The Sun.
London, England, 1837-06-06 00:00:00

LITE.RATIT RE

ENGLAND. 3 Trois.
Bentley, London, 1837.
In his preface to this work, Mr. Cooper says, " the
English do not like the Americans. There is a strong
disposition in them to exaggerate and circulate any-
thing that has a tendency to throw ridicule and con-
tumely on the national character." Now we must beg
to enter our most decided protest against this assump-
tion. So far from Englishmen entertaining any feel-
ings of dislike towards America the reverse is the
case ; they respect her as an industrious, enterprising,
thriving State, and take every opportunity of testifying
their good will towards her, by the hospitable reception
they invariably give towards. all those Americans who
may chance to be distinguished by their talents and
moral worth. Is not Mr. Cooper himself—even on
his own showing—a case in point ? Do not the at-
tentions he everywhere received from the best cir-
cles in the metropolis—he who came a comparative
stranger among them, known only by one or two of
his earlier novels—sufficiently refute his hypothesis ?
Twenty years ago, when the two leading, Reviews of
the day were vieing with each other in their contempt
for everything Transatlantic, there might have been
some foundation for his assertion ; now there is not an
atom. Brother Jonathan is no le.nger the butt of John
Bull, but his stcnnch and respected ally, whatever
our author may please to imagine to the contrary. We
should have taken no notice of Mr. Cooper's rash,
ill-considered remark, had we not perceived through-
out his work that he has allowed it to exercise far too
much influence over his imagination. At every house
he visited, it is evident he anticipated that something
would be said to wound' his national pride—something,
that should make him feel his inferiority to English-
men. Hence his bristles are always up ; he is always
on the watch ; and as the necessary consequence of such
incessant excitement, he evinces an uncommon aptitude
to misinterpret even the slightest and most unmeaning
expressions. We regret this perversity, for it betrays an
infirm temper and a paralytic judgment. Still, injus-
tice to Mr. Cooper, we must confess that he does not

