The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-04 00:00:00

THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY.

The September number of this able magazine fully
maintains its high position in the periodical literature
of the day. The opening paper, entitled " Agri-
cultural and Commercial Condition of Ireland—the
Bank Returns," is one of vast importance, and de-
serves the serious attention of all interested in the
present ocndition of that country. It affords a very
melancholy illustration of its prostrate state by indi-
cating the immense decline in the circulating medium
within the last three years. It shows from the most
undoubtE d sources that the circulating medium of that
country—gold, silver, and their paper representatives
—is now less by one-half than it was thirty months
ago. The next is a very ably written commentary on
a well-conceived and useful book, " Scenes where the
Tempter has Triumphed," by the author of " The
Gaol Chaplain." " Ceylon and the Cingalese," by
the author of " China and the Chinese," has reached
its fourteenth chapter without the slightest falling off
in interest, instruction, or amusement. The corn•
mentary on the principal features in the life of
Tassoni, the author of "La Secchia Rapita," is
full of acuteness and learning. " The Commeragh
Mountains, their Lakes and Legends," this is a
graphic and interesting description of the beautiful
scenery of a wild range of mountains in the county
of Waterford. The able criticisms of the national
magazine of Ireland have frequently won our warmest
commendations, but neither in this nor ia any other
periodical has it been our good fortune to read a more
stirring, spirited, or eloquent criticism than that of
the learned commentator on the important and in-
teresting " Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount
Castlereagb, second Marquis of Londonderry, edited

by his brother, Charles Vane, Marquis of London-
derry ;" and we are not the less dispoted to pay a just
trihu!-e to the genius of the erudite and accomplished
critic because we differ from his reasoning and his
deductions : the heartiness and sincerity of his style,
the captivating gracefulness of his language, is
calculated to win admiration where it cannot secure
conviction. The sweet and simple little poem by the
Rev. George Hill we cannot avoid extracting :
SONG OF THE RADIOAN PEASANTRY ON MAY-EVE.
Silently the evening shadows
Fall around our muirland home,
And the mists o'er fields and meadows
From their secret chambers come.
Brothers! though our limbs are weary—
Sisters! though cur cares increase—
Yet our hearts are light and cheery,
Yet our suns descend in peace.
Now the lark has ceased his singing,
Wearied, since the dawn of day—
But the primrose-haunts are ringing
With the blackbird's softest lg.
Now we feel the inTiration
Breathed by twilight's magic hour,
More than they of loftiest station,
More than they of lorddest power!
Oft we meet on green Coulkeeny
When the toilsome da'ark was o'er—
And by thy lone walls, Dun-einey,
Have we heard the Atlantic roar.
Oft, when Autumn's breezy weather
Called to life the reaper train,
Have we stood and toiled together
On Moyarget's corn-clad plain.
Pleasant were the days of childhood
When we roamed o'er hill and glen—
Primroses in Coual's wild wood
Not fresher than our hopes were then!
Why, in foreign climes to wander,
Shall we leave our native streams?
Would not their beloved Meander
Still reproach us in our dreams?
Old Rathmohan, still we love thee,
Through all times of hope or fear—
For the, heavens are bright above thee,
And our fathers' graves are here.
_ _

" Philip Marsden; or the Experiment," is continued,
and contains many touches of deep feeling and pathos.
" The Undergraduate" is also continued. The last
paper of the series for this month would demand more
time and space than we can afford at present to
bestow upon it—it is a review of " Lord Cloncurry's
Memoirs." This patriotic and high-minded noble-
man has favoured the public with a volume entitled
" Personal Recollections of the Life and Times, with
Extracts from the Correspondence of, Valentine Lord
Cloncurry," a work likely to prove of great value to
the future historian of Ireland. We fully concur in
the well-merited tribute to the memory of the late
Dr. Cooke Taylor. Few men contributed more
extensively to the science and literature of his age and
country than the lamented Dr. Taylor.