The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-06 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN REVIEW. •
No. XXIII. Taylor, London, 1841.
There are usually some able statistic articles in
this/periodical, which, indeed, constitutes its
chief recommendations with the public. In the
Nninber now lying before us there is an admir-
ablb one on " Russia, her Commercial Position,
anti Prospects," wherein, after entering at con-
siderable length into the subject of the home
and foreign trade of this gigantic Power,
the :writer closes his remarks by observing:_
" To us, it does not appear a difficult under-
taking, notwithstanding the difference of soil and
climate, to call up a city equal in wealth and ex-
tent to Calcutta, on the banks of Lake Baikal,
and to make-Orenburg or Astrachan rival Bom-
bay or Madras. The only talisman we should
seek, would be the eradication of the Russian
police, a body no less inimical to the progress
of civilization than the Strelitzes or Janis-
saries
of former days, and the conversion
of the Minister of Finance to the opi-
nion that the sum of the items of national
trade, and not their difference, forms the true
object to which a statesman ought to direct his
attention—in other words, that the prosperity of
a country can be much more correctly estimated
according to the extent of its trade, than accord-
ing, to its apparent balance." In the critical
notice of " Poems by the- Reverend R. C.
Trench," the Reviewer, alluding incidentally
to Wordsworth, expresses it as his opinion, that
" he has imparted to the age the reflective cha-
racter of his own genius." We cannot hold with
this assertion, for certainly modern poetry is not
remarkable for development of thought; in the
generality of instances it is as superficial as can
well be, and therefore diametrically opposed to
the tendency of Wordsworth's genius. W e admit,
however, that Mr. Trench is one of his most suc-
cessful imitators, and possesses something of a
kindred spirit. " Combo's Constitution" is an un-
favourable criticism on a work that has recently at-
tracted no ordinary share of'public attention. The
Reviewer insists that Mr. Combe has performed
his task in a very imperfect manner; that " his
production is shallow," and is of " an injurious
tendency." How this may be, we know not,
as we do not happen to have read the work
in question. The article entitled " Finance,"
contains some shrewd, practical remarks on the
subject of a sinking fund, of which the Re-
viewer approves, adding— "We are clearly
of opinion that Mr. Pitt's principle of 17972
ought to be followed up ; and that a sinking
fund to redeem the debt within forty-five
years, as well as the interest of the loan, ought to
be provided by additional taxes. Perhaps if the
state of the country should admit of it, it might
be better to have a sinking fund sufficient to re-
deem the debt in forty-five years, without accu-
mulation ; this would require something less than
two and a quarter per cent. This fund, like the
former, would be applicable to the expenses of
the war ; but after its termination, would be ap-
plied to the redemption of debt." " Italian
Narrative Poetry " is sufficiently explained by
its title. Its greatest defect is, that the subject—
no very prolific one—has been discussed over
and over again, usque ad nauseam. " Anglo-
Saxon Laws and Institutes" add little to the in-
formation which we have already obtained,
through the medium of Sharon Turner's history.