The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-22 00:00:00

TB R

goras we know little that is certain, and we have none of
his writings. Of Plato, we may distinctly say that the
evidence afforded by his works is decidedly against the
notion of Egyptian influence. He visited Egypt; but
seems to have brought nothing away from it except a pro-
found veneration for the orderly symmetry of society, nod
perhaps also a certain inclination towards the symbolical,
though the latter he might very well have learned from the
Grecian mysteries, as M. .Ampre suggests. And when he
wishes to express philosophical ideas by means of mytholo-
gical symbols, he employs the mythes of Greece, and not the
legends of Egypt.
As the writer elsewhere remarks, even Sclimolders, " at
the very outset, stops to warn us that we can never speak
of Arabian philosophy, in the strict sense of the v+ ord,
as we speak of a Greek or a German philosophy."
There is much justice, therefore, in gainsaying the old
misconception that science, and literature, and art, all
sprang from Egyptian and Arabic enterprise. Facts—
undeniable facts—prove to the contrary. The other
contributions are in a great measure beaming with intt 1-
ligence.

LITERATURE.
THE EDINBURGH REVIEW. No. CLXXIL
Although there are no less than twelve separate ar-
ticles in the Number just published, we cannot but re-
gard it as deficient in variety, white we are satisfied that
the generality of the contributions are inferior in point
of composition. With reference to the diversity of the
themes, we may observe that there are four papers upon
political topics worn threadbare by their frequent consi-
deration, both in Parliament and the press: we allude to
the Montpensier marriage, the condition of Canada, the
principles of political economy, and the occupation of
Cracow. There are two relating to the humanitarian
class, namely, gaol discipline and juvenile outcasts.
Two others are devoted to matters religious, that is to
say, to miracles and the Marian exiles, Besides these
there are four dissertations of a less hackneyed charac-
ter, bearing upon the Arabic philosophy, the cultivation
of the fine arts by means of the Government schools of
design, the possible reformation of the statute laws, and
the last fictitious narrative written by Miss Harriet Mar-
tineau. We are scarcely correct, however, in desig-
nating that narrative—a narrative that not long since
came under our own cr?ticism—as fictitious, seeing that
it was suggested by, if it were not actually delineative
of, the romantic adventures of Lady Grange. " The
Billow and the Rock" may in some measure be regarded
as a species of biography of that violent but unfortunate
lady, and as such it is ci esidered by the Edinburgh
Reviewer. Incidentally, indeed as a sort of appended
notice, the pamphlet lately issued by the author of
Lucretia is mentioned, and of it the critic remarks—
" We think it right to add, that if the author has been
assailed in the manner he mentions, he has been most
unjustly assailed; and that, in our opinion, his answer
to the assailants is complete." Tallying so entirely with
the sentiments we have continually expressed, we are
gratified in making the above quotation from the Edin-
burgh Review. It is further added therein that " authors,
like Sir Edward Lytton, who are read and admired in
every quarter of the globe, have surely nothing to fear
from the misrepresentations of critics, and little cause to
complain of the tardy justice of contemporaries. Si
monumentum requiris circumspice." Truly may this be
uttered of a man whose writings are read and admired
and wept over in the chateaux of France, among the
students and burgomasters of Germany, in the cities of
America and the homesteads of England. Sir Edward
has but little reason indeed to lament the " tardy justice
of contemporaries," and has consequently no cause what-
ever to bewail the misrepresentations of a few undiscern-
ing critics. Of the "Plea for Ragged Schools," con-
tained in this number of the Edinburgh Review, we can-
not speak in that language of unaffected admiration
which some few months since was called from us by a
similar paper in the Quarterly. Either more effort is
visible in the pathetic adjurations of the pleader, or the
supplications are weakened by their manifestly imita-
tive character. Cordially, however, do we coincide in
thinking, that "though appearances may be against the
present age, we suspect that the reality is in its favour;
and that the general impression to the contrary may be
accounted for rather by the increase of our knowledge and
of our compassion, than by an increase in our viciousness
and distress." We regard alike with the most un-
mitigated contempt those who vaunt the present age as
the ultimatum of human progression, and those who
whine over the utter degeneracy of these times. The
generatit n in which we are now living, is essentially—more
essentially so than any preceding generation—one of
progress and improvement. So far from having reached
the ultimatum of civilization, we are now but on the con-
fines of a true civilization. We have surmounted Alps
upon Alps of difficulties and obstructions, but Alps upon
Alps still lie before us. As we advance the prospect
spreads, the vista becomes vaster and more interminable,
the horizon enlarges, and enlarges as the circle caused by
a pebble in the water. Whatever knowledge we have
gained only shows us the more the littleness of our
learning, though it affords us at the same time addi-
tional encitement to penetrate the mysteries by which we
are surrounded. When, again, we are deafened by lugu-