allow it wholly to warp his better feelings, or blind
him to the truth ; for in his sketches of the numerous
distinguished personages to whom he was introduced
when in London, he takes care to be in the main im-
partial ; however, in particular instances, where he
fancies a sneer is directed against Yankee-land, he
may be carried away by prejudice and cynicism.
His account of a dinner party at Mr. Sotheby's, where
he met Coleridge for the first time, is worth extracting.
I was one of the first ; but Mr. Coleridge was already in
the drawing-room. He was a picture of green, old age; ruddy,
solid, and with a bead as white as snow. His smile was bene-
volent, but I had scarcely time to reconnoitre him, before Sir
Walter Scott appeared, accompanied by Mr. Lockhart. The
latter is a genteel person, of a good carriage, with the air of
A man of the world, and with a sort of Scotch- Spaniah face.
His smile is significant, and not a bad one for a reviewer. At
table I sate directly opposite to Sir Walter Scott, with Mr.
Coleridge on my left. One of Mr. Coleridge's observaticns
was in bad taste. He professed to like most of our officers,
with a very supererogatory excepticn in the case of Commodore
Rodgers. Mr. Sotheby has a son a Captain in the Navy.
This gentleman, I believe, felt the gratuitous character of Mr.
Coleridge's remarks, for he expressed himself favourably as
regards Commodore Rodgers, whom he had recently fallen in
with on service. I contented myself by saying a 'little drily
that he was a highly respectable man, and a very excellent
officer, which at least had the effect of changing the conversa-
tion. When the ladies had retired, the conversation turned
on Homer. Some one remarked that Mr. Coleridge did not
believe in his verity, or rather that there was any such man.
This called him out, and certainly I. never witnessed an exhi-
bition so extraordinary as that which followed. It was not a
discourse, but a dissertation. Scarcely any one spoke besides
Mr. Coleridge, with the exception of a brief occasional remark
from Mr. Sotheby, who held a contrary opinion, and I might
say, no one could speak. As near as I could judge, •he was
rather more than an hour in possession of the floor, almost
without interruption. His utterance was slow, every sen-
ence being distinctly given, and his pronunciation accu-
There seemed to be a constant struggling between
an affluence of words and an affluence of ideas, without
either hesitation or repetition. Once or twice, when Mr.
Sotheby would attempt to say a word on his side of
the question, he was permitted to utter just enough to
give a leading idea, but no argument, when the reasoning
was taken out of his mouth by the Essayist, and continued pro
and con, with the same redundant and eloquent fluency. I wee
less struck by the logic than by the beauty of the language,
and the poetry of the images. At first I was so much struck
pith the affluent diction of the poet, as scarcely to thi:ik of any
thing else; but when I did lock abut me, I found every eye
fastened upon him. Scott sat as immovable as a statue, with
his little grey eyes looking inward and outward, and evidently
considering the whole as an exhibition rather than as an argu-
ment ; though he occasionally muttered, "eloquent won-
derful !"—" very extraordinary P' Mr. Lockhart caught my
eye once, and he gave a very hearty laugh, without making the
slightest noise, as if he enjoyed my astonishment. When we
rose, however, he expressed his admiration of the speaker's
eloquence. We were still at table, sa hen the constant raps at
the door gave notice that the drawing-room was filling above.
Mr. Coleridge lectured on through it all, for half an hour
longer, when Mr. Sotheby rose. The house was full of com-
pany, assembled to see Scott. He walked deliberately into
a maze of petticoats, and, as he had told me at Paris, let them
play with his mane as much as they pleased.
We have chosen the above extract, first from its
amusing character as regards Coleridge, and his extra-
ordinary powers of long-winded eh-iquence ; and, se-
condly, because it furnishes an illustration of that infir-
mity of temper to which we have before alluded. Why
should our author pettishly accuse Coleridge of " Lad
taste" because he chanced to differ in opinion from him
on the subject of Commodore Rodgers ? Was the
poet bound to lavish praise on all Americans ; to think
them all " wisest, virtuousest, discreetest, best," be-
cause an American happened to be sittinj beside him e
We arc surprised at such excessive irritability on the
part of a man who has seen so much of the world as
Cooper manifestly has done. Coleridge spoke in no
wanton spirit of acerbity, but in what he conceived to
be a just, temperate, and rational manner, and his re-
mark should have been taken accordingly. But to dis-
miss this ungracious theme, and revert to a more plea-
sant one. Li his various sketches of London manners,
society, and scenery, Mr. Cooper exhibits much just-
ness of opinion, and happiness of expression. He does
not, certainly, flatter, but neither does he depreciate,
us ; wherefore we can recommend his volumes as worthy
of a careful perusal. To the lovers of mere light read-
ing, we need say no mere than that they abound in
curious anecdotes of the nio:;t distinguished authors
and politicians of the day.

THE ARBORETUM BRITANNICUM.
No. XXXIX and XT.
BY J. C. LOUDON.
Longsnan, and Co.
The completion of this work is announced for Au-
gust, after which the price to non-subscribers will be
raised, in consequence of the unforeseen expenses at-
tendant on bringing out a greater number of plates
than was originally intended. When completed it
will form one of the best Eneyclopzedias of British
arboriculture ever published.

STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND,
.No. XIV.
Blackwood and Sons, IP'37.

The present Number of this excellent work corn-
prises an historical,- commercial, and statistical account
of part of the counties of Renfrew and Roxburgh, and
is embellished with a well executed map 'of Suther-
land. The account of the tovn and parishes of Pais-
k;, drawn up by the Rev. Dr. Burns, and the Rev.
Robert Macnair, ‘vill remain a lasting monument of
the intefligence, the research, and the liberality of these
gentlemen.

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE.

Blacktrool and Sons.

" With a view of requiting the increasing favour
shown towards this Journal by the fanning interest of
the United Kinf;dom," observes the Editor, in on in-
troductory notice to the Number before us, " the pub-
lishers have reduced the price to five shillings a num-
ber instead of six." This i 3 the best requitd that the
publishers could make to the great body of their sub-
scribers, and a great boon it certainly is, when the

character of the work is taken into consideration. The

Quarterly Journal of Agriculture is one of the best
conducted works of the kind in Europe, and is indis-
pensable to suck agriculturists as are not indifF,2rent to
the improvement of their lands. The present Number
contains several important articles, particularly one on
mildew in corn ; on the prevention of insect vegetable
destruction; on the failure of the potato crop ; and
on the state of agriculture in Hin:lostan ; with nine
prize essays addressed to the Highland Agricultural
Society of Scotland.

