The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-23 00:00:00

LITERATUBE.

THE QUARTERLIES.
The Edinburgh, Review. No. CXCVIII.
$a
aving already commented at some length on the
vulgarity and coarseness of the attacks made this
ta
80°Ilth by the great Whig Quarterlone on " Ali-
_ ns History of Europe since 1815,y—
' and the other
ofMr. Disraeli, his Character and Career," we
014 no more here than reiterate the expression
co °ur really heartfelt indignation. Anything
odeitiparable to these two articles in either spite or
arable
has not for many years past disgraced
th e of the more important organs of criticism in
of
whole range of periodical literature. Enough
this, however, and rather more than enough.
Th
eiPaPers in question—apart from their humorous
s' flays of mingled. wit and personality—would, in
ale unfairness of criticism, have been discredit-
-4lle to any, even the lowest class of publication.a
cl'eeY re, consequently, disgraceful to the last
re, in a periodical like the Edinburgh, enjoying
T" and deservedly high reputation. Turning
thebes. other review contained in the current num-
vlt we find the difficult question of " Marriage
13a'ar.a deceased Wife's Sister" considered in all its
taiti,in,gB) especially in reference to the views enter-
'''. on this subject by Lord Denman, as well
48 by Post Messrs. Binney, Denison, and Campbell-
AL• curious essay entitled " The Church of
11 in the Mountains" has regard to the
Position.
to 1, of Wales and the Welsh in reference
c0„...-'4ducation and Christianity. During the
arse of a pleasant but rather superficial and
diereive chat about " Recent Novels" cor-
the words of encouragement are addressed to
tri
„author of the four stories —" The Ogil-
-4 Olive".--(4 The Head of a Family"—
. Agatha's Husband." Of the first of these
ch°llB tlithe reviewer observes sententiously that.
e style was careful, the narrative interesting,
n the characters on the whole attractive, indi-
qui.nal, well sustained ; but it differed from the
heftsort of ordinary novels chiefly by a fresher
and a more thoughtful tone." Of the second
4;3,5, that it "was similar in character, and
dei7 Y equal in execution, but marked by a ten-
the eYA to dwell, with too prolonged minuteness, on
"tails of severe mental struggles—always
soto,w,
exit uat a morbid symptom." Of the third the
14 le observes, " This tale was a marked improve-
to It upon its predecessors ; altogether it appeared
tee-I:n° of the most pleasing and beautiful do-
fo dfictions we had ever read"—while, of the
ri, he writes " Agatha's Husband,' which has
peri,:•7l:l published, is equal in interest, and s-u-
-firra'r artistic merit ; the author treads with a
4,, step, handles the pencil with the conscious-
ofkict more assured power, and in her pictures
kid reflections displays the resources of a richer
taaturer mind." We have transcribed these
the°,,gillins into our columns not simply because
tliec:uaPPen to accord wonderfully well with
toe,.':_ews already expressed by ourselves as to the
of the four fictions particularised, but
skf we deem it but fair to the youthful
Promising author of those fictions that
tealit'euld afford every additional publicity to
valuable, because authoritative, encou-
Reale
4()1,, nit. Such, therefore, are the opinions pro-
lipo—ce4 by the Edinburgh upon " The Ogilvies,"
ilb„n " Olive," upon " The Head of a Family," and
of —f,4 ",A-gatha's Husband." It must do a world
tlieteo, moreover, to another writer to learn that
that",big Quarterly, in the same article, declares
about the most exquisitely beautiful and
ALerful tale of the last thirty years," is " The
yetg r,,al's Daughter." Speaking of the great nove-
larico' the present age—and, of course, particu-
piZng especially Bulwer Lytton and Charles
he-Tlus—the reviewer remarks of the former, that
h has now been before the world for a quarter of
tothltnrY ; has tried first the fashionable, then the
41 to
and incidental, then the sentimental, then
ti,-.torical, then the humoristic novel ; has been
th:nently successful in every line, and immeasurably
let t:34°st Successful in his latest phase." True in every
for „ts-SO true that we shall look with some curiosity
"uat elaborate criticism on " My Novel," which
to k work ought, by its extraordinary merits, to
eland from the Edinburgh. To another of thee
utions in the present number we have already
111,11:ed in our leading columns—we allude here to 2
Itili„,4ngenious paper on " The National Gallery,
tIC", by an amusing coincidence, appeared simul-
eousl
toN Y with Mr. Dyce's pamphlet. Besides a
‘_Plnugireview of " Marcellus s Memoirs of the
ha. 'oration," the Edinburgh contains a dull and
4-13,"'Y article on " The income Tax," and one yet
filler and heavier on "Public Education."