brious lamentations upon the degeneracy of our days, we
look more to the superficial analogy between this period and
its predecessors. We do not, generally speaking, con-
template their intrinsic dissimilarity. Because wicked-
ness and want are, now-a-days, rendered more visible
than they were formerly, we come to the preposterous
conclusion that they are necessarily more enormous and
more diffused. As the Edinburgh reviewer very happily
expresses it, "former times did not live in the glass case we
do!" Among the many sentences pregnant with mean-
ing, w hick might be selected from this " Plea for Ragged
Schools," we may adduce one which says as much as
several volumes of the old political economists ; it is
this—that " England has been raised to the place she
holds among the nations, not by her broad acres, but by,
her thousand factories, and her miles of crowded streets.'
Here that home-truth, Gentlemen of the Country Party!
and ask yourselves honestly, in your heart of hearts, if
our native agriculture has the right to demand those
enormous sacrifices in its favour, which its quasi-friends
have been so solicitous to preserve in its possession. If
protection is requisite for any class in the United king-
doms, who ought, by right, to obtain the benefit of that
protection ? The agriculturists ? England does not
owe her eminence among the nations to them 1 To
whom then should protection (supposing it to be us
essential as Lord George and his followers still main-
tain) be awarded ? To the artisans in those
thousand factories, to the denizens of those miles
of crowded streets, through whose instrumen-
tality England "has been raised to the place she
holds among the nations." But those artisans and those
denizens repudiate the necessity, and deny the advisa-
bility of protection, and therefore has the principle of
protection been laughed to scorn. Speaking of the
accuracy with which the crime of the land may be
gauged, the reviewer beautifully remarks, "Newgate
has its observatory as well as Greenwich; and crime
can be followed in its course almost as clearly as the
stars." It is from the awful evidence of our criminal
statistics that the upholders of these ragged schools
derive their principal argument. It is from the broad
and undeniable ulceration of the social system, through
wanton mismanagement and egregious neglect that have
arisen those worthy labourers in the vineyards of bane-
violence, the advocates for the foundation of reformatory
establishments. Of our mismanagement and neglect
what have been the consequences? Listen to these
mournful expressions. " Looking over the tabular
returns of our criminals, we learn the meaning of
Averroes, when he wished Utinam natus essem Senex !
Old age we trust, still retains its advantage But in
England the sweet prerogative of youth, its crown of inno-
cence and flowers, if not lost, is sadly faded. The igno-
rance of vice has ceased—the knowledge of virtue has
not replaced it. The mistress of a school of industry
said to a lady lately, There are no children now !'
So writes the Edinburgh Review for April, 1847.
Several years back Charles Lamb—dear " Elia
spoke almcst to the same effect. Listen to the sad
but beautiful words of that great essayist 1—" Poor
people," said he, "do not bring up their children, they
drag them up. The little careless darling of the
wealthier nursery, in their hovel, is transformed betimes
into a premature reflecting person. No one has time to
dandle it, no one thinks it worth while to coax it, to soothe
it, to toss it up and down, to humour it. There is none to
kiss away its tears. If it cries it can only be beaten.
It never had a toy, or knew what a coral meant. It
was never sung to—no one ever told to it a tale of the
nursery. It was dragged up to live or die as it hap-
pened. It had no young dreams. It broke at once into
the iron realities of life. The children of the very poor
have no young times. The casual street-talk of the
poor man's child is not of toys, of nursery books, of
summer holydays (fitting that age) ; of the promised
sight or play ; of praised sufficiency at school. It is
of mangling and clear-starching, of the price of coals,
or of potatoes. It has come to be a woman—before it
was a child 1 It has learned to go to market ; it chaf-
fers, it haggles, it envies, :it murmurs ; it is knowing,
acute, sharpened ; it never prattles !" So wrote Charles
Lamb ; and of those poor children of whom he wrote
thus might we say as this Edinburgh Review says of
Ireland—" Alas 1 alas I—alas for neglected opportu-
nities 1" Had the reviewer transcribed a single one of
those sentences which we have just quoted from the
" Essays of Elia," he would have uttered a more
effectual Plea for Ragged Schools than by the
composition of his entire contribution. He
appeals, however, in one part sensibly enough
to the self-interest of those purblind dolts who
would depreciate the efficacy of the " Ragged
School system," when he observes to them, " You will
maintain them (meaning the vagabond children) cheaper,
domesticated at your barn door, than when left to help
themselves from your land and fields, as game l" In-
ferior, nevertheless, as this article is to many that have
appeared elsewhere, we are rejoiced to see such an una-
nimous effort for the reclamation of juvenile offenders, THE BEETHOVEN QUARTET SOCIETY.—The third
and for the instruction of that spawn of human poverty meeting was more fully attended than either of the others,
from which they originate. Of a similar description to I which may be in a great part attributed to the presence of
