The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-03 00:00:00

crisis :

"The military occupation of Greece by the Western
Powers, and her compulsory neutrality in the present
war, may well suggest matter for grave consideration.
Degenerate Greece I Was it for this that Byron sung
and died ? that the gallant seamen of France and Eng-
land bled at Navarino ? that the hard-working artisan
subscribed his mite to set them free ? that the press,
from one end of civilised Europe to the other, advocated
thy cause, and inspired thousands of brave spirits to fly
to arms in thy behalf ? May we not truly say with the
Eastern sage, 'He that sows his wheat in an ungrateful
soil, is certain to reap a harvest of tares and thistles.'
Every people have their peculiar features and tendencies,
the result of their political, moral, and religious institu-
tions, and Greece, in, its present demoralised condition,
is a striking example of this. It was not enough that
this ill-fated people had been already cursed with an
ignorant, superstitious, designing priesthood, and
debased by centuries of Moslem misrule, but, to add to
these evils, they were forced, when they acquired their
freedom, to accept the rule of a foreign prince whose
every act since he assumed the reins of power has been
to destroy all that was manly and patriotic, generous
and noble-minded in the national character, till we now
find them a byword of reproach among the nations. How
different might have been the result had they been
blessed with an enlightened legislator at that critical
period when the first signs of returning life appeared in
the national spirit, and when a community is so easily
influenced, either for good or ill. Then the brilliant
imagination, the ready invention and quickness of in-
tellect, which still so eminently distinguish this race,
if properly directed by a master mind, would have
soared to a higher standard of morality and social order,
than that of a nation of brigands and pirates, the servile
dupes of a Russo-Tartar despot—the paid instruments of
a power whose open and seal-et policy has ever been to
war against man's freedom, civilisation, and inde-
pendence."

Colburn's New Monthly.—A long and curious
account of M. Jules Gerard, the lion-killer of Al-
geria, is the first paper in Oofburn's. Some inte-
resting anecdotes of lion-hunts, and the adventures
met with in them, are extracted from his work.
" A Soldier's Career" is an episode of the Sikh
war, by the author of " The Unholy Wish."
" Literary Leaflets" have reached the twenty-first
number, and the present instalment gives a memoir
of Dr. Croly. We miss this month from the pages
of the New Monthly the essays on " American
Authorship," by the same writer. " A German
View of the Eastern Question" gives us at least
some new considerations as to the effect produced
upon Germany by the European crisis. The
" Diary of a First Winter at Rome" is continued,
and narrates an audience with the Pope. " Quin-
tin's Bagshaw's Duel with Maxwell" is an amusing
account of a melodrama which suddenly becomes a
comedy. A criticism on De Quincey's "Miscel-
lanies" recommends the immediate appointment of
that author to one of the vacancies on the pension
list. " Stray Letters from the East" are not very
entertaining, being neither in jest nor earnest.
" Vignettes from a Poet's Portfolio," and " A
Righi Day," are 'two travelling sketches. The
poetical contributions consist of "An Ancient
Bride's Lament," by Mrs. Bushby—a warning to
all old maids with sudden legacies ; and a war
song by Nicholas Michell, " Shall the Russians
reach the Balkan Mountains," which contains some
spirited passages.

University.—Some remarks aro made on
the " War," in the first article of this number, in
which dissatisfaction is expressed at the mode of its
arrangements. " Sir Jasper Carew" being com-
pleted, a new story is commenced, which is inte
resting although very remarkable. It is entitled
" Mosses upon Grave Stones." The narrator pays
a visit unexpectedly to an old college friend whom
lie finds in very low spirits, the inhabitant, of a
ruined and melancholy country house. Some
mystery hangs over the house which no one can
explain, and the visitor is persuaded he can descry
a female figure haunting the avenues and galleries,
of an unearthly beauty and appearance. "Oh ivory
palaced and amaranth dropping dreams. Oh fan-
cies sweet and strange, of poet and painter in the
blue summer midnights. Oh visions of eremite
and seer in the antique solitudes of old. Oh pic-
tures of Raphael. Oh songs of Petrarch—she was
fairer than all of you." "The History of a Bache-
lor" is a very amusing little sketch, in which the
many new loves of a dashing and capricious man
are satirically epitomised by an old friend and
looker-on. The biographer prefixes this consola-
tory reflection to his tale :—" Le marine est une
chose tres serieuse, on n'y pout pas trop penser.
Heureux ceux qui y pensent toute leur vie." In
" German Epics and English Hexameters" an
analysis is given of the difficulty of rendering
poetry readable in English hexameters. A criti-
cism is entered into on the translation of some Ger-
man poems by Mr. Cochrane, and it is observed
that " Herman and Dorothea " is Goethe's most
perfect imaginative poem, and that it is to be
regretted that it was not translated into blank
verse instead of hexameters. " Our impression is
that it will be impossible for the metre permanently
to take any root in the language." In " The Poet's
Aspiration" there are some passages of merit. The
annexed verses are some of the best :
Pass forth, ye thoughts of beauty, into light,—
Forth from your palace in the poet's soul ;
Where ye have been a glory and delight,
Swaying all senses with your sweet control :
Therefore, ye thoughts, speed on your winged way- ;
Your life greets song as Memnon greets the day.

