The Express.
London, England, 1850-12-28 00:00:00

BOORS FOR THE NEW YEAR.

it ri,ii teas with the
Va Poets: • Ornudes ef Sur , Carob,
.„ lisseripave se" witstine g ths Fest ival of Christ-
Subsliubsd by lifty.two elated Wait:otiose, by
LAW Faster, esgravul by !teary Visually. Bogue.
Foremost certainly anroogst the gift books of the
present season stands Hu new volume entitled
Christmas with the Foots." It compels Utica at
first sight by the novelty and, beauty of its binding ;
and a closer inspection of its character is likely to
confirm the first favourable impression. It has claims,
both litirary and artistic, but probably the latter are
those most lik.ly to secure general notice. It is plea-
sant to find in • handsome volume all that our
pets, old and new, have been able to say about the
joyous season of the general merry-making in Ear
lad; and pleasant, moreover, to have enemas of anent
notes telling the literary history of the olden carols,
end of the custom' to which they were akin ; but
n ore satisfactory still to find both linked to a Berke
of artistic novelties likely to give a charm to less wel-
come text.
Mr. Murray, some years ago, supplied the luxuaions
book-buyer with a volume of Spanish ballads, printed
M what was then considered to be the very highest
style of typographic art. The work attracted very
general attention, and its success probably had some-
:Mpg to do with the appearance of Milman's edition
a(" Horace," rich in similar attractions of vellum-like
paper, profuse illustrations, and borders to the pages
printed in different Huts. "Christmas with the
Pats " is a step still further in &deuce, and its pecu-
liarities are these :
volume is full of woodcuts; now for the first
time printed in Huts in the body of a book with the
type, thew tints, moreover, being, not single, but
cioubk ; that is to say, two colours are printed is
addition to the ordinary impression made by the
black ink. Printing in colours from wood-blocks
has long been practised for the production of separate
specimens of the art, bat printing in colours in the
body of • book with the picture surrounded by type
has now for the first time been perfected in
this volume of Christmas carols. The tints chosen is
the present instance are • warm brown and a grey,
and by the artistic mingling of these, something very
like a coloured drawing is produced. An instance of
this is afforded in the illustration of one of Herrick's
poems—" The Wassail." The warm brown tint gives
the local colour of a red-brick Elizibethan manor-
house, and supplies the place of more positive
colours to a group of figures &nomad the doorway,
whilst the grey tint produces the effect required for
a cold winUr tky and the shadows on a scene of
snow. A combination of the two gives a deep
neutral tone to the stems of trees, and altogether •
picture is produced curiously full of the feeling con-
veyed by. the verges of the poet. Similar effects may
be seen in another cut—the Boar Hunt—and in the
I.:aeration of a song of Shakepere's.
Toe drawings have been made by Mr. Birket Foster,
and dispiay great talent, especially in the landscapes,
where be exhibits at once a close acquaintance with
the exact forms of natural objects, coupled with a
singuarly graceful and delicate mode of portraying
them. Toe winter scene looks literally frozen, and
the trees, laden with snow, throw out their gaunt
arms towards the cold, sharp, winter sky
with an exactness and augularity peculiarly na-
tural. Mr. Faster has a genius for this work.
lie is at once faithful to nature and a muter of the
eleganees of his branch of art.
'f he literary claims of the book are much higher
than those of the uld annuals now expiring. We find
a careful collection of the religious, coovivial, and de-
lIICTWATO poems relative to Christmas, arras in
the historic periods ranging from the Anglo- orman
period to the days of Alfred Tennyson. Many of 1
these are of consicerable eerily, and others have hi-
therto been mattered about beyond ready reach at a
festive season. Hereafter, all who want carols for
thristo as, or a book for any other season, combining
' novelty of illustration with

- - -
beauty of typography and - ty of
English poetry both old and new, may Bod all con-
tained in this volume. The illustrations are on-qoot-
able, but a carol we may have, and it shall be one as
uld as the days of George Wither
MERRY CHRISTMAS.
" S 1 now ie oom, our j iyfal'st resat,
Let very man be jolly ;
Each IJOIK with ivy teams, is drest,
Awl ey'ry post with holly.
Thoaph some churls at our mirth repine,
!Laid oar foreheads garlands twine,
Drown wrest is a cup of wise,
Aad let as all be merry.
N nr all oar nsialthours' chimneys smoke,
And Christmas bids Sr. burning,
Their ovens limp with meats choke,
Aad all their spits are tur.i,ne.
Wivtiout the door let sorrow lie ;
Aid if to cold is apt to dm,
Will Mary 't la a Chrism.. pie,
Aid ev‘r more be merry.
