The Sun.
London, England, 1839-08-26 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

AN REVIEW.—No. CIV.
NORTE AlllEii:
Andrews, r...?cton, 1839.
The last number of this Quarterly Review--the
nitwit influential and widely circulated of all the trans-
atlantic periodicals—has just reached us, and we have
been struck with the general evenness and liberality of
its tone, even where matters Are discussed, strongly
calculated to call forth national pre;adices and predi-
lections. Of such a nature is the note of " Daviss
Memoirs and Journal of Aaron Burr," in whieL one of the
most conspicuous leaders of the American revoii:tion is
as coolly and impartially treated as if it was a European
instead of a Yankee critic who was giving an estimate
of his character. Colonel Aaron Burr, it seems, during I
thirty years of the most eventful portion of American
history, played a very distinguished part in public
affair:: "At one moment," says the Reviewer, "he
rose so .- hig 1- as nearly to touch the loftiest official seat
which the
I .
peoph, are called on to fill ; and at another,
he fell so low a§ to become isolated among his fellow
beings." He is hoe cfatcd as little better than
a mere adventurer ; without fix,'
dness of principle, with-
out a spark of patriotism—indeed, ,„; shout even common
honesty. Nothing can exceed in severn:,v—
and we have
no doubt the censure is just, though we are .:.'nacquainted
with the particulars of Burr's public and priv‘te csreer
—the following character of him :—" Acute in h:c con-
ceptions, rather than just ; keen in his intelleca:lai
powers, rather than philosophical or capacious ; cunning
in his projects, rather than noble or wise ; he seems to
have shunned all occasions for any active exercise of a
beneficent influence upon public affairs, in order to em- .
ploy his ti:,olic hours in contriving new cyphers in which
to envelope me "n ideas or worthless intrigues ; and his
private ones in multiplying devices to form degrading re-
lations with weak or profligate women. His standard
for all human action was low ; his estimate of the mo-
tives of others generally the meanest," In the artieb,
headed " Prison Discipline," occur many philanthropical ,
suggestions, but we fear they are not sufficiently clractical
to be followed up with any hope of advantage 10,0 the
community. The Reviewer writes rather in the siO'it
of an enthusiastic Perfectability-man, than of a sagacious'
and cool Cosmopolite. When the Millennium takes place,
then many of his amiable, well-meant suggestions may be
advantageously acted upon, but not till then. Of" Kant
land his philosophy," which professes to give a lucid expla-
nation of the hazy, perplexing metaphysical system of the
German philosopher, we can only say, with Sheridan in
the Critic, " Egad, the interpreter is the hardest to be
understood of the two!" The Reviewer has evidently
no dear, dafiiiite idea of what he is writing about ; he
goes beating about the bush, as if he dreaded coming
to the point—or, rethe.; as if he had no point to come
to ; and his language, ir, apt accordance with his
:
thoughts, is vague, redundant, nd full of such puzzling
expressions, as might drive eve.: CEdipus himself to
desperation. What, for instance, is
..e be made of an
hypothesis like this?—" Sense, in winch spontaneity
exists in the lowest degree, furnishes intult,lollB. Two
intuitions, those of space and time, are found to possess
the marks of universality and necessity, and i.berefeare
have no objective reality. Space is no empirical CS 11;
ception, but the necessary pre-requisite, or condition o,
our ability to imagine anything as existing out of our
own minds." In the article on " English Discoveries
in the Ohio Valley," we have some interesting and
curious details respecting the progress of civilization in
the wilder districts of America. " Engraving" gives a
history of the earlier stage of the art, and closes with
a clever an4lysis of the character of the celebrated
German artist, Retzsch. " Adventures of Robin
Day," is a criticism on a recent novel, published at
Philadelphia, by Dr. Bird, author of " Nick ef the
Woods"—a romance which we remember reading pith
much pleasure a year or two since.

A SUMMER'S DAY AT HAMPTON COURT,
Being a Guide to the Paicce and Gardens, with an
Illustrative Catalogue of the Pictures, 4re.,
By EDWARD JESSE, Esq.
John Murray, 1839.
The title of this little work, and the respected name
of the author of " Gleanings in Natural History," who
has compiled it, are sufficient to recommend it to the
notice of the public. But there are other thit,js to re-
commend it—among the rest some most adrniratele cuts
giving striking views of the Palace, as erected. by
Cardinal Wolsey. Two of these views are by S.
Williams ; there are two, also, by 0. Jewitt, and a fiftlm
giving a view of the interior of the Chapel, which for
the beauty and distinctness with which it represents the
fretwork, ought not to have been left anonymous. 13
addition to a brief description of the palace, both in its
original and its present state, of the cartoons, and the nu
merous paintings contained in this venerable structure,
there are interesting anecdotes of Wolsey, Charles 1., and
William 111., one of which gives a very different idea
of the Dutch Prince from that handed down to us
iw
Harne. " Here," says Mr. Jesse, " Queen Mary, his
consort, died of the small pox, and the King's attach-
ment to the Palace seems to have increased from the
circumstance of its having been the ceene of the last
acts of the Queen, who was justly entitled to his affec-
tion. When he died bracelets composed of her hair
were found upon his arm ; and he said of her what few
husbands can say of their wives, that although he had
been married to her for seventeen years, he had never
known her guilty of a want of discretion. Hr
is said to have drunk intemperately after her death.
On his way to the Palace Mr. Jesse gives a description
of the principal buildings of interest on the route, and
subjoins some details of the habits and manners of those
who once inhabited them. " Kew," he says, ".was the
favourite residence of George 111., and perhaps the
happiest part of his life was passed in it ;" and then adds,
rather ungraciously, " he here first heard of the death
of his grandfather George II." He does not forget, of
course, to give us some additional gleanings of natural
history, and also some gleanings of artists and the arts
of which the following .7.lfords a favourable specimen :--
" The church-yard on licw•green is interesting from
the circumstance of Gainsborough, Zoffany, and Meyer
having been buried in it. It is somewhat of a reproach
to this country that no appropriate monument has been
erected to the memory of Gainshorought perhaps the
best, and certainly the most pleasing pair.ter of scenes
from nature whom we have had in this kingdom,"