the foregoing paper is the Biography of Sarah Martin, Joseph Joachim, one of the most accomplished
ofthe and admirable
the benevolent milliner of Yarmouth, who did so much of living violinists, who led two quartets on the occa-
for thepassionate and beautiful
the amelioration of the condition of the male and sion- The programme comprised
ff
female prisoners of the local gaol. In this contribution 1 C minor (No. 4, from Op. 18); the E at (No.lo, Op. 74),
there is the following incidental description of Mrs. I which may be regarded as the bridge passing over from the
I early and middle quartets to the " posthumous ;" and the A
Fry's first entry into the female ward of Newgate minor (No. 12, Op. 132), one of the most profound and
" Locked up with viragos, amongst whom the turnkeys I imaginative of the last-mentioned. Joseph Joachim led the
had warned her that her purse, her watch, and even her f first and third. His playing, both in style and execution,
life would be in danger, she addressed them with
was superb, and the audience were moved to the warmest
dignity, power, and gentleness, and soon awed them
expressions of delight. Sainton led the second, in his usual
into compliance with a code of regulations, which there I energetic manner. The tenor and violoncello playing of
was a committee of ladies ready to aid her in carrying I Hill and Rousselot, as usual, elicited the highest marks of
into execution." One criticism has afforded us extraor- approval.
dinary pleasure in the perusal. We mean the paper SIR ROBERT PEEL IN BLACKBURN.—On Monday.
upon " Arabian Philosophy," suggested by the learned evening last, at about half-past 7 o'clock, Sir R. Peel arrived
work of Auguste Schreolders. Our observations have, lin Blackburn from Drayton. The Right lion. Baronet
however, extended so far already, that we must content
travelled by, railway to Preston, and came thence in his own
ourselves and our readers with a single extract. It is i I
private carriage. His arrival, having reference only to his
own private estates at Oswaldtwisle, in this neighbourhood,
a direct, and, we believe, a judicious denial of the intel-
was intended to be strictly private, the letter received at Miss
lectual superiority of the ancient Eeyptians Garth's Hotel, Blackburn, simply stating that dinner would
"As Egypt becomes better known, many ancient preju-
be required for " two gentlemen," shortly after 7, and that
dices vanish. It has been for ages the old wonder-land beds would also be wanted. The second gentleman was Mr.
whence superstitious ingenuity has derived the invention of Spark, we believe, a practical agriculturist from London, who
all arts and sciences. To the ancient Greeks it was the had attended Sir Robert with a view to conducting some ex-
mother of all wonders. No philosopher could raise himself tensive improvements on his estates, such as thorough drain-
into prominent distinction, but he must at once be supposed ing, &c. Notwithstanding the secresy which had so far been
to have learned his wisdom from the Egyptians. Even the observed upon the subject of the Right Hon. ex-Premier's
imaginary race of Pigmies (in whose existence men firmly visit, it became known a few minutes after his arrival, and
believed for several centuries) could have no birth-place or i inquiries were numerous as to the fact- He stayed but a
dwelling-place but somewhere near the source of the Nile. night at the hotel, and left at about 8 yesterday morning fur
The dark mysterious Egyptians, with their 'wonderful talent Oswaldtwisle, three miles from Blackburn, where, attended
for silence,' were supposed to conceal inexhaustible wisdom , by Mr. Westall, local steward of his estates, and Mr. Spark,
beneath that gravity; but from all that has transpired, we he walked about some five or six hours, suggesting and de-
ssupect their gravity concealed nothing worth exhibiting' termining upon various important improvements, and left
Knowledge, like murder, will out,'—cannot be restrained; shortly before 4 o'clock for Manchester, where it was sup-
so that when we see neither flame nor smoke, we are corn- posed he would pass the night. Sir R. Peel's estates in the
pelled to question the presence vf fire. o
"Whether the earlier thinkers, Pythagoras and Plato, ' neLzhburhood of Oswaldtwisle produce him about 4,0001.
a year, and he has not visited them since 1834.—Blackburn
owed much to the Egyptians, has long been a disputed
Sti
point; and certainly all attempts to indicate any distinct SUGAR.--From a return issued yesterday, by order
tnda rd.
obligations have been something more than questionable. '
of the House of Commons (on a motion of Mr. Moffatt), it
Coincidences of doctrine doubtless exist; but coincidences
appears that 3,061,3591. is the amount of duty received in
by no means necessarily imply a transmission from one to
the other. The history of philosophy is United Kingdom from April
the on sugars, 1846, to Jan. 5,
crowded with coin- 1847 Of this amount 3,067,954/. was the aggregate receipt
cidences, where direct filiation is impossible. In this very
article we have alluded t•
Y on sugar unrefined, and 23,4951. on refined sugar and sugar
o some which exist between
Algazzali and Descartes, and the Germans; and as the candy sa During the period above-mentioned a sum of
moderns knew no Arabic, and as the treatise question was '
14 5711 was paid under protest at the Custom-house,London,
never till recently translated or even analysed, there can be in respect of sugar that was stopped for alleged inaccurate
no suspicion of transmission, direct or incl. 'rect. Of Pytha-
entry therein,