" New se's, lad is wondrous trim,
Aid so mss minds bus labour ;
Oar lures have provided them
A bagpipe aid a tabor
Yr .men add muds,adil girls and boys,

aaag
Clive life to ewe aweaker's joy.,
And yea mot shell by their noire
rff :miss that they art merry.
" Book misses now do epariag 'hut
Their ball of meek seaadeth ;
And does theme with whole ehoulden ran,
ho ail thirgs there aboundeth.
The country folks themselves minima
erowdy muttons out of Frame ;
ATI J sek shall pipe, sad Jill shell dame,
A...d all town be merry.
"Ned Squeak bath fetched kis beads from pawn,
And all bit beet apparel;
Ne:l bath b4uscht a rati of lowa,
W ith dropvings of the barrel ;
Aud owe that hardly all the year
1101 tread to eat, or rags to wear,
Will have both clothes and daiaty fare,
And all the day be sir try.
" Nisi poor men to the justices
With capons make their 'mats!
And il they hap to fail of thaw,
They plague them with that warraata.
list sow t usy feed then with rod sheer,
And what they west they Mks is beer,
For Cnristates mimes bat cram a year,
And then they shall be weeny.
" Good tamers in the country nurse
Tiie poor, that else were undone ;
Some landlords spend their money won*,
On lust sad pride, at Louden.
'l`-etc. the royaters they do play,
I ,r,b sod dim their lands away,
tt t. eh mei be ours another day,
Ar.d therefore let's be merry.
'• Toe eLeot now his suit forbears,
Tae prisoner's heart is lamed;
'1 he di btor drinks away his one,
And Mr the time is pleased.
hniiiih other purees be IMMO fat,
tt by should we pine or grieve at that ?
ii.g a =ow " care will kill a at,
Anil therefore let's be merry.
Hark! bow the wags abroad do call
limb stair forth to rambling ,•
...non you'll me them in the ball
For ants and apples scrambling.
Hark! how the roofs with laughter sound,
Amos they'll think the house goes round,
Fee they the cellar depth have lowed,
And there they will he merry.
The stashes with their wassail bowls
About the streets are singing ;
The boys are come to catch the owls,
The wild mare in is bringing.
Our kitchen-boy lath broke his box,
And to the dealing of the cm
Our honest neighbours come by limb,
And here they will be merry.
" Now kings and queens poor sheep-cotes have,
And mate with everybody;
The honest now may play the knave,
And wise men play the noddy;
Some youths will now a anuainiag go,
Soms others play at itealaadeoh,
And twenty other marbles nor';
Because they will be merry.
"Shen wherefore in these merry day.
Should we, I pray, be dater?
N. let us sing some roundelays,
To make our mirth the fuller;
And, whilst thus inspired we ling,
Let all the 'insets with echoes ring—
Weeds, and kills, and everything,
Bear witless we are meny."
CAristmas wish CU Poeta.
• Mars.

------ ---- ---
assysishallta thilt;6ll4t-tha ""hac ha/1"1 "up • hitt°, the of their respective aeaseas, whilst otheri.will _ . up
Immedleady reedited the mate to lower his boat,
recollection, of sundry galleries of rich amateurs.
SUN he did theism* with his own, in order to go is par.
enitildtlient. The subjects may be imagined by ell who know the
The two boats were intently lowered, foe they were painters—they are wood, water, rich meadows, quiet
usable to send mote, having had two others " noes' the urea nooks, afretchee of sea-shore, a gloomy ravine,
day before. They soon got neer the whales, but were maw- a sunshiny avenue, sedgy streams, sod Welsh moon-
tweately seen by them before they could dart the herpoos
talus. A passage
.or two from Mr. Thackeray's pot-
ieliti say abases of emcees, and the *envie*. was, that
too soya a opal.. separated, nod went off with pest lion of the work will gtve an idea of the tone he has
,repaint, in different directions. One, however, after adopted:
Mahe several tarns, came at length right reward the JOHN CONSTABLE.
eeptaia's boat, eskine, he denying, waitid in silence for his John Constable was intended by name for a landscape
eppreseb, wits,* esevieg an 04r, se that the "young ball" painter; but, by his parents, for the honourable craft of
Mee ISSN by Ids lois, and rewind the blow ogthe harpoon miller. For a while, he served two masten; whea 'roadie,
ems dimes. aside& kis " hump," and so near to the ship con he still had leisure to examine the fleeting effects of'
seas Massa by ell ea beard. nature, sod thus turn the mill into en observatory. This
TM whole appeared quite terror-struck for a few seconds, influenced his style ever after, as clouds always occupied the
sad then, suddeafie enevering itself,dared off like the wind, prominent part of his compositions ; it was is clouds that
and spun the boat so quickly round whoa the tug came upon he excelled, whether in their transparency and misty appear-
** lies, that she win within a miracle of being upset But awe, nr in their maws of light.
IMP they "wt. "dead * windword," at the nth of twelve When be returned from a sketching excursion, he used to
er Moto miles an hoar, right against a "bead sea," which soy, . 1 have had a good saying; " and when he displayed
Sew against sad over the Was of the boat with uncommon these sketches, they were found marked with the day, hoar,
we., so that she at times appeared to be ploughing through and which way the wind blew.
