The Sun.
London, England, 1852-02-02 00:00:00

THE MAGAZINES.
BLACKWOOD.

An elaborate and deservedly eulogistic criticism
• , of Mr. Alison's newly-revised biography of "The
Duke of Marlborough"—a work recently reviewed
by ourselves—is the opening paper in the number of
Maga for February. One of the most interesting
portions of this criticism is that in which the writer
contrasts the estimate formed of the character of the
conqueror of Malplaquet and Oudinarde by four
living authors of no inconsiderable eminence —Lord
Mahon, Mr. Hallam, Mr. Alison and Mr. Mr, caulay.
Those who cannot afford time for the perusal. of the
most recent and in many respects also the most meri-
torious memoir of Marlborough, will do well to
examine the brief but luminous record of his career
furnished by the present contribution to the iinges of
Blackwood. "My Novel" is manifestly approaching
its denouement, for otherwise assuredly we shireld not
recognise so many portents of the exposure of all the
nefarious schemes of that doubly and trebley-dyed
rascal—Randal Leslie. It is with a sensation of de-
light that we watch the approach of this iong-,desired
celaircissement. Our old friend and fax ourite
Leonard, now a successful man of letters, re- a ppears
upon the scene—the interview between him self and
Harley Lord L'Estrange, being one of a e most
beautiful portions of the narrative yet punished,
more particularly in the touching sweetness. of its
conclusion. It is impossible, of course, not to conjec-
ture that Lord L'Estrange will discover a s, in in his
protegee Leonard, a circumstance calculated to prove
none the less agreeable to the latter, seeing; that it
must inevitably we conceive vindicate at the se me time
the memory of his mother, Nora. Harley hi, useif we
have regarded almost from the commencemen e: as one
of the most exquisite and loveable among ti re many
fascinating creations of Sir Bulwer Lytto n. The
dinner at Baron Levy's is capital—the disc, mifiture
of the plump wit, the embarrassment of the young_
nobles, who fancy they behold the redoubtable X. Y.
in Richard Avenel, and the adroit and not uns emcees-
ful manoeuvring of the money-lender to entrap 1 t andel,
being all recounted with a manner quietly las tt irre-
sistibly humorous. We could gladly witness a change
in the relations of the principal characters tDV /Ards
each other such as might be expected by the u nion
of Helen with Leonard and of Harley L'Estr Inge
with Violante ! Daniel Maclise may be envied the
satisfaction with which he cannot but peruses the
noble and discriminative panegyric on his pictm e of
Caxton, which opens not inappropriately the &les nth
chapter of book the eleventh. After the eightee nth
instalment now given of this remarkable and pops :lar
fiction comes a pleasant review of the Hon. He: iry
Coke's "Canter to California," that article being •in
its turn followed by a second portion of " Strug,g les
for Fame and Fortune." Although in the next cc in-
tribution, a criticism of " Longfellow's Gole en
Legend," the reviewer regards that work as not al to-
gether worthy of the unquestionable genius of t .he
author of " Evangeline,"
he astounds us by the sort te-
what contradictory remark that the " Gold en
Legend" contains nearly as much fine poetry as
s
there is in the "Faust" of Gathe. Now, for our oR n
part, inasmuch as we consider the "Faust" of Gee_ he
to be one among the greatest masterpieces of the
human intellect, we should asi readily place upon: an
Ce.orn.be's
equality Mr. Browning's #igh day " an, I
Hamlet. While pronouncing this dai;ulg, and ex rig -
gerated, and, we will add most,;, preposterou s
eulogium upon the " Golden Legend ". of Longfellow ,
the reviewer must needs fall foul of a mud
more extraordinary work, a work replete with pas.
sages infinitely more deserving of the asame of poet,:
than any that can be instanced in the " Goldei
Legend," we mean the " Festus" of Mr. Bailey—, a
poem confused and somewhat fantastic, but very oftei
distinguished by attributes both of beairty and sub -
limity. More truly poetical deliheatt,ons of natut e
than any that can be mentioned in that the last an d
the least satisfactory of all the metrical. orks of Pre
fessor Longfellow, might be quoted from the char]
B-
ing little poem contributed to this present number ,of
Maga by Thomas Aird, " The Old Soldier--In Ta io
Campaigns." The opening of the second campaign •in
particular is exquisitely true and graceful. Anotls er
collection of verses adorns the pages of Blackwoc KZ
for February, and although the title " Cupid in 1;: be
Cabinet" might induce some to conjecture otherwii
these verses have reference to an Attic Legend m( r. a-
tioned by Lydgate, and not to the recent dismiss al
from the Ministry of Lord Palmerston In additi,
to the articles already particularized Ebony contai. ns
in the current number a brief paper upon "
Fights in Pictures and Prose," and a political chap': er
headed " Results of Revolutions in Europe," th cise
results showing in what manner revolution has ba en
followed by counter-revolution.