SHARPE'S LONDON MAGAZINE. November,
1846, to April, 1847.

As we have continually noticed this periodical in its
monthly form of publication, it is unnecessary to ob
serve more than that, in its collected form, it presents
an accumulation of those advantages and excellencies
which were previously its characteristics when produced
piecemeal. Sharpe's London Magazine is not merely a
melange of agreeable fragments of light literature—it is
diversified with clever illustrations and instructive
articles. As a specimen of the papers contained in the
present volume, we transcribe the following description
of the renowned meeting of the Emperors of France
and Russia at Erfurth, in 1808, the description
being translated from the lively account of Madame
Schopenhaner, who was an eye-witness of the august
festivities:—

" The epoch was, indeed, a striking one, in which the as-
tonishing man who for so many years has slept on the rock
of St. Helena from the fitful fever of his life, brought toge-
ther in this place, as with the stroke of an enchanter's wand,
emperors, and kings, and the most remarkable of living men.
Towns-people and peasants, strangers from all countries,
courtiers in costume richly embroidered, and somewhat ri-
diculous from the antiquity of their fashion; Polish Jews,
statesmen and officers covered with ribbons and crosses, ci-
tizen's wives, ladies elegantly dressed, peasant girls, with
their baskets on their backs,—all hurried here and there,
jostling and labouring to make way. From time to time,
French troops, moving with the music of bands to the ground
appointed for review, added to the confusion of the streets.
The town of Erfurth was not large enough to hold the
strangers who came crowding into it. The principal inhabi-
tants were driven from their apartments to those of the ser-
vants, to make room for the suite of the Emperor of the
French. In the streets more removed from the centre, the
owners of houses were delighted with the golden harvest af-
forded by those who tenanted them. The inns were filled to
overflowing.

The scene is then changed to the theatre, where Telma,
Mademoiselle Duchenois, Mademoiselle Mars, and
others, enraptured their majestic auditors:—
" I was happy enough to be placed with two of my friends
in the front of a box near the stage, whence we could see all
that passed in the pit. We congratulated each other on be-
ing so well placed ; but our joy was of short duration. The
boxes near us were filled to excess. The door of ours
was opened hastily. The gendarme, or whoever be was,
who stood sentinel over our box, came to say that three
chairs were too much for three ladies, and immediately in-
troduced to the seats two other ladies, who, fortunately,
however, were known to us. All the boxes, as well as ours,
were soon full. We were crowded unmercifully, so that we
could hardly stir. The heat was enough to make one faint ;
but really we had not time for anything of the kind. The
importance of the grand spectacle which was forming itself
under our eyes in the pit, occupied our attention so much,
that every inconvenience was forgotten.
"Immediately before the stage were placed arm chairs
for the two Emperors, Alexander and Napoleon; and, at
their sides, ordinary chairs for the kings and reigning princes.
The space behind these seats began to be filled up. We saw
enter the statesmen and generals of the several powers of
Europe, men whose names were then famous, and have be-
come a portion of history. Uniforms covered with gold, and
an air of vivacity and assurance, distinguished the French
from the Germans, more serious and more modest. There
were Berthier,
.Soult, Caulaincourt, Savary, Lannes, Duroc,
and many others equally celebrated ' • it seemed as if the
greatness of their master was reflected in the aspect of each.
Goethe was there, with his calm dignified look, and the
venerable Wieland. They had accompanied the grand Duke
of Weimar to Erfurth. The Duke of Gotha, and several
German princes, reigning or allied to those reigning, were
grouped about the two veterans of German literature.
"A rolling of drums was heard outside. It is the Em-
peror!' ran through the hall in a murmur.
" Fools! what are you about?' said the commanding
officer to the drummers; it is but a kisg!'
s "In effect, a German king it was who entered the hall.
Three others appeared in a little time after. Without noise
or splendour, the Kings of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtem-
berg, entered. The King of Westphalia (Jerome), who
came later, eclipsed them by the eclat of his embroideries
and pearls. The Emperor Alexander, with his majestic
port, came next. The grand box, opposite the stage, dazzled
all eyes by its brilliancy. The Queen of Westphalia, covered
with diamonds, sat in the middle, and near her the charming
Stepanie, Grand Duchess of Baden, more remarkable for the
graces of her person than the richness of her dress. Some
German princesses were seated near the two reigning
print,g,o, Th. a...rise-nen of their courts occu-
pied the back cf the box.
"At this moment Talleyrand made his appearance in a
little box arranged expressly for himself near the stage, on
account of the weakness of his legs. The Emperor and the
Kings remained standing by this box, in conversation with
the Minister, seated comfortably within it. Everybody had
arrived ; he alone who had summoned all these great people
together was still looked for; and he made them wait for
some time. _ _