la. making • high bank of surf on each aide. He resided latterly In Hampstead, sod has left innate.-
The second mate, bevies observed the course of the whale table reminiscences of in everlasting heath, that **ring
Oleg beer, MEW! to waylay them ; and when they caw " sitter." The amateur will recognise in the soootnovenine
- • Cyclopedia of London. Pert I. Sall HOYs toile flie Beat
wee bo Ws, svibes *my speedily did, " a short warp" was excellent sketch, the " Conitield" of the National 0 . Atifitors. Pictorial Lla,f •flowrs. Charles Enfolpt
thassirs, and hell heats was soon towed at nearly the isms This beautiful pins of autumn new to be uader Win- The humbler classes in this country are very libe-
rate es the captahes boat had bees before. fluent* of a late shower; the shrubs, trees, and distance, an
The cassia was sew seen dating the lance at the whale saturated with it—what a lover of water that youngster meat rally supplied with religious tracts, which would do
as it almost flew ski*, bat he did Not mein to do so with any be, who is filling himself within after he has been wetted to them considerable good if they coald be persuaded to
kindof effect, as the speed of :he whale did sot appear In the skin by the rain which has jest pess.d away ! AS one read them, and with irreligious novels which would
the nest ditaiaehed, and in a very when time they all di.- looks at this delightful picture one cannot but Moire the do them no harm if they could be persuaded to leave
appeared together, being at too great a distance to be seen meaner in which the spezific character of every object is them alone. Publications of an elevating, interesting,
by the naked eye from the deck. The officer ran slot:, and, made rat ; the undulations of the ripe corn, the *Neared
by the aid of a telescope, ooeld jest discern from the light on the road, the freshness ef the banks, the trees and and at the same time entertaining, nature, are corn-
mast-beed, the three objects like specks upon the war- their Infer, the brilliant cloud artfully contruted Neatest partitively rare; and in this department of letters Mr.,
face of the ocean. At an alarming distance he the tries, and here and there broken with saute. Knight—by a rare combination of literary ability and
could just observe the two beats, with the whale's Fash's standing joke, ea be looked atCoestable'gietures, commercial enterprise—has been for many re*
bead occesionally darting oat before them, with a good wt. to call for his great-gnat and umbrella. The tof the honorably codapiedoid.
deal of " white water," or loam, whir* coaviseed academy showed a better appreciation of the great Landscape """ The publications before at 1
that the whole was still runniag. He watched with the painter'. genius than Chanty did, who ca. day took op however, while they are placed, by their price, withla.i
glees until he could no longer trace them, even in ters most Constabie's palette, and rubbed kis picture with a glaze of the reach of the most humble, ere of a character well
indistinct manner, and then called to Wee ea deck, that asphaltum. • There gots all my dew," the poor artist said suited to the more elevated ; and they will doubting
they might take the bevies, by the simper, of **direct/toe to Leslie, his charmleg biographer. le not many soother god many thousand. of readers among the ,Mitre, at
in which he had lust sight of them, so that they might con- post's dew and delightful natural bloom *men by dull 1861, to whom any fact, relating to London mad
tinite to " beat" the ship up to that quarter. denten, and rubbed away by *arse *the* I
prove highly intereeting, and whose general reading'
It was now, 'aye the story, within half an hour of sunset, Not fairly appreciated during his life-time, every seemed-
and there was every appearance of the ooming on of se lag year adds to the public appreeletion of this great genius. will, probably, for the most part be cut op into "Half -
" ugly night:" indeed, the wind began to teethe* every Before be was admired al be downed to be amongst our- Hoare."
me meat, and* " awkward bubble" of a see soon to make selves. the Parisian painters had greatly and justly apple- The " Cyclopedia of London," the Irak part of
I remained aloft ,eatil I saw the sun dip, angry and red, be elated him, and be was as much the originator of tin which is jail „mowed, ta a twat" a .
t of
low the trembled kiwis*, and was just *boat to descend, modern Fria* landscape, as Scott wee the father Of French
whoa I was dreadfally
Itemshoked at hearing the loud cry of romance. , a very able work on " London, ' completed hy Mr.
