The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-01 00:00:00

NEW 310 A THLY MAGAZINE.

Bating a few affectations of style, and much
Parliamentary pedantry, this number may be pro-
nounced an excellent one. The topics discussed,
with the exception of the long prosing wire-
drawn account of Mr. Wyndham, of whom the
world of 1831 knows little and cares less, who
dying in 1808, was scarcely known by name in
1809 ; who, in short, is as much forgotten as if
he had never existed—with this solitary excep-
tion, the subjects discussed are happily suited to
the taste and temper of the times; so much is
this the case, that in order to cater duly for the
season, Mr. Bulwer has not thought it beneath
him to insert a straggling, incoherent story about
" Burking," of which the less said the better,
both, we conceive, for author and editor. " A
Foreigner in England" is a slight but piquant
notice of Prince Puckler Muskau's late most
inaccurate but most amusing volume of travels.
" The Man of the Times, Lord Brougham,"
is well hit off by the artist not less than by the
writer. Both seem to have worked con anrnre.
" The Knowledge of the World in Men and
Books" is passable, though meant to be pro-
found. The author quotes with praise a com-
pliment paid by Sir J. Suckling to a lady, to
the effect that he would pronounce her name
" to save a ship from perishing sometimes."
What hyperbolical trash ! In the very worst
spirit of Euphuism ! " Margaret Sunderland,"
—the word " Sunderland" is just now provoca-
tive of any thing but pleasing pathos--is a
pretty sentimental story, short and readable.
" Romance and Reality" takes a favourable,
an uncommonly favourable, view of Miss Lan.
don's lately published romance. We know not
which is the most impassioned—the novelist or
her critic. " Poem ;by the Author of the
Corn Law Rhymes," is full of vigour and mean-
ing, though the latter is somewhat recondite.
Mr. Elliott has the true materiel of a poet about
him ; but he should practice the bard's most
difficult lesson, humility. We do not like to
see the memory of Byron aspersed by a professed
imitator. The following allusion to Napoleon
is tersely poetic :

" Like Phidian marble he endured."
Unluckily it is at variance with Barry O'Meara's
narrative. " Reminiscences of Wyndham" are
of the good old school of twaddle. Why not
reminiscences of old Banker ? He is much
more modern, and stands out far more promi-
nently on the forehead of the age. " The
Monthly Commentary" is desultory, anecdotical,

but not sufficiently pungent, save in the allusion
to Fraser's Magazine.

FRASER' S MAGZINE.

A capital number, though abounding as usual
too much in personalities. " The Letter to Mr.
Bulwer"—we say nothing of its spirit, which we
strongly deprecate—is so far as style goes, a
model of sly, easy, familiar, cutting sarcasm,
" On the Separate Existence of the Soul"—what
a title for a tale—is from the pen of the Ettrick
Shepherd. We eschew all Hogg's prose stories.
The worthy Shepherd perpetually mistakes
coarseness for strength, and caricature for
humour. " The Poet's Aspiration" concludes
with the author's wish to he a Pindar, —a natural
and laudable desire, but as hopeless, we
fear, as Mr. Croker's chance of immorta-
lity, as an author and orator. A magazine
minstrel should content himself with being a
Haynes Bayley. " German Poetry" is an ably
penned article, from the pen of an experienced
German scholar. " Dan in Ireland" is worth
reading, if only from the account it gives of the
present state of the Irish Church :

" You ask respecting the present state of the Established
Church. I can only say, it is just as Dan could wish it
to be. Nothing can be more deplorable. In five counties
in the south and west of Ireland, tithes are almost entirely
withheld. Such is the strength of the combination that
has been formed against them, that even those who aie
well disposed to pay are deterred from so doing, lest they
should incur the vengeance of the insurgents. Their plan
is sufficiently simple and effective. Tithes are demanded ;
they are refused. An appeal is had to law, which of course
determines the matter in favour of the clergyman, A de-
cree issues ; perhaps no one can be found to execute it :
if it be executed, and cattle and corn are distrained, no
body will be found to buy them. The people are all in
league against the law, which is thus rendered a dead
letter. The remedy of the clergy is perfect, if it could
be enforced ; but when they come to employ it for the
protection of their property, they find themselves like the
gentleman who was roused to defend himself against an
attack of robbers, and found that his servant had watered
his pistols.
" Indeed, my dear friend, your heart would bleed if
you knew the condition to which good and learned men
are reduced by this outrageous system—men, many of
them, who, when they were in the receipt of their legal
incomes were the best friends of the poor in their respect-
tive neighbourhoods. You know our friend Peter Roe;
you know how he always employed his income ; how he
went about doing good, and counted not any thing that he
possessed his own, as long as there existed within his
reach human wretchedness that could be relieved by it.
lie would be this moment without the means of providing
for his family if he had not friends who have ministered to
his necessities ! There is a large sum owing to him—not
less than about ,2,000/. !—and yet he cannot con-
trive to collect as much as would pay his curates ! Many
others are in similar circumstances, with large nominal
preferments, from which they cannot obtain a single six-
pence; and yet with families to support, with children co
educate, and with an appearance to maintain in the world.
Some of them have sold their stock, some their libraries !
and some of them, alas ! educated, Christian gentlemen,
are driven to solicit pecuniary contributions! Am I not
right, therefore, in saying that the Church of Ireland is
just as Dan could wish it to be ?"