The Sun.
London, England, 1837-12-25 00:00:00

patiate either on its excellences, or its occasional
defects, arising chiefly from luxuriance and obscurity
of metaphor; we may, however, say a word or two
on the sonnets which are now, for the first time,
attached to the edition. These are modelled in their
sentiments, and even in the structure of their versifi-
cation, on the similar productions of Wordsworth ;
and are, we incline to think,- Mr. Talfourd's most
successful achievements in poetry—and for this reason,
that being limited in their character, consisting only of
fourteen lines, they compel him to restrain that ten-
dency to excessive amplification which " Ion" exhibits
in every page. The subjoined sonnet, suggested by a
view of the Forbury—that is, the play-ground of
Reading school—is exquisitely finished ; profound in
sentiment, and graceful in expression.
" Soft uplands, that in boyhood's earliest days

Seem'd mountain-like and distant, fain once more
Would I behold you ; but the Autumn hoar
Bath veil'd your pensive groves in evening haze;
Yet do I wait till on my searching gaze
Your outline lives—more dear than if ye wore
An April sunset's consecrating rays—
For, even thus the images of yore
Which ye awaken glide from misty years
Dream-like and solemn, and but half unfold
Their tale of glorious hopes, religious fears,
And visionary schemes of giant mould ;
Whose dimmest trace the world-worn heart reveres,
And, with love's grasping weakness, strives to hold."
Our only objections to this sonnet are that, to the
best of our recollection, it is inaccurate in its scenic
allusions. The " uplands" viewed from the Forbury
are neither " mountain-like," nor " distant," nor can

they be made so by any process of the imagination
with which we are acquainted. Again, there are no
" groves" in the landscape, but, on the con-
trary, a vast expanse of open meadow land,
bounded by the low chalk hills of Caversham.
These are trival blemishes, perhaps, but they
are as well avoided—the more especially as Mr.
Talfourd's idol Wordsworth is remarkable for the
rigid accuracy of his local details. The dedication
of " Ion" to Dr. Valpy—who since its publica-
tion has been gathered to the great and good of past
ages—is a noble specimen of mingled eloquence
and sensibility ; and to our thinking, by far the best
of its author's prose compositions. The preface is
also penned in a graceful and conciliating spirit ; and
does no more than justice to Mr. Macready's praise-
worthy efforts to raise the character of the drama, and
to discourage every blandishment except those by
which Art embodies the conceptions of Genius."

THE MODERN PYTHAGOREAN. 2 "Vols.
Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1837.
The " Modern Pythagorean" is a re-publication of
several clever tales and sketches, chiefly of a hu-
rnourous character, which have appeared from time to
time in the pages of " Blackwood's Magazine." Mr.
Macnish is the author—a young man of considerable
powers of fancy and humour, who was cut off the
other day in the very prime of life, just as he was
about realizing the most sanguine prognostications of
his literary friends. His Memoirs, written by his friend
and admirer, Mr. Moir—well known as the " Delta"
of " Blackwood"—form the first of the two volumes,
and do credit to the good sense and affectionate zeal of
the biographer. They contain little incident, for the
lives of authors are in general monotonous to a degree,
and are chiefly interesting from their ample literary
correspondence, which shows Mr. Macnish's head and
heart in a very favourable light. The most amusing
portion of the Memoirs, is where this author, then
scarcely .fledged, describes his sending off his first lite-
rary communication to Christopher North, and the
state of anxiety he was in, until the fate of his packet
was sealed. He contributed at first, it seems, under
the l fictitious name of " 4 Mackay Gordon," being
ap-
prehensive that his contribution would be rejected.
Greatly, however, to his surprise and delight, it be-
came exceedingly popular, and drew forth a host of imi-
tators. From this period until within a few weeks of
his death, he continued to send occasional articles to
" Blackwood;' and found leisure also, despite his pro-
fessional avocations as a surgeon, to publish two works
on " Drunkenness" and " Sleep," both of which met
with great success, and procured him a diploma from
one of the colleges in America. The second volume
of the " Modern Pythagorean" is composed of various
original tales and sketches, the two best of which are,
we think, the " Barber of Gottingen," and the " Red
Man"—the last of which we remember reading in one
of the Annuals a few years since.

LE BIJOU LITTEI?AIRE.
Simpkin and Marshall, London.
• A useful elementary work, chiefly intended for
schools, containing a variety of historical anecdotes,
and moral extracts, selected from the productions of
the best French prose writers and poets. Mr. Victor
Martin is the author of this compilation, and appears
to have executed his task with taste and judgment.

HOLMES ON CONSUMPTION, &c.
Hol!worth, London.
This is a work chiefly devoted to the consideration
of those various diseases which are apt to affect the
lungs, and which, if not checked in time, have gene-
rally a fatal termination by means of consumption.
The author, Mr. Holmes, is a medical gentleman of
much practice and experience in his profession, and
his remarks, therefore, deserve attention.