Long halt thou dwelt within my soul, 0 song,
Like the sweet music in an ocean-shell ;
Making life sweet amid the senseless throng,
With the fair magic of thy deop-loved spell ;
Therefore my hymn, 0 ! Mahe of the soul,
Queen of a realm where death hath no control.

Visions there are like sunsets steeped in gold,
Where the rich past has crowned some glorious scene,
Whose spirit lingers on the sands of old,
Fair as a syren by the sea-marge green :
Lo ! they arise before thy tranced. sight,
The soul's creations in their robes of light.

Swiftly They pass upon their lustrous wings,
Those lofty pageants time shall ever know;
The battle march of bronzed Assyrian kings ;
The maids that wept o'er Sion's overthrow :
Swiftly they vanish in the Past once more,
Those gods who guard the deathless banks of yore.

Ainsworth.—" Nicholas Flamel" still continues
its maze of plot and counterplot, and places some
of its heroines in an unenviable position. A paper
entitled " Two Centuries and a Half Age combats
the idea that a higher state of morals and manners
prevailed then than at a later period. No. 2of the
Chapters on the Working Classes treats of the im-
portant subject of education. This difficult and
perplexing question is carefully considered. A
Tale of the Reign of Terror progresses, but only
extricates its victims from imminent danger to
leave them with gloomy forebodings. " A Village
Tale" continues, ancl.leaves the unhappy miners in
a terrible position. There are several other tales
and sketches, all partaking more or less of the ro-
mantic, which tendency generally characterises
this magazine.

Bentley's Miscellany.—This number opens with
an article on " The War and its Aspects," in which
the writer expresses a very general feeling when he
observes—" We have only to express regret that
the war has not been prosecuted with more alacrity,
purpose, and success." "Aspen Court" is con-
tinued, and the present instalment consists of two
conversations, the first between Paul Chequerbent
and the designing Heywood, and the second be-
tween Lord Rookbury, the evil genius of the story,
and the minister Selwyn. " Haps and Mishaps of
a Tour in Europe" describe a journey through
Scotland. The histories of " Benjamin Bobbin
the Bagman," and "Arthur Arden, the Medical
Student," are both continued. They are neither
of them remarkable for elegance or interest. The
second chapter of Mr. Reade's new tale of " Clouds
and Sunshine" is given. It is-in his usual lively
manner, though not without some pathetic di-
lemmas. The " History of the Theatres of Lon-
don" brings them this month to their suppression
by the Long Parliament. "My Aviary" relates
some curious particulars of the blackbird.

The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Review.
—ln the preface we are-informed that this number
is the beginning of a new series, and that this is the
second century of the magazine's existence. The
first article is "The Political Constitution of Fin-
land," which was written twelve years ago, but
which the writer affirms he has not altered for its
present appearance. It relates to the aggressive
spirit of Russia, which circumstances have proved
has only increased instead of diminishing of late.
" Undesi,s,rned Imitations," contains some curious
passages, in which it is represented that imitations
may be traced of Erasmus by Shakspere, of Horace
Walpole by Scott, and of Schiller by Eugene Sue
and Dumas. In the remarks made on the " Sup-
pression of Female Infanticide in India," the ex-
traordinary practice of the most influential tribes
is described. The Rajpoots is one of the most pre-
eminent, and for centuries no female' child was per-
, witted to live. Happily, owing to British interfe-
rence, the crime has been nearly suppressed, and it
is truly observed, " that generations yet unborn
will thank the beneficent conquerors who used their
power to ameliorate the condition of the peOple their
prowess had subdued." " The Map of London" a
hundred years ago" exhibits the remarkable changes
that have taken place in the metropolis. " Jerome
Cardan" is a brief sketch of the life of that gifted
but misguided individual. The account given at
. the end -of his pleading for the life of his son, who

was being tried for the murder of his wife, is very
interesting. The following is a part of the deserip=
tion

" We know nothing in history more touching than
this paternal. attempt to tear a child from the grasp of
the executioner. The defence is a monument of sub-
limity and folly. It advocates, justifies, disproves, ad-
mits, denies, excuses, beseeches, menaces, weeps, laughs,
beguiles, and bewilders. It is at once titanic and
dwarfish ; grand as Demosthenes, and peurile as a
parody. It presents to us the terrible wreck of intel-
lect—madness strong, and affection stronger still. We
see the profound lawyer on the very point of persuading
the judges of the innocence of his client, but then some
damning evidence makes him stumble, and down goes
intellect again, and up rises despair, and the ball re-
sounds with the shrieks of the father screaming for mercy
for his child, since justice would be too severe a lot for
him. Mercy was not to be had ; the criminal confessed
his crime ; the executioner did his office upon him pri-
vately within the prison ; and from that day Carden felt
that he was infamous and unutterably wretched for
ever.