The Sun.
London, England, 1831-04-01 00:00:00

FRASER' S MA GA ZINE.

By many degrees the best number we have yet
seen of this lively work, full of extravagant humour
—keen satire—critical shrewdness, and various and
agreeable matters of information. With one feature
of the Magazine only we quarrel, its politics, which
we must confess we cannot comprehend. " Mont-
gomery's Oxford" is a smart satirical notice of this
lately published poem. " Some Passages in the
Life of an Idler" are feelingly written, and display
much talent for description. " On Alchemy and
the Alchemist" is a quaint and rather abstruse
article on a subject, the interest attached to which
has for ever passed away. " The Poetry of the
Sandwich Islands" is a matchless quiz, penned in
the broadest and most effective style of humour.
There is no mistaking the writer of this Peter-Pin-
daric. It proceeds clearly from the pen of the illus.
trious Adjutant O'Doherty, who, we are happy to
learn, from a letter written to us by himself, has not
—as we surmised last month—joined the followers
of Johannah Southcote in consequence of a disap-
pointment in a love affair. The missive conveying
to us this agreeable contradiction is dated from St.
Margaret's watch-house, where it seems the exem-
plary Adjutant was for some hours confined, by

4ason of a slight misunderstanding with a couple of
unappeasable Irish watchmen. " Punch and Judy"
s in the best manner oldie Moc'ern Pythagorean—
himself a host, and one of the favourite contributors
to B/7ckwoud. The sketch of Professor Wilson is
spirited, and we suppose—as we know nothing to
the contrary—faithful as a likeness. " Visit from
Mr. St. John Long" describes the particulars of Mr.
Fraser's interview with this desperate quack in a
most animated style.
" But let us be serious. Mr. Saint John Long has
positively visited our publisher ; and the conversation
which we have quoted (in effect,—almost verbatim in-
deed) acmally took place between them. The sole pie.T
of exaggeration, or imsgination, that we have indulged in,
is touching Mr. Fraser's alarm. However atrocious it
may seem, we must confess that he was not seriously
frightened. Whether Saint John Long's bluster—his
whip, with a fix's bead upon it (apt emblem !), inspired
our friend with any sensations approaching to timidity, is
between him and his conscience. He, however, scorn-
fully rejects the notion ; and moreover asserts his surprise,
that a contemporary publication (not remarkable for its
tenderness towards those whom it deems public offenders)
should have submitted to apologise to this notorious per-
son, after, as he understands, its editor or publisher had
received a risit from Mr. Long ! But let us reflect a
little on these same visits. If persons in the situation of
Saint John Long, who has been twice arraigned, and
once convicted, of homicide (! !) are to come to the house
of every editor and publisher (with whips in their hands,
and big words in their mouths) and force apologies—if
they are to succeed in making every newspaper and maga-
zine call back its words, and eimtradiet the records of
the Old Bailey!—why there may be a good deal of talk
about the liberty of the Press, and the right of manifest-
ing public opinion; but there will be exceedingly little of
the liberty itself, which, in fact, would by such means
he speedily extinguished. We call upon our brother
editors anti publishers to lift up their voices still against
quackery of all sorts, in defiance of whips, and frowns,
and foxes' heads. We call upon them to cure quacks of
their presumption, and to put an end to these domiciliary
visits, by administering tDe wholesome ' rubbings' of the
Press. The giant with a bundred heads, now known by
the name of Public Opinion,' has, we apprehend, as
formidable a whip and as fearless a heart as the Rubber of
Harley-street himself; and we are much mistaken if he
does not succeed quite as frequently in effectually curing
his patients. Some of the weapons, wielded by this same
potent giant are, we should think, after the Rubber's own
heart. There are, for instance—the mace of the Times,
the lash of the Chronicle, the rod of the Herald, the
blister of the Bull, the lancet of the Lancet, the oaken
towel of the Examiner, the scalping-knife of the Spec-
tator, the Standard with its skene, the Globe with its
iron vice, the tomahawk of Blackwood, and the knock-
me-down hammer of Cobbett ! I—By which of these does
our Rubber wish to he cured of the indignation and dis-
content that he feels towards the public Press of England ?
It is scarcely worth while to trouble the reader any fur-
ther. Yet there is one thing whizh appears to hurt Mr.
Saint John Long's feelings so much, that we cannot resist
this opportunity of making him amends. He is ' hurt,'
he says, ' and injured,' by our calling hint a sign-post
painter. Perhaps we ought to have said merely that he
was fit to be a painter of signs. We beg him to accept
this explanation. The following advertisement has, we
are told, appeared before in some contemporary publica-
tion. We are riot sure of this in our own knowledge ;
and, therefore (and because we think it will justify us in
respect of the charge about Saint John Long's painting),
we copy it for the benefit of the curious. The reader may
be assured that it is faithfully transcribed from a Limerick
paper, bearing date the 10th of February, 1921 :---
"'MR. JOHN SAINT JOHN LONG.

.4 . Historical and Portrait Painter, the only Pupil of Daniel
Richardson, Esq., late of Dublin.
" Proposes during his stay in Limerick, to take Portraits
from Ittalian Head to whole length—and Parson desirous of
getting their's done, in Historical, Hunting, Shooting, Fish.
ing, or any other character, or their Family grouped, in one
or two Paintings, from Lite Size to Miniature, so as to
make an Historical subject choseing one from History.
" The costume of the period front whence it would be
taken will be particularly attended to, and the character of
each proserved.
I" He would take Views in the Country. Terms per
Agreement. Specimens to be Seen at hig Residence,
No. 116, Georges St. opposite the Club-house, and at Mr.
James Dodds, taper Staining Ware House, Georges St.
Mr. Long is advised by his several friends to give in.
structions in the Art of Painti.'g in Oils, Opeak, Chalk and
Water Colours, &c. to a limited number of Pupils of Re.
spectability two days in each week at stated hours.
" Gentlemen are not to Attend at the same hour the La-

dies Attend at. He will supply them in Colours,&j!

" Is this only pupil of Daniel Richardson, Esq."
our Saint John Long, or not? It not, let us have proof;
otherwise we shall still think that he might study signs'
with advantage, however indignant he may he. He would
at all events learn to amend his spelling. Think of this
0 Long! 0 Saint John !
" Awake, our Saint John' leave all meaner things
To low ambition and the pride of Kings,"—
and chew us that, with you, painting is an art and not a
' trade'—chew us that you are learning to doctor his
Majesty's subjects—shew us that you know a little of medi-
cine and a little of surgery ; and then, however we may
qualify our opinion on the subject of your actually prac-
tising amongst us, we will at least put our brazen trumpet
in order, so that we may celebrate your deeds with some
formidable blasts, as soon as ever they grow up to be
worthy of permanent renown.