Ole Quarterly Ileview. No. CLXXXIV.
te,,A erhaPs we should the most accurately charac-
4ZBre the majority of the articles in the current
14"1,411?er of the Quarterly designating them mere
ti.V.einentary curiositiesbyof literature. This is
tieiently apparent from the titles of the respec-
Ye tqcontributors. One of them, for example, has
cl'ence to Mr. Scrope, s memoirs of the Families
lt,,,,tinstanville, Tiptoft, Scrope, F.astolf, and Bad.
tli7ere., given by the biographer in his history" of
, ancient of " Castle Combe," in Wilt-
re, clout barony
re. gossipping account of " Hu-
-144,11 gait,"
give a
its manifold peculiarities. An-
Ltaer Celli,sr'u"siliallaallbolit_am" the Old Countess of Des-
„..d!'
isitl. romance, attractive to
no— --a chapter of
_l-
- paper refers to
iv lettered. gemeolog .
fete "Rungarian Campfaign_is " with especial re-
" .Kossuth and Gorgei,"
kelee to the rivalry
tfl, that relates ,to the ° long-prosecuted, but as yet
1i4(),1Y ineffectual, " Search for Sir John Frank-
of ti, 'fere we meet with a cold-blooded. analysis
\i " "Buckingham Papers," in. which. the re-
:1,,,,.
tli, , insists upon the absolute impossibility of
11i4 oP4Pere in question having ever been edited by
Ite "..Rrace the present Duke of Buckingham.. There
tc)4i.'ll4 a delightful anecdotal description of tfhae
1)ol,"ellts of ~ Apsley House," lately the sceneo
he.llar pilgrimage. Finally, we have handonorneenton.
/11.1etlilirY into " The Two Systems at
% d, and on, the other a criticism upon " Maurel
ko,i.e.rikke of Wellington." Are not these, we ask,
th „-"°'tilem, in subject, curiosities ofliterature ?t.t.nd
kr:" ~a'o not only so in subject, but several of t . !um.
t;io' '„:Dreover, in treatment. Take the con ribk.
Nlic74.Zut "Human Hair" in illustration. Speat
ietb„. - '44e melancholy situation of any unfortunate
tlit --'4,lllldergoing the misery of having his hairf
talk" he writer says—" Swathed in wrappers. o
tua„' the head fixed by a neckfull of short hairs,
1,4-‘,l 18 planted like an unfortunate wicket,
tand
t, e" at by the abhorred barber, with PaAnd
1144' essences, tinctures, and small talk." f 1
1° 'elip,Pl, he quotes for general delectation the o -
-iPvl,,'ll' 'llnormis Beene from Punch, who, says he,
' reed evidently suffered from this martyrdom,
i Ll -14, .reellds a very neat style of batting, or rather
etZeKlug the tails, as thus :"
elitit--A hairyk-....r's Shop. Barber's men engaged in
itier,l-,g. making wigs, and other barbaresque
Ries
