The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-04 00:00:00

LITIRAT UR

--- 41,---- 1 LONDON AND IVES THINS 7EI? REVIEW.
We lit;lio-0w. ofL XnoHpLerioltoar
trb,aLt
ioitatdson,l39
of its themes,
exhibited' such a
marked improvement in the selection and management
as " The London and 'Westminster Re-
view" has done during the last two or three years. .It
is no longer characterized b
spirit y a narrow, carping, sectarian
; no longer adopts in its extrernest rigour, the
creed of Utilitarianism ; but has become quite catholic
in its ideas ; takes enlightened and comprehensive views
of matters ; and appeals broadly to the public, instead
of to a party.
We remember nhen it was in the con-
stant habit of trading upon one idea ; of seizing on
'time Particular crotchet, such as the Bentham system of
legislation—and working it threadbare ; till, at last, we
shrunk from the very sight of ti,e Journal, just as we
Would from the
tore. presence of some dull, button-holding
All this is passed, :and " The London and West-
minster " is now, if not the best, at least one of
the best., periodicals of the day. The opening article
,
ifi the present Number is entitled " Literary Lionism,'
And is suggested by that clever liltle monthly Miscel-
lany, " Heads of the People." The subject is can•
vaned in a free and liberal spirit of inquiry, and points
out temperately but forcible, the folly of " Lionism," as
c
practised among the London coteries. We quote the
oncluding passage of this essay, which, from internal
Flidence, as well as from the initials " H. M.," we con-
lecture to be the production of Miss Martineau
Many are the thousands who have let the man die
nithin them from canarcily care about meat and drink,
Rate mad a warm corner in the great asylum of safety, whose
have ever been thronged by the multitude who can-
not appreciate the free air and open heaven. And many
are the
that their complacency
hundreds who have let the plot die within them
tray be fed, their vanity intoxi-
cated, and themselves securely harboured in the praise of
moell' immediate neighbours. Few, very few are there,
ult' noblo in reason,' and conscious of being ' infinite in
es,' have faith to look before and after—faith to go
Pea to the
°llt,o ' reverence the dreams of their youth"—faith to ap-
godlike human mind yet unborn—the mind
;Ihich the series of coming centuries is to reveal. Among
Vthe. millions who arc now thinking and feeling on our own
, Is it likely that there is not one who might take up
t`s°o; of Homer—not one who might talk the night
away with Socrates—not one who might be the Shak-
.
'Peoes,r° of an age when our volcanoes shall have become
rh-"ns of green pasture and still waters, and new islands
sv,ll send forth human speech from the midst of the sea?
r_Yht are such men about ? If one is pining in war. t,
ustiaa :
Dn, 41 inorance, or turning from angel to devil under
°`
r'ession, it is too probable that another may he under-
going extinction in drays in -rooms—surrendering his divine
faculties to wither in lamg-light, and he wafted away in
F"Perfume and praise. As sPurely as the human thought has
ther to fly abroad over the expanse of a thousand years,
mil% need to rest on that far shore and meditate,
tit e now are the flatteries, and vanities, and compe-
a inns, which •seerced so important in their day ? Where
'4p,ree....t_he ePherneral reputations, the glow-worm ideas,. theo
:zit:tier sentiments, which the imp.enrti?nenrhovodiecleoger
of ohlivioll'irpoouneed immortal and I
Were really lis swept over them all, while the minds which
sing-n
mirroredi as they shine' in the firmament of thought, and
Therethis
is
in deep of ages out of which they rose.' " .
passage
a aentiment and an earnestness in the tone of
Ordsina which augur powers of thought of no
e„,.. ry calibre. " Parisian Caricatures" gives a
t,".`l°Lis and amusing account of the rise and progress of
Ruelaviaerwt France.' During the empire, (observes the
) caricature was gagged and put out of the
W,,ser
.Y altogether ; imprisoned, as completely as ever
asolodeus was in his phial. The reason of this general
slti)Pression of humourous pictures was, that Napoleon
,
hh,7as not a legitimate Monarch, and shrunk, with all the
dl'U.e sensitiveness of a despot, from the idea of having
„yseif or his Government turned into ridicule. Fre-
_i,k of Prussia was far more tolerant in matters of
d;ri4 sort, for no man ever laughed more heartily at
eatur
, es, even when directed against himself, than he
to Ai. ,evinced true
this sagacity. Alluding cursorily
ear. &iauraier, who, it seems, is the most popular
Icaturist
that „t, now living in Paris, the Reviewer observes
well
~uotigh he executes very carelessly, he knows very
tudet si_hat he would express, indicates perfectly. the atti-
heford identity of his figure, and is quite aware
The identity of the effect which lie intends to produce."
high c,,ssitY, headed " Music in England," speaks in
~.t verms
et praise of the genius of Beethoven, and
111.'iti !lout his peculiar excellencies in a learned spirit of
we arecll• Of Aloschelles, another well-known name,
ha
n told that " there is no style of music which he
f4ije2t performed, and there is none in which he has
5„,,:.. For force aid clearness of finger, in all
"vii in
petulant passages, he is unrivalled. There is
have :I'l PLKYing." In the " Belgic Revolution," we
Leopold, interesting biographical sketch of King
luckiest' ""' /rvit° is justly declared to be one of the
Inucch spirit, hut
gisti °'
men. This memoir is penned in a cube-
not too much so, and dwells with
tel • eir'Pl'asis on the cool political sagacity of the
z. mil Monarch •who,says the Reviewer, "happily
lot the
~,,,,,
~
the ru'ltle policy of Europe, and thrice happily for
peopPer°insPerLitY of Belgium, has held. his impatient
testi of tae leash, and proved that his title to great-
-0.. her
character was not founded on the vulgar claims
istah.roism." In " Irish Humour and Pathos," there
of ?Mir:ions criticism on the " rich and oily" humour.
;'`'1421,1:: Carleton. " The Colonial Office and Sir. F..
.1a
.makes sad havoc of this gentleman's pretension. ° Legislat' •
ledged ive wisdom, who is, nevertheless,
successful during the
first to have been both bold and socce,
Criticism on
Woiol'art of his administration.
" Re-organiza-
Reviewer.
and -tie is a bitter attack on '\lr. Croker's honesty
4. is
as a Quarterly
tion
of s of the common Party" we shall
.makedthe subject
epttrate ton some more leisure ay.