The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-01 00:00:00

METROPOLITAN.

A very able number, varied and felicitous in
its selection of articles. " 'lie Retrospect of
Literature," by the celebrated Montgomery, of
Sheffield, the much-admired author of the
" Wanderer of Switzerland," is penned in a se-
rious and intelligent spirit. It is the subject,
we believe, of some lectures lately delivered to
crowded audiences in Albemarle-street. " Anec-
dotes of Abernethy," are delightful. We take
the three first :
" The eccentricities of a man of genius usually constitute
the most prominent feature in the personal character ; and
in general, wherever there is talent of any kind, some pe-
culiarity of manner exists. With respect to Mr. Aber-
nethy there was no real moroseness of disposition ; and his
impatience of loquacity and superfluous details arose from
a great degree of sagacity, clearness of judgment, and a
feeling of independence. He neither sought to recom-
mend himself, nor win his patients, by any of those
tricks which are daily practised at the expense of sacri-
ficing opinion and feeling to policy. His mind disqualified
him from adopting that affected interest which distinguishes
many of the well-bred physicians, and he heartily de-
spised their little arts to acquire popularity. He seemed
to feel as if he mentally expressed himself thus Here
I am, ready to give my advice if you want it ; but you
must take it as you find it, and if you don't like it, egad,
(bis favourite word), you may go about your business, I
don't want to have anything to do with you ; hold your
tongue and be off.' In some such mood as this he re-
ceived a visit from a lady one day who was well-acquainted
with his invincible repugnance to her sex's predominant
disposition, and therefore forbore speaking but simply in
reply to his laconic queries. The consultation was con-
ducted during three visits in the following manner :—First
day—Lady enters and holds out her finger—Abernethy.
Cut ?' Lady. ' Bite.' A. Dog ?' L. ` Parrot.' A.
Go home and poultice it.' Second day—Finger held
out again—A. Better?' L. ' Worse.' A. Go home
and poultice it again.' Third day—Finger held out as be-
fore—A. Better ' L. Well.' A. ' You're the most
sensible woman I ever met with.—Good bye—Get out.'"
" Another lady having scalded her arm, called at the
usual hour to show it three successive days, when similar
laconic conservations took place. First day—Patient, ex-
posing the arm, says—' Burnt.'—A. I see it,' and,
having prescribed a lotion, she departs. Second day—
Patient shows the arm, and says—' Better.'—A.
know it.' Third day—Again showing the arrn—Patient,
Well.'—A. ' Any fool can tell that. What d'ye come
again for?' Get away.
A patient consulted Mr. Abernethy for a pain of the
arm, and, holding it up in the air, said, ' It always gives
me pain when I hold it up so.'—' Then why the devil do
you hold it up so ?' "
(( Convent Sketches" are, we take for granted,
from the pen of that practised traveller Derwent

Conway, alias Mr. Inglis. They have no
marked character about them, but are readable,
nevertheless. " Naval Novels" falls foul of
Smollett's Sea-sketches : the writer impugns the
great novelist's correctness in this respect : as we
are mere " land-lubbers" ourselves, we shall not
enter into the discussion, though we should very
reluctantly give up Smollett as a marine painter.
Right or wrong his Tom Pipes, and more espe-
cially his Captain Bowling, deserve to be impe-
rishable. The latter character has always ap-
peared to us a model of truth and nature. " A
Tributary Strain to Paganini" is sprightly, and
reminds us of Tom Hood. " Riches" is me-
taphysical and somewhat elaborate. It is not
much to our taste. The following epigram is
smart :

" Poor Bella and I were last night at a route;
All gaily she looked, as if death she defied ;
In the morn she was lifeless—her case who can doubt ':
She dreamed St. John Long was her doctor—and died!
" The Life of a Sailor" is the best articl e in
the number. It is varied in incident, and in
manner unexceptionable. The author possesses
very pleasing and picturesque powers of descrip-
tion. " The Bridal of Pisa" is graceful written
though too lengthy—at least for a Magazine.
Biography of the late Mr. Howell, of Margate,
will amuse many readers : it is not, however, to
our taste. The subject was a tailor ; when we
found out this, we lost all interest in him. We
cannot fancy the Life of Snip. Odd recollec-
tions of goose, cabbage, crossed-legs, and the
shop-board come across us, and make us skip
the article. The Notices of New Works, are
temperate, and, so far as we can perceive, im-
partial.