a Xrater Jones, meeting Oily the barber.
%ea__
Oirly -I Wish my hair eut.
Pray, Sir, take a seat.
[Oil Pray,
chair for Jones, who sits. During the
Oil fh°.l!°l'fing dialogue Oily ontinues cutting Jones's
' 3't.
.--
ewet, .
0he„...... Ye had much
bily,_
Very much indeed.
4(\qleg And Yet November's early days were fine.
IT '4l*--...- -I•heY were.
1411 tl I hoped fair weather might have lasted us
4011 the end.
fii es---
al 3,-....t , At one time—so did I.
0i1e8.......0t we have had it very wet.
We have.
0,3,.....4
[A pause of some minutes.
411 t ft this / kialsw not, Sir, who cut your hair last time ;
"440114 ,71Y, Sir, it was badly cut
()Zue___ " Was in the country. . ,
a Y-----It d No ! in town . .
fit:!leS----. Teed ! I should have fancied otherwise.
W„,"?Y--..A:,,,,-was cut in town, and in this very room.
A i ,lkd , ‘-"azernent !—but I now remember well.
k_ellow ill_ 4wkvra,rd new provincial hand,
Vre dart'°lll the country. Sir, he did
4,41 ..11,:ge t. my business in a week
,t1:08t Oct:kill can in a year repair.
40ilie, 4gok.cut yowl. Inlir.
,/ Y----- self!ing at him). No—lwa.s yourself.
04,...,1 lmpossible ! You must mistake. .
[A- 104°.(12a:t Ini.stake—'twas you that cut my hair.
0;1 the ;'' P'use, interrupted only by the clipping o:
~13,___Itoetiirsson.
4Qie,,.... hair is very dry, Sir.
Jo Y."-Our y- Oh ! indeed.
();1e5....4 egetable Extract moistens it.
Ternsl---.13 Ke it dry. ut, sir - •
(mem
grey.e hair when dry
non 5' .
A il b t hclhair, Wit That colour I prefer.
a aldne 11 grey, will rapidly fall off,
r,?ne,__, 48 will ensue.
VilY-115
el - erh, I would be bald.
1"to/11‘!%:igs 84atYucve,tnean to say you'd like a wi
.g.—
at44al h,ir, rat they can't be told
[Another Deception I detest.
`low n, aoPall'T ensues, during which Oily blows
linen wra.i'es 8
.rieek, and relieves him from the
,Ilily 4.1 t th,lr_T s which he has been enveloped
141,44:ie'aveeebrusi'lees,
soafphsairancuttsi
d cnegnt of every kind.
%iv Y°u have.
J - --If i,,, (flays 6d.) I think you'll
[find that right.
11:t113,Z.---1•1--re 5i,! u,io.thing I can show you, Sir.
p., You 1,,, ..oLning. yet_
11--. y Rho... there may be some-
- Ille.
01.1,t
[thing too
Name, it Sir.
N 13.1? (b) is The door.
,
e ' elltli-..- 111411)----Th t' • [Exit Jones.
tut Iv iit„ ..11/1,21
_, a a a •
rum customer at any rate.
L.,yliihkolii)li'eae hi.faior_lre
158tonenorirhtiui
sash
ehaed cutwo
uml
de, b e 1
anotheronr pains
night.requite,
ackll
qt,
analysis
made
b[ShLp-bell rings and curtain falls.'
Y axon Justus Liebig, show-

