as Honor essentially ware temperate,
worldly, speculative inan—S MOM what coarse old gen-
' tleman (we have:he her ad Brundisium in cur eye),was
perpetually assoc!ating with romantic Gre.k singers
and datcers—each lyric being addreecd to a new
real one—appears to us quite monstrous. He would
be prevented doing so, both by his virtues and failings
—the sense that would make it preposterous—the
homeliness that would make it dictums!.

Horace's writings alone would settle the second
question. Its "Odes" we cannot (with Shelby in
our head) call
_poeery. But when we reed his
" Satires" and "Epistles," then we recognise him, u
the man of whom Coleridge says that he was " the
i darling of the court of Augusta•, whose works have
always been the pocket-oompantoa of those who pride
them/elves on uniting the gentleman and the
scholar."

Of old Home's personal character, it ought to be
mid that no man ever better enstaiaed his personal
dignity. One thinks of him, as an easy good-
natured men, of high culture, leading the life of a
philosophic man of the world, with guslities better
suited toe higher species of charaoter. The old reli-
gion he does not seem to have believed in—longer
than each ode in which he celebrated its deities men-
pied his pen. He appears to have given his intellec-
teal assent to the stoics ; to have thought the epica-
MSS reasonable and worthy of attention—acid to have
led a life on good terms with both arste me as an jade-
pendent literary mirtkmen.
Tremslatiocs of Hones are usually only illustra-
tions of the maxims laid down by Lamartane, in his
"Discuses de Reception," at the French Academy.—
Oa we &adult person's.. Let the reader who *cloys
his Tennyson try and luxuriate in the Latin versions
of his favourite, and he will then emnrathise with a
Horatian who has to reed hie master in English.
Herein Returns, like Ulysses, in the garb of a beggar.
It moires, indeed, a faithful "Argue" to recognise
him at all.