The Express.
London, England, 1858-07-05 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

Lilo is Tholanarkois; or, Notes of Thual in South
Western Norway. By the Rev. FILIDIRICE
METCALF; M.A. In two Tames. Hunt and
Blackett

We imagine, by this time, the intelligent British
public has become pretty well tired of the Indian
debate, and the filthy state of the Thames, and the
Paris oonferenoes, and the probability of pros or
war. It is not alone where the other sex le con-
cerned that variety is charming; the love of it is as
strong as the iron power of custom, which compels a
fashionable Englishman to come to town when the
eenntry Is meet charming, and to stop in the country
whim torn makes a man independent of the weather.
Ws sped a &arra of reading as of air. We have
had enough of politics and parliamentary debates.
We would turn to " fresh woods and pastures new."
Reading foreign travel is almost as good as travel-
ling yourself. Moore could not have displayed more
knowledge of Persia in " Lash Rookh," had he tra-
velled thither. Is not Mills's still the beet history
of India—end was not that written not far from
Leadenhall-street ? That the reader has other &W-
-riggles is clear, or will be so from the most
superficial perusal of any of the volumes we have
placed at the head of this article. Mr. Metcalfe, it
es tree, rooms creature comforts, sneers at the
"stewy, stuffy, adipooere state of frame" of the man
of in-door's mind ; yet we are net mire that
the scorner has always the best of it.
The old proverb says, Toe may send your pitcher
too often to the well. Mr. Metcalfe does not think
so. The public bought his fleet book on Nanny;
he does not see why the public should not bey a
second book on a similar theme. We trust he may
not be disappointed ; yet we confer to feeling that
Norway is in some danger of being overdone. It is a
land which Englishmen may well lore to study. Its
people are of our common stock we see it in their
language, in their independence, in theirindusstry;in
their democracy and their self-respect. So far as Mr.
Metcalfe sees this and gives us alustratione,we thank
him for fresh light; but of salmon-fishing, of tine
trout in tempting pools, of bear-hunting, of pine-
horst., and rocks and snows, we have had quite
enough. Mr. Metcalfe only occasionally wanders
into the beaten track. He knows after all that to
man there is nothing of such vital interest as man ;
he has an observant eye, and can well describe what
he ass. His principal fault is a tendency to be
fanny ; and college wit, if we may speak from
Tammy, is not of the very brightest character. Fat
fellowships and professorships are not favourable to
the development of comic power. He that has ears
to hear may hear more wit in a ride on a 'bus from
the Bank to Pimlico than—we write it with all due
respect for those illustrious individual—he will be
heated with by college tutors and professors in the
coarse of a twelvemoath. Oh, reader, if after long
absence and mach travail and labour in this huge
hive we call London there bath oome to thee a col-
lege friend, one who has been living a life of uniform
existence from year to year, while to thee there
have berm innumerable conflicts with thy B
easfess, bast thou not found him somewhat s ow, and
is his conversation detected a latent tendency to
weariness? Thus it is with Mr. Metcalfe when he
attempts a smartness which will be better appre-
ciated at Lincoln Oollege, Oxford, than in the great
world for which be writes. Mr. Metcalfe, however,
is a venial offender, and we have said enough. The
tour was made in the summers of 1836-7. At ones
Mr. Metcalfe begin' taking notes. The following is
his account of

