The Sun.
London, England, 1855-11-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

The St. James's Medley. John Mitchell, 337
Old Bond-street.
Under this somewhat quaint and courtly title
the fourth number of a new and by no means dull
and assuming serial is presented to our notice. On
the contrary, in "The St. James's Medley, or (to
give its alias) Fiction, Facts, and Fancies from the
Roadside of Life," we are persuaded the public will
recognise a lively, unassuming, and decidedly meri-
torious magazine—one in which amusement and
instruction are judiciously blended, and which may
confidently challenge the approbation of a wide
circle of readers, including young and old, clerical
and lay, and all to whom the question of cost is or
is not a matter of indifference. A convietion of
this sort, of course, implies a knowledge of its con-
tents, and, so far as the present number is con.
cerned, we confess at once to obedience to the
prayer of one of the mottoes affixed to the title-
page, viz., the following quotation from a quaint
old writer :—" One word, reader, and then God
speed thee. .Do not open it at adventures, and by
reading the broken pieces of two or three lines
judge it; but read it through, and then I beg no
pardon if thou dislikest it."—(Thos. Adams.)
Recommending the reader to follow our example,
and begin at the beginning, and go right on to the
end, we can promise him by way of encouragement
a large instalment of an able and graphic descrip-
tion of " Wellington and his Times ;" long and
exceedingly interesting paper on " The Jews in
England ;" a pleasing and somewhat exciting
sketch of travel and adventure in North Wales ;
a startling auto-description (freely translated from
the French) of the state of feeling of one about to
undergo the last penalty of the law ; a few choioe
lines "In Memoriam,' presenting a beautiful and
touching picture ; some very readable leaves from
the " Diary of a Blind Traveller in Spain," a poli-
tical article, which lie may let alone or read as ho
likes ; and a number of pithy literary notices—the
whole constituting a medley which, if after fairly
reading it through, he dislikes, we in our turn
" beg no pardon" of him. From the article on
" The Jews in England" it would appear that they
are 40,000 in number, one-half, or 20,000, residing
in London. After a vivid description of the man-
ners, customs, and general condition of this
singular race, the writer forcibly (perhaps a little
harshly) remarks:—"Let them retain their peculiar
usages if they will ; let them cling to their super-
stition, until common senso and mental freedom
rid them of her iron fetters ; but if the middle and
higher classes are to be raised to a status of real
respect and honour, the resurrection must be from
within, and the lower class must rise with them.
They must be washed, combed, and educated in
body as well as mind. Fresh air, sunshine, clean-
liness, and self-respect will soon help to rid them
of moral miasma, mental darkness, and social de-
gradation." One more quotation, and we are done
—it embraces the opening and concluding stanzas
of the lines " In Memoriam :"
" As sunlight dies along the wall,
So dies Life's light from out her face ;
And o'er the hazel eyes' sweet grace
The weary e;elids softly fall.

Her soul, untroubled, undistressed,
It's faith by gentle patience proves ;
Her lips but one faint murmur moves ;
She saith, lord, take me to thy rest "
So end "all Christian souls. '