ing that, according to the colour of hair, its pig-
ment cells reveal a considerable difference in their
constitution, is given as thus tabularised

Fair Hair. Brown Hair. Black Hair.
Carbon 49.345 50.622 49.935
Hydrogen 6.576 6.613 6.631
Nitrogen 17.936 17.936 17.939
Oxygen and sulphur 26.143 24.829 25.498

The following passage will be regarded by many as
towards its close altogether disgusting and abomi-
nable. All young lovers more especially we would
earnestly recommend not by any means to glance
at these matter-of-fact remarks about hair :
"An examination of its structure shows that the dif-
ference of colour is entirely owing to the tinct of the
fluid which fills the hollow tube in each hair. This tinct
or pigment shows through the cortical substance in the
same manner that it does through the epidermis of a
negro. Hair is, in fact, but a modification of the skin.
The same might be said of feathers, horns, and scales.
Not improbably the distinguished lady now honouring
these pages with her attention, will be shocked at hearing
that her satin-soft shoulder is almost chemically inden-
tical with the plated and roughened mail of the croco-
dile—and she will hardly perhaps believe us when we
infrrm her that her bird, when he sets right some err-
ing feather with his beak, is acting with the same
chemically composed instrument upon the same chemi-
cally composed material as Mademoiselle does when she
disentangles with a comb her charming mistress's softly-
flowing tresses. The fond lover again, as he kisses some
treasured lock, will doubtless be disgusted when we tell
him, that, apart from the sentiment, he might as well
impress his fervent lips upon a pig's pettitoe, or even
upon the famous Knob Kerry, made out of the horn of
a rhinoceros, carried by the king of hunters, Mr.
Roualleyn Gordon Cumming."
Whereupon the reviewer gives this capital descrip-
tion of hair anatomically considered :
- -

-
" The hair, anatomically considered, is composed of
three parts—the follicle or tubular depression in the skin
into which the hair is inserted—the bulb or root of the
hair—and the stalk or cortical part filled with pigment.
A single hair, with its follicle, might be roughly likened
to a hyacinth growing from a glass—with this difference,
that the hair is supplied with nutriment exclusively from
below. The bulb, which rests upon the reticulated bed
of capillary vessels of the cutis and sub-cutaneous tissue,
draws its pigment cells or colouring matter directly from
the blood—in like manner, the horny sheath is secreted
directly from the capillaries—so that, unlike the hya-
cinth plant, it grows at its root instead of at its free ex-
tremity. A hair is not, as it appears, a smooth cylindri-
cal tube like a quill ; on the contrary, it is made up of a
vast number of little horny laminae—or our reader might
realise its structure to herself by placing a number of
thimbles one within the other, and as she adds to this
column by supplying fresh thimbles below, she will get
a good notion of the manner in which each hair grows,
and will see that its oldest portion must be its free ex-
tremity."
Upon the article descriptive of the "Hungarian Cam-
paigns" we have already in our leading columns com-
mented. The other, to which we would here more
particularly direct attention, is the one contrasting
the two systems at Pentonville.

The Westminster Review. New Series. No. VI.
Unfortunately we have left ourselves but little
space for reference to the contents of the new num-
ber of the Westminster. Altogether it is about the
best number since it passed under its present ma-
nagement. The different contributions comprised
in it are more agreeably diversified, and some of
them are distinguished by a more than usual dis-
play of scholarly intelligence. We would particu-
larly commend, as deserving of careful perusal the
charming paper on " Martial and his Times," inter-
spersed with a profusion of illustrative quotations.
Reference was some time since made by us elsewhere
in this journal, to the introductory contribution re-
lating to " Jamaica Distress and British Philan-
thropy." Perhaps the most readable production
in the number is the criticism, or rather, we might
more correctly term it, the panegyric on " Thacke-
ray's Works." There is a thoughtful chapter on
" Iconoclasm in German Philosophy." Further on
we have another puff direct of the "Poems of
Alexander Smith," poems that ought long ago to
have set the Thames on fire if they really possessed
a portion of that fire of genius which has been
eulogised by so many choral publications. Besides
these contributions, there are other entertaining
papers—one on " French Writers on French
Policy," another on " Ruth and Villette," recent
novels so entitled, another on the " Educational
Institutions of the United States," and another on
the Creeds and Heresies of " Early Christianity."
Beyond all we have the usual Foreign Quarterly
supplement, reviewing in regard to England, Ame-
rica, Germany, and France, the principal features
of contemporary literature.

EPSOM-(THIS DAY.)