THE GRAND JUNCTION RAILWAY.

We have the satisfaction of congratulating the Direc-
tors of this national undertaking on the successful termina-
tion of their arduous labours,—arid the public also, we are
happy to congratulate on so soon having au opportunity of
availing themselves of a mode of transit between two of the
most important towns in England—Liverpool and Birmnm-
ham—which realizes in its rapidity and safety the fabled
notion of " annihilating time and space." Railway travel-
ling, notwithstanding the wonders which it has already ef-
fected, is, we are persuaded, only in its infancy. Great and
surprising as are the changes which the present genera:ica
has witnessed, the next, if we mistake not, is destined to be-

hold new and still more surprising innovaticas.
On the morning of Thursday last, a train, consisting of
four carriages, and three waggons, laden with iron and other
necessary articles, started from Liverpool at eight o'clo,:k
and proceeded to Warrington.
The party consisted of about thirty gentlemen, including
Hardman Earle, Esq., Joseph Ewart, Esq., Joseph flora-
by, Esq., Nicholas Roskell, Esq., N. D. Bold, Esq., the
Directors ; Mr. Chorley, the Treasurer ; Wm. Earle, Esq.,
Mayor of Liverpool ; Lawrence Heyvvorth, Esq. ; George
Lawrence, Esq. ; Daniel Neilson Esq.; Nicholas R.1?..ke11,
sen., Esq. ; Rev. Mr. Ewart, Rev. Mr. Hamby, E. D.
Falkner, Esq. ; Wm. Banning, Esq., Postmaster of Liver-
pool ; Jones, Esq. ; two ir. Begsons ; Mr. King of
the Gas-works, Dale-street ; and several other gentlemen.
Colonel Maberly and Mr. Lewis, from the General
Post-office, came expressly to Liverpool for the purpose
Of accompanyinc, the party. On its arrival at Warrington
the train stopped, and the party alighted for the purpose
of inspecting the bridge over the Mersey ; proceeding
further, the great viaduct at Dutton also underwent in=
spection. The beautiful valley of Vale Royal, one of the
most picturesque sights in the kingdom was then ap-
proached, where the party were received with a Royal
salute, and they proceeded forthwith to inspect the
splendid viaduct at that place. On arriving at Madde,
a superb collation was prepared fur the occasion, and
where the party remained for upwards of an hour. The
train again set forward and reached Stafford, Penkridge,
and ultimately Wolverhampton, at which place it arrived a
little after two o'clock. At this point, which is 83 miles
.frona Liverpool, the engine was detached, and the party
proceeded in waggons drawn by horses, the works in that
vicinity not being quite completed. The cuttings at
Wednesfield, Willenhall, and Darlaston, the only reraain-
ing unfinished works, were severally inspected, and the
party reached Birmingham a little before six o'clock in the
evening.
The party remained in Birmingham during the night of
Thursday, and yesterday morning proceede homewards.
At Wolverhampton they were joined by Mr. Moss, banker,
of Liverpool, the Chairman of the Company, who came
purposely from London to meet the Directors at this point.
The engine was again in readiness, and the party left Wol-
verhampton at ten minutes past eleven. On arriving at
Harford, the engine was stopped for the purpose of being
supplied with water ; and the Directors and their friends
proceeded to Madeley, thence to Vale Royal, and then to
Warrington, taking in water at each place. The party
reached Liverpool exactly at four o'clock, highly delighted
with the success of their journey.
There was a good deal of time lost during the journey
owing to the difficulty of supplying the engine with water,
produced by the necessary apparatus being imperfect. In
some instances the water was obliged to be carried is
buckets. The time consumed in this and other unavoid-
able delays was about an hour and a half, so that the actual
time during which the carriages were in motion between
Wolverhampton and Liverpool was something less than
three hours and a half.

The engine, which is one of a number of twenty-five
belonging to the Company, worked admirably—far beyond
the most sanguine expectation of the Directors, and was
frequently propelled at a speed exceeding thirty-five miles
an hour !