" a mire overboard!" o all upon deck. I looked DB WiNT. Knight in 1844. The additions and completions.
astern, end sew with honor one of our men, by the name of Oar well-beloved De Wiet bee gone like one of these however, are necessarily extensive, and =
Berry, grappling with the waves, and eating loudly for calm rummer days he used to depict. He spent his life Is everything of most recent and immediate
help one revel of su ne. He caught well the warm, purplish The article upon the New Palace at Weettableler—
The ship wes soon brought round, but th dnieg so, she blue et las summer sky. All artiste generally shoos* morning namour
—.
unavoidably paned a lonrc=rom the poor fellow, who or evening, as the thug sweeping shadows form at eaceeasy which teed sy be new la s aid
still supported himeaU by the water with his hands, pictures, bat Ds Wins was not frightened by the sin in sat neatly-written description ;:and the Viotoei=t- is
although ha was claire unacquainted with the proper art of meridiem. one of the sew attractions of the metropolis' we
swimming. Several can were thrown overboard the so- Wilson is said to have aimed at representing the subtle air take to have arisen gam the period of Mr. Mufsba
meat alter be fell, but be could not reach them, th ugh they in which bass* the ephemeral insects ; we Wok De Wiest, hymn mut:attn.
were near to him; and directly the ship brought up with the more deader material or water, has bettersseeseded A. ""
Al "thee we-believe- that the p . .
a Sandwich Islander, who formed one of the crew, Let Fusili, who wanted his umbrella to ink at Constable'. tae—unlike
overboard, and swam toward him, while at the man t e showers, might have called for a pot of porter at seethe one mat 131001119—bwe run the =lce deemriblimir
**people en deck were lowering a (pare beat, which is of Ds Wiat'e bar makings. Distant towns, moat nape°. the work as " a tilde or the visitor—a parbtament
always kept for such emergencies. I could be of no nevi**, milting is aspen, \name pteassat-looking under his pencil. volume in the Na ottibriory."
emapS to amp their expedition by many milk der it was only large mom of tae:ds=f Unalligun shape :he caught 1 The " Half-Hoore with the beet Alain "Is a new
theMenkfif Ma few minutes. the murmuring a of quiet 14gcsal ; "%gum I series of a former work, several volumes et which
TM seed Sandwich Islander streak eat mast bravely st basked Isely with him, and one wondered whether re-
paired come years back. It is to
_dieeti ,"111%
Soot, bat fading that he wee some MMus hem the ship, maimed torpid in winter.
and bides *able to en Berry ma OPMlllet od the agitated There yes sot muck depth in he scheme of essuipulation. hose for every day in the year, silesilroutm=
surface of the gem, actually turned bosh thrash fear—find- but the charm me in the blerbleillte perception of nature's department of literature; the ealliest fee every I
ins, as he said, that the " see sips" midyear his heed. The cunning simplicity, the simple WSW _by, w4ich so me* is day being a mond vie sigism me. The od,
men in the boat now lied their ems 111 Si their igreesth, brought about, as to make us exclaim, ' owH eit dos. ?" woad
„tartar,
„ma boo
ahesdy
bow
end were making re y worm ill* &main peas man, As ftwilleetel said, "Ca fee* pen aims' bee I'.a femme ;" it _s. I
cfrprombi
muldekkele Thew ceder tits ma Wrests, be pillages latealrested resanseissa, end it mast Wordsworth
a wide faIMM-00 =4frola -Os!
‘'• fis ass
seeorhy. ll_y Tam SPICTATOR. TM Notes who now and this
d by w. Box" wrux ; die Bareviog, ow, which wen ' 07, ,ielL • silkowleg satiety always be so, unless he fame the sempleismit andel, whisk wordsworth ; keen th , y ;
hatless niewboi so prow the host ea- is ever paten-making, far Me wet Mime ele noel* to from Addison -to --Limb ; besides a tat
by Tmonroos, iron Dssigas by Fam. TAILOR. Pa, gavial my
t~oyktsward to the spot where lit pew Mow still grappled, but look out. Ds Amt was cue Of these; itio evillest is all his odooogooood. writopo wboneat bine
longease. • lonely with the woks tut hs never invested the leasnout Imulusi% bus otherwise of beteg nod or rimed taby
eosl—.ll would teeny •aPPeer ae if the writer, of Clues fee boat ;rind len stielisement strength, sprang ever*. followed she wise amiss for laadowpisie—" always to wait
-..eisuea time were beginninglto rise again to oomethiair. won Ali oonsdigdo bet they snivel for • age, which will be nee to appose whoa, wanted." Mail of readers..
_,-1.61-uruuk hes ale! ehlt eel
Lae that supremacy which Jeffrey so vigouroany a minute too two NA= Z' from his And es all faitlffel paisley. &rap awaited patiently the .itttrestioe of permitter Ilekreetta rim il
ll,lisloht most
Wailed in his famous article en Swift. We bate watery grave. I saw brea . toe nail! the sowing asa. De Whit painted freely and without effort, distinguished writer&