The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-23 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

&aches from Englandi Skiver fra England).
By B. A. Bit tn. Copenhagen 1858.
The ear 184 n seems to have inaugurated a new
era in European history, which future philosophic
historians may perhaps denominate the period of
England's moral iufluence. The French revolution
of that tier, with its abortive offsl.cii-ie in Germany.
Hungary, and Italy, closed the era of French pro-
pagandism which commenced with the great revolu-
tion Atte years previously ; and the political vaccine
which (or )tall a century was drawn from the in-
flammatory subject, France, is now on all sides
borrowed from the healthier British constitution.
Witness the literature of all countries in which, in-
stead of the former stereotyped caricature of fat,
stabborn, stupid, yet crafty, calculating, selfish John
Bull, we now meet the same gentleman under the
form of an athletic, manly-looking personage, with
the dignity of freedom, of self-respect, and of self-
reliance in his carriage, with a countenance expres-
sive of strong good sense and self-control, and with
a manner th it indicates earnestness and stability d
character—iuwhich panegyricson British institutions
are constantly recurring, and in which even the oesa-
atonal diatribes against us indicate rather a fear of
the growing influence of our example than the con-
tempt they would fain attest.
The book before us is a salient proof that our
kinsmen of the north—the people to en infusion of
whose blood we owe perhaps, in a great measure,
that power of progress without resolution, of liberty
without anarchy, which has at last gained for us the
esteem, if not the affection, of harassed and weary
Europo—are as willing as others to acknowled
is ge
what worthy of imitation among us, though the
good-humoured satire that gleams forth now and
then shows also that oar foibles have as little escaped
the notice of the intelligent traveller as those nobler
and national traits and institutions, which he holds
op es examples for imitation, and by means
of which he sometimes a:mitigates his own country
and countrymen. The author is editor of one
of the leading political journals of Denmark, and
came to London not Tong ago to make himself
thoroughly acquainted with the organisation and
management of oar great newspaper establishments.
The excellent opportunities for self-instruction which
he enjoyed and profited by while here he has io this
book turned to account for others.

The subjects treated of being such as are familiar
to most of us, do not offer many passages for extract.
though there are remarks interspersed through the
book that are well worth the attention of English-
men. The descriptions are throughout lively and
graphic, and the personal adventures that give
vartety to the narrative are told with so much
humour and eprightlinees, that to the public for
whom it is specially intended the book must prove a
very attractive one, while to all foreigners it may
serve as a guide-book, not only to mtnieuras, galleries
of art, and places of amusement, but to the great pa-
norama of London life such as it unfolds itself in the
most fashionable haunts of the West-end, as well as
in the crowded thoroughfares and pestilential back
slums of the metropolis, in the public-house, in the
penny theatre, and in the lodging-houses where
homelese vagrants find a shelter for the night. The
chapter headed " London by Night" will, no doubt,
prove one of the most attractive to foreign readers,
and here also we may glean some extracts which
will possess the piquancy of novelty to many an
English reader as well. Having been personally
introduced to Sir Richard Mayne, Mr. Bilk ob-
tained an order for an inspector and sergeant of the
police to accompany himself and four friends on a
nightly wandering through London. Leaving, as
recommended, valuables at home; and, adapting
their costume as far as possible to the company
among which they were about to present them-
selves, the gentlemen began their peregrinations
tinder the protection of Mr. Price, Inspector of Coin-
moo Lodging-houses, and of Sergeant Madigan, of
the A division, of both of whom, as of everything
connected with the organisation and conduct of oar
metropolitan police, Mr. Bille speaks in the highest
teems of commendation. The first Owe visited
was a public-house in Leman-street, 11litechapel,
called the Brown Bear, chiefly resorted to by Ger-
man peetrycooks and women of bad character, but
where the rules of decorum were neverthese kept up
to a certain degree, and where a rake or a polka
might be enjoyed for a penny—a quadrille for two-
pence.
Not fee horn this is a place of amusement of grander pre ;
tensioni, known under the name of the ••Mahogany Bar,'
er, ereamirnes called still more euphoniously `Wilton's
husk-hall." Immediately behind the tar is a brigs
which, with the gallery, probably holds ham atillitiwA
pensow, and at the ow end is raked a kind of dogs, ea
which are gives nostril, ambatic, and dramatis prams-
seen. The roan was closely pecked with mu ail Toss,
who, dinging tenderly to each other, with pipe be their
mouth and pots of beer before them, followed the -
awes with eager interest. We were obliged to seek
in the ealkey, where they were so polite se to make roe=
as. The certain Just that rose for the OMNI
of the entertainment, and a men, histiterd pert
la
the bra, with • little boy in the same
gowned on the some. Their artistic perforewooVrteetin
the most primitive description; they consisted prMeipstly in
a 'trio( dam, the great art in which wee to make a rettileg
Wise with the wooden soles of their foot-cnverieg, each time
the foot toadied the ground ; but simple. aa this was, it
greatly delighted the spectator.. One cry of approbation
seceetsied asother, and when at hut the UAW, followed by
the b iy, made the whole tour of the stage, with deafenteg
elat'itrrig of the wooden soles, the applause became
winienow, and pence and halfpence poured down upon the
Owe (nen all Wiest This mode of expreseing approbation,
which is undeniably much move practical than that of
hourp.ms and mile before the certain, po. veils in all places
of enterteinnient of this kind; and we conformed so sea-
4,inast to the rule, that we were constantly apply* to
halfpence to Mr. Price, who acted w treasurer.
I had taken out my pocket-bnok to make • Am soles,
when my attention was draws to a conversation that was
going on ballad me. It wee the Irritant, who bed
been observing my proosediags, and was asking Kr. Peke
who I was. Hanes heard in answer that I wea
.• literary gentleman, the editor of • most respectable
Danish paper," he requested to be introduced le me. The
istraduetion took with all the formalities that wovid
have been okesysd had we met in the drawing room of
Lord Palresrsicia Mused of is the " Mahogany Bet." The
bodkin!, a rather good-loakieg young .4e, who seemed
bemire to have made himself too wells noeinted with the
aside kept behind the wake in his bar, es ilessed a hope that
I was pleased with his setabbahment. I could not reply
eLlterww that that it wee " • very tier ratablishment, very
well conducted, end plenty of people." '• lie flattered him-
self that it was so • It wee DO4 C,MMOTI ,"%• iittebsinks that
appeared os hie stags, bat real bar too.. -ir and one of hie
w Lutists had visited Copenhagen , h.l teen engaged at one
of the saberhaa theatres, sad bad pert rmed before his Ma-
*lT the ling of Mamma, " to his Me,raty's perfect astir
bolos." I expressed my eatiebetion at tearing this ; that
the ;Irish malice was always ready to n cognise everything
post 'ad pod that come keen Enahnii, and that my
wereiga wee an malted protector of art m all its branches.
presam that wee hi. name— that it
ems so Introket to publish a dewription of idiot I had
sues, sad lewd that I geoid touch urim his gelabillehmeat
the. I gave him the most corafortirg •••07•4111••• w the
" Well, sir. I should be greatly obliged M yea V
pie timid be so kind as to seed ma • copy of yew dirori
' " With the preset pimento ; but as I shell write in
Danish I kar that you will sot desire much mashetion from
" " Oh, never min 1, sir ; I Abell get it treasbesd. There
M s Daniels stratistan who frequents my house, an hearill
Irewlate it kir me."