A pislit In-sbrntiily- —ld is by the ewer
dos hem dr inkhorn' id Ilkilsv Ad Inuanwm,
tho olthopthek tho blimp ef4ble ow
of the wan 7 bikini le be last with of this cooky
mean et that pi la the history at it elvilkedes
the eir inalse d Norreps ham pail may yeas wp—
min Um pis el the fret deeemot of ribs. err
earnamil a sprit of thetherdthatios to A. established km
Ali of the lira as by Is. minlkhol. We ere Immer
paled le the days of Wntisil A WOW. Ingmar" who
Y
pears lo be a Amore pin, it arks of the misty et tales
eilentio obi him. Niemen by taus greeter
Widow of .slid. Ha rest Amid So bap. children.
The kin Min ormeilly htla ince with the abash
mains; end the spit wee the he has idol tress the
wlth a somber is the far su, with whom
his Is a Smiles. The crash remerkabie pat at the
walba„ k he A apply, It le mid, ha semen-
riicklll um ether relit the
wtth.whose privies ell thelt gostlens eons,
Alin to any soh Urnerrmeds.lobe sew
• lean is my posessei to be the ernhenos ol
Mk el this "New Chola." In the pia!e
dry slate that they to Ate proper an of Gate word
red eirornts. But se they do% see bow they as de this
in the Otte church, Is whisk the word Is net ly
=oar the soraimals duly militia, vs
to km trjesbalhemp=sos to
oisisky At the Law of 16,
1146. 17m be im et htheen iv semi .Neel to
Writ. A 0 that the Mb iamb to big Alien
to Libq with 'moo Ind hie s ot Ato bo-
rne Arm they on Whom that Jams Christ is the sun
of Ged, A poi to obey his Gospel. Herne the
Woe ley ids wee yesog children, end at the si thee
id Yrk a„, moo lilt At a Wet iterka, SON 'WM
so kin by kommes. The Holy therninka 1e Oho
is memtkable=mporvistr Win to no therste ;
esothei sr y, aroma sopkoi.
The so on beard is dopy A high ,thler
bad le Into he min Waged urn antabthissil
by kw. In Ash they tit A rend the
b a dell omit, periled bike a Doan=
Mr dad me boded la Anse, bi bents to the prays
hymned the hwWs , War the porn Is Wed op • psalm
k mop
AN Um Aim el the ostmeeilty scree to submit, if
Airy, to brotharly mesime ; and if tads is et no avail,
empolska. Timmy ilia ham the ocianion is
the wrestles bbe paitl. These rake wire accepted by
home' eitpdaiwAs, oe the 4th July, ISM
=rg ash Mho' thdr snit Irak ern prima& by ms's
In A don be mew no Lord i 5...,
To Imo oath Air with strew desies,
To with nethenthe ere o aim

Mr. Metesifs while he collects mush that is inte-
resting as to the present political, and moral, and
social state of Norway, at the same time is not tin-
miadfol of the fairy lore which had its origin in
this wild land, and which still haunts the place of
its birth. Thelemarken is the most primitive part
of Norway, and old beliefs still linger there which
the more polished scepticism of our day laughs to
seam The country is inaccessible; the school-
master has not made his way there. Mr. Metcalfe
has made the most of his opportuoity, and the lover
of the folk-lore of the North will really find a great
treat in his volumes. Mr. Metcalfe is indignant
that legends and stories such as he has collected—
=g of which are new to the English public—
be called frivolous. We admire his indigna-
tion, and share in it. It is quite unnecessary for
him to quote Grimm and Scott; a greater than
either has pointed out how the heart is true to its
old instincts. Of an old people does Mr. Metcalfe
write, and reading about them is like studying a
page of English history some hundreds of years ago.

. A Tows Tug.—Who is there that, to tasking a
short sat through sores of the City Isms, bas never mate an
pemisi-looklai stunted Me; that SINS to bare lose Its way,
end le be doing all mate el wild Mime with its MY. la
dupe el ewer getting oat of the labyrinth of Maass klr
wandered Into P evsh • one I base, and hem waldmi err
renal years. It pretrattes threw h the Sup sea mere
slant ein Mt by twelve. JIM maw It is the addillehment
Wane a wrap " Bevis, " Is printed ; sad dam! re
gale *la tits great stem pass ale the bums all venni es
it prim he teak sad gases ths her at pm mate.
TM ether Mee are seemeel by bemaloesm
mum, end other prehows et teaks wily le be hasil
sourle. Illsay arm tile bills s nnexerms the ems@ of
Larks; sad the Mires Neleablasp, whisk base set
de r whams. Up dm* Hsu lasses Ile way se ales,
whisk I sea inesibe by as aim spline dna 0 4.11" Med
liar sad want el it son le hose waieesd ft la • state of
iselassility. £ll awe* the lades sod kir lab the saamsr
it Meek heal. pais Ime MOB alma idiorioaup, easy
sow Prey mem' mess seer the ads, sad either, to Is
that sazareer Is ham ail el the seas Ines Mee bra
sea maths behr• ; sad tAta lbs pew Ilia, la his bole le
lts la doe, breaks sal Ye a paepiwWa et rata beds. Bel
m esti host or • eldest ges•-ebilwr ismoolly dais Ns
ardour, sad balm Ilaaeegg it Made ems sesse set ankh= of
that vitality maim cella its leva.—Presor's
Avesiose kr July.