The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-04 00:00:00

MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

The Editor's (John Heraud) poem on the " Plea-
sures of Genius" is continued in this month's number,
and contains one or two passages replete with fine poetry.
The author, however, who seems to labour under a
constant wish to be original, refi:tes far too much on his
theme. Among other things, he tells us, that the idea
of the child being the " father of the man," is Words-
worth's ; he is mistaken, it is Milton's, and may be
found in Paradise Regained. " Remembrances cf
Monthly Nurse," is a well told tale, though we could
have wished it had been shorter. Of the remaining
articles, we have merely time to say, that they are each
of fair enough average merit.

MONTHLY CHRONICLE.
The two most readable articles in the number before
us are Mr. Horne's " Studies of Undeveloped Charac-
ters in Shakspeare," and the " Press of the Revolutiin."
The former of these shows infinite critical perspicacity ;
though occasionally the author's ideas are pnshed to the
verge of extravagance. The " Press of the Revolu-
tion," gives us some deeply interesting extracts from the
inflammatory French Journals, from the year 1789 to
1795. The autobiographical sketch of Marat, throws
quite a new light on the character of this phenomenon
—for phenomenon he was, to all intents and purposes.
We had no idea that this crack-brained scamp had so
many redeeming qualities in his nature. " The Present
State of French Literature," speaks in terms of just
inGignation of the licentious school of writers in France.
Of the remaining articles, the best is that on " German
Manufactures and English Corn-laws."

7'HE RAILWAY MAGAZINE.
With the tenor of the Editor's second article on

Irish Railways, we are by no means well satisfied:— He
wishes to prevent the Government from interfering in
such undertakings, either by loans or otherwise ; and
he denounces the conduct of the Irish landlords, in
seeking such assistance, as the result of an attempt to
" elude the operations of the Poor-laws, and to shift
from their own shoulders, to the English public's, the
employment and maintenance of their poor." We want
no better evidence, to satisfy us that the Editor knows
no more about the internal state of Ireland, than he does
of the geography of the moon. His very quotation of
what he would have us to believe to be an Irish adage,
i 3 an absurdity, hardly worth being imported from the
United States, where it originated, to serve as false
matter for a groundless charge against Irishmen. Loans
are required to make roads in Ireland ; because there
is no capital in the country ; and such loans must be
raised under a Legislative sanction, as in a country
where capital does not exist, and where landed pro-
perties are liable to heavy mortgages, they could not
be raised by Private Companies, save at a ruinous
sacrifice in the shape of exorbitant interest. The very
reverse of this is true of England, and, therefore, here
Private Companies are adequate to all such undertakings
without Legislative aid. In England capital is plentier
than labour ; in Ireland labour abounds, but is worth-
less and unproductive, from the want of a necessary sup-
ply of capital. The attack upon Mr. O'Connell is in
this instance undeserved. The Hon. and Learned
Gentleman is far from being perfect ; but if none were
permitted to assail him but such as had equalled him in
the magnitude of their services to their country, he
might walk the earth for an hundred years to come
without there being one found to cast a stone or a re-
buke at him.

Most of the articles in this Number are of a scientific
character, and consequently, though interesting to en-
gineers, are unsuited to an extended notice in the co-
lumns of a Daily Newspaper. The Railway Reports
are exceedingly numerous, and carefully condensed. The
attention paid to the proceedings of Parliament upon
Railway Bills is an excellent feature in the Editorial.
management of this very useful Periodical.

THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

The " Confessions of Harry Lorrcquer," though as
amusing as any confessions can be, begin, from their ex-
treme length, to be rather tedious, notwithstanding the
additional charm imparted to them this month by the
account of Mr. O'Leary's first and second love. The
" Sixty-drop Dose of Laudanum" abounds in common-
places, propounded with all the gravity of newly-dis-
covered truths ; but several, thrown into the form of
axioms, are certainly ingenious, and indicate great meta-
physical subtlety. The following is one of those which
we do not remember to have read anywhere :—" The
most opaque of all the masks that people assume to con-
ceal their real character is enthusiasm. In the eyes of
women enthusiasm appears so amiable, that they believe
that no impostor could counterfeit it : to men it seems
so ridiculous, that they are satisfied that nobody would."
The first of the " Female Portraits" is concluded. As a
whole we can speak well of it. It is a touching tale,
very pleasingly and naturally told. The best paper in
the Number is a review of the great Lord Chatham's
Correspondence, though occasionally disfigured with per-
sonal attacks upon the abilities and motives of living
statesmen—for the race of statesmen is not vet extinct
in England. The " Corn-laws," " Lord Durham's Re-
port," and " Railways in Ireland," are the subjects of
thres long articles, of the merits of which our limits will
not now permit us to speak. The great defect in this
Number is want of freshness and variety in the articles.

ALEXANDER'S EAST INDIA MAGAZINE.
The " Married Subaltern's Dinner in India" is a ca-
pital sketch, though bordering rather too much on the
extravagant. The agony of Captain Brown, when forced
to justify his refusal to help the ladies to Mulligatawny,
by confessing that " Blackee" had boiled it in a pair of
well-worn inexpressibles, and the confusion that ensued
among the male guests, is a scene worthy of Satollett.
The " Tale of the Heart" is not much to our taste. We
have no appetite for the horrible in fiction. There is a
very careful review of a pamphlet, recently published by
the Bombay Geographical Society, " On the Defensive
State of the North-west Frontier of India," which we
recommend to the notice of those to whom it may not
be convenient to see the pamphlet itself. There is also
a brief, but business-like, article on Banking in India,
which will repay the trouble of a perusal, by the know-
ledge which men not versed in Oriental finance may
gain from it. The summaries of proceedings at the
India House, and gleanings from Asiatic Journals, are
condensed with tact and judgment.