The suppressed humour evident in the above ex-
tract prevails throughout the book, and give* a
peculiar :est to the narrative; but there are many
passages in which earnest admiration fur all that is
great and good in oar institutions and in our national
character takes the place of this playful irony, and
with ow of these we shall conclude.

- - ----•
Having minutely desenled the ceremonies obsllltlia
on 'rims messions in both homes of partitions%
Mr. little coot inues as follows:
All ibis may nom strange, oilleseive,sad lawnigretiVe with
the neat of the pneesit times. Yet ft Le sot Ito. Nepoleogeig
Aetna soy he revereed, tad rank' equally true "Da
Minh la gabbro u'y Woo ps." It wotal be Mlle.
hal irsSeet liberty to abet reedlorral (none, bat It le
agearthelese true that liberty as well es authority ought to be
earragailed b pomp sad dignity. "ea wont of the
KOMIIIOII people," but es mecum bi=ito.dy, for there Is
an • nes, be ever al free tam sad bin, upon
tbota intarsals 104
ant
ide PrOaNe_lll 1111111111 nine, sal whom al gee toe s.tna Sala laisrand by Dn. Mine,
aimakat,-sies w liberi ty bat ion Naas beta itarroaated by
iterenre Or asollat
well se Ike One bra tar tae aalale
anampUY,arr
"e.t.a theologian tuna Ono, ont assonpoisttbti
&made sad prainkaa it anal bo am. to non Own Waal la man to matins to maim Ina olflovel •
too. 'no win* laslasil poor_ tball smit.h....libbollo -o I"nd-fa-hut "I prodded ormimpailve
wake Is a fry breaisi
.4 Lid la MI Melo by tbs
- been
• tommoir• Initest non Now
tomiloito,
_aid theigh at than Os
serria tbo ainovathe
aid wen Or libels**

=ea— Zed thereeelees of
1 these thaw is older to (
Leg. The 'maple of /I
so Ised-to-head with p
ea mike which they mei
osrerous thea the 'midi
eheettoe of ell pump and
1 manias bcm a lfarls S
cosmic :ow anion Is pro
I taitleaciee have beta too
ILL 4