---------
"At last, a fresh rolling of the drums was heard, louder
than before, and all eyes were bent on the entrance with an
uneasy curiosity. He appeared at last—this most incom-
prehensible man of an inconceivable era. Dressed very
simply, as usual, he slightly saluted the Sovereigns present,
who had been obliged to wait for him so long, and took
his arm-chair on the right of the Emperor of Russia.
His short round person was strikingly contrasted with the
superb figure of Alexander. The four Kings took their
places on chairs without arms, and the play began. But
Telma displayed his excellent art in vain. Jocaste Rau-
court, whose beauty and talents had fascinated Baron
Grimm, at Paris, during half a century, now found that she
could charm no more. We had no eyes or attention for any-
thing but the pit before us. In the meantime, the gene-
darmes at the door of our box did all they could to correct
the deficiencies of our education, and to teach us, in the in-
tervals between the acts, the etiquette to be observed to-
wards the master of the world. 'Take down that opera-
glass—the Emperor does not like it!' cried one of them
leaning over the ladies seated behind us. Sit up, and don't
stretch out your neck—the Emperor does not like it;' cried
another. The impertinence, to be sure, was very great but
we took pattern by the kings and princes before us, and bore
patiently at the hands of Frenchmen what we could not
remedy. _ _ _

"Immediately after the opening of the tragedy, which he
had already seen a hundred times, Napoleon sat himself at
ease in his arm-chair, and was soon sound asleep. It is well
known that he could sleep at any hour of the day or night he
pleased. Eye-witnesses have declared that, even on days of
battle, he would designedly set himself to sleep during an
hour or two, for the purpose of recruiting his strength, and
wake at a fixed time. On the day of this representation at
Erfurth he had fatigued himself in reviewing the troops for
several hours together. It was a singular spectacle for us to
see buried in such a quiet sleep this terrible man, whose vast
plansinvolved one half the globe, either for good or evil. We
were never tired of contemplating, with an astonishment
mingled with tear, that flue antique profile relieved against
the sombre uniform of the Czar Alexander."
The other contributions are of variable interest.

THE PARLOUR LIBRARY, 11. MEMOIRS
OF A PHYSICIAN, Vol. I. By Alexander Dumas.
The doom of the Roman feuilleton is sealed, and the
prince of feuilletonists, Alexander Dumas, is consequently
in danger of finding his occupation gone like that of
Othello. " Worse, says the Westminster Review,
" worse than the lassitude of the brain-sucked author
writing desperately to order—worse than the utmost
malignity of slashing or sneering criticism—is the im
practicable vis inertice of a public who have ceased to be
amused and will not buy." The proprietor of the " Par-
lour Library" should have looked well to this alarming
fact before the re-issue of the first portion of the clever
but ephemeral "Memoirs of a Physician," and especially
he should not have depreciated the circumstance that
this identical work is the very one interrupted in its
course of publication in the Constitutionnel newspaper.
A little more procrastination would have been advisable.
Among the very many dramatic and effective scenes in
this romance is the one where Joseph Balsamo is pre-
sented to Marie Antoinette, where the sorcerer shows the
future Queen the execution of herself upon the guillo
tine in the water of a golden Carafe. It is faithfully
and elegantly translated.